we protect those who can not protect themselves

San Francisco? How quaint! You know, I’ve actually never been. I meant to, you know. But then, I found out that the Golden Gate Bridge isn’t actually gold, and it all seemed rather pointless. Time is a funny creature, isn’t it? Sometimes it seems almost circular. Five star hotels? Well, you’ve won me over yet again. Whoever came up with that particular little rating system was quite the genius. You always know what you’re getting. [eyes lighting up at the mention of not one but two French dishes and the memory of home] Oh, that does sound amazing. But that’s the joy of ratatouille. It’s meant to look rustic, no? My top three places? It’d be cliche to say New York, wouldn’t it? It’s a difficult question. There was this little town outside of Rome, with these outdoor sulfur baths, and the best pastries I’ve ever had. That’s definitely up there. You?

[ Laughs ] That’s fair enough. If you’re expecting gold and all you get is the bridge, you’d definitely feel cheated for making the trip. It does have its charms though. Then again, I was seeing it through a college kid’s point of view. Even more than that, an art college kid’s point of view. Exactly! My roommate thinks that I’m snobby sometimes but I just think there’s a time and a place for having taste- it’s all the time. Besides, the thread count? The extra fluffy towels? How could anyone turn their nose up at that, you know? Well, when you put it like that... I won’t argue with your expert opinion. [ With his free hand, he dramatically placed it over his heart- ] What better place to leave a piece of your heart? Your little hot spot in Rome sounds like a real experience though. Me? Would I sound too much like a tourist if I said the Grand Canyon was up there? Oh, I know. My family and I took a vacation to Scotland one year when I was a kid. I probably didn’t appreciate the Isle of Arran as much as I should have then but in hindsight, really beautiful. Rustic and raining but still good. Ah- [ Blake hesitated as her Inn came into sight. This had been nice, really. But he should not get involved with a vampire- not again, not anymore. After Ana, it was best he kept his distance from anyone with fangs. She was really interesting though... ] Hey, no pressure or anything but would you maybe like to grab a drink inside with me? If it’s not too late, I mean. We could keep on talking for a while.

In that case, I’d love to meet her. Oooh, I love to travel, but, I don’t know if I’d like your way of traveling. I prefer to have a reclining seat, at the very least, but those complimentary pretzels are also quite nice. What do you like to cook, then? Once again, I do have some level of taste when it comes to these things. Proper desks. Oh, and of course, the fluffy robes. The list of welcome desks is quite long, if we’re going to be honest.

Oh well, she’s back in San Francisco right now but who knows? There might be a visit in the future. Or our paths might meet again. Timing’s got a funny way about it like that... Ha, yeah. It’s definitely not for everyone. To be honest, it wasn’t even really for me to start with. I usually go for the five star hotel nevermind the shady, off road, motel. Still though, there were some good times. Some of the sunrises out there on the road- couldn’t beat them. I like to try new things, the shelves at my old college dorm were filled with recipe books. Lately it’s been a mix of trying to nail the perfect gratin, jajangmyeon and oh--- I made ratatouille a couple- few?- weeks back but the artiste in me spent way too long trying to make it look pretty. What about your top 3? Places you’ve been--- Or you probably want to get out of the rain instead of indulging my, ah, Q and A.

Well, your mother is very smart then. I’m sure I could learn a thing or two from her. A granola bar? That is quite a thing to carry with you. But each to their own, I suppose, right? The mahogany welcome desk is the reason I chose it. [giggling a little] After all, I couldn’t stay in a place that only had an oak welcome desk. I have standards. If it’s not too much trouble, it’d be quite nice of you.

By far the smartest person that I know. I spend a lot of time on the road- Well, I did. A lot of the time we- I didn’t have the chance to cook nevermind grab a proper dinner but there was always emergency granola. Don’t get me wrong though, I prefer to cook. An oak desk? Laughable. People usually don’t appreciate the finer nuances of architecture... I mean, ah, I get you. Of course. Maybe you can tell me about some of the other welcome desks you’ve seen.

Cristina had no idea who that Dean would have been, or maybe she did? Faces and people turned quite a haze after a few decades. She liked the idea however that she was original in her torture. She had to get her fun somewhere. And these people hadn’t been very nice to her. “Here’s to hoping.” Though secretly she hoped they didn’t and were complete idiots and would try shit again the moment Blake left, so she could cut them in little pieces and - her mind snapped to the conversation at hand. 

She laughed, a genuine one. “You really asking for my reason to be in this town? Curious as well Mr I follow the rules?” She tilted her head. “I can’t say, maybe it’s both.”

,`*&  ☆   

Blake should probably make his leave now, right? He wasn’t responsible for keeping an eye out on the vamps in this town. This was still the McReid’s territory until things kicked off (if they ever did and at this point, Blake hoped they didn’t). He’d tried to be the good guy and he’d tried to be the bad guy (after Analese was killed, by a vampire). Neither had really worked out for him but it was always dangerous, right? Making small talk with someone who could tear out your throat. Still, he laughed.

“Uh, yeah. This might not be my finest moment,” he shrugged, offering up a smile. “And I don’t always follow the rules.” Did that sound a little too flirty? Man, what was he doing? “Always ends up being both in my experience. Do you always make this many friends whenever you roll up to a small, middle-of-nowhere, town?”

Merci monsieur. You are very prepared. More prepared than I was, for sure. I’m not too far. I have a room at the Phoenix Feather Inn. I’d run over myself, but it’s a bit difficult in these shoes.

You are very welcome, madame. I was never a Boy Scout but it was something my mom taught me how to do. You never know when you’re going to need an umbrella or- [ he patted his bag ]- a granola bar. That place is gorgeous- did you see the mahogany welcome desk they have? Of course. [ Pauses for half a second because really, should he be chit chatting with a vampire right now? ] Walk you over?

In truth, he hadn’t planned on coming to Lyndsy’s tonight- his feet had just led him there. Taking in a breath, he offered them up a tired smile. “Hey, uh, do you mind if I sit here?”

@havensdalestarters​

The more Cristina heard the more she felt like she wouldn’t be able to get along with sweet Mr I follow the rules. Who likes following the rules, rules were made to be broken. But there was something in Cristina that told her to not make a fuss this time, to be a good girl and listen to mr rule follower and just keep her head hanging low. “I’m warning them now, If they ever try to hit me again I’m hanging them from a building and make them repeatedly dropped off.” That wasn’t just a warning for show, everyone who knew how Cristina operated knew that she wasn’t one to give people a quick death. She made them suffer and she held no remorse. 

With years passing Cristina killed those who she felt deserved it. And no hunter was going to stop her from killing someone who deserves it. Predators in all shapes and forms would die by her hand if they liked it or not. She went from serial killer to judge. 

“Cristina. Calero.” She rolled her eyes as she introduced herself. “Can’t say I’m a rule follower but I haven’t broken any yet.”

,`*&  ☆ 

Blake held his hands up in mock surrender as she emphasized her warning. It might have turned his buddy Dean’s stomach to be compared with a vampire but she was kinda reminding him of Dean. The whole ‘hang them off a building and drop them multiple times’ thing was, sadly, not the worst thing Blake had ever heard. He offered her a nod. “Understood. Here’s hoping that everyone can keep their hands to themselves. Make it through the rest of the night without any major casualties. You know, small, manageable goals,” he added with a smile, hinting he was teasing. 

Playing the pacifist was a full time job and Blake didn’t plan on quitting (again) any time soon. Still, he’d done all he could for now. Who knows? Maybe he’d come out of this one with an ally. Then again, he might just be lucky to escape with his head still attached.

“Cristina Calero, not a big fan of the rules. Got it. You here in Havensdale for, ah, business or pleasure?” .

“Someone needs their ego deflating anyway,” Olivia shrugged. She thought Blake could have done with a deflating too, but then again, she thought that about most people. She was still mighty suspicious about why he was lurking around, waiting for some tarnished penny to drop. A charming smile here and a quip there wasn’t going to ease the suspicion any time soon. Olivia had spent enough time around Ian to know not to fall for the trick.

“Something like that,” O replied, before taking a firm bite of her apple. It occurred to her that she was actually joking around, and she couldn’t have that. Heaven forbid she transformed into an approachable person! “Are you two, like, BFFs or something now?” she asked, half-chewing and highly unamused.

“What’s your deal? Like, do you want something or something?” It was a bit useless asking how Olivia was. She was never really anything outside a baseline of ‘whatever’. “Everything’s just peachy. I’d ask the same but I’m not all that interested.”

,`*&  ☆   

“We don’t have matching bracelets or anything,” he said, joking. In truth, Blake didn’t know what he and Ian would talk about under normal circumstances. He checked in with him, asked about his brother but it was just... It was too hard. After all, Ian got his person back. After everything, against all odds, he got his brother back. And Blake didn’t. Analese was still gone. As happy as Blake was for someone who’d shared his pain in probably his darkest moments, the less face time, the better. At least until the hurt started to ease up.

Blake smiled again, letting out a small laugh at her question. He figured it was a warlock thing, not having to adhere to pleasantries. Just get right to the point. He thought about it for a moment even though he knew the answer. “That must be pretty nice. Not-,” caring, “Being all that interested.”

“I’m trying to make amends,” he answered. “That’s all. I feel like I dragged Ian into something- feel l like I was another hunter taking advantage of a witch. I crossed alotta lines after my... After I lost my aunt. I’m just trying to make things right however I can even if it is just asking after someone.” Letting out a breath, he offered a shrug after all that. “Besides, you did save my life that one time even if it was on accident,” he flashed a grin, letting the seriousness go with the shrug, “That warrants chit-chat.”

Perhaps it was because Cristina was known, perhaps it was that she found trouble hard to reject. Maybe it was because she was bored out of her mind, maybe but in the end it didn’t matter. In the moment her eyes saw red and she wanted to lash out, tear the other apart and leave no trace of the body behind. 

“I don’t know it’s not like I can sue for getting hit, so why don’t I yank their not so pretty head off ins-” She frowned, glancing at the other with a tilt of her head. Seriously. “This town is no fun.” She muttered. “Fine, I’ll leave it be this time but if you think hitting a woman is better than hitting on a woman than you are certainly mistaken.” Her voice turned in a mix of bitterness and teasement. It was like two set of emotions were in control: annoyance and the desire to play.

,`*&  ☆  

Blake held his breath as the threat left her mouth. He knew he could handle himself, he was a bloodline hunter who’d been on the road almost five years now working. He could handle a sticky situation. Thing was, he didn’t want to. Blake felt duty bound to stay in Havensdale, fight whatever evil was coming but he didn’t want to. Not anymore. Thankfully, she conceded and he could breathe again.

“I think maybe your idea of ‘fun’ might be a little different than most people’s,” he said, with a smile of course. If this has been even a month ago, things would be different. Blake didn’t think someone should be attacked, should be staked just because they were a vampire but a lot of hunters did. Even he’d fallen into that trap after Analese... “I’m sorry, that shouldn’t have happened. There’s actually rules in this town and everything to make sure it doesn’t. Seems there’s always some kid at the back of the class who refuses to listen.” Blake tried to ignore the ‘hitting on’ comment. The last thing he needed was to get tangle up with a dangerous woman. “I’m Blake. Blake Hayes. Big fan of following the town’s rules.”  

It wasn’t that she was feeling chatty. Actually, she just felt like complaining. She obviously didn’t do that often enough, and getting that sort of stuff out of your system is good for you, don’t you know. The last interaction with Blake had almost been wiped from her memory by now, unimportant now that she had her beloved book back under her care. Granted, O was also well aware of the wonderful time he and Ian had playing with magic and wasn’t too sure how she actually felt about it. (Y’know, because of the whole no feeling thing.) She certainly wasn’t expecting Blake wandering near her house, and was suspicious that he might be looking for more of that magic.

“I smell enough of that in here,” Olivia replied flatly, pointing her thumb over her shoulder to the front door. (Now that Samson had two legs and not four, the distinct cheap cologne smell in the house was almost unbearable.) Her eyebrow quirked when he asked how… Ian was.

“How is Ian? Lemme check,” Olivia replied, pressing two fingers two her temples and closing her eyes. She opened them after a moment and shook her head. “Nope. Sorry, no idea. He’s out of reach of the radar at the moment.” (It was easier being a smart ass than admitting she wasn’t actually sure, and it wasn’t any of Blake’s business anyway.)

`**☆

“Cheap cologne? That has to be stinging someone’s ego in there,” he said, also gesturing towards the front door behind her. Blake had run into many people with all sorts of stories; that was a given when you lived on the road, saving people and hunting monsters. Knowing Olivia, meeting Ian, it was all just a part of his messy, supernatural life. He knew that she was a warlock and he knew that made her dangerous but still, Blake kept an easy smile. That was the way he’d always been: a little naive and a little too charming. 

Blake let out a laugh at her antics. Fair enough. Even though he knew that technically Olivia didn’t care, he still felt a pang of guilt over asking about Ian. Witches could be kind enough to help hunters, he knew that and he also knew that hunters took advantage of that kindness, of their magic. He and Ian wanted the same thing but it wasn’t Blake’s life on the line that night- it had been Ian’s. 

“Is the WiFi down?” He tapped his own temple, joking. “I could always just text, anyway,” he added, before letting the sentence linger, trying to ignore that guilt again. They’d been perfect strangers who met each other on their worst night. It left a mark. He wondered if Olivia cared about Ian. Or, well, whatever was closest. “And what about you? Everything okay? No missing books this time?” 

[ Dean shook his head, turning to face him. He had said countless times that he was leaving- usually in an outburst of anger or with a pout when things didn’t go his way- but this time was different and he knew Blake knew that too. Dean wasn’t a bloodline hunter. He wasn’t drawn here like Blake was and he certainly didn’t have that same instinct to help people. Honestly, he would fight monsters anywhere and he had proven time and time again that he didn’t need a reason to. Whatever was happening here didn’t need him involved- too much grey area. And he just… couldn’t do it. He couldn’t see Harper every day and not speak to her, but he couldn’t forget what she was. Dean’s life was too black and white for any part of this town… including Blake. ]

I ain’t ever fittin’ in this town, Blake. If I stay, someone’s gonna get hurt. I ain’t gonna change, you ain’t gonna change. It’s for the best if we just call it quits.

[ Blake knew that he was right. Of all the things they'd faced together, this was different. Something big was happening in this town and as much as he'd once ran from it, there was a sense of duty Blake couldn't get away from that made it so he had to stay and fight. Going out guns blazing wasn't what he wanted but he'd do it. 'Saving the world', that was how he thought about hunting but Dean didn't think like that. Dean killed monsters and he didn't care much for the hows, whys or consequences. They didn't work on paper but after everything they'd been through, every fight and every near loss, always having each other's backs and never giving up on each other... Blake thought he'd let this one go, bow out gracefully but suddenly there was a bubbling anger in his chest. How dare he. After everything, he was just going to leave? Did Blake really mean that little to him? Because Dean was--- Blake loved Dean, he was a part of him- he was family. ]