EMILY BONES.

"Does it hurt?" Elodie found herself asking softly, but she quickly realized how that might come off as she furrowed her brows and shook her head. "I'm just concerned, is all. I promise. That doesn't look pleasant."

"No." That was the one silver lining here. It was ugly and disconcerting but ultimately painless. Sometimes, Emily didn't even realize what was happening. That tended to be embarrassing more than anything else. "It's sweet of you to be concerned. I also have an older sister who's incredibly good at that." The fact that Sally had been through so much because of Emily continued to weigh on the undead heart of the younger Bones daughter. "You're not wrong, though. I wouldn't consider this particularly pleasant at all. Most people just look in disgust."

Henley's brows furrowed as she looked down at the dirt stains that covered the other girl's dress. There was a... strange smell in the air, but she tried not to let it bother her. "...Are you okay?" It only felt right to ask, really.

Emily laughed. She couldn't help it. There were so many things that she had become and okay was so far from any of them. Poor Emily Bones, murdered for her fortune by a man who claimed to love her. Emily Bones, the vampire who was falling apart. Beautifully tragic, tragically beautiful. She had forgotten what okay even felt like. "I'm in love." It was easier to focus on that, to focus on Victor. "Is anyone who's in love okay?"

It was harsh but true. Emily couldn't even fight the girl on the gross part even if she was being unnecessarily judgmental. "I don't know." That was more or less true. So far, there were only theories. "My body didn't completely accept the transformation when I was turned." Now, she rotted and decayed. "It seems I forgot the undead part of it all."

"I was hoping so, yes." Emily would have been out and about for nothing if not. Her days of being a social butterfly had long come and gone. It was rare for her to leave the side of town she had taken up residence in; it was more dangerous than Main Street, but people went out of their way to mind their own business. Even coming this far into town felt like a risk. Emily couldn't see Sally. Not yet, at least. That didn't mean she wouldn't get creative about how to keep tabs on her. The heat from the sun was uncomfortable where it warmed the long sleeves she wore, but Emily remained covered. "Do you have a minute to talk? Inside, preferably. The sun isn't good for my skin."

"You do know that wandering around the woods at night is stupidly dangerous... Right?" Henley didn't think it had to be said out loud, but she was feeling snarky. It was rare that she wandered into anyone else this late at night while out in the forest.

At first, the only reply was a low hum. Dirt stained the hem of Emily's dress from where she had been kneeling. In the dark, it was harder to see imperfections and flaws. She liked the anonymity that night provided. "Right," the confirmation was also hummed. "But I've found people make habits of doing stupidly dangerous things all the time. Besides, I don't think I have much less to fear. That's melodramatic, isn't it? Oh well."

🎃 SPOOKTOBER 🎃 October 22nd: Corpse Bride (2005)

ELLA PURNELL HollywoodLife, 2019

Emily was pretty sure no one had ever called her perfect before. She would have told Sally that she was perfect from head to toe, but the days of being a nurturing older sister had come and gone. One hand instinctively rose to tug down the sleeve of her sweatshirt. It was embarrassing to be falling apart, and she didn't want anyone to see that. "I don't think I'd come across very well. The sun irritates my skin."

Nico tilted his head at her question as he smirked softly and raised his brows. "You'd be surprised. I know most of the vampires around the Landing. What's her name?"

There was a moment of hesitation. Once her sisters name was put out there, it would be impossible to take back. It's not like Emily could compel another vampire, let alone Nico Dios. Still, she said, "Sally Bones. Sally Finkelstein, maybe. I'm not sure what she's going by now. You make deals, don't you? I'd be willing to make one."

There was a reason for that constant wall that Taylor threw up around everyone. She'd been burned before, and she'd be damned if she let it happen again. It faltered slightly now though as she just let out a sigh and turned to look at the other girl. "What do you want, Emily?"

"I don't think there's anything in particular that I want from you specifically. I need to feed, unfortunately."

Settling into the seat, Emily propped her head up on her hand and waited for Leota to join her. "I'm in love," Emily sighed. "It's stupid, I know. There's a million reasons why it'll never work, but I can't help myself."

Settling into the seat, Emily propped her head up on her hand and waited for Leota to join her. "I'm in love," Emily sighed. "It's stupid, I know. There's a million reasons why it'll never work, but I can't help myself."

Couldn't say it better herself if she tried, however the young woman before her looked far more lost than she did. That was saying something considering she spent most of her life behind closed doors. "No, that actually quite sums it up." she said before tilting her head lightly, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Me?" It had been a while since anyone has asked her that. Emily blinked once, pleasantly surprised. "Better than I have been, actually. Little things can make all of the difference. Are you?"

"I mean, sure, love is the most powerful magic...But surely you can't just marry a man you just met."

"We didn't just meet." In all honesty, it really hadn't been that long. Emily didn't care. "But even if we had, he sees me. I don't think anyone other than my sister has ever done that."

"That's normally the problem: someone always gets hurt." Emily didn't want that to happen to Victoria any more than she wanted it to happen to herself. It seemed inevitable, however. Not everyone could get what they wanted. "I wish it wasn't as complicated as it is."

"You must not have experienced love, then." Emily loved all too easily. It had been what had done her in in the end. "Or, not the type I'm thinking of."