[noun] tidal wave

the  aldersley  sits  on  a  log,  eyes  focused  and  fingers  steady  as  the  young  witch  makes  a  charm  bracelet  on  their  lap  ━━  it's  not  for  anyone  in  particular  other  than  the  brave  soul  that  dares  ask  for  it,  lian  supposes.  she  hums  a  newfound  tune  as  hazel  eyes  keep  themselves  on  the  small  beads  (  distracted  by  nothing  nor  no  one  )  .

that  is  until  one  of  her  favourite  ravens  arrives  at  their  side  with  a  small  bag  of  snacks  hanging  from  their  beak,  the  rustling  of  the  awaited  paper  bag  bringing  lian  back  to  reality  ━━  even  if  it  wasn't  what  she  had  asked  for,  nor  would  she  question  just  how  the  raven  had  gotten  it.

it's  when  lian's  eyes  leave  that  small  activity  that  she  notices  someone  else  nearby.  "whatever  you  think  you  saw,  it  did  not  happen."  for  all  they  knew,  the  raven  just  found  a  shiny  snack  and  perched  itself  on  the  nearest  log.  "but  if  my  words  don't  convince  you,  might  i  bribe  you  with  either  of  these?"  meaning:  a  charm  bracelet  or  whatever  snack  the  raven  had  brought  them.

sariani was staring into space at this point, probably for a little bit too long until her attention was caught by a raven, which seemingly was communication with lian. she couldn't help but smile at herself as it brings such flashbacks of superstitions she'd used to hear from where she came from, she misses them sometimes.

right then and there the witch snaps her out of it. "sorry, i...that is just amusing to watch....i'm sorry." she says as she scratches the back of her head, giving the other a smile. her eyes then lands on her options, which makes her hum. "i'd take the bracelet, i think...it's so pretty. what is it for?"

and like the cliche she points out in movies, it was as if nothing else mattered right at this moment, just paz and paisley, in this little bubble they've somehow created. it was that pull that lasted for weeks and neither didn't make a move, it was just all smiles and nod, a subtle hint of flirtation with every greeting at mornings she'll be there before her shift at the hospital starts. she had never left herself be lost in such feeling like this, it was as if free falling, but ending up floating in a space that brings such waves of good feeling instead of her stomach dropping.

— I love pretending nothing is happening, it’s my favorite activity after picking up unsuspecting wallets and kissing sad, beautiful faces. — He commented to the person beside him, with a charming and playful demeanor. — What’s it gonna be for you today? We can talk about the weather and pretend nothing is happening, or I can pick your wallet when you’re not looking. I can also buy you a drink and offer a little smooch for your troubles. — He raised his eyebrows and put his hands inside his pockets, with a boyish smile.

FRANKLY, DESPITE REGINA'S STATE -- puriel's playful declaration does induce a laugh. not just out of amusement, but insecurity. because frankly, in her nearly two hundred years of living -- she had never been unsure about anything. confidence ran in her bones, out her fingers, leaving a trail behind her wherever she went. she knows everything. every step, every breath. everything is calculated. but there is so much right now that is unknown. weather she'll be able to keep it together, if she can reign in the storm brewing inside of her. frankly, it's becoming difficult to tame. even for her. it's in moments like these that she somehow understands the innate human need for support. but what she still doesn't seem to understand -- is how a single person can have this much control over her. make her need so much, make her want by simply just standing there. from her experience, that was a service she offered others. but she herself rarely ever experienced it. " i -- " she tries at first. how fucking embarrassing. her weakness, the fact that she was falling apart in front of a coworker. even if, deep down, she had already acknowledged that puriel was so much more than that. " well.... i don't want to hurt you. " she speaks once more through a rugged exhale. a hand rest against the outside brick, a subtle reminder that she was still on this astral plane.

the crash is epic, desperate, and messy -- but the most beautiful of things are, aren't they? the moment their lips meet, regina realizes that there's such thing as more than one kind of hunger. more, more, more. the single word ignites her ears, and every second fans the flames. she doesn't even hesitate to deepen the connection, a hand snaking across puriel's back to meet her shoulders while the other finds a home around her ribcage. the rhythm is found nearly instantly. it was a sigh of relief, a taste of freedom -- something she realizes she thought she had, but not until now.

when she finally inevitably comes up for air, it doesn't take long for her to turn the tides -- puriel's back now pressed to the wall. there was nothing more devastatingly hot than a struggle for power. moments later, regina's lips create a pattern across her neck leading upwards towards her ear, before she speaks her first words in what feels like a blur. even if that first kiss said so much.

it could be a spur of the moment, something that ignited a fire in the cambion, one that couldn't be put to words yet, but the actions that had been done by puriel felt like it was the right thing to do, especially with how regina looked as she cradled her face with her hand and had their bodies close, not a care in the world as she focused on bringing her back, feet on the ground and snapping her out of her fears. "you wouldn't ever hurt me. i just know it, regina..." she whispers quietly against her lips, in between the kisses. "i promise you that." anything that would bring her back from the river of thoughts she was getting herself drowned into, the cambion was dragging her out of it. an unspoken promise of i got you, no harm would be done. she knew she could take the vampire, at least restraint her just in case she goes out of control and let her thoughts take over and put people in harms way.

this isn't part of their little games anymore, not a little dance to the music that plays every night every single time they interact, not a couple of turns and chess pieces lost, their connection had reached another level as this chaos had just pushed them closer together, with whatever this is not defined yet, something that didn't feel like it needs to be, no pressure or weight on their shoulders, what puriel knows is...it was the comfort they give each other throughout this ordeal, not knowing when it's going to end, as nobody even knows how and why this started.

yet, his advice made sense. the more she was trying to bury the werewolf, the more it is going to be beyond her control. she had kept it away for so long out of her fear, out of not wanting to hurt anyone even again that she was hurting herself, killing herself slowly, even. "i...i need help." she admitted, looking down, shyness evident in her expression. "i really doesn't want to go out of control again...i don't..." i don't want to kill anyone. her hands find comfort from the warm coffee cup. "i'm sorry...it's...usually hard to talk about this with anyone."

His phone buzzed in his pocket and a text from a co-worker appeared on his screen, stealing an almost imperceptible groan from his lips. “Listen, I have to run, but why don’t you grab my number and we can chat?” He offered. “I have a little one at home, so I’m going to need to organize a schedule for it, but I don’t see why I won’t be able to run with you so you can practice your self-control.” It was the least he could do, wasn’t it?

He had never been the lonely, lost soul. Not until his wife died and he found himself at Portum’s doorsteps. A dire hunger for revenge, a darkness he couldn’t control and unable to be the man he used to be. Things were beginning to change. Maybe. 

It helped to have a face in the crowd — someone who wasn't her boss or that weird Irish bartender or her dead feckin mam. Íde had never really sang in public before, and certainly not in front of so many people. But she'd hit it off so instantly with Nieve, and Mei turned out to be just as cool. And Adelaide, too, though their first meeting had been... different.

Plus, what was the point of keeping her busted telecaster in the back of her hearse if she never used it?

Throughout their set, Íde searched for that face — for Laon, someone who she couldn't say she knew too well, but their meetings at the record store had always been memorable, and she found herself wanting. And midway through, she noticed it: just the briefest moment where they locked eyes, a quick nod that seemed to last a lifetime, and then it was over. Back to performing like some sort of ghost or demon was possessing her (which, knowing Íde, was somewhat on the cards).

After their set, though, she couldn't help herself. It took an embarrassingly short time for her to find the DJ in the crowd, cigarette already pressed between her lips.

"Huh. Fancy seeing you here. At the bonfire. Where everyone is,"

the bonfire was something she had looked forward to, especially the music performances it had in store. she loves live music, and hasn't been able to watch such in a while. as she was in the crowd, she spots a familiar face, which immediately makes her smile, it felt like a little fun fact she'd not known before of íde, and it was lovely to watch her perform, perhaps, only focusing on her during the performance.

the banshee went off to get drinks for herself and the oracle once her performance was done, and was just able to take them when she heard the musician speak. "well...something told me that i should be here...not miss the live performances, you know?" she says as she hands the cup over to íde. "and i'm glad i didn't." she gives her a grin before taking a sip of her drink. "you did so so good, íde. i...couldn't stop watching."

teddy , having very little knowledge on actual hospital procedures , simply nods , following along to her words as best as they can . with a quick hum of affirmation , they figured they should get the questions they had out of the way first — “ no , i think i should be good for a regular checkup , but just . . . i've never really done this before ? i mean , i don't even really know if someone like me has plasma to donate , ” — they chuckle nervously , only having seen a flyer without any meaningful research (if they could even do that) about what they were signing up for — “ it's alright . sorry if i was botherin' . but . . . yes ? i haven't been able to teleport , and i can't lift most of the things i used to , ”

that certainly caught teddy's attention , eyes narrowing in her direction not unkindly , but more . . . confused than anything else — “ what do you mean reprogrammed ? am i being recruited for a robot army ? ” — there's a hint of playfulness in their words , but on the inside they're feeling a lot more relieved knowing it might not just be them going haywire . eyes grow wide at her admittance , mouth opening and closing in search of something to say — “ i— well , i was off to work , actually . not sure how useful i'll be if i'm not at 100% but i guess we'll have to see . i'd like that , though . just to make sure nothing else happens , ” — slowly but surely , they got back up on their feet despite shaky legs and started towards second chances .

"well,  fucking  good  is  on  my  business  cards  for  a  reason,"  the  words  fell  out  of  her  mouth  before  she  could  even  register  them,  an  off-handed  quip  that  didn't  sound  quite  like  what  she  had  meant  them  to.  paisley  certainly  had  a  way  of  catching  even  her  off  guard.  it  was  a  miracle  she  didn't  wince.  say  what  you  will  about  paz  navarro,  but  say  that  she  is  nothing  if  not  resilient.  she  rallied,  flashing  that  damnable  smile  of  hers,  the  one  that  had  allowed  her  to  skate  through  her  unlife.  "you  know,  if  i  had  them."  not  quite  the  landing  she  was  hoping  to  stick,  but  it  was  a  landing. "we  did  do  a  lot  of  talking,  didn't  we ?"  thankfully  most  of  it  was  a  lot  smoother  than  that  little  fumble.  her  lips  parted  slightly,  her  smile  becoming  softer.  there  was  a  silent,  unspoken  question  in  the  air,  yet  it  was  one  already  answered  by  the  heat  between  them.   the  way  their  breathing  hitched.  a  dance  of  understanding,  a  tacit  agreement  to  enjoy  the  moment  without  the  weight  of  commitment.  no  expectations,  no  demands,  no  hidden  agendas.  slowly,  deliberately,  paz  leaned  in,  dividing  the  distance  between  them  an  inch  at  a  time  until  there  was  nothing  left.  it  was  a  surprisingly  chaste  kiss.  at  first,  at  least.  a  sounding  out  of  whatever  lay  between  them,  coupled  with  a  soft,  tentative  promise  of  so  much  more  if  they  wanted  to  pursue  it.  "how  about  we...  do  something  other  than  talk for a little bit,  hm ?"

"a lot, every single morning before i come to work. perhaps it's how i like to start my day..." it was as if paz has become part of the dragon's routine, all those...talks, their little banter, paisley staying a couple more minutes with a drink and pastry in hand. a slow dance with the ghost, as she'd like to think about it now, with music that doesn't seem to find its end, she is mesmerized, not wanting to pull away. paz has this captivating element in her, so captivating that paisley can only find herself leaning closer and closer.

hand finding its way on the small of her back, she gently, carefully, pulls their bodies closer, as she the one is now on her cheek. "anything you want, paz...anything you want." she whispers against her lips, before finally breaking the distance for a kiss, one she doesn't realize she had been craving for some time now.

As she cradled Dina in her arms, keeping the small Daschund puppy warm, the lieutenant approached the bouncer and nodded towards their direction. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to step away from the fire, please.” Although she used her lieutenant’s tone, it was clear by her features that Aurora was merely teasing. “Hey, P. I don’t think we’ve spoken since the garden incident? You’ve been holding up alright, yeah?”

deep in thought, she sat by the bonfire as she focused on the small flame on her index finger, in her mind, talking to it, as it has its own way of thinking, when a voice snaps her out of it. "first time you've caught me off guard, if i'm being honest." she chuckles in response. "it is like learning how to ride a bike again." she pauses for a moment, before turning to the gorgon. "i've sent the old lady something to help with the shit i've left at her house, i still feel fuckin' guilty about it." she stands up and walks over to the lieutenant. "have you felt any kinds of different shit yourself?"