𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐈 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐅𝐀.

⟨  𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀  𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐃.  𝐂𝐈𝐒  𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄.  𝐇𝐄 / 𝐇𝐈𝐌.  ⟩  though  the  mist  might  prevent  some  from  seeing  it,  𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐈  𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐅𝐀  is  actually  a  descendent  of  H A D E S.   it’s  still  a  question  of  whether  or  not  the  TWENTY-SIX  year  old  𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐒  𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐎𝐑  from  CAIRO,  EGYPT  has  taken  after  their  godly  parent  completely,  but  the  demigod  is  still  known  to  be  quite  𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆  &  𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅-𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐃.

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                             [   𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃  𝐎𝐑  𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄  ?   ]   A  RAFI  MOSTAFA  PLAYLIST.

       𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢'𝚕𝚕  𝚐𝚘  𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚢  𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗  𝚒'𝚟𝚎  𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎  𝚒𝚝   (  𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝  𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜  “ 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎  𝚒𝚝 ”  𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗  𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗  ?   )

☆ — starter for @eurafi· ! // location: polaris

                       this is new territory; gloomy shadows hovering over rafi in a way that would surely make his father proud. not a single comment had been thrown at the odd prices she’d been charging him with all night — but perhaps the scariest of all had been the extraordinary lack of attitude. it’s enough for a spark of curiosity to be ignited within her ( and, oddly enough, a creeping sense of worry, too ). 

her eyes had been on him way before he’d settled at the bar; the shift in spirit noticeable as soon as he’d set foot in polaris. nothing the countless amount of drinks had been able to cover up, clearly. “ alright, that’s it. ” finally, kaia interrupts her own silence, hopping off of the counter and back to her feet. “ all this wallowing in sorrow is an awful look on you. worse than that outfit you dared to show up in last week. ” it’s not exactly how one would try to brighten one’s mood — but this was kaia. this was rafi. nothing was EVER normal between the pair of them. “ and i am most certainly not going to help you sleep just yet. as you so kindly liked to remind me all night long, it is your birthday, so act like it. ” 

there’s a roll of her eyes as she turns around to skip to the sound system; music back on full volume. there’s a sense of sincerity to her smile that isn’t usually there when dealing with the elder, though her movements are no less harsh when she pulls him from his chair. “ the least you can do after scaring my guests away is dance with me, mostafa, ” she speaks, as if she hadn’t personally shown said guests the door. “ pull yourself together already. ”

—

          𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓  𝐇𝐀𝐃  𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍  𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄  𝐎𝐍  𝐀  𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐌,  a  brief  lapse  in  judgement  after  his  conversation  with  vincent  as  he’d  retreated  back  to  the  safety  of  polaris  and  the  shadows  within.   no  longer  in  the  mood  to  celebrate,  he’d  settled  instead  on  ordering  more  drinks  to  numb  the  feelings  of  doubt  and  insecurity  warring  in  his  chest  ;  taking  the  poured  shots  without  batting  an  eye  at  the  price,  instead  words  had  slipped  from  his  tongue  more  honest  than  any  he’d  shared  with  her  before,  ones  he  had  wished  he  could  immediately  retract.

         you  ever  have  those  nights  you  want  to  escape  your  thoughts  for  a  little  while  ?   maybe  as  a  birthday  present  you  can  help  me  sleep  —  i’ll  give  you  a  free  pass  to  knock  me  out  just  this  once.

         he’d  aimed  for  a  light  jest  but  even  he  knows  he’s  not  convincing.   perhaps  that’s  why  he’s  now  alone  with  kaia  after  the  bar  had  officially  closed,  already  teetering  dangerously  close  to  his  own  self-made  limits,  another  tequila  burning  its  way  down  his  throat.   ❛   i  think  your  face  did  all  the  scaring  itself,  augustine.   ❜   a  weak  retort,  but  he  allows  himself  to  be  pulled  off  the  bar  stool,  the  combination  of  music,  alcohol  and  her  words  kicking  in  to  help  him  make  what  very  well  could  be  a  damning  decision.

✨

Perhaps a more sober Vincent would be more understanding to the look he see’s on Rafi’s face. While he’s combatting a whirlwind of emotions within himself he’d be lying if he weren’t to admit that the one at the surface is leaning towards a happiness at seeing the familiar face. Was it the alcohol fuelling that - almost definitely - but for now that didn’t matter because it was much more important to live in the moment right? But the eyes staring back at him were definitely not on the same boat - there was no warm feeling there.

At first he’s unsure if he’s imagining it, the rumbling of the ground under his feet, but when he notices the bottles at the bar shaking out the corner of his eye he realises that their sudden collision and all the emotions and history that it brings with it might be having a larger reaction that he could have anticipated. There’s hardly any time for him to get to grips with it before there’s a strong hand grabbing his wrists and he’s been pulled into a familiar but uncomfortable sensation of shadow travel. Other than those nights with Rafi, Vincent could count on his one hand the times he’d experienced it and he had yet to grow to find it bearable.

His eyes try to adjust to their new setting, the closed atmosphere with flashing lights replaced with the open air and moonlight instantly starts to sober him up. As the intoxicated high starts to leave his initial euphoria at seeing Rafi dissipates also - replaced with an anxious dread of what this will drag up. He finally allows his eyes to move from the moon to fall on the man again, taking him in properly for the first time. His stomach, one often steeled against such things, almost becomes overrun with butterflies as he traces the familiar outlines of the man’s features. The shirt, instantly recognisable as one he’d purchased while they were together. He’d kept it… Wore it still. 

Vincent is still trying to process this new overload of information when Rafi speaks, shattering the silence with cold precision that takes Vincent by surprise. It puts him on the back foot, the easy charm that he’d spoke with only moments before whisked away and now he’s left struggling to find the appropriate words. This was never something he foresaw and now he had a mighty hole to get himself out of just to be back on an even playing field. “We both know that I will never be just any old anything…” He answers, with a little bite not enjoying the implication of Rafi’s words. “But there was no payout tonight… Just the joy of being the offspring of the most beautiful thing to ever exist. Aphrodite.” He confirmed, just in case it was lost in his flourish. Vincent doesn’t dare say more, instead letting his answers settle on Rafi and waiting to see the reaction they get. He has to fight his instincts to reach out, to place a familiar hand on the man’s shoulder, touch his arm softly. Anything to help confirm that this was actually happening.

          𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓'𝐒  𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄  𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐒  𝐔𝐏  𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒  now  he  can  hear  it  properly,  powerless  to  do  anything  about  the  images  that  linger,  unwelcome,  in  vision’s  periphery.   rafi  swallows  hard,  steeling  his  expression  into  the  familiar  facade  of  indifference  he  uses  when  faced  with  his  own  vulnerability  ;  rarely  does  he  expose  his  heart  on  his  sleeve,  keeping  true  emotions  buried  deep  beneath  mountains  of  past  skeletons  —  and  yet  the  man  standing  in  front  had  seen  into  that  closet,  gotten  a  brief  glimpse  of  cadaverous  fears  he’d  never  voiced  aloud  before  and  never  again  since,  not  even  to  scarlett. 

          now  he  was  here  —  a  demigod,  no  less  —  and  the  thought  twists  violently  in  his  stomach,  no  longer  able  to  rationalise  his  lapse  of  self-preservation  as  something  that  would  remain  solely  in  kodachrome  snapshots  of  a  fleeting  fling,  able  to  be  packaged  away  and  stored  in  the  same  closet.   

          then  vincent  reveals  his  godly  parent  and  what  composure  he  has  cracks  immediately,  voice  incredulous  as  puzzle  pieces  slot  neatly  into  place,   ❛   you’re  im  and  alej’s  brother  ?   ❜   he  doesn’t  know  whether  to  laugh  or  curse,  their  circles  growing  smaller  and  smaller  by  the  second  ;  chooses  neither,  a  re-tightening  of  defences  as  another  dark  thought  twists  the  knife  in  deeper.

          (  was  anything  we  shared  real  ?   or  were  we  a  product  of  charm  you  were  blessed  with,  powers  you  hid  behind  whispered  words  and  shared  vulnerability  ?  )

★

      though she’d ended a year on a high note, it was becoming apparent that not all good things could last. even something as simple as enjoying boba couldn’t go uninterrupted, the sudden appearance of less-than-wanted company drawing an nigh instant headache. if he catches her off guard, it doesn’t show –– she had years of trained composure to thank for that and far too much pride to let rafi of all people put her on her toes.

      as far as celeste was concerned, he owed her a bubble tea.

      “ if i really want to become girl wonder, i’ll be sure to come to you to hear about that time you fought the god of all gods. you know, get some advice on a real challenge… oh, wait. huh. ” a quirk of her brow despite her otherwise deadpan expression. cat was out of the bag apparently, not that she was surprised –– only rafi would have the audacity to confront her with a puppet show, though. “ perhaps if you spent less time listening to rumours and more time training, you wouldn’t have had to flee here because of a few monsters. ” she takes a sip of her own drink, mouth on straw as she does her best to avoid visibly rolling her eyes. “ boy wonder might be able to heal you if they manage to catch you slipping again, though. if he’s feeling generous, of course. ”

          𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐋  𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓  𝐍𝐄𝐖  𝐓𝐎  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑,  which  is  why  her  words  do  little  more  than  evoke  a  scoff  of  amusement,  mouth  pursed  in  a  smile  around  the  lid  of  his  own  cup  as  he  takes  a  quick  sip.    rafi’s  quick  to  rebuff,  relishing  in  the  entertainment  such  sport  provides  especially  when  it  comes  from  famed  daughter  of  zeus  herself,  their  past  team-ups  still  fresh  in  his  mind.

          ❛   campus  infirmary  over  apollo  infirmary  any  day,  just  out  of  principle,   ❜   he  dismisses  the  last  sentence  with  a  casual  wave  of  his  hand,   setting  his  drink  down  once  more  and  leaning  back  in  his  seat,  calculated  words  deliberately  light  as  they  trip  from  his  tongue,   ❛   mmm,  no,  you  see  the  difference  between  you  and  me,  girl  wonder,  is  that  you  were  the  one  who  fled  here  after  getting  kicked  off  of  a  mountain  by  daddy  dearest,  whereas  i  was  sent  here  by  my  father  —  no  maiming  or  monsters  required.   ❜   

         fifteen centimeters of celestial bronze glint in the afternoon sunlight, the result of battle honed reflexes as the man suddenly materializes at her side and shocks alej into half unsheathing her sword. her mind catches up to her muscles after a moment, brown eyes taking in a familiar face as he stands cloaked in the shadows of an academic hall. her expression slips in that moment, a mixed cocktail of surprise and a hint of what could be categorized as happiness — by alej’s standards anyway.

          it’s barely a second later that her sword drops back into it’s sheath with a whisper of metal, her own usual mask of careless haughtiness with it.  it’s not a face she had expected to see again, not after their less than ideal frantic parting on the knife edge of life and DEATH — what do you say to someone so fleetingly met and then disappeared in exchange for her own safety ??    “ i suppose not — ”     she says, but there’s still something in her eyes, though : a certain touch of lightness that betrays her own relief. her own gaze sweeps him from head to toe critically.      " neither are YOU from the looks of it. “     in fact, he looks rather good for someone she’d thought DEAD.

-

          𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐍  𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒  𝐅𝐈𝐗𝐄𝐃  𝐈𝐍  𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄,  and  rafi  leans  casually  against  a  nearby  wall  as  she  speaks,  ignoring  the  ring  of  her  blade  as  it’s  replaced  in  its  sheath  in  a  way  that  speaks  of  their  prior  history,  uncaring  of  alej’s  reputation  and  the  intimidation  that  came  with  it. 

          it’s  only  as  he  reaches  familiar  doorway  he  realises  he  doesn’t  have  his  key  ;  the  benefits  of  shadow  travel  made  them  redundant,  a  habit  long  forgotten.   but  the  thought  of  using  his  powers  now  only  makes  his  nausea  worse  so,  with  a  drawn  out  groan  and  head  thumping  against  the  wooden  frame,  he  presses  the  doorbell,  hearing  the  chime  echo  inside.

          a  few  seconds  pass  and  then  a voice  materialises  startlingly  loud  by  his  ear  :  ‘  wow,  you  look  like  shit  !  ’   —  he  doesn’t  even  have  to  look  up  to  know  who’s  spoken,  and  instead  he  just  raises  a  middle  finger  in  the  ghost’s  general  direction,  his  own  response  muffled  by  the  fact  he’s  now  leaning  his  entire  bodyweight  against  the  wall  in  a  bid  to  try  and  stop  the  rocking  beneath  his  feet,   ❛   fuck  off  beck,  or  hades  help  me  i’m  gunna  send  your  ghost  ass  down  to  the  underworld  as  soon  as  i  can  do  so  without  throwing  up.   ❜  

𝐌𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐗𝐄𝐔 :

          ❝      thank  you,    it’s  the  years  of  pent - up  rage,      ❞               mimi  quips,    unable  to  help  the  smug  grin  now  growing  upon  her  face  as  the  couple  hurries  to  pack  up  their  things.    the  girl  shoots  a  dirty  look  in  their  direction    ——    to  which  mimi  returns  with  a  coy  wave    ——    before  letting  out  a  huff  and  storming  off  towards  the  higher  levels,    towing  her  boyfriend  behind  her  by  the  wrist.    around  them,    students  watch,    laughing,    talking  amongst  themselves.    it  seems  to  add  to  the  fire,    and  mimi,    her  eyes  now  fixated  on  the  girl’s  back,    momentarily  dallies  with  the  idea  of  turning  the  temperatures  up  a  notch.    it’s  tempting,    and  she  would  totally  go  the  whole  hog  if  she  wanted  to,    but  the  thick  heat  is  creating  a  fog  within  her  skull    …    so  she  lets  it  slide.               ❝      I  dare  you  to  order  her  a  new  set  of  lip  gloss  and  make  it  out  to  her  boyfriend.    bet  she’d  love  that,      ❞               she  jokes,    mostly,    leaning  back  on  her  elbows  and  tilting  her  head  back  to  soak  in  the  sun.

—

      “  trust  me,  i  know,  ”   she  laughs,  with  a  shake  of  her  head,  “  but  i  don’t  think  it’s  really  all  that  pent  up.  you  usually  do  a  pretty  good  job  at  releasing  it  on  the  regular.  ”  she’s  been  witness  to  far  too  many  instances  of  that  —  she  doesn’t  condone  it  by  any  means,  but  they  all  have  their  ways  to  cope.  mimi’s  next  words  have  her  shooting  a  look  of  disbelief  in  her  best  friend’s  direction.  “  no  way  —  i  don’t  have  a  death  wish,  ”  imogen  retorts,  still  amused  all  the  while,  “  but  if  that’s  how  you  want  to  spend  your  week  —  dealing  with  a  very  annoyed  daughter  of  hecate,  well  —  be  my  guest  bestie,  but  i’ll  be  here  to  say  i  told  you  so  when  it  comes  back  to  bite  you  in  the  ass.  ”

—

          𝐇𝐄  𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓  𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌  since  his  birthday,  barely  leaving  the  sanctuary  of  hades  house  until  hangover  (  and  subsequent  effects  )  had  passed  for  the  most  part.   the  chills  haven’t  subsided,  but  he  no  longer  feels  the  earth  tilting  on  its  axis  when  he  stands  so  rafi’s  counting  that  as  a  small  success.   it’s  the  sun  —  ironic,  given  his  family’s  stereotype  —  which  draws  him  outside  properly.   that,  and  mimi’s  instagram  story  that  promised  a  welcome  distraction  from  his  thoughts.

          the  amphitheatre  is  full  of  students  taking  advantage  of  the  unseasonably  warm  day  when  he  arrives  at  the  top  ;  following  the  sound  of  laughter,  rafi  spots  the  couple  from  the  video  making  a  swift  retreat  (  plus  two  familiar  faces  )  and  a  small  smirk  lifts  the  corners  of  his  lips  as  a  plan  is  formed.

          he  watches  with  hunter’s  patience  while  they  find  a  new  nearby  step  to  claim,  giving  them  time  to  settle  back  into  each  other’s  company.   it  begins  without  fanfare,  a  blanket  of  darkness  seeping  out  from  beneath  stone  to  cling  to  their  feet,  tendrils  of  shadow  winding  their  way  around  their  ankles  and  up  their  legs.   

          he’d  used  this  same  technique  in  the  horror  maze  on  halloween,  and  their  reactions  are  similar  ;  finally  aware  of  the  additional  weight,  panicked  shouts  rise  above  the  constant  din  of  conversation  as  they  both  abruptly  stand  and  try  —  fruitlessly  —  to  wrench  the  darkness  off  as  it  slowly  encroaches  further  up  their  bodies.   cries  of  ‘GET  IT  OFF  !’  build,  hysteria  lacing  their  tone,  and  rafi  waits  until  the  shadows  are  almost  at  their  necks  to  move  onto  the  grand  finale. 

          without  warning  the  darkness  explodes  into  the  shape  of  bats,  encircling  the  couple  en  mass  and  driving  them,  screaming  and  arms  covering  their  heads,  back  down  the  steps  and  towards  the  exit.   once  they’re  out  of  sight,  rafi  releases  his  hold  on  his  powers  and  lets  the  shadow  creatures  be  reclaimed  by  the  sun,  sudden  violent  drain  of  energy  blunting  the  sharpness  of  his  grin  just  a  little.

Closed Starter: @eurafi

Extra Info: Polaris on Rafi’s Birthday. Song Inspiration: Fingers Crossed - Agnes

Vincent was sat in his usual seat in the corner of the bar in Polaris, still nursing his first drink of the night as he watched the rest of the room. Samson had already made him aware of the fact he wouldn’t be spending his night keeping him company with conversation so the Frenchman was looking around for someone else instead when his eyes fell upon a familiar face - one he was sure he’d never see again. Blinking to clear his vision, making sure he wasn’t seeing things, Vincent looked again to see the figure was gone… It must have been his mind playing tricks on him. The number done on him in Rome still playing up apparently.

Despite Samson’s earlier warning and the bustle of a busy Polaris, Vincent is able to convince him to stay around for conversation every time he brings him a new drink. Now at least four glasses of wine in, and a shot some girl had sent him from across the bar, Vincent’s eyes are once again looking out at the dancefloor. They were yet to find the face again which should have confirmed to him that it was all just a mental lapse but he couldn’t shake the feeling. Finishing his drink and signalling to Samson that he needed another (a vodka soda this time) and after receiving it that he would be back in a minute, not that the child of Apollo actually cared, Vincent headed straight for the dancefloor to explore for himself. 

He’d barely made it a few steps onto the floor when there was a body crashing into him. ‘Fuck! Watch–” Vincent stopped as his eyes moved from checking the wetness of the spilled drink on his shirt to the man’s face. There had been no trick played upon him by his mind, his eyes had seen the man who he was sure he’d left behind. That part of his life, the perfect summer which had been tied up with a bow was in it’s place not to be touched again and yet here it was opening and unravelling on the Polaris dance floor. Rafi was stood right there, Vincent’s eyes searching the other’s face as they tried to read what was going on. “If it weren’t for my wet shirt I would think that you were a drunken mirage Rafi Mostafa.” Surprising even himself with the amount of composure in his voice.

—

          𝐇𝐄'𝐒  𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍  𝐎𝐍𝐄  𝐓𝐎  𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄,  numerous  birthdays  forgotten  about  in  the  midst  of  quest’s  violence,  others  only  remembered  the  day  after  when  the  date  catches  his  eye.   carried  over  from  childhood  into  adulthood,  he  doesn’t  expect  anything  to  come  of  the  occasion,  but  is  pleasantly  surprised  to  find  that’s  not  the  case.   it  starts  with  basbousa,  the  dessert  mentioned  off-hand  to  rory  weeks  before  when  he’d  had  a  sudden  craving,  presented  home  baked  to  him  with  a  ‘happy  birthday’  that  chokes  up  the  words  in  his  throat  for  a  few  seconds  before  rafi  can  regain  his  composure.

          now  he  finds  himself  surrounded  by  people  at  the  heart  of  polaris’s  dance  floor,  grin  fixated  in  place  as  he  thrives  off  of  the  energy  and  the  alcohol  consumed  ;  near  his  self-appointed  limit,  he  nevertheless  eyes  up  the  bar,  catching  sight  of  samson  (  last  choice  )  and  kaia  (  much  more  preferable  )  —  one  more  couldn’t  hurt,  right  ?

          making  his  departure  to  get  another  drink  known,  rafi’s  squeezing  through  bodies  without  care  for  their  protests,  his  collision  with  another  inevitable,  the  liquid  spilling  over  them  both  breaking  his  stride.   there  are  three  separate  hits  to  his  chest  then  ;  the  first  is  the  contact  itself,  now-wet  fabric  sticking  to  skin  ;  the  second  is  when  his  own  curse  trails  off  as  recognition  dawns  ;  the  third  is  when  his  full  name  slips,  unapologetically  casual,  from  the  mouth  of  someone  he  never  thought  he’d  see  again,  especially  not  in  a  place  mortals  weren’t  allowed  to  tread  without  good  reason.

          for  once  he’s  speechless,  seconds  growing  longer  as  he  tries  to  process  who’s  stood  ahead.   caught  up  in  volatile  emotions,  rafi  doesn’t  acknowledge  the  ground  beginning  to  tremble  beneath  his  feet,  geokinesis  reacting  instinctively  ;  without  warning  he  makes  a  grab  for  vincent’s  wrist,  a  familiar  darkness  pulling  them  away  from  the  noise  of  polaris  and  into  pressing  silence,  bottles  rattling  on  shelves  settling  back  into  place  once  they  disappear. 

          ❛   so  i  heard  a  rumour              ❜   there’s  no  greeting,  no  warning  to  his  sudden  invasion  of  her  space,  drink  set  down  and  leg  crossed  over  thigh  in  the  spare  seat  as  if  he’d  been  there  all  along,    ❛              that  you’re  dating  boy  wonder.   so  does  that  make  you  girl  wonder,  or  does  that  not  count  considering,  y’know...   ❜

          two  fingers  crawl  along  the  precipice  of  cup  lid,  while  the  other  palm  mimics  an  explosion   (   with  added  sound   ),  hand  celeste  toppling  off  the  side.   the  grin  he  gives  afterwards  is  innocent  enough,  but  there’s  a  sharpness  to  it  that  tells  of  history  etched  in  their  bloodlines,  in  a  rivalry  shared  between  parents  and  their  children  that  extends  to  the  two  at  the  table.

          so  when  he  finally  spots  her  in  the  distance  he’s  almost  giddy  with  excitement,  a  lightness  he  plays  off  at  the  fact  his  —  frankly  heroic  —  gamble  paid  off.   rafi  doesn’t  think  twice,  shadow  travelling  an  extension  of  his  very  being  ;  three  strides  and  a  familiar  pressing  darkness  later  and  he’s  re-appeared  by  her  side,  smile  effortlessly  bright  as  he  speaks,   ❛   so  you’re  not  dead  then           !   ❜