Ophelia resurrected

So, as I’m sure that some of you may have noticed, I’ve not been here. 

Even though I love you guys, and the storylines I started building here, I realize that Tumblr is not the platform for me anymore. I don’t dig the culture as a whole anymore. So, with everything going on in the world, and in my life, I haven’t felt the need to come around, and have been in a better headspace because of it.

In light of this, I won’t be coming back.

However, I’ll leave my Discord info below, in case any of you dears wanna keep in touch (or even write! I still can be forgetful as all heck, but I’m always happy to at least try and write there). If we’ve plotted or written together, be assured I wanna hear from you.

Thank you for all of the love you’ve given Zoe and me over the years. She’s forever gonna be my baby, and it means a lot that some of you have loved her like I do. I may still pop back and check on headcanons, etc. but it won’t be for anything substantial.

I’ve just realized Tumblr’s not for me anymore, and no longer resembles the culture I fell in love with so many years ago (even if a lot of the individuals are still wonderful, as always) and as much as I wish it, it’s not what it used to be. Take care of yourselves out there.

XOXO

     Neoma couldn’t help it–the pun was just bad enough to make her laugh. “Oh, please intend all puns from now on.” 

     Shaking her head, wide grin still in place, she leaned back slightly to better search the menu and add any extras before their order was complete. “Mm, that’s me. An evil zombie, hungering for brains–but not to eat. To pick for trivia questions and random facts and all the details of the things you’re passionate about. I’m a catch.”

   With a touch of her finger, she made the selection and leaned back in her seat. “Would it be evil if I don’t add bread sticks to the order?” she questioned, eyebrow lifted, grin dialed back to a playful smirk. “Is that verging into dastardly villain territory?” 

     “I think I can live with that. Just as long as you’re prepared for me to pick your own brain in return. I’m greedy like that.” She settles in against Neoma’s shoulder, leeching off some of her warmth. Fingertips play with the ends of the other woman’s hair, and she glances down at the hair in between her fingertips idly, before looking up again, meeting her eyes. “I will also make so many ridiculous puns. More than you can stand.” Her eyes slide up to look at Neoma’s face again, fingertips still touching the ends of her hair. 

     “Well, that’s verging into the dastardly territory. Do you have a fake giant mustache to twirl too? Planning on tying someone to the railroad tracks next?” A small grin curves on her lips, matching the playfulness in Neoma’s expression. 

     “...Oh.” 

     It takes her a moment, but in the space it takes her to take a breath, she recalls that face; It had been there in the spaces between worlds, a time she had tried to forget. Certainly, it’s a face she can’t forget easily; the guy on the pale horse, who pushed her back into the world of the living none too gently– Unless a person counts coughing up a lungful of water gentle. She had thought it was all just a part of her own imagination– an explanation for why she’s back here in the land of the living, as one of the half-living. 

      That thought alone makes her need to take a long drink from her own whiskey and coke before she shakes her head with a small chuckle. 

         “I should’ve known it was you. You’ve always been that figure just on the edges of my periphery. Can’t say I’m too surprised, that I’m here with you, at a bar, face to face again.” 

      She looks down at herself as he tells her she looks better than before, before back up at his face, “Thanks. I mean... I’m a little paler, colder, and weirder than before, but at least I’m not blue or foaming at the mouth like Old Yeller anymore, so that’s a definite improvement, right?” 

       For a long moment, blue eyes study that face, not sure what to say before she looks back down at her drink, fingertips dancing along the rim of the glass on the bar top. “Glad to know you weren’t just a figment of my imagination, after all. In that way, I guess I’m happy to see you again.” 

Honestly, it even scared me to see the junkie up and walking, and that’s saying something. But her timing couldn’t have been any better if I planned it myself. It was probably better that I didn’t, though, so my expression seemed even more legit. If Vicki wasn’t such a miserable, worthless sack of shit, I’d kiss her: thanks to her, the game with Red Riding Hood could phase into the second-half… without me having to turn on the mind-meld. I already told you, I don’t want to wreck my hot streak.

I smirked, the tiniest crack in my expression, as Zoe sputtered. It was kinda cute to see her tripping all over herself. “A ghost?” I repeated, brows raising slowly, the smirk edging a little higher. “And here I thought we were just having some eye-sex with a side of playful back-and-forth. Didn’t think you were actually expecting to see floating sheets with holes cut out for eyes.”

I laughed, head tilting slightly, “Only ninety, huh?” My tongue slipped over a sharpened tooth, ignoring Vicki for the moment even though I was still holding her up. What are friends for or whatever, right? “Guess I’ll have to up my game then.” The cat was just having fun toying with the mouse at this point, leaning in a little closer to allow my lips to skirt lightly across her own before I was chaperoning the high schooler to Stefan’s bed to go beddy-bye. When I came back, it was nice to see Zoe still a little flustered.

I liked what it did to her pulse, the color it brought to her cheeks as the blood pooled there under the skin. “What kind of host would I be if I kicked you out over a misunderstanding?” I grinned, edging closer again. This time without the accessory hanging on my arm like dead weight. “Besides,” I breathed against her lips. “I have a feeling you can make it up to me pretty easily.” Playfully, my tongue peeked out to tease along her lower lip, fluttering there as light as a fucking butterfly’s wings. Not demanding her surrender, but asking for it. That’s how you really hook them in. Get them feeling safe. Comfortable.

       “Oh, there was still plenty of eye sex. And still will be. And then some. Old places like this though...” She glances up the stairs, almost expecting another apparition to appear. “...they tend to be filled to the gills with ghosts. Most old places have a few unexpected deaths. It’s not entirely unexpected.”  

         For a moment, her breath leaves her as Damon traces her lower lip with a pink tongue, feather light and barely there. When she can finally take a breath, she speaks. “Wow. You are an overachiever, huh?” Her breath flutters against Damon’s lips as she chuckles. “Needing the perfect score, the gold star and everything.” After she speaks, she lightly brushes her lips against the other woman’s, a tease, before stepping back. “The last 10% is purely based on personality, fyi, and we have yet to finish our tour. There’ll be plenty of time for kissing and making up later; Unless a real ghost actually decides to fuck things up, that is.” 

       Her eyes flit down to Damon’s lips again, before returning to her eyes. This woman definitely has her number here, and she’d be lying if she said she wouldn’t at least make out with her at some point during all of this, as much as she’s trying not to crumble like a freshly baked cookie. Still, the experience with Vicki still left her vaguely uncomfortable, especially considering she wasn’t a ghost.

      Then again, in her experience, jealous people are much scarier than ghosts. Give her Casper the Friendly Ghost any day. Hell, even give her the ghosts from The Sixth Sense. At least they generally don’t try to claw her eyes out. So it’s gonna be a bit before she feels comfortable to let the other woman seduce her; at least with Vicki in the house.

“Obviously,” I snorted. The smile that spread lazily across my lips was equal parts playful and dark. Old habits—- or whatever the fuck that human expression is… I’m too tired to think about it now. It’s been a long night. Dealing with drunk immortal douchebags is about 2,000 times worse than dealing with living ones—- not that I can’t handle it [please]—- it’s just a pain in the ass. So, it was nice, you know? To unwind to this after a hectic worknight. “But that’s besides the point, Little Red.” One hand kept playing through her hair while the other hand decided to touch—- we’re talking the absolute ghost of a caress here—- along the apple of her cheek. The one closest to the TV. I wasn’t trying to disturb her too much.

“How many times do I have to make you pull all those pretty, blissed-out, been-fucked-twenty-seven-ways-to-dawn faces before you admit to yourself that you’re beautiful?” I hummed. “And in case you wanna try to deflect the compliment and start in on me about being superficial: I was talking about from the inside out.” The smile got a little wider at her little slip, a fang catching the inside of my cheek as I debated whether or not to show my hand as well. I am a pretty notorious bachelor after all, especially in the kink circuit…

Then again, Zoe was not just anyone. She was… fuck, let’s not delve too deep in the introspection hole now. She needs reassurance, not me  dicking around in my own fucking head. “Lover, huh? Hm. That might have worked when I was a much younger man… but it seems a little outdated now, don’t you think?” A low purr emanated from the back of my throat as my palm slid down from her cheek to the beautiful curve of her throat, calloused fingers still so gentle. Nothing if not reassuring. “I’m not usually very boyfriend material… but, for you—- I’m hoping to make the cut.” I laughed softly, still thinking about the crispy line for a sec. “Actually, if we hung a comforter up in front of the bedroom window for now, that might do the trick. What do you think? A make-shift curtain until I buy you a heavier set tomorrow night. The real deal… You know… so your vampire boyfriend can stay over a lot more…”

         “Only... a few hundred more times. I’m just not used to guys like you wanting me or calling me beautiful without– fucking around with my head. Or wanting someone to use. And I keep falling into these same patterns again and again.” A soft sigh of contentment leaves her as there’s a ghost of a caress along her cheek, and she sinks down further into the couch underneath her small frame. Yeah, she’s not planning on moving anytime soon– At least not until she has to go to bed, anyway. “Not that I think you’re one of them.” She adds, with a lazy smile. He could be, but it’s already too late to think about any of that right now, both literally and figuratively. 

       “So... would you prefer me to use the term fuck buddy then?” She teases, and lets her hand rest on his leg, as he continues to touch her hair, and her neck. “You’re such a romantic.” If he keeps touching her like that though, she’s definitely gonna fall back asleep on him. Already, she feels her eyelids drooping shut again. Still, there are worse ways to fall asleep.  

          He shrinks a bit under her gaze like a child that had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Though he supposes his only crime in this case was existing in a public space while dead. It wasn’t the most heinous crime, but he all at once felt weirdly guilty…and heavy. Of course, he would be feeling heavy right now.

          Still, her smile makes him feel somewhat better, but it doesn’t remove the strange sensation entirely. She can see ghosts…lucky for him he supposed, but it did have him wondering if there was anything else she could do. Zoe seemed perfectly nice, but Jacob knew from first hand experience that not everyone who “seemed nice” had good intentions for you. He really didn’t want to get exorcized or something wholly unappealing like that. 

          “Well, you can tell him I have no plans on claiming this place for myself if it makes him feel any better,” Jacob replies, glancing in the direction she indicated before focusing his attention on his drink. He had thought he sensed something else weird in the bar, but he hadn’t wanted to investigate, his track record with other spirits having not be the best. “I’m not really one for a sustained haunting. More of a wandering spirit…that’s more…more my style I suppose.”

          Wrapping his fingers around the glass, he enjoyed the solid sensation against his skin. For maybe a moment he felt normal again. This was just a bar, an unusual bar but a bar, and he was just a patron enjoying the professionally friendly company of a bartender…that could only see him because she could see ghosts. 

          Yes, this was perfectly normal. This was fine.

          He allows himself a small smile as he looks back up at her, his nerves still present but fading to background noise. Risk or not, it just felt nice to be able to talk to someone, to not be isolated or feared. “Thanks, I’m trying to be more uh…pleasant in death. Self-improvement and all that fun stuff…” He picks up his drink, looking over his shoulder in case anyone was staring at a suddenly floating glass. “I’m glad I can be a good experience for someone at least.”

      Zoe notices the touch of discomfort as she admits she sees ghosts, and she offers him another small smile. “Also, you’re totally safe here. If I haven’t done anything to the guy breaking shit, I’m definitely not gonna do anything to you. Even if he’ll hopefully,” she shoots a glare in the direction of the poltergeist, before continuing, “behave himself now that you admit you aren’t here to take his space.” She picks up a glass, cleaning it, and keeps an eye on the rest of the bar. Luckily, it’s quiet enough tonight that she can talk to him, and not too many people think she’s crazy.

     “Also, death does has a way of changing you, doesn’t it?” Her voice is empathetic, and she leans against the bar a bit, giving him her full attention for the time being. “It happened to me too, but my status was a little less permanent, in case you couldn’t tell. I guess you could call it a business trip and not a residency?” An eyebrow quirks as she thinks what else she could call it, but then merely shrugs. “Best thing that happened to me, honestly.” 

     As another patron walks up to the bar, she starts to make a drink for them as well, temporarily interrupted in her exchange with Jacob before returning. “Honestly, things would be so much easier if I met more chill ghosts like you. Truthfully.”