darling of vapor .

         sometimes assumptions like those were easiest for her . it was more reassuring to believe a person could remain inherently good but still experience bumps in the road , no matter how loud or disruptive they may be . a simple shrug worked as a response before sadie sank fully onto her knees , finding this position easier to pick up all the pieces she could . the brunette gratefully emptied her hand full of shattered glass into the paper bag , the shards only leaving behind a small cut that even she didn’t notice . ‘ my whole life , ’  she replied forlornly , though she was quick to cover up her despondence by flipping the question . ‘  –––– what about you ? i don’t think i’ve seen you around often . ’

               the professor held her phone just above her waistline, screen exhibiting a colorful set of woodsy drawings, it seemed to still be l o a d i n g when she exited the building and saw an acquaintance of hers. jace grinned, free left hand momentarily leaving a welcoming as well as excited clutch on their shoulder. she shifted her attention back to the game just a quick as she spoke.   ❛    c’mon , walk with me  . i’m trying to prove a point to a student of mine about rock pokemon , but i have to hunt a lot of them to do so . we’ll have to post-pone our drinks .  ❜    first years were always treacherous in some ways, she laid out her methodology specially for them. the object was raised to her chest, her pace turned languid as per instinct since she had someone by her side. jace had got the lightest and thinnest smile, while walking faulk’s somber evening and half lit sidewalk following a narrow gps line.

               she’s sat back , star gazing along with her friend ( a month or so into the relationship ) in a front porch that took her back to her wife’s because they had the same certain purified look and the architecture style similar of a  queen anne . jace glanced side ways, regarding lorelai’s puzzled features, she’d barely sipped her beer. not that the professor thought of it as an attitude to be worried about, she had harbored a strong aversion towards the drink and gladly took gulps of the wine she brought in .   ❛   what’s that look on your face  ?   ❜   she shifted on the swing chair, elbow resting on the top rail and body completely turned to her companion.  ❛   you like her , don’t you  ?  what’s holding you back ?  ❜   the professor was fairly knowledgeable  on the topic of romance , she was committed and determined , but she knew it was a two-way relationship and she knew that love wasn’t everything in one . she’d backed away from the woman of her life because of that and given outside occurrences forcing her to focus on her own state of mind.

                  it was akin of jace makana to seek for tenderness and it waswhat she found since the day she met sadie. such characteristic to her was valuableand completely needed, drawing her to people and especially like a magnet tothe woman who was about to place a flower behind her ear. the professor tiltedher head, easing the access, smiling sweetly towards her acquaintance. sun illuminatedjace’s eyes which shone a maroon looking iris, matching the peruvian lily’s brownishdelicacy, in their shades still prevailing a certain warm affinity regardinghow humane the younger one was.

                      ❛      kind of makes me wish i’d tend to my garden properly .  so many species have died .     ❜    she regretted, deeply sorry for not having managed her time since she got in town and buried herself in work, neglecting her garden firsthand. 

         sadie was a pacifist , so much so she could hardly stand to be around others when they argued . the entire concept of getting into a screaming match was anxiety inducing & while the brunette knew problems weren’t better solved that way , this ideology clearly wasn’t widely accepted . lesser lip caught between teeth as the stranger’s volume increased , nearly jumping out of her own skin when the sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the room . it was almost a natural instinct , however , to swiftly move over to the broken object & clean the area to save someone else the trouble . sadie was carefully collecting a few pieces when she finally met eyes with the person who shared the idea , reflecting their smile only much softer . ‘ i wish i could say it’s something you get used to , ’ she said as she looked back over her shoulder in the direction the man stormed off in before continuing, ‘ i guess he just had a rough morning . ’

                      she wanted to question the reason behind her smile, so mischievous looking it was. yet, she didn’t wish to disrupt that moment in any way possible hence her straightened breathing and half parted lips completely still ( the effort she put into not trembling , almost to perfection ). it had been too long since addie had looked at her and now that she did, something got caught on her throat, maybe to the realization that her wife continually touched the side of her face, readjusting the flower she wasn’t even aware of. consciousness slipped, making her trip in her own mind, wobbly sensation it was and eyes closed as she hummed in content. it led to a good-natured and hearty chuckle, the most relaxed of cheerfulness and smiles the second she gazed back at the woman she loved. if there was a reason to have been attached to a vinca plant, she wasn’t waiting to ask, she did wait and marvel at how close they were. and how intrinsically breathtaking adelaide was.

                       ❛      planning on kissing me anytime soon ?     ❜  she pondered after a comfortable amount of silence.

                       curious eyes followed , vividly aware of how lorelai moreau played daintly with the smallish petals of an off-white flower . she’d arrived with it in her hands and even if it didn’t stand out on its own ( because she held it as if a secret ), once she reached for jace’s ear , index finger pulling back strings of dark brown hair, lorelai placed  the fairly long stem between the back’s ridges so what showed was the spring touched blossom of a leafless white cherry. by then, the professor could only have leaned in to easy the gesture she saw coming and so she did, prickled smile showing off her appreciation. there were times she knew a sentiment or two could speak of itself in forms of expressions.  ❛    this to make up for your over-priced coffee ?     ❜    she joked, an airy voice allowing her to do such a thing, readjusting herself in order to see her reflection on the storefront window with her own hands still buried in her wool-tweed trousers’ slanted front pockets.

the voice was loud, so much louder than it needed to be in the little place, catching everyone’s attention and holding it. toby was nearer to it, his ears doing that weird thing they did when things got too loud - ring but not, muffle the sound but not, whatever, it was weird - as the other in their fancy-looking tie and expensive phone continued to snap on. it was when the glass shattered that the boy pulled his phone out, in his hand, thumb poised over the camera button. instead of the phone, in case of an emergency ? you’re such an a-hole, toby. he faltered slightly, guilt pressing against his chest as the skeevy being exited the building, only getting more rude as the door swung shut. he got from his seat as things settled, taking a knee to help clean up the large, harmless-ish pieces of glass. as he did so, another figure entered his vision, a woman, who spoke much kinder than the other did. he smiled a bit. “ i swear it’s just that guy, ” the younger commented with a half-smile. “ normally people are really nice here. ” a pause as he looked to her. “ are you new to faulk ? ” though it wouldn’t be surprising, it would definitely be uncommon.

                jace grinned to the sight of the young man, settling a look just so he knew she was paying attention before reverting her gaze and focusing on picking up the smallest bits scattered on her surroundings.  ❛   i’ll believe you then . ❜  as usual, her voice was quiet and slightly playful, same tone she gave her students who stayed after class to talk about their studies.     ❛    yes, i am . it’s been three weeks since i moved to teach at the town’s college . — how long have you lived here ?  ❜     the professor reached for the disposable cup she had just finished drinking out of on the counter, going back to her former kneeling position and dropping what she picked up on the container. she signaled to it, so the boy would place his helpful contribution into the cup.

 she had the late night shift at the dusty crow, something that hardly bothered her given that she had always been more of a night person. the music was pumping loud, filling her ears and making a smile tug at her lips while she worked. of all the occupations she’s had over the years, this one had thus far been her favourite. she enjoyed the atmosphere constantly present in the bar, liked the loud voices and laughter, the happy smiles and even the drunken fights. she was in her element here, and it shows in the way she sways to the music, has a smile on her face as she’s cleaning glasses. it remains there until a person clears their throat behind her, places their order and she turns to answer before she stills completely. the smile on her face drops, her eyes blow wide and the glass in her hand very nearly slips to the ground as her grip grows slack. jace. it’s been a hundred years since she’d last seen her, since she’d been high and drunk and stupid. bella can still remember the sinking feeling she’d felt the next morning, how sick with guilt she’d been the moment she’d woken and realized what she had done.

“what…the hell are you doing here?” she questions, brows furrowing as slight panic washes over her. she’d come back to faulk hollow because she wanted to rebuild her life, repair the relationships she’d destroyed and live in her home once more. jace turning up now only makes things all the more complicated, especially with adelaide. she knows her sister and what it will look like, her and jace both showing up within mere weeks of each other. “you need to get out of here. out of this bar, and out of this town.”

          she had been plucking her credit card out of her bag when her gaze swerved towards the bartender given such unusual response to her order. a raised eyebrow eased to its rightful place and the scowling disappeared once jace gave a name to the recipient, unfortunate and yet, not surprising at all. of course, before making the decision of accepting a job proposal in faulk, she pondered meeting familiar faces. never imagined it would be so soon. nevertheless, her usual and candid posture prevailed as she allowed, patiently, to be confronted by the urgency of the other’s voice.

            ❛    please . mind your tone  , arabella.   ❜   she felt a sting, déjà vu of some sorts crossing her lively chocolate painted hues. only her own words threw her back, because the rest of her had outgrown and gained a peacefulness she had never aspired to accomplish when she last saw the woman before her. last time she was as corrupted and broken as a former mortal could ever be. it was there, going back to that town, that she freed herself of being just one thing, just a vampire, just a teacher. she was, now, everything she wanted to be. and she would be the one to fight for the love of her life, a century late.