★ABRACADABRA;; soul of hekate

There was something peaceful found in graveyards that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Her mom would come here to take photos with Dera, though in normally ended with Dera running in front of the camera and ruining the shot. Or when her father would take her and challenger her to find the oldest grave or the longest name in the cemetery and to crayon rubbings of it. Perhaps it was odd to have so many childhood memories spent in a graveyard, even stranger considering that Dera didn’t come for any dead relatives that were buried there, but historically there always seemed to be an on and off relationship with spaces such as cemeteries. The Victorians, or more specifically the Romantics, seemed to have a particular fascination with them, seeing them as a place where man’s spirituality met nature’s spirituality. That was likely too why Dera enjoyed such places normally relegated to mourning. 

Dera took a moment to really look at Kat. Their facial structure was unmistakable, and they had this unique beauty that came partly from good genes and party from sheer force of personality. Dera would kill to do a full aura reading or palm reading on them, she was sure that it would be unique and in that way educational. Just the type of person that Dera wanted around her,  their energy infectious and bright. “Well most people in this town are rather closed minded, which is their loss.” Dera spoke from experience, knowing full well the judgement cast about by the people Mount Wells, though likely in a much less severe way than Kat. “I’m surprised you ever moved back to this small town after living in a large city. If I left it would be hard to come back. Though I understand we all have forces and ties pushing and pulling us to places.” For her family she would, but after her mother died coming back to just her father would get harder and harder. 

“It is a bit of a unique meeting place, though I think that makes it all the better. You meet all sorts of interesting people here.” Those of this world and the next. Dera let her eyes wander across the expanse of land dotted with tombs. “And I like the outfit. I’ve used to hate pink as a child, thought it was too feminine, now I love it.” The answer to Dera’s question lowered the mood a bit, but instead of trying to spit out meaningless words of comfort, she just lightly grabbed Kat’s shoulder and squeezed it while smiling gently. It was a wordless moment of softness, and Dera let the silence fill with all the emotions of empathy and sorrow that she was not eloquent enough to convey. Then she let her hand slip of Kat’s shoulder. “Can you show me her grave?” Perhaps it was deepening the hole that her likely inappropriate question led her to, but at the same time it felt like the right thing to say, and Dera was never one to shy away from what felt right.  “If you rather not that’s ok.”

Perhaps it was odd to feel so content here… but Kat was an odd person and by now they were used to finding themself on the “weird” end of the spectrum, and in fact they often preferred it. It had been easier sometimes to relate to dead people, because the living ones in their life were so conspicuously absent and even cold, sometimes it was as if they were spirits too. They still remembered making up stories about the souls listed on the headstones, or even inventing elaborate histories on the family names they recognized from people around town. They remembered telling Heath once about all their family’s most scandalous ancient secrets, only to have them laugh along with their wild imagination. It had felt so good back then to have someone love them as they were, even if that meant tolerating all kinds of elaborate nonsense… Nowadays, that was more of a point of pride for them… in fact “elaborate nonsense” sounded like a perfect name for an act of theirs, which they hoped to debut soon on Cerberus’ stage. In any case, the graveyard was still a peaceful place for Kat, removed from the sorrow that had otherwise seemed to plague their days in childhood. And they were quickly finding that having some company here was wonderfully pleasant. It removed the feeling of loneliness that sometimes overtook them here, when they spared a thought to realize how much time they spent here with none but their own thoughts for company.

Feeling Dera’s eyes on them was odd, not because they didn’t like to be looked at, but because she clearly saw them in a way that other people simply weren’t capable of. It felt almost magical, which made sense given the company and the way Kat could practically feel the sensation of the otherworld emanating off of her. They understood, painfully for just a moment, how people in the town likely ostracized Dera too when she was young, and it was such a shame. Truthfully, it seemed that the people of Mount Wells didn’t deserve either of them. Still, they couldn’t help but laugh a little at her comment. “Yeah, honestly… I don’t think I ever expected to be back here either after my first time leaving,” they admitted. “But well… a lot changed about me after that, both good and bad… And you’re right that there’s some other force at work here… It’s very that… I just feel like there’s something here pulling me back…” They trailed off for a moment to consider things, whether that force was some hidden wellspring of magic beneath the entire town, or if it could really just be one person that called to them. Their face turned morose for just a moment at the heartsickness of not being able to name what it was exactly, but they shook it off a moment later and forced themself to smile. “I guess despite all the bad that’s happened here, there’s just nowhere else that quite feels like home.”

Perhaps it was a bit silly to feel that way, when not just the town but their own flesh and blood had largely rejected or ignored them, but especially with Val here and some of their closest friends, they found they wouldn’t be content anywhere else. “I used to hate pink too actually… or rather I loved pink but my dad hated it and he got really mad whenever I wanted anything pink… so I sort of… learned not to ask for it anymore…” Again, the conversation took a slightly somber turn but really it was inevitable when talking about their family in any way, or at least their parents. But they cleared the air of gloominess with a little sigh and another laugh… they were good by now at laughing off their darker emotions. “But fuck it, he’s not around anymore to tell me what to do!” They weren’t exactly expecting the soft but meaningful touch of Dera’s hand, but after recovering from the initial surprise of it they felt so content that all the tension in their face and just beneath the surface practically melted away. A genuine smile of peace crossed their lips and after a moment they put their hand over Dera’s and squeezed it in silent thanks.

Kat’s reaction to the shoe made him let out a cackle of laughter, which immediately reminded him that Ben was probably asleep still, or rather, that now he was definitely not asleep, thanks to the two loudest people in Mount Wells having a shouting match in the living room as he tried to snooze.

“Shut up, I know you love it. If I ever compliment you normally, you’ll know that something is very, very wrong with me. I’m glad I could wake you up, though. I’m way better than a cup of coffee in the morning, after all,” he said, wiggling an eyebrow at them. They picked up his shoe and threw it back at him. His years as a quarterback paid off, and he caught it against his chest with ease and a grin, before spiking it down on the ground like he had just caught a touchdown pass.

Once rid of the shoe, Mac started towards the kitchen to get a big glass of water after the workout he’d had on his early morning run, but stopped almost immediately as soon as Kat went on. It was normal Kat talk, sure, but he was acutely aware of how Ben was probably listening to every single word they were saying. The walls of the apartment were too thin to keep out much noise, and Kat’s voice had the natural ability of carrying wildly, just like Cormac’s. A rare pair indeed. Mac was already so utterly confused about what was going on with his feelings for Ben––which was to say that he wasn’t confused, he just had no idea what to do with the feelings––that the prospect of him hearing Kat say all of that made his heart race as if he was back on his run again.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, a little too loudly, and a little too wide-eyed, before stepping closer to them and going on. This time his voice was a furious whisper, accompanied by the usual blush that showed up when they talked like that about Ben. Sure, he was obvious as hell, but that didn’t mean he was going to say any of it out loud when he still had no idea what he was doing with Ben. They hadn’t even kissed, after all. Hell, he wasn’t even out. “He’s in there still. And you probably woke him screaming; next time I’ll aim my shoe for your head. I’ll pass on the demonstrations, I think I’ve heard enough from you too anyway to guess at what’s going on in there.”

Cormac was absolutely right, Kat loved him exactly the way he was, abnormalities and all. The fact that he couldn’t have a conversation without yelling, the ridiculous sports bro habits and tendencies, even his commitment to his morning run (which is not something Kat could conceive of doing themself in a million years). They all made him undeniably Cormac and it was because he was so genuine about himself that Kat thought they got along so well. Of course, their relationship with Val (whatever that was) probably helped things along, after all he used to be one of the only people Kat ever spent their time around growing up… and so when Val & Mac had gotten close, Kat had been almost effortlessly enfolded into the group, although there were definitely times they felt like they were intruding… Now, it wasn’t so bad though- it didn’t feel so much like an imposition when they got along so well with Mac even outside of Val’s company.

“You are infinitely better than a cup of coffee,” they agreed with a content smile. “But I hope you won’t be offended if I make some anyway, because my stomach is anticipating it now and if I don’t get it, I imagine there will be consequences of a hunger pang sort of nature, which I’m not about.” They chuckled slightly and set about making a pot of coffee, probably correctly assuming that this wouldn’t be their only cup. They weren’t expecting Cormac’s panic or his loud declaration once he stepped closer, as they were just going on how the always would when the two of them were alone. Only it seemed they weren’t entirely alone, as his hushed explanation soon brought to light.

Kat couldn’t help the grin that cracked over their lips at his confession, almost laughed at the utter panic with which he explained. This was quite possibly the most adorable they had ever seen Mac, which was saying a lot, because he was always adorable in their eyes. They took a moment to beam at him before putting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. “Just kiss him already Mac, you’ll feel better with it out in the open, trust me,” they said in appropriately hushed tones for once. They looked him seriously in the eye to punctuate their statement before turning back to attend to their coffeemaking. “But like I’ve said before, if you want to stop guessing and start knowing what we’re up to, you know you’re more than welcome in the mix.”

They weren’t sure why they kept bringing that up, apart from Mac just being deliciously good-looking. Maybe it was in part to avoid thinking about their own thing they had going on with Val… after all, it was easy not to think about your feelings with three people involved, because that’s not what it was about at that point… not in this case anyway… They fought back their own blush even at the briefest thought of considering the truth of their feelings for Val, which was perhaps a bit hypocritical given their current topic of conversation. They distracted themself from it by finding bread to make toast. “Want a bite before you return to the snuggle den, sweetie?”

A bright grin and a small wince at the loud sound of the kiss against his ear was Tristan’s response to Kat’s greeting. Sometimes he envied them, how easy going Kat was, not they could adapt to every situation and person and music and everything. Tristan was harder to bend, stubborn as a mule, his mother said. It took him time to get used to stuff, to realize what he felt, who he was and Kat was… so genuine. At least keeping them as a friend gave Tristan courage to face his dumb decisions too. “I’m really not. You were great,” he promised, taking Kat’s hand in his but before he could continue with his usual string of praises, Kat decided to make him blush bright red all the way down to his chest.

“Kat! SHHH!” he tried to shush her between giggles and hands moving wildly around them. He had noticed the stares but figured most of them were directed towards Kat so the fact that they were drawing attention towards him made him panic slightly. Tristan didn’t mind the attention. It was nice, people were nicer to him now that he was labeled a ‘hero’ of sorts but he liked his privacy too. He liked dancing with his friends, hanging out with the people who treated him like family before the whole fame business started to raise, not worrying about his image or what people said about him. Besides, being called daddy wasn’t something he was used to. “Thank you for the compliment, I guess. I figured trying something new wouldn’t hurt.”

His usual dimpled grin seemed to falter slightly at the mention of the contest and Denna and Pietro. It was… well, a very confusing time and beside his work and everything going on, he was exhausted. But that’s why he was here. To talk, to get the weight off his chest, and dance it off until he felt better. “It went well, I guess? Weird. Like… I don’t know if I still feel something for her. I’m pretty sure it’s over between us, I’m not in love with her anymore but seeing her again… Maybe it’s just the fact that she’s back, nothing else. She wants to interview me so I guess I’m seeing her again soon,” he shrugged, feeling his shoulders sag slightly as he leaned over the bar, elbows holding him up.

Of course his foul mood lasted less than a millisecond because Kat was practically squealing the moment they heard about the guy who asked him out. “You know everyone, Kat. His name is Amadeus. He’s very cute. Also very brave. The guy was exhausted but drank two shots of tequila just to get my number. I was kind of impressed,” he confessed, though he left out the part when he said tequila and kisses were alike. Perhaps he could tell Kat that another day. For now, he simply winced and groaned as they kissed and pinched his cheeks like his abuela did. Kat and her would get along like a house on fire, so he made a mental note to take them home one day. “From daddy to son, huh? You’re so weird,” Tristan snorted but beamed at the proud smile on Kat’s face. He took his time, but he was doing the right thing. Taking a long gulp of his drink - for courage, he said - he turned back to Kat with a shrug. “Not sure. I haven’t heard from him yet. But come on, enough about me. Tell me about you. You know I’m a sucker for gossip. Anyone special? Should I get on with my jealous macho act to protect your honor?”

Kat genuinely flushed a bit at his continued compliments, felt a bit like an old movie star as Tristan took their hand and they imagined him kissing it softly. Tristan was such a pleasure to be around, but not just because they loved teasing him so much and watching him blush that adorable shade of pink. He was a good compliment to them, when Kat often felt like they were too much, his personality usually countered them with his preference to stay out of the spotlight, to admire quietly from the side. As much as they truly loved embarrassing him by loudly announcing how gorgeous he was to the world, or screeching incoherently about his first ever date with a boy, they also admired him for his calm nature and his contentedness with just being and not demanding attention from anyone. There were times Kat wished they could be like that every so often, to just be still and content with simply existing instead of demanding attention from people at all times. They realized belatedly that there were times like that, with a specific person, and the thought of him however brief only made them flush a little warmer.

“Well, it certainly paid off!” they agreed with enthusiasm, pinching his nipple through the tight shirt playfully with a wink. “You’re probably number one in the fantasies of half the room tonight, just saying…” They took a long, slow drink as he struggled to sift through the emotions of last night. They knew he was probably confused, as they’d had a similar time in their life before coming out. But beyond that, the situation with Denna sounded complicated, the exact sort of thing Kat tried to avoid whenever possible. “You should just kiss her,” they suggested after a moment’s pause. “Then you’d know for sure, right?” Belatedly, they considered that might not be such a good idea… They didn’t know the entirety of what was going on between them after all, but at the same time it seemed only logical to them… After all, Kat had very much been the type of person to kiss whomever they had desire to, and to sort out the consequences later. Still, it seemed important to mention their afterthought of doubt so they didn’t lead him wildly down the wrong path.

“But, you’re right… it could be a proximity thing. It’s been a while since you saw her in person, right? Maybe your old feelings just never got entirely resolved because she was gone all that time… Talking to her is probably the best idea… I just wouldn’t know where to start, personally, I couldn’t explain my feelings to someone if my life depended on it…” That was far more honest than they’d ever intended to be on that particular subject, and for a moment the eyed their drink suspiciously as if it had been laced with truth serum, only to shrug and keep sipping anyway. Maybe if it was, they could be a bit more honest with themself too, in terms of what this whole thing with Val was. They still didn’t quite have the words to describe it somehow, just that what they felt for him was… more. 

“Having you around may have been a little more entertaining,” he replies with a shrug and a playful grin. Watching them cross to the kitchen, in the flapper that showed off nearly every inch of their mile long legs, he thinks to himself there was a lot more than just their head they missed that night- but they could get into that bit a little later. For now he was content with the light banter, and watching them move effortlessly around his apartment, a sight that still every now and then made his chest ache when he thought too hard on it. It was something he’d seen thousands of time before, whenever they’d show up at his door out of the blue, sometimes after days, others after months. Each time he was unsure just where they came from and for how long they planned to stay, and each time he was too fearful to ask, afraid it would only scare them away. For now it seemed like they’d planned to stay, not in his apartment necessarily, but Mount Wells in general. That was the hope anyway. 

“If any of them were open-minded and smart enough, they’d realize there’s a pretty easy- and much more fun way to solve a love triangle. Though I doubt Aaron will ever consider it,” he chuckles. “I guess for now we’ll keep him off our list of potential three-way participants.” Keeping himself situated against the back of the couch, he watches them contently as they take their place against the opposite wall. He very much doubted he was going to be winning this particular game tonight, given the dangerously short dress involved- and that was without the added sight of their tongue flicking tortuously slow along the bottom of their lip. Yeah, this was definitely going to be a tougher one. 

For a brief, and admittedly stupid moment he thinks he may have somehow won when they begin their approach. But of course they stop just out of reach. They were starting to up their game, which he was still more than willing to continue playing if they were. “You think so?”, he asks, arching a brow in curiosity, very much wanting to test that statement. Pushing himself off the back of the couch he steps closer to them, flashing them a look that read both predatory and playful. He doesn’t stop his advance until he’s nearly on top of them, his lips dangerously close to their’s. He makes no move to close the gap however, only looks down at the small gap between them before meeting their gaze once more. 

“Maybe we should test that then,” he says quietly, tilting his head as though he was finally going to follow through with his advancement. But the move only proves to be another tease, as he ghosts his lips over their’s only to whisper, “Unless you’re just all talk.” With his lips splitting into a wide grin he begins stepping back away from them, shooting them a questioning look before turning around completely and heading towards his bedroom. Continuing such acts in the living room wasn’t beyond them by far, but he figures for Cormac’s sake to spare him and Ben from the show that evening. Taking a seat on the edge of his bed he leans back on palms, and waits for Kat to make their next move. 

Kat didn’t used to be so good at this game... When they were younger and this thing between them had first started, they were still so desperate for physical affection that the two of them often ended up crashing together at high speed, stumbling through the apartment kissing, always in a rush to get to the finish line for some reason. They’re not quite sure when the teasing first began, or even who started it, and when it got quite so intense, but they remember it vaguely as a desire to keep Val close for longer and longer. And now? Well if they were being brutally honest with themself, they’d say maybe things had gotten a little out of hand... that maybe they’d gotten a little closer than they ever meant to. It felt painfully obvious, at this point, but at the same time Kat was terrified to acknowledge their feelings out loud. They had never, ever needed someone like they needed Val. They had made sure not to. As much as they clearly loved the attention on stage, they made a point not to ask anyone for it, but to simply command it instead, to be so fabulous and over the top that no one could tear their eyes away from them even if they wanted to. Because asking meant the possibility of rejection, and honestly Kat wasn’t sure that was something they could handle after a childhood of neglect, of longing to be acknowledged only to be denied again and again. And so how could they ask anything of Val beyond what he’d already done? What would they do if what they asked for was suddenly something he couldn’t give?

He’s a breath away from their lips and Kat can feel themself trembling for more reasons than one. The want that ripples through them is magnified as it hits the barrier of their skin and echoes back into them, until they don’t know what to do with all the desire inside them. It feels a bit like if they don’t touch him soon, they’ll explode. Luckily, their absolute terror freezes them in place long enough for Val to retreat, leaving steam between them and words that make them whimper quietly and bite their lip. It’s a good thing he’s left them to compose themself, because honestly Kat had forgotten to breathe there for a moment, and recovering from that in a corset isn’t exactly graceful. In fact, there’s a moment where they think they might pass out... but it mercifully passes and after steadying themself again with a few swallows of beer, they’re ready for their encore.

They drag one of the kitchen chairs into the room with them as a prop, their eyes absolutely smoldering as they look at him now. They don’t bother to hide the adoration in their eyes, because that’s the whole point, isn’t it? They want Val to want them, just as much as they want him. And if they can somehow make that happen with whatever magic they have coursing through their veins, well... they’re not sure they can resist the temptation. With a wink, they drag the chair into place and plant their foot on it to begin, slowly at first, in as sultry a voice as they can.

“We’re all alone No chaperone Can get our number The world’s in slumber...”

They pull the brim of their hat down over their eyes, only to remove it a moment later with a flourish, tossing it into Val’s lap with a smirk. Then, shimmying just so to make the beads on their dress rattle as they dance, they bite down on the tip of one of their gloved fingers between lyrics and begin to peel the fabric off their hand slowly. They make a show of stretching out their long smooth arms as the glove drags slowly off their skin...

“Let’s misbehave!” And with another embellishment, they pull the glove off over their head only to rain confetti down upon themself, the chair, the floor, and the end of Val’s bed. As the song continues, they quickly divest themself of the second glove in the same manner, giggling gleefully when they realize the mess they’re making of his room with all the glitter and paper petals. 

“There’s something wild About you, child That’s so contagious Let’s be outrageous...”

They dance around the chair, turning to coyly look at him over their shoulder, and eventually they peel themself seductively out of their dress, leaving them only in fishnets and a corset. From there, it was only a few moments of trying to look seductive while loosening the thing, and then opening it where it was fastened in front. They sway their hips slowly with their back to him as they remove it completely, and when they turn again it’s to reveal glittery, tasseled pasties which they spin around a few times with a practiced shimmy.

[ @hekatrin ] In true Ryan fashion, he’s skulking around by his lonesome on the way back from the hospital after dark. He’d never been afraid of being on his own, and the dark never bothered him. There was no way to explain away the comfort he felt in the presence of shadows. It felt like a relief to exist outside of the eternal spotlight of the sun, although he’d never made such a confession aloud to a single soul. Maybe he takes his time finding his way back to his loft, if only for the benefit of himself. It’s whatever, and it doesn’t really matter. He didn’t expect the third degree when he got back, anyway. He walks across the square, the grass squishing softly beneath his feet as the sprinklers had ceased just moments before. There was a dampness to the air that had briefly saturated his skin, and it was a welcome kind of coolness that complimented the night and worked to banish any residual heat from the day. He thinks he could probably just lay here and be good until morning, but that might result in more questions than he had answers and if he’s being honest he’d rather not have to deal with it. Oddly enough, it seemed he wouldn’t Ryan wouldn’t have to make that decision for himself. A body was moving toward him at an alarming speed, and it has quickly become apparent to Ryan that this person was running. He didn’t know to what, or from what, but the slight flail and the labored breathing was hardly any indication compared to the words slung at him in distress.

 "Run!“

Ryan’s eyes nearly bug out of his head, not sure whether to take the advice seriously. He’d been punk’d before (let’s be honest, it’d be hard to survive this long without having been pranked), but never this late at night. And never by a body and voice he didn’t recognize. 

So for the sake of self preservation, Ryan obliges, and with a little hitch in his step he starts to take off in the direction he’d been walking, an attempt to distance himself from the calamity behind him – all the while checking over his shoulder to be sure the flight of this stranger hadn’t been obscured by some hole in the ground or some trip up over their own feet. He doesn’t know what he’s trying to escape from and, depending on what the fuck is actually going on, maybe that’s a good thing.

Kat had never meant to cause any mischief that night, but it seemed that every so often, these situations were simply inescapable for them, as if they had some kind of aura that attracted trouble. Or perhaps they were just cursed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time... In any case, they wished at least that they’d had some kind of forewarning that evening not to take any unusual paths home, or even not to wear the heaviest heels on their feet that they owned. But instead here they were, a pair of blood red platform Doc Martin heeled boots thudding against the pavement loudly as they ran for their life from the danger behind, which they hadn’t turned back to examine any closer from the first moment they’d seen the black shape of the swarm pursuing them.

After barely controlling their descent down a particularly steep hill, they noticed another figure in their path, and unsure of who they were or even if they had time to avoid running straight into them, Kat chose instead to yell for them to run too. They figured it was only courteous, since the pounding of feet on the stone behind them only seemed to be getting louder. 

The stranger listened, and every so often they seemed to spare a glance back to see if they were keeping up, or maybe just to see if the danger was growing closer. They wouldn’t blame him either way, honestly. However the street they were on wasn’t lit very well, and Kat didn’t feel like sparing any extra time to identify the noise behind them.

As they rounded a corner together awkwardly, Kat heard the commotion behind growing louder, almost thunderous, and they made a split second decision on the behalf of both of them, that the danger was best avoided from behind a nearby fence than in the middle of the street where the shadow seemed about to fall upon them. Screwing their eyes shut, they half-shoved, half-threw the stranger bodily over a waist high fence to their right, and then vaulted over themself, collapsing into a pile with him on the other side with a graceless “oof”.

The cacophony of what now sounded like hooves grew louder still, and despite the fear still pounding through their chest, Kat couldn’t resist the temptation of peeking over the fence to see what manner of beasts pursued them... Perhaps the very last thing they expected to greet them on the other side, though, was exactly what they faced... A herd of bleating goats assembled into what might just be the least menacing stampede ever, calming a bit now that there was no one running ahead of them. There was a large grassy field across the street from them that they all flocked into instead, and a few of them even came up to the fence and began to munch at the weeds tangling around its base. Kat stared, incredulously silent for a long moment, and then they absolutely burst with laughter as one of them bleated right in their face, falling back with relief and hilarity into the dusty heap they’d fallen into with their unfortunate and unwitting running partner.

The hours leading up to the party that night played out like a constant tug of war for Val, torn between tempting fate and going to the event he knew he would wind up in trouble in, or following the smarter route and ditch the thing entirely. There were pros and cons to both, the pros being not ending up in a jail cell, or vomiting his entire stomach contents in the shower the next morning. The cons being missing out on Kat’s show they’d been gushing on about for days, and just missing out on the fun in general. Eventually after two hours of setting out his black tux, only to put it back in his closet moments later, he chose to finally leave it there, coming to terms with the fact he wasn’t quite able to control himself in a settling like that yet. 

To cut the temptation, he turned off his phone for the night after calling in a pizza order, and traded in his day clothes for that of a pair of sweatpants and an old track shirt instead. Never in his life would he have imagined he’d trade in the party of the year for a night in with just himself, a meat lovers pizza, and his X-Files boxset yet here he was, and surprisingly he was oddly content with that fact. When the knock at the door comes he’s half asleep from the carb crash, and still was as he padded over to unlock the deadbolt. At least until he was greeted with the crash of another’s lips. As a true testament to the general atmosphere of his and Cormac’s apartment, he doesn’t pull back at the surprising hello, and instead only tilts his head to deepen the kiss, opening his mouth to let in the newcomer’s tongue- which he quickly recognized to be Kat’s, if not only by the familiar taste of their lip gloss, but also the fact the wearer of said lip gloss was nearly taller than him. With an ease derived only from continuous practice, his lips remained glued to their’s as his hand closes the door behind them, and flips the deadbolt back into place. 

“I hadn’t noticed,” he chuckles lowly as they pull away, his own feelings on their absence are subtly visible through the loose fabric of his sweatpants. Those thoughts are pushed to the side for now though, knowing an explanation for his absence was going to be needed first. “Where does it look like I’ve been”, he rolls his eyes with a grin while attempting to shake the confetti out of his hair. “I’m guessing your attempts to get Gunvaldsson in bed proved fruitless again? Or are you playing coy with me, and have him stashed in the hallway?” Shooting them a playful smirk he pads back towards the couch to retrieve the beer bottle that still lay half full on the coffee table. The news on the state of the party wasn’t much of a surprise for him, most of those ritzy deals proved more mind-numbing than anything unless you had the right company, although again he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty for missing their show. The semblance of an apology finds its way to the back of his throat but it lingers there, fearful of the can of worms it may open he instead washes it down with his beer. The last thing he wanted to talk about now were his bullshit problems. 

“I think I’d be afraid to see what’s more exciting than you,” he chuckles as he leans against the back of the couch. Their lingering gaze on him doesn’t go unnoticed, but instead of coming to them he remains situated against the couch, locking them both into a game of which of them could break the distance first. For his first move he goes easy on them, setting his beer down he shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweats, the action causing the waistline to slip down just below the curve of his hip bones. “So how was the show then?” He asks innocently, as if he had no awareness of what he was doing. 

It felt good to be so warmly accepted, to be naturally pulled inside away from the rest of the world and enclosed in Val’s embrace... Kat felt precious somehow, and wanted... It was hard to explain exactly how they felt in his arms or tucked into his sheets beside him, all they knew was that it was drastically different from how they felt anywhere else, with anyone else. Usually, that was too scary for them to even think about, but right now it felt a bit like they were drifting in on a cloud. In all honesty, it didn’t even really matter that much to Kat that he’d missed their earlier performance, they were just happy to see him finally after a long night of pretending. They could be their genuine self around him without consequence, and more than that they’d never had to worry about Val rejecting them in the same way the rest of the town did. Even his sarcasm was warm, and Kat knew they wouldn’t ever be able to thank him enough for all he’d done for them, from putting a roof over their head to being there when they had no one else in the entire world.

They glanced over at him fondly at his request to look, and it’s clear to see they were a bit envious of his night in and the relaxation it clearly afforded him. They’d do anything to get in his pants right now, both figuratively and literally, and it’s a funny enough thought to them that their face cracks into a smile that’s only as big and bright as it is now when it’s just the two of them passing the time together. “It looks like you’ve been in the most comfortable bed in the world all night desperately missing my head on the pillow next to yours,” they laughed. “But it’s alright babe, we can fall into Slumberland again together as soon as I get changed...” They let the statement linger as they prowled around the apartment, showing off their short, short, short outfit of beads and how it moved when they walked. They paused at the mouth of the kitchen to drop their jaw in mock offense once more at Val’s accusation.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that! Aaron’s delectable looking and everything but he’s exactly the kind of macho man I can’t stand, you know? If we did ever act on all the flirting we do, I’d have to tape his mouth shut in bed!” They turned to get a beer from the fridge and then tactfully added, “Ooh... I wonder if he’d be into that...?” Grinning, they popped the cap off the bottle and took a swig or two before shaking their head. “No, but seriously, I’m not going anywhere near that crazy love triangle thing he’s got going on... getting my throat slit by a jealous lover is not on my to-do list.” Since Val was making no move towards them though, despite their clear longing, Kat decided to keep their distance too, for now... They leaned back against the wall opposite to him and stretched their long smooth legs out, crossing their ankles delicately as they held the bottle of beer loosely by the neck. They watched him slip his hands casually into his pockets to display that beautiful slip of skin and a trail of hair leading tantalizingly down from his belly. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing, didn’t he? Punk...

@hekatrin >  “My clothes look better on you than they do on me.”

( june 12th / cerberus dressing room / evening)

“That’s a filthy lie Kitty. No one can pull off these like you do.” Pietro said as he finished tying up one of the red leather boots he was wearing. He stood up, getting used to his new height, walking around the dressing room for a couple seconds, and throwing some dance moves for good mesure. Not that he was going to wear this from now on, but who knew? They did make his legs look stunning.

“And? What’s the verdict?” He asked, giving a little turn, checking out his ass in the mirror in front of him. “Of course you will always look better in them but I do think I could wear them for the next Olympians show. Can you imagine? I would look even more edgy than Heath. I might take their goth fans away from them. Which would be cool. It’s not like they’re doing anything about it anyway and those chicks are freaks in bed.”

It wasn’t often but there were truly times that Kat tried to be on their very best behavior, and right now, not jumping Pietro in the dressing room was the temptation they had to resist, and although nothing had happened yet they could already see themself failing miserably... They didn’t know what they’d expected, honestly, after they’d discussed having some fun with the costumes for the next Olympians performance... drag always had sexy but unforeseen consequences for them... Kat had been biting their nails for most of the time they’d been watching Pietro model, but once those boots were completely on, they had to scramble through their things for a fan, which they snapped open loudly and used to try and cool off the rapidly heating skin of their cheeks.

“Dios mío, Pietro!!” they gushed, an aroused and satisfied grin creeping across their lips before they could bite it back. “The way you look in those boots should be illegal, esé... You fans will commit crimes for you if you wear those on stage.” They had to stop and bite their lip, silently mouth “oh my god” in the mirror to themself as Pietro turned to check out his own ass (which was fantastic as always, but somehow more beautifully on display than usual). “I have to disagree, I think I’ll never look as good in them as you do right now. Take them, please! My ass will never compare.”

They threw a light, mocking punch at his shoulder at his less than entirely respectful comments, but it made them laugh anyway at the image of him suddenly surrounded by the dark and gloomy chicks that were constantly batting their heavily lacquered eyes at Heath. Truth be told, they’d probably be grateful to be free from all the attention, but being outdone in edginess by Pietro was another story... “We need the perfect outfit to compliment those...” they said, trying to picture him in anything but his birthday suit to no avail. “I may or may not be planning on pitting you and Heath against each other now to see who can pull off the best glam rock look...”

Not working for a day was something Tristan was not used to. He was always busy, running errands or working at the old records store or simply walking dogs or doing something, but after the whole Miss Mount Wells fiasco mostly everyone had decided to stay home, leaving Tristan to relax and sleep in the next day. It was a blessing, in a way. Having time to play with his dog and enjoy some quality time with his guitar but after hours of being locked in his apartment, he had gotten way too antsy, desperate to go out and do something. Luckily, a text from Kat arrived with plans for the evening and Tristan relaxed the rest of the day until it was time to go out.

The night was cool and the lights of the bar warm and sensual. There was something about El Dorado, about all clubs that played latin music that was particularly sexy. Tristan loved it, the heath in the room, the music that drew people to dance close, it all felt like home. Spotting Kat in the distance, he smoothed his tight black shirt down his chest and greeted them with a loud kiss on their cheek, “Hey. Liza Minnelli called. She said your Cabaret performance was better than hers and wants you for the movie sequel,” Tristan joked as he leaned on the bar, grinning brightly at them.  

“Decent?” he asked around a sigh. “The bar was alright, I guess. Amanda wasn’t very happy with what happened with Thea so that sucked. I saw Denna too so yeah, awkward. But dancing with Pietro was fun,” he ranted. It was strange how easy it was to talk to Kat. There was something about them that made Tristan feel that no matter what he said or did, he would never be judged. Which was why, after taking a deep breath, Tristan decided to tell her the whole truth. “Pietro is very attractive, yeah. And a great dancer. I ah… Actually, a guy asked me out on a date, too. And I… said yes,” he confessed, eyes big and hopeful as he looked at Kat for a moment before turning to the bartender, cheeks tainted red. “Eh, Martín! Nos das lo de siempre?” 

Kat graciously accepted the kiss pressed into their cheek and smacked a loud one in his ear in return as he approached. They smiled warmly and put a hand to their cheek as if blushing from the praise. “Stop, stop, you’re exaggerating,” they laughed, although it was clear from how happy and proud they were that they appreciated the comment nonetheless. As much as they wanted it and were in a near-constant struggle for it, they’d never get used to the attention and affection that was lavishly poured over them by their friends... There was some part, however small, inside them that was still a frightened child, convinced they’d be kicked to the curb again as soon as everyone got tired of their antics. Luckily, it was an easy fear to chase down with vibrant reggaeton blaring in their ears. And Tristan’s sleek attire provided a beautiful distraction as well...

“Ay, papito, nice to see you wear something so form fitting! You should show it off more often, everyone clearly approves...” And it was true indeed that the both of them together but Tristan especially was catching a lot of sideways glances from the moment he walked in, and Kat couldn’t help but beam with approval. Perhaps it was lingering interest from the whole “hero” thing, but at least in a club like El Dorado they could get their dance on without being hassled, and the people there would still treat him the same as they always had, like one big extended family. It was refreshing to have another place like this to escape to and simply feel the exuberant joy that coursed through them to the beat of the music... For so long Kat hadn’t had many safe places, or people for that matter. Now, it seemed that they had an abundance of good friends, although Tristan was among the cherished few, from Kat’s perspective.

Even the slightly serious turn the conversation made towards the contest wasn’t enough to dampen their spirits, although they certainly sympathized. “Ah, I wish none of that nonsense had happened... As you know I like a little mischief every now and then but only rarely is it at the expense of somebody’s feelings,” they lamented with a little shake of their head, and a grimace at the mention of them running into their ex. “Ooh Denna huh...? And how did that go?” They were happy to drift back to the subject of Pietro and handsome boys in general, but at Tristan’s confession, their mouth fell open in surprise, expression quickly turning to an excited smirk.

mac and val’s apartment, june 11th, morning      @hekatrin

Cormac had always appreciated having a routine. From the time he had first been adopted by the Newmans, and was taken to his first therapy appointment, he had been told that structure would be a good thing for him. The habit had been easy to form thanks to his parents, and even now years later, living on his own, mostly, with Val, he still tried his best to stick to a routine. It made things a little bit easier, made him feel less chaotic than he always did, put the energy to good use.

So even though Ben had stayed over, Mac had still gotten up with his early alarm to go for his morning run, hoping not to wake him as he left, and also hoping that he’d still be sleeping soundly in his bed by the time he got back. He was thinking it might be nice to go out to breakfast, or even go to his parents for something, before they both truly started the day. By the time he came back and was taking off his running shoes, wanting nothing more than a cold shower, and huge breakfast, he was happy to see Kat just coming out of Val’s room. Being who he was, he picked up one of his shoes, and threw it in Kat’s direction, purposefully aiming just next to them against the wall, all fondly. 

“Oye, bruja!” he half shouted as the shoe hit the wall next to them and fell to the floor with a dull thud. If Ben and Val weren’t awake already, they both probably were now. Whoops. 

“I didn’t get to tell you but that performance last night was fuckn’ legit! Like, holy shit, the looks on everyone’s faces, you would’ve thought they were watching porn for the first time. I died,” he gushed, kicking his other shoe off and leaving it by the door. Mac came further into the apartment, pulling off his shirt as he went. He nodded towards Val’s door. “You kids have a good night?”

Not generally an early riser, Kat’s usual mode of operation in the morning involved pawing along the walls until they found themself in the kitchen and located the coffee maker, then standing by bleary eyed like some kind of caffeine zombie until it brewed. Luckily, they’d stayed over at Val & Mac’s place often enough that they more or less had the floor plan of the place memorized. By now they could probably run the gauntlet blindfolded... half of the time their eyes wouldn’t properly open until after about half a cup was gone, maybe more if they’d had a rough night...

And while it had certainly been long, their evening hadn’t gone badly by any means. They’d sang their songs, stripped out of their clothes twice and fell into bed beside their best friend again, in a way that was clearly becoming habit-forming, at least to the outside observer. With Kat’s addictive personality, it was no wonder... but they didn’t know what to think about their feelings for Val, and so they tended not to think about them at all, when they could help it. Last night had been... well, they’d still been a little drunk when they got here, and they were going to blame that for all the tenderness that occurred, the honest moments of feeling like their soul could fly out of their body.

But paying absolutely no attention to their environment as they staggered into the kitchen meant that their soul almost left their body for an entirely different reason, as Cormac’s shoe came in violent contact with the wall next to them. They let out an embarrassing yelp, and felt their heart jump into overdrive in their chest without warning. The moment they looked over at Mac though, they couldn’t help but burst into laughter at their own ridiculousness. “Mac, for fuck’s sake! Learn to give a compliment like a regular person!” they cried back, probably a bit too loud. “But thank you! I had a blast obviously... Oh man, I don’t think I need that coffee now...” They put a hand over their heart, only half in jest, and then unceremoniously scooped up Mac’s shoe and chucked it back at him.

Having arrived after Cormac & Ben, Kat really had no idea that the latter was still in the other room, trying to sleep as well. If they’d known, they might have been a bit subtler about their next few lines of conversation... “What, you didn’t hear us?? But I made sure to be extra vocal just for you! You still taking notes on how to please sweet Benji?? You know you can always ask for a live demonstration, I’m sure Val & I would be happy to oblige.”

It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that Dera had a fascination with death, but she would always insist that it was more complex than that. As a child she would talk to the spirits of the neighborhood children that lingered on, a singular experience that few claim. Perhaps it was then that she learned that the line between those who claim life and claim death was much more of a move target than most realized. Even when she was young she hung around graveyards, making crowns out of the bouquets left by mourning visitors until she was chased away for theft. As a girl she wanted to ask what could the dead possible do with flowers? Then she grew up and realized that the flowers were for the living, not the deceased, and so she stopped her theft. Still though, the graveyard served as an escape from reality where she could just focus on the energy of the world. Here she could feel spirits clinging to their earthly presence, the range of emotions and experiences they lived radiating off of them.

When her parents sat her down and told her that her mother was terminally ill, the concept of death, and by extension the graveyard, became much more frightening. It represented the inevitable end that all humans faced. It took time and her mother constantly threatening to haunt her for Dera to even reconsider her feelings on the subject, and for her to remember that like within tarot, death is not an end but a change. Her mother would come back to her in some form, be it a spirit or a reincarnation of her soul, the two would never be apart for long. It was funny really, Dera had yet to tell anybody of her mother’s condition. She wanted to, needed to, but every time a chance occurred she just kept it to herself. Sometimes though it would hit her, that in some unknown number less than ten, more likely less than five, her best friend, her mother, would be dead. That’s when she would leave and go to the graveyard. It was a private place in which people rarely bothered her.

Today proved to be an exception, something Dera would be thankful for. It was strange to see Kat on of drag, they looked like a completely different person, but their energy was instantly recognizable. A gentle smile grew on her face as she greet the other person. “Kat. It was so great to meet you too.” They were kinda best case scenario of what happens when you shove another person over. “Oh, no, don’t worry about not wearing makeup or anything, neither am I. I can’t say I expected to see anyone I know here. Visiting someone?” It was a reasonable assumption and Dera wasn’t aware enough to realize that that could be a personal question.

Kat had never really been afraid of graveyards, likely because they had escaped to them numerous times as a child. Growing up friendless and bullied was made slightly more bearable by the serene silence of the rows upon rows of headstones. They used to frequently occupy their time by reading all the faded names, counting how large the family plots were, and seeing how far back the dates went. Most other kids didn’t make a habit of hanging out there, and they looked enough like a wraith or some wild spirit when they were growing up that the groundskeeper must have thought they were a spectre themselves, or in the very least some poor orphan who dutifully came to visit their family in the park every day. In reality, it served as an imaginary stage for countless plays and shows orchestrated in their head... Even Shakespeare would have envied the elaborate dramas that Katrin had woven with their imagination, and never cared to write down.

It occurred to them after a moment to wonder what Dera was doing here, if perhaps someone she loved was laid to rest here. They found they didn’t quite know how to ask the question, though... or perhaps the issue was that they wouldn’t know how to relate very well given their abnormal upbringing (which was to say, not much of an upbringing at all). Kat simply didn’t understand families quite right... they knew enough to know they had been deprived of something, but what it was they still didn’t quite have a complete picture of. And it felt foolish to first ask what it meant to be a family... and what it felt like to lose a member from one that was particularly close... Then again, that was assuming Dera’s situation was at all pleasant. Kat knew enough to realize that wasn’t a guarantee either. They decided not to think about it too hard.

a peek under Kat’s flapper outfit *wink wink*

location: Mount Wells cemetery

@dera-mcclery

It was strange that Kat still felt such a pull to this place, the graveyard where their grandmother was interred, when their relationship hadn’t been terribly close while she was alive. It wasn’t that she was cruel, by any means. She was certainly warmer than their parents, and Kat had always witnessed a unique quality about her personality that was inviting and vibrant... they assumed this was where their own magic came from, their special ability to entertain and please. Obviously it had skipped a generation, as their own father was never good with people, not even his own family. But, this place and its odd serenity weren’t for Kat’s parents, it was for Dolores Moreno only, and all her secrets. It was a place that filled them with longing for something they couldn’t name... for unity and the bond of blood that other people seemed to come by so easily.

As they placed some pretty white and pink lilies beneath their abuela’s headstone, they reflected solemnly on all they could have done differently while she was alive to perhaps know her better, and it all felt so bittersweet... Because they were so different now from the child they were, Kat knew that their younger self wouldn’t have known what to say or do to bridge the gap... and further than that, it shouldn’t have been their responsibility... They knew enough about families now to realize that they deserved love and respect that they simply hadn’t been afforded... Their slightly morose reverie was interrupted, however, by the appearance of a familiar face, and one that was quite welcome even in the odd context of thoughts she appeared in.