* 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕤.

a collection of unfinished endings, of knives passed down instead of names. a study in monsters made by love, betrayal dressed like family, fever-dream roads and lives lived out of spite.  a love letter to the ones who ran, the ones who stayed, the ones who burned it all down  ⅋  to everything that came back wrong.

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CAMILLE’S  BREATH  CAUGHT  SOMEWHERE  IN  THE  HOLLOW  OF  HER  THROAT  AS  SHE  TOOK  IN  CELESTE’S  FRACTURED  VOICE. It sounded like something splintered  inside  them  that  might  not  stitch  back  together  right.  She  didn’t  need  to  see  the  body  again;  the  image  was  already  scorched  into  her  memory.  What  mattered  more  was  the  way  Celeste  looked  like  the  world  had  just  shifted  beneath  her  feet.

And  that’s  what  broke  something  open  in  Camille.

                 the pounding of their heart had waged its war against their chest  ⸻   as if the cage that held it in place had now been far too small . thump , thump , THUMP . it demanded to break free , free from its bonds , free from its shackles . the world began to deafen , only allowing a noticeable ring to be heard . harsh winds whipped and roared within her mind . as fear , isolation , wrath , anguish all crept in , plaguing them . knots twisted within , causing a vile , gut wrenching pain to form . their eyes drew shut , trying their best to cease all of their internal turmoil .

                 it was as if the ground shook underneath them . the feeling of their body trying it's best to remain balanced . even if it would've been easier just to c r u m b l e . without any warning , a grounding sensation warmed their volatile core . a sharp inhale forced its way in . it was as if they had been submerged under water , unable to breathe   ⸻   now able to finally catch their breath . without thought , her arms wrapped around the others figure before nuzzling their face into the nape of her neck .

                 ❝          it's   ⸻   not your fault .         ❞ a muffled whisper fled their lips . feeling the slight pull back , allowed their eyes to reopen . instead of looking anywhere else , their gaze remained set on the other .

                 a lump swelled within their throat upon hearing cami's question . one that felt nearly impossible to swallow . softly shaking her head in response , before trying to swallow down what had blocking them from speaking .     ❝          this has been going on since last halloween . i thought   ⸻   .         ❞ broken air replaced her words . taking in another breath help to ease what they had been experiencing .     ❝          i thought this year was going to be different , ya'know ?? because the cops allegedly caught who ever was doing these things . i just   ⸻   i don't understand why these things keep happening if they're being held in custody .         ❞

                 a knot formed within his throat   ⸻   as if the noose around his neck had only tightened .     ❝          because if it weren't for i , these rogue beasts , or so you say , would have become an even bigger issue . an even bigger threat to the order that aro so preciously wishes to uphold . you see , i am the only one who can tame them . and it just so happens , i do not wish to see them dead . . . i suppose that is my own cross to bare .         ❞ the last millennia had taken it's toll . watching the rise and fall of his family , seeing as their own discourse devoured their spirits . the remnants that remained were nothing more than a hollowed shell . something his brother so desperately wanted to reclaim . a wish to have the mikaelson's name invoke fear and respect once more . a tiring battle . the internal turmoil had sown its way into his psyche . as much as he wished to suppress it , the years had been catching up to him .

                 he accepted the others offer and takes ahold of the glass . gently swirling around the crimson red liquid as if it were wine . noticing the residuals cling onto the sides of his cup . soon his attention was pulled away by the others words , his dark orbs traced over to the other .     ❝          i do understand his frustrations within the matter . suppose him and i share the similar feeling in that regard . and i do not wish for this situation to escalate further than it already has .         ❞ the sweetness lingered upon his lips , after he took his first sip . a rarity it was , to find such pure blood , especially within the confines of new orleans . though it was something he had grown all too accustomed to .     ❝          not bad at all . rather sweeter than what im used to , but still enjoyable nonetheless .         ❞

“ THIS  ONE  IS  CALLED  THE  AFTERNOON  AFFAIR ”, Camille  commented,  slender  fingers  wrapping  lazily  around  the  stem  of  the  glass  in  front  of  her,  “ I  guess  a  Sex  on  the  Beach  wouldn’t  be  appropriate  for  this  occasion  but  I  still  wanted  to  commit  to  the  bit  and  that  drink  does  sound  straight  up  scandalous ”  Her  gaze  flicked  toward  Adaon  over  the  rim  of  the  glass.  “ Don’t  judge.  It  seemed  better  than  The  Forbidden  Archaeologist,  which  frankly  just  sounds  like  a  bad  Wattpad  story ”

Then  he  gave  the  toast.  Her  smirk  dropped  into  something  quieter.  Still  amused,  but  not  mocking.  There  was  something  old  and  worn-in  about  the  way  he  said  it,  and  she  didn’t  miss  it.  A  line  carried  through  bars  and  lives  and  more  years  than  he’d  probably  admit  to. 

                  there was a certain sense of beauty to be cherished within moments like this ⸻ a true rarity , one that felt hard to come by . especially with in times such as these . ❝          oh , how scandalous indeed .          ❞ his oceanic hues drifted over , soon fixating with the others warm , honey like ones . a light amount of air pushed it's way through him as his brows soon knitted together . ❝          what the hell is a ⸻ never mind , i fear i don't want to know what that is , as a matter of fact .          ❞ technology was never a strong suit of his , nor had he ever wanted it to be . not to mention , keeping up with the internet had seemed like quite the . . . frivolous thing .

                  it was an old irish drinking line , one that had carried on within him . from his many years of drinks , some with close friends , others with complete strangers . it did not matter with who ⸻ as long as there was a cold drink to be had , the phrase still held true .

                  with the faint clink of their rims , he held his glass up . ❝          aye , now there's something to drink too .          ❞ slightly bowing his head down before lifting it back up to allow the rim of his glass meet his lips . the amber liquid soon hit his tongue , offering a smooth and warming sensation to linger . it had felt like welcoming an old friend back home .

                  his glass kept within his hand as he lowered his arm back down . ❝          i fear it already has .          ❞ lighthearted teasing , resonated within his words before offering a subtle wink .

                  ❝          ah , so something scandalous , eh ??          ❞ suppose he could try and recall a story or two that might fit what she was lookin' for . ❝          i reckon there was this one time , you see . my mates and i had just gotten finished with this job . and i suppose we just wanted to go blow off some steam , so to speak . so we ended up finding some pub . and as the night went on and the more drinks we continued to have , there came a point where i realized one of my best mates hadn't been around for quite a while . of course , i just assumed he got lucky . maybe found some lovely lady that wanted to have a quick shag with the man . so i let the worrying go and continued on . but it wasn't until i heard a commotion arise to which i thought to myself , what did the bloody fuckin idiot get himself into now . as i made my way over , i saw him half naked on the ground gettin beat by some guy . going on but about how my mate slept with his wife . and of course , my mate was pleadin his case about how he hadn't known she had been married woman . so eventually i ended up having to step in , pulling his guy off of my friend as my friend had clearly too hammered to defend himself . and the next thing i know , the music cuts and a full on bar fight broke out around us . everyone began fist fighting everyone else . i managed to get a few punches in before realizing this shit wasn't worth my time . so instead i grabbed a bottle from behind the bar , reangled up my friends and we ran like hell . we were laughing and howling at the moon as we made our escape . eventually we got far enough away from that place to take a breath . we ended up laughing even more as our adrenaline had been through the roof . so we continued to drink until the morning sun began to rise . and then the rest became a blur honestly . i just remember when we woke up , it had been in some poor farmers barn . and let's just say , he wasn't all to happy to see us .          ❞

                  soft melodies hummed from within her     ⸻   as she reached out her hand to gently grasp at his arm .  the signs were noticeable ,  clearly something had been on the others mind .  the pacing ,  his features   ⸻   it wasn't hard to pick up .  she just simply offered her support to ease whatever tension that had been plaguing his thoughts .  knowing all too well that he would've done the same if it had been her instead of him . 

                  her finger tips grazed past his chest ,  finding their home upon his cheek .  a delicate smile pulled at the corners of her lips as her gaze met with his .  taking in all his features while her thumb lightly brushed against his cheek .  this place had been far from sunshine and rainbows .  she could feel the pain ,  the despair that loomed within the air . ❝         it is okay ,  my love .   you do not have to apologize ,  not to me .  i can see that you're hurting .          ❞ somber reassurance had woven its way into her words , ❝         is it another soul that has touched your heart or is something else on your mind ??          ❞   her questioning hadn't been out of ill intent , merely curious as to what had the other in such dismay . ❝         is there something i can do for you ??    ⸻   you know ,  i would do anything to ease whatever kind of pain you must be feeling right now .          ❞

CAMILLE’S  JAW  TENSED  AS  SHE  CAUGHT  THE  SHIFT  IN  DAMON’S  POSTURE. The  way  he  angled  toward  the  door  like  he’d  already  decided  this  wasn’t  worth  finishing.  Like  she  wasn’t.  Maybe  he  had  every  right  to  leave.  Maybe  she  was  making  something  out  of  nothing.  Still,  something  deep  in  her  resisted  the  finality  of  it.  It  was  that  same  stubborn  ache  that  always  flared  up  around  him,  as  sharp  as  it  was  familiar. A  slow  breath  slipped  from  her  nose,  quiet  enough  to  be  swallowed  by  the  music  still  thudding  from  inside.

“ Why  do  you  get  to  decide  the  conversation’s  over  now? ”,  her  voice  wasn’t  raised,  but  it  cut  through  the  space  between  them  cleanly,  “ Stop  acting  like  I  wronged  you  just  for  being  hurt  by  something  I  saw.  Something  we’ve  talked  about  before ”

                 anger was quite the consuming emotion , one he had plenty of time to master . though he hadn't always been like this  ⸻   his past had done its fair share of beating him down . and as life played its little games , he had only gotten back up to become more rabid , spiteful , bitter . a distasteful beast to most . one that would snarl before sinking it's teeth in . venom had practically oozed out of his flesh . suppose it had just been a way to protect himself . a way to not let anyone in , not again . but one had found it's way in   ⸻   slipping past his defenses , finding her way into his thoughts . a part of him hated the fact she had , while the other part welcomed it .

                 wouldn't it have been easier just to leave , to allow himself not to feel . especially after the other began to care , to hurt . he had already been a few steps away before his body forced him to stop . his darkened hues swiftly latched onto the other . ❝         and how exactly should i act ?? as if everything was fine and dandy ?? as if the person who i started to trust isn't just giving into the ideologies about who i am ?? how predicable i can be . how its going to be the same no matter what i do ?? no tell me , little miss perfection , tell me how should i be acting instead ?! you clearly have it all figured out , don't you ??          ❞

                 his gut twisted and contorted in which a way that felt nearly unrecognizable . one he hadn't been felt in ages . one he refused to let himself feel again . but there he was , feeling it as if i was the first time . a wretched , vile , disgusting sensation . and something her calmness only made feel worse . his gaze remained set , an unwavered .

                ❝         you really want to know what i was doing ??          ❞ a cold , maybe even classified as unsettling , tone took it's place . within a blink of in eye he appeared right beside her . the first time he had used his abilities in front of the other . his hand grabbed at cami's face , forcing her to look at him . a sight that would reveal darkened veins , underneath his intense gaze .     ❝          i was doing what i've always done to satiate the hunger , i was feasting on the blood of another .          ❞ venom clung to his words , forcing the other to reconsider who he was . who he's always been . a wolf in sheep's clothes . a monster dressed as a human .     ❝          tell me cami , are you happy now ?? do you think you can you see past this ??          ❞

‘ oh thank god you’re alive! ’

‘ we’re going to get you help. ’

‘ nobody likes a quitter! ’

‘ i won’t give up on you. ’

‘ how do you know you’re not a patient? ’

‘ who’s there? come out! ’

‘ of course. how could i not see it? ’

‘ don’t you look at us. i love him. ’

‘ we could’ve been beautiful. ’

‘ i’m so sorry, darling. ’

‘ we’re not done here. ’

‘ love isn’t for everybody. ’

‘ i see what’s happening here. you’re bored. you want a little attention. ’ 

‘ mine! you are mine! ’

‘ thanks so much for coming by. ’

‘ i just need to wash my hands. ’

‘ i suffered a long time waiting on you. ’

‘ you could make me whole. ’

‘ darling! ’

‘ you think you’re so clever. ’ 

‘ help me make this right. ’

‘ we have always looked into chaos and called it god. ’

‘ we didn’t choose this. ’

‘ it’s understandable, people get scared. ’

‘ don’t pass out on me. there’s still a lot for you to absorb. ’

‘ i’m not a patient; i’m an executive. ’

‘ i had to burn it. all of it. ’

‘ did i frighten you? i’m awfully sorry, i didn’t mean to. ’

‘ don’t leave me! i can’t be alone! ’

‘ i’ve been dreaming about this forever. ’

‘ you made the right choice here, buddy. ’

‘ this idiot wants to die! ’

‘ you had your chance. ’

‘ im working. ’