kalopsia ;;

"oh, of course," bennett said, letting out a shaky breath, shrugging off the overwhelming sense of familiarity that had blanketed him in the woman's presence. it was just - cady's heart had fluttered that same way - one weaker thump every three beats, so subtle not even an ultrasound had picked it up, but bennett could. bennett had been fluent in the language of his love, could read every twitch of her nose, every quirk of her smile, every beat of her heart. oh god he missed her something terrible, but that wasn't the fault of the woman in front of him.

would he be upset about the little lie she just told? cadance couldn't quite tell by the look on his face. she had hoped he would understand why she just didn't come out and yell "it's me, cadance. the wife you watch die giving birth to our daughter." that probably wouldn't have gone over well. no - this seemed like the safest option for now. she sucked in the air, holding it between her cheeks before he spoke again. oh, how he had missed his voice. the way it would change just as he was falling asleep or when he was angry. the way hit would hitch when she kissed her favourite spot on his neck. even if he didn't notice her yet, she would do everything to just listen to him speak.

bennett felt like he was going to catch fire, which was... awful, and familiar, but familiar in a way that seemed as if it had happened to another person entirely. he'd lost cady years ago, and when that happened, he lost himself, too. he became what sami needed him to be - a father, and a good one at that, but he was incapable of being anything else. this flickering heat in his empty veins that were screaming at him to pull this woman against his body was awakening that version of himself that he had buried next to his wife, and it was as addictive as it was terrifying. 'daddy, who's there', sami called out from inside, snapping bennett out of his stupor just long enough to reply. "It's a new neighbor, bubs, just keep coloring." 'can I meet them?' she asked, and bennett shot the woman an apologetic glance. "no talking to strangers, remember?" he heard a frustrated huff and playfully rolled his eyes at the woman in front of him. "i'm sorry," he said. "you were saying?"

ric grimaced at the charred stuff peppers for a few seconds before finally resolving that there was nothing to be done about them now. when he turned back to della, the frown was a permanent fixture on their face. at least until his arms were wrapped around della and he felt the weight of his failure lift from his shoulders. "i know you love them, but that doesn't mean that they make a meal," he muttered, leaning in to place a kiss at the top of her head. "well, shall i continue on with trying to make this fancy and plate the mashed potatoes? or shall i just grab us a pair of spoons and we can eat out of the pot like the cave people we so clearly are?" they asked, chuckling a bit. "i'm happy to be spending time with you too, but i had wanted tonight to be extra special."

delphine brushed her fingers along ric's frown lines, scrunching her nose up in an attempt to dispel any lingering worries he had that tonight wasn't already perfect. melting into their embrace, humming contently beneath the feel of his lips, she smiled up at him. "fancy's overrated," she finally said. "spoons it is - and if we're hungry later, we can just walk down to the diner. I'll take any excuse to hold your hand in public," she teased, fingers tracing lines down their long arms before she laced their fingers together. "I can think of a few ways to make it special, most of them start with a kiss... but we can open the wine I brought and you can tell me why you're so worked up about those poor stuffed peppers," she said, squeezing alaric's hands. and then, because she still couldn't quite believe she was allowed to, she added on - "i'd still like that to start with a kiss, though."

open starter for @veritasislestarter

"Oh dear Christ, do I need to be worried about an attack?! Who would attack this place? I didn't even know it existed until my boat got swept into a storm and landed here! I'm not cut out for an attack on a supernatural island!" Regaining control of himself, Deenpal took a long, deep breath. "I - well, yes, if I'm in danger, then I'll do whatever I must to stay safe. What does it involve?"

her heart pounded in her chest while she waited for what seemed like an eternity for the door to open. she wondered if he'd be able to hear it; if it sounded the same as before. "i-" cadance sucked in her breath when the door opened and she was face to face with him. every bit of strength she had was focused on keeping her feet planted so as not to jump into his arms. she hardly recognized herself when she first looked in the mirror. it would have been foolish to think bennett would know her. this was a mistake.

"oh, of course," bennett said, letting out a shaky breath, shrugging off the overwhelming sense of familiarity that had blanketed him in the woman's presence. it was just - cady's heart had fluttered that same way - one weaker thump every three beats, so subtle not even an ultrasound had picked it up, but bennett could. bennett had been fluent in the language of his love, could read every twitch of her nose, every quirk of her smile, every beat of her heart. oh god he missed her something terrible, but that wasn't the fault of the woman in front of him.

"That's quite poetic of you, if you ever decide to retire you might consider writing a book," he complimented, a playful tinge to his tone, meeting Scarlett's gaze. Silas dared to take another step forward at the other's evident interest. His hand brushed against her waist, fingertips dancing over the fabric of her dress, "I think you and I both know life is too short to err on the side of caution, certainly if you want it to be a fun one." Silas continued to tease, pulling her into him, his other hand cupping Scarlett's, pressing them both into his chest. "It's a good thing I'm no ordinary man then," he purred against her ear. "Arr, when do we set sail?"

Scarlett flushed, either in spite of herself or in a response entirely under her control, her porcelain cheeks dusted in pink at the slightest touch of the other's hand. Her long lashes batted up at him with a small shrug. "Life's too short, eh?," she asked curiously. "And exactly how many decades have you been saying that, hmm?," she teased, yelping playfully as he pulled her against his body. "Silas," Scarlett sighed, batting her lashes up at Silas as he spoke, her back arching so she could press further into him. "There's not a person in here who would dare assume you to an ordinary man." Her hand flattened out over where a heartbeat would lie, fingertips sliding up his chest and up his throat, around his neck. "Now tell me, do you actually want to hear the things I've done, or would you rather I just show you?" She leaned forward, red painted lips brushing over Silas' jugular vein, a grin forming there. "They've written songs about me for a reason, you know."

starter status: closed for @lilyofthevvlley (ric & della) location: alaric's home

desperately fighting to regain control over the fit of giggles she'd fallen into, delphine rearranged her expression into something adjacent to seriousness. "of course, of course," she said, nodding at alaric. "not funny at all." with a smile, she wrapped both of her arms around one of theirs, resting her chin on ric's shoulder before batting her lashes up at him. "it's really okay, ric. and besides, i love mashed potatoes! they're vegetarian and salty and savory and they expand once they get into your stomach so we'll be full in no time!" with another smile, she traced his jaw with her fingertips, eyes exploring all of the angles of their face. "you do nice things for me all the time, alaric. i'm just happy to be spending time with you."

Reborn and confused, if he was the lead singer of a rock band, that's what he'd title his next album. Instead, that was his current state of being. Truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure where he was, just that it wasn't the alternative plane of existence he'd grown accustomed to. After shaking the initial shock of being reborn, he decided to wander into town with the hope of becoming acquainted with his surroundings, though the more he wandered, the more his memory started to return to him.

A sort of crumbling sensation rattled against the confines of Lennon's chest. Their lungs had long since stopped breathing, but at they saw Seymour, they felt similar to a sandcastle that had been crushed beneath a heavy wave, only to be rebuilt as something better, something new and happy and good. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the puzzle piece they'd been searching for just clicked. Fell right into place. Oh god, their mind was flooded with questions - did he miss Lennon right back? Had he suffered those long, lonely years in their entirety, too? Was he alright? Safe, healthy, okay?

starter status: closed for @lilyofthevvlley (cadance & bennett) location: outside the ainsley home

the smell of sami's human diet burned bennett's hyper-sensitive nose as he stir-fried green beans for the evening's dinner, and while pondering this, his chin tilted up at the sound of his doorbell. hmm. "were you expecting someone?," he asked sami jokingly. she fell into a fit of giggles, shaking her head. 'no daddy!' she squealed, going back to the highly intriguing coloring book page she was working on. "alright, i'll go check, you stay here, okay?" 'mkay!' with that, he took the pan off its heat, tucking the handle in and away from where sami might accidentally try to reach it, and wiped his hands on the cloth over his shoulder on the walk to the front door.

"Hm?" Sammy called out, halting in her tracks and turning towards the source at the sound of her name, brows furrowing in confusion. Surely they weren't talking to her? Sammy thought to themselves before the Sami in question bumped into them, nearly knocking the tea out of her hands but with a quick spell muttered, Sammy prevented it from spilling everywhere. Or more so, from anyone getting burnt.

Bennett huffed out a sigh, a small wave of his hand beckoning Samima back to his side. "You'll have to forgive her, she feels a bit... untouchable, which I'm sure is the case for any child her age, but..." Well, as a vampire hybrid, Sami was pretty unlike the other children her age. "But I'm trying to teach her that just because you feel untouchable doesn't mean you are, isn't that right, Sami?" With a pout Sami crossed her arms and nodded at the ground. "Did you hear that, kiddo? Her name's Sammy, too!" By then, his daughter had moved onto observing a snail crawling along the sidewalk. "I really am sorry, thank you for not spilling your tea on her. I keep thinking one of these days the whole single father thing will get easier, to no avail," he chuckled.

"You're making me want to indulge more," Essie's smile mirrored Scarlett's, unable to help but add a couple more for varieties sake. "Truly, some people shouldn't be allowed to cook them, it's a waste of quality bird. I'm not going to lie, I wish I had brought a tupperware box or two with me. It'd be great to stock up on leftovers for a week," she joked, chuckling at the other before continuing on, "Or the, oh that's so great, your husband did that but did you hear about mine? Like yours but just a smidge better? It makes you wonder how many of the so-called friendships are just for show."

Scarlett couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her chest at Essie's reenactment of the countless interactions she herself had been subjected to that evening. "Oh god," she groaned, head falling back with another chuckle. "Now that, but imagine the looks of sheer pity flashed my way when they learn I'm still not married, as if my association with a man should improve my life in any way." She'd made it this far walking over fallen men and their expectations, and had no intention to settle just for the sake of it. "But you don't want a bitter, embattled pirate's perspective on things as finite and precious as love. But do tell me about the amazing things you or your husband have done! I cross my heart, I won't compare it to my own successes," she teased with a smirk.