I BOND FAST

     “   fine,   ”      she doesn’t say it with anger,   or barely even above a whisper.  fingers reach up to push loose strands from her face before dropping again against her thigh.  she watches him with his drink,   and she can’t help but wonder if she should indulge herself.  its an absent thought,  something bigger was at hand.      “ if you don’t want to talk about it,    you can listen to me talk about it.   ”        it might push his buttons,  she reminds herself.   but he was there for her before,  she could do the same even if it means forcing the words out of him. 

       “i know we haven’t always been friends, historically…” that was saying the least of the rocky road they’ve taken to get here, but eliot being the only other person who knows what it feels like to have a monster pilot his brain has at least given them something in common. that and missing q. “but i mean it, el. you really turned up for us and i know it wasn’t easy.” the moon might still be pissed at them, but at least she’s not in pieces. 

      wouldn’t that be just    –    wonderful ?    for them to have a goddamn break every once in a while ; for the world to just leave them all alone , or maybe have the actual master magicians save the world every once in a while.    cigarette hangs loosely between maws , inhalation allowing the smoke to swirl within his lungs.    the exhale is followed by speech.

         “Aww, wonderful! I love having friends. And I love secrets.”   Sickly sweet smile, as if she didn’t just threaten him with possible permanent damage. The blonde, now confident that the magician isn’t going to snitch on her, can go back to playing human. Holds out her arm to him in offering.      “Would you mind showing me to the library, friend?” 

HE SWALLOWS down the nausea that is trying to climb up his throat. it is already often enough that he looks in the mirror and sees the monster wearing his reflected back at him. but now to see it in person too… it’s enough to make him ill, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin. he’s not entirely sure that this isn’t another hallucination brought on by his ptsd. 

       ❝ he’s dead, ❞ he snaps, the rage slicing it’s way through as the words are           snapped from his teeth. ❝ he died getting rid of you. he died BECAUSE           of you. ❞ there’s a tremor in his voice as he spits those words at his own           face. 

      –    dead ?    there’s a sliver of confusion that slithers to the creature’s brows ; the emotions that roam through his mind only work to perplex him further , unsure of how he should feel at the news.    on one hand , quentin is the one that trapped him in the void.    on the other    –    he was the latest of play - things.    he’ll have to find someone else to amuse him.