Playing With Fire

For a long while he didn’t say anything. He just… looked at her. Admired her in every way he could by the action. After about a couple minutes, he finally smiled once more. “You know, sometimes I don’t get you.” It may not have made sense to her    but what he meant by it was that he was the luckiest dead guy in the world, and that it was damn near crazy to Tate that she was with him after all this. 

Though the remark he made made her brow quirk in confusion, his smile eased her dearly departed spirit. After being with him for over a year now and knowing him for much longer, she began to notice he did that quite often. Actually a habit of his she enjoyed witnessing. "Care to elaborate?" She spoke as the corner of her lips curved upward, and her eyes surveyed him once over. She had a feeling she knew what he meant, but even so.

"For you, maybe." He scoffed in amusement. "More naps? Oh, definitely. Aside from you, no one else has really walked in on me while sleeping. It’s the only place I can really catch some z’s." And this was true. At home his father typically interrupted his rests often sending him out for errands and such. It didn’t bother him much, but the lack of sleep was getting to him. "Stephanie, huh? Well it’s a pleasure. I think. I’m Silas."

"Why's that?" She asked; a glint of curiosity in her tone.  She didn't mean to pry, but it was common instinct to grow an interest in other people's affairs after being condemned to a single space for years. Stephanie meant no harm in her curiosity though, and she had hoped he knew that. "This is a terrible place to sleep.  Someone's always yelling."

"I really wouldn’t have, actually…" He chuckled as he stood up straight now, but still kept her close. "You’re a lot starter than you think." And that was very much true. Sometimes it even scared him— though it would probably better if he left that part out. "Look.. I know this is weird and all… me wanting to get my ex-girlfriends memory back… but I feel like I have to, you know?" The boy shook his head. He was probably making no sense at all. "I don’t know… I just feel responsible for some reason.  

She shook her head upon listening to his words. With everything that had happened between the two, it didn't bother her that he was concerned for Violet. Hell, she was too. "It's not weird at all. Don't worry." She spoke warmly as her fingers delicately played with the fabric of his shirt. "I know how it sounds, and I know what it is. You're just doing what you think is right for her. She deserves that."

Nathaniel managed to tear his eyes away from her as soon as she came into his sight. He really wished she’d go away, leave him alone, especially after everything they went through. But he was doing his best to grin and bare it. When he figured she wasn’t going anywhere he figured impoliteness wasn’t exactly warranted. “Alright, I’ll bite.” He spoke sharply looking over to ice-blue eyes. “I’m kind of guessing you weren’t here to see me, but hi.” After a mere sentence it felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest, like he’d managed to fit in every single emotion he had towards the ghost in one greeting. 

"You guessed right." She replied plainly, finding no point in lying to the boy.  Nathaniel was still young, but he wasn't stupid.  Not even a little.  "I uh — I am..." Happy to see you?  Honestly, she was.  She wanted the best for him, especially after the mess she dragged him through.  Stephanie figured he probably assumed she didn't care much for him anymore, but he had always been there in the back of her head.  Always.  "I haven't seen you around.  I just thought you were off to bigger and better things.  I actually kind of hoped you were." Her eyes averted from his own as she expected the cold shoulder she deserved from him.  Trying to fend off the nervous feelings in her ghostly being, she ran her dainty fingers along a book shelf that seemed to collect a thin layer of dust.  "You deserve that." She mumbled with the intention of not speaking the words loudly enough to reach his ears.

He nodded, glad that she understood him. Well of course she did— it was quite rare that she didn’t know what Tate was thinking. Let alone what was going on inside his head. “Right…yeah. I know.” He nodded again, this time wrapping his long arms around her waist into an embrace— his lips pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “I don’t even want to imagine that… I can’t.” It was bad enough showing Violet her dead body all those years ago. If only he could just repeat that process again he would be set. Though that was far too easy. “Thank you.” 

Her lips curved slightly at the feel of his lips against her slender shoulder.  Given all that had happened as of late, embraces like these had become scarce — absent even.  The sudden comeback was... nice.  Her dainty fingers carefully brought themselves against the back of his neck for reassurance and her gaze held itself on his dark eyes.  "You don't have to thank me.  I think you could have drawn to that conclusion on your own." She added light-heartedly.  "But... you're welcome.  I'm here for you, no matter situation."

Her words made him laugh right off the bat. “Alright, fair enough. Still though, if you’re ever trying to wake me up, please - feel free to poke me or something rather than breaking stuff.” He shook his head casually as he walked over to a small garbage bin and proceeded to the broken porcelain.  ”What’s your name anyway?”

"My way is much more fun though." She replied as she watched Silas at a fair distance from her feet, contemplating whether or not she should help him.  "I also take it you'll be sneaking in more naps in the future?  Since you so graciously assume there will be a next time." She smirked, brow quirking as she kneeled down and picked up some pieces herself, having come to a decision already.  "Stephanie.  Stephanie Travis."

"Seriously?" Chuckling, he eyed the brunette quizzically as he processed her excitement toward his working.  He had never met anyone who honestly enjoyed the concept of working, but he quickly excused her with the fact that she had been dead for thirty-some odd years.  "Alright, I’ll bite.  It’s okay I s’pose.  I mean, a job is a job if I’m just trying to get by.  I’m not really asking for much either.  Just enough to pay for Harper’s bills." His shoulder shrugged casually following up to his words.  "But the actual work is pretty basic.  I sit there and scan books.  Check the records and update them.  That’s pretty much all."

"Sounds like you've got it made." She teased from the description of his work.  "So I guess that makes you a librarian?  You do fit the type.  You've got this dorky yet 'could be handsome if you tried' thing going on.  Oh, please tell me you wear your glasses at work?" More jabs.  The wide smile on her lips could not be ceased even if she tried.  Alec was one of the few who could make her open up without the feeling of vulnerability.  She was more than happy to have him around.  Friends in a place enveloped in such darkness was beyond difficult.

He listened patiently, taking in every single word with probably more concentration than really needed. What she said made sense— but if she didn’t even notice that she came right back into the house when she tried to leave, it was going to be hard to snap her out of it. But do you really want to? Like a little devil on his shoulder, his thoughts began to try to corrupt him. She can’t remember a thing, it’s like a huge weight off of your shoulders. Why have her go back to hating you anyway? A lot of him wanted to scream, but he didn’t feel like scaring Stephanie. Another sigh left him as he placed both of his hands on either side of her face. “No, no… You’re helping.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Thank you. It just seems like my head is fighting with me  right now on what to actually do.” Tate was surprised he even told her that last part— though she could probably notice his internal battle anyway. 

She nodded understandingly, almost as if she knew of the conflict that had been raised to him.  Her gaze lifted to meet his own, and she spoke warmly, "I know." That was all it really took for her.  Anyone with a brain could figure out all the trouble between Tate and Violet.  Had she been in his shoes, she would have contemplated whether or not to try and snap back her memory too.  Had this been Nathaniel instead of Violet... "But this is her life we're talking about.  Well, after-life if you want to get technical.  She's on a loop, and we don't need her crying because she's so confused every minute of everyday.  We get enough of that in the house with Nora.  Imagine her finding out on her own that she can't leave?" Pressing her lips together at the thought, she brought her own hands up to wrap narrow fingers around his wrists to comfort herself.  "She needs to remember."

Even Tate didn’t even understand why we was so upset by it. If anything, it should actually be a blessing to him. Violet would not remember any of the horrible things he’s done— especially to her and her family. This should be a gift. So why didn’t it feel like it. Stephanie’s voice snapped him back into reality and actually calmed him a bit, despite the circumstances. Thank god for that soft voice of hers. “A trigger..? Like what?’ 

Her shoulder shrugged effortlessly at the curiosity in him she should have at least expected.  The suggestion was just on a whim, but there was no going back now.  "I don't know, Tate." She repeated, but tipped her head as she drew close to him again.  "Something to remind her of what happened, or even what reality means in this house.  You said she thinks she just moved in, right?  She must have forgotten ghosts exist.  Maybe making her aware will get the cogs moving again." She sighed, feeling slightly frustrated with herself.  "I hope that makes sense... I don't think I'm being very helpful."

His blonde curls moved as he shook his head. “I don’t know- I don’t know, Steph.” A heavy sigh brushed passed his lips as he started to pace back and fourth with his hands running through his hair. “I mean I even tried to get her to leave the house, but when she popped back in through the front door, she didn’t even notice! I mean what the hell is that?” Tate was beginning to get far more upset about this than what would have made sense to him. “And then! Oh, man you’re going to love this- She said that after my session with her dad, I could go hang out in her room with her and listen to music! You know when we did that last? When she and I first met. Steph, it’s like her head did this complete rewind and I have no Idea how that even happened.” The poor boy was frantic now, pacing and rambling. A complete mess. 

As he began pacing Stephanie eyed the boy in her efforts to survey him and hopefully come to a conclusion as to why he was this bothered by what happened.  Regardless though, he was and had always been a walking enigma in some instances — this being one of them.  With a sigh that matched his own, her gaze on him faltered for a moment.  It was difficult to pinpoint how exactly she felt about Violet's memory loss.  She was worried though, and not just for the little flower.  "It's inexplicable, Tate.  I wish I knew what was happening to her." She spoke calmly as her arms crossed over her frame.  "Maybe she just needs a trigger.  Something to snap her back... I don't know."

"It’s exactly what I said, Steph! She’s completely lost it! It’s like her head erased everything that’s happened and she’s all the way back to when she first moved here. Even before she met me. I walked up and started talking to her and she had no idea who I was." 

The brunette couldn't find her composure anymore.  So many thoughts had raced through her mind, but all she could wonder was why this was happening to Violet in the first place.  She understood that Nora often fell victim to reality loops, but apparently she wasn't the only one anymore.  "Do you," She paused to clear her throat before bringing her gaze back to her misfit.  "Do you think this is permanent?"

Whist you couldn’t often get Nate to read a book, this was one of those rare moments. He would have told his brothers to cherish the moment, but he was quite enjoying this journal he’d found under his bed. When he heard a knock on the door Nate perked up, “Come in!” He replied and as the door opened, the figure came into view but he just went back to hunching over, his attention towards the journal. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

Nathaniel De Luca was the type of person that could easily envelop Stephanie.  Despite how troubled he was with his own state of darkness, he still managed to reach into her dearly departed heart over a year ago.  Still, after months of not even catching a mere glimpse of the boy, he was the last person she expected to run into.  The voice startled her on the other side of the door.  She had actually come to see Jared who shared the same room.  For a moment she hesitated as she easily recognized who it belonged to, and as her dainty fingers wrapped around the knob to twist it open, she felt a sudden jolt in her ghostly being she had not felt in a long time.  "Well, hello to you too..." She spoke, a bit stung by his disinterest, but fully expectant of it.

"I…" The blonde shook his head. Looking down at the ground as he shrugged. "I don’t know. It’s like she doesn’t remember me, Steph. Any of this… Something’s wrong." 

"What?  I don't — She doesn't..." She tried in her own confused state, but ended up tumbling over her own words.  "Tate I don't understand.  What do you mean she doesn't remember?"

"I know." He shrugged. "I missed you too." The boy began to shuffle his feet, considering brushing off the question. Though he didn’t want to lie to her either. "Well I’m doing fine. I uh… I ran into Violet.” 

"Violet?" Curiosity coated the name as it left her tongue, but more because of the way he was speaking.  It was off.  "Well, what happened?  Is she alright?"