#evervinter

𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐍'𝐒 𝐋𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐀𝐆𝐄 finds its place in the guest room, Cass flops onto the sofa, the cushions welcoming her weight. With a deft motion, she releases the cork from a bottle of red wine, her features adorned with a smile. The years might have etched a few lines around her eyes, but the spark of youthful mischief still dances within them. They are sisters by choice, these two women. Friends since childhood, they’d shared secrets, dreams, and countless bottles of wine just like this one. Life, however, had a way of scattering even the tightest bonds. Lin’s marriage, unfortunately, didn't bring her happiness. It's been quite some time since they last saw each other or had a face-to-face conversation. They both relocated, Cassandra mainly because of her work. However, Paris lost some of its charm for her, not just because of Lin's absence or her brother's service in the French army, but also due to her growing awareness of time passing by. Now that she's here in Los Angeles, life is presenting her with all the things she seemed to have missed out on during her younger years, when her priorities were solely focused on her writing. She had shared snippets of this new life with Lin through brief messages, purposefully withholding the full details. She reserved those for their in-person reunion. And today, is the day.

As she fills Lin's glass with the ruby-colored wine and unsually opts for water for herself, she inquirs, ❝ How was your flight, and how are you ? ❞ Her voice, warm with concern and the joy of reunion, broke the comfortable silence.

[ 12. ] ꜱᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴇᴀʟꜱ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇʀ’ꜱ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴇꜱ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʜᴇꜱᴛ, ᴅᴀʀɪɴɢ: “ɢᴏ ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ. ᴘʀᴏᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ.” ;) ᴍᴀʀᴠᴇʟ ᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ

𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐉𝐀𝐖 tightens, the muscles clench so hard it aches. Her pulse is loud in her ears, drowning out the war around them. The wind bites even through her tight body suit. Dust stings her eyes beneath the edge of her mask, or maybe that is not dust at all. Lin always knew how to hit where it hurt. Knew the soft spots. And Cassandra had let her. Her fingers twitch at her side, barely noticeable▬▬but the shift inside her is not. It starts in her chest. That familiar pull, like something crawling under her ribs, dragging sharp threads through her veins. Lin's emotions hit her in waves, thick and fast. Pain. Not just physical, but raw, soul-deep pain, the kind that sits in your bones long after the bruises fade. Defiance. A wildfire of it. Stubborn and wild and bright enough to burn. The dare in Lin’s voice. Cassandra's body knows before her mind does: she can't take it. She cuts it off. Like slamming a door shut in her own mind, Cassandra yanks her abilities back. The severing is sudden, jarring▬▬like stepping into silence after a scream. She blinks hard, breath catching. No more emotion flooding her senses. No more truth she didn't ask for. It means she can't nudge Lin's emotions now▬▬can't twist them, dull the edge, turn her righteous fire into something else▬▬defenseless. Her lip curls as she steps closer, eyes burning, ❝ You are even more pathetic zan I thought, ❞ she snarls with all that hatred that is still there, alive and clawing at her insides, and she feeds it like it's all she has left. And just like Erik taught her, anger isn't something to hide▬▬it's a fire you feed, shape, and aim. A weapon with purpose. A fuel that keeps you moving when everything else has already died. Erik's cause gave her something to hold onto, something that didn't die in a cage with Enzo's name carved into it. The humans didn't care what they did to him. They tore him apart and called it science. Left his body cold and nameless in a file marked '𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝—𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍.' And Lin…she still walks their streets like there's something worth saving. Still clings to Charles' dream like it means something, like time is all these monsters need to grow a conscience.

"ʜᴏᴡ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀɴᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴜꜱ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴠɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ?"

𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒, her hand halfway to brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and her cheeks heating up▬▬damn her fair skin▬▬and she forces herself to keep walking, hoping Lin doesn’t notice the flush crawling up her neck. ❝ I... uh, well, ❞ Cassandra stammers, her voice slipping into that soft lilt that makes her English sound a little too polished for the Outer Banks. ❝ I'm French and I 'ave my ways, you know that, ❞ she forces a laugh, too light, too practiced. ❝ We’ll go, we’ll ‘ave fun, and you’ll meet some really cool people. ❞ It’s not a lie, but it’s not the whole truth either. Guilt twists in her gut, but she pushes it down. Her mind races, scrambling to find something to say that won’t lead to more questions. Lin’s like a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out her secrets, and Cassandra’s chest tightens at the thought of spilling this one too soon. JJ. Just thinking his name makes her heart do this ridiculous little flip, like it’s trying to betray her.

“ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ᴜꜱ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴜɢʟʏ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛᴍᴀꜱ ꜱᴡᴇᴀᴛᴇʀꜱ !”

𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐒, her hands flying to her face in a dramatic gesture that only accentuates her delight. The twinkling Christmas lights above seem to catch the mischievous glint in her eyes as she reaches for the sweater Aislin proudly displays. ❝ Mon dieu, Lin ! Zey are magnifique ! ❞ Her lilting French accent coats the words in playful warmth, her laughter chiming like the silver bells strung across their living room. She holds the sweater up, admiring its garish mix of colors and chaotic patterns, a grin splitting her face.

⊹ · ⸻ @evervinter ; answered dream letter :

“ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ!” - ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛ

𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔, his hands cradling the neatly wrapped box like it might slip through his fingers if he’s not careful. The glossy red paper catches the glow of the Christmas lights, the gold bow slightly crooked from where he tried▬▬really tried▬▬to get it just right. He blinks down at it, like he’s holding somethin’ that don’t belong to him, somethin’ too fragile, too perfect. Shifting his weight, his boots scuff against the floor, and his brow pulls tight as he looks up at Aislin. She matters▬▬more than he could ever explain, more than she probably realizes, and more than he knows how to say. So instead, he just stands there for a moment, box in hand, hoping she’ll see it for herself in the way his eyes don’t leave hers.

"ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴠᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇꜱᴛʏʟᴇ, ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ?"

𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇, her weary eyes tracing the edges of the campfire’s glow before finally settling on Aislin. It’s not disapproval, no, nothing like that. Cassandra’s never been one to flinch from the darker parts of a person, least of all Aislin. But Astarion... there’s a weight to it, a shadow hanging over her thoughts that she just can’t shake. ❝ It’s not that, ❞ She starts, her voice low, carrying that familiar warmth, though now wrapped in something heavier. ❝ You know I’ve never judged you for your choices, even when they’re as shadowy as the roads we walk. But when it comes to Astarion… ❞ She pauses, her brow knitting slightly. ❝ It’s not about what you do, it’s about where it’s leading. I can see you care for him, but sometimes… it feels like you’re teetering on a blade’s edge, and I’m not sure who’ll be left standing when it tips. ❞

Her voice softens, though the ache beneath it clings, stubborn and unyielding. ❝ I ‘ave lost Stephen. Twice. And I will be damned if I lose someone else I care about, especially you. ❞

        "ɪ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴡ? ɴᴏᴡ, ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴘᴀᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄ." - ᴍᴀʀᴠᴇʟ ᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ

𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 burn like acid, searing into Cassandra’s very being, igniting a spark of anger deep within her that she’s tried to keep buried since the day she turned her back on Xavier’s ideals. She knows she shouldn’t let herself feed off the emotions radiating from Aislin, knows how dangerous it is to let those feelings fuel her own, but she can’t help it. It’s easier to let the anger take hold, to let it burn away the pain, than to let her words cut any deeper▬▬to risk revealing that, deep down, she still cares. The fury that she’s tried so hard to suppress surges within her, feeding off the hurt and disappointment that Aislin unwittingly pours into her, hardening her heart against the sister she once knew. It’s unstoppable, the rage demanding to be acknowledged, refusing to be silenced any longer. Her fists clench at her sides, nails digging into her palms and when she speaks, it trembles with the force of her barely contained rage. ❝Pathetic?” she spits, the word tasting bitter on her tongue. ❝ You think I’m pathetic because I refused to keep pretending that we could live side by side with them ? After everything they’ve done ? After they took him from me ? ❞ She steps closer to Aislin, the distance between them shrinking, her anger crackling in the air like a live wire. ❝ You have no idea what it’s like, Lin. You’ve never felt what I felt when Lorenzo died—not like I do. And you want me to just forget ? To forgive ? To keep fighting for a world that would rather see us dead ? ❞

Beneath her mask, her dark eyes burn with unshed tears, not of sorrow, but of the flames that have long simmered within her▬▬forged in the crucible of her wrath, the embers of fury that have stoked her resolve since the moment she chose to walk the path with Erik. ❝ I’m done being the naïve little girl who thought we could change the world by holding hands and singing Kumbaya. Maybe you still believe in that fairy tale, but I don’t. Not anymore. I’d rather be pathetic and alive, fighting for what I know is right, than live in a delusion that’s only going to get us all killed. ❞

— »  only   @evervinter is allowed to  reblog  this.