#hunterormonster

@hunter-or-monster

“So what brings you to London?” 

John doesn’t have to have his flatmates finesse when it comes to deduction, the girls accent is easily identified and the travel case at her feet alone tell him she had flown in from overseas.

Her phone chimed and she looked down at it. Being raised in New York City, she knew better than to be on her phone on the busy sidewalk, but it was her boss’ tone. Maybe she had left something behind. 

She looked up just in time to bump into a pedestrian. Her phone slipped from her hand and fell. Quickly, she scooped it up, finding the screen cracked. “Fuck!” she swore. It was a new phone, too. The person she had run into was still standing there and Mira glared at the woman. She was not in the mood to apologize. “What?”

“It’s too early for this.”

Liz’s head shot up, the voice startling her. Fuck, fuck, she couldn’t let her see her like this. “Don’t–” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, her voice having come out muchmore broken and watery than she expected. She hated this feeling, and she hated being so…exposed.

“Just…” Liz tried again, but the word was more of a sob than a command. So she simply turned away and waved her arm, gesturing for the other to leave. Immediately, she brought her hand back and got to work vigorously wiping her cheeks free of the tears. Her head was down and hair falling to block her face from view.

   She’d never once seen the other cry, but her eyes rolled at the word that left the other. Arms were folded sharply over her chest, taking a step closer to her and sighing. “There’s no point -” Sobbed out replies didn’t do anything, in fact, it did nothing but annoy Clemintine. 

hunter-or-monster:

Liz’s head was bowed low, still hard and leaden, when the hammering headache was replaced with a calloused, but somehow soft, hand. With a rush shooting down her back and along her bones, the stinging subsided, as did her vexed mien. The hand had lifted her head up toward him, and the lock on her jaw came loose, all tenseness seeming to fade effortlessly. But it was not peace that then flowed through her, but confusion.

With his hand gone, she checked her newly sewn gash to find that only a scar was left in its wake. Her fatigue had melted away, but the body that had been left was hollow.

Liz tracked his movements with knit brows, a pit growing in her stomach that not even he could heal. She listened as best as she could with the thoughts swimming in her mind.

The hell? It isn’t his fault. What is he talking about? I’m the one who fucked up, no way is he…he’s fucking blaming himself!

Still, as he lowered himself beside her on the couch, she watched with wild eyes. He was saying so much, but none of it was right…

“Woah, Samael,” she stopped him, huffing out a chuckle. “Hold up, all right? None of this was your fault, I mean, I’m the one who screwed the pooch here, I–” A rush of air blazed from her nose, not out of anger, but concern; would he understand? Her gaze shifted to the floor, then back to him. All right, let’s try this again.

“Look.” She gestured a bit with her hands, trying to seem more casual; maybe then he might not think of it as a big deal. “I went alone. Yeah, I could’ve asked for help, but I didn’t. Hell, I never do. It’s not your fault I was a dumbass. I mean, I lost control and let her die. Okay? None of it’s on you.”

Yeah, the guilt was gnawing at her mercilessly, but she’d let it fucking eat her raw before she’d let Samael, who actually seemed to care about her (despite everything), take the blame.

“Things are never so simple, Liz,” he sighed, meeting her eyes. “You are are my charge. I am to be vigilant of you and your activities at all times.” He turned his head away. “The fault lies with the both of us, at least. I failed in my vigilance. You failed in your control. There is a price to be paid.” 

He knew he’d not seen the end of it. He could feel her guilt as keenly as his own, and knew she would blame herself for a long time to come. He could only vow to keep his guard up in the future; to ensure he would not show weakness again. 

He sighed. “Why did you go alone? You know this to be unsafe, and yet, you went anyway?” His voice had no bite to it; only exhaustion. “I would always accompany you on a hunt, if you but ask.”

“Are you saying anything worth listening to?” Liz turned her head slightly toward her in a slight acknowledgement. “Because that’s the real question.” She folded her arms, leaning back aloofly.

Liz glanced over and witnessed the pure venom seeping out of the woman’s mouth, and she was rather taken aback. Wow, bitch much?

“Thank you very much. I would certainly appreciate that,” she snapped a bit, her words laced with sarcasm. She made sure to back away so the stranger didn’t have any advantage on her.

   Clemintine raised a dark brow, arms folding over her chest as she took a slight step closer to her as she noticed the stranger take a step back. At least she knew that she was having some sort of effect.