witch, bye.

“Your dancing is wonderful,” Aalis complimented the young man who had asked her to dance with a wide smile. She had been taking some time to enjoy the spring festivities before some performances later in the day for the people. She let out a laugh as the man spun her quickly, making her go up onto her tiptoes for a moment. That was when everything seemed to dim and her vision was replaced with something else. She stood in a strange stage-like place, twirling on shoes that helped her to stay on her toes, with music that she didn’t recognise. The vision was gone as quickly as it came but it was long enough for her to stop dancing, a look of confusion on her face. “Excuse me,” she told her partner quickly as she dashed out the the square and into one of the small alleyways that ran adjacent. She wasn’t really paying attention to where she was going when she clipped someone’s shoulder, “Sorry!” Aalis exclaimed, apologising quickly. 

Aerith smoothed out her gown with nervous hands. She’d just got back from her world, dropping off her notes to Susannah for the second time and relishing the fact she could jump from space to space so seamlessly. She was doing well. Three notebooks full of information as many people as she could observe not just with her eyes, but with the eyes of her friends as well. 

She hadn’t even known about the festival until this appeared her bed. The white gown more regal than anything she’d ever owned before. Was it a gift? Had she earned it somehow or was it just a flook in the world’s design?

Either way, she liked the look of the flowers in her hair. “How long do you think it takes them to write their songs?” 

“You know the price for your future, child. Don’t tell me you came here empty handed.” Kennedy’s little cabin was filled to the brim with stuff. Mainly charms, wind chimes made from bones – it was just how she liked to live, and she liked to make sure no one mistook her for a feeble woman. Her mutt was sleeping on the bed, and she motioned to the chair on the other side of the table. “Did you come for something specific?”

She smiled softly, feeling better from his company. “Cheese pizza. I mean it’s basic but it’s a classic. It’s reliable.” This was what she needed. She didn’t need a huge gesture, but rather, a sense of normalcy. “Absolutely. A cheesecake would make the night. We might as well go all out.” 

“I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d let me know.” Kasey rose an eyebrow, though he didn’t press for any other information. Teddy’s question, however, made him chuckle, “My father was a phoenix. You ever heard of one of those? None of us kids had the gene. But we were taught all about the supernatural world so we could keep our eyes open.” He shrugged his jacket off, showing the other his arms, “Being human means these don’t heal for a long time.”

It was as if nobody truly understood what had happened — nobody truly thought to take a step back and realize just how much of her life had been left in utter ruins in the space of but a few months. The excruciating twist in her throat as Teddy seemed to finally snap — both a relief in the sense that she’d rather he explode than shut her out and enough to shatter what might have been left of her heart beneath the weight of what she’d left him with a year prior. “You say that like I should have calmly accepted the fucking existence of..—” She still couldn’t say it, acceptance of what the man who remained her only other half was one thing, but uttering it aloud was clearly something else entirely. “Nobody in their right mind,” Of which she certainly hadn’t been when he’d told her everything, “would just accept that. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I’d think you’d lost it.” Part of her had done her best to convince herself that it was just that — that she was losing her head, seeing things that weren’t there, but the searing image of his broken skin healing over had warped even that into an impossibility. Too difficult to consider whether she truly would believe that, despite knowing that Theodore was most definitely not as untouchable as he made himself out to be; a defense mechanism, she knew that it’d been much too hard to believe mostly anything in the weeks after losing Devon and Halloween. Cinda knew what she’d done had been shitty — knew how much it would have affected the people she left behind, Teddy more so than others, but this; the way he bled pain for being left alone was much more than she feared she would find. The glistening of tears that created a softened sheen over crystalline hues begged the brand of forgiveness she so desperately needed for leaving. That he couldn’t see beyond his own need to never be left on his own to see that she truly would never have survived if she hadn’t done what she had. “Tell me.” She spoke, voice much softer under the guise of his raised timbre, “Look at me and tell me if I’d come to you and told you I needed out that you would have been okay with that. Tell me you wouldn’t have found a way to ask me to stay.” The truth was; Lucinda knew that the rejection and the isolation of being on his own were two things that Teddy couldn’t handle. “How was I supposed to ask that of you after everything? After losing Dev?” Features contorted into something agonizing as a broken sob shattered against her lips. “How was I supposed to look at you and find a way to live with myself for leaving you?”

He was leaving; just like that. She could choke on the irony of it and she wondered how long it’d taken Teddy to become so bitter towards her. “This? How this works?” She swallowed back the lump in her throat. This as it it no longer held a label, as if shattered hopes and loyalty had broken across her back as she’d left. “Changed my mind? I’d never had a moment to make up my mind in the first place, your timing really fucking sucked, Teddy.” The bitter taste of a laugh void of humor turned her stomach as she took a few steps towards him. “I left because I didn’t know how in the hell I was supposed to exist in this city anymore. I didn’t know how I was supposed to look at myself in the mirror and accept that I wasn’t good enough to know who my two best friends were? How was I meant to look at myself and not see—-.” Burns and scars and something weakened by a world she knew nothing about; something she almost felt ashamed of. “I left to protect me —- You lied, for years, for the very same reason so you tell me how my mistake is any worse off than you keeping me in the dark for all these years even when it so very clearly did absolutely nothing to keep me alive.”

“I’m sorry I left the way I did. There is nothing I hate more about the choice I made more than leaving you on your own.” How she could so desperately want to reach out again, but never knew how. A single year apart and even after years of being entangled in each others lives, she felt a thousand miles away, even while standing two feet apart. “I loved you.” It broke against her spine like an unforgiving wave as the ache in her chest forced the lingering sheen of tears to spill over darkened lashes, painting tracks through her make up. “I loved you and it turned out that you didn’t trust me with the biggest part of your life so how in the hell was I supposed to trust you with the fact that I was drowning, Teddy.” Furious at herself for breaking, for losing the usually calm nature she could cling to in even the most dire circumstances, she roughly brushed away the streak of tears, hues barely lifting for the heavy weight of embarrassment she found in the vulnerability that trapped her since Devon’s passing. “— You don’t get to keep things like that from me and then be hurt when I deal with it the way I needed to.”

It was like they were speaking two different languages and didn’t even realize it. Maybe he had lost it. Maybe Devon’s death had fucking scarred him for life. But Lucinda had been his best friend. He’d trusted her with the truth and she hadn’t been able to even think it through before her initial reaction to run. To turn away and leave. Yet, even with all of that, Teddy couldn’t blame her. As much as he’d resented her for it, he understood. After all, he’d been the one to leave Harlow high and dry when he’d faced loss. When Ellen had died and he felt like his north star had died in a blinding light. Ellen’s death had been his first encounter with real death and he’d blanched at it and abandoned his best friend at the time. Just as Cinda had with him. He couldn’t blame her. But fuck if he didn’t want to. “Why wouldn’t you want answers then? I would’ve given them to you, Cinda-– I would’ve...” he couldn’t think clearly, head pounding as his heart raced. It felt like he was losing her all over again. “I would’ve done anything. If you’d needed to get out, you don’t think I wouldn’t have asked where? You don’t think I would’ve asked when? You don’t think I would’ve thought for a fucking second of doing anything else other than go with you? To help you get away?” 

He knew it was true as he said it. Knew he would’ve packed his bags in a blink if she’d told him she needed to leave. Because the truth was he’d loved her. He’d have done anything for her, except, maybe admit that. At least then. Now? He had nothing to lose because he’d already lost her, hadn’t he? He’d already made it seem like forgiveness was impossible when all he wanted was before. At the end of the day, all he wanted was for them to be okay. He wanted to fucking laugh with her like they had. God. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d laughed like that. The last time he’d fallen asleep beside someone who knew who he was and didn’t hate him for it. Before. But everything was different now. They were different now, except he still saw her as an extension of himself. Cutting her off would be like cutting off his arm and Teddy had always shrunk away from pain. Maybe it’s why even this conversation was tearing him apart. Because he couldn’t shrink away from it. Couldn’t hide from his pain– couldn’t hide from hers. 

“We were all drowning.” The city had gone to shit. Devon had been killed. Cinda had nearly died. And before that...he and Devon...they hadn’t known if telling Cinda would be writing her death sentence either. Not with what happened to Matt, not after what happened to Jocelyn or Oliver or Dylan or Robert. How could they have. “And we were wrong, okay? Maybe we should have fucking told you but everyone who died––” and it was like he remembered where they were and he was almost shaking and he couldn’t just keep this in anymore and without so much as a word, he took her by the elbow, pulling her outside of the bar with him, ignoring the onlookers because what was a Saturday night in New York without a spectacle. He didn’t stop until they were halfway down the block and he couldn’t keep walking. He retracted his hand sharply, knowing she’d probably pull her arm away the second she could anyway and turned to face her again, franticness in his eyes as the words came tumbling out. It was probably too late. But she deserved to know. And it wasn’t the fucking time or place but would it ever be? 

“Everyone who died,” his voice terse, each word weighing it down, “everyone you heard about–– they were all connected. Everyone. And it wasn’t fucking right, okay? You deserved to know. I get that. I see that. I know that. But we didn’t want you to become one of the people we saw on the news. Matthew, Jocelyn, Oliver, Dylan, Robert, Devon,” All names that had saturated the news cycle that year, “they were all part of this world. And they all were killed. We didn’t want anything to happen to you and I fucking know it’s a stupid excuse but that’s the truth. And you deserve that. I know it’s too late....but you deserve that, Lucinda.” 

“Fine, but I expect a demonstration at some point,” Naomi warned, flapping a napkin at Teddy. She knew that he was bluffing anyway. Still, she considered picking up the book. She would likely never use it personally, but maybe professionally one day? 

“Did I say you’d done anything to me?” She countered, completely over this conversation. “You’re banned from The Frey for reckless endangerment and manslaughter. I don’t associate with spineless weasels. Is that clear enough for you, Monsieur Antonov?”

No amount of his laying claim to being unable to cast such magic bothered her, in fact, none of it did. Not with the echoing sound of his heartbeat on the rise that seemed to flood every sense that heightened all the more with the fresh blood now swarming within her form. A tidal wave of little more than a far off siren, beckoning her towards the shore when she’d almost always preferred the lingering freedom of fresh air and sea. It was crippling, beyond so. Twisting in the pit of her stomach with the conscious effort with what might have been left of her rational mind to pull her back. Perhaps nature would always win out in the darkest moments when facing nurture head on, the slow movement of Teddy backing up not nearly bothering her much as predatory hues followed his every move barely from volition of her own. It was a sight she’d seen before, the effortless extension of hand and limb as if it might have stopped her, or anyone like her. Sharp and purposeful, he turned on his feet – lost for the capability to wordlessly keep her at bay any longer, and as quickly as Teddy made for the door, she stood before it, blocking his immediate exit. “Where are you going?” Near autonomous, hues flickered to the hammering pulse of his heartbeat in the crook of his throat. “You really don’t have to leave.”

Teddy didn’t have to be a genius to know this was a fucking terrible situation to be in. But there he was, wondering how the fuck he’d gotten into it all the same. He was halfway down the hall, about to fly down the stairs when Isadora was before him and the look on her face wasn’t one he’d ever seen before and one he’d never hoped to see and this was why he didn’t fuck with vampires. Fucking fuck. Jumping back, Teddy raked his brain for any spell that could be useful, any charm and cursed himself for not practicing more. Magic was a part of him, sure, but he didn’t do much with it. Just bullshit tricks and shit to make his life easier. Never anything to save it. Not like he needed to now.

“Well yeah I’m that special. I’m a fucking unicorn of people” She teased, despite being serious when it came to her own worth. She loved the attenton being a Davenport brought, even if know it was a double edged sword. She was in plain sight when it came to the attacks and she had to start being more careful “ I was referring to you being special without me, darling” Del explained shaking her head. It was the weird grey area where they operated. They had seen eachother in vulnerable situations, so it didn’t bother her to be complimentary to Teddy. She was fond of him in her own way. The blonde shook her head as he put the book back. “ Stealing it’s information. This isn’t like a library” she teased. “ I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I eat out a lot because there’s barely anyone cooking in my kitchen.  But I have plenty of stuff in there to make a pretty good night if you’re intrigued?” Del explained before shrugging. “I wont blame you for something I suggested. ” She laughed.

“Do you really have to state the obvious? It’s not like I don’t know what happened on New Years, Theodore. Maybe I just wish someone would actually confide in me. I’m a good friend, and you’re a terrible one. Why am I helping you again?” Pulling open the door to his apartment complex, she followed the other witch inside. “You sure you’re okay before I hijack this recipe and make your mother disown you?”

Looking from the other witch to the street as she took a drag from her cigarette, she gave a slow nod. She didn’t have anywhere to be, this was another witch, and an interesting one at that. Safe too, he’d helped her once, he wouldn’t have if he intended any harm. “Yeah, food sounds great.”

*

Fifteen minutes later, a basket of fries in front of her, Ruby looked across at Teddy after setting the saltshaker back on the table. “So no acting and no parties lately. What do you?” It was polite fishing as she reached for the bottle of ketchup at the end of the table and shook it gently. A slight smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she popped the cap on the bottle and squirted some ketchup into the corner of the fry basket. “Besides stay safe.” At least after that last mishap.

“Stand up comedy” he snickered, clearly joking as he dipped a fry into his own little container of mayo. An abomination to some fry purists, maybe, but since when did Teddy fucking care. “Nah–– kidding. I don’t know–– what does anyone fucking do, you know? Eat, sleep, drink, sleep some more, work, repeat. I’m sorry to say, I won’t be the most interesting person you’ve had the pleasure of speaking with.” It didn’t help that, since the last time he’d seen the blonde, it felt like life had taken a massive shit on him and he was still sitting in it. The slump of his shoulders, the shaded shadow under his eyes, the general lack of light in his smile. Teddy was clearly a man lost in a city of people and he wasn’t sure if that bothered him or not. Maybe that was part of the problem.