She Wasn't Sure Why, But Each Day She Spent Alive The Quieter Her Mind Became. When All Her Anxious Thoughts

hayley rolled her eyes at his comments, they'd known each other for years now and still there had been no change in her reaction. however, it was now always followed with a cheeky smile, knowing that was always the way to soothe the original. "you've had to holler for me since we met." a smirk grew on her lips before shaking her head softly. "klaus we have gone over this before, we are not disbanding the faction. it is still getting it's bearings and with this serial killer on the loose, it's needed more than ever."

rolling her shoulders back, she folded her arms and gave klaus a glare. "have you seen that boy our daughter has been sneaking around with? he reminds me of you and i hate that she grew up with my taste in men. her taste in women has always been better."

"Sine when do I need to hollor after the mother of my first born," he said stepping into line with hayley. "You know I heard rumors again, about people disliking all the faction members being Mikaelson's," he commented. That was people for you, never good enough. "We need to end this before it becomes a problem."

---

it's possible that everyone who was brought back was now bonded. lizzie was related to her fiancé, his family was the polar opposite of her blood one, so it always fascinated her how the mikaelson group dynamic worked. running dirty fingers through her hair, eleanor nodded to the other. feeling instantly soothed once in her presence. "you're back too, so that means..." she trailed off, as her brain worked at a much faster pace than she could currently handle. "well now i have a horrible headache, do you think you remember your way to the boarding school?" all her senses were fuzzy, along with her vision and nerves. it felt as if she had been numb for several years, waking up from a coma like state, but it was different than that. she hadn't been hooked up to helpful nutrients, so her bones ached and she felt dry, it caused her to shudder.

it felt different, almost unnerving being back. she knew she had died, there was no way to stop the merge and here she was. god, she wondered how long she had passed but no, she needed to pluck up the courage to head back home or to the boarding school. her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she saw the other, almost as if she could sense that they were both alike, both back from the dead. this set the uneasiness that lizzie felt already to now, a ten.

“could i?” she commented, as she heard the other speak, hoping to settle the feeling she had. talking to the girl would put things into perspective for her.

---

she didn't want to bother charlie more than she already was, his eyes darted every so often, so she nodded her head and stepped out of his way. "yeah i do, they knew my husband way back when. here i also have a map since you look like you are in a rush." taking the pamphlet out of her back pocket, she handed it over with a smile. gabi knew more about hayley than she did elijah. being a crescent wolf was always big news, even for demons. "if you need any help let me know."

Charlie took the package of blueberries and stuffed them into his backpack. "Thank you," he replied, normally he wouldn't worry about missing an item on the list, but he just hated doing that, especially if it was for his father.

"I just don't like to upset my parents," he replied with a simple shrug as he began to double-check his list. "Yeah, they're my parents. I take it you know them?" Charlie asked, curious to see if the other person was familiar with his family.

He wanted to make sure he had everything his father had requested, even if it meant adding an extra item. Charlie knew how important it was to his parents that he followed their instructions, and he didn't want to disappoint them.

As he finished packing his bag, Charlie gave the other person a polite nod, grateful for their assistance. He was determined to complete his errand for his father, and he was confident that he had everything he needed to do so.

---

"i'm sure someone had their parent tell them to stay inside and then it spiraled from there." social media got the news out quick, something that didn't work on the sides of the faction. "of course she does...." shaking her head, josie let out a soft sigh. her mother met well and she respected it, but something had broken in all of them after the merge and it was going to take a long time before it would feel even slightly easier. "i'm always going to be kind to mom, she is just worried and she isn't wrong, it's just hard because we need more time...i'm still figuring out how to be a person without my other half." it was still hard to talk about, knowing that she was now older than her twin sister, the whole ordeal was overwhelming, to say the least. "i'm actually on my way to be with all of you, but first i need to get these papers to the front desk."

Klaus nodded. "So it has spread to the general population," he noted to himself. That was not what they wanted. He nodded, looking around the place. After all art was still as peaceful to him today as it had been to him as a child. "Yes," Klaus said without missing a beat. "She wants to invite you over and then lock you all in the house for the rest of your human lives," he said honestly, though it was with a light tone. "So be a little kind on her." Klaus couldn't help but feel the same feeling given what was happening around them. "Though not to lure you back to the house, but we did pick you up something when we were traveling, when you are ready."

---

I know you don’t believe in this, in us, yet. But you will. Oh, I’ve been looking for someone like you for a long, long time.

---

as charlie confessed his good intentions, hayley cupped his face, tears welled in her eyes. nodding her head, the hybrid offered an emotional smile. "oh baby, i know you didn't mean to hurt henrik. you are going through a transition and despite how the rest of them are acting, this family is aware of the temptations you can be met with." she let out a heavy sigh, hating that when in distress the people around her children, had a tendency to become volatile. often forgetting the people that needed protecting in the first place. she saw that with klaus and later with the rest of the mikaelson family. even though it didn't shock her, hayley still wished for a change in that mentality.

her brows furrowed at her husbands threat to their son, but with charlie's soft face in her palms she refused to tense up. as her son leaned into her shoulder, hayley patted his hair softly and took slow deep breaths. "you are not going back there. we will get you some help that doesn't involve being locked away. that has never been the way to go and i know...i know your dad didn't really mean the threat. he's just easily influenced by your uncle." there was no way in hell, hayley was allowing her son back into the garden. she'd fight a counselor, someone who helped with drinking and go from there. there was so much she couldn't control, but finding charlie help was a mission she could work on.

Charlie turned to see his mother sitting beside him, her face filled with a mix of worry and exhaustion. Despite everything they were going through, she was there with him, offering silent support. His father had also come to visit, but the encounter had not gone well, leaving a heavy weight in the air. "I'm sorry, momma," Charlie murmured, his voice filled with guilt and regret. "I-I didn't mean to hurt Henrik. He was in pain, and I needed to save him." It was a confession he had only shared with his mother and brother, knowing the rest of the family wouldn't understand or care.

Charlie nodded, feeling the weight of his father's ultimatum pressing down on him. "Dad said if I don't shape up or stop drinking, he'll put me back in there," he admitted, the admission heavy on his heart. I can't go back in there mom, but I also can't stop the drinking not on my own." He leaned his head against her shoulder, seeking comfort in her presence.

---

the siphoner was sure that she couldn't be brought down. her twin sister was back, hope wasn't mad at her, and it felt as if the world was placed back on it's axis. so even if damon was complaining, it didn't really bother her, instead she raised an eyebrow and smirked. "well yeah, you got to see parties when there were like no rules. so of course this is dull." taking a sip of her champagne, she shrugged her shoulders before eyeing the crowd again. "how many masquerades have you been too? cause i'm pretty sure this is my first."

open starter Though it was early in the night, Damon was growing bored by the serious lack of action. Most people still stood in groups chatting, neglecting the dancefloor and the bar a little too much for his liking. He'd been looking forward to a night to let loose, but not even the band seemed to be inspired yet. "Seriously?" he sulks aloud, "I've been to funerals with better live entertainment than this." @inaducursehqstarters

---

Ever since the first day that I met you, I have felt everything for you.

---

her eyes watched as kaya quickly shut the notebook, taking note to mention it later once getting a better understanding of what was going on in her daughters head. gabriela also knew that when their daughter wasn't facing them, it was easier to minimize the problems that plagued her mind. placing a soft kiss on kaya's head, gabi then rested her cheek in the same spot. "yeah, i get that. sometimes it's too much at once, but you'll make sense of it at some point. just takes time." a crowded brain was something the demon knew all too well, giving up your soul meant there was always something else lurking. something evil, wanting to only cause harm and she'd do everything in her power to never let it shine through.

"you know what helps me when i have a crowded mind?" she smiled, before quirking an eyebrow.

She closed her sketchbook abruptly and tossed it to the side as soon as saw her mom. Kaya had shown her mother quite a few of her works over the years, but never anything from the rough sketch stage, and definitely never anything that looked like a crime scene. In past years, her art had always been peaceful and calm, rolling waves and women looking over the coast line. Now they were tainted and wrong. When her mom hopped up on the ledge next to her, Kaya reflexively rested her head on their shoulder. "It's nothing, really," she said. It was so easy to hide her feelings, so easy to tuck them away. "Just struggling to get the right compensation. My head is... it's crowded."

---

&. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

( dialogue prompts taken from the second season of hulu's the bear, created by christopher storer. feel free to edit and change as you seem fit. )

❛ you ever think about purpose? ❜

❛ i love you, but i do not have time for this, alright? ❜

❛ i have time for this. ❜

❛ you know what the fuck you're doing. you love this shit. it's fun for you. i don't have that. ❜

❛ i'm afraid one day, i'm gonna wake up and you guys are all just gonna just drop this ass. ❜

❛ if this shit is not fun for you, what the fuck is fun for you? ❜

❛ i'm not making the same mistakes i made last time. ❜

❛ what kind of insurance coverage do we have for people falling through the fucking wall? ❜

❛ sometimes, i look like february. ❜

❛ you want a sprite? you look kinda green. ❜

❛ can i ask you something and you can tell me to fuck off if you want? ❜

❛ chef, that's way too much acid. ❜

❛ you, uh, making a sundae? ❜

❛ that actually sounds delicious. ❜

❛ because you're the bear and i remember you. ❜

❛ i love taking care of you. and i always will. you know that? ❜

❛ i'm glad i came 'cause i get to eat this. ❜

❛ i gotta come up with three really great desserts. you got any ideas? ❜

❛ you ever made ice cream before, chef? want to? ❜

❛ it kind of tastes like a, um... minty snickers bar. ❜

❛ so how long you been a cook? ❜

❛ how’d you get good at this? ❜

❛ you can spend all the time in the world in here, but if you don't spend enough time out there... you know? ❜

❛ speaking of dead brothers, do you wanna go to a party? ❜

❛ it looks so pretty on you. you should keep it. ❜

❛ what's going on with you? i know there's something. just tell me. ❜

❛ what are you talking about, i don't give a fuck? why would you say that to me? i give like a huge fuck. ❜

❛ you're not by yourself, alright? i'm right here with you. ❜

❛ did you just throw a fork at me? ❜

❛ i think time spent doing this is time well spent. ❜

❛ never too late to start over. ❜

❛ i just want you to know... that this is really nice. ❜

❛ i'm thinking you're very, very beautiful. ❜

❛ we just don't say hello anymore? ❜

❛ you're wearing a suit? ❜

❛ uh, yeah, i wear suits now. ❜

❛ i'm sorry if i took anything out on you and if I treated you like shit. ❜

❛ i actually do think that we could fit good together. ❜

❛ i could be good at things that you don't really wanna do. and you're obviously really great at a whole bunch of stuff that I don't know how to do, you know? ❜

❛ i'm wearing a suit 'cause it makes me feel better about myself. ❜

❛ i know that you're trying. i see that you're trying. ❜

❛ you just came from a funeral? ❜

❛ yeah, a funeral of all my enemies. ❜

❛ you want me to make you some coffee? ❜

❛ i just need your focus like you need mine. ❜

❛ you good? ❜

❛ what's your relationship with your mom like? ❜

❛ alright, chef, i need you to salt that like a sidewalk. ❜

❛ looks gorgeous, chef. ❜

❛ i haven't eaten yet. ❜

❛ oh, let me make you something. ❜

❛ yeah, i can make you an omelet. ❜

❛ that wasn't like an ask out or anything, was it? ❜

❛  i'm looking really good. i 'm thinking you should start calling me chef. ❜

❛ well, i'mma keep calling you jagoff, 'cause that's what you like. ❜

❛ you deserve my full focus. ❜

❛ i guess i'm scared that i don't have what it takes to not fuck this up. ❜

❛ you're not gonna fuck it up. ❜

❛ i fuck things up all the time, like, every day. ❜

❛ you could do this without me. ❜

❛ i couldn't do it without you. i wouldn't even wanna to do it without you. ❜

❛ you make me better at this. ❜

❛ you still love to cook, right? ❜

❛ how's the wine? ❜

❛ yo. we're low on forks, chef. ❜

❛ okay, let's start firing some caviar, please. ❜

❛ i was just gonna say how special and cool and great this place is and how i'm the most proud of you ever. ❜

❛ i really appreciate you being so patient with me. ❜

❛ do i have time to go outside and scream "fuck"? ❜

❛ just don't tell them you saw me, 'cause this is embarrassing. ❜

❛ i love them so much. i don't know how to show it. ❜

❛ i don't know how to say i'm sorry. ❜

❛ i need you to say it's okay. ❜

❛ you are being so fucking weird, man. ❜

❛ i'm stuck in a goddamn refrigerator on the opening night of my fucking restaurant. ❜

❛ i failed you guys and it's not gonna happen again. ❜

❛ maybe i'm just not built for this. ❜

❛ because no amount of good is worth how terrible this feels. ❜

❛ i'm really sorry you feel that way. ❜

❛ would you shut the fuck up and get me the fuck outta here, please? ❜

❛ i don't understand why you can't just let something good happen for once in your fucking life? ❜

❛ you wanna talk to me about my fucking kid? at least i got a kid. ❜

❛ where were you when i fucking put your brother in the ground, you selfish piece of shit? ❜

❛ i fucking love you! ❜

❛ you fucking need me. ❜

❛ i just had this sudden urge to tell you that i've always had this, like, massive crush on you. ❜

❛ i love you, chef. ❜

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