💋 BORDERL i i i NE

At least this vampire-ex wasn’t a name she recognized. Though with a few thousand of their kind it was near impossible to know everyone. Though Amy might be covering for him, keeping Rose from getting herself into danger with an older Vampire, her friend’s emotions felt genuine. She did notice how deliberate her words were becoming, but felt it wrong to question her. All relationships ended for various reasons, and even if she was better off now, there was always a hint of what could be when talking about the past. At least that was the way Rose viewed things.

A quickly clenched jaw was the only sign of her disappointment in Amy’s cheating. If an open relationship was agreed upon at the start then there was nothing wrong with sleeping around, but when one partner broke the rules it wasn’t fair. Rose hated cheaters, but her soft spot for Amy kept her from being too judgmental. She was even less fazed by the fact that this boyfriend was a good deal older than her. When she herself could love creatures hundreds of years older than her she understood the appeal of older men and women.

While she would never intentionally invade Amy’s privacy (she was only getting the surface emotions, not diving deeper for more) her eyes flickered over to the brightening screen, and the name and face there. With her enhanced vision Rose gasped, unable to stop herself at the recognition. Trying to swallow her surprise, covering up quickly with a smile, she purposefully averted her gaze, staring instead at an older couple walking their dogs.

Only when the phone was gone, and Amy’s head was resting on her did she smile, snorting at her assumption. Kissing the top of her head she scoffed, “I don’t sleep in a coffin. I like really big and really plush beds with the best sheets. And you are welcome in my bed anytime. Just no funny business. Don’t wanna get on the bad side of this very strict boyfriend of yours.”

Winking, Rose helped Amy to stand, though she needed no help, and linked their arms, heading for the hotel where she was staying at the moment. Being such an avid traveller meant that she often lived out of suitcases, and in this instance proved to be in her benefit as she wouldn’t have wanted to take Amy to a home, no matter how much she trusted her. There were some boundaries that a Vampire had to take seriously. 

“So this boyfriend of yours…do you think I could meet him? I…okay, I won’t lie to you, and it was probably mean of me to even think of doing that in the first place. But I recognized the photo of him you have as his profile on your phone. I think he was that same guy I told you about…from years ago. If…if he knows and you know then maybe…I don’t wanna encroach on anything you’ve got going on with him, it wouldn’t be about that. Just…I wanna catch up and see if he’s doing well. I’m sure you could tell me that no problem of course, but it’d be good to see him. See if I fucked things up after all.”

The nerves that flew from her friend had her both worried and cautious. Had she treaded into forbidden territory? Asked things that she had no right to know. Maybe a little, but it still didn’t mean that she approved of asking for permission from anyone for anything. The very idea infurriated her, that Amy wasn’t being given the benefit of the doubt, or the ability to make decisions on her own. Of course what Rose knew was limited, so she didn’t voice her opinion this time, not wanting to get into a fight.

Usually the one to initiate physical contact, she squeezed Amy’s hand as warmly as she could manage. She was sure that her skin was colder than desired, but at least she wasn’t about to abandon her friend when she seemed on the verge of a breakdown.

“This ex doesn’t sound like an upstanding gentleman. If you need me to kill him, I will. We’re not all like that. I’m only guessing, but the way you make him sound…I promise we’re not that way. You do know a lot more than I thought you did. Wanna tell me everything so I know if I should run for the hills or not?”

Leading Amy to sit on a nearby bench, she kept their hands entwined, a lifeline in case she needed the support. “It’s funny…I knew a guy named Elliot once. Years ago. I told him about me, kinda like you. Guess I’ve got a soft spot for curious cuties.”

Her reaction is perfectly understandable. If a stranger materialized a blade out of thing air, and drew a bloody ominous symbol on his body– even as a witch, Ezekiel would be on the edge. He works swiftly as possible, so that this can end sooner for her. Once he’s done, Ezekiel draws in a sharp breath. He braces himself for the pain. It’s like a wave– creeping in at an excruciatingly slow pace, then crashing into him like a hurricane. But Ezekiel’s learned how to not let someone else’s pain take him down under. ( At least not the sensation of physical pain. As for emotional pain … that’s a different story. ) He sits leaning back against the brick wall. The witch breathes in deep to reel himself in. 

At her question, a smile tugs at his lips. Sometimes, he’s tempted to outright answer, ❝ Magick– with a K at the end. ❞ But he refrains. Not that he needs to, but because he chooses to. Since he’s not part of any coven, faction, or council, Ezekiel isn’t bound by laws of secrecy. That’s the danger of Blacklisted magick-users like him– they have the potential to expose witchcraft to the human community, thus causing a drastic shift in status quo. But Ezekiel has no desire for chaos. Only peace. Always peace. So, he tells her, ❝ Just lending a helping hand. ❞ His smile fades a bit as he looks at her with concern. ❝ Are you in trouble? Is someone after you? ❞ The chances of a severe wound like hers being the result of a mere accident is slim.

“Have to ask? I hope this man isn’t that controlling of your life where it matters what goes on between your friends.” Though she wasn’t entirely close to Amy, she did feel an odd protection for the girl. It was how all her human friendships went, a desire to keep them safe, keep them from any harm that might follow them for knowing her. The added bonus was that she could get rid of those that she thought weren’t worthy of living.

It got her thinking, that this boyfriend knew maybe just about as much as Amy did. Rose was selective with those who knew about her, though not adverse to telling humans. “Why would your boyfriend care? Is he like, a member of the Talamasca or something? Cause if he is I should keep my distance from you. We’ve got bad blood between us, literally. You didn’t…spill the beans about me to him, right?”

“   I know right. Huh.  ”

   “ ————- Also your perfume is TOO strong. ”

                 ▓▓▓║ OPEN STARTER.                            ( tw: blood, laceration )

❝ –it’s okay. It’s going to be okay. Stay with me. Just breathe. ❞ 

Ezekiel crouches beside them, eyes fixated on their injury. The single halogen light flickering in the desolate alleyway catches on the blood covering his gloved hands. Even if he called an ambulance, it might not arrive in time. His gaze narrows in determination as the witch pulls off his gloves and conjures a small blade. ❝ I swear, I’m not going to hurt you. ❞ Drawing his sleeve back, he makes a small laceration on his forearm. After dipping his index and middle fingers in his own blood, he swiftly draws a transmutation circle on the injured person’s body with the wound in the center. As Ezekiel’s hand hovers over the wound, his palm glows red– the circle mark he was born with surfaces, an intricate design of lines, curves, and symbols. Same time as the injury starts to heal, pain flickers across the witch’s face. He braces himself as the pain increases. His ability to heal is an exchange– to heal another comes at the cost of experiencing their pain. Once the wound is healed, the red light fades away as does the transmutation circle he drew on their skin. Ezekiel leans back against the nearest wall, letting out a laugh to keep his mind off the pain.

❝ How are you feeling now?  ❞