[right][code]Cubain > The Temple[/code][/right]
After Casey and Trisha officially accepted stewardship of the Temple’s annual Harvest Feast, plans began to materialize from the fog of war like brushfires. Once the memo about it hit people’s desks, however, is when things got really hectic. As Trisha wasn’t [i]technically[/i] in any position to finalize decisions, none of the real correspondence could be done without Casey’s presence…
To him, it was a small price to pay to maintain her rather privileged position as a “Fearless Outsider”. Someone who [i]had[/i] to be trusted, despite avoiding any sort of oath or pledge.

Because it was supposed to be his job to kill her if she ever decided to go spilling secrets.

[color=577d06][i]Nobody would kill Trisha.[/i][/color]

So everything was fine about it. He’d do what he had to do, because he knew in that outer extreme where there was nothing he could do, they’d simply die together. Which is what he was hoping for at that moment. A car accident. Another assassination attempt. Anything to prevent them from rounding the massive bend through the forest toward that distant but inevitable left hand turn.
Thankfully, they were stuck in traffic downtown about three hundred feet from their [i]first[/i] destination. Downtown wasn’t somewhere you wanted to own a car. You parked outside, in one of the twenty garages that surrounded the outer rim of St. Portwell’s interior districts, then took the subway or taxi’d into the center. 

It only even [i]partially[/i] worked now because Casey had guaranteed parking where they were going. It just took a long ass time actually getting there. But this was, again, a thankful situation. No matter how much time it took, it’d never be enough time to [i]avoid[/i] his newfangled responsibilities. Never enough to avoid Lynette. So, he relished the short amount of time he and Trisha spent together in the car. He’d let Trisha have control of the music the whole ride, enjoying what they matched on, and trying to appreciate what they didn’t. Not really [i]talking[/i] about it, just listening and enjoying. 

It made him far more happy to see her happy. Or, at least trying to be happy. [i]Getting her mind off things[/i]. Neither of them were particularly pleased with the current meeting of the day, but it had to be done. They both had to actually [i]see[/i] her instead of just dealing with it over the phone. Because there were actual documents to go over: Casey had to schedule the entire event from top to bottom and present everything that had to do with the scant religious aspects. 

There was a morning service, and [i]that[/i] had to be scheduled and scripted for whoever was hosting. More than likely, it’d be Leon. He’d not ask someone like his Grandmother to sermonize what he’d written down…

[color=577d06][i]That’s gonna be a tough sell.[/i][/color]

The traffic ahead let up enough that Casey could take the turn and roll his car into the rear of the Château sur la Baie. Andrade’s flagship Cuban-French restaurant [i]“Cubain”[/i] served to soak up most of the large coastal hotel’s first floor with dining space for the hungry elite. At the back of the hotel was an entrance for all the produce and other shipments that the facility took in each day, as well as a service entrance for all employees. 

It was also another of the Temple’s secure facilities. Much like the Cannery or the Winston Apartments, the Castle by the Bay had been purchased during the Sonnenrad War a few years ago. Only this place got the full treatment: Top to bottom magical security second only to a place like the Temple itself. Dozens of rooms that didn’t actually exist on any sort of plan meant for people like Lynette or their family to stay in during times of crisis. A barrack full of highly trained Adepts who had studied under Maxwell Richoux and Andrade himself.

Casey was comfortable here. Comfortable enough that he didn’t mind just rummaging around for something like his mom’s dinner delivery. Each day of the week, a different one of Andrade’s restaurants around the city took turns providing the Matron’s meals. Sizeable ordeals, they often looked more like party orders. Often they were, as she rarely ate alone… But this time it [i]did[/i] seem small, even by Richoux standards. Even though there were other plates ordered specifically for this meeting, Casey referred to it with the word “Anaemic”. 

So he’d directed Trisha upstairs to the actual first floor of the restaurant while he went to the kitchen to sort everything out and get the car loaded. He told her he’d be back out front to pick her up cab-style, and they could be on their way. This left Trisha all alone with a waiter told to guide her upstairs from there. He really did the bare minimum, dropping her at the swinging door and leaving her to the din of the restaurant. 
It was a rather warm place, like many of Andrade’s places seemed to be. Chocolate woods and deep red carpeting, minimalistic lighting with very shallow yellow bulbs casting ambient light through a brown beer bottle style cap over them gave the impression of vague sunlight outside a bar in a seaside town. 

It still had that [i]life[/i] to it. At least someone at the bar offered Trisha a drink, having been told who she was over the radio.

Trisha took the offer of a drink, quickly getting the requested lemonade and sipping on it. She wasn’t particularly happy to be left alone, but understood why. It was easier for Casey to sort everything out by himself. After their talk about her hangups with thanksgiving, she’d swapped from distantly tense to clingy tense. Still not happy about the whole thing overall, but right back to sticking to Casey like a limpet. 

But it was fine. Just a short while alone then-

[color=eb7997]”Oh my gosh, Trisha? Trisha Vanburen?!”[/color]

Trisha’s head twisted her head around from where she’d been staring out the distant window to the voice she vaguely recognised. A person she definitely recognised… No, two. 

[color=eb7997]”It’s really you! It’s been [i]too[/i] long!”[/color] The first woman, Vivienne, was all smiles as she came up to Trisha. Blond hair was perfectly styled into neat curls falling down to her shoulders, fair skin covered in makeup. Her voice was sickly sweet.

[color=cca4e0]”It really has- and imagine, seeing you here!”[/color] The second, Amanda, added. Her dark skin was less covered than Vivienne’s, with much subtler makeup, and her hair was pulled back into neat braids tied up at her crown. 
[color=cca4e0]”You aren’t, like, a waitress here, are you?!”[/color]

It was all too easy for Trisha to let a fake smile cover her lips, hiding her discomfort. Two people she hadn’t seen in six years. Highschool friends who dropped contact the moment she wasn’t around to pay for everything for them. While both of their parents were well enough on their own, it wasn’t to the level of a Vanburen… or the level both girls wanted to live at. With her father dead, Trisha had much more direct access to funds. There were very few restrictions.

Trisha always knew they liked her for her family name more than herself, but it hadn’t mattered then.

It didn’t really matter now, either…

[color=d1b300]“No, I’m not,”[/color] Trisha picked back up the glass she’d place on the bar, raising it. 
[color=d1b300]“I’m just waiting for my boyfriend.”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”[i]Oh[/i], your boyfriend works here? It’s [i]so[/i] cute that you don’t care about things like that, Trisha!”[/color] Vivienne exclaimed. 

[color=cca4e0]”Come on, Viv, didn’t you date that bartender last year?”[/color] Amanda snickered. 

[color=eb7997]”He was a bar [i]owner[/i]. And just a fling, nothing serious! Is that what it’s like for you, Trisha? A bit of fun before you settle down?”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“Of course not, it’s very serious- and he doesn’t work here, he works [i]with[/i] them,”[/color] Trisha was quick to correct the misunderstanding, rather than telling them that it didn’t matter in the first place. It [i]didn’t[/i] to Trisha, but it had to when around these two. How quickly she fell back into who she’d pretended to be then - the pretentious, bitch rich girl. It felt uncomfortable, but safe at the same time. A protective shell. 
[color=d1b300]“He’s the head of security for a… large organisation.”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”Oh, how wonderful! Well, since you’re waiting for him, you might as well sit with us! I’m sure it’ll be easy enough to make room! We can catch up!”[/color]
Before Trisha had a chance to politely decline, Vivienne hooked her arm through hers and practically dragged her away from the bar. Trisha didn’t put up a struggle- the other woman had a fair few inches on her, and she didn’t want to look like she didn’t want to talk to them.

Which she didn’t. But not to the point of telling them to fuck off. She couldn’t do that. Not if they lived in the city. Because what if they saw each other again? And they’d been her friends. It wasn’t like she had many. She just had to get back into the headspace she’d been in then.

Fortunately for the girls, and unfortunately for Trisha, they had a booth table with plenty of room for three- or four. Trisha was not so subtly pushed into the seat against the wall with Vivienne beside her and Amanda opposite her. 

[color=cca4e0]”I didn’t realise you were back in St Portwell, Trisha,”[/color] Amanda immediately started, smiling. 
[color=cca4e0]”We didn’t see you at Rose and Samantha’s ten year memorial service this summer. I can’t believe it’s been that long…”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”What a tragedy… I imagine you just couldn’t take the event, could you? I understand, it must be difficult for you.”[/color] Vivienne reached out to take Trisha’s hands, as if truly sympathy. 

Trisha managed to suppress her desire to pull them away. Of course she hadn’t gone. How could she? When she’d seen her two friends, people who’d liked her more genuinely than these two, torn apart in front of her? When she’d only escaped thanks to the magical bees she’d obtained a year prior? Why had she deserved to survive where they didn’t? 

She’d been too much of a coward to save them, too. 

[color=d1b300]“I did something by myself,”[/color] Trisha replied evenly. She hadn’t done anything, because she couldn’t get out of bed that day. The day her summer nightmare started. But it was so easy to hide all her true feelings. Like she always had. All the masks she’d worn until people started to make them crack. Sal, Reyna, Cass… Casey. No matter how much she screamed inside, she wouldn’t let it show.

She could be rude, she could be a bitch, but she couldn’t show the cracks. 
[color=d1b300]“It’s easier that way. I’m glad others remembered… I’m sure they appreciate it.”[/color]

Amanda and Vivienne both nodded, before moving on as if it was an unimportant topic.

[color=eb7997]”How long have you been back in the city, Trisha? I can’t [i]believe[/i] you didn’t tell us.”[/color]
[color=cca4e0]”Yes! You changed your number when you went to Chicago, didn’t you?”[/color]

[color=d1b300][i]It never changed! You were the ones that stopped contacting [b]me[/b]![/i][/color]
[color=d1b300]“I’ve just been so busy… helping with the family business, you know how it is.”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”But not so busy you couldn’t find a boyfriend?”[/color] Vivienne teased, nudging Trisha with a playful smirk. 
[color=eb7997]”I suppose you never did stay single for long! All the boys were [i]falling[/i] at your feet back then. He must be [i]really impressive[/i] if he’s managed to tie you down.”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“He’s great… treats me like I’m the most precious person in the world,”[/color] Trisha said honestly, though it wasn’t with the normal warmth she had when talking about Casey. That was too real, and would risk everything cracking. Instead she kept that perfectly fake smile, eyes creasing slightly. Real enough that anyone who hadn’t seen her [i]truly smile[/i] wouldn’t know. She was quick to redirect away from herself.
[color=d1b300]“But what about you both? What are you doing now?”[/color] 

[color=eb7997]”Oh, just learning the ropes to take over daddy’s business one day, you know how it is,”[/color] Vivienne waved a hand dismissively. As she did, a waitress came over and the other two quickly ordered some drinks. Her hand waved dismissively once again once that was done, hurrying the waitress away. 
[color=eb7997]”It’s rather boring.”[/color]

[color=cca4e0]”I’m an artist,”[/color] Amanda smiled. Trisha wasn’t surprised by that answer. Amanda had always been into painting… she just wasn’t good enough, in Trisha’s opinion, to make a career out of it without her parent’s backing.
[color=cca4e0]”I actually have an exhibition coming up next month. You should come along, Trisha! That is, if you’re not [i]too busy[/i].”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“I’ll try find the time.”[/color] Trisha half meant it. Maybe she would. Maybe she should reconnect, even though she found that she was hating pretending like this. It hadn’t felt so bad before. What had changed? Her? She wasn’t sure she was happy about that.

[color=cca4e0]”Of course, I understand if you can’t make it, but here.”[/color] Amanda slid a small card over to Trisha, detailing the details of the exhibition. 
[color=cca4e0]”Feel free to bring along any family members that might be interested!”[/color]

And there it was. The want for her family money rather than her. Just having a Vanburen, any Vanburen, attend the exhibition would boost its reputation. It wasn’t really about her but… it still meant they needed her in a way. The only Vanburen they had access to. 
[color=d1b300]“Sure, I’ll spread the word at the next family gathering.”[/color] Which would be never, since they didn’t have those.

[color=cca4e0]”Really?! You really are the best, Trisha!”[/color] Amanda grinned widely. Genuinely. Because of course. Trisha wouldn’t be surprised if they ‘subtly’ suggested they pay for their meal, as well. But that was fine. Better to be a wanted wallet… 
[color=cca4e0]”I’ve really missed you… I seriously can’t believe it’s been so long. Look at us all, successful adults. Six years ago if you’d told me that Trisha Vanburen would be helping with the family businesses, I would’ve laughed!”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”No way would we believe it! I’m [i]so[/i] glad you’ve matured, Trisha. I’d be so worried for you if you hadn’t… After all, it’s not good to just live off your family’s money without working.”[/color]
[color=cca4e0]”Right! But at least you’ve learned that now.”[/color]

[color=d1b300][i]Says the subpar artist living off her parents.[/i][/color]
[color=d1b300]“I was a teenager then… Of course I’ve changed.”[/color] She hadn’t, much. She was still stuck just like she had been then… the only difference that she had a few more people around her. But how long would that last? Could she really afford to keep being her genuine, unloveable self when the few people who could tolerate it would probably leave eventually? Didn’t it make more sense to go back to being like this? The expected Trisha, the one a certain type of people flocked towards.

There was a brief silence as their drinks were brought around - cocktails for both women, even though it was far too early to start drinking.

[color=eb7997]”Enough of that boring talk!”[/color] Vivienne declared. She turned around in her seat to face Trisha, leaning into her personal space.
[color=eb7997]”Don’t think I didn’t notice you changing the topic earlier! Tell us more about your boyfriend! What’s his name?”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“Casey.”[/color] A simple reply. What else could she say?

[color=eb7997]”Oooo, Casey…”[/color]
[color=cca4e0]”Casey and Trisha has quite the ring to it.”[/color]
[color=eb7997]”It does! So, how hot is he? Oh, how [i]good[/i] is he!”[/color]

Trisha didn’t really want to answer that question. That kind of girl talk had been fine in highschool, when all her relationships had been short and shallow. Very [i]physical[/i] in nature in her later teens. 
[color=d1b300]“What do you think? He’s dating me, isn’t he? He’s [i]amazing[/i].”[/color]

Both Vivenne and Amanda let out an excited giggle, leaning forward to talk in hushed voices just like they were back in school again. In that crowded cafeteria, at the corner table reserved for their group. The popular, rich kids in their year. 

[color=eb7997]”Oh my gosh, you have to tell us [i]everything[/i]!”[/color]
[color=cca4e0]”Yes, we need [i]all[/i] the details. What’s he like in bed? How-”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“We’re in public,”[/color] Trisha cut her off, as if that was actually her problem. It wasn’t, really. She just… didn’t want to talk about it. Any of it. It was two worlds she wanted to keep separated. Casey, and people like this. And especially when it came to the intimacy that had always been the focus for her before, but wasn’t so much in this relationship. It was different.

[color=eb7997]”Come on! We’ve talked about [i]much[/i] worse in busier places when we were teens! There’s no one near us.”[/color]
[color=cca4e0]”Yeah, Trisha, you never had a problem before… It’s just girl talk! Or is there a reason you can’t talk about it? Oh gosh, is he ‘amazing’ but not satisfying you enough?!”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“He is- I’ve never been more satisfied.”[/color] Trisha couldn’t just leave that unaddressed. She looked perfectly relaxed, with an expression as if she [i]enjoyed[/i] whispering about this. Her elbows were on the table and her body slumped forward slightly. Very little tension. Perfectly hiding just how uncomfortable she felt. Her feet pulled back against the booth chair. It was where all the tension went as she faked everything else. 
Why hadn’t she faked being fine like this for the whole past week?

[color=eb7997]”Seriously?! Wow, that’s some high praise, after everyone you’ve been with! Your boyfriend must be some kind of [i]sex god[/i].”[/color]
Amanda giggled, nodding her agreement.

There was spatial interference that brought Casey’s White Lux spell caving into itself until it was a pile of dust in Trisha’s pocket. He’d taken to sticking things in her jackets and other accessories with monitoring spells to make sure she was staying safe. Part of it was this, a listening bug that picked up perfectly on the sound of her voice. Nothing else, just her. And he’d gotten it pretty tuned too…

Having loaded the full order into the car, he was pulling around to the valet out front. There were plenty of open spaces at least, so he didn’t feel guilty about telling them to leave it running. Staff was more than happy to watch the vehicle for the Blade, so he knew there was plenty of time to address what little bit of this gossip he’d heard. 

[color=d1b300][i]He’s amazing. I’ve never been more satisfied.[/i][/color]

Whoever she was talking to, they were at least friendly enough that she was bothering to engage. That had to be something… Something worth playing up, surely. If she was painting him as a stud, he’d be a stud. Stepping into the lobby, he quickly adjusted his coat and made sure his hair was pulled back neatly before stepping around the corner and into the restaurant. 
It helped that, rather than treating him like any other guest, the staff practically parted the red sea for him as he made way toward where Trisha was. He made sure to give a nod and a smile to each one in turn as he came to a stop and put an arm around The outer top of the booth to lean in. 

He didn’t need magic to know the two women were Blinds. They just didn’t scream “Awake” in any sense of the term. Two mundane people with presumably superficial lives.

[color=577d06][i]You’re here to make my Baby’s life miserable, aren’t you?[/i][/color]

[color=577d06]”Well well well… Beauty swarms the Queen, doesn’t it Baby Girl?”[/color] he reached far into the Heavens for a line like that. 
Make them feel complimented; chances were they’d miss the back hand no matter how hard he hit them with it.

Both of the women turned away from crowding Trisha, looking at Casey with wide eyes and letting out little gasps. Vivienne let out a high pitched giggle while Amanda leaned back and fanned herself with one hand. 
[color=cca4e0]”You were [i]not[/i] joking, Trisha, oh my God!”[/color]

Trisha’s body had tilted forward so that she could see Casey past Vivienne, looking at him with a smile he’d easily be able to tell was fake. But it was more difficult to see how she was feeling underneath it.
Upset. He’d come up and complimented [i]them[/i] before- Oh. Oh! It took Trisha a moment to see the bite underneath it, her immediate anxious reaction clouding her mind for a moment. A hint of smugness crept into her eyes. 

[color=d1b300]“It really does, Babe.”[/color] Trisha felt relieved that Casey was here and she finally had an excuse to leave. But even with him there, she didn’t switch to how she normally was- that genuine warmth she always seemed to carry around him. 
[color=d1b300]“Are you here to pick me up?”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”No way! You’re not leaving so soon after we haven’t seen each other for [i]six years[/i]!”[/color] Vivienne gasped, shaking her head. She grinned at Casey. 
[color=eb7997]”You should join us for a bit. Trisha was just telling us [i]all[/i] about you!”[/color]

[color=cca4e0]”Yes, take a seat,”[/color] Amanda shuffled closer to the wall, patting the empty section of the booth beside her. 
[color=cca4e0]”I’m Amanda.”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”Vivienne Dumont,”[/color] Vivienne threw in her last name, of course. The Dumont family ran a successful Real Estate business, and were well known enough. Amanda’s family was more lowkey.
[color=eb7997]”We went to highschool with Trisha… It was such a lucky coincidence we bumped into her today! I’m [i]so[/i] excited we get to meet the man that’s managed to capture her [i]seriously[/i]. Do you know how popular she was in school?”[/color]

[color=577d06]”School? What school, six years ago… High School? Long time ago to be there, isn’t it?”[/color] he grinned, sliding into the booth.

It was innocuous, seemingly harmless comments like that which acted most like mental timebombs. Little drilling checks and splits that didn’t offend immediately, but offended nonetheless. Better to leave it for after they’d left… Time to process.

[color=577d06]”Y’know I was homeschooled? Never got to meet Trisha back then. Or you guys either… Maybe you knew my Brother- Oh, where’d my manners go?-”[/color]
Casey slapped his head very playfully.
[color=577d06]”-Must’ve fallen out somewhere between Africa and Italy with my patience and sanity!”[/color]

Casey’s hand reached out. If they [i]did[/i] know Junior, it was only by the briefest of margins. Casey had been the cutoff of public school, and Lynette had intended to keep all of them locked away at first, but once Junior kindled relatively early, they assumed it was only Casey who needed any sort of special lessons. Junior had been allowed to attend public school, and Mia had until her first breakdown…

[color=577d06]”Casey Richoux. I guess [i]maybe[/i] you’d know Max? Couple years younger than us? Or… If you’re a sports fan, maybe the name rings a bell.”[/color] he offered to them, downplaying but still sending a low hook for the fame impression.

Both of them looked thoughtful for a moment, shaking his hand in turn. It was Amanda that had the realisation first.
[color=cca4e0]”I didn’t pay much attention to the younger years, but I remember the name Richoux! Don’t you remember, Viv? When we started highschool, there were all those rumours about a super handsome, super tall guy who’d finished the year before! [i]Leon Richoux[/i]-”[/color]
[color=eb7997]”No? How would I remember someone I never met?”[/color]

[color=cca4e0]”You’re missing out, Viv! My brother’s [i]so[/i] into sports, and told me all about this… fighting? Champion that came from our school. That’s him! You should [i]see[/i] him, I almost got into it just for that face.”[/color] Amanda once again fanned herself with a hand before turning to look at Casey. She [i]really[/i] looked, eyes scanning him up and down.
[color=cca4e0]”I can see it [i]really[/i] runs in the family.”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”Wow! So your standards really have improved, Trisha,”[/color] Vivienne nudged Trisha with a teasing giggle. 
[color=eb7997]”An [i]actually[/i] worthy family [i]and[/i] high standard, handsome boyfriend.”[/color]

Trisha’s smile wavered for just a moment as she tried to laugh it off. Like she cared about [i]any[/i] of that. Yes, Casey was the best person she’d ever been with… but not for those reasons. Not because of his family. Because he actually… treated her well… loved her… 

[color=d1b300]“Name [i]one[/i] partner I’ve had that wasn’t attractive,”[/color] she shot back, as if it was some kind of little joke between two friends. Like that was what she really cared about and she didn’t want to shout at them that it didn’t matter like that. But she’d spent the past half hour burying herself underneath the fake, pretentious person she needed to be for them. 
[color=d1b300]“I bet you can’t.”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”But Trisha, there were simply too many for us to remember!”[/color] Vivienne laughed in return. She turned back to Casey. 
[color=eb7997]”I’m so glad she’s with someone like you. Trisha told us you’re… some kind of Security Head? Sounds like a very stable job!”[/color]

Amanda nodded.
[color=cca4e0]”Stable job, good family… Is your brother single, Casey?”[/color]
[color=eb7997]”Oh my gosh, you can’t just ask him that, Amanda!”[/color]

Too many to count? Casey laughed. That sounded exactly like the high school drama bullshit he’d seen in all those movies. Heard Leon and El talk about all the time. It was dumb! Worse than dumb, petty!

[color=577d06]”Oh, uh… Well, Leon’s a bit like a… Whore? A Whorewolf, really, he gets around every Full Moon, then comes back home.”[/color] 
Waving his hand dismissively, he figured he’d do his best to shit-eat in front of these Blinds… He wanted Trisha to look cool, whether it was by herself, or by proxy.

Someone brought him a drink. He hadn’t asked, he hadn’t ordered. It was brought, and it was exactly what he wanted courtesy of the staff. They knew him… And they knew how he liked his [i]hot chocolate[/i]. 

[color=577d06]”To answer [i]your[/i] question, Viv. Can I call you that?- To answer your question, I’m Chief of Security for Virtues Unlimited; we do security for religious institutions across the state. Churches, Temples, we don’t discriminate based on denomination… All Gods use green money in our country, don’t they? That’s what I fought for, I believe.”[/color] he tilted his head just enough that if either of them had brains they’d see the dog tag chain around his neck.

The symbolism had been on every propaganda advertisement throughout the war practically… He was just trying to stack layers of impression upon two normal woman… He was just hoping they’d both cringe after they left.

It was then that he planned on bugging them just so he could get the experience on the drive to the Temple.

Amanda had covered her mouth in shock as Casey called Leon a whore, turning to look at Trisha with… Sympathy? Or maybe, saying he was just like her. Trisha wasn’t happy about it either way, but that displeasure was still hidden under a plastic smile. 

[color=eb7997]”Oh my gosh, did you fight in [i]the War[/i]?!”[/color] Vivienne gasped, ogling Casey enough to catch the chain and [i]realise[/i]. 
[color=eb7997]”Thank you so much for your service- of course you can call me anything.”[/color]

Amanda’s reaction was a little less extreme, but she got out a more muted thanks.

[color=eb7997]”Why didn’t you tell us you were dating a veteran, Trisha?!”[/color] Vivienne finally stopped staring at Casey to turn to Trisha, leaning into her space again. 

[color=d1b300]“... What did you plan to do if I said, stand up and salute him?”[/color] Trisha’s eyes narrowed and she leaned back towards the wall subtly. 
[color=d1b300]“You were too concerned asking about [i]other things[/i].”[/color]

[color=eb7997]”Oh, don’t be like that!”[/color] Vivienne laughed, batting Trisha’s arm. Her gaze turned back to Casey.
[color=eb7997]”That really [i]is[/i] impressive. No wonder you can handle Trisha… not that it’s a bad thing she’s so… Excitable!”[/color]

[color=cca4e0]”So true,”[/color] Amanda rejoined the conversation. 
[color=cca4e0]”We were really worried when she stopped talking to us after highschool… After all, we were her closest friends! But I’m glad she’s doing so well.”[/color]

To a certain extent, Casey was rather receptive of this kind of conversation. He wasn’t upset over it, and the only reason he would be is if it had been affecting Trisha too harshly. He bit his tongue a moment, letting a shot of White Lux ripple out on a memory of getting something right. Just to [i]check[/i] on her. Heart rate, breathing, eye movements; anything to give away her level of stress without him making much of a fuss.

At the last comment, Casey visibly pouted his bottom lip out.
[color=577d06]”Y’know, my Brother actually recently had his uh… Ten year reunion. With his high school friends. When he came home, he joked about there being a reason he stopped talking to all of them. So, who knows. But, we’re making a delivery to the elderly! I have a few tenants in one of the buildings I used to work in, and since I have so much free time in my position, I like to stay involved in community outreach.”[/color]

He took the cup and pulled himself up out of the booth. The liquid was piping hot, but just to leave them with something to think about, he sucked the entire glass down to nothing and left it there for them to stare at.
[color=577d06]”Fuck, that’s delicious. Trisha? You all set uh, y’know… Getting pollen on your wings?”[/color]

He made a bit of a flapping motion with his two hands before holding one out to her across the table. Casey’s smile beamed down at her, like a mischievous child.

Trisha smiled back, and that fakeness around it started to crack. 
[color=d1b300]“Mhm, I’ve been ready to go since you appeared.”[/color] She reached out to take his hand, looking at Vivienne. Her expression settled back into the mask for a moment.

Vivienne started to move out, with no excuse to block Trisha in anymore. 
[color=eb7997]”Oh! Before you go, Trisha, you should give us your new number! So we can keep in touch.”[/color]
[color=cca4e0]”Yes, please. It was so nice to see you again,”[/color] Amanda added with a smile.

Trisha squeezed Casey’s hand, slotting in at his side. The hidden tension, the agitation she’d carefully covered up that Casey would’ve easily detected with his magic, started to drain away.
[color=d1b300]“It was [i]nice[/i]. But my number hasn’t changed, so you should already have it.”[/color] She looked up at Casey, slowly dragging herself back out from under her protective shell.
[color=d1b300]“Let’s go, Babe. We can’t let them wait too long for their food.”[/color]

Casey nodded along and took a deep breath inward.
[color=577d06]”Yep. I’m sure it was someone’s pleasure meeting, Girls. Enjoy your meal, and…-”[/color]

He turned his head, waving his hand up toward the maître d. He snapped his fingers, pointing down at the table and making an “ok” with his fingers. The well-dressed man responded with a nod before making way toward them.

[color=577d06]”-Girls, this is Ricardo, the man in charge of the floor here. Ricardo, can you see to it that these two are taken care of? [i]Well taken care of.[/i]”[/color]

Ricardo’s eyes lit up, and a big grin took over his face.
“Ahhhh, senioritas,-”

Casey’s head tilted at Trisha, smiling coyly as he turned their bodies to start walking away. When they were out the doors and around the corner in the lobby of the hotel, Casey started to bubble up with laughter.
[color=577d06]”Jesus… Y’know, for all the interactions with people you know, that was the tamest.”[/color] he joked, rubbing her shoulder.

[color=577d06]”Though, I guess I [i]really[/i] need to quit leaving you alone, huh?”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“[I]Pleaaaseee[/I],"[/color] Trisha jokingly whined, pouting cutely as she leaned her body towards him. She took in a deep breath, then let out a long exhale to ease the tension she'd been hiding. The fake calm expression began to chip away one piece at a time. The cute pout, then a little wrinkle of her nose, then the coldness leaving her eyes. 
[color=d1b300]“I didn't expect to bump into anyone I know… Knew. It wasn't like I was acting approachable…"[/color]

She tilted her head up towards him, brow furrowing a bit. 
[color=d1b300]“What did you mean by ‘taken care of’?"[/color] She didn't want to say what her immediate thought was- of course Casey wouldn't hurt people over something small like that! Probably… Not that she'd be all that upset by it.

Casey laughed a bit harder when she asked what he meant before, pulling the door open for her to step back out into the cold.
[color=577d06]”Well, what do you think when you hear ‘Take care of’? Contextually, I mean… Obviously not kill them. It someone was taken care of in a restaurant, you’d think that would mean-”[/color] he stopped, looking at her for a moment.

[color=d1b300]“... Treated extra well, with a free dessert- oh, or fully paid for?”[/color] Trisha replied after a moment, pulling her puffy white coat around her with a slight shiver as she went outside. For a moment it was like her mind was loading, staring at Casey with a little confused look. Then it dawned on her.
[color=d1b300]“They’re not actually getting a free meal, are they?”[/color]

Casey’s laugh was only more evil as he pulled the passenger door of the car open for her. The valet watching the car tried to do it, but Casey politely waved him off.
[color=577d06]”No, Babe. They’re gonna get the [i]Ricardo Special[/i]. See, he’s not magical or anything. He knows, he’s a third-eye opened-”[/color]

Letting her into the car, he closed the door and rounded before sliding into the driver’s side.
[color=577d06]”-but he’s just a dude… Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one Hell of a sales pitch for just about everything. Imply their meal is free, but let them assume. Indulge them, let them get comfy, a little boozy… Then the check comes.”[/color] he smiled widely.

[color=577d06]”What can they say after that?”[/color]
Casey was purely grinning back at Trisha, right hand reaching out to pat her on the leg before putting the car in drive to pull away.

[color=577d06]”Just for you, Babe… Because I know how much you seem to [i]love[/i] anyone we meet from your past. How are we ever gonna communicate it if you actually happen to [i]like[/i] someone who we randomly run into?”[/color] 

Trisha smiled back, giggling as she pictured their faces when they got the bill. Served them right… The only reason they’d approached her was because they’d hoped she’d be as ‘generous’ as she was in school. Maybe if she’d been alone… Because it was one way to get people to stick around. A shallow way. But she had Casey now. 

[color=d1b300]“Well… I don’t think there’s anyone I like from before University.”[/color] She sounded a little awkward saying that, hands clasping together in her lap. But it really was the case. At first, she liked people in the Coven. Some still weren’t bad… but none of them were friends. People she’d hoped would be, but she was too reactive. They were too. It wasn’t her fault. 
[color=d1b300]“Most of my high school friends were like them. Liked me for my money… or they wanted to sleep with me. The only two I was closer to aren’t around, so… You don’t have to worry! Just treat them all like that.”[/color]

Casey threw up his bottom lip in consideration, eyebrows rising and curling back down in turn. It did make things easier, but at the same time he didn’t want anyone thinking that Trisha was totally off limits. And he [i]certainly[/i] didn’t want to be an accomplice to her as she cut opportunities for experience from her life person by person. Even if she wasn’t inclined, he believed in her having the chance to decide that for herself.

[color=577d06]”We’ll see… Sometimes its fun to put the adjusted person skin on. Y’know, do the little dance. I choose to when it’s most entertaining. Like that situation.”[/color] he threw his thumb backwards at the slowly fading Hotel.

[color=577d06]”But, uh… Like, you remember my coworkers when we went up North. Most of them aren’t insufferable, they’re just normal people. Boring people. Those two didn’t seem horribly malicious, just… [i]Boring.[/i]”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“I [i]am[/i] well adjusted.”[/color] Trisha frowned a little, getting a little upset at that implication. She didn’t find it fun. It was… natural, perhaps, but not fun. Just a way of protecting herself, of being what people expected to fit in. It didn’t necessarily feel bad, but she wasn’t entirely herself. 

[color=d1b300]“I know they’re not [i]that[/i] malicious. That’s why I didn’t make more of a fuss when they dragged me away… They just wanted me to pay for my meal. But it’s not like they’re people I’ve been actively avoiding. They stopped talking to [i]me[/i] when I moved to Chicago. I wasn’t around to pay for things, so they started ignoring my messages. So they're boring people that [i]hurt[/i] me.”[/color] 
Just like so many people in her life… But could they be blamed with how she was? But she was never the one to [i]end[/i] relationships.

Casey could only laugh at Trisha protesting her level of social adjustment. She wasn’t, but he didn’t exactly want to rub it in her face like she was a bad girl. 
[color=577d06]”But they didn’t hurt you with Malice. Like, a giant, right? You give him a chair to sit on, he breaks it. It’s not his fault he’s broken it, you asked him to sit and he obliged. It’s what they do: Parasites. Leeches. Most Blinds tend to be pretty selfish.”[/color]

He wasn’t exactly paying attention to what he was saying, but even if he’d been asked again, he most likely wouldn’t have disputed anything he said. He’d seen enough Blind soldiers treating themselves, one another, and every civilian they came across as if they were just big fat wallets to be taken from. He’d seen them stampede over one another looking for a spot on a boat to escape Hell to anywhere… 

He’d never been impressed by Man’s common form. [i]Humanity’s[/i] common form. Apathy, disorder, lack of regard. It’d be villainous if it wasn’t all done out of instinct. He believed it took an outside influence to really pull a person away from that… Totally leaving out the idea that most of the Adepts he knew had the exact same attitudes and problems. Humanity’s common form.

And then he was thinking. And then he regretted saying that knowing that Trisha hadn’t been naturally gifted. Even if he’d taken so long to Kindle, it didn’t mean he hadn’t had some kind of leg up. Some kind of predisposition for strength and aptitude in his field. He’d been given. Handed to. 

[color=577d06]”Well, whatever… Those two specifically? I’m sure they’ll fall for Ricardo’s game. If you want, we can listen to them talking shit together… I can make it happen.”[/color] he grinned at her, hoping she’d take the opportunity to be the mean girl for once and let it distract her from any lingering feelings.

[color=d1b300]“Oh, because they’re just Blinds, so that makes it okay to spy on them?”[/color] Trisha intoned. She wasn’t looking at Casey, instead her eyes were fixed on the road in front of them. Her legs had pulled up, becoming that tense ball that signaled her agitation. He’d clearly upset her, and she wasn’t just going to go along with the ‘well whatever.’ Normally she would jump on what he offered, but not after what he said.

It brought her back to some of what she’d felt when Casey reacted so extremely to the Queen appearing. She was [i]worthless[/i] without her. Wasn’t she just a Blind with extra steps? She didn’t have any magical lineage. It was just luck… so wasn’t she all those things? Didn’t that make her selfish too? Would he even look at her if she didn’t have her magic?

[color=d1b300]“Isn’t it my fault, anyway? Because it’s just what they do, and I opened myself up to it? Really it’s [i]all[/i] my fault they stopped talking to me. Nothing they say is going to be interesting… or is it like a zoo? Listening to Blinds?”[/color]

He heard the click of the landmine long before it went off. He could feel his missing leg and the tissue aching around it as his ears were ringing. It was the worst injury he’d sustained that he accepted repair for, and where the leg had been remade, the nerves were slightly twisted. It only hurt when he felt [i]guilty.[/i] The last time had been during the Discharge trip, and before that had been the incident at the Portal Lab. 

Now this. It flared across his leg like a hot blade, and he could feel every piece of shrapnel where they’d blown the original off. Part of the nerve damage had to come from it, because the pain flared deep into his pelvic area. It made it hard to drive.

He heard the landmine go off… Winced. Didn’t look over, because he could see her legs tucked in his peripheral vision. 

[color=577d06]”Trisha, don’t do this now… I didn’t mean what I said, I should’ve immediately apologized. We were talking shit about two people you didn’t like, and I brought it somewhere I shouldn’t have. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I need you to know that it’s not like that at all.”[/color] 
He turned his head just enough to let their eyes meet, then turned away again with a frown.

[color=577d06]”I [i]love you.[/i] And I know there’s a world where we meet, and it has nothing to do with any of this crazy shit we can do. And I [i]still[/i] love you.”[/color] Casey let the last words linger in the quiet of the car, no longer excited about what was coming next.  

Trisha was silent as she thought. It was difficult to believe he’d still love her if she didn’t have any magic at all. It was a hypothetical, it wasn’t her, but it still made her anxious. She knew he loved the current her… but that was always the worry, wasn’t it? That he’d stop loving the future her. 

It was difficult to stop herself from reacting more. The only reason she managed to suppress it a bit was because she knew what was coming. They weren’t going to a place where they could fight and then make up… If they made up, and this wasn’t the moment Casey realised she was too much. 
[color=d1b300]“Alright, I get it.”[/color] She didn’t. [color=d1b300]“I love you too.”[/color] 

She hadn’t accepted his apology, and she didn’t sound any happier. Less snappy, maybe, just… Deflated. Sinking deeper into her insecurities and irrational thoughts. She didn’t unfurl at all. Her face pressed into her knees as she took a deep breath. She just needed to keep her magic so he’d keep loving her. 
[color=d1b300]“We can talk about it later…”[/color] She didn’t want to, but she was forcing herself to give Casey that chance so she wouldn’t hold onto it. Giving [i]herself[/i] a chance to not self sabotage.

Casey could only appreciate her saying that last part. Besides her obvious body language that did nothing to dispel the tension, she’d at least agreed to be part of a discussion featuring the situation as it stood. She was going to try being amicable until then, he hoped.

[color=577d06]”That’s literally all I can ask for Baby… I’m sorry, I know I fucked up, and I’ll think of a better apology too. It’ll be good for the both of us.”[/color] 
He meant the agreement to consult one another about the situation later. What was coming immediately was [i]far[/i] worse.

At least Lynette had [i]also[/i] found a new personal secretary… [i]Elise[/i] was back full time, completely separated from her husband now and no longer interested in carrying on up North. She’d [i]also[/i] brought her own flock of sheep, which meant the grounds of the Temple were packed full until they could make accommodations. Casey knew for a fact that the Cannery had more than a dozen empty apartments that were totally unused, but distribution meant that things still needed negotiating. 

Which meant today probably wouldn’t [i]just[/i] be about the Feast. It was going to be arduous, but at least it’d be Elise sitting next to Lynette instead of Lena Zoller… Chances were that Trisha wouldn’t see much of her at all, and it made Casey more than pleased to know that things were happening. Getting Lena further away from the center of power before it all collapsed was for the best, and if it made the environment less hostile to Trisha, even better.

[color=577d06]”Now, work with me for a second here. Because there’s always a chance this goes [i]really[/i] bad. I’ve never known her to be openly violent in her reactions to things, but… Shit, fuck… Why did I wait so long to tell you this?”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“H-huh, what?”[/color] That was more than enough to bring Trisha’s panic back up to the surface. What was he talking about? What… Did he think Lynette was going to try kill him? Them? Her hands gripped her knees as she sucked in a harsh breath.

Casey shook his head in shame.
[color=577d06]”It’s the sermon. The, y’know… The Church Part. You said you didn’t want any part, so I did what I thought was appropriate, and then I was reading through it again and… Well, I’m not the best writer. Best case scenario, she tells me to go back and do it over again. Worst case, she reads too deeply into it and I tip her off more about this [i]situation[/i] bubbling up around her.”[/color]

He scrunched his nose up, shaking his head and taking another deep breath as he made the turn up onto the highway.

[color=577d06]”But in the unthinkable? If something happens, and you need to run to safety? You need to run back to that room you were in during my Coronation. It’s gonna be hard, but if you can make it even close to that spot, there’s a good chance that… My Dad, y’know? He’ll protect you if I can’t.”[/color]

No way. There was no way that she was going to leave Casey, she’d rather die with him-
[color=d1b300]“A-alright, I’ll try,”[/color] Trisha got out through her heavy breathing. She was trying to calm down. To pretend it was fine. She’d dealt with the assassin, hadn’t she? She’d stayed calm then. But it wasn’t the same! This was more than one powerful Adept… wouldn’t she just die too before she even made it to his dad? Then wouldn’t it be better to stay together so that didn’t happen alone?

But she couldn’t say any of this. Not when they were in an unsteady truce over an already unresolved argument. 
[color=d1b300]“But it probably won’t happen, right? It’ll probably be fine? I won’t have to leave you?”[/color]

[color=577d06]”No. You won’t have to leave me.”[/color]
There were three of them. One poor, relatively weak Adept. One potentially devastating Artifact in her back pocket. Chances were Elise would side with him. She was closer… Maybe she’d even take the blow?

Was that a life worth living? With Trisha, it was. He didn’t want anything else. Couldn’t think about anything else.

[color=577d06]”You know I don’t leave things up to chance Trisha. Leaving instructions ungiven just isn’t my style.”[/color][hr]
It was a long ride of misery smelling the food in the back of the car. Roast pork still smelled good no matter how much Casey hated the look of it. That blanche-white flesh with steam curling off it. The vegetables in some rich broth, the bread… Actually arriving at the Temple was a blessing since there was at least a few minutes where his nose wasn’t glued to the smell of cooked food, and his mind didn’t have to be distracted by looking back at [i]her.[/i]

She’d been a nervous wreck the whole ride, and he was dumb enough to actually make the comment in the first place. He felt dumber than dumb, and the prospects of what was next weren’t sitting well either.

[color=8882be]”Ahhh, Coo-coo le deu! It’s my Casseau!”[/color]

Lynette was cheerful at the very least, her dark robes looking rather comfortable in the otherwise cold weather. The snap they were in was hitting hard and fast, leaving everyone scrambling for winter clothes. Lynette’s arms wrapped around Casey, then her body turned to Trisha. She [i]tried[/i] to know the rules.

[color=8882be]”And our favorite little Lady from out of bounds! Have you been enjoying your time with Casey, Trisha? All adjustments being handled, I take it?”[/color]

Trisha managed a smile. It was fake, of course, but she was able to slip back into what she was best at in public- hiding her anxieties. At least the panic, if not the agitation that often came with it. She shuffled towards Casey, taking his hand while angling herself so it was obvious she didn’t want any kind of hug from Lynette. 

[color=d1b300]“Of course. Casey’s always happy to accommodate me.”[/color] She tried not to read too deeply into Lynette’s words. It was difficult when her mind was already thrown into panic mode. She was just prodding. Polite, fake small talk. Not based on spying… hopefully. It wasn’t like she’d even said much. 
[color=d1b300]“I don’t want to spend my time with anyone else… Sometimes I wish we could just be in our own little bubble, undisturbed.”[/color]

Lynette could only smile in return.
[color=8882be]”Well, so long as he maintains his responsibilities, you two can live anywhere you want! In a bubble, under a bridge, somewhere in the middle of the ocean… [i]Ooooh…[/i] An island, Casey!? Do we have an island?”[/color]

Casey’s face slightly folded.
[color=577d06]”[i]Do we have an island?[/i]”[/color]
His mocking voice left his lips like a child repeating something they’d heard people laugh about. 
[color=577d06]”You damn well know Never-Never isn’t ours, and it’s not the Temple’s either. Mr. Gasendo is nice enough that he’d let us stay for a vacation, but [i]nobody[/i] is touching that poor man’s property.”[/color]

Smugly, Lynette’s face played forgetful before she mockingly wiped some imaginary dirt off of her robes. At that time, the food was being brought into the Temple’s chapel and conveyed down the left stairs into the inner sanctum. 
[color=8882be]”Mhmmmm… Cubaine?”[/color] she asked, absentmindedly pointing at the bags that literally said the name of the restaurant on them.

[color=577d06]”Y-yeah, Ma… You know your food schedule,-”[/color]
Casey paused for a moment, furrowing his brow.
[color=577d06]”-did you have a stroke or something?”[/color]

It may have sounded like a funny question, but Casey was dead serious. Not only was she acting like an Alzheimer's patient, but a creepy and potentially unstable one!

[color=8882be]”What?... Oh, no… No, Casey I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my plate too. You know, th-”[/color]
Casey didn’t let her keep going, rather putting a hand on her shoulder to try spinning her around.

[color=577d06]”It’s fine… Just, let’s go and get a move on.”[/color] Casey accepted, giving her a gentle nudge toward the stairs.

[color=8882be]”So, Trisha? How are our fuzzy little friends? I know, I know it’s only been a couple of weeks… But their [i]adjustment[/i]! Surely you’d notice by now whether or not they’re satisfied with the environment.”[/color] Lynette tried to ask casually.

[color=d1b300]“They miss sleeping on me,”[/color] Trisha replied, with a light laugh. It was one of the things she didn’t miss… as much as she loved her bees, it’d been quite difficult. As for why she started with the negative? Mostly the bad mood, and not wanting to make things too easy for Lynette. No that she thought this’d affect her much… 

[color=d1b300]“They’ve settled in. They’re still building the comb, but they’ve started producing a good amount of honey. It’s faster now that they don’t have to travel as far to find flowers… They’re satisfied with it. They’d all have moved in with us if they weren’t.”[/color]

Lynette laughed warmly, the thought of so many bees taking refuge at the height of their little home made her laugh. Imagining the noise alone was enough.

[color=8882be]”God, I bet it’d sound like living in a laundromat. Let’s [i]bee[/i] thankful they can at least take the hint that they live where they are, and that your home isn’t just [i]their[/i] home.”[/color] she smiled, turning back as they reached the bottom of the steps and followed the train of food toward Lynette’s office.

As it was the last time, it was the same here again. Lots of dark wood, cabinets with things. Big comfortable chairs. Only, Elise was waiting there. Not Lena. Thankfully…

[color=f0cd8d]”There they are… Couple of the century. Little Brother, Little Sister.-”[/color]
Elise was dressed like she’d just woken up in the cutest set of flannel pyjamas.
[color=f0cd8d]”-I didn’t think anyone would be worried if I was comfy… I slept here last night.”[/color]

There was a blanket and pillow on the couch at the furthest side of the room. Classic Elise. The people in charge of bringing the food down made sure each container slid in front of a seat where someone could get to it. There were already sets of plates and silverware present.

Casey pulled a seat out for Trisha, letting her sit down and taking the spot next to her. As predicted, the other two sat down across the table. Elise slid a big organizer folder across the table to herself, unzipping it and yanking it open.

[color=f0cd8d]”Okaaaaaay… Harvest Feast. Last year was ‘The Moon and the Coast’, right?”[/color] Elise started pretty much immediately.

Lynette gave her a tired look.

[color=8882be]”Can we not eat like a family first?”[/color] she asked, head turning from Elise to the other two.
[color=8882be]”You’re not in any kind of rush, right? We can sit and just enjoy each other’s company for fifteen minutes, surely.”[/color]

[color=f0cd8d]”Casey’s very busy Mom… You must know.”[/color] Elise tried to gently explain.

But Lynette just looked at Casey and Trisha with a pleading glare. Casey didn’t say anything, just turned his head slightly to look at Trisha. If they answered wrong, he knew Lynette would snap up the chance to consume their time.

[color=577d06]”There’s some things that need to get done at home, right Hon?”[/color] Casey asked Trisha with a calm intent.

[color=d1b300]“There are,”[/color] Trisha confirmed, smiling slightly at Casey. It was easy to go along with… the less time spent with Lynette, the better. She turned to look at the woman in question. 
[color=d1b300]“Casey’s so busy he’s barely been sleeping… and some of the combs are almost full. If I leave them too long it’ll be a problem. We both have [i]work[/i] to do.”[/color]

Elise waved her hand forward as if to say “See?”. She could only wave her hand in disregard, moving for her first box of food. Some kind of plastic bowl of soup, which she practically drank out of like a cup. Satisfied with that, Elise nodded and continued on.

[color=f0cd8d]”So, Trisha… Casey’s given you the basic gist of how things go, right? That this is a Blind-Friendly event, and that we’ve hosted almost a thousand people at one point? We learned our lesson, obviously; so this year we’re looking at about five hundred invitations sent out between single members and families. Have you two… Come up with a theme, or anything like that?”[/color] 

Casey nodded his head. 
[color=577d06]”Trisha had a good one, right Babe?”[/color]

Trisha wasn't sure if it was actually a good one. It was something she'd thought of while focusing on ‘making it about them.’ Something that, in her opinion, they both shared. It just happened to work for a general theme… 
[color=d1b300]“Mhm… I was thinking resilience. Surviving and overcoming the past and moving into a new future. Like ancient forests that still thrive, or… bees."[/color] Even though she'd discussed it with Casey, she didn't feel entirely confident about it. She watched Lynette more than she did Elise… since her reaction was more important. 

But why did she really care? It was an event she was being forced to organise just to try make it slightly comfortable for herself… 
[color=d1b300]“We wanted it to be outdoors so it was a more natural setting. Casey had the idea of a beer garden kind of thing… well, a [I]Bee[/I]-r garden."[/color] She glanced at Casey with a slight smile, before looking back at Lynette.

Lynette’s smile curled up around her lips.
[color=8882be]”You and those bees, Trisha… Adorable.”[/color]

Elise nodded to herself, marking something down on a piece of paper.
[color=f0cd8d]”Were we thinking like… Bee theming? Or is the pun just because it’s cute?”[/color]

While her tone was monotonous and somewhat tired, Elise still shot a sly grin up. It wasn’t malice, rather amused. Whatever she felt about it, chances were it was at least good enough that they didn’t protest.

[color=d1b300]“Because it's cute… Casey's the one who insisted on it."[/color] She let out a joking sigh like it was some little inside joke- Casey loving her so much that he always tried to make things about her. Of course she'd considered making the entire theme Bees at first… but that seemed too much. 
[color=d1b300]“I wouldn't want to put them on display like that… they get crowd anxiety."[/color]

As she spoke, one of the small group of bees she'd brought crawled out from underneath her thick hair, little antenna wiggling in the air before turning right back around to hide. It was almost comedic. 
[color=d1b300]“We were thinking it'd be nice to do something with my honey… y'know, product marketing."[/color]

[color=f0cd8d]”We were actually anticipating it. Do you… Have enough? The combs produced so far will suffice for the event with something like that amount of people?”[/color] Elise asked calmly, very clearly non judgemental in her tone. 

She wasn’t just practiced in the language of anxiety reduction, she was [i]proficient.[/i] In situations like this, one would never know what her personal feelings were about things… It was only business.

[color=8882be]”She wouldn’t be asking if she didn’t think there was enough. Right, Trisha?”[/color] Lynette asked quietly, preferring to give Trisha the chance to take the situation into her own hand.

The bees were one of the things Trisha was relatively confident in. Confident enough to at least ignore the constantly bubbling panic and talk about them calmly… without taking things the worst way she could. 
[color=d1b300]“Right. It [I]does[/I] depend on what's done with it. There isn't enough to give everyone a jar… but for sampling, use in drinks or dishes should be fine. The bees have produced more than I expected, and there'll be even more by next week. Assuming I keep up collection and maintenance it won't be a problem."[/color] Emotional maintenance of the bees, that was. There was little she had to do in the way of hive maintenance with their new environment.

[color=d1b300]“We could even do really tiny little jars… enough to put in tea or on some bread."[/color]

Lynette had started to slurp oysters directly from their shells. There were probably six plastic containers full of them, now that one could see the spread laid across the conference table. She had a thick half-lemon in her left hand, and stopped mid-slurp to lean and kick Elise’s chair playfully.

[color=8882be]”The fuckin-”[/color]

Elise was writing something and laughing at the same time.
[color=f0cd8d]”Yeah. Trisha, we’ve got these glass vessels? We used them for holy water at one point, and then we made another order… To sell shots out of at some adult event or something? But it never happened, so we can use them. They’re these-”[/color]

Lynette stood up from the table, brushing her buttery, lemony hands off on a rag before moving to one of the many shelves. She pulled out a rather ornate looking bottle roughly the size of a single serving soda bottle. It looked totally full of liquid, but it sloshed around in a very strange way. Bringing it to the table, she handed it over to Trisha.

[color=8882be]”Three fluid ounces. Two shots, basically. But the illusion of the glass makes it look like it's really filling the thing.”[/color] Lynette explained.

Trisha took the fancy bottle, turning it in her hands. She brought it right up to her eyes to look at it. Her brow furrowed as she did some quick math. 
[color=d1b300]“With what I've collected the last week, and what I should get in the next week… I think I should have about thirty to forty pounds of honey. That'd be enough to fill about seventy if it's only thirty? Or a hundred and forty if we half the amount… But I might end up with more, the bees have been surprising me. It wouldn't be enough for [I]everyone[/I]. Will that be a problem?"[/color]

[color=f0cd8d]”No, absolutely not. However, we’re always looking for the best way to do things. So, if your math is right, thirty pounds of honey cuts out to roughly four-hundred and twenty net servings of honey at one tablespoon per serving. If we’re looking to get… What, do you think sixteen dollars a pound? Eighteen?”[/color]

Lynette started giggling while Elise was going over math, and Casey was huffing down a small box of baked potatoes and sour cream. But he had the wherewithal to at least give his mother a chastising look.

[color=8882be]”What?”[/color]
[color=577d06]”[i]What?[/i]/… You know what. Don’t be a child.”[/color]

Lynette laughed again, waving her hand. But Elise had stopped, also smiling slightly.
[color=f0cd8d]”Yeah, Mom… [i]Four-Twenty.[/i] Har har. Anyway, Trisha, I honestly think we could push it. Have you talked to Andrade about it? Priced it at all for him and what he’s getting it for?”[/color]

Trisha nodded along with Elise's math, mentally keeping track of it in case there were any mistakes… not that she expected there to be. But it seemed right. She was too caught up on recalculating to have much of a reaction to Lynette's juvenile sense of humour, beyond a flat stare.

[color=d1b300]“I have, we discussed everything and signed contracts last week…"[/color] She'd wanted to get it done as soon as possible, around everything else they'd been dealing with. Especially after that call with Ezra… as much as she hated to admit he'd been right. 
[color=d1b300]”He’s getting it at about twelve a pound, with some variation depending on quality and bulk. When I start producing enough to sell in bulk. His rate is technically discounted."[/color] Though less discounted than she'd expected. She was thankful for both the lawyer Ezra had suggested, and the fact that Andrade was so willing to work with her. He saw her value almost more than she did… he could've very easily cheated her out of a lot of money. 

[color=d1b300]“So sixteen to eighteen would be able what I'd sell a pound for anyone else, and when it starts being sold by the jar."[/color] Trisha was glad the conversation was staying in this kind of thing. Practical, something she knew about. 
[color=d1b300]“If we do it by tablespoon, I should be able to get enough for five hundred. Thirty pounds is a conservative estimate of what I'll have by then."[/color]

[color=f0cd8d]”We like to plan on the conservative side. That way, anything extra is something we can report to the congregation as a blessing. So, what I was thinking? Raffle. We always have stuff we’re looking to move, so we could slip a bulk order of the honey in as one of the prizes? We’ll put it on a special ticket, and then we’ll have anyone who purchases one have access to some… Mead? Bread and honey treats?”[/color]

Casey laughed.
[color=577d06]”We… We could do that weird fermenting machine. I think Gin would be happy to help.”[/color]
Looking at Trisha, he shrugged his shoulders.
[color=577d06]”There are things we could do magically to… Y’know… Pad out the product too. I’m not sure how on board with something like that you’d be.”[/color]

How easily one slipped back into the past. To ease back into a position so comfortable you don’t realize you’re in it. It almost scared Casey when he realized. But Elise was there to pick up the slack, sniffing out the old family proclivity.

[color=f0cd8d]”Oh, no… We don’t want Trisha having to do anything like that. We’d rather get the product in its most undoctored form. I only mentioned the mead as an assumption that there was some already made. I should’ve asked instead of assuming.”[/color] she looked from Casey to Trisha and gave a warm smile.

Trisha’s body tensed slightly when Casey suggested using magic to pad it out. To [i]fake[/i] it. She didn’t want to do that… she didn’t want to market or sell a false product. It wasn’t like she was [i]really[/i] doing it for the money. But that honey was her bees' hard work, and she didn’t want to dilute it. Could hardly stand the idea.

Thankfully, Elise stepped in before Trisha got a chance to more harshly shut it down. Her hands clasped together tightly in her lap and while she didn’t return Elise’s smile, there was a hint of thankfulness in her gaze. 

[color=d1b300]“I don’t want it tampered with. That would be like dismissing all of the bees’ hard work. I don’t mind it being processed, but I don’t want that process to be magical… or for the honey to be given out in an impure form.”[/color] She managed to speak calmly, though she looked down at the table rather than at Casey. It was just like what they’d put a cap on earlier… the view of Blinds, magical superiority. The immediate want to solve a problem with magic was part of it. But they were going to talk about it later. She just had to ignore it for just now… push it down. Try not to show her annoyance.

[color=d1b300]“Having my honey on offer was just a suggestion, anyway. It’s not the focus of the festival, and it shouldn’t end up causing us hassle… I’d be fine with the raffle idea, sans mead we don’t have.”[/color]

Elise waved her hands to ward off the doom.
[color=f0cd8d]”We’ll do exactly as intended, and there’ll be no hassle in making it happen. We’ll allocate a small amount to do a raw tasting bar available to anyone who purchased the ticket. I think a twenty-dollar buy in for the chance to win a year’s worth of grade A honey is a fair ask. And you guys take home the proceedings, since it’s your product. Does that sound square, Trisha?”[/color] she asked.

Trisha didn’t have to think about it much. It achieved what she was primarily after: getting the product out there, and something she could rub in Tansy’s face. Maybe she could even prove to Ezra that she [i]did[/i] know what she was doing with it.
[color=d1b300]“It does, so long as my name’s attached to it too.”[/color] She honestly wasn’t expecting to get paid for it. She’d been willing to make the financial sacrifice for other gains, and making things all around easier for them both… 

[color=d1b300]“So, uh, as well as the honey… We had some other ideas, didn’t we, Casey?”[/color] She half glanced at him, before looking down at her hands.
[color=d1b300]“Like I thought a buffet style meal would fit the theme, and give things a more… Chill feeling.”[/color]

[color=8882be]”Oh, like a soup kitchen?”[/color] Lynette asked, seemingly without any thought. Obviously, that wasn’t actually the case. She never asked anything like that. Every question tended to have some driving purpose.

[color=f0cd8d]”There’s nothing more communal than queuing, Ma… You get in a line, your folks are around you, Dad’s at the front talking to mister so-and-so, Mum’s jabbering away with Janice, then all of a sudden all the kids are in a knot messing around with one another one by one. Suddenly they’re sitting at a table with people they never expected, and everyone’s thankful.”[/color] Elise deftly framed the situation for maximum value.

[color=577d06]”[i]And[/i] it fits the theme, Ma! Resilience! Nothing more resilient than having stood in line for an hour to get your food.”[/color] Casey joked, shaking his head gently. 

Lynette did giggle in turn, sighing from her nose.
[color=8882be]”I only asked a question. You both could’ve just said [i]no[/i].”[/color]

Elise was very clearly masterful at dealing with her mother. Rather than feed into her, to give her more opportunity to play, she simply redirected the conversation once again.

[color=f0cd8d]”I think it’ll go down great. How do you feel about multiple establishments? We’ve got access to such a wide variety of food from Andrade’s restaurants, we can offer people three or four different choices for buffet. That way we can [i]also[/i] distribute traffic in a more intelligent fashion.”[/color] she suggested with such tremendous professionalism, it almost felt like an actual interview… 

Were it not for the woman loudly crunching on a baguette.

Trisha had been waiting for Lynette to say [i]something[/i]. She’d been strangely- unnervingly- quiet. So she was able to hear the question without reacting much, and without needing to when both Elise and Casey responded to it. Then the conversation was shifted, thankfully. 

She found herself appreciating Elise’s presence more and more. 
[color=d1b300]“I assumed it would be something like that… or at least, more than one table of food. Offering a bit of variety when there’s so many people makes sense. If there’s any traditional foods that need including, that can be done, but it’s nicer if people have options.”[/color] Going with a buffet meant she could avoid the awkwardness of forced sitting times, and just skip eating entirely if she didn’t feel like it…

Her lips twitched up into an almost joking smile.
[color=d1b300]“As much as I’d love to see my sister, and maybe my brother, stand in a long queue with all the ‘normal’ people.”[/color]

[color=8882be]”Oh, Trisha, you’ll love the guest list by the way. No doubt Miss Tansy must’ve contacted your brother; his RSVP was one of the first to come in. Along with a [i]generous[/i] operational donation which we intend to actually return to him… It was completely unprompted…”[/color]

Casey’s brow furrowed.
[color=577d06]”Our coffers received a donation from Ezra Vanburen recently?”[/color]

Lynette looked too smug about it.
[color=8882be]”No… [i]My[/i] coffers. That’s obviously why you haven’t seen a large donation in your audit.”[/color] she explained.

Trisha’s eyes narrowed as she tried to keep a frown off her face. Ezra didn’t spend money without a reason. He wasn’t one of those rich men who threw it around everywhere. Was it because he knew it was a cult? Some way to… bribe Lynette in case she was trapped in it? No, that didn’t make sense. Ezra didn’t care that much. It was far more likely Tansy pressured him into it. 

[color=d1b300]“Unprompted by you, perhaps,”[/color] Trisha responded, shaking her head slightly. 
[color=d1b300]“Ezra doesn’t do things ‘unprompted.’ There’s always a reason. He probably thought you were on the many charities that ask him to attend Galas and the like… I assume his RSVP was a no?”[/color]

[color=8882be]”And why would we ever assume something so negative?”[/color] Lynette asked with a grin, looking at Elise. She flipped back through her folder.

[color=f0cd8d]”Ezra Vanburen… Confirmed. Plus one, denied. Seems he’s either coming alone, or he’ll be with Tansy directly.”[/color] she shrugged, looking up at Trisha with a vague frown.
[color=f0cd8d]”Otherwise, we’ve got a lot of no answers from the spectrum of Vanburens. Rest easy, Trisha… It’ll only be the two it seems.”[/color]

[color=8882be]”Can you check one more name for me? Should be Mendoza? Maria?”[/color] Lynette’s question echoed out through the room like they were in a cavern.

It was like everything froze for a moment. Static rang in Trisha’s ears, cutting through the suffocating silence. She was stuck, unable to even breath as her mind slowly caught up with her body’s immediate reaction. [i]Mendoza. Maria.[/i] No…

[color=d1b300]“What?”[/color] The word barely managed to escape Trisha’s lips, sounding almost strangled. Unable to hold her breath any longer, instead it quickened. The air she sucked in was ice cold, painful. Her nails dug into the back of her hands to try stop the panic threatening to consume her. 

There wasn’t an immediate explosion as Trisha tried to keep herself under control. But more than that, panic dominated any anger she’d feel. It was difficult to speak. Difficult to even breath.
[color=d1b300]“You didn’t… invite [i]her[/i].”[/color]

Elise had enough time to find the name and see the status of the invitation before Trisha asked a question like that.
[color=f0cd8d]”Married sister of yours or something, Trisha? We can scratch her off… Nothing a call from someone very far away can’t fix.”[/color]

Lynette blew air from her lips to ward off Elise’s current course.
[color=8882be]”Don’t you dare! That’s Trisha’s [i]Momma[/i], and she’s already confirmed too. It’d be incredibly rude to have someone planning to come all that way on such short notice just to upend her plans.”[/color] 

What? She’d already confirmed. There was no way. Lynette had to be-
[color=d1b300]“You’re lying.”[/color] She had to be. Trisha’s mom was too busy to attend something like this. She’d see the invitation and throw it in the trash. She [i]had[/i] to. What could the invitation even say that would make her come? 

[i]Why[/i] would she attend a festival in the city her daughter lived in while ignoring every single call and text Trisha had sent? It had been [i]two years[/i] since they talked. Even longer since she actually saw her. But she agreed to come to this? And there’d been no text to Trisha. Nothing.

It hurt. She was being thrown away again. [i]Worthless[/i]. Would she have to see her mom there, refusing to talk to her? Ignoring her? Talking to everyone else… She couldn’t do that. No. 
[color=d1b300]“She’s too busy to come to this. There’s no way she said yes.“[/color] The words were spoken through gritted teeth, Trisha no longer able to hide her panic in the slightest. Her breathing was visibly shallow and her eyes narrowed into a frantic glare towards Lynette. But Elise didn’t know. And she didn’t want her to know!

So it had to be a lie. Maybe it was all a lie. No, Elise had found the name. So even if it was a lie, she’d still invited her. She’d still fucking invited her!
[color=d1b300]”So stop fucking lying about it.”[/color]

Elise’s eyes darted from Lynette to Trisha and back again. But Casey was already reacting in turn with Trisha’s rapid shift.
[color=577d06]”This is a joke… Right? You’re kidding, I mean, there’s no way in Hell you actually decided that was a good idea! Ma?”[/color]

Lynette’s brow furrowed.
[color=8882be]”You’re a little shocked, Trisha… But I’m sure you want to see her! What kind of [i]animal[/i] wouldn’t want to see their own mother?”[/color]

It didn’t stop her from eating… She was gripped tight to a bowl of mashed something or other, and had poured the leftover shellfish butter into the mix long ago. 

[color=577d06]”Elise… Call her. Have someone else do it. Whatever you need to; we don’t want that woman at this event.”[/color] Casey intoned, and tried to do so calmly upon his authority. 

[color=f0cd8d]”Wait, wait… This is all a bit much, isn’t it? She [i]did[/i] confirm, but maybe we should ask ourselves why! Trisha? Maybe… I mean, I don’t know! I know when I leave things unsaid for too long, it feels embarrassing to address them… Maybe this is that?”[/color] Elise tried to rationalize the situation in a constructive way.

[color=8882be]”She seemed [i]thrilled[/i] when I spoke to her.”[/color] Lynette decided to leave another gunshot hanging in the air for Trisha to get hit by…

[color=d1b300]“You spoke to her?!”[/color] No, no, no no… Why? Why the fuck would Maria talk to Lynette but not her?! There was [i]no[/i] way she sounded thrilled. Trisha had heard her sound something close to thrilled before… when work was going well, when she obtained awards, when her research made a breakthrough. But about or to Trisha? It was never more than tired disappointment. 

Frantically, Trisha pulled her phone out from her pocket. Just in case, maybe she missed something… No. All she saw was the calls she’d made and the texts she sent for every occasion. Not a single response. Not since she graduated. She shoved it back away.

[color=d1b300]“Very fucking funny. This has to be a joke.”[/color] But Elise said she confirmed. Elise didn’t even know… She wasn’t in on it. Right? Trisha would rather she was. That it was one horrible joke to hurt her. Because the reality was worse. The reality that Maria was coming to the Temple’s Thanksgiving equivalent, probably based on some promise of Academic knowledge Lynette fed her… Coming to a city she knew Trisha lived in. 

And ignoring her all the same. 
[color=d1b300]“[i]No.[/i] She doesn’t [i]get[/i] embarrassed. It’s not that… What did you tell her? Because there’s no [i]way[/i] you used me as the reason. You’ve dug into my past enough to know that wouldn’t work!”[/color] Trisha didn’t want Elise to know. She didn’t want anyone to. Telling Casey had been such a major thing for her. But it didn’t matter now… 

[color=d1b300]“She’s [i]my[/i] mother. What gave you the right to invite her?! Just because I’m dating your son doesn’t mean we’re suddenly family, and you can access mine!”[/color]

Elise turned to her mother.
[color=f0cd8d]”You’re a petulant and cruel Witch… Y’know who I went to see recently? Because of what I’ve been dealing with?-”[/color]

Her face had turned from a sullen calm to a concerned parent, then finally into the devil itself as Elise stared at Lynette’s smug smirk.

[color=f0cd8d]”-Lady Preen Murkwood? From Our Ladies of Brilliance?”[/color]

Lynette knew not to take the bait. That old bat hadn’t taught Elise anything that she’d not taught her.

[color=8882be]”Trisha, if you want to know what I said to get her out here, then I think there’s going to need to be a little compromise! You’re going to [i]have to[/i] accept that she’s going to be here. And then you can ask her yourself. Or, I can stop making exceptions for you.”[/color]
Her voice was incredibly smooth, and with the vague implication of any kind of special treatment came the implication that there was something that could be [i]taken away.[/i]

[color=577d06]”I’m sorry, Ma… What are you saying?”[/color] Casey asked, very subtly moving his left hand underneath the table to grip into any loose clothing Trisha was wearing. To yank her if he had to.

[color=8882be]”I’m saying that we’ve made some pretty serious compromises welcoming our dear friend into our family so openly! Trisha… Is it so hard to think that I’ve [i]had[/i] an awful relationship with my children? I’d say I’ve done nothing but try to reconcile that. So maybe what I said had something to do with that? Maybe all someone needs is to hear things from the mouth of someone you happen to respect?”[/color] Lynette offered the question for Trisha to answer actively, leading her toward a thought path she hoped the young woman would follow.

[color=f0cd8d][b]”Ma!?”[/b][/color] Elise blurted out in shock.

It felt like everything was crumbling around Trisha. What was Lynette saying? Tolerate the mother that abandoned her, or be forced to leave Casey? He wouldn’t, would he? No… he might… He might not have a choice… 

A quiet, bitter laugh came out before any words did. 
[color=d1b300]“You [i]are[/i] a terrible mother. You’re manipulative, controlling, you [i]spy[/i] on them- but there’s a relationship to ‘reconcile’, no matter how awful you are! You [i]love[/i] them. My mom doesn’t [i]love [b]me[/b][/i]!”[/color] The truth she tried so hard to hide came spilling out. 

Did she care? It could all be over now. She could be left with nothing. Of course it had been too good to be true. She should’ve known everything was going to come crashing down… No, no, not yet. She was still on the edge of the precipice. The panic wasn’t so bad she’d shut down.
[color=d1b300]“And I’m not going to let you take away the one person that [i]does[/i]!”[/color]

[color=8882be]”Who is taking any person away from you!? I’m trying to get someone [i]back[/i] into your life! Because, amazingly, she [i]does[/i] love you!”[/color] Lynette cooed in the most somber tone she could muster.

Elise pushed up out of her chair and slammed her planner shut.
[color=f0cd8d]”She’s right! You have [i]no[/i] business doing this kind of thing to her, Ma. You shame me, you shame your son, you shame the name of our Coven-”[/color]

[color=8882be]”-Shame!? You want shame? Shame is [i]knowing what I know[/i] and living with myself every day! You kids… All of you! Spoiled rotten! As soon as someone throws something hard at you, you fucking cry and cry about it until Mummy makes it go away. You fucking fix it! Or tell Professor Dryden that Professor Mendoza won’t be joining them for our Alumnul Society.”[/color]

Elise’s head ran through several gears trying to pin a face to the name.
[color=f0cd8d]”Miss Mackie?”[/color] she asked with a wholly confused look.

[color=8882be]”Professor Mackenzie Dryden! Our Boston branch lead?”[/color] Lynette looked like she was going to snap the fork in her hand.

[color=f0cd8d]”Oh, my God… So she doesn’t even [i]know?[/i]”[/color]

Of course she didn’t. It was exactly what Trisha thought. Nothing to do with her. It felt like she was being crushed. She’d [i]known[/i] but it didn’t make the confirmation any easier. How explicitly her mother didn’t care for her. How she’d really been cut off and abandoned by a woman she’d worked so hard to obtain the love of. Her own [i]mother[/i]. 

She bit her lip hard enough to taste iron in her mouth, preventing tears from forming in her eyes. Not here. She couldn’t. But it didn’t stop the panic attack. She was visibly shaking, and it was like her limbs were being stabbed by thousands of tiny needles. It was all consuming. 

Because she was [color=766359][i]unloveable[/i]. A failure. Couldn’t handle anything.[/color] Destined to be left by every single person in her life… 

[color=d1b300]“S-see, I fucking- knew it.”[/color] She barely managed to choke out. She wanted to run, to hide, to just not exist. 
[color=d1b300]“I don’t care. H-have her, since she’s [i]so[/i] important. I’ll- I’ll stay home. You don’t need [i]me[/i] there.”[/color]

She stood up suddenly, hands slamming into the table to stop herself from immediately collapsing on shaky legs. The edges of her vision went fuzzy. Her voice was harsh, frantic. There was no way to hide the anxiety attack even when she fought through enough to talk.
[color=d1b300]“I’ve [i]never[/i] had anyone to [i]fix[/i] anything for me. So- so I’ll do it myself by leaving.”[/color]

[color=f0cd8d]”Trisha… We [i]want[/i] your involvement. We [i]love[/i] having you and Casey working together. [i]We.[/i] Forget whatever’s going on here…-”[/color]
[color=8882be]”-What’s going on here is I’m leaving my last harvest to watch my Son take over. Like he will. And then, I’ll be gone! And nobody’ll have to deal with big bad Lynette anymore…”[/color]

Casey hadn’t considered the idea that Lynette would’ve started drinking [i]before[/i] they arrived… But reaching out now, he knew that was exactly what had happened. Drunk. Hiding it well, but hammered regardless. And, as he already assumed, fully aware of the machinations playing out in the background behind her. Nothing got past that defense system… Which made sense. It couldn’t fail. There was too much at stake. So, if she knew, why was she acting like it was inevitable?

[color=8882be]”And Elise is right, Trisha. You’re doin’ great, honey!”[/color] she sarcastically intoned.
[color=8882be]”You and my big boy! You’re honestly lucky. Coming here when you did. It’s all slipping away now… May as well try and make my babies [i]happy[/i] before they take my heart.”[/color]

Elise bristled visibly at her Mother, readjusting and making way around the table.
[color=f0cd8d]”You two… Come on. We don’t have to sit here and listen to this woe-is-me White Lux bullshit.”[/color] 

Casey stood up with Trisha, and had since wrapped his arm tightly around her. But his eyes met his Mothers, and at once he could see [i]everything[/i] she knew. Everything she’d seen and felt and imagined… All coming together. All according to plan.
[color=8882be]”Oh, sure Elise! Deprive them of their lunch! They’ll starve! Starve, like dogs who hate their [i]mothers![/i]”[/color] she called one last time before Elise was able to usher the two of them out and back down the hall.

[color=f0cd8d]”Trisha, Trisha… This is [i]not[/i] how I planned things going. There’s no reason for that, at all. I want you to know that we’re on [i]your[/i] side here. Not hers. If it means enough that we don’t have this person come around, whoever she is, then she simply won’t be there. There’s no way. I’d rather the entirety of the Greater Eastern Branch didn’t come than have you absent while your honey is present. Or, while Casey’s present for that matter.”[/color] Elise did her best to explain as she walked alongside Casey and Trisha.

Trisha clung to Casey, only able to walk because of his support. Her whole body was shaking and being removed from the situation hadn’t done anything to help her panic. How could it? Her mother still didn’t love her. Still [i]hated[/i] her. Trisha loved her. She did want to see her, actually. But not like this. Not around so many people… not when she might be completely ignored.

[color=d1b300]“O-okay.”[/color] She was slow to process what Elise said, and struggled to respond. She knew that they weren’t on Lynette’s side. That much was obvious… but were they really on her side? 
[color=d1b300]“She [i]is[/i] my Mother… B-But I don’t want her there. Not when… I just don’t.”[/color]

The death grip one hand had on Casey’s shirt only tightened. She looked up at him with eyes still filled with panic. 
[color=d1b300]“Can we go home? O-or I’ll go…”[/color] She wasn’t even sure if she could make it that far. She just needed to curl up. To be anywhere but here… to be alone.

No, no, not alone, she didn’t want to be alone, she wanted to be with Casey. It didn’t matter where. She just needed to be him, just them. 
[color=d1b300]“Even just- the car.”[/color]

Casey was already far, far away in his mind. Taking himself to a place of comfort and rest. One where whatever this was wasn’t happening right now. Where things weren’t like this. He didn’t plan on stopping, even if Elise begged him to. Not because he didn’t want to talk about it, because of course he did… But because she couldn’t handle it. He knew she couldn’t. Trisha would probably dissolve into fine mist before anything actually got settled…

And she didn’t need that. Not after what they’d discussed. Not after this whole holiday had already become a problem.

[color=f0cd8d]”Literally [i]whatever[/i] you need. Casey, get her home safely please.”[/color]
Elise did her best to make sure Trisha knew she cared… Too bad, no matter how hard she tried, there would never be enough words or feelings between them for Trisha to trust her… At least, that's what she assumed.

[color=577d06]”Is Ray around?”[/color] Casey asked very quietly. Elise nodded her confirmation.
[color=577d06]”Have him bring a car around. I’d rather not have to focus on driving and this at the same time.”[/color] Casey instructed. Wordlessly, Elise moved off their side while the two ascended the stairs of the sanctum back into the world of the living.

[color=577d06]”I’m sorry… God, I’m sorry… I’m so-”[/color]
Casey’s voice was awfully quiet, and seemed to echo directly into Trisha’s ear rather than sounding like it was coming from somewhere.

Trisha’s head jerked from side to side in a shaking motion. It wasn’t his fault, he didn’t know, but he hadn’t stopped it, he’d barely stepped in, did he really lo-

She cut off her thoughts with a harsh intake of breath, feeling like she was swallowing shattered glass. Her body twisted towards him. She didn’t look up at him, because she was trying to cling as tightly as she could. 
[color=d1b300]“No, no, no… I- I don’t w-want to lose you, I c-could handle it.”[/color] 

She couldn’t keep her thoughts straight, or separate rational and irrational panic… It all felt real. And there was that very real fear of what Lynette had said. The [i]compromise[/i], a [i]choice[/i] that she didn’t seem to make. Or did she choose not seeing Maria over him?! No, no, she didn’t, she was overwhelmed, [i]unloved, abandoned[/i], it was just all too much.

[color=d1b300]“I n-need you… it wasn’t you… I- I- she-”[/color] The panic was overwhelming, with a need for comfort but a struggle to verbalise anything. 
[color=d1b300]“I j-just want to be alone w-with you.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”We’re going, Baby… I promise, we’re going. Someone’s gonna come and drive us, we’ll be all alone all the way home. I promise, I promise you Baby…”[/color] he rubbed his hands up and down her arms as they exited the building into the cold.

Not even wanting to be that close to the building they’d been under, he started to walk them further off onto the lawn of the Chapel and down to the cul-de-sac. 

[color=577d06]”Nobody’s taking anything from you. Fuck her. Fuck her bullshit exceptions.”[/color] 

Trisha’s head snapped up to look at him with wide eyes. It shouldn’t be a shock after everything he’d said. But when she was like this, after everything she’d heard? When Lynette had threatened it so confidently? It was hard to not be terrified at the prospect. 

The risk of losing Casey to something outside of their control…
[color=d1b300]“O-okay. I don’t even [i]care[/i] about exceptions, I-I’d hide in your closet all day if I had to, o-or sneak in, so I could stay with you. I just want to be with you…”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Trisha, you’re a fucking Adult. The day you have to hide in the closet of our home is the day I burn this entire plot of land to the fucking grou-”[/color]

Casey stopped. Stopped talking, stopped moving, stopped everything. At a short distance, a few hundred feet away in the opening to the treeline, stood a thing. It wasn’t a man; too small. Not a boy either, too large. A teen? No, no… Just a… [i]Being.[/i] An entity that Casey’d never actually seen before. Its long black hair cascaded down its body like a blanket almost entirely covering its body. Its face was mousish, but wholly distinct as a face he’d seen before. His lip quivered. 

[color=577d06][i]Why now?[/i][/color]
But it just stood there staring. Even as the car pulled up and the driver pulled the back door open for Trisha and Casey to climb into, it was just watching them. Casey didn’t bother asking if the other man could see it… Why even ask?

But they were in a car at least, and driving away from that brief but painful nightmare revealed to them. At least it was over… For now.
[hr]
[right][code]Home[/code][/right]
By the time they got home, Trisha wasn’t that much calmer. Her breathing was at least a bit more steady. She wasn’t hyperventilating to the point she could barely feel her hands and feet. The whole journey had been spent mostly in silence, taking refuge in Casey’s arms in the hope everything else would go away. 

The thoughts didn’t. They never did… And she couldn’t stop the panic attack when it was a constant cycle of those thoughts. Each time she came down a bit, another would throw her right back into it. 

So they ended up back in what was a safe space for them, in that spot at the back of the large couch where Casey could hold her without hurting his back. She was still a tight ball of anxiety, curled up in his lap while pressing herself against his torso. Her face pressed into his chest, trying her best to even out her breathing further. Her limbs still shook, but it was more muted. 

She was still in the middle of an attack, but she’d managed to come back down to a point where she was somewhat [i]functional[/i]. It was a little bit easier with him… She found herself wanting to get the jumbled mess of thoughts [i]out[/i]. Some of them. Otherwise she’d keep spiralling, and it would last for hours and hours, no matter how much Casey hugged her. 

Talking scared her… but not as much as making Casey deal with [i]this[/i]. 

[color=d1b300]“She hasn’t talked to me since I graduated,”[/color] Trisha whispered, breath catching in her throat. The tears that had just barely stopped started to flow again.
[color=d1b300]“Even when I- I tried to call. She knows I live here… but still didn’t contact me. She really d-doesn’t want me.”[/color]

Casey had already spent enough time seething on the way home. He’d been so pissed off that it was hard to give Trisha the space in his mind to occupy. Only when they’d finally made it back, foregoing the changing into his usual comfort clothing just as she had, did he feel safe and secure enough to give her anything more than his expression of absolute mental anguish mixed with some strange form of empathy. 

He was rather upset with himself still; having gone through the guest list twice, he knew the name was there. He even knew they’d accepted the initial RSVP. It didn’t explain to Trisha that the RSVP was a lump agreement, nor that it didn’t guarantee any one particular member of the Alumnae Association’s attendance. Only that they, along with a large group of people, had said yes to a larger banquet table. Meals were paid wholesale, and whether the seat was used or not, it was served just like all the others.

[color=577d06]”And you don’t want her either. It’s fair, Trisha… Fair enough that I would never judge you for not ever wanting to see her ever again. And, I know you [i]want[/i] to deep down. I can’t imagine anyone [i]wouldn’t[/i] want their Mom in their life. I know I still do, even though she’s an insane person who does things like this to the woman I love… Why? [i]Because I love her too.[/i] It’s programmed inside us. But some people don’t have it at all, Trisha. Some people just don’t feel that love toward others, and maybe there’s ultimately nothing wrong with her being like that either! Except that she [i]let that feeling ruin you![/i]”[/color]

He was rubbing her shoulders as firmly but gently as he could, taking deep breaths with her in between sentences as he explained his position. Hoping she’d find some sort of comfort in what he was saying, his lips planted gently on the back and top of her head.

But Trisha did want to see her. It wasn't even deep down… just not like this. She wanted to see her Mom when it was just the two of them. She wanted her Mom to want to see [I]her[/I]. She didn't want to see her at a Temple event where Maria was actively avoiding seeing her. Her eyes blinked rapidly as if it would stop her tears from falling, trying to curl up even closer to Casey- like that was possible. 

[color=d1b300]“But she [I]can[/I] feel love. She loved my dad,"[/color] she whispered. It wasn't like Trisha had ever seen it, with the divorce happening when she was just a baby… but Maria had talked about it, when Trisha was young and not yet a disappointment. Whispering poison into Trisha's ears about the woman who'd ruined their marriage, broken the love they'd had… It was another reason Trisha was so scared of falling in love and then losing it. Because what if she ended up just like her? 
[color=d1b300]“She just doesn't love [I]me[/I]."[/color]

It was difficult to admit again, when it was just them. And it was difficult to accept that lack of love had ‘ruined’ Trisha. But it had, hadn't it? If she'd had at least one normal, loving parent maybe she wouldn't be so fucked up. No, she didn't even need that… 
[color=d1b300]“F-for a while after dad died, I wished I was like some of my other siblings. The ones with no m- mom. Cause that seemed better. But I didn't really… because I love my mom. And w-without her all the hard work I put in would- would be for nothing."[/color]

She shook her head, hands clutching onto Casey. 
[color=d1b300]“But it was anyway! It's not fair- why didn't she just abandon me before I got attached? I- I- I wouldn't be so… " Unloveable. “Anxious. I just wanted her to l-love me but I-I was always a disappointment.”[/color]

Casey’s face was sullen. The situation wasn’t one he could exactly relate to… He [i]had[/i] been the failure. But all roads returned him to Grace: He kindled in that jungle, and with the flames came love and acceptance from people who had treated him like an accessory up to then. The same people who practically drove him out were the ones who wanted him back now. It was kind of sickening, especially with Trisha’s situation being so raw in front of him.

[color=577d06]”People can be disappointed and still provide love, Trisha… Like uh…-”[/color]
His head had a billion examples that Trisha would’ve probably shot down for one reason or another. The only one she’d positively relate to hurt more than he wanted to bring up.
[color=577d06]”-Like Lynette. I know it sounds crazy but… Well… You heard her! She was going on about this being her [i]’Last Harvest’[/i] and how her children were going to steal her heart!”[/color]

He got close to her, pushing into her field of view.

[color=577d06]”Like… She [i]knows[/i] Elise is going to move on her. She knows the Aberrations are planning an uprising, and Leon isn’t stopping them. She knows that all Mia and the girls really want is their privacy, and that Junior’s plans are almost entirely outside of her purview… And ultimately, she knows that just like her, I can look down on it all and see every little chess piece move.”[/color]

Casey paused again, looking deep into Trisha’s eyes.
[color=577d06]”Lynette knows she’s going to die, and that it’ll be one of us to do it. And she’s going to make us as miserable as possible… With her [i]love.[/i] I know it doesn’t always look like it but, like… This is the [i]only[/i] way she’s ever loved us. And I can see it inside her now, whenever I look. All the lies around her, like moths that circle her constantly in the White Lux. But there’s five bright pink ones… One for each of us. I [i]know[/i] she loves us. [i]Even though[/i] she’s probably angry, disappointed, sad and scared all at once.”[/color]

Casey’s hands gripped Trisha’s arms to hold her steady.

[color=577d06]”If everything you’re saying is true… Maria [i]really doesn’t love you.[/i] And I won’t pretend to believe that you should waste your incredible emotional stock on someone who can’t love her daughter over stupid shit like academic prowess and skill in a professional field. You’re so much more than those vapid qualities, Trisha…”[/color] 

Trisha struggled to accept that. What more was she? What did she actually offer? If she had other qualities, why didn't her mom see them? Her body trembled as she sucked in a harsh breath, trying not to let that all consuming panic grip her again. 

[color=d1b300]“Am I? Everyone's always wanted something… Everyone else just wanted m-my body or my money, until y-"[/color] She cut herself off, realising in that moment it was entirely true it wasn't until Casey. Because there [I]was[/I] Cass, and Reyna, and Sal, and Nadiyah… but it didn't feel like anyone had fully loved her until Casey. 
[color=d1b300]“Until you and my friends."[/color]

She tilted her head back a bit to properly look at him with wide, tear filled eyes. 
[color=d1b300]“I know she doesn't love me. I know she'll [I]never[/I] love me- but I still want it so much! A- And I see Lynette, and I know she loves you even though she's awful. I can tell and then- then it makes me jealous! I know it shouldn't… Because she's hurt [I]you[/I] but… at least she does."[/color]

Her head curled back in to press against him, trying to take a deep breath. 
[color=d1b300]”And I hate that anyone knows."[/color] 

Casey just rubbed her head and shoulders as tenderly and lovingly as possible.
[color=577d06]”You have every right to be jealous, my sweet Trisha Bee.”[/color]

Taking a deep breath, he wondered whether or not she’d be receptive to the kind of motivational training they put one through in the military. In the FFL, it was still very professional, and morale was based on marching cadences and games of football (he’d grown so used to calling it that, the word “soccer” almost never crossed his mind) interspersed with the general suffering that soldiers tended to partake in around one another. 

It was there that you really learned that hate and spite could be powerful tools. That those two emotions often gave rise to some of the most heroic wartime acts one could think of. Including his, frankly… He’d be lying if he said that part of his heroic stand hadn’t been fueled ultimately by a roiling spite engine that consumed his gut to this day. That he only had such powerful memories of courage and the nostalgia involved in that glory because he [i]hated[/i] the man on the other side of the line.

[color=577d06]”You don’t… You don’t want to get [i]even?[/i] Like… All the time, I hear you talking about how sad you are, or about how difficult it is to deal with these sorts of things. But the only time they really seem to carry you is when you’re trying to please. Like the good girl you wanted to be. But, I mean; haven’t you ever considered using all that built up lack of recognition to do something [i]evil?[/i]”[/color]

He let the idea linger in the air for a while, waiting for Trisha’s response to the ominous question.

[color=d1b300]“I lash out all the time."[/color] Trisha furrowed her brow. She wasn't sure she'd ever used it for anything [I]evil[/I], but she always held onto grudges. There was just a conflict between wanting love, wanting to be what others wanted, and refusing to change. But she was only still around, still trying, because of the resentment she felt towards almost everyone in her life. 

[color=d1b300]“Maybe it's not ‘evil’, but- But I've hurt people before. That's how I lose everyone! Because I can't keep up the [I]good girl[/I] act and then I snap, and everyone's leaves."[/color] She was hyperventilating again, thinking about the continuous cycle she seemed trapped in. It always hurt her when those built up feelings came out. It hurt her [I]more[/I] than it did their target. 
[color=d1b300]“The last time I saw my mom- actually saw her- I told her I hated her. I did so much as a teenager and her only reaction was disappointment. All my siblings hate me because I was so [I]resentful[/I] as a teenager. I don't- I don't know how it'd ever help?"[/color]

Casey shook his head roughly.
[color=577d06]”No. Not what I mean.”[/color]
He took a deep breath, leaning forward with her so that he could stretch his back a little bit.

[color=577d06]”When I first transferred into the actual Army, I was put into the specialist unit. Magic guys. It was me in a batch of like six candidates. I got along fine, fit right in because I was already used to magic and used to weird shit from the FFL. But there was this other candidate. Usher, or something like that.”[/color]

Sergeant at Arms Robert Charles Usher, 330-21-0955. Tallahassee Florida; Wilkshire Boulevard, number 801. Survived by wife Whitney and daughter Isabella. [i]Something like that.[/i]

[color=577d06]”When we got there, he managed to catch some serious static with our supervisor right out of the gate. They both had the same uh… Job. Like, we all have jobs in the military besides going and taking positions. So they both had ways of doing things that were different. Got them to the same place usually, but never easily.”[/color]

Casey had mentioned this concept in front of Trisha before… Much more casually at the dinner up North when he’d been discharged. The previously described “Military Occupational Specialty”. Seemed like a hot topic that he and his military companions loved to talk about, so it wasn’t surprising that it’d be a source of friction somewhere down the road.

[color=577d06]”Anyway, make a long story real short: Usher wound up becoming so much better, so much more dominant at the job than our supervisor, that not only did everyone in the unit prefer the times that Usher did them, eventually the Chief had to admit that he was better. Except, I was one of the few people who was privy to what Usher was [i]actually[/i] up to.”[/color]

He smiled slightly, shrugged his shoulder.
[color=577d06]”Usher was a cook. And a Green Lux Adept. Every time the Chief tried to cook and feed us, Usher would release this God awful gas. Nobody knew, because it didn’t smell like it smelled. But it [i]reeked[/i]. He just programmed it well, so that it would only affect the back of your tastebuds. The area around the nasal passages. Any time the Chief made dinner, people would eat it and gag. Eventually, it was like a Pavlov’s Dog thing: People saw the Chief behind the counter and wouldn’t even turn up for Mess.”[/color] he grinned, giggling slightly just remembering the faces.

His turned to Trisha.
[color=577d06]”Usher won. After that, he was irreplaceable. Less missions, less away time, more chances to requisition shit from OPSEC. People loved him, thought he was a God with food. He wasn’t; he used a lot of salt, and treated anyone who tried to muscle into the kitchen like animals. But he was determined to survive the war like that. He wanted to go home to his family. He was desperate.”[/color]

Trisha's lips pressed together as she listened, head tilting a little in the way it often did when she was processing something. At the very least, listening to him talk about something completely different had allowed her to even out her breathing a bit. Still on the edge of panic, but able to breathe a little easier. 

[color=d1b300]“That doesn't sound ‘evil.’ Just… like you said, desperate. We had people like that in Sycamore too… who made spells so they'd be more useful off the front line."[/color] She furrowed her brow, trying to figure out how it related to her situation. Sometimes she was desperate enough that she'd do almost anything to keep someone in her life. Desperate to keep things secret and suppressed, or to never see people again. There was all that resentment built up inside of her, but it wasn't like she could use it in that way, could she?

[color=d1b300]“Are you… suggesting I put bad honey in people I don't like's food so they stop enjoying it?"[/color]

Casey put a finger up to his lips, smiling gently as he looked through the vague darkness at Trisha.
[color=577d06]”Six months of Chef Usher’s reign go by. Chief doesn’t bat an eye, just slowly transitions kitchen duties over to Usher. We move into a new operational base: Chief and I are going over the plans of this shithole with the previous crew chief who was in charge of the engineering team there. He tips us off that there’s a unit of locals out in the desert real fond of using rock and roll style mortar strikes. Usually, they hit the edge of the place, or somewhere off in the field not super close.”[/color]

Casey seemed to be half humored and half pained. He was, because the story was just so… [i]Evil.[/i]

[color=577d06]”But there’s this one spot on the Northern edge. It’d been like nine things apparently. Living tents, shitters, you name it they’d tried to put it on this spot… But the fucking Wacky Races crew out there seemed to have some kind of lock onto it because without fail mortars managed to strike the position.”[/color]

His bemused grin got slightly more serious.
[color=577d06]”Usher figured there was no chance anyone was onto him. Thought they were too stupid or too tired to care. So he didn’t ask the Chief any questions when he told him to set up the kitchen tent on the freshly made platform on the North side of camp. He just did it.”[/color]

Casey lifted his hand slightly, isolating a finger and letting it drop before making a motion with his fingers of expansion. Explosion.

[color=577d06]”I’m saying that you’re more than smart enough to wait for opportunities to guide others to their own mistakes. Their own downfall. Let their hubris get the better of them, let their negativity eat them alive… Whatever it is, I know for a fact that you don’t have to be the one hurt here. You should hurt the people who deserve it… Emotionally, mentally, [i]and only if all else fails[/i], physically. Because when you’re the one still standing? Everything they said up to that point just fades away. They can’t hurt you… You [i]won.[/i]”[/color]

Trisha's face scrunched up as she considered it. Not because she thought anything noble like that she shouldn't hurt others but… Was she really smart enough to do that? Could she really hurt people like they'd hurt her? Sure, she'd used the bees a couple of times… On exes that hurt her. It'd never been entirely on purpose. She definitely couldn't get anyone killed. She'd already done that… Not again.

And it would never work on her Mom. Not unless she went the physical route, which she [I]couldn't[/I]. She just couldn't bear the thought of her reaction. More disappointment. 

[color=d1b300]“I don't know how to not react."[/color] After a while, she spoke again quietly. She looked at Casey with red rimmed eyes now that her tears were starting to dry up. 
[color=d1b300]“Maybe I am smart enough, but it's so difficult to stay calm. People say things to me and I just- I just get consumed by it. I can't suppress it enough to do something like that. Either I snap, or I bury it… I don't know how to do anything different. I don't know how to hurt people effectively."[/color]

She let out a quiet, breathy laugh. 
[color=d1b300]“Most people would say you shouldn't hurt them at all, wouldn't they? But I [I]do[/I] so much and it's not always people who deserve it… I just… I can't stop myself."[/color] Her voice dropped to barely a whisper, and she looked away again.
[color=d1b300]“I still want them to like me even after they hurt me. Even if I lash out too."[/color]

[color=577d06]”People still liked the Chief. Word got out quick, y’know? That he left Usher hanging in the blast zone, and that he knew what was coming the entire time… But people didn’t bat an eye when he started serving chipped beef and toast again.”[/color] he intoned, trying to cap off the lesson here.

[color=577d06]”I’m not saying you need to physically hurt them. Sometimes the best pain is mental anguish. And there’s plenty of routes to get there. I’ve got Lynette’s Big Revenge Playbook in my head… There’s a few things I know we can try easily. They just… All ask you to be big and bold. Not scared. Not small like this, my Love…”[/color] he whispered gently, head against hers.

Trisha wished it would be that easy. That she could get revenge on all the people that had hurt her, and those who still did, and that would just solve all of her problems. But her insecurities would still be there. The thought of how much her Mom hated her, how she might end up all alone, still caused her breath to get caught in her throat. But maybe it would help? Maybe… 

[color=d1b300]“I don't want to be scared."[/color] She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. Trying to not look so panicked… trying to accept the comfort of him being right there, his face so close, and what he was saying. 

[color=d1b300]“I feel so helpless. It's not… I can't control it. I can't stop having p-"[/color] She bit her lip. It was difficult to admit what they were… as if it wasn't obvious. As if Casey hadn't already seen her have so many. 
[color=d1b300]“Panic attacks. But, maybe if there's something I can do… I can handle it better. Like… Like when we were attacked. I was terrified, but I knew what I could do. It was the same against the Snake…"[/color]

She took another deep breath, then another. Slowly calming down. Managing to pick herself back up… but she still clung to Casey. He was her lifeline. 
[color=d1b300]“When it's like this I feel like everything's been pulled out from under me and I'm just falling. I can't do anything about it… But if I could, I can focus on that. Maybe."[/color] It wouldn't be that easy. She couldn't just get rid of a deeply ingrained anxiety disorder with plans of revenge. But maybe slowly… slowly she could get better.

Casey only had one question on his mind.
[color=577d06]”Then I only want to know how I can lift you, Trisha! Tell me how to pick you up… Because I’ll fucking lift you, spin you, twist you, fucking throw you if I have to, and I will fucking [i]sprint[/i] to catch you again!”[/color] he urged, his hands gripping into hers. 

His enthusiasm was so bright, like the daytime sun.

Trisha practically squinted against it, surprised by his immediate positive reaction. The answer was she didn't entirely know. She'd never had anyone to lift her up or fall back on. Both because there was never anyone to do it, and she'd never allow herself to…

[color=d1b300]“I honestly… Don't know. I'll have to think about it because I never really have. Or had anyone so willing to throw me around and catch me."[/color] Her eyes creased, lips managing to pull up into a slight, soft smile as she looked at him. She was so glad she had him… That she was able to come out of the panic earlier than she normally could. 
[color=d1b300]“For now, just keep supporting me like this. Having someone [I]there[/I] already means a lot."[/color]

[color=577d06]”I just [i]love you so much.[/i] Like… I didn’t think I was going to meet you. [i]You.[/i] As in, the person you’ve become in my life, this… Constant fucking motivator. Trisha, I was [i]so[/i] fucking lonely before you came into my life, and I [i]know[/i] that we’ve definitely moved too fucking fast. But I don’t ever want to lose you!”[/color] Casey was teary-eyed now, just holding Trisha’s hands.

[color=577d06]”I’ll take whatever you’ve got! Anything!”[/color]

[color=d1b300]“I don't want to lose you either."[/color] Trisha sniffed, blinking back the tears that had just been waiting for another chance to fall. But it wasn't the same. There was still a hint of panic- scared of how much she loved him and needed him now. They had moved too fast… but she always moved too fast. At least it wasn't just her. 

[color=d1b300]“It doesn't matter how fast we've moved… I know my feelings won't change. That's what matters."[/color] She'd love him for as long as she was allowed to. 
[color=d1b300]“A-And I've already given you so much more of… myself than I normally would. Because I love you too, and I trust you, and I don't [I]ever[/I] want to be without you either."[/color]

Back to a life of moving from bad relationship to bad relationship, punctuated by loneliness in between. The loneliness that had pushed her to take whatever affection she could get. 
[color=d1b300]“I- I do get scared, because I like you so much. But I won't let that win. I want to stay with you forever."[/color]

Quiet embraced the two of them, sealing them together in warmth as Casey pulled Trisha in tightly and rolled back into position. Love was a blanket, and a big green couch. Safety was the girth of his forearms, or the concave of her collar where Casey could place his lips. Security was knowing that they were both too fed up with everything else to go anywhere. This was the only paradise left. The only safe place…

He only wished she felt the same way.