The Butterfly Effect.

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

Mordecai acknowledged Iroya's open reception with a nod of gratitude, but suddenly fell silent. Now that he was standing in front of her, he was at an irritating loss for words. Where was he to begin? How could he, a convict on parole for mass murder, go about telling Hernandez that he needed her assistance in tracking down the horrifically deranged mother of the woman who had caused him to deteriorate into a weeping mess the last time the detective had seen him but with whom he loved and had since come to a reconciliation with, because said mother was also a mass murderer who was most definitely out to get them and knew where they lived, and consequently had a blatant disregard for the purpose of locked doors as well? The woman was obviously willing to help, but to what extent?


At the very least, in the end, Mordecai decided to start by presenting to her the tangible evidence. His eyes conveying a look of burdened annoyance with the entirety of the world in general, he held the book out to her, inclining his head towards it in indication that she should take it.





"This can serve to do the talking for now. A word of warning, however: You may want to sit down before you open it."





Mordecai had no doubts that Iroya would be able to handle the book's most recent additions without so much as a bat of an eye. In her line of work, she was apt to experience the reality of such images each and every day. However, it was bound to open up a lengthy discussion, one that he didn't particularly want to carry out in front of the entrance to the police station. With that thought, he couldn't help but glance back again at the car, where Iris still sat. The prospect of leaving her alone still worried him, for some reason, though it was highly doubtful that Emelia would come for her in a place that leant itself to the presence of policemen and women. Probably just nerves again. Those damned nerves.

 

[kou]

IROYA HERNANDEZ


THE ANT

Iroya studied the book before hesitating as Mordecai recommended that she be seated before opening it, following his gaze towards the car before tucking the object underneath her arm. The man was concerned although he did well to conceal it, this book seemed to have something to do with it although Iroya would have never taken Mordecai for a religious man. Perhaps he liked the idea of it. There was no doubt that Ms. Mason was in the vehicle and Iroya leaned forward before softly patting Mordecai's shoulder and smiling warmly; everything was going to be alright as long as he remained open with her and she was secretly glad he had taken up this matter with her.


"Perhaps Ms. Mason and you would prefer to join me in a cafe down the street? You can travel with me if it made you feel more secure, I believe it would be best to not arouse suspicion with any of the other cops seeing as you wish to keep this on a more personal level. I will do all I can to help you." What else could she do? The man had not lied to her since he had become acquainted with her and despite this mysterious book it didn't seem as if he was intent on setting any more fires. She could only do so much but Hernandez kept her word, it was an unspoken vow that she had made to a man long ago to protect anyone who needed it regardless of their status. Iroya reminded herself of the gun within her purse, it seemed as if Mordecai was almost in danger..she would be able to assure no harm would come to the two.

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

A mother. Hernandez was like a mother, or at least what Mordecai assumed that a mother should be. He didn't rightfully know, but the sheer warmth that radiated from her entire being, the kindness of her smile and the unwarranted comfort that spread through him at the feeling of her hand on his shoulder was so disarming that it made him want to break down and tell her everything, to share with her every detail of the dilemma in which he currently found himself and every anxiety and negative emotion that he couldn't share with Iris in fear of upsetting her further. One of them had to put on a strong face, and given Iris's current state of mind, this time around, that duty fell on him. It wasn't his job to be afraid, but he was.


This, though, besides the fact that he hardly knew the woman, was precisely why he couldn't spill out the contents of his soul to Iroya, for if he did that, he didn't know how long it would take to put himself back together again, and time was something that they could not afford to lose. For the time being, it would only serve him well to keep up a mask of unreadable indifference.





"To be perfectly honest with you, darling, I am not sure if Dr. Mason is of the right mindset for conversation at the moment, but that does seem to be a reasonable course of action, so long as the place isn't overly crowded."





He left out the part about not wanting Iris to be exposed to the contents of the object in the detective's hands ever again. He had every intention to burn it after it had served its purpose. At the moment, though, he didn't have much of an option in the matter.


Then, out of nowhere, a thought hit him.





"On a completely unrelated note, a woman by the name of Rosaline did not happen to come looking for me this morning, did she?"





It was an odd time to be thinking of his sister, but she served as another variable in an equation that was already far too complicated. Having this question answered would help to simplify things.

 

[kou]

IROYA HERNANDEZ


THE ANT

​

Iroya felt bad for the state of Ms. Mason, nodding her head as he told her of the woman's status. She would make sure to not pester the psychologist with questions and would leave the woman to her own devices, whatever had happened must have been truly traumatizing and Iroya wanted to help Mordecai figure this all out...whatever 'it' entailed to. She scrunched up her face at the mention of a 'Rosaline' before shaking her head abruptly, she would have known if anyone were to ask of Lester however she wondered why the woman happened to be so important. She made note of this question, her hand falling away from the man's shoulder. "I do not believe anyone by the name of Rosaline stopped by however I can check in later if you want, if Ms. Mason is truly as conflicted as you believe she is then perhaps it'd be best to follow me in your own car. Women that are as strong as I know she is happen to hold their pride close, she wouldn't want me infringing into her personal space and I would not like to make her feel cornered."





Iroya gazed at the car once more before adjusting the book. It hadn't occurred to her to ask before but Iroya was a curious woman and it would kill her if she did not know. "One more thing before we venture to the coffee shop; if anyone is directly threatening you then I can place you under supervision by one of our trusted cops, it isn't as horrid as you would assume and if you didn't want someone unknown then I could do it myself. It would be a shame if something were to happen and I would do my best to make sure no one harms you."

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

Well, the fact that Rosaline wasn't chasing after him was one good thing, at least. Mordecai waved off Iroya's offer to look further into the matter, though; the end result of her checking around would most likely turn out the same as the current one, and he didn't wish to waste her time on the more trivial points when he was asking quite enough of her already.





"You are certainly correct in calling her a strong woman," he said to the detective in response to her follow-up concerning how to best keep Iris comfortable in her current shattered condition. Hernandez was both thoughtful and perceptive, the former of which a trait that Mordecai had never known the wonders of possessing but that was slowly proving itself to be absolutely essential in preserving the welfare of one's loved ones. Perhaps she could teach him, if that concept in itself wasn't so outrageously obsurd. "Iris Mason is of the strongest of all women. Unfortunately, she herself appears to be highly convinced otherwise." The lingering sigh that slipped out with these words was a bit more revealing than the man was entirely comfortable with, but Iroya could make of it what she would. "Your suggestion is sound. It would undoubtedly suit her more to travel separately."





Mordecai studied Hernandez as she shifted the book in her hands, her next inquiry bringing a deep frown to his face. The idea of having a strange person following him around wherever he went was unappealing enough; a policeman doing so would be on a whole other level. Images of the men who had watched his house burn with smirks on their faces, the ones by whom he had been arrested, who had shoved him into the dirt and beat him near senseless while he'd laughed in their faces came to mind, and he knew that from one of them, he would be receiving the farthest thing from protection. His observation still stood that every member of the town had known someone who had died inside that church. However, it would lift a sizable weight off of his shoulders to know that Iris was in capable hands, and if anything, the prospect of having Iroya around wasn't too entirely revolting.





"I will need to converse with Iris on the matter first, seeing as it is her home that we both currently inhabit, but in the event that she does agree to official supervision, I would greatly prefer for it to be from yourself, if your busy schedule permits it. The majority of your officers and I do not exactly get along."





A dryly humorous smirk replaced the frown upon his features, and he paused for a moment before gesturing behind him. "Now, if you have no further questions, then perhaps we should be on our way. This may take a while."

 

[Rida]

If I had the heart to bite my nails, I'd have bitten them all off by now.

Also, if you were wondering about the one odd vote in the polls...


that was me

 

[Angst]

If I had the heart to bite my nails, I'd have bitten them all off by now.

Also, if you were wondering about the one odd vote in the poles...


that was me

That gif symbolizes me 24/7, not gonna lie.


But also, whyyy, child? You would make this thing so much fucking better. Seriously, man, we wouldn't lie to you. But I understand if you're too busy for this crazy train, or just politely declining because you secretly know that we've gone off the chain.


But what I also want to know is who those other five people were...

 

[kou]

Iroya Hernandez

The Ant

​

The cafe was shoved in between a book store and a hair salon, fairly quiet as people sat in booths and sipped their coffee, chatting lowly with other patrons. Iroya beckoned towards Alli, a girl who's father happened to land himself in the drunk tank much too often and whom happened to be close companions with Iroya. As she approached, Iroya ordered for Mordecai and Iris; citing down a meal that would possibly have to be taken home later due to the fact that she had maybe ordered too much. She would pay, they looked too skinny for their own good anyway. It was mostly sweets due to the fact that this wasn't a restaurant but Iroya was sure they were capable of managing.


The woman somehow managed to find a seat for four which was directly in the back, securing them from unwanted visitors by the large divider. She slid in, patiently waiting for the two. This would be a great time to survey the book before Ms. Mason arrived and Iroya slipped it out from underneath her arm before slowly opening it.


Oh, God.


Hernandez had seen her fair share of crime scenes and almost all of them had been gruesome but this was overkill at its finest. Slender fingers traced the outlines of the bodies before she slammed the book shut at the sound of approaching footsteps, the woman turned in time to see Alli drop off several plates of food before she was gone once more. She quickly placed the book where it wouldn't be seen by anyone and vowed to study it further when no one was around.


What were Mordecai and Iris dealing with, exactly?

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

Long after the car had been parked on the roadside out front of the café and Iroya had gone ahead inside, Mordecai remained in the driver's seat, sitting still and silent as he stared straight forward through the windshield, in another place altogether. Admittedly, he hadn't spoken a word since he had reentered the vehicle. Out of all the possible things that he could have said, nothing really fit. Delving right into the topic of the business at hand seemed insensitive and inappropriate given the circumstances, and words of comfort were lost on him. It was all so entirely and aggravatingly defeating for a man who had always known precisely what to say. Sighing, he ran a weary hand over his face before finally opening his mouth.





"Detective Hernandez wishes to discuss our situation with us in private. She also asked me if I believed some form of personal guard would be necessary, but I told her that I would need to bring up the matter with you before making a decision. As before, if you're not feeling up to task, it isn't my intention to force you into speaking with her. It was merely my thinking that she would be able to assist us in finding the whereabouts of and possibly incriminating your-"





He cut himself off there. If there was one subject that wasn't to be taken so lightly, it was that of Iris's mother. Besides which, the words that he was using were too formal, too impersonal. Throwing Iris back into the thick of things before she had gotten the chance to let everything out would only serve to harm her further. Mordecai understood that now, and immediately felt foolish all over again. While he had been anxious to put an end to Emelia's reign of terror, although he had been fretting over it, he had thought nothing of how to help Iris with the more immediate issue of her inner turmoil. Bottling up one's own emotions was never a beneficial thing, and doing so in regards to those as scarring as the ones produced by the utter trauma that the woman had been forced to experiment would undoubtably destroy her.





"Iris, I just...Before we do anything else, please tell me how you're feeling. Be open with me, darling, please. I am going to be very honest with you; it pains me greatly to see you in such a depreciated state, and keeping everything holed up inside of you isn't going to do you any good. I know I cannot fix what she has done to you, but I would at least like to know where I can begin to try and ease your suffering. I know how hard it is for the prideful to confide in other people, believe me I know, but I promise you that I would never think any less of you."

 

[kou]

Iris Mason


The Caterpillar

God knows what is hiding in those weak and drunken hearts. Birdy

[media]

[/media]
--

Iris had watched as Mordecai exchanged brief words with the detective through the tinted glass, silent as she observed them from where she was still curled up in the seat. The woman was kind to entertain their notions and Iris could detect by the relaxed set of Mordecai's shoulders that he was comfortable around her which made Iris feel secure in knowing that she was trustworthy. It was unnervingly quiet and Iris tightened her grip from where her hands were wrapped around her knees, her mother would see her and laugh if she knew that this was what her daughter had amounted to. Mother. When had that become such an unwanted word? Iris could not possibly recount the moment when it had transitioned from happiness to despair and somehow she knew that there had never been any joy to begin with, what woman could cause such pain and still remain oblivious in her harmful attempts to protect another? Iris could not answer this question although she had encountered many like her mother.


It seemed as if time had slowed once Mordecai started his trek towards the car, Mason laughed brokenly at his state of dress. They still had yet to get him any form of clothing and that would have to be changed, she filed the thought away before turning back to face the window once he entered. She was still unable to face him. The drive to wherever stretched on and Iris was content with the idea of falling asleep when the vehicle slowed to a stop, there was a moment of silence before Mordecai started to speak and Iris paid close attention to the way his words seemed to slide into one another and create a beautiful cacophony of sound, it was pleasant and comforting. Where had Lester been born? She would ask him when she had the chance. This wasn't to say that Iris had not heard a word the man said, she had heard everything because Iris was always listening to Mordecai when he talked.


No matter what he said, Mordecai still had the ability to make her feel as if they were the only two people inhabiting the Earth. She was truly grateful for that, she would have to tell him this. As soon as the woman opened her mouth the words dissipated on her tongue and she knew that the pride which remained was crumbling, Mordecai had given up so much of his essence just to be sitting in this very car with a lonely woman. He had sacrificed everything and he wanted to protect her? He truly was the one she had been waiting for. Iris slowly willed herself to face the man, turning her head to look at him. He had destroyed every ounce of his doubts, he had prevailed over the rising tide of voices in his head, he had done it all. He wasn't perfect, no one was. It was best to tell him the truth instead of blatantly lying to his face.





"I'm scared..I'm more scared then I have any need to be given what you are dealing with. I am also sad, extremely sad; I never thought Emelia would do something like this but I suppose there had to be some breaking point. Truth be told, I don't know what to do anymore and I am lost..I am so tired of being lost..she's molded me into something that I was bound to be and I can't pretend that I no longer love my mother. I suppose that is the funny thing about humans, we want to feel but we can't handle the emotion. I could lie to you, you know. I could sit here and say that I don't want to do this anymore because it isn't working, I could lie to myself and say that I just can't handle the terms and conditions but we both know that there'll never be an Iris Mason in any universe who isn't infatuated with Mordecai Lester. My mother knows that as well which is why she took it upon herself to send me that little gift and she gave it to Miles because she knew it would hurt worse coming from my mentor, I know my mother better then she knows herself and it pains me that she knows me as well. But, there is one achingly simple answer to everything that should come in the future--"





Iris found herself looking ahead, one hand gripping on the car door as if she was ready to bolt at any moment. She breathed before tilting her head back, this needed to be said. "Should we survive this shitstorm that many unwanted people have created, should we stay together afterwards, should you still harbor the same feelings you do for me...I'd like to marry you one day and live in some preppy neighborhood with a dog named Oreo. I'd like to do a lot with you Mordecai and it scares my mother..it scares your sister too, she wants you but she doesn't want you more then I do. She will fail, they all will. Heroes don't exist but you've become something more then that to me and I suppose you make me feel better. I'm scared but it wouldn't matter if you were there with me."

​

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}



[media]

[/media]

Time stopped completely. Every movement, every sound, and every breath ceased. Where there had once been a world outside filled with life, with vibrant colors and the warmth of the sun, with the song of birds and the pounding of the rain, with bustling cities and war-torn foreign streets, with millions upon millions of people, there now existed nothing outside of the confines of a single woman's car. There was no one but them, Iris Mason and Mordecai Lester, two hopelessly broken human beings, forced to bend to the will of the world until they shattered and conformed. And yet, amidst all of the suffering that the universe had set out for them, the confusion, the agony, the frustration that had been predestined for them from the very beginning, they had somehow managed to find each other, a light in the pitch darkness that had consumed their hearts for far too long. And there were still those who wished to take even this from them, who deemed them a destructive force and condemned them to a life of mutual degradation when all that truly existed between them was love. Genuine, unwavering love.


As Iris spoke, every molecule of air in Mordecai's lungs evaporated into nothing, but he found that he didn't need it. All he needed was her voice, a melodious, mesmerizing sound that would have invoked envy in the Angels of the heavenly choir. The words were melancholy, and they weight of them pulled viciously on the chords of his heart. He could feel every ounce of her fear, and the ache that formed in his chest because of it was of a magnitude greater than any pain that he had ever experienced before, but she was speaking with him. Iris had opened up; she was baring her soul to him, and though startling at first, he accepted every piece of her with open arms. He embraced the fear, the uncertainty, and the anguish that would come indisputably with time if he continued to love Iris Mason. But what was this in comparison to the emptiness, the coldness, and the overall indifferent, detached state which had defined him for the first twenty-three years of his life? For he also felt the warmth, the comfort, and the feeling of sheer euphoria that he experienced whenever he was in her presence, and in that moment he was unable to fathom why anyone, for any reason would seek to so profoundly injure this woman. This loving, patient, enigmatic and endlessly accepting woman who had given her entire way of life to change the fate of a man previously destined for ruin. Since she had opened her home to him, she had experienced nothing but a limitless stream of hurt and misfortune, yet she persisted. Even when he had tried to wrench himself from the grasp that she held on his heart, she had sought him out, and had taken him back without question or scarring words of any kind. In the end, Iris Mason had truly saved him. From himself, from night after night spent alone with the demons that haunted his mind every waking hour of the day, from all of it and more she had saved him. He was still the man he had always been, a serial murderer with a penchant for fire, but at the same time he was changed. She had shown him something that he hadn't previously known to be true, and that had made all the difference.


Mordecai Lester had a heart.





"The day that I burned down that church...I received a call from a man who threatened to kill you...and it terrified me, Iris, just as I am terrified now. I wish that I could tell you that I wasn't afraid, because I want nothing more in this world than to protect you, and in the end I feel that it is not in my right to be frightened, at least not to the extent that it is in yours. But the thought of losing you, especially to one as brutal as relentless as your mother...I just can't bear it. What she has done to you is unforgivable, uncurable, and I know just as well as you do that apologies are worthless, but I am truly sorry that she has made you feel the way that you feel now. I am sorry that you feel lost, and sad, and empty, and afraid, and if I could take every single one of those painful emotions from you, I would without thinking twice. However, if there is one thing that I want you to know, it is that you are not bound to be anything. Not because Emelia Mason tells you to be, no because the world tells you to be, not even because you believe that it is what you should be, because the world lies. It gets inside of your head and tries to convince you that you're something you're not. All of my life, Iris, I have played the part of the monster that the world would make me out to be, because I saw no other alternative. Under the naive notion that I was defying the ones who sought to condemn me, I conformed to their very mindset, but let me tell you something else. Since you came to visit me in that prison cell, I have slowly began to realize that there is an alternative. I am not incapable of feeling, as I once believed. I am a human being, with emotions that are all too real and a capacity for love and disappointment that had scared me numerous times over the past few weeks. Even so, I cannot, will not ever be able to remove the mark that my parents left on me when they confined me to that basement out of their own petty ignorance. My first instinct will always be to kill. In the case of Emelia, Miles, that man on the phone, each time my initial reaction was the same; they needed to burn. I didn't need to burn down that church and kill all of those people. The only conditions that the that man made was that I turn myself in, but I wanted to make a statement to satisfy my own aggression. In the end, my dear, I suppose what I mean to say is that I refuse to stand by and allow the same thing to happen to you."





Here Mordecai paused, reaching back through the cloud of emotion that hung in a think haze around his every thought to recall what else it was that Iris had said. Every inch of him wanted to reach out and ease the hand that was clutching the door like a lifeline, but he dared not move, only continue to stare deeply into those wide, open, frightened eyes for fear that if he did not, he would lose her. Marriage. She had mentioned marriage. She wanted to marry him. Marriage was a concept that had never once crossed Mordecai's mind. He was a man who fled from commitment, anything that bound him to another in any way, shape or form, who had resigned himself to the fate of dying alone, ready to descend into Hell's waiting embrace. But though he had to admit that the thought was still frightening in its own right, for Iris he could change all of that. He could do this for her, and so much more. It would take time and a great deal of patience, but he would.





"If there is one thing of which I am certain, Iris, it is that nothing could possibly deter me from wanting to spend the rest of my life with you. It is a frightening thought, but whatever you want me to do, I will do it, because I will never, can never, stop loving you. Because of you, for the first time I feel the need to preserve a life other than my own. I owe you everything I am and so much more. And I may never completely change, but I will never leave you alone, and over my dead body will anyone, especially your mother, ever lay a hand on you again, or so help me God she will go out with the image of fire still glowing in her eyes."

 

[kou]

DAMMMMMMMMMN.


My heart---


WHAT KIND OF SHIT IS THIS? I--


DAMMMN.


NIMBUS.

 

[Angst]

DAMMMMMMMMMN.
My heart---


WHAT KIND OF SHIT IS THIS? I--


DAMMMN.


NIMBUS.

UM.


UM.


I CAN EXPLAIN?


....No I can't.


IT WAS FOUR IN THE MORNING AND YOU HAD ALREADY MADE ME CRY TWICE SO I WAS EMOTIONAL OK.

 

[kou]

UM.
UM.


I CAN EXPLAIN?


....No I can't.


IT WAS FOUR IN THE MORNING AND YOU HAD ALREADY MADE ME CRY TWICE SO I WAS EMOTIONAL OK.

I am still trying to formulate a response because DAMN.


I don't even know what to make Iris say.

 

[Angst]

I am still trying to formulate a response because DAMN.
I don't even know what to make Iris say.

I realize that I have left you in an awkward position. I apologize for this.


Please forgive me.


Maybe she has converted to mimism.


In other news, I figure Eric needs to haul ass back to the Capello estate. I should probably work on that. xD

 

[kou]

I realize that I have left you in an awkward position. I apologize for this.
Please forgive me.


Maybe she has converted to mimism.


In other news, I figure Eric needs to haul ass back to the Capello estate. I should probably work on that. xD

No worries, I can figure out something.


Mimism is the real OG.


Possibly so, they're starting to worry.

 

[Angst]

No worries, I can figure out something.
Mimism is the real OG.


Possibly so, they're starting to worry.

I believe in you, babe. But don't stress yourself out over it.


Become a mime with me. We can learn to communicate with our bod-


Ok I caught myself that time.


It's like they think he's going to blow her head off or something. Like, what do they think he is, a trigger happy Frenchman with very low patience levels and a tendency to shoot before he thinks?


Oh wait.

 

[kou]

I believe in you, babe. But don't stress yourself out over it.
Become a mime with me. We can learn to communicate with our bod-


Ok I caught myself that time.


It's like they think he's going to blow her head off or something. Like, what do they think he is, a trigger happy Frenchman with very low patience levels and a tendency to shoot before he thinks?


Oh wait.

I am almost finished..possibly. Don't leave, bitch.


I wouldn't mind doing either. *Winks*


Alex: You guys flirting is the most awkward thing in the world.


Yes.


Yes, he is.

 

[kou]

Iris Mason

The Caterpillar

You knew who I was with every step I ran to you. Hozier

{I am sorry it is so short, it will be longer. Don't hate me, please.}

[media]

[/media]

Iris couldn't process anything, it felt as if everything had been building up to this one moment and she knew that there would never be another person like Mordecai. He had spilled his heart out for her and that was awe-inspiring, the man had once again managed to surprise her in the most pleasant way. There was also the question of whom had told Mordecai to turn himself in and Iris knew that she would destroy the anonymous figure, no one would harm Lester if she could help it and she felt even more secure in knowing that he felt the same way. He had not shied away at her mention of marital relations and he had exploited everything on his mind for someone such as her. To do that remained to be magnificent and Iris could practically feel the love within every word delivered. She would do anything for him and that didn't scare her anymore, she was glad that Lester had walked upon this Earth and although the man was certainly not the most morally justifiable, he was still everything she wanted come what may. It would take a lot to push aside the trauma that today had brought but she would certainly be able to manage this since Mordecai had reassured her, he had been doing whatever it took to make her feel better and she appreciated that in so many ways although once again she was unable to summon exactly what she felt. She couldn't voice it so she chose the better option, reaching over and pressing her lips against Mordecai's cheek in a loving manner. Her hand grasped his, pulling it upwards before she kissed it, eventually pulling away.


There was no doubt that Hernandez was a patient woman however she wasn't sure how long she would be able to contain herself, Iris smiled warmly. "I am glad to know that you'll always be there, it pleases me more than I could ever express. As for the unknown caller..you need not worry, it will be taken care of. Perhaps it is best if we go to see Ms. Iroya now, I am sure she could help and I can not thank her enough for being so lenient with your sentence and what has happened as of late. Afterwards, I promise we will do something..anything you want."

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}



[media]

[/media]

Iris never ceased to amaze Mordecai, and this occurrence was no exception, not in the least. By the brightness of her smile, she was able to melt every hint of doubt or insecurity that still lingered in the haze of his mind. It was awe inspiring, how easily she could do that to him. Without so much as a tide of emotional words had she inspired him to open up to her completely, as she had done him. In the recent past, even, this would have horrified him, put a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach until he lashed out at her to dispel it, but now it didn't. Now it was not frightening, but freeing, not confining, but comforting. With the greatest ease she had slipped through the walls that he had built to be impenetrable and lit a fire in his soul, one that was warm, and soothing, and did not burn. She was one of a kind, and she was his, because she had given herself to him, a known killer with commitment issues, in complete trust that he would not misuse her greatest of gifts, but also in complete patience, as she knew that sometimes he would.


The gentle sensation of her lips, first on his cheek and then on his hand, sent a series of soft shivers running through him and conveyed absolutely everything that she wanted him to know. The love, the appreciation, all of it came through with such a simple gesture that left Mordecai breathless, all the same. Carefully, as if he were afraid that it might break, he grasped the hand that had just held his own and placed it over his heart, closing his eyes for a time just so that he could breathe. It was hers, anyways. His heart beat for her, and that was the truth. His house had been burned to the ground, but he had been able to find a new home in Iris Mason. Of course he wished to protect her; she was all that he had, and all that he would ever need.


It took him a good while to realize that she had spoken, and once he had he released her hand and swallowed hard, lest his voice be thick when he replied. Iroya, yes. Somehow, he had forgotten about her. As the recollection of just what they had set out to do came back to him, a minute portion of his previous feelings of apprehension returned, but for the most part, the sight of the woman beside him was able to hold them at bay. And then there was Marshall. He would need to go into detail with her on him at a later day, but for now he placed it aside.





"Yes...She is a very generous woman, and trustworthy as well. It wouldn't do to keep her waiting any longer. And let's do something lighthearted afterwards, shall we? This constant strain of misfortune has been truly suffocating, and you deserve a break, my dear."





As they entered the small café, he kept his arm linked with hers, unable for all he was worth to pry the love struck smile from his face. He hoped that she didn't notice.

 

[kou]

THE SONG, GODDAMMIT.

 

[Angst]

THE SONG, GODDAMMIT.

I WARNED YOU.


Also, any possibility of me hating you for a post that wasn't even that fucking short has been negated by my sin of leaving you hanging last night.


Not that I would have hated you to begin with.


I love you.

 

[kou]

I WARNED YOU.
Also, any possibility of me hating you for a post that wasn't even that fucking short has been negated by my sin of leaving you hanging last night.


Not that I would have hated you to begin with.


I love you.

NO. YOU MENTIONED IT.


IT DID NOT HAVE A NEON SIGN.


IT DID NOT HAVE FLASHING LIGHTS.


IT DID NOT HAVE A TRIGGER WARNING.


YOU MENTIONED IT.


NOW I HAVE TO GO FIND A SONG THAT CAN FUCKING COMPARE.


Babes, you are alright. I did not mind and I finished a CS so yay!


I have to reply to Omerta and then this because I left Midnight hanging.


I would never hate you either, my love for you is too strong.

 

[Angst]

NO. YOU MENTIONED IT.
IT DID NOT HAVE A NEON SIGN.


IT DID NOT HAVE FLASHING LIGHTS.


IT DID NOT HAVE A TRIGGER WARNING.


YOU MENTIONED IT.


NOW I HAVE TO GO FIND A SONG THAT CAN FUCKING COMPARE.


Babes, you are alright. I did not mind and I finished a CS so yay!


I have to reply to Omerta and then this because I left Midnight hanging.


I would never hate you either, my love for you is too strong.

I DID NOT KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE THAT EMOTIONALLY SCARRING.


I AM SORRY.


NEXT TIME I WILL TAKE ALL PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED PRECAUTIONS.


I AM GENUINELY AFRAID FOR MY HEART.


Go ahead, man, I need more October in my life! Can't wait to see it!


We are bound to each other for life. There is no escape.

 

[kou]

I DID NOT KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE THAT EMOTIONALLY SCARRING.
I AM SORRY.


NEXT TIME I WILL TAKE ALL PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED PRECAUTIONS.


I AM GENUINELY AFRAID FOR MY HEART.


Go ahead, man, I need more October in my life! Can't wait to see it!


We are bound to each other for life. There is no escape.

NO, CARRY ON. I LOVE THESE SONGS.


I HAVE ALL I NEED ON SPOTIFY. 1,000 SONGS.


BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID.


I need more Eric in my life to be honest.


Literally.


We will always be connected.


I just had a horrifying image of conjoined twins.


Jesus.


Poor us.