When Hell found it's Fire

[explosiveKitten]

Helena's face lit up when Mason wrapped his arms around her, and at first she didn't react. He's hugging me OH MY GOOOODS. And gradually, warmth seeped through her down coat and into his skin, and almost out of habit she cuddled closer, trying to take in as much of the warmth as possible. "Curse from the gods, try seeing dead people everywhere."She replied, then extended her arms, "I mean most of the time they don't bother me, but then there are the really old spirits that are like,'nyeeeeeh talk to meeeee I'm a lonely ghost' and I really don't want to spend my time talking to dead people."

 

[Dirtbear]

"Everyone needs someone to talk to every now and then. Trust me. It's not like it's their fault." Mason said to her as they walked down the street. He thought of Mantle and Ilya and Ignis and himself in reflecting on what he said. They were all lonely at one time and that loneliness was tearing at their souls. It wasn't until they met and bonded with each other, was when they thought of things looking up. Mason shook his head and smiled again like a fool. "I bet you were lonely too. Wanting to talk to someone."

 

[explosiveKitten]

"...you're right. I have been lonely... For a really long time." She said, staring forward and down the sidewalk. Hardened snow under her feet crunched as she walked, mixed with the still falling leaves, making a chorus of crackling and crunching. "I've been really lonely and confused lately... Heh, but I don't want to saddle you with my problems. You probably have enough of your own." She sighed, watching her breath mist out and disappear. Then she suddenly realized how close she was pressing against Mason and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Heh.."

 

[Dirtbear]

"It's fine..." Mason looked up and saw the street to turn and begin heading out to his place. "Though we might need to save it for another day. I'll be heading out on this street. It's gonna be a long walk in the cold. Mason smiled at her while hiding his sadness. He let go of her and grabbed her hand. "You can reach me from wherever with this." Mason gave her a number that went to his direct line over the web.

 

[explosiveKitten]

Helena stared at him sadly, then looked down at the number in her hand, "um... How exactly does this work," she asked, looking at him, confused, "because I don't understand where I'm supposed to put these numbers... I don't have a cell phone." She added, thinking that was a possibility.


The fact that he was about to turn and leave her, to just walk away, threw her back to three years ago, to the day he left to live with Mantle. "I'll come back," he said. "I'll see you again soon," he said. Her eyes watered a little and she dabbed at the corners with her sleeves, trying not to let him see how hurt she was.

 

[Dirtbear]

"Um... hmm.... I think payphones still exist. Try those." Mason laughed. He pointed at one with the blue logo on the side. Mason began walking backwards down the street. "But if you do have trouble, just use that number." Mason turned and began jogging down the street. He pulled a stream that was glowing and opened it. It hovered with him as he kept pace with his jogging.

-Ilya-

Well, I'm getting tired of watching you flirt with that girl, so... I'm coming to pick you up and beat you with the car door. I'll see you soon.

​

​

Mason let out a groan and kept jogging. He threw the stream aside and thought of how Ilya was gonna skin him for being so late.

 

[explosiveKitten]

As Mason jogged off, Helena stared. She felt horrible. Her heart was breaking all over again. He was so eager to leave her... To just run off and be alone. ".... I don't know why I even try..." She muttered, her words puffing out in the cold air, "I just don't understand... I know, he's awkward around girls, but we're friends for Gods sake! Why do I have to let myself do this?" She looked down at the number in her hand, and closed her fist angrily, then let go. The little piece of paper fell into the snow, and she turned to walk away... But soon enough she snatched up that paper and ran off, blinking back salty tears.

 

[Dirtbear]

A car drove by and slowed to pace itself with Mason's jogging. The window rolled down and a woman's voice hollered out, "Darling. Come now. I'm here." The car pulled over and Mason opened the door.


He looked in and sighed. "Ilya, hun. I'm sorry bout dinner-- He was cut off by a broad slap to the face.


Ilya watched him as he stumbled into the seat. "Don't you dare speak to me right now. And our fiery friend should stay in her crystal abode or else she'll get some too." Ilya said with her italian accent slightly bleeding out. She scoffed at him and put the car in drive and sped off. She was in a poor mood and did not want to speak to him. Watching him flirt with that pale dark girl frustrated her. She seemed to recognize her and it dawned on her. She sped up the car and drove like a maniac. She looked just like Ignis. Mason had Ignis look like her. The betrayal she felt was excruciating that she could hardly look at him. She leered as she drove home.


Mason shouted as Ilya almost hit a pedestrian as they drove home. "Are you nuts! It just snowed! We are gonna die! Stop driving like a lunatic!" Mason held onto the restraints the car provided.


"No. It wouldn't matter anyway. We're going to die anyway. We're past the age anyway, as you say. What's the point in playing it safe." Ilya said calmly as she contained the rage inside her. She looked over to her right and growled at Mason. "I hope you enjoyed yourself today, Mason." Then turned her attention back to the road.


Mason sighed and looked defeated. 'Another crazy woman in my life...' he mumbled and banged his head on the window as he prayed to any higher power to keep them from crashing.

 

[explosiveKitten]

Trudging home was torturous. And finally scuttling to the apartment complex she lived in brought no relief. No doubt her two snobbish roommates Tiffany and Hannah both had their jerk boyfriends over, and then would look at her like, "Ugh, she's here now" and then walk off to go f*** somewhere else. So when she trudged up the stairs, and began to pull her keys out of her pocket, she noticed screaming from inside, and stopped to listen. "Uhhh... Tiffany? Hannah...?" When she opened the door, she was greeted by an all too familiar scene- her two roommates standing on chairs, squealing their heads off and Tiffany's boyfriend poking at a very large albino reticulated python with a broom.


"...Well sh*t. It got out again." She said, making a less then shocked expression and walking over to the two squealing girls and the unprepared nameless boyfriend, and picked up the snake, draping the dumb thing over her shoulders and holding it's head in her palm. The large snake calmed down seemingly instantly and began wrapping itself around her arms affectionately.


"UGH! Helena, I cannot believe you keep that thing!" Tiffany cried, hugging her boyfriend like he was going to protect her from the massive snake.


"Believe me, Tiff, if I could, I would, but it keeps coming back. So, you're going to have to deal with it. Damian, bad snake."


Damian was an unfortunate Roman demigod, a son of Mars with the curse of Achilles that became helplessly infatuated with Helena. So much that when she disappeared to find Mason, he drove off to look for her. Annnnnd somehow he drove off a cliff. Mars took pity on his drowning son and turned him into a reticulated python, forever around to protect her.


And irritate her. Obviously she did not return his affection, but alas, his constant company wore on her and she was a bit soft with him, but still... sometimes she wanted to strangle the snake. Like right now.


Hannah yelled something and threw down one of Helena's backpacks, and shouted, "WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH IT!"


"...Huh?"


"We are not dealing with it! It's the snake or the apartment!" Tiffany shouted, stepping down from her chair, looking almost menacing.


"What, but- But I don't have anywhere else to go, and I can't just get rid of him!" Helena shouted, Damian snake flicked his forked tongue at the two girls. "Oh. Snake over apartment," Tiffany sneered, and her boyfriend began to shove her out the door. "Hey, HEY! Back off, meathead!" she shouted, reaching for her bracelet, then stopping halfway. "What are you gonna do? Slap me with your bracelet?" The lug smirked at her, then shoved her out the door, tossing her backpack out to her, and slamming the door shut. She could hear triumphant laughter inside, high fives being exchanged, as she screamed and pounded her fist on the door. Then it began to sink in.


She'd just been kicked out of her apartment. Into the snow and freezing cold. She was homeless, in the middle of winter!


"...I blame you. I will scold you later when I'm not freezing!" She hissed at the snake, then proceeded to stuff the snake into her backpack. And after that, she hauled the heavy bag onto her shoulder and walked off into the storm, trying to think of what to do. Jamie and Deryn lived so far away, she couldn't possibly walk there without Damian freezing. But... She pulled the crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and stared at it...


Soon she was huddled by a pay phone and dialing the number on the paper, and praying he would pick up.


"...come on, Mason.... please, of all times, don't leave me now...."