To spy my shadow in the sun;

[grimvisaged]

Early May | The Nexus Gardens

"Don't call me that," he says, low but firm, and then swallows hard, jaw flexing. "I'm not him."

This is something he needs to make clear right from the start, despite the undeniable way his body reacts to this man, the way his mind leaps entirely sideways and smears warmth and happiness across his murky memories at the mere sight of him now. He hates it. He loves it. He doesn't know if he can bear it, this resilient echo of James Buchanan Barnes.

Ongoing | Spoilers for CA:TWS

the future's in our hands & we will never be the same again.

[chaney]

While finding himself inexplicably lost in the bowels of an unfamiliar hotel is par for the course at this point in his life, Derek Hale still isn't ruling out the possibility that his uncle's responsible for this, somehow. Revenge of making him wear his dead sister's claws. Peter had been right behind him as he stepped out of his loft that morning, right on his heels — and then it was like his uncle hadn't been standing behind him at all. The door he came through led to some winter wonderland, not his loft in Northern California.

He can't say how, he can't say why — he can't even say that he's surprised, because he's honestly been waiting for that other shoe to drop. It's been far too quietly lately, and quiet, no matter how wanted and desired it was, never seemed to bode well for Beacon Hills. And this wasn't Beacon Hills.

At least, he didn't think it was...?

Derek tries another door. It's the sixth one he's tried on this floor, having found nothing particularly useful behind any of the doors on the floor below. Behind this one, he finds poker tables and slot machines. Vegas was at least recognizable, but it wasn't what he was looking for.

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

He shuts that door and carries on towards the next one.

Does it almost feel like you've been here before?

[hopeagain]

mid-February | The Nexus

This was patently ridiculous, Charles thought. It was that aspect of the entire experience which rankled the most: How utterly ludicrous it was that he and Erik could go from one extreme to the other and then behave as if that were par for the course. As much as Charles understood human nature (and as much as Erik claimed to be above it), they were both victims to its absurdities. Only love could make a person so stubbornly devoted to his hate.

I'm not sure I have anything beyond civility to offer.