_{MASON .}

HE  WANTS  THE  HELP,       _{but  he  also  wants  to  convince  himself  and  everyone  around  him  that  he  doesn’t  need  the  CONSTANT  PROTECTION.       it’s  hard,      being  forced  into  the  structure  of  the  perfect  killer  and  yet  somehow,}      coming  out  unscathed   _{——-      yet  it’s  not  that  simple,       his  mind  still  haunted  by  what  he’s  almost  lost.      he  couldn’t  survive  alone;       he  needed  them  to  help  him.       and  by  that,}        he  could  nearly  kill  them  all.        _{he  couldn’t  ALWAYS  rely  on  their  help    —–    sometimes  he  had  to  fend  for  himself.} 

_{but  it’s  clear  he’s  not  getting  anywhere  now,       and  that  she  isn’t  going  to  give  up      (     it’s  refreshing,      knowing  that  she’s  not  the  type  who  WOULD  just  leave.     )      ❛   late  advice,    ❜          he  insists,       a  small  smile  on  his  lips  even  if  he’s  in  pain    —-    he  always  looks  for  reason  to  be  positive.       ❛    okay,}      caught  me.       _{i  didn’t  want  you  to  leave.   ❜        he’s  not  protecting  his  pride  so  much  anyway.        he  lifts  his  shirt  to  reveal  the  wound,      eyes  quickly  darting  away.        ❛    if  you  tell  me  i’m  gonna  be  okay,     i’ll  believe  you.}      i’m  not  difficult  to  convince.  _❜     

         INNATE   BENEVOLENCE   BOUNDS   HIS   BONES .          _{that   much   she   can   tell .          reminds   her   of   who   she’d   once   TRIED   to   be     ;}    hidden   away    _{for safety   though   all   she   strived   for   was   NORMALCY .          LOYALTY .          ability   to   protect   those   she   loved .          to   be  brave   in   the   face   of}    supernatural   war .          _{instead ,   she’d   been   made   a}    WEAPON .

_{teasing   smile   renders   one   of   her   own ,}     INSTANT   RELIEF    _{that   the   pain   isn’t   so   great   he   can’t   muster   a   joke .          ❛     ───     you’re   gonna   be}    FINE   _{.          i   promise .    ❜          sincerity    ^{rings   true}    in   tone ,   crystalline   gaze   wide ,}    serene   _{at   the   state   of   the   injury .          fingertips   stay   steady   at   the   edge   of}     blossomed   wound ,    _{pearl   incisors   pulling   at   bottom   petal   in}     contemplation    _{before   countenance   morphs   to   one   of   realization .         ❛     ───     i   don’t   have   a   spell ,   but   .  .  .   i}     DO    _{have   an   herb .          the   most   i’ve   used   it   on   is   a   swollen   ankle ,   but   it’ll   heal   you   faster   than   waiting   it   out .   ❜}

_{MASON .}

HE  DOESN’T  BLAME  THEM,      _{not  with  what  he’s  been  through,     not  with  the  way  he’s  so  recklessly  willing  to  fight  any  creature  even  knowing   he  doesn’t  have  the  ability  to  PROTECT  HIMSELF  the  way  the  others  do.        it  doesn’t  matter  to  him  that  he’s  only  human;      it’s  what  he  wants  after  his  nearly  fatal  fate,     but  he  refuses  to  let  that  hold  him  back.       he  will  protect  the  others  in  whatever  way  he  can,      even  if  he  gets  himself  burned.      he  grunts  as  he  allows  her  to  help,      hand  holding  onto  hers  as  the  other  holds  his  waist  tightly  from  the  wound  that  he  had  collected.}       

_{❛   hunters.    i  fell  into  one  of  their  traps  when  i  was  trying  to  look  for  some  kind  of  CLUE.       it  was  stupid,       liam  told  me  not  to  do  it  alone,       but  i  had  to  know,   ❜        he  explained,      shaking  his  head  quickly  to  show  just  how  disappointed  he  was.       ❛    i’ll   be  fine    ——-     i  just  don’t  want  them  to  feel  like  they  need  to  heal  me.      you  either,      don’t  worry  about  it.    ❜}

          SIGH   EXPELS   FROM   PUCKERED   LIP    _{;    gaze   cast   toward   blossoming   sanguine   stain .          unfaltering   instinct   to}    protect   _{swells   in   bone ,   dialogue   slipping   in   one   ear   and   out   the   other .          he   may   not   want   aid ,   but   she’ll   not   leave   him}   unattended .          _{frame   adjusts   to   shift   the   other   into   a   chair ,   all   protestations   blatantly   ignored .} 

_{❛     ───     are   you   serious ?          i’m   not   just   gonna}     LEAVE    _{you .    ❜          careful   observation   finds   ^{delicate   fingers}   prying   his   hand   away ,}   wincing   _{as   if   garnered   wound   were   her   own .         ❛     ───     it   doesn’t   look   good .          probably   should’ve   listened   to   your   friend .    ❜}

_{MASON .}

_{❝   if  my  friends  know  i’m  HURT,      they’re  going  to  make  it  a  bigger  deal  than  they  should.   ❞        they  always  did    —–     and  he  couldn’t  blame  anyone  after  what  he  had  been  through.      a  human  with  a  soft  heart  and  warm  personality,      turned  into  the  PERFECT  KILLER  in  beast  form  all  because  of  how  truly  good  he  really  was.      surviving  that,      returning  to  who  he  was,      even  being  able  to   to  adjust  again  without  being  haunted  by  what  his  fate  was  supposed  to  be.       but  he  wouldn’t  give  any  of  this  up,     he  was  far  too  invested  now    —–    which  was  exactly  why  he  wouldn’t  let  them  hold  him  back  just  because  he  was  HURT     (     he  refused  to  be  seen  as  fragile  just  because  he  was  human.    )         ❝    i’ll  be  okay,     i  promise.     i  might  just   —–   need  some  help.   ❞} 

 _@sacrife.

          A   CONCEPT   SHE   KNOWS   RATHER   WELL .          _{overprotective   friends .          sometimes   silently   translated   to   undermining    ;    those   who   believed   size   and   age   equated   to}     fragility .          _{refusal   to   see   him   the}     same   way   _{strikes   strong   in   her   bone ,   hands   placed}     delicately   _{‘ round   his   arm   to   help   taller   frame   to   his   feet .          ❛     ───     i’m   not   gonna   tell   anybody .          i   don’t   exactly   have   a   spell   for   this ,   though .   ❜}

_{❛     ───     what   the   hell}       HAPPENED       _{to   you ?  ❜}