Snippet #2791605

Phoenix would have been lying if he said that he wasn't disappointed that Cas agreed to tell him... what was happening. But he could see it in his face that Cas really, really didn't want to talk about it. And he wasn't going to push it. Not after the night they'd just had. Cas taking his hands was such a genuine, almost surprising gesture, and it almost took him aback. But he appreciated it, not realising how much he needed the physical contact. And, to be honest, the thought of sleep was incredibly tempting right now. But he didn't want to just let Cas go. He couldn't. So instead, he offered his couch and his coziest blanket, leaving a change of clothes to hand if Cas wanted it.

The minute Phoenix was alone in his bedroom, everything seemed to catch up with him. Alex bleeding out, the carnage of the attack, those scars on Cas' back. He didn't cry or panic or outwardly react. He had no idea how he didn't do any of those things, but instead, he found himself lying awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. He found himself texting the others, making sure they were okay, apologising for leaving, promising baked goods as an apology, anything to occupy his time and his brain.

He must have fallen asleep with the phone in his hand. He didn't notice himself falling asleep, only found himself waking up with the light streaming across the room. He hadn't planned on opening today anyway and was glad for that, because his limbs felt heavy and his mind felt groggy. But he was awake, and he knew sleep was completely out of reach. So instead, he showered and got changed. He'd almost forgotten about Cas until he walked back out in to the living area. Assuming that he was still asleep, Phoenix was as quiet as he could be. He was so used to being by himself that having to be mindful of other people was a strange experience. He usually blared whatever mid-2000's rock/emo playlist was suggested to him that day when he cooked or baked, but that morning, he made the pancake mix in relative silence. He found himself idly humming as he started to make the blackberry sauce though.

Evelyn didn't need sleep, not any more. It was more a habit than anything, a way of passing the daylight hours. But this morning, she decided not to sleep away the daylight. Instead, she layered up, pulling on a pair of gloves to cover her hands and the biggest hat she could find to cover her face. She pulled on a pair of aviator sunglasses and headed out in to town. She was so used to the hustle and bustle of big cities that she found it strange how late everything opened here. Or maybe that was just the day after the festival. Or the day after everything that had happened. The smell of blood still lingered in the air, but fainter now, more bearable.

She found herself helping to clear up a destroyed stall. Masks from the night before lay covered in splinters, still wearable but tainted by the events of the night before, so much so that she was sure nobody would ever wear them. Still, she carefully cleaned them off as well as she could and stacked them into the box. The hunters hadn't just tried to kill them. They'd enjoyed the destruction, ruined people's lives. This wasn't as much about trying to eliminate them as it was asserting dominance, striking fear in to their hearts.

Which meant that this was only the beginning. Evelyn knew they could be expecting something else. Maybe more subtle murders. Maybe another mass attack. Evelyn would have been lying if she said that the thought of leaving, of finding somewhere safer, hadn't occurred to her. But... she didn't want to. It was that simple. Markus was the closest thing she had to a friend right now. She knew he'd protect her, so abandoning him didn't sit right with her. Not after their discussion about their humanity. And so... she would stay and fight alongside them and help them clean up the mess when they won. And then she would decide what to do next.