Drinking Buddies (Tag: Romal)

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ The street lights blurred as Hope drove away from the city until she was enveloped in darkness. The dark inconspicuous car did just under the speed limit so as to not draw attention and Hope couldn't have been more bored. She missed her bike, she missed the speed, she missed the thrill but she had been laying low for five years, she wouldn't let Hals reappearance jeopardise everything she had done. Officially, she was dead as far as Ox Corp was concerned but Bade hadn't let up. Even though he had apparently won he continued to act as though they were. At war and Hope knew why. He didn't have her body, he knew some of the wolves escaped and until he had all of their heads he wouldn't stop. Hope reached across to the passenger seat and grabbed the bottle of whiskey she had been nursing since that morning. She took a large swig and despite having drunk almost the whole bottle, she wasn't even slightly buzzed. Her tongue licked her gums and fangs as she tried to tame the ache that had forced her from the apartment. Hal had focussed on Nik as she expected, but from the moment he entered her apartment, his scent began invading the space. It was an assault on her senses as she fought the primal urge to pin him down on the couch and sink her fangs into his neck. She hated it, she didn't know why she felt this compulsion around him but blamed his god blood. She wondered if she had ever been really attracted to him or was it just his damn blood she craved. She knew there was no way she would have made it through the night so she left rather abruptly. She knew it was cruel, she knew he had missed a lot and had questions so rather than stay and answer them, she left him her diary. It seemed like a good idea at the time but Hope was already regretting it. She had never let anyone but Ru see her diary and hear she was just letting Hal read it. " Fucking idiot..." she muttered scolding herself as she finished the contents of her whiskey bottle. She tossed the empty bottle into the back seat and sighed. She had been driving around the city aimlessly for an hour and now she had run out of alcohol. She debated going to the off licence but it was only a matter of time before she drew attention to herself. A young woman driving around drinking tended to do that and there was no way she was running into her mother at the warehouse. No, what she needed was a real drink and she knew just where to get it. ---- A couple of hours later - - - - Hope stepped out of the car and onto the cobbled streets of Sole Town. It was early evening and Romals place was quiet with the human population still at work and the immortal population waiting for nightfall to emerge. She walked into the bar and looked for Romal but he wasn't downstairs. A younger girl was working behind the bar and a couple of older men who smelled like a stale brewery were tucked away in a corner. They whispered rude comments to each other about the bartender and what they wanted to do to her and Hope glared at them, letting them know she heard every word. She stared into their souls and they grew increasingly uncomfortable under her gaze until they quickly shuffled out. Hope sighed and headed to the bar where the girl nervously went to serve her. " What can I get you?" she asked and Hope reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a hundred dollar bill and held it to the girl between her two fingers. " You can get me your boss and then take a taxi home, dont walk." Hope warned her and the girl nodded, took the note and hurried into the back. Hope sat onto the bar and spun and sled into the bar side. She could hear the girl's voice upstairs and then heard her leaving out the back door. She didn't look much older then Mori and so Hope felt the need to make sure she got home safe. ' I'm getting soft...' she thought to herself as she began rummaging through the bottles trying to find Romals stash of extra potent alcohol that only an immortal could consume and survive. " Hey Mal, where's the good stuff?" she shouted as she opened cabinets and finally found a locked one. " Nevermind.." she called back as her vine slid through her hand and into the keyhole. She twisted the inner mechanisms and the lock opened. Hope reached in and grabbed a couple of bottles and some tumblers. She placed the glasses on the bar top and began making the drinks. Romal liked his straight with a squeeze of lemon while she liked hers on the rocks. She had made hundreds of times over the last few years when they had these little get-togethers. Romal was the only person who didn't judge her for being cold, he had suffered loss too and he seemed to be the only one that understood. He'd been there for the kids and for her more than she ever cared to admit. With the drinks made, she grabbed a couple of large dishes and filled them with water for the hounds and added a couple of drops of alcohol for them too. They were literally demon hounds from hell, it's not like it would hurt them. She placed them on the floor and grabbed her glass, nursing it in her hand while she waited for Romal to join her. The golden liquid only reminded her of Hal. His eyes, his scent... His taste. She pinched the top of her gums as she fought the retraction of her fangs. She was starting to feel like a pubescent teenage boy and it was getting old fast. She hoped Romal would prove to be a better distraction than his drinks or Hal and Niks reunion would be cut short if she threw her fangs into him. Word Count: 1035

The days blurred into months, and the months blurred into years. All concept of time was lost on the broken man. His life was in shambles and had been for so long that he didn't bother keeping track of time anymore. He's lost his wife and child. That was a blow that he never recovered from and probably never would. His siblings left without word soon after, plunging the demon into the depths of solitude. Until a boy named Odol came along. Odol was different, and Romal grew to suspect that he was possibly more than he seemed, maybe even family. But he was gone too, and Romal found himself alone in the husk of Dimitru house. He never repaired it after Kenshu assaulted the building and lived between the outhouses, never bothering to carve out a proper space for himself.
He had however tried to keep Caine and Nathaniel's bar alive in Soul Town. He could be found there often, usually drinking away his woes while the hounds hid in the shadows, ready to protect their master and his staff should anyone become unruly.
His life had become a revolving door of pain and memories, and Romal had often contemplated just ending the whole thing. In the early days, he tried more than once. But Hope was stubborn, and she wouldn't let him.
She had a way of making it seem like she didn't expect anything from him while somehow managing to pry him kicking and screaming from the edge of oblivion before he had a chance to push her away. It was a skill that had kept him alive for six years after his family died and his siblings abandoned him.
She had forced him to stay alive long enough for him to find some form of purpose again.

That purpose came in the form the Deaths. Hope replaced his loneliness and became more than just a distant family member. She was his best friend. She gave him purpose, but more than that, she gave him Nik and Mori.
The kids made him stick around. He wanted to protect them, especially knowing how disastrous things could go.
He wanted to make sure that they had more support around them, even if his support came in the form of an often drunken uncle.

The last five years were painful for him. He'd watched the kids grow, and knowing that he had missed that with his own children was a thorn in his already thorn-riddled side, but he took joy from them when he could. Especially Nik. The boy had a sense of humour that Romal appreciated, even though Hope didn't always see the funny side.
He was like Hope in a few ways, but he was a lighter, happier version, and Romal wanted to try and keep him that way. Mori was a spitfire, but she was like her father she preferred life over destruction.

Romal was stretched across a tatty-looking leather sofa with a cigarette between his lips and a beer can in one hand while his other picked parts of the peeling cushion next to him. He was staring up at the ceiling, simply wasting time until the bar would close when he heard Hope enter through the front.

He stayed put, waiting to see if she came barging up to the bedrooms, but she didn't, and he pursed his lips, groaning as he yanked himself up into a sitting position, a lazy gaze moving to the dusty clock that hung by the stairway. How long had he been lying there? He squinted at it before glancing at the evening-lit window. "Shit," he groaned, stretching his arms above his head, realizing that he'd been there since the night before.
The barmaid's gentle tap on the doorframe distracted him from his irritated wallowing, and lazy eyes shifted towards her. She looked terrified as usual, and he couldn't really blame her. He wasn't exactly approachable looking anymore with his dishevelled look and semi-demonic gaze. At some point his runes had cracked so deeply through the skin he couldn't hide them anymore, and anger always simmers within them, making them glow dully beneath the surface.
"Ah, stop looking like you're walking into a lion's den," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he got slowly onto his feet. "What would I gain by hurting you, hm? You do a good job looking after this place."

He attempted a smile, though it felt wrong, so he quickly dropped it, not wanting to grimace at the frightened girl.
She hurriedly told him about Hope, and he nodded, "Yeah, I heard her. It's fine. Go home, and take the rest of the night off. I won't pay dock you for it."

He waited until she rushed away before he grabbed a shirt, slinging the creased bundle over his shoulders as he slid his arms in before heading for the stairs.
"Stop robbing me!" he called back as descended the stairs until Hope came into view. She looked agitated, but that wasn't new.
"Come on out," he clicked his tongue as he stepped into the bar, the hounds appearing from a smoke shroud they'd been hiding behind. "Look what she did for you huh." He smirked, patting both Ashall and Jeko as he made his way across to the bar, grabbing up the drink Hope made for him as he did.

"Misery isn't a good look on you," he smirked at her, grabbing the bottles as he nodded towards a set of low armchairs that were turned toward the lit fireplace. "Come, let's sit down. The world sways less that way."

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ Romal was alive and moving, that was always a bonus. There had been more than one visit where she'd have to drag him off his bed or the floor where he had decided to lay and wait for death. She wasn't the death he was expecting but she was what he got. He'd lost Lita and Pippa, his siblings had scattered to the wind. She lost Hal and her brother and had spent the last five years ensuring she wouldn't outlive the kids. They had both lost more then any one person deserved in a lifetime and had grown to relate to each other in ways they would have wanted,each filling a small space in the other. But Hope took Romals survival almost as seriously as she took the kids. She wished she could say she had helped keep Romal alive the last few years out of the goodness of her heart but who was she kidding. Lita and Pippa had died on her watch, they were her responsibility and she had failed. She couldn't fail Romal any further and let him kill himself on her watch too. She leaned on him just as much as he leaned on her and she didn't want to think where either one of them would be without the other. The hounds appeared as Romal summoned them and they quickly helped themselves to the refreshment Hope had made them. She doubted hellhounds actually needed water but she decided it was best to keep the dogs on side a long time ago. Romal took one look at her and smirked and Hope almost cracked a smile in return but drowned it by taking another drink. " Look whose talking, when was the last time you had a shower?" she retorted not expecting an answer. They both had ample reason to want the world to swallow them whole and they never judged each other or pretended otherwise. They could be miserable together and then get on with what was left of their lives when they were sober. Hope took her drink and followed Romal to the armchairs in front of the fire. She took the one on the right and curled her legs under her making herself comfortable as she sank into the cushions. Sole had never been attacked by Ox Corp and it was one of the few places Hope felt safe enough to relax, well as relaxed as Hope got these days. Her mind was on constant alert for threats, even now Hopes mind was on Nik and Mori in Saints but Hal was there and if the fool decided to be a martyr again, Rulakh was there and could defend them till she got to them. " If the room isnt spinning before I leave, I failed in my mission." Hope replied, taking another large sig of the golden syrup. She didn't quite know what it was and she never asked. She just knew it worked. There was silence for a moment as the fire cracked and snapped the wood and Hope wondered should she just come straight out and tell Romal what had happened. He and Nik had grown quite close, Romal had been the uncle that Marcus should have, although a bit drunker at times. She wondered how he would feel about his Dad appearing considering how secretice she had been. She had told no one about Hal or Niks god-like origins in an effort to protect them and Nik. She had never forgotten the night Loki, Hals father, had attacked him and she had almost killed Hal trying to protect him. But she doubted that trick wouldn't work twice and Hope wasn't cocky enough to think she could go up against a literal god and win. But Hal's return would eventually lead to the truth coming out no matter how hard she tried to hide it. " You haven't been over to the apartment in awhile, been wallowing or just avoiding Nik trying to kick your ass again?" Hope asked, remembering the training session they had last. It was the closest Nik had come to knocking Romal on his ass and if Hope hadn't intervened when she noticed the familiar golden glow starting to eminent from Nik, Romal would have been toast. Hope didn't know what would happen to a demon if they were hit by that light and Hope wasn't going to let Romal be the guinea pig and find out. Although curiosity did make Hope wonder what Nik was really capable of and maybe now Hal was back, she could find out. But for now she was happy to give Romal some grief knowing he would enjoy the banter before she dropped the bombshell on him. Word Count: 908

"It's always spinning," he snorted out a half-arsed laugh as he dropped into the armchair with a tired sigh as the leather welcomed his familiar shape.
He hooked his foot through a small coffee table and pulled it across to them, wincing at the sound of it dragging across the wooden floor, before he put the bottles down onto it, as well as both of his feet, wiggling his boots off in the process to warm his feet dangerously close to the fire.

The hounds shifted around behind them, knocking into a few tables as they got settled to being out in the open again. Ashall shifted into his Doberman-like form and slinked through the bar until his large body stretched out underneath Romal's legs, while Jeko stayed in his usual form, deciding to lie down against the fire, sprinkling embers all over himself in the process.

Romal let his eyes follow the flames, his mind drifting as he stared into them. This was one of the four usual places he would be found in. Here, upstairs above the bar, in the ruins of Dimitru house, or with Hope and her family.
Anything else seemed like an effort to the demon, and he had grown accustomed to avoiding any kind of effort that didn't interest him.

He'd almost forgotten that Hope was there when she spoke, flinching him out of his state of dissociation. He lifted his glass to his lips with a hint of a smile as he drained the majority of the liquid in one go.
"I am a fragile creature, you know..." He teased with a tweak to his left eyebrow.  "That boy of yours will be kicking my ass in no time."
He was right. Nik was coming along well, he was cocky, but Romal wasn't in the position to scald him for that.
Nik was strong, and would only get stronger, especially now that Romal could feel the pull of the boy's powers screaming just beneath the surface.

Romal had his suspicions about the boy. He had started feeling a certain level of discomfort around him, especially during training. And that discomfort was something Romal knew very well. And it was only getting stronger, especially when Nik's eyes would change.
The colour shift changed Romal's discomfort, pushing him over the threshold into pain. Nik made his body ache. A fog would cloud his mind, making him sloppier, and the boy's touch felt like hammers against tender flesh, but Romal wouldn't admit that. He was close with Nik, and if that meant suffering pain when he was around him then he would do it with a smile on his face.
Though- it made him wonder what exactly Nik was, considering only Angels had that kind of effect on the demon.

"Avoiding is a strong word," he smiled, his expression a little tighter than he wanted it to be. They were coming up on the anniversary of Ox Corp's televised execution, and Romal was struggling, as he always did at that time of year. But blaming Nik brought some humour to the situation, and Romal could do with all the comic relief he could get.

"Now. What's your problem, hm?" he pushed his hand across the space between the chairs, prodding Hope's tense shoulder before he let his hand drop limply to the side of his chair.
"You don't come barging in here like that unless something is bothering you. So what is it?"

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ Hope couldn't help but feel a swell of pride as Romal referred to Nik as her boy. Despite his inability to take anything seriously and his constant jokes, Hope and Romal had trained him well and he was a good brother to Mori despite the fact they were only biological cousins. Bit of course, Hope knew that Nik had an unfair advantage over Romal but she would never begrudge him that. He needed every advantage he could get in life and she would try to give him and Mori every one of them. If that meant Romal getting his ass handed to him a couple a week then so be it. She had her own fair share of close calls when it came to Niks abilities but now that Hal was back.... Hope reached for the bottle and refilled her glass at the reminder that Hal was back from the dead. She should have been grateful. How many people had she lost that she wished would come back? But Hal was different. She didn't know where she stood with him, their relationship was so new and things had happened so fast between them that he was dead before Hope could really process what was going on and then she was so focussed on Mori, Nik and bringing Marcus back that grief hadn't had a place in her life. But seeing him again, willing to kill for her and then brought to his knees at the sight of their son, it was enough to crack even her cold dead heart and that was terrifying. Romals jaw tensed and Hope let it go. She knew Lita and Pippas anniversary was coming up. She had already ordered the single stem Queen of the Night Tulips for the crypts that she left every year on everyone's anniversaries. Hope wasn't sentimental but she had to abandon the crypts when they fled the Black Woods and she refused to let those they had lost be forgotten, especially the ones that died on her watch. She wasn't sure if Romal ever went there but she had given Romal the spare key to get into the crypts so he could visit them but whether he did or not was his business. She didn't tell him to grieve and he didn't tell her, it was their unspoken understanding. She took a large mouthful of her drink and hissed as the heat sunk to her stomach. Romal prodded her shoulder and she looked at the spot before brushing it off teasingly with a stoic face. " I don't barge." Hope muttered knowing he was right and hating it. She had come here because Hal's return had bothered her but that didn't mean she wanted to talk about it. She would rather drown her sorrows but part of her knew that she couldn't avoid it with Romal. They were always honest with each other even if the other didn't want to hear it and Romal was like his dogs with a bone. He wouldn't drop it. She finished what was left in her glass and leaned forward to pour herself another one as she tried to brace herself. She slouched back into the chair, took another mouthful and held the glass close to her lips as she spoke into the drink rather than at Romal. " Niks dad is back, Halvar... Hal." Hope took another large mouthful of the drink, the buzz finally starting to kick in as she felt the warm tingles spread across her body. " He just dropped back into our lives, literally just like that." Hope said, sounding almost angry although she wasnt' sure what she was angry about. " He's at the apartment with Nik now, figured they didn't need me looming over them." It wasn't exactly a lie. Things were tense between her and Hal right now and Nik deserved to spend time with his Dad all this time. But Hope knew if she spent any more time hearing his heartbeat hammering in her head while his scent surrounded her, she couldn't be held responsible for what her hands or fangs did to him. Things were already strange enough between them after sleeping together the night before and Hal meeting her mother. She didn't need to contemplate their relationship or her feelings any further. They were already complicated enough but the liquid in the glass was certainly making it easier to forget about those emotions as she finished off her third glass. Grabbing the bottle she reached over to Romals chair and topped off his glass before refilling her own. She hoped he had more bottles of this stuff stashed away somewhere, she was going to need them. Word Count: 901

His eyes were on the flames when Hope dropped a bomb. "His dad?" he muttered, turning in his seat to watch her with a closer gaze as she continued. He frowned, trying to recall her ever mentioning the boy's father, but he couldn't. She'd never spoken of him before. He knew about the man that sacrificed himself in the woods, but he'd never pressed her for answers about it and Hope had never offered any information. If Nik took power from his father's lineage, then Romal knew the man would be a strong one, and he found himself feeling concerned about them then. He could only hope the man wasn't a threat to them all. He took another swig from his glass, and settled into his new position, watching his friend as she spoke.

He waited for her to finish, and turned back to face the fire as she spoke, his eyes following the patterns the flames cast into the rising smoke. He let the silence settle between them for a little while, nodding when Hope topped up his glass, allowing him to take another long drink from it.
"Life's fucked up, eh?" he sighed, wondering why she didn't seem all that happy about the situation.
He had many questions, but he didn't want to overload her with them all at once. Who was Hal? How did he drop in? What was he? How was Nik?
Now wasn't the time to flood Hope with questions, She didn't come to him for an inquisition, she came to him because she needed a safe space to vent whatever it was that was eating away at her. Romal was a void for her, and he reminded himself to take it slowly with her.
Nik had his dad back, Hope had someone she maybe cared about back, yet she seemed upset about it, It didn't make any sense to him, yet it made all the sense in the world. Hope didn't know what to do with happiness, it was scary to her, and he understood that. Happiness made it all so much harder when the pain came.

"You don't seem all that happy about this," he muttered, lifting an eyebrow as he glanced back over to her, seeing that same stern controlled look he had grown used to over the years. It would fade soon enough, the whiskey would see to that. Then he would know how she really felt about it.
"Is this not a win for you? I know you don't like to share," he asked, wondering what could be so bad about the man that Hope seemed more unhappy than usual. He wasn't a threat, or at least Hope didn't see him as one. She wouldn't have left him alone with Nik if that was the case, so what was the problem?
"Why do you look like he just pissed in your cereal?"

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ Hope's gaze remained fixed on the fire but in the corner of her eye, she watched Romal process the news of Hal’s return. She wondered what he was thinking as silence fell between them. Romal was the closest thing to a Dad the kids had known thus far and nobody knew anything about Hal. Hope had made sure of that in an effort to protect Nik and who and what he really was. Maybe she should have been more delicate in her delivery but one of the things she liked most about Romal was that she could be direct with him. They both shared their dislike of frivolous chatter and would instead get straight to the point. She took another mouthful of the drink and rolled her neck, feeling the effects begin to take effect and her muscles began to relax. A normal human wouldn’t notice the subtleness of her muscles relaxing, how her weight leaned more into the chair and her pierced lips softened ever so slightly but Romal no doubt had. Romal stated the obvious and Hope scoffed with a smirk. “ That’s one word for it. “ Hope replied knowing they both knew how fucked up life really was and he had lived it for far longer than she had. She was only coming up to half a century old and had already faced enough grief and heartbreak to last her an eternity. Still, Romal had lost Pippa and that was an agony Hope had spent the last five years ensuring she would never have to feel. Losing Nik or Mori was a pain she didn’t think she could endure and she didn’t think she would even want to. They were the only reason she had held onto any form of sanity after she lost Marcus and the thought of living without them was a thought she couldn’t even bear to entertain as she took another lost mouthful, hoping the liquid would wash away the fear that gnawed at her soul every moment of every day. She had played this conversation out in her head on the drive over. She tried to come up with answers to every possible question she thought Romal would have. Questions about Hal, who he was, what he was, and how it affected Nik and she had already decided what she would and wouldn't tell him. But Romal had decided to avoid the questions and instead took his aim at her. Her eyes crossed the space between them and met his mismatched eyes. Of course, he would ask about her and her feelings. She was secretly frustrated with herself as she hadn't kept her feelings in check as much as she would have liked. She examined Romal's face as she tried to figure out what he was feeling and mostly saw confusion. He genuinely couldn’t understand why she was angry and if she was honest with herself, part of her didn’t know either. “ I’m part wraith Romal, I’m always angry. “ she replied making excuses, blaming her genetics for her mood. It was true that wraiths were beings of unending anger and hunger but Hope was giving her other side more credit than it was due. Seeing her answer wasn’t satisfactory, she glanced at her glass silently contemplating telling Romal how she was actually feeling. He knew how difficult a request it was for her to share. She hated being vulnerable, especially with her emotions but this was Romal, he was safe, that’s what she kept telling herself as she downed the rest of her glass in one mouthful, hoping for the liquid courage that it promised. “ I’m not angry... well I am but.. “ the words didn’t come easy as Hope tried to dissect the feelings she had suppressed for years. “ I’m scared... “ the words were fowl on her tongue as she allowed the words to fall on Romal's ears. It dawned on her that it was the first time she had ever said those words aloud and she almost couldn’t stop the word vomit that followed after it. “ He died Romal, he sacrificed himself to save me and Nik and I’m pissed about it. He died and I had to grieve for him and now.. And now he’s back and.. “ Hope’s words were faltering so she took the whiskey and drank straight from the bottle. “ And all the feelings.. “ at the word feelings Hope’s free hand waved around in the air like they were some intangible element. “ I thought they were gone, but now he’s there and so are .. the feelings. “ Hope was dancing around the word that she refused to say aloud, not even able to say it here in front of Romal. She hated the fact that that one word had so much power and if she said it, if she admitted it to herself and accepted it, she would be exposed and giving Hal and whoever else knew a power over her she couldn’t yet give away. She took another swig of the bottle and wiped a dribble that fell from her chin. “ So it’s just easier this way. Nik can have his Dad in his life and Hal can hate me, he probably already does and I’ll... I’ll just stay angry. “ Hope said seeming resigned to the fate that she had deemed was the right course of action. Nik would have Hal, Hal could teach him more about himself than she could and she’d be there, giving them their space, to continue to train Nik. She had already thought to let Hal stay in her mother's apartment, Cass used it more as a storage unit than a home anyway. At least he would be close but Hope wondered if she would still hear his heart beating through the walls. If his scent would permeate through the ceiling and floorboards and haunt her? She had sentenced herself to torture, her aching fangs told her as her gums throbbed. She ran her tongue across her teeth to soothe the muscles but she had a feeling she was going to have to get used to this pain if Hal was to remain in her life. But she would suffer this discomfort a thousand times over if it meant she wouldn’t have to endure that heartache again, no matter what her heart told her. No matter the sacrifice. ‘ I can’t lose him again. ‘ the words went unspoken as she finished the bottle and placed it on the table beside her. Word Count: 1076

"That's bullshit," he sighed, rolling his eyes at her wraith comment she was lying to him, but he knew it wasn't as simple as that she was trying to lie to herself. It was a trait that Hope had perfected over the years. That if she swallowed down her feelings enough, she didn't have to face them. But it didn't always work on Romal, at least not when he had the energy to try and dig to the bottom of it. Unfortunately for her, today was one of those occasions. Nik's father coming back was a big deal, no matter how she was acting. And it was worrying that she wasn't happier about it, even if that happiness was just for Nik having his father return to him.
Romal cast aside his own feelings it didn't matter how he felt about Halvar's return. He had been a father figure for both Mori and Nik, but Nik having his father back was what was best for the boy, whether that meant that Romal would take a back seat to the man or not.
Romal was concerned for the boy, yet he was happy for him. Nik needed a father figure around. That was why he had gravitated to Romal as easily as he had, but the demon was a poor substitute for a father. Especially when Romal had a growing sense that there was something potentially 'God-like' about him.

The alcohol was doing its job, and Hope grew more relaxed by the minute, even though she looked disgusted by the words that she let follow. She admitted fear, and Romal nodded, being very careful to keep his expression as neutral as possible. He'd known Hope for a long time, and he had never heard her admit to being afraid. He had seen her scared before, but he'd never heard the words leave her mouth, and never imagined that he would.

He pulled a slender cigar out from his breast pocket and lit it, planting it between his lips as the smoke clouded his vision, before he put the packet on the table in case Hope decided that she wanted one, other than that he didn't move, choosing to silently listen.
The man meant a lot to Hope, the more she spoke the clearer that became, and that is when her fear made sense. Love made her weak, she had lost a lot in her lifetime, and if anyone understood what that felt like it was him. Hope was afraid of letting herself love the man and have some sort of happiness in her life because it would hurt her more if it ended. But that was the type of behaviour that damned them all to misery and loneliness. Romal had walked the same path for a long time, he'd burnt many bridges throughout his lifetime, he'd even fallen out with Lita long before her death. None of that made it any easier though, it did the opposite. Guilt and what-ifs hurt a lot more than he had ever imagined, so much so that he'd let it destroy him over the years until his only reason for living was the girl that sat across from him and her little family.

"You're being an idiot," he spoke after a while. He looked at her with a cocked eyebrow before he got up, walking to the bar to grab another couple of bottles. He uncapped one and took a swig out of it, placing the others on the table that sat between their chairs. Replacing the cigar between his lips he looked back at the fire as he let his words of judgment hang between them, leaving Hope to scoff at his comment.
"You know that lying to yourself about this won't make it any easier on you, yeah?" he sighed with a shake of his head. "Do you know what that did for me? I didn't get to know my child properly because I pushed away her mother. You will drive a wedge between all three of you. Nik will be in the middle, and he will suffer because of that.
You clearly have feelings for this man you're going to pretend that you don't because you think that will be an easier option. You're not stupid enough to believe that is true. You have seen your elders make the same mistakes over and over again, yet you want to doom yourself to repeating them because you think it will make you feel better. Think about it. Did it make any of them feel better? Or did it fuck them over? Because I can't remember a single happy ending. Can you?"

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ ‘ That’s bullshit ‘ Hope glanced over and smirked as he rolled his eyes. That was her typical reaction and it was funny how much she had rubbed off on him and she supposed how much he had rubbed off on her. If it weren’t for him she would have been drinking alone for the last five years and not to mention everything he had done for the kids. Nik and Mori lost their Dads that day and Hope thought she would be doing all of this alone but to everyone's surprise, Romal had stepped up. He was probably the only person Hope would entertain talking to her in such a way other than Marcus and the likelihood of that ever happening again grew slimmer every day. Still, Hope chose not to argue the point. He wouldn’t understand, none of them would. Changing and being a wraith had taken a toll on her soul that she had never shared or told anyone and although she had refrained from using those abilities, she knew there was no way to undo the damage that had been caused. At this point, telling anyone would just cause more harm and Hope, stubborn as she was, wouldn’t ask for help not even from Romal. She looked over at the cigarettes that Romal placed between them, silently offering her one but Hope refrained. She never saw the appeal of the fowl-smelling things and preferred the comfort of alcohol. Thankfully Romal rose to grab more of that as he digested everything she had just said. She was already second-guessing herself, scolding herself for saying too much, for admitting that she was scared. Did he think less of her now? Did he see her for the scared girl who was making shit up as she went along? She regretted coming here. She should have gone somewhere else, anywhere else but here and then she wouldn’t be sitting in this chair hating herself. But where else would she have gone? The warehouse to watch Coran and her mother dance around each other? To the wolves with their dozen brats? No, she had nowhere to go and if she was honest, she didn’t want to be anywhere else. Romal and her were kindred spirits in their loss and grief and there was no one else she trusted more than him. No one could ever replace Knigh or Marcus in her eyes but Romal had come pretty damn close to filling the holes left in her heart. ‘ You’re being an idiot. ‘ The smirk left her face as she looked at Romal with surprise. That wasn’t exactly the reply she had expected after being so vulnerable and she immediately began to feel defensive. He placed another bottle of booze between them and she immediately grabbed it, taking a large swig from the bottle. Wraithing out of here seemed like a good idea at that moment if it meant she wouldn’t have to listen to Romal chastise her for being a scared idiot but she respected him enough to hear what he had to say but gave him a warning others wouldn’t have gotten. “ Careful Romal... “ Hope stared at him, it wasn’t a threat but Hope was feeling vulnerable, hurt and drunk and she couldn’t be held responsible for what she did if he backed into a corner. But her warning fell on deaf ears or Romal didn’t care as he began to speak, taking the conversation in a very different direction. Romal didn’t scold her or mock her, instead, he matched her vulnerability, talking about Pippa and Lita. More people she had failed and lost and Romal had to suffer those consequences. But instead of blaming her, he thought of Nik and the toll it would take on him. Hope gripped her glass and stared at the flames as she couldn’t deny the truth in Romal's words. Nik would be put between them and she didn’t doubt that if Nik had to choose between his cold dead mother or his Godly, warm and funny father, it would be a fight she would not win. Still, maybe that was for the best. As she thought about how Nik would be better off without her, some voice from her subconscious asked her if she was better off with just her mother while Karne just disappeared and she hated that damn voice of reason more than ever. ‘ You clearly have feelings for this man.. ‘ Hope hated that it was so obvious. That she was opening herself up to pain and putting Hal at risk by admitting it. But Romal was right, she wasn’t stupid and she had seen the mistakes. She had watched her mother love openly and freely only to sell her soul for a man who pretends to want nothing to do with her. She loved Ryu, only to be betrayed. She watched Marcus suffer as he mourned a woman who wasn’t dead but wasn’t here. Love had only led to more suffering in their already insufferable life. The crystal glass in her hand splintered as Hope’s grip intensified but Hope released her grip before it smashed completely. Her head turned to look at Romal as she tried to give him her best steely gaze but her eyes showed the pain that she had kept hidden for years. “ We don’t get happy endings Mal, don’t you get it.. “ her voice sounded like a mix of anger and pain. “ We’re the villains, we are the monsters in the story so no we don’t get to have happy endings and I’m not stupid or naive enough to believe otherwise. “ Hope’s voice was harsh as she spoke about the hand she had been dealt. She had accepted she was a monster a long time ago. That the blood she had spilt would have a cost and the fact that she was forced to survive while everyone she loved died was proof of that. She took another large swig and rubbed the dribble from her chin as she placed it back down on the table beside her. “ I’m better off... “Before Hope could finish that sentence an unnatural flicker in the flames caught her attention as the flames looked almost like a face. She stared for a moment before she recognised what or in this case who was staring back at her. "You are the strongest of us all, but let yourself be weak sometimes. Don't end up like me. " Knigh’s final words to her suddenly haunted her as though he and Romal were suddenly working together against her. “ Fuck.. “ she muttered as she suddenly rose to her feet and moved toward the fire. She placed her hands on the stonework and leaned her body over the fireplace, blocking the view of the flames from Romal. This hadn’t happened since Hal had died and now he was back it was happening again. Visions in the flames or as she realised after, warnings. Knigh had warned her and now Romal was too but she wasn’t sure she could let go now even if she wanted to. She had been strong for so long that she wasn’t even sure she could remember what it was like to have her walls down, to let somebody in. “ You know I hate you sometimes. “ she muttered to both Romal and this vision of Knigh. She knew that it wasn’t really him in those flames, Hope had made sure his soul was safe but someone knew she needed to what those words again and a part of her secretly hoped it was him. Hanging her head, her hair fell down around her face as Knigh’s image disappeared in the smoke. His face was replaced with the silhouette of a large bird and in its talons, a thorny rose. Hope’s vines constricted around her arm, in case there was any doubt as to what the image meant. It seemed the universe, or the Gods or both, who the hell knew, was siding with Romal and it was utterly terrifying to admit. “ Fine... fine... “ Hope said sounding exasperated. If she wasn’t so drunk she might have thought about the fact that maybe Romal couldn’t see what she saw and looked like a lunatic staring into a fireplace. “ So I somehow tell him how I feel, hmm, I tell him and then what? He rejects me or worse? He tells me he... he... “ Hope still didn’t have the courage to entertain the idea that Hal could possibly love her, who could? “ That he feels the same... And then... What if we’re happy? For how long? How long before Ox find us? Or Mayhem comes looking for Destiny or Octavian? Or Hal’s ..family comes looking for Nik? Or a different demon comes to fuck up our lives? Or a wolf or a witch or a fucking another coven... and I lose him again... Then what? “ There it was, Hope’s heart laid out for Romal to see the deep seeded fear festering within it. Tears stung her eyes as she refused to allow them to fall, refusing to allow herself to feel the fear that had consumed her waking hours for years now. The fear of what came next and who or what it would take from her this time. “ I can’t..... “ her throat closed up stopping the words as her hands gripped the mantle so hard her hands began to leave impressions on the stone. “ I can’t do it again. “ she whispered, as she accepted her defeat, a defeat that was written all over her young but broken face. Word Count: 1590

Hope reacted with anger as he'd expected her to, but she also decided to stick around and let him finish, all be it with a warning. She started at him, trying to warn him further, yet he paid it no mind, his mismatched eyes moving to look back at her without a hint of concern in them.
They had grown much closer over the last five years, and the demon knew Hope well. She would tolerate a degree of honesty from him that she wouldn't from other people, despite her posturing threats. Her words didn't put him off finishing what he wanted to say. He didn't care that they made her feel uncomfortable. He didn't even care if she hated him for saying them though he doubted that she would. What he cared about was protecting his friend, even if it meant he had to try and point out her faults in order to protect her from herself.

The sound of his crystal glass cracking within Hope's hand drew his eyes as he frowned, refraining from scalding her for breaking one of his glasses. He'd broken so many over the years that they were few and far between, Most of his customers now drank from metal stiens or mugs, as they were harder for him to smash. He chose to ignore it and instead look back at the flames, letting Hope worry about whether she would let the glass cut into her palm or not.

Hope shifted to give him her best 'I don't give a fuck' look and Romal turned in his seat, swigging from the bottle as he looked at her again. The cracks in her facade were starting to show, whether she liked it or not.
Halvar's return was throwing Hope into all sorts of chaos, and Romal felt bad for the pain and conflict that it was causing her, yet he wasn't going to let her throw away her chance to find someone to love because she was too scared to let herself feel anything.
What was the point of living like that? He sighed to himself. There was none. A life of misery in the name of survival. It defeated the point, and it was not surviving at all, it was a type of purgaftory he had been trapped in for the last half century, and he wasn't going to let Hope suffer the same fate if he could help it.

Her words were bitter and full of fear, but Romal stayed quiet, letting her sit with them in silence, hoping that she would realise that the 'life' she was trying to live was not a life. And expecting that life for herself or for those she loved was pointless. They may as well all surrender to the best thing that wanted to kill them instead of allowing themselves to live in misery with no chance of happiness for all eternity.

Hope moved away from him then, sliding to her feet so she could turn her back on him, her body facing the flames as she muttered to herself in an angry home.
He stubbed out the cigar and lit a second, taking a longer swig from his glass before he planted the stick between his lips.
"Everyone hates me," he snorted a laugh, hearing the defeated acceptance in her voice. Her words were getting through to her, even if she wouldn't admit it to him, or to herself. "Yet you all keep coming back for more, don't ya," he teased, climbing to his feet with an exaggerated stretch.

Hope's realization came with panic. Romal wasn't used to seeing his friend panic but he didn't let it phase him as he slowly approached her, listening to her ramble in what ifs. She was terrified of being hurt, the pain made her think she was vulnerable. But she didn't understand that she was only hurting herself by denying herself any form of happiness. That long-term pain would be much worse than the pain of losing a loved one. Never allowing yourself to love anything, meant never allowing yourself to live.

"What if the moon falls from the sky are crushes us all tomorrow? What if Ashall and Jeko there decide that the I'm the next meal on the menu?" he shot back, settling to stand beside her as she put indentations into his fireplace, her panic getting the better of her.
"What if you never let yourself feel anything ever again, and ultimately end up all alone, living a completely pointless life void of any kind of love or care?" he sighed, looking at the flames without seeing what she saw. Romal found comfort from flames, but they didn't offer that to him while his friend teetered on the brink of a breakdown.

"You can do it again. Since when does the great Hope back down from something because she is scared?" he frowned turning to poke her in the forehead. "Stop thinking so much for a bit, alright. Let yourself find happiness, even if it's fleeting. It's better than a life of constant misery... Eventually, the kids will fly the nest, you wanna end up stuck with me for all time? Nah, of course, you don't. You're allowed to have a life Hope, you're allowed to find some happiness for yourself."

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ The heat radiated from the fire as the image of Hal's raven disappeared from the flames. Hope always craved the warmth like it could shield her from the cold that dwelled within her but the fire was only reminding her of Hal. How close he had been in the car, in the elevator, how his scent was like a warm ocean breeze crashing against her, taunting her even now. It was infuriating. She had spent five years trying to grieve Hal, trying to deny the feelings she had, the feelings that were stirred everytime Nik flashed his smile or she heard him laughing from some corner of the penthouse. She thought she could move past it, she thought she had but when she saw Hal standing there in what was left of the Black Woods, everything came flooding back and she could have sworn she felt her dead heart beat in her chest. ‘ I came back for you. ‘ Hal's words rattled her soul as she remembered how he looked at her when he had attempted to rescue her from the threat he thought Nik was. He had looked at her like she was a goddess, no a Valkyrie that's what he had called her, his Valkyrie. Amidst her spiral, Romal had moved and was standing beside her. She watched him in the corner of her eye, glad for the excuse to take her sight away from the flames. She hadn't thought about how Romal would react to the emotional purge she was spewing on him. They were close but they weren't the touchy-feely types, never had been. They would sooner drink their problems away together then offer a hug so his close proximity was the closest thing to affection they had ever had. His words however weren't exactly soft as he showed her how foolish her thoughts were as he exaggerated her thoughts. He was the only person who would have dared to talk to her like this, he was the only one who didn't treat her like a nuclear bomb about to blow. It was why she enjoyed his company so much but right now she wanted to be anywhere but here as Romal forced her to face the truth. ' The great Hope ' something about those words grated against her as she felt anything but great. She had been making this shit up for years and was waiting for the day everyone finally saw through her. Those thoughts were halted with the pressure of Romal's finger on her head which caught her off guard. She turned to look at him and held her tongue as he told her to stop thinking so much and to let herself find happiness. His words pierced through the icy shields she surrounded herself with and she had no argument for them. Nik and Mori were growing up, scarily fast and she couldn't keep them cooped up in the penthouse forever even if she wanted to, which apart of her did. She sighed and looked away from Romal as she stared back at the flames, calmer then before but barely. She expected to see another Raven or even for Knigh to appear again, a part of her longed for him too but she was greeted only by flames. She was going to have to make this decision for herself whether she liked it or not and what terrified her most was she knew Romal was right. He would know afterall, she didn't know anyone who had lost as much as he had. His siblings, Lita.. Pippa. She was tempted to ask him if he would have given himself the same advice but she already knew that answer and the regret that followed it. ' Fuck it. ' she thought to herself, she had already endured losing Marcus, losing Hal, her home and Knigh. She could do this, humans did it every damn day and yet she couldn't shake the fear from her stomach. " You know what.. fine.. " she said, trying to regain some form of her former composure but the liquor in her system made that easier said than done. " I'll talk to Hal tomorrow... '' Hope said almost begrudgingly like Romal was holding a stake to her heart. But as she thought about it, how she would inevitably sober up by then and it would make everything ten times harder. No, if she was going to do it she would have to do it now while she was still too drunk to talk herself out of what she thought would be a terrible idea. " Fuck I hate when you're right. " Hope muttered as she pushed herself off the fireplace and turned the armchair to grab her jacket with her car keys in it. Grabbing the leather jacket she pulled out her keys and then thought twice about driving. She was drunk and the last thing she needed to do was draw attention to herself or the penthouse by dragging the cops or worse Ox Corp back to Saints. She dug out the keys and tossed them towards Romal. " I'll be back for them. '' she stated, choosing her alternative form to travel. She hadn't wraithed in... she couldn't remember right now but it had been a while and although she had promised to stop, this warranted it. She slipped her jacket on and headed toward the door of the bar before she realised she had forgotten to say goodbye to Romal in her frenzy of emotion. She grabbed the handle and turned to look back. " For the record, I don't hate you Mal. '' Hope said softly, the closest thing to an admission of genuine feeling she had ever expressed to her uncle-in-law. She waited for his response and then left the bar, walking briskly into the night air away from the small town center. She was all too aware of the witch population in Sole town and didn't need to draw their attention to her. Once she was outside the town boundaries, she stopped and almost turned around and went back to Mal's but her pride wouldn't let her. She had gotten this far, and Hal was only moments away once she set her mind to moving yet she felt frozen in the spot as she remembered how distant Hal had been with her, no, how she had pushed him away before reuniting him with Nik. She wondered if he was still in her room or if he had left already. She didn't want to think about what she would do if he wasn't there or worse, what she would do if he was and decided she wasn't worth the effort. Still, she had to know one way or another if there was a chance for them. " I need you to chase away the darkness. '' she muttered as she took on her wraith form and moved through realms trying to get home, trying to get to him as fast as her immortal body would let her. Word Count: 1159