ready to take the fall

Luke had done the unforgivable. He had fallen in love with a human being. But not just any human, his human. It was against every rule that was ever written, but Luke felt like his existence had been made with Elyse in mind, and he'd wanted to become so much more than her guardian. He wanted to become someone she could love in return. But of course, thoughts like this often came with punishment, and Luke's punishment was simple, yet painful. His wings were to be ripped off and he was to be sent to Earth as a mortal, like the rest of the humans. And even as he wings were torn from his back, feather by feather, bone by bone, he still hoped, and prayed, that Elyse was safe until he could find her.

Aspen smiled as she handed Elyse her coffee, sitting opposite her friend. "I'm telling you El, this week has been weird." She laughed, relaxing in the familiar territory of the coffee shop that the girls were used to calling their meeting place while they were on their work breaks. Thunder was loud outside, and lightning was forecast too, but it didn't bother Aspen - she was glad of the rain, it had been too hot, too humid recently. It would be a nice change of pace. "I've had some weird luck."

Calum yelled out in pain as his wings were ripped from his body, but he deserved this - even more importantly, it was worth it. He’d get to be mortal, he’d get to be down there, on Earth, with Aspen. He’d fallen in love with the girl, and that was bad enough, already against the rules, but it was made worse by the fact that she was his charge, he was only ever meant to protect her, to be her guardian, not to love her. And, yet, he couldn’t help it - he’d fallen shamelessly in love with her and he didn’t dare regret it, not even as he was cast down to Earth, his thoughts only focused on getting to her, on ensuring she was safe after all of this.

Elyse, for a moment, was off in her own world, her thoughts swirling around everything she’d been through in the past week, how many things had happened, how many situations that she’d been in that had been dangerous, but she’d somehow come out of them unscathed. She blinked, though, when Aspen spoke, and she looked over at her. “Oh?” she asked, curious, “What happened?”

Luke had hit the Earth hard, naked, scratched from the fall and slightly afraid, the droplets of rain against his skin enough to remind him that he was fully human now, he was mortal, he was alive and brand new and human, mind awakened with only the thought of Elyse - and finding some clothes. Limping forward, Luke tread across twigs, pushing through branches as his heart beat frantically within his chest. "Elyse..." Luke breathed, closing his eyes. "Feel my aura. Find me."

Aspen laughed, taking a sip of her coffee, still in disbelief. "Well, I almost got hit by a car but I was mysteriously saved, as if it happened in a blink of an eye. Then I got off the elevator, the group that got on after me got stuck for four hours. I just... feel like I should be dead about now." Aspen realised that the more she spoke, the quieter her voice had gotten. "But I'm not. I'm alive." She exhaled, scrubbing a hand across her face. "Well, how about you? Anything interesting happen to you?"

Elyse shook her head slightly. “That’s… Crazy,” she murmured quietly, surprised, but she blinked when Aspen asked her about herself. “Actually, yeah, a lot has happen -” she’d started, but she paused when she… Felt something, something calling her. Her brows furrowed and she peered around, feeling like she was being attracted somewhere like a magnet. “Um, sorry, I, uh… I have to go.” She looked back to Aspen, offering an apologetic look. “I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” She stood up, then, quickly leaving before she could stop herself.

Calum groaned in pain, his body aching. He wasn’t used to pain. He wasn’t used to feeling aches or even feeling anything against his skin. His brows furrowed as he looked around, and there was an unfamiliar sense of panic settling into his chest as well - not for himself, but for Aspen. He wasn’t around to protect her. What if something happened to her? He couldn’t risk that. “Aspen,” he called out quietly, focusing, trying to ensure that she could sense him, “Aspen, I need you to come to me. Now. Please.” It was the only way to keep her safe, and that was all he wanted - her safety.