Square one

Safety

Hope's POV:

Where the fuck could that fucking minx be? She couldn't have gone back to the room? I sprint down the corridor frantically, charging into our room, "Alyssa I swear to fucking god, my girlf-" I feel a brief sharp pain, like a momentary cramp within my chest.  I look out from where it came from, finding Cupid, sneering with glee, "Poor little witch. It seems you children haven't figured it out yet, have you? Why I'm not dead? I'm not Cupid. I hate being mistaken for that sorry son of a bitch. I am Pothos, and I will have your heart young lady." Grasping the arrow buried in my chest, I glare, spitting at his feet, pulling to the best of my ability, solely focused on getting this motherfucker gone so that I might finally be able to see my girlfriend. I finally pull it out, feeling as though its doing more damage coming out that it had done going in. I watch him closely, wincing a moment, trying to sit up, but he puts his boot to my chest. "Can't imagine that burning love arrow will be doing you any favours. See, like the love you have for the witch, it will burn with a passion, until you can't tell the difference between it burning you inside out, reducing you to ash, and losing her. I suppose you do both when you die, however I don't care for a mere mortal's qualms. It is then, once you've burned, that your heart will be left for me to devour." I watch the being as his jaw snaps out of place, his fangs coming in, but not before Landon storms in, the sacrificial lamb. 

"Eat me!" He squeaks, his arms extended outwards. I stifle a giggle, which is gladly overshadowed by Pothos' dark chuckle, "And why would I possibly want to feast on a heart like yours? Unwanted from the girl you desire most, dying over and over, unable to defend yourself, nor protect the people you care about. On the other hand, Miss Mikaelson here, her heart is tender, and juicy. Full of flavour. She loves someone so deeply that you can't even possibly wrap your head round. She's something you can't be." Landon winces, taking the verbal blows, one strike at a time. As the deity unloads the final punch, Landon picks up an arrow, "What about now, Loverboy?" He plunges it into his chest, without flinching, Pothos giddily licking his lips, as he drops the arrow at the being's feet. "Epic love arrow? Who's that supposed to be for? The cat's mother? No matter I suppose-" "You've never eaten a heart as full of love as my heart is for her-" "Riiiiiiiiight.... does he really not get it?" He says, turning to me for some sign of confirmation. "She's the love I could never dream of finding in my entire lifetime, but here she is and here I am, epically in love. I am complete when I'm around her. Utterly devout. The only problem I find with our relationship is that I don't know why she loves me as I do her." He gawks, laughing a little bit before straightening up. "Boy- you know what? Two hearts are better than one at this rate, even if it means I get the heart of a chicken." He slams his hand into Landon's chest, ripping it out, sinew coming with. His jaw comes undone once more, and he shoves the heart into them, snapping it up. He begins to come towards me, his gait and posture crumpling, beginning to gag, as if Landon's heart had magically lodged itself in his throat, unable to breathe. Within seconds, Pothos was gone, ash, just like my demise had been predicted, and Landon was dead, though it probably wouldn't take long til lovesick puppy was back at my heels once more. 

I drag his stupid fucking cocooned body to the bathtub in my room, hoisting him into the tub. In the meantime, I find MG, distraught by Kym's leaving, who hands over the ascendant, completely deconstructed. From upstairs it is made clear that the bird boy has risen, so I make my way back up, ascendant pieces placed in my pockets for the time being. I open the door to the bathroom, to find Landon, out of breath, grinning. "We did it!" I nod, giving him a small smile, sitting at the edge of the tub. "Can you make rounds tonight? I need to piece the ascendant back together, and find a way home for Josie. A-and Dr. Saltzman and Lizzie."  He nods quickly, "Yeah Hope, of course." He pulls me down for a kiss, but I narrowly dodge and give him an awkward hug. "Thanks Lan. Nice work today. I'll be in Saltzman's study, please make sure disturbances are to an absolute minimum. I need to put all I have into this." He gives another quick nod, opening his mouth to say something, but I get up, and rush out the door, my focus back on Josie, and helping get them all out, hopefully despite the obstacle that took up my time today, I'd be able to find an efficace way of getting them home safely. 

I can't bare being away from her so long. I wish she was here right now. She'd know what to do. But she's not. This is all on you Hope. You can get her out. 

I need her to get out.

She's my safety.