JED SALTZMAN
Hybrid
Posts: 273
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Ben Lowell
Played by:
Noe
I've become a bit of a mythology buff. Since I'm into a mythological guy that's, you know, buff.
Last seen May 6, 2024 21:29:42 GMT
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Post by JED SALTZMAN on May 8, 2022 17:38:00 GMT
– I freed myself from words never said –
Jed couldn’t believe his eyes at first, but he knew that back all too well. He watched from the window as a silhouette began walking away from the school which made him push himself up as he excused him abruptly. There was a small frown clear on his features as he followed the silhouette with the Salvatore School hoodie covering his head. It was night time which helped him blend in with the darkness rather well as he followed Ben to see where the other was planning on going on his own like this. It was late and he had an idea as to where he was going but he hoped to God that he was wrong.
He hoped that the voice in the back of his mind was spewing lies because there was just no way that Ben would be doing this on his own without telling Jed, or even doing this at all. But as he continued following Ben, it became clearer to Jed that he was right and it only made his frown sink deeper into his features. Jed had his hands buried in the pockets of his hoodie which eliminated the chances of him creating more noise that could draw Ben’s attention to him. Jed just wanted to be sure first because he didn’t want to blame Ben for something that wasn’t true.
But what else would he be doing away from the school in the middle of the night? When he finally had enough of trailing after Ben like a lost puppy, he revealed his presence. “What the hell are you doing, Ben?” Jed questioned, his voice breaking the eerie silence as he finally came to a halt. “Actually, the answer to that question is pretty obvious to me.” There was an edge to Jed’s voice as he kept his eyes fixed on Ben. “But, I’ll give you a chance to prove me wrong and I really hope that you do.”
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BEN LOWELL
Nephilim
Posts: 279
Age:
5000+
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Jed Saltzman
Played by:
Emma
If we're not careful you might wind up making me a better person
Last seen May 7, 2024 0:19:17 GMT
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Post by BEN LOWELL on May 8, 2022 17:58:11 GMT
Ben hated keeping the truth about what he was doing from Jed, they had promised each other that they were going to be honest with one another and Ben knew that he wasn’t being completely honest with Jed but he couldn’t bring himself to tell him that ever couple of days he was sneaking off and staying away until whichever monster was tracking him killed him before returning to the school. Ben didn’t even know where to start when it came to telling Jed about that, it was something that he knew that he had to do and he was certain that he was doing the right thing but lying to the guy he loved, and he was certain now that that was what he felt for Jed, wasn’t something that was ever going to sit well with Ben. That day night had already fallen as he headed away from the school. He had made a couple of friends among the other students but he knew that none of them would miss him as he left to meet his fate. There were those at the school who knew about his curse but none of them knew what it was really like and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if anything happened to anyone because of him. That much at least he had been honest with Jed about from the very start, in fact it was why he had been wary about accepting a place at the Salvatore School in the first place, but he finally had the chance to build a life for himself now and that was something that he knew he didn’t want to give up. Heading into the woods, Ben felt his heart sink as a familiar voice sounded and asked what the hell he was doing. Ben stopped in his tracks and turned to find that Jed had been following him all along. A part of him wanted to be angry at Jed for following him but he couldn’t bring himself to be, not when he hadn’t been honest with Jed himself. “You already know the truth,” Ben said, meeting Jed’s gaze levelly even though he knew that it wasn’t what Jed was going to want to hear. “I’m out here because I know a monster is coming after me and I can’t go back until it gets what it wants,” he explained, knowing that Jed would understand what he meant by that better than anyone. JED SALTZMAN
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JED SALTZMAN
Hybrid
Posts: 273
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Ben Lowell
Played by:
Noe
I've become a bit of a mythology buff. Since I'm into a mythological guy that's, you know, buff.
Last seen May 6, 2024 21:29:42 GMT
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Post by JED SALTZMAN on May 8, 2022 19:08:48 GMT
– I freed myself from words never said –
Jed frowned almost immediately when Ben’s answer reached his ears, it only angered him more. “Yeah, unfortunately, I do.” He responded with the same bite still lacing the tone of his voice as he took a step closer to Ben, not giving a damn that by being close to him, he could endanger himself, too. He didn’t give a single damn about that, not right now. Jed lifted his hand to brush the hoodie off his head, a part of him wishing that they weren’t having this conversation right now, but they were and Jed hated it. He hated that Ben was still keeping things from him, even if it was for his own good. “Okay, so basically what you’re telling me…” Jed took another step forward, the edges of his lips tugging down into a displeased frown. “Is that you are out here, in the dark, all on your own, to suffer through excruciating pain, and then, what? Huh? Just — die?”
“No wonder you’re going behind my back to do this because you know what my answer would be to this. You know I’d tell you just how messed up this is, Ben.” Jed crossed his arms in front of his chest, refusing to even budge despite the fact that by being here, he was putting his own life in danger too. He had no doubt that those monsters wouldn’t give a damn about getting rid of him to get to Ben. But he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to turn a blind eye to this.
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BEN LOWELL
Nephilim
Posts: 279
Age:
5000+
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Jed Saltzman
Played by:
Emma
If we're not careful you might wind up making me a better person
Last seen May 7, 2024 0:19:17 GMT
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Post by BEN LOWELL on May 8, 2022 19:26:06 GMT
Ben could tell that Jed was angry and he hated knowing that he was the one to make Jed feel that way but he couldn’t help it. Ben had explained his curse to Jed, Josie and a few others but none of them could ever truly understand it the way he did because they hadn’t lived with it. Ben had never asked for any of this, he didn’t want to have spent his whole life being hunted down by so many different monsters, some of which he didn’t even know the names of, and he didn’t want to still be going through this now that he had finally found a home at long last but he didn’t have a choice. He knew that he probably should have told Jed what he was doing but he had known that Jed wouldn’t let him go on his own and Ben knew that he would never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to Jed. It had taken him a while to figure out what his feelings for Jed were but Ben knew now that he loved him and the last thing he wanted was to end up losing him too. His heart ached as Jed brushed the hoodie off his head and Ben was able to see his face clearly for the first time. “That’s the nature of my curse, I told you that from the beginning,” Ben said patiently, knowing that he needed to keep a level head here. “You know that by hiding or fighting it only delays the inevitable and makes the pain that much worse. This is the only way.” As Jed said that he would tell him how messed up this was, Ben looked at him incredulously. “You think I don’t already know that?” he asked as he let out a shaky breath, not sure whether Jed would ever forgive him for going behind his back like this. “You think I want to be doing this? I don’t,” he sighed as he looked away, ashamed of himself for not being honest with Jed before. “I want to believe that there is a way to break this curse more than you ever know but one of your sisters was with me when a monster found me and she almost got hurt. I can’t let that happen to you, to them or to anyone else,” he explained, trying desperately to find a way to make Jed understand why he was doing this. “You may hate me for keeping this from you but I can live with that because at least you’ll be alive to hate me which means that I saved the life of someone that I love,” he said as he lifted his gaze to meet Jed’s. JED SALTZMAN
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JED SALTZMAN
Hybrid
Posts: 273
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Ben Lowell
Played by:
Noe
I've become a bit of a mythology buff. Since I'm into a mythological guy that's, you know, buff.
Last seen May 6, 2024 21:29:42 GMT
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Post by JED SALTZMAN on May 8, 2022 20:24:26 GMT
– I freed myself from words never said –
“Yeah, you did, Ben. But I also told you that you don’t have to go through this on your own.” Jed pointed out with an exasperated sigh falling from his lips as he tried his best not to let his short temper latch onto him because the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Ben’s feelings even though his own feelings were hurt enough by the fact that Ben had gone behind his back and decided to put himself through so much pain like this but the worst part was that Jed understood why Ben had done it. He understood why and he hated it. “Oh fuck that, Ben.” Jed responded almost immediately when Ben told him that this was the only way. “I refuse to believe that. Do you hear me? I refuse to let my boyfriend wander to god knows where and sit out there in the dark and let himself get eaten just to save others. It’s a selfless act but, shit, Ben, I really wish you weren’t this selfless.”
Jed was quiet as he listened to Ben explain that he didn’t want to be doing this. He shook his head and looked away from him for a moment, his expression giving away the fact that he was still pissed off. “I’m not my sister, Ben! I’m way closer to you than she is, I’m your boyfriend and I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t be keeping things from each other anymore, and yet here you are, wandering off to die, and then come back to me—” Jed paused for a moment before he seemed to realize something. “Wait, how long have you been doing this, Ben?” He questioned as he eyed Ben warily for a moment, having an inkling that he wasn’t going to like Ben’s answer to his question but he needed to know.
Jed listened to Ben as he spoke before his eyes widened slightly as he processed Ben’s words. Love?
Ben loves him?
Jed could feel his traitorous heart flutter at the realization and he could already feel a part of him beginning to forgive Ben already. Jed looked away from Ben with a bitter chuckle falling from his lips before he shook his head. “Is this seriously how you’re gonna tell me that for the first time?” Jed’s eyes moved to settle on Ben once again. “With you seconds away from putting yourself on display for the monsters to come and kill you?” Jed still looked pissed but there was a hint of softness beginning to overwhelm the angered look in his eyes. “Listen to me, I got in a relationship with you knowing the risks of being with you and I’m still here, aren’t I? Does that tell you anything, Ben? About me? About us?” Jed took yet another step closer to Ben. “I’ll tell you what it says. It says that I’m ready to face whatever comes our way because you are worth fighting for. What we have is worth fighting for. But how am I supposed to fight for us when you don’t even let me?”
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BEN LOWELL
Nephilim
Posts: 279
Age:
5000+
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Jed Saltzman
Played by:
Emma
If we're not careful you might wind up making me a better person
Last seen May 7, 2024 0:19:17 GMT
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Post by BEN LOWELL on May 8, 2022 22:07:50 GMT
“I know,” Ben sighed as Jed said that he didn’t have to go through this alone. “The truth is I didn’t want you to see me die,” he added, knowing that was part of the truth at least. He didn’t want Jed to see him like that, it was bad enough that Jed had already seen him while he was healing after being killed when they met. Back then they were complete strangers but now they were so much more than that and he knew that he didn’t want him dead or dying to be all that Jed saw every time that he looked at him. Ben had been honest with Jed about his curse right from the start, he had told him what it was and what it meant but hearing it and seeing it were two very different things. He hated that he had hurt Jed and it was clear that he had from just how upset Jed was right now but Ben didn’t know how to explain it the right way to make Jed understand why it had to be this way. “This is why I couldn’t tell you,” Ben said, his voice almost resigned to the fact that this always would have been Jed’s reaction. “This way no one else gets hurt. My plan makes perfect sense, Jed, so what is your hesitation?” he asked, not sure whether it was just Jed hating the thought of something happening to him or whether there was something else going on that he didn’t yet know about. Ben could tell that Jed was still angry with him and it was enough to make his heart ache. “I know you’re not your sister. The thought of her getting hurt scared me but the thought of something happening to you is so much worse,” he said, needing Jed to understand where he was coming from with this. As Jed asked how long he had been doing this for, Ben averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture because he knew that Jed really wasn’t going to like the answer. “Pretty much the whole time I’ve been here,” he said at last, still unable to meet Jed’s gaze. “That’s why no monsters have showed up at the school, I’ve been going out to intercept them before they could get that far,” he continued even though at this point he really was dreading how upset Jed was going to be with him. The way Jed laughed when Ben told him that he loved him was enough to make Ben’s heart sink. “The circumstances aren’t ideal,” he conceded as he finally lifted his gaze to look at Jed. “Jed, this isn’t about that,” Ben said, his eyes pleading with Jed to understand. “I know you would fight for us but I’ve already made peace with the fact that you’re mortal. I’ll stay with you for as long as you’ll let me but the thought of losing you before your time terrifies me,” he said gently. “I already lost Ashur too soon, I can’t stand the thought of losing you like that as well.” Ben knew that there were never any guarantees, things could happen that could result in a life being taken too soon at any given moment but he really didn’t want to tempt fate with Jed, not when up until he arrived in Mystic Falls luck had never been on his side. “You have your family and your friends around you but everyone I care about is in this town because everyone else I’ve ever been close to died a long time ago,” he explained, unaware that two of the people he had fought with during the war were also calling Mystic Falls their home at this very moment. “I can’t lose you too, I won’t,” he said, his eyes shining with tears that he refused to let fall. JED SALTZMAN
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JED SALTZMAN
Hybrid
Posts: 273
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Ben Lowell
Played by:
Noe
I've become a bit of a mythology buff. Since I'm into a mythological guy that's, you know, buff.
Last seen May 6, 2024 21:29:42 GMT
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Post by JED SALTZMAN on May 8, 2022 23:45:19 GMT
– I freed myself from words never said –
Jed pressed his lips into a thin line as he breathed out of his nose in an attempt to calm himself down because he didn't want to be angry at Ben, not when he understood why he was doing this. "I don't want to see you die either, Ben. But it beats going through this alone, doesn't it? At least I'd be there by your side when you wake up." Jed explained, his voice losing some of the edge in it. "What is my hesitation, Ben? Where do I even start?" Jed responded almost immediately with an incredulous chuckle falling from his lips not long after.
Jed released a sigh before he shook his head, still not liking that Ben was making himself go through so much pain on his own. It made sense as to why Ben was doing this and that's the part that hurt the most. "I know you want to protect me and I know that you suffered through the loss of Ashur before, but I wish you could see my point of view, too. I don't want you to go through this alone." When Ben revealed the answer to his question, Jed's expression fell. If he were the old version of himself, he would have lost his temper entirely. He would have been an absolute asshole about it, but this version of himself only boiled from the inside as he nodded his head slowly before he turned his head away from Ben, unable to look at him for a few moments at first as he gnawed on his inner cheeks until the taste of blood resided on his tongue. It was the one thing that made him take a small step back as he raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "The whole time..." Jed repeated under his breath. "Wow..." He turned away from Ben for a moment as he tipped his head back to release a shaky sigh before he finally turned back around to face him again.
Jed shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of his chest as he kept his eyes fixed on Ben, remaining quiet as he listened to Ben, giving him a chance to speak. He couldn't deny the fact that Ben's words were starting to soften the heat in his eyes as he continued listening to him. He couldn't stay upset at him, not even if he wanted to. "That's the thing about being mortal, Ben. There's no fixed time for me. I could have a heart attack right this instance and it would take me out and you know what? I would rather go out fighting by your side than inside of that school, far away from you as you sat out there waiting for a monster to find you."
Jed let out a small sigh, his heart aching as he caught the way Ben's eyes were shining which told him that there were tears in Ben's eyes. He desperately wanted to close the distance between the two of them and wipe his tears away but Jed remained rooted in his spot. It felt like his feet were glued to the ground, making it incredibly difficult for him to do anything. "You won't lose me. I'm really sorry about what happened to Ashur and the others you have lost, but I'm here to stay. We still have that damn Star wars franchise to finish which gives us what, five years and a half?" Jed said with a half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips before his smile eased away not long after. "You aren't in this fight alone, Ben. I'm here, let me be here for you." Jed's voice had a hint of softness in it as he spoke. "Like I said, when we started going out, I knew the risks and I'm still here with you, aren't I? I knew that being with you was dangerous but I still brought you to meet my family, I still let you sleep with me on the same bed." Jed's voice was calm as he spoke.
"Now come on, let's head back–" Jed stopped when he heard an odd rumbling noise that made him frown in apprehension. He turned to look behind him but he wasn't able to see anyone there. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought he'd merely imagined it but he knew that was not the case. Jed's eyes glowed red as the noise happened again and it sounded like it was coming from above which made him tilt his head up in an instant and he found himself staring at a dragon.
"You've got to be kidding me." Jed breathed out as he looked at the dragon as it rumbled again, massive wings flapping as it began turning back around and flying straight for them.
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BEN LOWELL
Nephilim
Posts: 279
Age:
5000+
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Jed Saltzman
Played by:
Emma
If we're not careful you might wind up making me a better person
Last seen May 7, 2024 0:19:17 GMT
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Post by BEN LOWELL on May 9, 2022 18:46:50 GMT
“Having you there when I wake up would be better but if something happened to you because of me then I would never forgive myself,” Ben explained. Just the thought of him being the reason why Jed got hurt was enough to make his heart ache and Ben knew that wasn’t going to change. Jed was more than capable of looking after himself, he had been doing just fine before Ben came into his life but now there were more monsters than ever making their way to Mystic Falls and Ben knew that he didn’t want Ben to end up being put in the firing line because they were together. This was his curse and he would do everything in his power to protect Jed from it and stop him suffering because of it too. “I do see your point of view Jed, I know you don’t want me to go through this alone. You always try and look after everyone and that’s one of the things I like most about you,” he said gently, his expression softening as he looked over at Jed. “The problem is that you can’t protect me from this.” He had met so many people along the way who had tried to help him because there was something that he could give them in return but it had never worked out. He still wasn’t sure whether it would be possible to break the curse this time or not but he still hadn’t lost hope, not just yet. Now he had something to fight for more than ever, he had Jed as long as Jed was able to find a way to forgive him for this. As he said that he had been doing this pretty much the whole time Ben was ready for Jed to have a go at him or tell him that he was being stupid but instead Jed turned away from him and went quiet and that was so much worse. Ben’s breath caught in his throat as he found himself staring at Jed’s back and he brought his hand up to reach out to Jed before letting it fall to his side as he thought better of it. Jed was angry, that much was obvious, and the truth was that Ben had no idea how to fix it. “I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have kept this from you,” he said at last as Jed finally turned back to look at him. At the time it had seemed like the only thing he could do since he had felt sure that Jed would try and talk him out of it but Ben knew that he had hurt Jed and he regretted that. “I know you’re right. Anything could happen to you but I didn’t want to do anything that would tempt fate because that has never been on my side,” he said gently. His mother had died when he was still quite young and then Ashur’s dad had died followed by Ashur himself. It didn’t matter who ended up coming into his life they always ended up leaving him sooner or later and Ben hadn’t wanted there to be any additional reason why Jed might do that. Ben knew that he should be better at losing people by now considering how many people he’d had to say goodbye to but none of them had been Jed and even though he knew that their time together was limited the truth was that he wasn’t sure that he would ever be able to say goodbye to him. “I worry that perhaps I already have,” Ben admitted as Jed said that he wasn’t going to lose him. He had broken Jed’s trust and he could tell how angry Jed was with him so he really wasn’t sure if Jed would be able to forgive him. As Jed said that they still had half of the Star Wars movies to watch which would take years, Ben couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve got a point there,” he said, a weak smile forming on his face for a moment before it quickly slipped away. As Jed spoke again, a couple of tears rolled down his face and he nodded. “Alright, I’ll let you be here for me,” he said gently. He knew that was going to be much easier said than done since his fear of something happening to Jed was always going to be there but if he didn’t let Jed be there for him then Ben was pretty sure that he was going to end up losing him anyway and that was something that he knew he definitely didn’t want to do. “You took a risk when you let me in and I don’t want to push you away.”Ben thought about protesting when Jed said that they should head back, he still didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of him but Ben was starting to see that perhaps they could find another way. This was the only thing that he had found that worked but he had been facing this on his own for such a long time and he really wasn’t used to having someone who truly cared about him share the burden but he knew that he needed to try. “Alright,” he nodded, knowing that he had to at least try things Jed’s way. Before they could even start heading back in the direction of the school, though, a noise sounded and Ben looked around them in surprise. There didn’t seem to be anything that he could see but then he lifted his gaze to follow Jed’s and his heart sank. “We have to get out of here,” Ben said, taking Jed’s hand in his and dragging him away as quickly as he could. “Josie said there are dragons at the Salvatore School. The curse doesn’t affect them when they’re in their human form but it’s a different matter when they transform. This could be one of them, we can’t fight them,” he explained, hoping that on this at least they could both agree. JED SALTZMAN
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JED SALTZMAN
Hybrid
Posts: 273
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Ben Lowell
Played by:
Noe
I've become a bit of a mythology buff. Since I'm into a mythological guy that's, you know, buff.
Last seen May 6, 2024 21:29:42 GMT
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Post by JED SALTZMAN on May 9, 2022 20:43:03 GMT
– I freed myself from words never said –
Jed’s lips parted to release a small sigh. He knew where Ben was coming from and he understood why he felt the need to protect him and keep him safe. Ben had lost Ashur and it must have hurt him terribly to do so. Jed had lost Trey who was alive at the time and it nearly broke him, he can’t imagine what it would have felt like if Trey had died. It definitely would have affected him a lot more and he understood Ben’s point of view but it still didn’t mean that he was one hundred percent okay with what Ben was doing. He wanted to be involved in Ben’s life, he wanted to be there for him, through the good and bad. He can’t do that if Ben was keeping things from him and walking away from him.
“Well, I sure as hell can try, Ben.” Jed responded almost immediately when Ben told him that he can’t protect him from this. “Hell, I’ve been looking into a way to stop the monsters from coming after you at least while we figure out how to break your curse. Hope and Josie have been helping a lot, too. We’re close, Ben. Real close, even.” Jed had spent countless nights hunched over books, determined to comb through each detail without missing one bit, just in case one detail could tell him how he was supposed to help Ben.
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have. But you did it anyway.” Jed breathed out, his voice still calm but there was a whole storm in his eyes as his frown began digging deeper into his features. “You did it after I preached to you about not keeping secrets from each other, after telling you how important communication is.” Jed shook his head with a sigh falling from his lips not long after.
Jed nodded his head slowly when Ben told him that he didn’t want to do anything that would tempt fate. “Well, fate brought you to me, didn’t it? I’d call that fate being on your side.” Jed pointed out, his eyes focused on Ben as he quietly watched him for a little while longer until Ben told him that he was worried that he’d already lost Jed. The young Alpha released a breathless chuckle that lacked any humor in it. “Trust me, Ben, you’d know if you’d lost me.” He wouldn’t be here, talking to him. He would have put up countless walls and he would have walked away without even looking back. But he was still here, he was still talking to Ben. He was still listening to him.
Jed’s lips stretched to form a brief smile when he told him that he’s got a point. He eyed Ben for a moment when he told him that he’ll let him be there for Ben. He was quiet as he listened to Ben, his smile returning to his lips but once again, it was brief. “Thanks.”
The night took a sudden turn when he heard a rumbling noise that came straight out of his worst nightmare and when he looked up, he found himself looking at a dragon out of all creatures. “Yeah, couldn’t agree more.” Jed let Ben drag him away as they started moving away from the dragon but they were no match to the wide wings of the dragon. “I know. Shit, I know.” Jed couldn’t do anything to hurt the dragon, his roar wouldn’t do anything to it, either. “I’ve read about them before, one of their weaknesses is magic. If someone could put that — enormous thing to sleep, then we won’t have to hurt it.” Jed could feel a cold shiver rush down his spine at the sound of the dragon’s rumbling noise. “Here I thought the directors of Games of Thrones were exaggerating when they made dragons look and sound terrifying.” Jed looked over his shoulder at the dragon as it flew above them as they began running toward the direction of the school. The dragon made a loud sound that made the windows of the school shake which saved them from having to alert the school of the dragon’s existence and almost immediately, Jed’s heightened hearing caught the sound of rushing footsteps. Jed watched as the dragon landed on the ground which made the ground rumble underneath his feet. “Well, shit—” Jed’s eyes were on the dragon as it looked around at first, noticing the few students staring from the windows but it didn’t seem interested in hurting any of them. Then, those eyes moved to settle on Ben then there was a hissing sound that Jed recognized a little too late as its mouth opened and released an extremely volatile substance which created fire as soon as it made contact with the air and Jed didn’t even hesitate twice before he stepped in front of Ben and pushed him away.
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BEN LOWELL
Nephilim
Posts: 279
Age:
5000+
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Jed Saltzman
Played by:
Emma
If we're not careful you might wind up making me a better person
Last seen May 7, 2024 0:19:17 GMT
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Post by BEN LOWELL on May 9, 2022 21:42:12 GMT
Thousands of years ago Ben had resigned himself to the fact that he was going to end up spending the rest of his life alone and it had been that way up until the day that Jed had entered his life. From the moment Ben saw him he had known that his life was never going to be the same again and if he was honest he had felt glad about that. He had thought that he’d scared Jed off when he had stopped showing up at school after convincing him to stay but Jed had come clean to him and ever since then they had been happy. Ben hadn’t wanted anything to ruin that happiness and he hadn’t wanted Jed to end up putting himself in danger for him. He had already loved and lost once but what he felt for Jed was so much more intense than his feelings for Ashur ever had been and for him Ben had broken into Heaven and brought magic down to Earth to try and save him. Ben wasn’t used to having people that he loved but he knew now that Jed definitely fell into that category and he would do everything he could in order to keep him there. As Jed said that he could try and protect him from the curse, Ben’s heart ached. “I’ve tried so many different ways but nothing has worked,” he sighed. He was doing his best to give it more time but the truth was that he wasn’t sure if there even was a way to break his curse. He knew that he’d never had anyone invested in helping him break it before like Jed was now, he’d had a friend who had tried to help him after she’d found him in the cave but she hadn’t really known what she was doing and she definitely hadn’t had the resources that the school had to offer. As Jed said that they were close to finding a way to stop the monsters, Ben’s expression turned to one of surprise. “You are?” he asked. That was something that he hadn’t expected at all and he wasn’t sure that he was ready to let himself hope that it might be true in case it didn’t work out. A sigh escaped his lips as Jed pointed out that he had kept what he was doing from him anyway. “I know I was an idiot. I was trying to protect you because you’re the person who matters the most to me in the world.” Ben knew that having people in his life meant that he had people that he could lose once again and yet he knew that he wouldn’t take back getting to know any of the people that he had met since he’d arrived in Mystic Falls. “No more secrets, I give you my word,” he added even though he wasn’t sure that it would mean much to Jed right now. As Jed said that fate was on his side when it brought them together, Ben’s expression softened. “You’ve got a point there,” he admitted. Meeting Jed was the best thing that had ever happened to him so perhaps things were finally starting to change. As Jed said that he’d know if he had lost him, Ben’s breath caught in his throat. He knew that he had a lot of making up to do but perhaps it wasn’t hopeless after all. “Do you think you can forgive me?” he asked. Unfortunately things soon took a turn that Ben wished they hadn’t and before he knew it he was dragging Ben as far away from the dragon as quickly as he could. Deep down he knew that it was no use, it rarely was when creatures like this attacked, but he knew that this time things had to be different because he knew that Jed wasn’t just going to stand by and let the creature kill him so that it would end all of this. That wasn’t who Jed was and Ben loved him for it but he couldn’t deny that he wished that just for once he might let things play out the way they needed to. “I have no idea what that means but dragons have always been terrifying,” Ben admitted as they ran. He could tell that the creature was gaining on them without even having to look back and check and his blood ran cold as the dragon made a noise loud enough to make the windows of the school rattle. “We can’t stop this one. I’m the one this thing wants, get inside the school and you’ll be safe,” he pleaded, desperation evident in his voice even though he already knew that Jed wasn’t going to listen. This wasn’t like the monsters he usually faced, this was so much worse and even though it wasn’t interested in the other students now that didn’t mean that it wouldn’t go through Jed to get to him if it had to. Before Ben even knew what was going on there was a hissing sound and suddenly Ben was pushed to the ground, only able to look on in horror as the stream of fire that was meant for him engulfed Jed instead. “Jed!” he cried out, pushing himself to his feet even though he knew that there wasn’t anything that he could do. It didn’t even register that Josie and Hope had rushed out of the school and were putting the dragon to sleep, all he could focus on was that Jed was gone, he had saved him and he had given his life to do so. “No, no, no, no, no!” Tears rolled freely down Ben’s face as he made his way over to Jed’s body, it was barely recognisable and yet he still couldn’t look away. Falling to his knees his hands hovered over Jed’s body, his mind completely blank of everything other than the crippling grief that he felt with every fibre of his being. Ben was so distraught that he didn’t even realise that his hands had started glowing and it wasn’t until Jed’s body started looking more like him that he realised what was happening. “I won’t lose you like this,” he breathed as the tears continued rolling down his face and landed on Jed’s body. Right now he was acting on pure instinct and without even really knowing what he was doing he called on all of the power inside of him and directed it at Jed, using it to finish healing him and bring him back. JED SALTZMAN
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JED SALTZMAN
Hybrid
Posts: 273
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Ben Lowell
Played by:
Noe
I've become a bit of a mythology buff. Since I'm into a mythological guy that's, you know, buff.
Last seen May 6, 2024 21:29:42 GMT
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Post by JED SALTZMAN on May 9, 2022 22:51:23 GMT
– I freed myself from words never said –
Jed nodded his head in an understanding manner. “You were trying on your own back then, but this time around, you aren’t on your own.” He assured him in a soft voice, his eyes focused solely on Ben. His next question made Jed’s lips stretch to form a brief smile. “Yeah, Ben. We’re close. We just need more time.” Jed revealed with a nod of his head following not long after. He was pretty confident that they were more than capable of finding a way to stop the monsters from coming after Ben. They just needed a little more time to figure out a way. He had a feeling they were really close.
Jed’s heart betrayed him by fluttering as he listened to Ben’s words. Though that was not the only traitorous act. He felt himself take a step closer to Ben, his fists clenched tight to stop himself from pulling Ben forward into a hug. When Ben gave him his word that he won’t keep any more secrets from him, he felt his expression soften a little as his frown slowly eased away. “Thank you.” It really did mean a lot to Jed that Ben had given him his word that he won’t keep any more secrets from him. “Yes. I can forgive you, Ben. I don’t think I have it in me to be mad at you for long, honestly.”
Though before he could tell Ben that he forgave him, they were rudely interrupted by the dragon that seemed fixated on hurting his boyfriend. “No, I’m not leaving your side. I’m sure as hell not letting you become a dragon’s snack.” Jed stubbornly shook his head as he kept his eyes fixed on the dragon, his eyes momentarily flashing red as a warning but the dragon didn’t seem to give a damn.
They say that when you are about to die, life flashes before your eyes, and for Jed, it was exactly just that. Every good and bad thing flashed before his eyes and before he was engulfed by that flame, Ben’s face was the last thing that he saw as he turned his head to him at the last second. He just wanted Ben to be the last thing he saw before he died because it would make it seem a lot less scary for him. Jed felt it all at once, that excruciating pain because the feeling faded away entirely. There was no pain anymore. There was simply silence, but there was something odd about that silence.
It didn’t sit well with Jed.
He was used to his life being filled with people, filled with too many voices coming from left and right. The constant bickering of his sisters, and his parents’ voices as they woke him up for school or talked to him about different things just to keep a friendly conversation going. He was used to his friends at school talking to him, his pack confiding him… He was used to chaos, but it was a good type of chaos.
Jed released a shaky breath as he looked around, noticing that it was a little too dark. “Hello—?” He called out but there was no one around him. There was no one at all. He was on his own again and it brought back memories of when he woke up after shifting for the first time, all alone in the dark with nothing to cover his bare frame. Jed missed Ben, his missed his parents, and his sisters. He wanted to go back. He didn’t want to stay here.
He was finally happy again.
Was.
Jed didn’t even realize that he was sitting on the ground until he started hearing voices coming from around him. But there was one prominent voice that he knew all too well. “Ben—?” Jed called out as he finally pushed himself up from the ground. Jed didn’t know what was happening until a bright white light enveloped him whole and that was when he released a gasp as if he had been holding his breath for the longest time. Jed blinked a few times past the blur in front of his eyes and the first person his eyes laid upon was none other than Ben. Jed’s hand slowly moved to rest on top of Ben’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Hey,” he croaked, his eyes focused on his boyfriend. “Told you I’m not going anywhere.” Jed said with a half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I always keep my promises, Jacob Black.” He planted his hand on the ground to push himself up, his body barely protesting as if he didn’t just get burnt to the point where it was difficult to recognize him. He was okay. “I’m kidding. You just looked so sad. I’m okay, Ben. I’m okay.”
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BEN LOWELL
Nephilim
Posts: 279
Age:
5000+
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Jed Saltzman
Played by:
Emma
If we're not careful you might wind up making me a better person
Last seen May 7, 2024 0:19:17 GMT
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Post by BEN LOWELL on May 9, 2022 23:30:34 GMT
“I wasn’t always, I found a few people who said they could help me if I gave them something in return but they all lied to me,” Ben admitted. He had thought that he’d found someone who had meant it when he’d crossed paths with Qetsiyah but her betrayal had been the worst and it had stayed with him. She had used his blood to study its properties so that she could create her elixir and he had then spent so many years trapped in the where he was killed over and over again. Now things were different, now when he died it was on his own terms somewhat but he was still tired of it, he just hadn’t been able to find a way to stop it. “Okay, I can give you that,” he nodded as Jed said that they just needed more time. Ben wanted Jed to be right so badly that he knew he would find another way to deal with the monsters until they knew for sure about whether or not it would actually work. In that moment Ben wanted nothing more than to feel the warmth of Jed’s embrace but he knew that he had no right to ask for that. Jed was angry at him and Ben couldn’t blame him, he had lied to him and kept what he was doing a secret so of course Jed had every right to be angry at him. They had promised that they would be honest with each other and he hadn’t been but Ben really had learned the error of his ways and he knew that he wasn’t going to make that same mistake again. “You don’t need to thank me, it’s what I should have done all along,” he admitted gently. He should have trusted Jed with this but he had known that Jed would try to stop him and in doing so it would mean putting more people in danger but Ben knew now that he had to take a leap of faith and trust that things would work out for once if he let people in. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that,” he breathed as Jed said that he didn’t have it in him to stay mad at him for long. Of course the moment was ruined by the dragon and even though Ben had promised that they would face whatever would come together, he knew that this time was different. They couldn’t kill the dragon and they couldn’t fight it so all they could do was run. Ben needed to make sure that Jed was safe but even as he pleaded with Jed to get inside the school he knew that Jed wouldn’t listen and it turned out that he was right. “This time is different. We can’t fight this Jed. If you stay out here with me you could die,” he protested even though he could see from the look on Jed’s face that he wasn’t going anywhere. Ben was still figuring out what his powers were with the help of Jack and the teachers at the school but he knew that he didn’t have anything that could fight a dragon. They were one of the few monsters that he had never been able to beat and he knew in his heart that that wasn’t going to change. All Ben could hope for was that he would be able to make sure that Jed survived this encounter but as Ben found himself pushed to the ground he knew that even that wasn’t going to happen. Jed turned to look at him just before he was engulfed and Ben could see that in that moment Jed knew that he was about to die and Ben’s heart broke. There wasn’t anything that he could do to stop it and within moments the light that Jed had brought into his life ever since they first met was snuffed out. Ben wasn’t really sure what happened after that, it all seemed to pass by in a blur as something inside of him triggered and he began healing Jed’s body. He didn’t understand how he was doing it or why his power seemed to be kicking in now, all he knew was that Jed’s body was slowly starting to return to normal and it almost looked like he was sleeping. It barely even registered with Ben that the dragon had been knocked out and other students had emerged from the school now or that they were sobbing, all he could focus on was Jed. Somehow a second power Ben had never known he had kicked in, triggered by the pain he felt at losing Jed, and as Jed gasped, Ben could hardly believe his eyes. Jed’s eyes were open and his chest was rising and falling as he breathed but it all felt so surreal. Ben’s heart leapt in his chest as Jed’s hand covered his, his heart realising that this was real before his head had even caught up. “Hey,” he breathed, bringing his free hand up and letting it rest against his boyfriend’s cheek. Twilight references were something that he understood now thanks to Jed but even so Ben couldn’t bring himself to focus on that, instead he was still trying to get his head around the fact that Jed was alive. “But you did, you did go somewhere,” he said, not even attempting to dry his eyes because he knew that it would be pointless. “I watched you die, Jed,” he breathed, pulling Jed into his arms and hugging him tightly as if letting him go would mean losing him all over again. “I don’t understand how this is possible,” he admitted as his eyes focused on Jed once more. “You’re really here? You’re really okay?”JED SALTZMAN
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JED SALTZMAN
Hybrid
Posts: 273
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Ben Lowell
Played by:
Noe
I've become a bit of a mythology buff. Since I'm into a mythological guy that's, you know, buff.
Last seen May 6, 2024 21:29:42 GMT
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Post by JED SALTZMAN on May 10, 2022 0:25:14 GMT
– I freed myself from words never said –
"You know I'm not like them, right? We aren't like them. We aren't making false promises. I'm going to find a way to stop those monsters from coming after you, no matter what and you know me, when I put my mind to something, I don't let it go until it's done."
Jed nodded his head in agreement with Ben when he told him that he should have done that all along. "It's fine. We all make mistakes." Jed said with a quick shrug of his shoulders. "I'm not exactly devoid of mistakes myself, so it's okay. I forgive you." Jed said with a half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He loved Ben too. He wasn't going to hold it against him because he didn't have it in him to be mad at Ben for long. He knew that Ben did it for good reasons, he knew that he had this from him because he knew Jed wouldn't let him go on his own. He was doing it to protect him and Jed was beginning to understand it a lot more now.
"I'm still not leaving your side, do you hear me? You are worth dying for, Ben. But c'mon, I won't go anywhere. I promise." It was a big promise for a mortal like himself to make, but he just wanted to reassure Ben that he wasn't going anywhere any time soon. But he was soon biting those words when the flames engulfed him whole and before the dragon could hurt Ben, Hope and Josie were putting it to sleep which at least meant that a part of his plan worked. Ben was safe.
Jed honestly thought that he wasn't going to come back to life again. That he had lost his one shot at life but then he found himself gasping for air as his eyes opened and his gaze settled on Ben almost immediately who looked like he had been crying which broke Jed's heart. "I know..." Jed breathed out, his eyes moving away from Ben to look at the students gathered around them, all of them looking like they had been crying which made his heart squeeze even tighter but his attention moved back to Ben and when Ben pulled him in for a hug, Jed wrapped his arms around him in an instant, hugging him tightly as he buried his face in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry." Jed breathed out. "For breaking my promise." He added a moment later. "And for making you cry. I hate seeing you cry." Jed kept his arms wrapped tightly around Ben. "I heard your voice. I think it was you who brought me back." Jed's eyes relaxed on Ben once more as they pulled away from the hug. "Yeah, I'm really here. I feel pretty okay, actually. Are you okay? Did it hurt you?" Jed scanned Ben's features as he lifted his hand to let it rest against Ben's cheek, his concerned eyes meeting Ben's once again.
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BEN LOWELL
Nephilim
Posts: 279
Age:
5000+
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Jed Saltzman
Played by:
Emma
If we're not careful you might wind up making me a better person
Last seen May 7, 2024 0:19:17 GMT
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Post by BEN LOWELL on May 10, 2022 12:50:09 GMT
"I know you're not, if you were you wouldn't still be here now," Ben nodded. He knew that Jed was different to everyone else that had promised to help him in the past, Jed really wanted to be there for him and Ben knew just how invested in all of this Jed was. He felt bad for pushing him away but he knew now that he was being stupid and he wanted nothing more than to fix it. "I know you're stubborn when it comes to this, it's one of your more endearing qualities," he grinned. Ben knew that Jed would stop at nothing until he found a way to stop the monsters from coming after him so Ben knew that he needed to learn to let Jed help him. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to anyone helping me because they want to," he admitted, his expression softening as he looked over at Jed. "Thank you," he said sincerely as Jed said that he forgave him. That really did mean the world to Ben and he knew that he was never going to be able to thank Jed enough for giving him another chance. "You're worth dying for too," he said, unable to deny that he was surprised that Jed had said that. Ben had told Jed that he loved him but Jed hadn't said those words back and yet he was still willing to do this. "I'll hold you to that," Ben warned as Jed said that he wasn't going anywhere. He needed Jed to keep that promise but moments later he was breaking it and Ben's heart broke in the process. Jed was gone but Ben couldn't accept that, he wouldn't accept that. He had no idea how but he started healing Jed's body and as the tell tale gasp came Ben let out the breath that he hadn't even realised that he was holding. Ben was only vaguely aware of the fact that other students had gathered nearby but he was pretty sure that he could hear Josie crying her eyes out from where she had been standing with Hope while they took care of the dragon. This was what Ben hadn't wanted, he hadn't wanted anyone to get hurt for him let alone die for him but Jed had pushed him out of the way and it had cost him his life. Ben felt immensely guilty about that but right now Jed was back with him and more than anything he felt relieved. Ben couldn't stop himself from pulling Jed into his arms and as Jed hugged him back, Ben could already feel the void that Jed's death had left in his heart starting to fill. "You broke one promise. You said you were going to find a way to keep me safe and you did but please don't do anything like that again, do you hear me?" Ben asked, his eyes searching Jed's as he spoke. He knew why Jed had done it but if he hadn't come back then Ben really didn't know what he would have done. As Jed said he was sorry for making him cry, a humourless chuckle escaped Ben. "Don't worry about that. You're here now, that's all that matters," Ben assured him. He wanted to lean forward and kiss Jed, to show him how glad he was that Jed was back, but there were others around and he knew how Jed felt about public displays so he refrained. As Jed said he thought it was Ben who brought him back, Ben's expression turned to one of surprise before it softened slightly. "I think you might be right. I wanted to bring you back so badly but I've never done anything like that before," he admitted. "We'll figure that out later anyway, all that matters right now is you." Ben didn't want to focus on anything else and as Jed asked if he was okay, Ben couldn't help but laugh. "You're the one who died and came back and you're worried about me? You're incredible, you know that?" he asked, a smile touching his lips as his eyes met Jed's and he leaned into the hand that was on his cheek. "There are a lot of eyes out here, we should get you inside before that thing wakes up," he suggested, knowing that what they needed right now was privacy. JED SALTZMAN
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JED SALTZMAN
Hybrid
Posts: 273
Occupation:
Salvatore College Sophomore
Status:
Engaged
Partner:
Ben Lowell
Played by:
Noe
I've become a bit of a mythology buff. Since I'm into a mythological guy that's, you know, buff.
Last seen May 6, 2024 21:29:42 GMT
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Post by JED SALTZMAN on May 10, 2022 15:49:43 GMT
– I freed myself from words never said –
Jed felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips when Ben told him that he wouldn't be here if he was like those people who abandoned Ben and lied to him. Jed was never going to leave Ben behind, he was going to stay right there with him because Ben meant so much to him and Jed would be an idiot to walk away from him when he felt so much for Ben. Jed felt his smile widen when Ben told him that being stubborn was one of his more endearing qualities. "If you think that compliments are going to make me forgive you faster..." Jed trailed off for a moment as his eyes lifted to settle on the way Ben was grinning. "You're absolutely right." He concluded with a breathless chuckle falling from his lips not long after. "I know." Ben replied in a soft voice, his eyes focused solely on the other and when he thanked him for forgiving him, Jed shook his head slightly with the same smile still resting on his lips. "You're welcome."
Jed was going to try to keep his promise but then those flames engulfed him and he realized all over again how fleeting life could really be. He realized how little control he had over his life and he knew that being a mortal played a big part in it, too. For Jed, it felt like it was just a quick nap, one moment he was in that dark place, and the other, he was opening his eyes and he was looking at none other than Ben who seemed to play a big part in the reason he was awake right now. Jed's Jed's expression softened when Ben begged him not to do this again. “I won’t. I promise.” Jed’s thumb gently traced over Ben’s cheek. He was quiet as he listened to Ben explain that he had wanted to bring him back so badly. “Thank you for bringing me back.” Jed’s voice was soft as he spoke, his eyes focused solely on Ben. “How are you feeling, though? Are you feeling weak in any way?” Jed’s eyes searched Ben’s with concern still visible in his eyes.
Jed let out a soft chuckle when Ben told him that he was incredible for worrying about him despite the fact that he was the one who had died and come back. “I can’t help it. I worry about you. I just wanna make sure that you are safe.” Jed breathed out in a soft voice.
“Yes, please.” Jed responded almost immediately when Ben told him that they should get him inside, especially before the dragon woke up. Jed lowered his hand from Ben’s cheek so that he could hold onto his hand instead and slowly, he pushed himself up with a groan falling from his lips. “C’mon, guys, you should back inside as well, it’s not safe for you out here.” Jed told the younger students as they lingered close to the dragon. They slowly but surely began heading inside too. “We’ll handle the dragon, you guys head on inside.” Hope assured him with a half-smile forming on her lips. Jed sent her and Josie a thankful nod before he headed inside the school with Ben.
Jed began making his way to the dorm room that he usually stayed in on the night of the full moon, just so that he’d be close to his pack and to also avoid snapping at his family back home because the days leading up to the full moon, he’d be on edge and temperamental.
“That should give us some privacy, right?” Jed turned to look at Ben with a half-smile resting on his lips as he closed the door behind the two of them, giving them all the privacy that they needed.
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