non ducor, duco.

it terrifies me how talented you are at turning your emotions on and off. how you can be so kind and loving one moment then cold like ice the next. whenever you open your mouth, i never know whether it’s going to be i love you or it’s over.

[ BIO ] / [ WANTED CONNECTIONS ] / [ MUSINGS ] / [ INSPO ]

🜂

Taking a moment to observe him, Vivya raked her gaze over his form. Of course he was handsome, there was a reason he ended up in her bed that night. The nice hair, his cocky smirk, his hands. She liked it all, especially his neck. She wanted him on his knees with her  bare hands on his neck, while she watched him squirm under her touch as the fire from her hands consumed him to a burning husk. He’d never look more beautiful. 

But of course, that wasn’t going to be as simple. He apparently had at least one person looking out for him and who knew what was going for his job so she’d have to be smart and patient. Something she was losing a grip on as well. “Gravy.” She answers curtly, finally, after letting her supposedly lewd gaze settle back. “He better be. And no, I’ll cut out Kaz’s tongue for that.” She narrows her eyes at his roommate comment, recognizing the way he was messing with her that made her skin crawl, but she’s nonchalant anyways. “It’s at work being turned into a necklace. I’m sure the intern loved her new gift when I give it to her.” As if she was actually going to wear it when there were clearly too many people here, and he didn’t really want that from her. He liked it when she was difficult, didn’t he?

Not that it mattered what he liked either way. She relaxes, or so she acts like she is and scoffs under her breath. “Since it’s my house I’m allowed to have whoever I want over.” She arches a brow, daring him to challenge her but she’s sure he’ll say something that’ll make her want to throw the flower vase at his head- it wasn’t off the table yet. “Today’s been annoying so you can have a pass today. But I’m not taking in strays after tonight.”

❆

Darius returned her gaze, unashamed of the game they played and the silent words they exchanged. Each move she made, he was to ready match her, revealing flashes of his true nature. Others would run from her stubbornness, but he considered it to be amusing. The harder his wife pushed back, the sweeter victory would taste. However, he did wonder what he would do once he got the admission he wanted to hear from her.

“Maybe not tonight. The carpet was just cleaned,” he reminded her as he continued to cook. “I believe Kaz is here somewhere. Since she’s your friend, I’ll let you handle her,” he added, remembering the stowaway he picked up on his trek back home. While he hadn’t expected to host a get together, he supposed he could adjust the menu to accommodate for the larger party size. Underfeeding guests was a social faux pas after all. “I’ll be sure to send her matching earrings to go with the necklace then. It’s the least I could do for all the late hours she’s been pulling on that new business deal,” he grinned with a knowing look in his eyes. The thing with secrets was they were bound to be leaked, evident by the rumors that had reached his and Vivya’s ears. Though where would the fun be if he shared his thoughts with his wife? Why not wait till she received a phone call from her delightful parents about her marriage? Let’s see how she handled a crisis. “How’s Ellison? Pity what happened to his daughter,” he asked, as any supporting husband would.

“It’s our home, dear,” he corrected her, “Since this penthouse is now classified as a community property, I have half-interest in its ownership now.” He had been prepared to add his name to the deed, but for once the law was on his side. Though he had hoped to go a month without dropping that tidbit of information. “Did you have trouble getting back? The major roads were closed for me.”

-

It had never failed to impress Luca, the manner in which Darius always appeared before him, even now though it had been Luca who had showed up unannounced. To Luca, Darius had always looked like he had swallowed the sun. A beacon of light unmatched, bottled in the shape of a man, as much true now as it had been the first time they had met. Which is why, for someone whose existence had always been in the shadows, Darius both terrified and inevitably pulled him like moth to a flame.

“I brought nothing with me,” he said, though his eyes were already obediently searching for the bathroom. Luca took off his jacket, looking around at the general splendor and thinking how fitting a place it was for Darius. “You have one of those washing machines yeah?” Luca said, now removing his shirt. He didn’t care for the opinions of others, unless they were directed at his friend on Luca’s account. Piece by piece he undressed on his way towards the shower. 

“Are you sure it’s alright?” he asked after hearing Darius’s thoughts on dinner. The answer was obvious of course: It didn’t matter once Darius had set his mind to it. He would make things work somehow. He always did. 

“I hope you’re not expecting me to like her,” he said from under the not entirely unpleasant warm water. Though Luca was accustomed to the cold, he had also come to expect warmth whenever his chosen brother was around. “I probably won’t,” he continued, almost wishing to be wrong but knowing it was highly unlikely. No one could be good enough for Darius.

❆

"I’ll find you something from my closet,” he assured, unfaed by the nudity . The bulk of the clothing he moved into the penthouse was his formal wear, as one would expect of his new role of a trophy husband, but he also brought over some lounge wear sets to be comfortable in the comforts of his room. “We do,” he answered, collecting each discarded layer. “I’ll need to use heavy duty bleach,” he commented, noticing the distinctive red stains on one of the pieces. How fortunate  he was to have a wife who hired people to keep a well stocked inventory of bleach. Though he wondered if she even knew how to use a washing machine. Maybe, his next course of action would be to dismiss her staff.

“Per law, I’m entitled to owning half-interest here now. What’s hers is mine,” he shrugged, having read up on martial property laws the morning after his wedding. “I’ll reason with her. Sending you back out there would only draw more unwanted attention to our marriage,” he smirked, remembering the foolish bloggers he spotted who were attempting to act as journalists.

Leaning against the sink, Darius sighed. In an ideal world, Luca and his wife would get along to spare him a headache, but he wouldn’t keep either around if they lacked a bite. “You don’t have to like her, but you’ll be polite,” he instructed. If anything, he anticipated Vivya to be glaring daggers at him tonight which only made Luca’s arrival more exciting for him. The younger man was getting dinner and a show tonight.

“Don’t forget to condition,” he called out before he disappeared into his closet for clothes. Only when he was alone in closet did Darius smile. A wide grin, full of sincerity and warmth at the turn of events. Luca was the only attachment he had to his past, and his appearance saved him the trouble of foiling whatever scheme Vivya had. Fondness clouded his better judgment, but he couldn’t ignore how he worried he was of leaving Luca out there as the city tore itself apart.

🜂

Vivya’s gaze went past him, settling on the familiar scented dish. She looks over at the flowers, jaw setting. Motherfucker, she almost says out loud before looking over at him and his smirk. it was like he got off on this, but she’s never lost a game like this and she wasn’t about to now. It was frustrating, how she had to be on high alert even in her home and this proved no different. She’d get him back for this, that much was certain. But how was the question, would she hit back the same way or would she go for the throat right away like she was known to?

Well, looks like when this was over she’d have to scout out the Square. Something was there.

With the ring burning a hole in her pocket, she stepped closer to take a look at the flowers, her expression unreadable. He got it right, of course he did, and he even managed to know about her home set up which was unnerving. Everything about him was, his calm demeanor that said so much, the very dinner he was making. What exactly did he want out of this than her money, she had no idea and she hated it. The only thing was, all of her weaknesses died and were now 6 feet under in the cemetery. She was infallible now, no matter how hard that was to tell herself. “Is that a joke?” Of course she liked it. She liked all of it, and that made her want to scream.

“This isn’t your place where your vermin friends can ‘drop by.’ Who was it? And what did you tell them?” 

❆

Small details mattered, he thought as he pretended not to notice how his wife tensed up at the sight of the camellias. Just like he wanted. “Dry or gravy?” he asked her in preparation for the manchurian sauce. The gravy would be more fitting for dinner since it would be more filling, but giving her the choice would hopefully foster enough goodwill for Luca’s sake. 

“Luca - he’ll be gone in the morning. Worried he’ll blab?” he asked in the middle of frying the cauliflower. While he enjoyed the dish, he did find it to be rather tedious to create at home when he could easily order it via takeout. Though, he supposed that was why his wife loved the dish so much. Nothing was easy when it came to Vivya, and he welcomed the challenge. In fact, he couldn’t remember being so eager to see how someone retaliated before. “All he knows is you’re my roommate,” he added, setting the last batch of cauliflower on the covered dish to drain. “Well, a roommate I bought a stunning ring for. The very same ring not on your finger,” he pointed out, stroking the flames further.

“If you’re worried about a leak, you should instead start with the bloody vulture in the lounge,” Darius shrugged as if he found a cockroach. When they were truly alone tonight, he would have to ask her who knew about her mark. For now, he hummed along to the song playing and continued to prepare a meal that only existed in his wife’s dreams.

Closed Starter for @arcticwvlf​

Timestamp: Post-sirens

Location: The city streets

“Over here!” Kaz called, waving her arms to catch Darius’ attention. 

It had been a strange sort of a night. When the warning had first been played to the masses, she had tried to run. The Madhouse Renegades had preempted that, though. With fleeing out of the window, she had changed her tactics, trailing behind the rampaging Night Monster from a safe distance, ensuring she stayed as far away from danger as possible while still being sure to be seen doing something. After a run in with a sentinel, however, she had taken the lowest route of all - hiding. 

Kaz was tucked in an alleyway, safe in the shadows and crouched behind a dumpster, when she spotted Darius. She didn’t know him too well, not yet, anyway, but didn’t dislike the man she had come to know so far. The two of them seemed to have enough in common, at least. He was heading the way she just came, where she knew danger to be lurking. 

“I wouldn’t go that way, if I were you,” Kaz warned, poking her head out from her alley to check it was safe before rising to her feet. “It’s crawling with sentinels down there. You’re better off climbing in this dumpster.” She slapped it lightly with her hand, a crack of a smile appearing on her face. “Where are you headed? Might be safety in numbers, yeah?” 

❆

Not even the earplugs he carried would be able to block the sirens blaring or the people who felt the need to ramp up the theatrics for the evening. Danger was in the air, his ears detecting the familiar sound of the sentinels tearing down an alley a block over. Once tonight was over, he would have to punish the worm who fed him the information on the statistics of the sentinels.

“Home,” he answered evenly, glancing at his initial route. Unknown to her, Darius had started to consider the woman a good luck charm. Well, if he was superstitious enough to believe in things like luck, but Kaz proved herself to be the most useful of the people Vivya entertained. He liked people best when he knew their motives. “Are you inviting yourself over for dinner?” he asked, crouching down to avoid being seen by anyone careless enough to still be outside. His mind already assessing the situation and reviewing their options, because hell would have to freeze over before his plans were allowed to go awry.

“Can you climb that fence?” he gestured towards the fence at the back of the alleyway.  Based on the design of the city, they would be heading away from the casino and closer towards the penthouse. His arrival back home was going to be delayed, but he rather be late than climb inside a dumpster. “We should be able to make it up to the penthouse.” Pending the monster on the loose right now.

At last

Time: Long time after the alarms Location: Penthouse Closed starter for: @arcticwvlf

If there was one good outcome from the hunting of a Night Monster, it was that it had led Luca much farther from home and for longer. Then again, it came as no surprise that the chaos and disaster of others could bring forth opportunity. Such was life in the tunnels. Even so, as he stood at the front door of the building he found himself feeling surprise. He allowed it. After all, though coming to see Darius had been his goal, Luca had not expected to reach it the third time he strayed from the underground.

He pressed a button and a foreign voice spoke. Wrong call button. He pressed another. Wrong again.  “Open the door,” he told the third wrong call button. 

“Who’s this? We’re on a lockdown there should be no vi-”

“The Night Monster’s going to kill me. Help. I don’t know where to hide. Please. I am scared.” Luca stated, without the appropriate acting. Still, the door did buzz open and he walked in. The wrinkled card, with nearly fading letters, had given him the address and floor number. Long ago he had made it a habit of carrying it in his pockets, in case he ever needed it. Now here he was, staring at the elevator, before opting for the stairs. Had he known the meaning of penthouse he might have given the machine another chance.

At length, he reached the door. Ten minutes later, Luca knocked.  

❆

Nothing surprised Darius. Or at least that’s what he liked people to think. A mask of composure and social ease was all he needed, because in moments of crisis the last thing anyone should do was panic. A conversation he remembered once having with Luca one night when they watched people scramble away from a pipe bursting and flooding a tunnel.

Even so, he could had never anticipated Luca’s arrival outside of Vivya’s door (as she liked to remind him every morning). Of all nights, he chose when chaos and mayhem stormed the city. How fitting, Darius thought of him as he assessed the man. As well as he tried, the sludge of the Glutters lingered on Luca even if it wasn’t actually present.

“You need a shower,” he ordered, widening the opening for him to enter the penthouse. Warmth was expressed in actions, not in words, “Let me do the talking when she returns,” he added. Like he told his wife, he told nobody about his new arrangement. Keyword here being nobody. Good thing, Luca wasn’t just another expandable pawn in his roster to use.

“And you’re staying for dinner.”

where: Vivya’s Penthouse when: lockdown who: @arcticwvlf

Vivya wore thinly veiled annoyance well, like her designer silks draped across her body. But beneath the surface laid fear– fear of her own fucking world– of the sirens and Sentinels looming the streets. The shelter in place order put her on high alert, knowing there was no way she was going to get caught tonight while she still had her own messes to deal with. These were things she could resolve, if only certain people would bend to her will already.

She’s close to the penthouse already luckily enough, and no one dared to look her in the eyes as she stepped through the building, heels clicking in her wake. She anxiously tapped her foot in the elevator, the monster and heightened security on her mind and coming home only made matters worse. Her dearest husband in her kitchen cooking like he owned the place. “Are you making a mess?” She crossed her arms, watching him from the archway. “Unfortunately, we’re stuck inside tonight.” 

❆

Despite the announcement of a monster being on the loose, Darius had continued his trek back to the penthouse at an even pace. Though his new dwelling made the commute to Millions Square a hassle, the distance was a blessing in disguise tonight. As if he would buy groceries from anywhere near the square. If he did, he suspected she would accuse him of poisoning her (where’s the imagination in that?).

Instead, the man had other plans tonight in mind for his beloved wife. Vivya had set her security settings to the highest tier, but the same couldn’t be said true for those she entertained. “Gobi manchurian actually,” he corrected, his face settling into his usual smirk at the sight of the inferno before him. “Do you like the flowers?” he asked, tilting his head towards the vase of camellias on the dining table. A supposedly harmless gesture, accompanied by a fabricated story for the florist for the last of his stock, but his message to her was clear.

"I hope you don’t mind. An old friend dropped by tonight, ” he added, words of pure innocence if not for the challenge in his eyes.