Hard Times

Somehow, they had managed to slip away.

Damage control was underway, and Tristin had already begun the process of dissecting the video feeds, scanning each flicker of captured moments to try and see what they had missed, what they weren’t able to identify in time. But this, on top of giving limited information to the police so they were satisfied, left them exhausted, drained, despondent. 

They weren’t sure that food would assist, but the Mcdonalds was close, an easy trip, with cheap food that would taste — fine. And with an empty stomach, the food offered, along with the caffeine selection, would perhaps grant a boost in attention they would need until the sun rose once more.

What they didn’t expect, though, was another person calling out, to catch the sight of Catalina waving to them. They first glance down, and of course she would note that they had attended. The suit worn still appeared pristine despite the events of the last few hours. They were much  too fancy for a fast food facility. 

Yet they would have walked into Taco Bell with Vincent anyways. What an example of how cruel time could be, of how it could shift opinions without care.

They are slow in reaching Catalina, and they try for a small smile. And the corners of their lips lift upward, but the motion feels like a crack against concrete — unnatural. “It’s good to see you on one piece as well,” they respond. “I hope —- I hope you aren’t too frazzled?”

Catalina immediately noticed the tense way they were walking. She didn’t give anything away with her expression, yet her mind wondered if it was possible that they were in on this? Would Olympus cause a scene like that to distract from something bigger, or was this completely unaffiliated? Stupidly enough, she wasn’t even sure who was in which gang. All she knew were the ones who’d assist her with some of her assignments. 

Still, she’s glad they’re okay. Or as okay as someone could be. “Oh, yeah, I wanted to leave early. Guess I got lucky.” She frowned to herself at how macabre it sounded out loud, yet she sighed and shrugged in response to their question. “Honestly, no. I just feel relieved. That was a lot harder to answer than I thought.” She laughed nervously, hoping she didn’t come across as completely heartless. 

“How crazy though, why would someone do this?” She shook her head, unable to believe the audacity. “At least no one else got hurt, I think.” She frowned at her phone screen before looking back up at Tristin. “Feel free to sit, I just wanted to get something greasy after all that champagne.” She blushed, realizing she was rambling. “How are you though?”

Somehow, they had managed to slip away.

Damage control was underway, and Tristin had already begun the process of dissecting the video feeds, scanning each flicker of captured moments to try and see what they had missed, what they weren’t able to identify in time. But this, on top of giving limited information to the police so they were satisfied, left them exhausted, drained, despondent. 

They weren’t sure that food would assist, but the Mcdonalds was close, an easy trip, with cheap food that would taste — fine. And with an empty stomach, the food offered, along with the caffeine selection, would perhaps grant a boost in attention they would need until the sun rose once more.

What they didn’t expect, though, was another person calling out, to catch the sight of Catalina waving to them. They first glance down, and of course she would note that they had attended. The suit worn still appeared pristine despite the events of the last few hours. They were much  too fancy for a fast food facility. 

Yet they would have walked into Taco Bell with Vincent anyways. What an example of how cruel time could be, of how it could shift opinions without care.

They are slow in reaching Catalina, and they try for a small smile. And the corners of their lips lift upward, but the motion feels like a crack against concrete — unnatural. “It’s good to see you on one piece as well,” they respond. “I hope —- I hope you aren’t too frazzled?”

Catalina was none the wiser to Tristin’s plan. She was good at minding her own business, it helped not being able to recognize who was a part of which gang. “Want some fries?” She offered with a small smile, before shaking her head. “No, luckily I wasn’t there when it happened. It’s wild about the odds though.” She frowned, her thoughts swarming. She didn’t know Harvey, but she hated his friends at the country club. But it seemed almost petty that someone wanted to put a hit on someone at his own memorial service, in a sense. She could never understand.

“I guess I have to be grateful I was craving some nuggets.” She laughed nervously, yet it was clear she was using humor as a mask. “Are you alright though? I can’t imagine what being there was like.” She shuddered, grateful again she wasn’t there. She was aware how dangerous it was for her to not be picking a side. This wouldn’t be the last time something scary happened, but what about her father? Could she do that to him? And what if anyone learned about him, could she trust Zeus’s or Hades’s protection? 

“I’ll let you order if you want to, I’ll watch your stuff.” She smiled, genuinely. She truly was trusting to a fault, and perhaps that would be her downfall. But at least she wouldn’t let anyone’s stuff go missing, she supposed.

date: september 24th location: august’s apartment closed to @catalinacarter​

he could barely believe that it had really happened - a murder in the middle of a very public event, and who knew how they’d gotten past the security in that area? he supposed he was on watch that night too (not that he was keeping his eyes on the police, of course), and he’d been completely caught off guard. then again, he was not so blind as to think that something like this was impossible. no - he should have expected it, rather. it’d been far too quiet as of late, after all.

still, it seemed to preoccupy his mind and he was rudely snapped out of his thoughts when he smelled something burning, and he quickly realized it was the omelette he’d been making in the frying pan for himself and his guest. 

“shit,” he swore, quickly looking back at cat and looking back at the now-burnt chunk of food. “i’ll - let me start that again. i’m just a little…it’s just been a little weird around here. have you talked to the police yet?” 

She smelled the burning pan a second too late, and so did August. She smiled gently at him, waving a hand in the air to dismiss the apology. “Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. And I’m sure the last few days have been... intense.” She scrunched her nose at the thought before shrugging. “No, but I left pretty early. I had a early shift the next day.” She shook her head, staring down at her mug of coffee. Surprisingly, Catalina was okay. It was tragic, sure. But she wasn’t the biggest fan of the commissioner, given her line of work. And no one else was hurt. She winced to herself at how cruel she sounded, her saddened expression clear in her eyes.

“God, I feel horrible. But I’m not that upset, I feel relieved. And guilty.” She scrunched her nose before taking a sip, her eyes glancing over to August. “How do you feel? It’s been hectic, I wanted to check in on you.” She smiled softly, glancing towards the food. “I can order us bagels if you’re not up to cooking. Your call though.”

Catalina got what she wanted out of the night, anyone else liked it or not. While the ball was surely her Cinderella moment, there was no Prince (or princess, for that matter) Charming to catch her attention long enough to stay. Maybe she stole his wallet and she could track him down more efficiently- but none the matter. She wanted some nuggets and a flurry, so here she was.

She got the alert on her phone in the otherwise quiet McDonalds. Flipping her phone over, Cat widened her eyes as she read the breaking news headline. The police commissioner was dead, and it seemed that Catalina had left just before it happened.  Fuck, she thought, yet her panic wasn’t as high as it would’ve been. If anything, she was relieved she got out of there. As the door opened, Cat looked up and noticed they were also at the ball. “Oh, hey!” She called out, a look of relief on her face as she gestured them over. “You were at the ball- I’m glad you’re okay.”

↳ Founder’s Ball. Open to all. 

Though Vex had received annual invitations to the Founder’s Ball, it mostly slipped her mind. Or, she was too busy… or, she had too much school work – Or, there was always enough of an excuse to stay home. 

Upon arriving she realized this was much different than the typical gatherings she used to attend. Bigger, glitzier, and the stench that wafted through the hall… that was different too. Fresh floor polish mixed with cold autumn winds drifting through a revolving door. A few too many pumps of perfume and cologne weren’t exactly complimentary but, it was completely on-brand. Most familiar was the splash of wine that tinted the air with a sharp acridness. Comforting and nauseating. At least that part hadn’t changed in the past few years. It was reliable to assume alcohol was a given at any get together where ‘family’ was involved. 

A balcony was where Vex felt most comfortable. A spot where the moon, stars, and flashes of the city could light up the world on parade. Where the air ran freely. She still had enough of the view of the party that she could keep an eye out for familiar faces. Comfort for her was out of the way, still in earshot. Swiftly making her way to her spot of choice, a harsh brush past someone sent crystal glasses clattering to the ground with a resounding CRASH. 

“Well I guess that was inevitable,” She muttered in stark annoyance. Turning on her heels to come face to face with the damage she had a hand in dealing. 

“Sorry about that.” Vex blurted out an anxious and obligated apology for making a mess and now a scene.

Catalina used to read about Harvey’s Balls. Pictures of socialites, senators, and celebrities would surface on the internet for the other girls in her school to comment and coo at. Never in her life did Catalina think she’d be invited, but she supposed that was the perk of her new... friends. Not that she was stupid enough to assume Hades and Hera were her friends, but that was much more simpler than actually figuring out what their situation was. Still, she wouldn’t dare miss out on this night. Catalina didn’t glam up often, she tried to live modestly yet comfortable so no one got too suspicious about her, but this was like prom night all over again. And she was here, in a pretty dress, picking the pockets of men far too powerful for her to truly fuck with. But here she was.

Tonight, her cover was that the country club’s CEO picked one junior level employee to take to the ball. She got away with being a wide eyed girl with her story, even if it was slightly true. She decided to stop her pick pocketing for the night, satisfied with her claims. Just as she suspected, no one noticed. She was tipsy enough now, grabbing another champagne glass when she turned on her heel only to crash into someone else. “Oops!” Cat winced at the sound of the crystal shattering, the other attendees looking at her and the spilled champagne. 

Scrunching her nose, Catalina sighed and shrugged. Luckily, none of the champagne got on her dress; it was already sheer enough. “Oh, don’t worry. Guess I’m a bit tipsy. Be careful of the glass though,” she warned, gently taking the other woman’s elbow to get them away from the mess. “Hopefully someone gets that- oh shit, should we be cleaning that up? I’ve never been to one of these, I’m totally stumped.”

WANTED CONNECTIONS...

                  ...IN THE STYLE OF HIGH AS HOPE

You need a big god Big enough to hold your love You need a big god Big enough to fill you up

This isn’t a complete list, and some of these can be mixed together or I could have multiples depending on the connection. Some will need to be plotted further but this is what I’ve came up with so far! Message me if you want to plot further. Unless stated otherwise, they’re all open for everyone. More potential plots/developments can be found here!