...What the Gods Sea...

( tw needle mention, drug mention )

it was not okay. he was not okay. he’d gotten the call days after the shooting and he’d been so certain that he felt his own heart actually sink into the ground, and he’d all but practically jumped out of his bed and ran to tyler’s place without thinking, bypassing the doorman he usually liked to chat with and running straight up to the right floor. 

(to think that the commissioner had been shot only days before and now this, his mind was rushing and he didn’t even know what he was supposed to do and god, he wished he could just sit at home and shoot something down his vein –) 

he shook the thoughts away as he arrived at the familiar door, and he gave it a few quick knocks, then some more when it wasn’t answered right away. only when it opened (finally!), vincent let out a frustrated sigh. “you - why didn’t you call me? i mean what the fuck –” 

When he heard the knock at the door he simply rolled his eyes, assuming it was some personal assistant of another executive who had heard the news and wanted to ‘make sure he was okay’. But it was insistent, and as it grew more frantic he huffed and hobbled towards the door throwing it open with a scowl, “You’re giving me a headache, why the hell does the doorman keep letting you all up here-“ He blinked and cocked his head to the side, “Vincent? Oh-Well, I didn’t want to-Calm down- Please, come in.” Vin had no time to reply as Tyler ushered him into the condo and shut the door behind him. “I didn’t call anyone, kiddo. Didn’t think it was necessary.” He slowly lowered himself back onto the couch with a heavy sigh, “But, reflecting on that decision perhaps it was a mistake. Though, I did want to avoid this- Your panic that is, you don’t need that added stress.”

Luli hadn’t expected to get the phone call so late at night, but as soon as she saw the caller ID, she panicked. Her panic was only proven correct when the nurse told her what happened, but Luli remembers most the mechanical movements she frantically was pushing herself through. Your fault, your fault, your fault, her mind chanted as she grabbed her coat and stormed out the door of her building into the car parked waiting for her. 

There was no time to get a card, flowers, even booze. All Luli could do was show up with herself, whatever that was worth. As the nurses directed her to the room, she found Tyler in the bed, relieved he was at least stable. A million questions fluttered through her mind as she stepped in, and she wanted nothing more than to let her anger at the person who did this to Tyler to consume her. Anger was easier than fear.

“Tyler?” She whispered, moving towards the edge of the bed where he was. “I came as soon as I got the call.” 

He didn’t move to turn towards the door when he heard someone shuffle in, assuming it was one of the night staff double checking his vitals. It was the soft, hesitant call of his name that made his eyes flutter open despite the vertigo. He propped himself up, a bit too quickly, but the worry that set in the back of his throat masked the pull of the stitches. “Lulu?” He was surprised to say the least, after their squabble at the ball he assumed Luli would have liked nothing more than to see him suffering alone- who had even contacted her? Oh, shit, “I’m sorry.” He rolled his eyes and sighed “I completely forgot that you were still on my emergency contact list. I’ll take you off, I know you’re busy.” Despite his words he slowly stretched his hand out for her to take, and quietly spoke into the darkness “Thank you for coming, I was scared.”

The thumping bass, the smell of smoke and sweat, the ragged noises that filled the club… it was an all too familiar feeling for the man. Marquis’ body rolled against the pole, his hands roaming over his body as he held the center stage with three other dancers. But he knew the eyes were on him. They always were. The way his hips shifted to the music, the way his eyes scanned over the darkened room as his head rolled back out of pleasure. There was something about it all that made him feel so… alive. Of course, it was all just a job for him, some means for him to just get more money, but the dancer really knew how to hold his audience captivated. As the music cued the dancers to engage with the audience, Marquis teased every inch of his body off the stage, strolling past the club patrons. 

Some he flirted with, gently tugging on their hair or leaning in to breathe at their necks. Others he rubbed himself up against, his hips the driving force between them. But the instant he saw the other, Marquis’ eyes locked with him. For him, he would put on all the stops. He knew all the important patrons by heart. All the top clients that required some… expertise to handle. Of course, he wasn’t an acting escort for the night, but Marquis made sure to keep his clients consistent. They liked him to keep him around, and he had a long enough relationship with them to trust that they wouldn’t try anything underhanded with him. This one, though, wasn’t just a client. A friend, back when Olympus was still… in Marquis’ eyes.

Strolling up to him, the dancer wrapped his arms around the other’s neck, leaning in close so that the glistening sheen from the sweat on his shirtless body was almost brushing up against him. “Fancy seeing you here. Enjoying the show?” he whispered darkly into his ear, before nipping at it carefully. “I was thinking how good your hands would feel on me when I was dancing on stage.”

He had just been psyching himself up to squeeze through the crowd in search of Samael to give his goodbyes when his sweeping gaze locked eyes with the most gorgeous man he had ever seen- and god did he never get tired of looking at him. Every atom in his body jolted to life at the feeling of Marquis pressed against his skin, “Oh, were you now?” It was quick but he pressed a soft kiss to the man’s cheek “Odd since you just saw me- Or are you always thinking about me touching you?” An arm snaked around Marquis’ waist and pulled the man closer, “Do you use that line on all your clients? I bet they just eat it up- speaking of which, shouldn’t you be spending your time with someone who’ll actually pay?” Despite the question Tyler’s grip tightened on the man indicating he wasn’t willing to let go anytime soon.

melodi wished she was on a job.

well, that wasn’t entirely true; she could appreciate a fancy gala on its own merits and was always willing to watch the intricacies of family drama play out. but the sheer possibility of the night was being wasted, namely the fact that she was inside olympus’s stronghold…with no impetus to sneak around. if only one of the other major players had shown some initiative and hired her. how disappointing.

she traced the rim of her champagne glass delicately, nodding vacantly along to whatever inane thing the wife (mistress?) of a major finance executive had been prattling on about. melodi was the image of perfect attention, though she couldn’t help but notice the woman had left her phone on the cocktail table in favor of the drink in her hand. maybe she could stand to misplace it for an hour? but before she could turn to petty theft, melodi spotted an infinitely more lucrative source of amusement. 

“tyler!” she greeted, bell-bright. “how lovely to see you. i don’t suppose you’re aware if any of your…family intends on livening up the evening? not that this party isn’t lovely. and not that would be an inherently good thing.” she sipped her champagne, inclined her head slightly. “but your whole lot seems a bit on edge, even for a gala this stuffy.”

Location: Founder’s Ball

Availability: @hypnoidize

The ball was just as terrible as he thought it was going to be, he almost regretted coming but knew it would be a shameful act to leave his assistant to tend the floor of hungry distributors looking for a quick bite, alone. It may have also looked a bit disgraceful on his part if Harvey’s son failed to show up to the party thrown in his name, but Harvey was dead, so who did it really matter to?

Tyler was tired of avoiding scornful glances shot his way by members of his sister’s little gang, did they forget that they too once wanted to grovel at his feet? What of the hours he put in cleaning up sloppy messes and the hands he held through the pain and suffering of loss, did it mean nothing?- But none of it truly mattered anymore, they were just painful feelings that clogged up the pipes of the transaction that his relationship with Olympus currently was. He needed the company of someone who wasn’t apart of that mess.

It took a bit of wandering, maneuvering through the gaps of the crowd, getting farther and farther away from the safety of the corner he had previously shoved himself in. Then, like a beam of angelic light sent down as a gracious gift by his Pa he spotted him, Cleo. Their initial meeting was awkward, to say the least, if Tyler had read it correctly- after the fact-he was rather sure that Cleo was targeting him as a suspected client. It still makes him cringe thinking about his response to Cleo’s first hello, ‘You’re a child?’ Their current relationship was equally as odd, he wasn’t able to read the man as easily as others but he assumed they were close enough friends that he could be tactile at a high-end party surrounded by millionaires who were constantly judging each and every one of their actions. (Bold, yet desperate, move.)

He sauntered up behind the man, wrapping his arms around the other’s shoulders and spinning them to face him, “I’ll pay you to get me absolutely wasted.” He winked.

he’s long since buried whatever enthusiasm there was to galas and balls like this - too many years, too many people, and hardly enough drinks. 

a liar, he is - god knows he’s always loved the eyes on him, the suits and the ties that unraveled by the end of the night, how he looks bathed underneath chandelier lights - 

second nature, then. places like this was where he thrives best, next to the bedsheets of some penthouse suite. they tend to go hand in hand anyways. 

the familiar face is a touch of surprise in the crowd of people he could care less about, eyebrows and corners of lips quirking to betray his steady smile for the night. 

( unusual, he’d say. he’s hardly friends with the man, but he greets him warmly, all hands to shoulders and half-smiles. second nature, still, to react to strangers as if he holds a secret of theirs in between his teeth. he does too good of a job at it and he figures he’s just been working too much again. ) 

“pay me? darling, my paid services usually consist of other activities - getting one wasted is part of the package deal.” he tilts his head to look at his, doesn’t look as he picks up wine glasses from a passing waiter before handing one to tyler. 

it’s a joke. it’s a fucking farce. but then again, every event in new york city usually is exclusively fitted for the pretentious assholes. hope knows it. hope grew up in that faux world. those were the golden years, the golden dreams. yet she doesn’t miss the times that went by too quickly. if anything, perhaps her experience can come in handy. not that she cares enough to play by all the socially accepted rules. 

she does have a dress on her, she did her best to at least look presentable, but pretty smiles and kind words have never been her specialty. perhaps she was simply born rude, she crawled out of her mother’s womb with a wicked grin and her tiny hands clenched into  shaking fists ; she’s always been ready for a fight. 

but the easiest way to swallow all the bullshit down is with the help of some alcohol. no, scratch that. lots and lots of alcohol. if she could, she would fill up a swimming pool with whiskey and vodka. but she unfortunately can’t, so she settles for crystal glasses. but among all those people, it’s hard to move, it’s hard to walk and drink simultaneously, and hope has yet to master that extra skill. so in a matter of only a few seconds, she ends up spilling half of her drink on another guest.  “what the fuck, dude? what the fuck? watch where you’re going!  ” it’s clearly her fault, but all hope can see is that her glass is half empty. that cannot be forgiven. 

He attempted the place himself in a corner where the noise of the surrounding partygoers was swallowed by the fancy drapes and walls and unlocked his phone with a sharp “This is Mr. Johnson, speak quickly, I have business to attend to” The call was anything but quick, the caller having ducked, hid, and avoided the problem till Tyler was forced to snap them into place. It was a nervous ramble but he could discern that a company was threatening to pull out their funding on his latest project, “Relay this message, If they pull they’ll see their trade income plummet to near zero. Someone needs to be reminded that without me they’d have no company. Goodnight.” With a swipe of his thumb, he ended the call and shoved the phone back into his pocket exceptionally pissed off. The feeling of lukewarm alcohol that ran down his back made his skin crawl and he had to bite hard on his tongue not to turn around and start screaming.

“Excuse you?” He faced the woman and stood tall, “You better realize who you’re speaking to. This suit costs more than you’ll ever be worth and if I wasn’t such a kind and generous man I would cut Luli off from my supplies because of people like you. You wouldn’t be recognizable once she was done with you.”

As it tended to do with events like these, the thrill of being dressed up fancy grew stale after a little while. Instead, she was becoming reminded of how she didn’t fit in here among those who’d mostly been born into this wealth. Not to say she wasn’t enjoying the food and drinks being walked around by waiters, or the chance to swindle a couple of customers out of a bit of extra money (for the “extra risk” of bringing the goods in). Besides, wishing for something to happen was like inviting trouble. Bex wasn’t that reckless.

Heading over to the bar, she found herself beside a familiar face. “Tyler! Hey,” she said, nodding up at him. “You gonna buy me a drink?” It was cheeky, but she assumed Tyler would know she didn’t mean anything by it. 

“Hello, Trouble.” He regarded her with a smile and a pinch of the cheek purposely treating her like a baby. “You haven’t had enough for tonight? I saw you with a couple of men getting a bit cocky now, aren’t you? You may be good Rebecca but you sure as hell aren’t careful.” He signaled to the bartender and slid his card across the bar, “Whatever the lady wants, but put it in a sippy cup. She tends to spill.”

The truth of the matter is this: Halim had been in this game a while and yet, compared to so many of the others that milled about, bumping elbows and trading smiles like they were secrets, he was almost painfully new to it all. So new, in fact, that it was likely the new car smell hadn’t fully gone away when he split from the golden land. But now, now that the rumblings of war had made themselves at home in Hamil’s stomach and he felt like he had aged years.

Of course, when it came to the experienced and the familiar, those that knew these situations better than anyone, there was something calm about a man who cared so very little about it all. That is not to say a heavy core of dread didn’t live inside Hamil when Tyler got close, no. But it was a different fear, one distinct from the worry of termination.

But Hamil was’t a fool, and as he moved to brush past the man in question, he planned to mutter a quick “Excuse me, sir,” not daring to make eye-contact. Or at least he would have, if he hadn’t tripped, spilling his drink on Tyler’s suit.

“Shit,” Halim swore. “I am so sorry,” he began, scrambling to find something, anything to clean the mess up with. “I…” He trailed off, knowing better than to promise anything. “I’m sorry,” he reiterated. “Don’t kill me. I doubt you’d want to get on the bad side of your sibling.” Despite the firm words, his voiced raised the statement into a question.

A small voice coming from behind him piqued his curiosity and he turned to face it, doing so caused a glass of wine to splash across his thousand-dollar suit. His mind replayed the events in slow motion; the panicked look on the other man’s face as he tripped, Tyler ultimately failing to steady him, and then the audible gasp as the dark red liquid stained the pristine white coat. “Oh gods…” he breathed a sigh as lukewarm liquid dripped down the leg of his pants onto the floor. A shiver ran up his pants as he tried not to gag.

“I am so sorry- Why are you sorry? No, no, it was my fault- I’m sorry.” He took the man’s hands in his own to stop the panicked movements and took a deep breath in, urging him to do the same. During the inhale he choked on air at the odd accusation thrown his way, “Why would I kill you?- Are you alright?”

“A pretty little bird told me you have a yacht,” Rhys said, eyes shining. He offered one of the two champagne flutes in his hand to the CEO, his networking cap on tight. He always wanted a yacht, an all the other shallow signs of wealth the world had to offer him. “Are the rumors true? Because if that’s the case, I want to know why the hell we’re here instead of partying on the water.” There was, admittedly, a lot to admire about Tyler. Most of those things Rhys cared about had dollar signs in front of them. “I keep telling Luli she should expand the hotel to a cruise line — they say that’s where the real money is. Though they also say that out of Harvey’s Big Three, you’re the money-making expert. I’d love to hear your take on this.”

There was a hum in the air, the city electrified with what was to come. Luli, in all her glory, stepping into the place of a ghost and demanding to be taken just as seriously. Perhaps that was what led her to inviting just about the entire damn city, the press clamoring for a glimpse into tonight’s festivities. Victoria was right, there was no room to fuck up and she had no intention to.

Would Harvey be proud? Did it matter now? She wasn’t sure. What did matter was that she appeared calm, at ease. That’s what led her onto the floor in the center of the ball, her gown just barely touching the floor. A king above it all with her head held high and her smile pressed on. “How nice of you to join us,” she greeted the unsuspecting guest, an extra champagne flute in her extended hand. “I was hoping to see you here.”

He hoped the echoes of failure would cease to chase him as he bounced from person to person greeting old clients and reminiscing about deals. Competence, that’s what he had to show that’s what he was good for, competence.

He could feel her presence, it filled the room much like their father’s but he responded to the sound of her voice, turning slowly on his heels to face her with an icy smile. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” He didn’t need to be invited, he was Harvey’s son, he was going to show up. “You can drop the niceties Luli-“ He took the flute, tipping his head back and drinking it in one extended gulp. “I see you’re still married, that’s a surprise. I’m happy for you- How’s Pa’s Olympus?” With a sly smile, he struck twice to the heart, his words like poisoned daggers.

“- yessir, i’ll get to it as soon as i’m allowed to leave this thing. you have a good night, too.” 

he once again thanked the gods for creating cordless earphones as he hung up the call, and finally managed to lift his eyes from his phone to take a quick glance around the room. having been around this particular crowd for a few years now, he was more than familiar with what went on at these founder’s balls. what he never quite understood was why they made such a big fuss about cronus - rest his soul - though he supposed that was only because he’d never met the man himself.

sipping at his cranberry juice, vincent turned his eyes towards a figure closeby, letting out a small laugh when he realized who it was.

“well, don’t you look unusually nice today,” he quipped, “though i hope you didn’t buy that for just for this thing. nothing much ever happens around here.” 

He was stopped by a familiar voice and turned slowly with a raised eyebrow, “Such a bold statement, I sure hope you aren’t talking about me.” Although his face held a firm frown his eyes gave away a smile at the sight of Vin. He reached up and ruffled the kid's hair, purposely messing up the time and effort he put into it, in retaliation.

“Now don’t say that I was sure I taught you better. Take a look around Vin, feel the tension within the air, this room is lined with people waiting for the off chance to explode. We best be careful.” His finishing line came with a rolling of eyes an indication of the annoyance he felt regarding the war.

“I appreciate you holding down the fort while I was away, I hope you’ve been allowing yourself to have at least a little bit of fun?”