𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠

“  𝐢’𝐥𝐥  𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩  𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠  .  ”  the  two  communicate  without  as  many  words  ,  a  benefit  considering  the  world  they  are  wrapped  up  in  .  he  knows  how  dangerous  outsiders  can  be  ,  hell  he  was  one  and  without  taemin  to  vouch  for  him  then  who  knows  how  accepted  minjun  would  have  been  in  this  city  .  “  but  that’s  all  right  now  ,  everything  else  is  quiet  .  a  couple  of  real  estate  deals  i  emailed  you  this  morning  to  look  into  ––––––  ”  he  cuts  himself  off  to  focus  momentarily  ,  fingers  acting  quickly  in  a  back  and  forth  motion  before  letting  out  a  satisfied  sigh  .  minjun  can’t  help  but  smile  before  looking  at  taemin  .  “  finally  beat  that  level  ,  it  took  longer  than  i  expected  .  ”

𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋  𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄  𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐒  ,  considering  the  condition  of  present  economy  ,  taemin  finds  it  amazing  that  there  are  any  happening  at  all  .  then  again  ,  all  things  go  on  --  and  perhaps  this  is  no  different  .  perhaps  this  is  just  the  world  they  live  in  now  .  his  head  shakes  as  minjun  informs  him  of  the  won  game  before  patting  the  other  on  the  shoulder  while  straightening  himself  .  ❛      oh  good  ,  i  wouldn’t  want  to  interrupt  your  game  time        ❜    a  huff  ,  though  it’s  lighthearted  in  a  sense  before  he  carries  on  ,  ❛      those  deals  are  a  wash  ,  whoever  is  doing  it  is  making  moves  that  they  shouldn’t  be  making  ,  i’d  looked  into  them  already  but  i  imagine  just  for  fun  we  can  get  those  prices  raised  in  order  to  drain  some  finances  from  our  …  competition  ,  right  ?  perhaps  a  negative  inspection  ?      ❜

it’s comical to think either of them deserved to have, and to hold, anything really. she still couldn’t shake the fact that part of this felt like punishment, the price paid for what they’d already taken. after all, lives weren’t cheap, regardless of how much she’d dedicated to getting out of the business. she’d lost her child, the only family she had left, and she’d lost him. empty, was the understatement of the century when it came to the hole in her chest. however, looking at him now, this close, and definitely this personal? she knows that if anyone deserves it, it’s him. underneath the exterior they work hard to keep haunted, there is a softness she had cherished for years, and the reminder, even if it was only in passing gaze or wayward touch, it was enough to fan the embers that had almost died in her. there would always be a fire for his name, it seemed, and that was a fact she wouldn’t debated. right now, she didn’t have the strength to, either. 

stepping out of the sanctuary, or the tomb they’d left there, the door shuts and it’s almost like letting all the air back in the room. a deep breath is taken, before shame seems to be exhaled with it as well, coming right back for a second round of his space, embracing that moth to a flame mantra in the way that arms were content to find their way around once more. it was selfish really, becoming so easily reacquainted. a sigh practically dripped from lips, slow, steady, before head tips up again. her chin is almost defiant, but her words aren’t. “i’ve missed you.” confessional comes in the form of what they’d both been thinking, and the words are surprisingly full of her favorite flavor. they aren’t nearly as bitter as she expected, penance in the form of a reunion. she leans, into the touch she’d granted, like a wordless wish, before the corner of a smile ghosts her lips, as if asking for permission to invade their privacy. “so i guess, i’m glad i’m here too.” 

𝐇𝐄𝐑  𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐈𝐒  𝐀  𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓  𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐑  𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 ,    the  horrors  they’d  faced  both  separate  and  together  ,  the  lives  they’d  opted  to  live  and  the  future  that  they’d  once  seen  between  one  another  .  how  two  killers  masked  within  the  shadows  discovered  such  a  possibility  back  then  felt  like  a  strange  dark  fairy  tale  .  much  like  the  originals  they  were  left  empty  ,  void  of  any  happiness  and  suffering  .  he  can  say  that  for  himself  and  by  the  look  of  her  when  he’d  entered  the  room  ,  the  same  could  be  said  for  her  as  well  .  were  they  each  other’s  curse  or  retribution  of  a  fate  withheld  from  them  ?  his  heart  couldn’t  risk  pondering  such  an  ideal  when  all  that  is  left  before  them  soaks  the  bitterness  from  his  chest  and  curls  it  into  the  safe  kept  tucked  away  in  his  memory  .  

“Oh you should of seen last week. Some guy came in with a plunger rammed right up his ass.” Kyler said as she looked at the other chart that was placed in front of her by the doctor. “And not the stick part. Like the actual plunger part was so far up his ass they had to surgically remove it.” Finally looking up at Shiloh, the brunette smiled. “Sorry, when I moved back to New Mexico, the most exciting thing we had was a woman tired to carve her husband like a turkey.” 

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐇  𝐈𝐒  𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒  𝐀𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃  𝐁𝐘  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒  𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐘  𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌  ,  some  of  them  ,  while  heinous  ,  others  are  hilarious  and  they  can’t  help  but  laugh  at  the  idea  of  even  that  end  of  the  plunger  getting  stuck  anywhere  .  ❛      i  have  …  so  many  questions     ❜      but  they  opt  not  to  ask  them  for  the  sake  of  their  own  sanity  .    ❛      but  you  know  what  ,  some  woman  carving  up  her  husband  sounds  like  a  pretty  good  story  ,  was  it  ,  by  any  chance  close  to  thanksgiving  time  ?     ❜

Catalina can only smirk at the male and the act that unfolds before her. He does everything but fake cry. Her eyes move over him, placing her hand upon her own chest as if touched by the scene before her. It’s a true masterpiece and she can’t help but applaud it once she settles her drink down upon the surface of the bar. 

“well, now i’m the one who’s insulted because that would imply there’s someone hotter than me in this bar,” the brunette teases.” how about we do a little signal. rub your nose and that will be my queue to slip away. unless you want me as a wingwoman?”

❛    𝐌𝐘  𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍  ?      ❜      at  this  ,  he  can’t  help  but  laugh  at  her  other  option    ,  so  much  so  that  eyes  roll  somewhat  but  they  lack  the  dramatics  of  his  previous  little  feature  .    after  a  moment  ,  he  steadies  his  gaze  around  the  bar,  considers  their  surroundings  with  some  sense  of  ease  ---  or  perhaps  scoping  out  the  attractiveness  of  anyone  nearby  . 

“Send it back, I’m not interested.” Rolling her eyes at the drink that had been put down in front of her with the note from the bartender about some man in the corner buying it for her. While she was wearing a deep red dress that showed just as much leg as cleavage she didn’t need to even twist her body to look at whoever had sent it because the choice of drink was enough to tell she wasn’t interested. Taryn was no connoisseur by any means but whatever drink they’d sent over looked fruity and there was absolutely no way she was drinking that. Whiskey, straight up, was one of the only things that she’d allow past her lips. Any assumption that she needed to drink like a girl was not going to fly in her book and thus not worth her time.

The whole appeal of the Black Rabbit was that it was supposed to be exclusive and while that might mean something to her, clearly alcohol still made men do stupid shit. Turning towards the person next to her she nodded at the frilly thing still sitting in front of her and arched a brow, “Want a free drink? It’s on Dick over there who thinks chivalry isn’t still yet dead.”

@rennreblogs​ // open

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❛          𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐊    𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒  𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄  𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍  𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃  𝐁𝐔𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄  𝐃𝐎𝐍’𝐓  𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 ❜    keiko  can  clock  him  as  soon  as  she  waltzes  in  ,  whether  it  be  on  stage  or  at  the  bar  ,  a  regular  unfortunately  ,  and  not  one  of  the  classiest  of  types  to  come  into  the  black  rabbit  .  too  many  times  she’s  passed  a  complaint  to  security  ,  but  alas  ,  she  is  but  an  employee  and  has  little  protections  within  these  walls  when  it  comes  to  a  wandering  eye  .  

“If you’re here to collect the envelope,” perched on the corner of her desk, her attention was focused on the folder in her hands, fingers careful as they lifted the page, and then lowered it a few times, “it’s not here.” By the tone of her voice alone, one could figure out she wasn’t paying attention - but it was short lived. “It should be at the front desk.” That page dropped once more, and she finally turned to look at them. “So what do you want?”

@diavoloi​

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𝐀  𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊  𝐈𝐒  𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃  𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐄𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐄  ,  a  finger  tempting  itself  upon  the  cover  only  to  retract  back  into  the  warm  cup  held  within  their  other  hand  .  ❛     well  ,  miss  busybody    ❜    shiloh  begins  with  a  positive  lilt  within  their  tone  ,  always  attempting  to  bring  some  sort  of  shining  aura  where  they  go  ,  ❛      i  figured  that  maybe  you’d  want  a  hot  cup  of  coffee  ,  or  tea  ,  i  got  both  since  i  couldn’t  decide  what  i  wanted  either  unless  ,  you’re  …  you  know  too  busy  to  enjoy  something  for  five  minutes  ?     ❜

Their expression was a familiar one, and Nyx remembered it well from her days with the troupe, back when curiosity led the one in front of her to mingle with the degenerate band of performers and thieves she’d belonged to. It was kind and welcoming, the warmth genuine, disarming in the way that their company was easy to acclimate to and their questions finding willing answers. 

It had always been a passive curiosity in the back of Nyx’s mind, about what exactly they’d learned then, and if that information in anyway had to do with the raid that had ended the troupe. After she’d fled, Nyx never looked back long enough to connect any dots ( if there had been any ) ━━ not that it mattered, what was done, is done. There was no where left to go but forward.

“You remember me, I’m honored.” At the conclusion they came to, Nyx’s nose scrunched playfully, a back-and-forth to her head, “trouble? Me? You’ve got the wrong girl, I’m sure.” A wink, in confirmation. “So what’s worth writing about down here that you’d grace these Neanderthals with your presence?”

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𝐀𝐇  ,  𝐒𝐇𝐄  𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌  𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋  𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇  .  it’s  a  dangerous  concept  ,  in  shiloh’s  line  of  work  ,  but  nevertheless  ,  they’ve  done  plenty  of  work  under  far  worse  circumstances  .  such  a  thing  could  be  said  about  shiloh  had  met  nyx  in  the  first  place  ,  a  deeply  ingrained  investigative  piece  on  the  troupe  that  was  beginning  to  become  rather  infamous  for  their  thievery  and  the  like  .  

still  ,  shiloh  maintains  a  polite  smile  ,  warm  ,  welcoming  ,  the  sort  of  way  that  makes  them  easy  to  talk  to  regardless  of  the  situation  .  ❛      oh  come  on  ,  you  know  what  i  do  for  a  living  ,  i  wouldn’t  be  very  good  at  my  job  if  i  went  around  forgetting  names  and  faces  ,  right  ?     ❜  facts  stuck  to  shiloh  like  glue  ,  it  was  the  day  to  day  in  which  they  could  be  rather  forgetful  ,  things  like  eating  lunch  ,  calling  a  friend  back  ,  so  on  so  forth  ,  but  a  name  and  face  of  someone  involved  in  their  work  ?  not  a  chance  .  

looking up from what he’d been pretending to be engrossed upon, mostly for the sake of his own amusement, there was comedic relief edging into the corner of his mouth. “must not be easy enough, you’re still trying, no?”  he offered, letting the crease in his brow settle in, before a half hearted chuckle would sneak into the conversation, like a thief in the night, and he did have oh so much he would have taken from len. “oh wait, no. you’re the long game type, this is like the kama sutra of fuck you’s.”  he offered, hands finding pockets as they picked a pace that seemed to suit the pair of them. “running just so happens to be my specialty, however these shoes are not meant for playing keep away with a bunch of small town assholes with so many little dick complexes we lost count.” 

..

Their laugh was met with one of his one, a laugh that was paired with the subtle nod of his head. Humans, as a whole, tried many things. And rarely did it see like they worked out in their favor. That was why he enjoyed the waters, the swamps specifically. There was something predictable and yet, impulsive about it all the same. The savage nature of it, and everything that lurked below the surface was something Tigg found himself mildly envious of.

Another laugh came with the words, a hand coming to rub at the back of his neck. “A terrified human is never a good thing.” Pulling his attention from the algae bubble he’d been watching, he eyed the other. “And yet, humans still push to overcome those very fears.”

.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐒  𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄  𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆  ,  if  shiloh  was  a  god  fearing  type  ,  they  would  consider  that  it  was  the  reason  he  favored  his  creation  the  way  he  did  .  always  so  curious  ,  so  ready  to  take  whatever  obstacle  stood  in  their  path  and  then  somehow  overcome  it  .  that  alone  was  something  worth  studying  ,  and  shiloh  has  done  all  possible  in  order  to  ensure  that  they  do  their  best  to  prove  it  .    humanity  was  an  intriguing  thing  .  

truthfully, he is just this side of disappointed when there is no commentary, no judgement to be passed, when it comes to the disgrace of the glassware. the common misconception is that knox is just a dumb country boy, who truly does not know any better. that’s far from the case, but he prefers the way the upper hand shifts with assumption. “what would the price be, in case i have a hard time finding a better investment?”  head tilted to the side, playing the part of lost puppy perfectly. the man was a thousand things, but innocent, or confused? well, he was hardly ever. it was all the remnants of autopilot, the person the army had taught him to be, and then left out in the cold. “well, i do just love to help out those less fortunate, what is this something?” 

catalina isn’t too bothered by the notion that her friends had abandoned her the first chance they could. it wasn’t exactly surprising at this point in their friendship. while she had been single for a while, her heart had been fickle and attached to another. the singular reason why she hadn’t joined them by finding her own man or women. not that she found anyone who looked half decent at this point. 

“fair point.” she said with a shake of her head as she brings her beer to her lips. “oh, is this where you tell me you don’t want to be some replacement?” she smirked and nodded her head to confirm his assumption. “that’s exactly what happened.”

𝐀  𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊  𝐎𝐅  𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐊  𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄  𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐋𝐒  𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍  𝐇𝐈𝐒  𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 ,  though  it  is  temporary  as  he  shifts  back  to  a  more  …  stoic  reserve  ,  better  filled  with  the  liquor  reaching  his  lips  as  he  takes  a  drink  .  he  doesn’t  pay  any  mind  towards  their  surroundings  ,  instead  focuses  on  the  conversation  and  the  obvious  teasing  coming  from  the  other  .  

“Uh…gunshot wound I believe.” Kyler said looking down at her notes before looking at the man being wheeled by. She had moved back because of the job offer, but it was only after she did that the woman realized it was because they needed all the help they could get. “Honestly, I feel like it is…but are we really surprised?” 

𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐄  ,  𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐇  𝐈𝐒𝐍’𝐓  𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃  𝐀𝐓  𝐀𝐋𝐋  ,  perhaps  from  an  outsider’s  perspective  this  all  would  seem  …  rather  catastrophic  ,  but  having  done  a  deep  dive  into  the  town’s  history  ,  the  families  that  seem  to  run  it  beneath  the  politicians’  squandering  ,  it  seems  only  fitting  that  the    violence  would  only  grow  ,  ❛        yeah  ,  no  ,  and  i’ve  only  been  in  town  for  a  couple  of  years  ,  but  everyday  is  like  a  full  moon  around  here  ---  and  i’m  not  even  superstitious    .      every  day  it  looks  like  something  else  ,  right  ?   ❜

her own wardrobe was juvenile compared to his, often wearing colours that would be used in finger paintings or nurseries. seeing him dressed to the nines so often, she considered sometimes switching it up but her white knuckle grip on everything tie-dye and plaid just won’t loosen. so, naturally, she opts for the brighter option, the more colouring and she points toward the blood red tie. “that one,” shayne tells him with a nod. “you look good! i mean like, you’re always dressed up so you always look great, tae.” she tells him with a chuckle, bringing the sickly sweet hot chocolate to her lips as she leans back in her spot. “special occasion or …  “