* 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 .

“  me,  ”  and  there’s  an  undercurrent  of  grim  certainty  to  be  found  in  his  low  tone,  even  as  he  ignores  every  ounce  of  self  preservation  he’s  ever  had  to  move  all  that  much  closer  to  her.  oh,  nikolai  knows  plenty  about  the  deep  dark  of  quiet  alleyways  and  the  fanged  monsters  that  are  often  found  within,  but  he’s  not  so  sure  that  it’s  in  his  best  interest  to  turn  away.  their  sort  of  gravitational  pull  is  HARD  to  ignore  ;  he  leans  into  her  instinctually,  one  hand  splayed  against  the  brick  over  her  head,  close  enough  to  taste  blue  tinged  smoke.  “  i’m  not  afraid,  ”  he  tells  her,  and  if  there  was  ever  any  doubt  about  just  how  much  niko  hoped  to  be  eaten  alive  out  here  then  it’s  entirely  lost  as  his  free  hand  starts  the  slow  ascent  along  evie’s  side  -  fingertips  graze  across  her  curves  and  come  to  rest  at  the  base  of  her  throat,  familiarising  himself  with  the  steady  beat  of  her  heart.  “  but  i  would  like  to  take  you  home.  ”

❛  there’s  no  time  for  any  of  that  morality  nonsense ,  sweetheart .  ❜  said alecto ( @fathcmsbelow​ ) !

oh, to not have the most batshit person you know able to DANGLE things ( or people ) over your head. it goes against kaela’s very nature to bite her own tongue and to be backed into a corner, but what is one to do when there’s SAFETY there? there’s outright annoyance written all over her features, equal parts unwilling to allow alecto any sort of upper hand and equal parts of knowing better. but at the end of the day, she’s still a karkaroff, and maybe poking the bear every once in a while is something that is boiled down to POOR genetics ! “ don’t call me sweetheart. ” she leans her her head, eyeing alecto for a long moment. “is there really not a single moment where you try to uphold some form of a moral compass ?”

             𝙩𝙝𝙚   𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙛   𝙨𝙝𝙚   𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙩   𝙩𝙝𝙚   least   amount   of   time   around   ;   and   yet   ,   she   felt   like   she   knew   this   woman   .   she   knew   anton   .   she   knew   niko   .   she   knew   this   woman’s   origins   and   has   spent   so   much   time   in   her   other   half’s   mind   that   she   knew   it   almost   as   well   as   her   own   .   (   what   was   an   identity   separate   from   that   ?   who   are   you   if   not   your   parent’s   child   ?   if   not   your   brother’s   sister   ?   they   were   birds   of   the   same   father   ,   mikaela   and   her   )   .   so   she   takes   her   snipes   and   her   gimlet   stares   in   a   stride   and   thinks   ,   amusedly   ,   that   this   is   when   mikaela   looks   MOST   like   her   family   .   ❝   apologies   ,   darling   ,   ❞   she   says   instead   ,   matching   her   look   with   a   wry   turn   of   her   lips   .   she   does   ,   however   ,   put   some   thought   into   the   question   .   morality   is   something   that   gets   lost   more   often   than   not   .   who   cares   for   morality   in   the   face   of   getting   what   she   wants   ?   when   morals   would   only   stand   between   her   and   keeping   the   singular   people   she   loved   next   to   her   ?   ❝   morals   ,   chivalry   ,   honor   ,   dignity   .   whatever   you   slice   it   ,   darling   ,   it’s   just   a   PRETTY   word   .   anything   can   be   moral   if   you   justify   it   enough   .   i   ,   on   the   other   hand   ,   don’t   bother   wasting   my   breath   trying   to   hide   it   all   .  ❞

               ❝   𝙛𝙤𝙧   𝙢𝙚   𝙤𝙧   𝙛𝙤𝙧   𝙮𝙤𝙪   ?   ❞   she   asks   ,   eyebrows   raised   as   she   presses   her   cigarette   to   her   lips   .   smoking   was   a   habit   of   evie   weissʻ   that   alecto   was   considering   making   her   own   for   the   long-term   .   the   action   is   familiar   in   many   ways   even   if   she   hadnʻt   been   much   of   a   smoker   before   .   her   existence   has   always   been   marked   by   this   ,   by   being   so   wrapped   up   in   someone   elseʻs   terrible   ,   terrible   vices   that   you   forget   where   theirs   ends   and   yours   begins   .   whatʻs   mine   is   yours   and   the   marriage   of   awful   habits   .   she   imagines   the   man   in   front   of   her   knows   a   thing   or   two   about   that   .   smoke   curls   from   her   lips   even   as   she   continues   to   speak   .   ❝   maybe   we   should   walk   each   other   home   then   .   ❞   she   offers   ,   eyes   coy   even   as   her   head   tilts   back   against   the   brick   to   look   up   ,   up   ,   up   at   her   sometimes   lover   .   the   move   is   particularly   jarring   to   anyone   who   may   have   known   evie   and   would   have   known   full   that   she   has   never   been   anything   close   to   coy   in   her   entire   life   .   ❝   for   safety   purposes   ,   of   course   .   ❞

𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  :  malfoy  manor,  wiltshire  ! 𝙵𝙴𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶  :  @fathcmsbelow​  /  alecto  carrow  !

“  miss  weiss,  ”  voice  colored  by  how  pleasant  a  surprise  marietta  finds  this  particular  run  in  to  be,  her  previously  gloomy  expression  TRANSFORMS  as  she  twists  around  to  face  her  boss.  she  had  wanted  to  come  here  ;  no  point  pretending  otherwise  when  everything  about  her  screamed  of  that  need  to  be  important.  she  had  leapt  at  the  chance  to  hang  off  some  poor  schmuck’s  arm  because  an  invite  from  the  malfoy  family  was  gold  dust,  to  certain  people,  and  that  definitely  included  her  -  but  no  one  had  prepared  her  for  how  much  of  a  bore  her  date  would  be  once  the  excitement  of  it  all  had  started  to  wear  off.  marietta  had  snuck  off  around  the  time  the  whispers  had  started  to  circulate  the  ballroom  &  because  she’d  been  so  busy  trying  to  ingratiate  herself  with  certain  figures,  she  had  missed  out  on  all  the  fun  of  theorising  about  where  their  hosts  had  disappeared  to  with  all  her  fellow  guests.  she  wasn’t  actually  HAVING  fun  now  that  she  had  traded  any  possibility  of  it  for  currying  favor,  but  evelyn  weiss  provided  a  brief  reprieve  from  much  the  same  whether  she  wanted  to  (  or  not  ).  “  i  didn’t  know  that  you  were  friendly  with  the  malfoy’s,  ”  she  assumes,  which  is  sort  of  ignorant  of  her,  but  marietta  had  never  claimed  to  know  the  perfect  way  to  conduct  herself  in  these  situations,  “  it’s  so  strange  to  see  you  outside  of  obliviation  headquarters.  you  must  love  having  the  night  off.  ”

            𝙣𝙤   𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙡   𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧   𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨   𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢  the   couch   that   alecto   has   commandeered   but   the   long   sip   that   she   takes   from   the   crystal   glass   in   her   hand   counts   as   enough   of   one   .   she   smacks   her   lips   a   few   times   ,   as   if   trying   to   get   a   better   gauge   of   the   taste   .   ❝   have   i   really   ?   ❞   she   asks   ,   all   innocence   that   has   never   meant   shit   to   the   other   half   of   her   person   .   theyʻve   been   at   each   otherʻs   arm   too   long   that   the   doe   -   eyed   look   she   sends   his   way   falls   flat   .   it   would   .   she   learned   how   to   do   it   at   his   side   .   ❝   itʻs   a   little   older   than   your   tastes   .   expensive   too   .   ❞   the   cup   comes   under   her   nose   ,   like   sheʻs   a   whiskey   specialist   in   her   own   right   ,   wafting   the   scent   of   the   drink   towards   herself   as   the   liquid   turns   in   the   bottom   of   the   glass   with   the   rotation   of   her   wrist   .   ❝   smells   like   iʻm   borrowing   someone   elseʻs   whiskey   ,   actually   .   iʻll   be   sure   to   thank   ʻole   benjy   boy   the   next   time   i   see   him   .   ❞

             𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤’𝙨   𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨   𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧   𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩   𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩   quickly   enough   to   conceal   the   way   they   roll   in   their   socket   at   his   words   .   her   arms   cross   over   her   chest   ,   french   -   tipped   nails   of   one   hand   tapping   against   the   bicep   of   her   opposite   arm   .   ❝   they   definitely   are   ,   ❞   the   woman   drawls   ,   head   tilting   in   silent   judgment   as   she   drinks   in   the   sight   of   karkaroff’s   right   hand   .   it’s   a   funny   position   for   someone   so   far   removed   from   and   so   indecisive   about   the   coin   -   flip   other   side   of   the   minister’s   life   .   alecto   heaves   a   sigh   .   the   puff   of   air   displaces   a   lock   of   evie’s   hair   that’s   fallen   in   her   face   .   this   all   would   have   been   much   easier   if   the   man   was   in   the   know   so   alecto   could   take   a   break   from   her   little   song   and   dance   .   nevertheless   ,   she   flashes   the   man   a   strained   ,   close   -   lipped   smile   and   thanks   merlin   that   evie   was   never   the   friendliest   .   ❝   lucky   for   BOTH   of   us   ,   i   have   questions   about   something   that   may   have   been   purchased   from   your   store   .   i   understand   that   you’ve   .   .   .   aged   out   of   your   role   as   a   hitwizard   so   this   is   entirely   to   do   with   your   current   business   .   ❞

STALKER’S TANGO  by  autoheart  /

“  i know , i know , i know , i’m always in your place .  but don’t you see , my dear , i am your doppelganger . i have your face . so love me , love me , love me more than you possibly can . it’s not that complicated no matter what they say . you’ll never meet another me .  it’s not that difficult  to wrap your head around i’ll never meet another you .  ”

THIS IS LOVE  by  air  traffic  controller  /

“  you’re no good , you’re no good , you could kill me and you should . i’m an idiot for thinking this was anything but blood on the wall , on the couch , on the corner of my mouth . you must like being the victim , you’ve done nothing to get out  of this pattern of pain  washed away by the rain .  you’ll forgive me if i promise but do nothing but the same .  ” 

REAL BOY  by  lola  blanc  / 

“  who’s the one that turned your will to winter ? who’s the boy beneath the doll that wants to live ? i can give you life with just a single whisper show you what the meaning of a heartbeat is . if you can cry real tears , you’re gonna cry them all for me . if you can feel real fears then i’m gonna leave you shivering .  ”

SERIAL KILLER  by  moncrieff  &  judge  /

location: the ministry of magic participants: ian borgin & open ( @startertms )

“hold the door,” ian’s words were clearly slurred as he dashed forward to stick his foot in the elevator door, essentially negating the need for his prior request. but when one considered just had much he’d had to drink, he might be forgiven for redundancy. though that was in itself, unlikely. it was clear he was in a bad state as he entered the elevator, using his arm to steady himself as he stared at the reflections in the door. “merlin this thing is slow,” he muttered as he jammed his finger into one of the buttons - which one, he wasn’t entirely sure.

“ no.” kaela is so accustomed to having the upper hand - if life was a game of chess she most often was better than her opponent, but not here ( read : not with alecto ). she could grapple all she wants but unfortunately she has an achilles heel and she is squaring off with someone who won’t hesitate to rub salt in a wound ( and would do much worse , happily ). instead she must swallow a bit of her pride ; only TELL that she’s been knocked down a peg is the way her jaw clenches with her hair between alecto’s fingers. “i wouldn’t hold your breath. i haven’t had any issues thus far.” any observable issues. “i can’t see that changing.” 

             𝙩𝙝𝙚   𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙨   𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙   𝙖   𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚   place   among   the   masses   ,   both   on   a   surface   level   as   well   as   in   the   eyes   of   their   dark   lord   .   kaela   karkaroff   herself   was   a   powerful   witch   of   her   own   standing   .   still   ,   alecto   was   the   way   she   was   and   she   never   quite   got   a   hang   of   softening   her   razor   edges   .   poking   the   bear   was   something   she   enjoyed   doing   .      ❝   only   a   matter   of   time   ,   ❞   she   singsongs   as   she   edges   ever   closer   to   kaela’s   face   ,   enough   so   that   she   sees   the   puff   of   air   from   the   statement   displace   the   hair   that   frames   the   younger   witches   face   .   ❝   you   keep   doing   your   job   ,   sweetheart   ,   ❞   the   piece   of   hair   that   she   had   been   fiddling   with   slips   from   her   hand   and   she   uses   the   now   free   finger   to   run   along   the   line   of   kaela’s   sharp   jaw   .   ❝   i’ll   be   waiting   right   here   .   waiting   ever   so   patiently   for   my   turn   with   that   little   auror   of   yours   .   ❞

           ❝   𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙   ,   𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜   𝙠𝙖𝙚𝙡𝙖   ?   ❞   𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤   𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙨  ,   lips   curling   around   the   syllables   of   the   younger   woman’s   name   with   affection   that   sounds   more   condescending   than   anything   .   kaela   had   more   reason   than   most   to   tread   carefully   .   the   young   karkaroff   knew   something   akin   to   the   secrets   kept   beneath   evie   weiss’   skin   ,   to   being   forced   into   a   ROLE   .   even   a   quick   glance   at   that   handsome   auror   of   her’s   had   alecto   barely   holding   back   a   savage   grin   .   ❝   don’t   worry   your   pretty   little   head   .   continue   to   play   your   part   and   i’ll   continue   to   play   mine   .   ❞   a   hand   comes   up   twine   a   lock   of   kaela’s   hair   around   a   slim   finger   and   shrouded   as   they   were   by   the   shadows   of   the   corridor   ,   alecto   could   not   bring   herself   to   worry   about   the   odd   sight   they   made   :   an   obliviator   and   the   minister’s   daughter   .   ❝   just   so   long   as   Y O U   don’t   give   them   an   opening   either   .   i’m   afraid   i’ll   have   far   too   much   fun   taking   up   your   duties   should   you   fail   to   fulfill   them   .   ❞

susan  was  a  mess  by  the  end  of  the  night.  niko  couldn’t  claim  all  of  the  credit,  of  course,  but  there  weren’t  many  people  who  could  match  him  drink  for  drink  in  a  pinch,  and  valiant  effort  aside,  the  junior  assistant  had  failed.  in  an  effort  to  try  &  mitigate  some  of  the  ire  that  both  would  surely  draw  upon  themselves  he  had  at  least  made  sure  to  return  the  young  miss  bones  back  to  where  he’d  found  her,  but  beyond  that,  he  felt  the  night  ended  and  his  job  (  if  it  could  ever  be  called  such  ;  he  didn’t  assume  that  much  responsibility  for  her  )  done…  though  of  course,  the  role  of  ministers  son  was  one  that  never  quite  left  him,  despite  all  efforts  to  shrug  it  off.  believe  what  you’d  like,  that  heavy  sigh  he  gives  with  his  back  still  turned,  one  foot  almost  out  the  door,  says,  though  that  usually  leads  right  to  the  disaster  of  crucial  misunderstanding.  so  bold  a  question  would  not  usually  pass  him  by  so  easily  ;  even  now,  niko  straightens  out  to  his  full  height  &  feels  his  jaw  clench  before  he  twists  to  face  her,  more  than  ready  to  respond  in  kind  before  he  catches  first  glimpse  of  that  vicious  smile.  a  smile  like  that  was  full  of  self  awareness,  and  he’d  know  it.  she  knew  she  was  pressing  a  button,  even  delighted  in  it,  and  niko  would  know  that,  too.  he  can’t  place  her  name,  but  he  at  LEAST  recognises  her  from  the  hallowed  halls  he  tries  so  hard  not  to  frequent.  “  you  ministry  rats  would  know  more  about  that  than  i  do,  “  he  sneers,  though  there  is  something  mirthful  to  be  found  in  the  depths  of  his  gaze,  “  and  only  one  of  us  was  here  when  the  curtain  fell.  was  it  really  so  boring  as  to  justify  playing  this  game  with  me  ?  “

location: the opera at merlin music hall status: open ( @startertms​ )

“I’m afraid I’ve never been to the opera,” she admits, kicking the conversation off with an equal parts unsurprising and unhelpful bit of information. “So I suppose I’m not particularly sure what to expect. Other than that time–I’ve heard operas are quite lengthy, is that true?” This part was a bit of a lie, of course, or perhaps more of a lie of omission. Odessa had done her due diligence and looked into operas as a whole the same day her mother had mentioned this one in the first place; there was really no reason to be caught unaware at an event such as this one. Not when she could just do a bit of digging, ask around the right circles, and find out most of what she needed to know. Such as the fact that operas are, by nature of their very core, unbearably long. She’s not particularly looking forward to that bit, nor is she fully convinced she’ll stay the whole time. Perhaps slipping out at intermission to return home to her cat is the best option for everyone involved. Head turns to look at her companion curiously, awaiting a response. 

              𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤   𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨   𝙖𝙣   𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙬   ,   neither   her   nor   evie   the   type   to   engage   in   small   talk   .   then   again   ,   neither   her   nor   evie   were   the   type   to   frequent   the   opera   in   the   first   place   .   stemming   from   a   need   to   get   out   more   ,   from   the   need   to   be   seen   around   in   public   more   often   ,   is   an   INCONVENIENCE   that   alecto   bears   without   much   complaint   .   she   counts   it   as   a   blessing   that   it   would   be   perfectly   within   her   character   to   duck   out   early   .   sheʻd   even   go   so   far   as   to   feign   an   early   morning   at   the   office   if   anyone   were   to   ask   questions   .   this   whole   endeavor   was   starting   to   feel   positively   domestic   and   it   seemed   like   there   were   still   some   hours   of   this   to   endure   .   her   tongue   laves   over   her   canine   ,   sucking   her   teeth   in   annoyance   at   being   addressed   .   she   does   not   ,   however   ,   leave   the   womanʻs   question   hanging   .   ❝   first   time   ?   i   never   would   have   guessed   ,   ❞   she   croons   ,   all   saccharine   sweetness   coated   with   sarcasm   .   from   what   she   knows   ,   evelyn   is   a   quick   -   tempered   woman   ,   wielding   words   with   a   blunted   force   .   alecto   doesn’t   have   to   bother   with   forcing   a   friendly   smile   to   her   face   .   ❝   it   might   go   on   for   over   two   hours   .   you   probably   should   have   considered   that   before   you   came   all   the   way   out   here   .   ❞

              𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨   𝙞𝙩   𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙   𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚   𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣   in   her   better   interest   to   stay   home   for   the   evening   or   to   slip   out   and   come   back   near   the   end   like   niko   karkaroff   had   done   ,   if   his   careening   little   date   is   any   indication   of   what   he’s   been   up   to   .   perhaps   if   she   had   stayed   home   ,   she   wouldn’t   be   playing   as   fast   and   loose   with   her   own   boredom   and   staring   down   the   barrel   of   a   bad   idea   .   it   isn’t   HER   fault   that   she   likes   the   guy   though   .   the   whole   bit   with   his   shoes   during   christmas   had   her   curled   over   with   laughter   .   it   really   DID   make   up   for   her   and   amy   losing   their   plaything   .   of   course   ,   him   being   the   boss   man’s   son   sure   was   tempting   fate   but   ,   well   ,   alecto   did   have   the   most   fun   when   she   wasn’t   supposed   to   be   doing   it   .   ❝   am   i   to   believe   you’re   a   fan   of   the   opera   ,   mister   karkaroff   ?   ❞   she   asks   ,   all   lithe   lines   and   challenging   eyes   .   the   smile   that   spreads   across   her   face   is   so   sharp   ,   so   much   toothier   than   anything   meek   little   evie   could   ever   conjure   up   .   a   risk   ,   maybe   ,   but   ones   she’s   hoping   pays   off   in   the   end   .   ❝   or   does   daddy   dearest   give   a   whistle   and   you   come   to   heel   ,   hm   ?   ❞