Tala Martel, Luca Sweeney and (fleetingly) Esperanza 'Espy' Barnes
Tala [Tagalog: Bright star] Martel [French: Hammer] is a Physics Major; she was born on the 2nd of August making her a Leo which is a fire sign. She is right handed and 166cm/5’5’’ tall. She is a part-time librarian. She is asexual and her endgame romance is Luca Sweeney. Tala first met the hockey boys when they held open try-outs for the team and she went to basically complain about the fact there wasn’t a female hockey team. There wasn’t enough interest, but Coach Jensen let her hang around and the boys pretty much adopted her because of it all; she’s like the team little sister. Tala roots for pretty much every single one of the boys’ relationships that work out, and alongside John ‘Tuck’ Tucker will call John Logan out on his bullshit surrounding the whole Hannah Wells thing. Her roommate (Esperanza ‘Espy’ Barnes) is a fellow Physics Major who goes to all the parties but nobody has ever seen her drunk; in most respects she is the exact opposite of Tala. Tala first sees Luca Sweeney when she sees him busking and Hannah mentions him as somebody she knows; it’s a fleeting pass but he then seems to crop up in her life more often and the two of them joke about it; the first official meeting is in a bookshop. He is the one to ask her on the first date; the hockey boys are ridiculously protective of her during the whole thing, and Hannah to a certain extent, but Luca is a good guy and there’s no need for it – not that that stops them at all.
Luca [Latin: Bringer of light] Sweeney [Irish: Son of Suibhne] is a Drama Major; he was born on the 14th of November making him a Scorpio which is a water sign. He is right handed and 183cm/6’0’’ tall. He is a busker. He is bisexual and his endgame romance is Tala Martel. Luca is on the periphery of Hannah Wells’s friendship group in general, sharing a room with Dexter “Monahan”, and is a friend of sorts of Beau Maxwell because of his sister having looked out for him when he first started. He is hoping to break into Broadway as well, and does everything in his power to get the experience in different things; he plays guitar, piano and the clarinet. Luca first sees Tala Martel when she sees him busking, she is with Hannah; it’s a fleeting pass but she then seems to crop up in his life more often and the two of them joke about it; the first official meeting is in a bookshop. He is the one to ask her on the first date; the hockey boys, and Hannah, give him all the warnings about breaking her heart and things like that, but Luca is a good guy and there’s no need for it – not that that stops them at all.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Laila [Arabic: Of the night] Singh [Sanskrit: Lion] is a daughter of Hermes; she was born on the 19th of May making her a Taurus which is an earth sign. She is left handed and 166cm/5’5’’ tall. She is a counsellor at Camp Half-blood. She is demisexual and her endgame romance is Felix Labelle. Laila was a neighbour of Percy Jackson and because her parents weren’t really around for her, Sally ended up pretty much adopting her; she sees Percy as a younger brother figure. She ends up being taken to Camp Half-Blood when she is twelve years old – Percy is eight – and is devastated to be taken away from the people that mean so much to her, especially when she decides to summer at Camp too because it’s better than home. Laila is highly skilled at sleight of hand, and grew up loving all things magical in that world more than the one that she now knows to be her real one; she was claimed by Hermes when she was fourteen years old. When Percy arrives at Camp she is initially thrilled, but slowly realises the danger he’s in; she also grows to resent Luke a little because she can see him essentially trying to groom Percy for something in a sense. Laila actually first met Felix Labelle when they were six years old and bumped into each other at a holiday camp in a hotel; they initially had issues with each other. These issues, however, appear to have only grown because when they first meet each other again at Camp Half-Blood they don’t see eye-to-eye on almost anything and continually complain about the traits they have inherited from their respective parents. When Percy goes on his first quest, however, Felix is there for her in a way that neither of them probably would have expected, and slowly they grow closer. He is there to help her with everything that goes on with Percy, but also the betrayals of Luke too.
Felix [Latin: Happy, lucky or fortunate] Labelle [French: The beautiful or fair one] is a son of Aphrodite; he was born on the 16th of April making him an Aries which is a fire sign. He is right handed and 187cm/6’1’’ tall. He is a counsellor at Camp Half-blood. He is heterosexual and his endgame romance is Laila Singh. Felix grew up in Canada and while his parents loved him, there was always something off. He ends up being taken to Camp Half-Blood when he was eleven years old, told that it was a boarding school of sorts by his father. He is an arrogant so-and-so in a way that only a son of Aphrodite can be; he was claimed by her when he was twelve years old. When Percy arrives at Camp he can see how this impacts some of the other campers, and the newly changing dynamics between them. Felix actually met Laila Singh when they were six years old and bumped into each other at a holiday camp in a hotel; they initially had issues with each other. These issues, however, appear to have only grown because when they first meet each other again at Camp Half-Blood they don’t see eye-to-eye on almost anything and continually complain about the traits they have inherited form their respective parents. When Percy goes on his first quest, however, he is there for Laila in a way that neither of them probably would have expected, and slowly they grow closer. He is there to help her with everything that goes on with Percy, but also the betrayals of Luke too.
Zariyah sat at the edge of the dancefloor and wondered if it wasn’t at all possible for her to sneak away. She knew that the Grisha would probably catch her, remind her that Nikolai needed her, but she wasn’t sure she could stand it. Wasn’t sure she was up for the obligations that came with them having finally taken the step and announcing their relationship to the court. This was part of what had always stopped her from making the move, stopped her from admitting to things. Not necessarily the fear of what might change between the two of them, but the social expectations.
‘You can sneak out through the tunnels,’ came Nikolai’s whispered voice, close to her ear and yet somehow she managed not to jump. He moved to stand beside her, his attention on the other dancers, even as he spoke with his hands as soon as he was in her line of sight. ‘You really don’t have to be here, Zari.’
‘I do,’ she countered, not looking at her hands as they flew through the gestures that they knew nobody else – other than her mother, though the woman was currently being corralled by a bunch of small children – would be able to understand. She knew Dima had tried, and a couple of the new Grisha in their lives were trying, but none of them were as fluent as they were. ‘I have to be here for you.’
‘Not if you’re going to scowl at every dignitary.’
Zariyah scoffed, shook her head and felt his hand gently on the small of her back. She looked up at him then, and saw the tender smile on his lips. The gentleness of his expression that reminded her of their friendship and everything that had come with it. The thing she hadn’t wanted to ruin, and yet somehow she knew even if all this broke down, that would probably still remain. Somehow.
‘You can go, I promise I can survive this, Zariyah.’
She frowned at him, but he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. It was such a simple gesture, one that he’d done a million times before, and yet in it she knew he was vowing that if she decided to go, nothing would change.
‘She’ll be all right,’ Merlin said softly, starling Eggsy’s attention away from the spot it had otherwise been focused on. He hadn’t realised that it was locked on a random piece of wall; he’d been so lost in his own thoughts, on the spiral of concern for Lily. He blinked a couple of times, as if that might somehow drain the thoughts away. Clear the concerns that otherwise were threatening to drown him. ‘Lilian is far stronger than the others give her credit for.’
‘I know,’ Eggsy told him emphatically. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t worry about her. Didn’t mean that it didn’t terrify him when she did things that put her in danger. She was meant to be their computer person, the one of the team that didn’t have to go out there and get hurt. And yet, in recent weeks things had changed. She’d started trying to do more, to help them in a way that should have been helpful, but Eggsy was beginning to realise only meant he had more things to worry about while he should be focusing. ‘It’s just –’
‘I know,’ Merlin said softly, gently patting Eggsy on the shoulder. There was a strangely knowing little smile on his lips that made Eggsy feel a little uncomfortable. He hated that the older man seemed to read far more in people than he’d thought possible. ‘She has that effect on people.’
‘Why couldn’t she just have stayed back?’ Eggsy asked, voice low and yet even he heard he vague heat behind his words. He knew the anger was misplaced, knew that if she hadn’t have intervened, things would have been just that little bit harder. And yet, he couldn’t help but hate that she’d done it. That she was in the medical bay all because she had jumped in.
Merlin chuckled softly, his hand slipping from Eggsy’s shoulder. Eggsy spotted the concern behind the older man’s eyes, and felt his insides squirming ever so slightly. The man had known her longer, had done more with her in that time than he had, his own worries very much ran deeper than Eggsy’s. ‘Because it’s Lily,’ he said softly, no hiding the affection in his voice, though.
Eggsy heaved a sigh, forced himself to run a hand down his face. ‘Yeah, it is,’ he agreed, mentally vowing that he would do whatever he could to try and protect her slightly better next time. Because no matter how hard he tried to dissuade her, they all knew there would probably be a next time.
Cassie glared at Marcus and wondered if perhaps it wouldn’t have been best if she didn’t just use the lessons she’d had before on him. The new kid was annoying, and that was being kind to him. She understood that not everybody was made for the life that they were all living, but some people were just causing chaos for the sake of chaos by not even trying.
‘What?’ he snapped, eyes narrowed at her in a way that she assumed might have been threatening to anybody else. To her, it felt like a puppy trying to bark. It felt mildly pathetic, and part of her wanted to laugh. Wanted to remind him that despite all appearances, she didn’t scare quite that easily.
‘Nothing,’ she said, shrugging before languidly turning away from him.
She could still feel his eyes on her, the burning sensation of being looked at, but she ignored it. The quicker he learnt that in the grand scheme of things that he didn’t matter, the better. Perhaps then he’d leave, and things would go back to some semblance of normal.
Or, at least the semblance of normal that she was slowly getting used to. Her fall from social grace was something that still stung. Something that she was trying to ignore as best she could. Having to spend more time with the new guy really wasn’t helping that, and she couldn’t exactly pinpoint why.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Luce felt the lump forming in the back of her throat and she hated it. She couldn’t believe that Ada was gone. That Tommy was gone. None of it felt real, and yet from what she’d heard all of it seemed to make a kind of sense. Given the world they lived in. The people they dealt with. It wasn’t right, not at all, but it seemed almost as if it were meant to happen.
‘How is he?’ she asked, hearing the footsteps come to a stop a short distance behind her. They weren’t the firm tread of any of the men, or the too quick ones of any of the children. She knew it was Lia.
‘As expected,’ she noted softly, causing Luce to look towards her. There was an exhaustion about her expression that she hadn’t been expecting to see. Something that made her worry about what might be going on between her best friend and his wife. ‘I think…’ She took a deep breath before catching Luce’s eye. There was something almost pleading about the look that she hated. It made her feel guilty, and she didn’t entirely understand why. ‘I think he needs you, Luce.’
‘Me?’ Luce heard the vague squeak in her own voice, and had no idea where it had come from.
‘You’re his best friend, and you’ve been with him through so much of this,’ Lia offered. There was no judgement or anything malicious behind her voice. More the fear of a woman that worried she couldn’t offer the man she loved what he needed in his moment of need, but somebody else could. Another woman, but there was no doubt in the platonic care they held for each other. No fear that people who didn’t know Luce and Stan as she did, would have felt creeping in the whole time.
‘You know, they say Gryffindors are mad,’ came Cedric’s voice, causing Hope to roll her eyes but continue in her attempts at opening the Hufflepuff common room door. She’d heard whispers of how it was meant to happen, knew that there was a secret in it all that she should have been able to work out, and yet something was eluding her with it all. She’d hoped that trying while everyone was meant to be in class might just be the thing that gave her the edge over the twins.
But of course Ced had found her. Of course he had known she would be up to something when she asked to go to the Hospital Wing because of a migraine. Of course he’d been allowed to check on her, especially over the twins or Lee, simply because he was Cedric Diggory.
‘Madness is a step away from greatness,’ she told him primly, before slowly turning to face him. In the summer, he had miraculously shot up so she had to angle her head a little merely to meet his eye. It was odd, having been taller than him for some of their earlier childhood, but she should have known it would happen eventually. Everybody had told them it would; some of the elderly village ladies had even told them it would be adorable.
‘Of course you’d say that,’ Cedric teased, leaning casually against the wall and surveying her with a small smirk tugging at his lips. ‘You’re mad.’
Hope rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the picture. ‘If you’re not going to help…’ she said, letting the words linger in silence for a moment before huffing out an almost bitter scoff. ‘Thought so,’ she grumbled, before inspecting the picture once more, knowing that he was going to linger for at least a little while longer, to try and protect her from whatever trouble she might get herself into by being there during class time.
Becca watched as Randall surveyed her. If she hadn’t been looking directly at him, she was pretty certain she would have felt his eyes boring into her. Would have felt the burning concern in that look because he wasn’t exactly hiding it.
‘I’m fine,’ she said softly, trying her best to hide a wince as Hamish applied some antiseptic to her knee. If she was being completely honest, she thought they were overreacting ever so slightly. It had just been a fall in the woods, a stumble that she blamed on clumsiness more than the fact there had been an actual warlock on her tail.
‘You’re an awful liar, Rebecca,’ Randall offered softly, something barely restrained in his voice that she couldn’t quite figure out. She wasn’t sure if it was annoyance, anger, or fear. Then again, she wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to know. She hated that her own clumsiness was the reason behind that reaction. Hated that any of them were going out of their way for her when she was used to dealing with minor injuries like this on her own.
She pouted dramatically at him, desperate to make that glint go away; to give him the space to deal with whatever emotions were roiling away inside of him. ‘I’m a fantastic liar, Randall.’
Despite everything, a scoff escaped him. She could even see a small smirk tugging at Hamish’s lips.
‘I cannot wait until Jack sees this,’ Lilith noted simply, causing Becca to look at her sharply. There was a smirk on her lips, and a glint of amusement in her eyes. Becca knew that the other woman had been worried – she’d seen Hamish tugging her away from the fight in the hopes of getting Becca back to the house – but there was no chance of Lilith admitting to that. Teasing was the closest to concern they were going to get.
‘He can’t know,’ Becca said, looking between the three of them pleadingly.
‘He probably already does to be fair,’ Randall noted, a small smirk dancing at the corner of her lips that she didn’t trust.
Her eyes narrowed, before she huffed out a breath. Of course he probably did. He was probably the one making sure the warlock knew that attacking her was a bad idea. Sometimes, she hated that her friends were part of the supernatural world, and far too protective because of it.
‘This is madness,’ Angelica whispered, her eyes wide in the darkness, trying to make things out and yet also terrified of what the shadows could be hiding. ‘How is any of this actually happening?’
‘I don’t know,’ sniped Jamie, causing Angelica to cringe ever so slightly. She should have expected it, should have known that the reaction was going to come. Part of her had longed for it, longed for the normality of something, even if it wasn’t necessarily a positive thing. And yet, part of her wondered how on earth the other woman was calm enough to make jokes. Calm enough not to have fallen back on panic and anything else.
Jamie huffed out a deep breath. ‘We’ll find the others and get out of here.’
All Angelica could do was nod. Jamie had already told them about her father being missing. She wanted desperately to go looking for him, to see if there wasn’t something she could do to make sure he was OK. And yet, part of her knew that he’d never forgive her for doing that. Especially if it put her in any sort of danger to do so.
But what if they did escape? What if they left and it meant something awful happened to him when they could have stopped it?
‘Angelica,’ Jamie said softly, drawing her thoughts away from the negatives and back to the present. The darkness hid the look on her face, something that Angelica was grateful for. She wasn’t sure if she could cope with a look of pity behind her eyes, or the lack of it if that was how Jamie wanted to react. ‘We’re getting out of this. And… I’m sure your dad’s gonna be OK.’
‘But what if he’s not?’
The question was so small, and yet somehow it almost had the power to completely topple her. Because it had always been just the two of them, and she couldn’t imagine doing any of this, surviving any of it, without him.
‘He will be,’ Jamie said vehemently, and Angelica could almost allow herself to believe it.
‘She’ll come round,’ Dick said softly, hoping that Jason had heard him. He noticed the vague tightness in the other man’s shoulders, but knew it wasn’t surprise otherwise he’d probably have been flat out on the floor with a bloody nose. ‘She just –’
‘Needs time, I know,’ Jason cut across him irritably. ‘This isn’t exactly easy for me.’
Dick heaved a deep breath. He knew exactly where Jason was coming from, and yet he also knew how hard it all was on A.J.. The idea that people could come back to life was always going to stir up things for all of them. But A.J. blamed herself enough for drawing Jason into this life to begin with. Seeing him standing before her, looking so different and yet somehow being the same, it was going to make the guilt all the worse.
‘I know.’
‘You know?’ spat Jason, rounding on him. He hadn’t exactly been a physically imposing presence before, but death and resurrection, not to mention time with the League of Assassins, had changed that. Dick was glad he’d been the one to poke the proverbial bear, though. Glad that A.J. hadn’t earned the ire because they all knew she wouldn’t have stepped back when she should have done. ‘Well, as long as the wonderful –’
‘Stop,’ said Dick firmly, taking a step away, putting a little distance between the two of them in case he needed to defend himself. ‘Just talk to her.’
‘She won’t talk to me,’ Jason grit out, and Dick noticed that he was clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles were glowing white.
‘But she’ll listen.’
Jason scoffed disbelievingly.
‘She will,’ Dick insisted. ‘Trust me.’
Jason surveyed him coolly for a moment before huffing out a breath. ‘We’ll see,’ he grumbled, before brushing firmly past Dick and leaving him to it. Dick just hoped he hadn’t made things worse between the two of them than their own stubbornness already had.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Frankie and Oskar (Crime, Friendship and Other Things)
Detroit wasn’t necessarily a place of great beauty, and yet in the months since moving here I’ve tried to find at least the smallest semblance of it somewhere. To find a joy that could otherwise be lost in the grey monotones of buildings. It’s part of the reason I always head to the park for lunch. Always attempt to drag Oskar with me lest he waste the day away in a too white room that smells far more like cleaning products than anything else.
‘Can you stop scowling?’ I ask, shifting on the bench to get a better look at him.
‘I’m not,’ he defends, attempting to smooth the look ever so slightly. After a moment, he gives up and heaves a deep breath. ‘Why is it so bright out here?’
I scoff, shaking my head in disbelief. ‘You work in a room filled with artificial light, and actual sunlight is an issue for you?’
‘Yes.’ He rubs his forehead almost wearily. ‘Sorry, Frankie. The last –’
I tut at him, and move the sandwich he’s holding a little closer to his mouth. ‘Work talk after food.’
A slight smirk flashes across his lips before he nods his acceptance of the terms. It’s not much, but I count it as a win nonetheless. Because if I don’t force Oskar to take some time for himself, I’m worried nobody will.
‘You’re all right,’ Eggsy whispers, his lips close to my ear, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. He’d tried to pick me up bridal style initially, but I’d refused to allow him and reluctantly he’d instead settled for the half assist. His fingers dig almost painfully into my hip, the only show of concern that he’s allowing himself given that we’re technically in the field and he’s not really even meant to be helping me. ‘Just a little further.’
‘I know,’ I murmur, despite the pain shooting up my leg with every step. I can literally see the stone lip of the fountain that he’s trying to get us to, and yet I am also very aware of the fact that at any moment one of the thugs from inside the club might appear behind us. That if that happens Eggsy is better off leaving me behind. Somehow, I doubt he’d do it, no matter how much I remind him that it’d be the safest choice.
‘Lil –’
‘I’m fine,’ I assure him through gritted teeth.
‘You are the worst liar,’ he notes, and yet I can hear the concern bleeding through the words. Hear the way he’s trying desperately not to let his own fear get the better of him.
This mission was supposed to be easy. A simple task of getting information from a club about a gang that are possibly going to do something possibly catastrophic for British safety. And yet, we hadn’t expected the boss of the gang to be in there. Hadn’t expected one of the thugs to not like the way I’d avoided dancing with him. Hadn’t expected me to twist my ankle while trying to avoid him, and fall knee first into a shattered glass. Eggy’s instincts had taken over, and instead of staying away he’d come to help me, somehow exacerbating the situation.
‘Am not,’ I defend, wincing as I try to put weight on my ankle. Behind us, a door opens and we’re turning before we can think better of it. But it’s not somebody from the club coming to get me back inside all because their boss has demanded it. No, instead it’s a little old lady letting her cat out the front door. I chuckle softly. ‘God, the look on your face,’ I tease, eager to lighten the mood however possible.
‘No worse than yours,’ he counters easily, turning back to focus on our path to the fountain. ‘Almost there.’
‘I can see where we’re going, you know,’ I remind him, gripping his shoulder a little as the pain lances up my leg.
His grip slackens ever so slightly, and I know that he’s once again tempted simply to carry me there. But I can’t let him do that. If the boss, or one of his goons, comes looking for me, I want Eggsy to be able to get away without too much fuss.
He heaves a sigh before tightening his grip once more, determined to help me reach the fountain’s edge, even if only so he can take a better look at my injury. Not that there’s much he can do to help, but it’s the thought that counts.
James still couldn’t believe it. He had managed to get a scholarship to Oxford, under Sir Bucephalus Hodge no less. He had yet to meet the man that’s name his scholarship took, but he knew it would happen eventually. All he had to do was make sure he made a good impression and who knew where his future might lead him. It was something he’d never let himself dwell on too much previously, even as he made every move to try and reach the goal that he was now seeing through. But now the promise of everything threatened to make him look to the future in a way he’d never done before. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not necessary something James wanted to risk.
‘What’re you doing here?’ a voice snapped, an accent slightly wrong for the others he was beginning to get used to. There was a hint of dropped letters; a mask of confidence that had a slight amount of doubt lingering at the edges.
James shifted the mortarboard on his head ever so slightly before turning, a charming smile on his face.
The young woman that stood before him had to be around his age. She had a basket of laundry beneath one arm, an apron wrapped tightly around her waist. She was short, and yet there was something about her that almost seemed to hide that very obvious feature. Her dark hair was held back, he couldn’t see how, only that it revealed the scar trailing down the right side of her throat to her collarbone.
Her dark eyes narrowed, and she shifted ever so slightly so that his eyes met hers.
‘Vous parlais Français?’ she tried instead, accent impeccable.
James shook his head, offered out a hand. ‘I do,’ he answered in English as she straightened, eyes darting between his hand and his face.
‘So then I repeat,’ she noted simply, ‘what’re you doing here?’
James glanced to his hand, then back to her once more. ‘I’m looking for the Maths lecture room.’
She huffed out a laugh. ‘Of course you are.’ She shifted the basket on her hip, and the irritation seemed to ebb out of her stance even if the uncertainty of him didn’t leave her eyes. It only made him wonder what other students had done, how they might have treated her for her to be so cold towards a complete stranger that bore the obvious signs of being one of them. ‘Take a left at the top of the stairs. Keep going until you hear the crying of students who realise they’ve made a mistake.’
James scoffed, shifted his extended hand so it was palm up instead of an offer to shake. ‘James Moriarty.’
She cautiously eyed his hand before tentatively putting her hand in it. ‘Josephina Carmichael.’
James’s grin deepened as he lifted her knuckles to his lips and brushed a chaste kiss against them. Her eyes narrowed once more, but he was surprised that she didn’t immediately pull away. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Carmichael.’
‘We’ll see,’ she told him simply, carefully extracting her hand from his. She surveyed him for a moment before moving past him. ‘Enjoy your lecture, Mr Moriarty.’
James chuckled softly, making a mental note to try and find the scarred maid after the lecture. There was something about her that made him want to know more, to see what he could figure out before she told him. Something that felt like a challenge and a promise all at once. Not necessarily dangerous, but erring on the side of it that might just make his time at university that little bit more interesting if she’d let him find her.
James, Jacqueline and Phina (The Case of the Scarred Maid)
Joey had, in James’s opinion, been working too hard. Between everything she was doing at the university, and then looking after the little girl currently sitting on the floor with pencils and paper strewn around her, he wasn’t all too surprised that his friend had fallen asleep.
‘Nine o’clock,’ she’d said sternly, hands on hips as she’d glared at the small child who she was currently in charge of. ‘That’s bedtime.’
And now she was missing the biggest job of the evening all because she herself had fallen asleep. James knew that Joey being Joey, she’d want him to wake her up. And yet he couldn’t. How many times had he seen her yawning throughout the evening? How many times had he seen her around the university with too dark shadows beneath her eyes? How many times had he wanted to tell her to take a nap in his room simply so she didn’t collapse out of sheer exhaustion while in the middle of something that might have caused her harm?
‘Right,’ he announced, causing Jacqueline to look up at him sharply. Joey was so out of it, she didn’t even stir. ‘Bedtime.’
‘No,’ whined the small child, scrambling up and standing in front of him, hands pressed firmly onto his knees as she peered at Joey. ‘Phina does bedtime.’
‘Not tonight, darling,’ James said, carefully lifting her hands with one of his so he could stand. He used his other hand to untuck the blanket from over the back of the sofa, to lay it over the curled up form of Joey.
‘But she promised me a story,’ huffed the little girl.
James’s attention slowly shifted away from Joey and towards Jacqueline. ‘I’m not going to take the story away from her,’ he assured her, letting go of one of her hands and gently guiding her away. ‘I know some lullabies.’
‘I’m not a baby,’ she complained, but James could hear the vague interest in her voice. The curious hint of a question that she wasn’t going to voice.
‘So you don’t want –?’
‘You promise not to read?’ Her voice was barely more than a whisper as she guided him up the stairs. James was amazed that she wasn’t causing more havoc, wasn’t determined to skip out on bedtime because her designated adult was indisposed, but he guessed that was because it was Joey. If anybody could earn such loyalty to a cause, it was probably her. Jacqueline probably knew that if she didn’t do what was expected, Joey might just have to leave, and he doubted the little girl would want that.
‘I promise,’ he vowed with as much sincerity as he could muster, free hand placed over his heart in a vow.
Jacqueline nodded sagely before stopping outside a door. She lifted her chin proudly. ‘I can get ready by myself,’ she assured him. ‘But I’ll tell you when I’m done.’
‘Thank you,’ James said, bowing like and old knight to a princess.
The little girl giggled excitedly before dashing into the room, pulling the door nearly closed behind her.
James sighed deeply, rested his back against the wall, and idly wondered why exactly he’d agreed to any of this. He’d barely known Joey a month but it already felt as though he’d known her his whole life. He’d agreed to come only because he’d walked her back from the university and the weather had turned. He didn’t want to think about what the dean might say, or do, if he returned and James was still there. But then again, that was a problem for his future self to deal with. Right now his main concern was making sure that the little girl she was supposed to be looking after wasn’t bouncing off the walls instead of being tucked safely in bed upon the arrival of her parents.
A soft cough, and the door beside him was pulled open. ‘I’m ready,’ Jacqueline told him. He turned to see her standing there, her nightdress rucked up slightly at her shoulder, and her hair in a very messy braid, but she looked ready for bed. He assumed, he wasn’t entirely sure.
‘Perfect,’ he said, smiling as he gently took her hand once more and allowed her to lead him into the room. He spotted the slightly too small armchair at one side of the bed, a book on the bedside cabinet beside it. He didn’t immediately recognise the book, but he saw the bookmark a fair way through it and felt a small smile dancing on his lips. He could imagine exactly how Joey read it, the voices and the drama that she filled every word with simply to bring it to life for the little girl.
Jacqueline let go of his hand and crawled up through the bottom of her bed cover. She popped back up by the pillow and snuggled down. The teddy that had sat on the pillow was tugged down, under the cover and held close to her chest, all in a seemingly single movement.
‘Ready?’ James asked, dropping into the seat. There was an old, almost forgotten lullaby, lingering at the periphery of his memories.
‘Ready,’ Jacqueline announced.
And so, James began to sing. At first, he was tentative, the words only half remembered even if the melody seemed to resonate within him. The only other time he’d sung since being in Oxford was when drunk at a pub, his voice too hoarse from shouting to be heard over the other noise even during conversation. Now, he kept his voice low, a slightly deeper register than he’d naturally sing in because he thought it might help.
Jacqueline’s eyes were on him initially, a small smile on her face and eyes bright with something that he couldn’t quite decipher in the little girl. But slowly, as the song went on, her eyelids fluttered shut.
Still, James continued singing until he saw her breathing even, shallow. Until he heard the soft noise of a quiet snore. Only then did he finish the verse before stopping.
Soft applause made him jump up, putting himself between the doorway and the little girl in an instant. His thoughts went to Joey, to her slumbering form, before the figure in the doorway registered to him.
‘Who’d have thought it,’ Joey teased in a whisper as he joined her by the door, as he stepped into her space simply so he could close the door behind him. She tilted her head up to look at him, that small smirk dancing on her lips despite the odd softness in her eyes. ‘James Moriarty can sing.’
‘I’m a very talented individual, Josephina,’ he countered, winking.
She chuckled, gently elbowed him in the ribs. ‘You could’ve woken me.’ She rubbed a fist against her eye, even as she scowled at him.
James wrapped his arm around her shoulders, tugging her close to his side as he gently guided her back towards the stairs. ‘And incur the wrath of a rudely awoken Joey?’ He scoffed. ‘No thank you. Bedtime felt like the less dangerous option.’
Joey let out a low whistle, shook her head slowly. ‘Oh, you have no idea how dangerous bedtimes can really be.’
‘I thought it was pretty easy,’ he teased, bowing his head a little closer to her ear. ‘Maybe they’re just another of my talents.’
She rolled her eyes, but the smile on her lips was enough to make it worth it. For James to grin back at her, really wishing he could stay longer but knowing that making an exit now was probably the best for the both of them.
‘You’re an idiot, do you know that?’ James asked, voice soft despite the rage burning inside him. He knew it was misplaced, knew that it was actually fear in another form, but that didn’t make it any easier to cope with.
‘Says the man –’ Phina hissed as he dabbed alcohol on the scrape to her forehead, but carried on as if it were nothing ‘– who was right there beside me.’
‘That’s different.’
Phina pulled back before he could put any water on the wound. The look behind her dark eyes was dangerous, and yet James didn’t flinch from it. Instead, he held her gaze steadily.
‘Why?’ she pressed, voice soft and all the more angry for it.
James clenched his jaw slightly before shifting back, forcing more space between the two of them because in that moment if felt necessary. He was a little grateful Sherlock had left to get more supplies, at least there wasn’t an audience for this.
‘Because, Joey, you’re a girl,’ he said, forcing the words calm despite the anger he saw on her face. ‘That explosion was rigged to kill fully grown men from further away than we were.’
‘You were still close, James,’ she reminded him icily.
James ran an irritable hand down his face. He could still feel the dust and minor debris clinging to his skin. ‘Point,’ he conceded, ‘but I’m bigger and –’
‘Don’t give me that,’ she snapped, leaning closer to him. ‘A bomb is a bomb. Doesn’t matter your size, just how far away from it you are.’
‘And you could have been safely tucked away in the library if you’d just listened,’ he snapped.
A wry smile curled her lips as she lent away from him once more. ‘You care.’
‘Of course I care, Joey. You’re my best friend and I was terrified.’ The admittance eased a little of the weight that seemed to be crushing his chest.
‘And so was I,’ she told him softly, carefully placing a hand on top of his. ‘This friendship thing goes both ways, Moriarty. You don’t get to be the only one worried.’
A scoff escaped James as he shifted his hand to give hers a tight squeeze. ‘Don’t do anything that foolish again.’
‘As long as you don’t,’ she vowed, and James exhaled deeply. It wasn’t exactly what he’d been hoping for, but it was the best he could expect really.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Phina, Jean and Silas (The Case of the Scarred Maid)
‘This is ridiculous,’ Phina grumbled, trying to keep her voice steady as she looked around at the assorted people in the room. There was the thug she vaguely recognised from around Oxford; a man she had never seen before in her life; and Silas, sitting languidly in the chair opposite her. None of it made sense, and yet unsurprisingly none of them had been exactly forth coming with information.
A knock on the door drew all attention that way, but Phina forced herself to keep looking at Silas. He didn’t look surprised at all by the interruption. If anything, she would have assumed that he looked amused. Gleeful, almost. It forced Phina to tear her attention away, to look at what exactly had him looking like that.
Bea opened the door and entered. A quick look darted to Phina, but otherwise her attention remained locked on her father. In any other situation, Phina might have been tempted to make a comment. To do something simply to remind the other woman that she was her own person and didn’t need to seek constant reassurance from the man who was essentially her jailor.
The man who entered behind her stopped all thoughts, however. Phina hadn’t seen him since she was a child, and yet the only difference she saw in him now was a few extra wrinkles and some grey hairs littered in his beard. His eyes were still the exact mirror of his sister’s.
‘Josephina,’ he greeted softly.
The words caught in her throat, pieces of the puzzle slotting together in a way that made her feel sick. Silas’s vague look of recognition. The way he didn’t seem to want her out of his sight. If she remembered correctly, her uncle often used pictures of her and Jerry to help endear himself to the wider public. She was there for one reason and one reason alone: leverage.
‘Aren’t you going to say hello, Josephina?’ Silas asked, an arrogance in his voice that chilled Phina to the core. She wanted nothing more than to punch him, and yet she knew that wouldn’t help at all. If anything, she hated to admit it to herself, it might actually make things worse. How, however, she wasn’t entirely sure, but she was sure he’d find a way.
‘A.J., stop.’ Jason’s voice was firm, it ripped through the chaos of the evening like a gunshot and yet she adamantly ignored it. She kept walking, moving through the crowd with difficulty given the way they were surging away from the source of the chaos.
‘Amy.’ His voice was softer this time, touched with an unexpected fear that gave her pause. Her physically stopping was enough for the crowd to swell around her. For her to ever so slightly lose her balance. For a hand to tightly grip her elbow, another carefully resting on the small of her back. Panic coursed through her, and instinct drove her to buck away. But the grip merely tightened; pulled her towards a too large torso.
‘It’s me: Jay,’ Jason soothed, mouth tickling the hair at the top of her head. ‘Just a second.’
A.J. wasn’t sure if those words were a plea or a vow, but she felt him shouldering his way through the crowd, a shield between her and them. In the chaos, there was no way of knowing which way he was taking them. But she was also acutely aware of the fact she wouldn’t be able to get away from him either. Not until he decided to let go of her. Then she would decide if he’d been helpful or not; if she needed to pick her way through the crowd once more.
‘This is a stupid idea,’ he said, exasperation obvious in his voice, a promise that he was being helpful even if he hated it.
‘It’s the only one we have,’ she reminded him simply, forcing herself to look up at him. There was a determined set to his jaw that was all too familiar; a hard look behind his eyes that made her wonder what exactly he was so mad at. It was a tossup between her and the situation itself.
A muscle ticked in his jaw, and she knew he was tempted to argue even if he knew she was right. She just hoped it would be worth it in the end, that she wasn’t about to give him a reason to tell her “I told you so.” Because that was too familiar, too like a past that she still wasn’t entirely over. It would hurt too much, and she wasn’t sure she could take that yet.
