𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔨𝔢𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔦𝔯𝔢

hyuntae is well aware that his teammates and himself are causing a scene. visually, they’re a gaggle of statistically above-average attractive young adult men who tend to turn heads on their own; together, they’re a lot to take in. audibly, however, is where he feels like they could take it down a notch or two. laughter, half shouts over one another and the pregaming-tipsy storytelling of their overzealous center fieldman all blend together in a cacophony of sound more befitting a bunch of schoolboys than training athletes. he supposes he ought to cut them some slack; they are technically schoolboys still, kind of, and besides, they’re on their off season. from the way they were talking on the ride over, though, they had every intention of carb-loading like there was a big game tomorrow. a thought is spared for the poor waitstaff.

@holylace / 𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙰 ! 

everyone has a different vision of what ‘ home ’ could be. in the beginning of wesley’s life it was his warm childhood home. full of sunny days and marking the door frame to see how much he grew. wesley didn’t really consider his college dorms as home but they were in it’s own way. and then the brief home that he shared with his ex-girlfriend, the one where he thought he would settle down. have a family like all good people do. but that was it’s own rollercoaster and now the apartment he had by himself.

wesley thought that was the last big page he would turn in his book. the last big move was going to be accepting the fact that he was a single father. oh, how fate really had it out for him. now here he was, moving away…again. but this time it felt strangely different. probably because he was really moving to a place that he had no idea where it was and what really vampire politics were. even the phrase vampire politics was something he would’ve laughed at months ago.

but now, it’s been weeks since he’s properly left the apartment. hopefully mina understands that. he was good and he went out for a walk for 15 minutes without feeling any sort of thirst. it was a small step that made him really think that he needed more help then he wanted to admit. 

“it feels weird to say goodbye to this apartment.” he confesses looking over to mina pursing his lips. “what’s this coven house like ? can i get a little run down ? because the only thing i can think of is a frat house and i have a feeling it’s not… like that.”

she has a box of wes’ things nestled safely in her arms as she watches him busying himself gathering more. moving him into a room at the coven mansion feels utterly mundane when compared to the other things with which mina has had to try and help. packing up is nothing in comparison to safe feeding and thirst control, that’s for certain. maybe mina’s guilt is projecting optimism where it has no place but she doesn’t think wesley is too upset to be joining the coven. apprehensive, sure; tentative, yes, but not angry or sad. it’s the best she can hope for at this point.

“i’m sorry that you have to say goodbye at all,” she still offers with a sympathetic smile. “this is a lot of change, all at once.” and that’s an understatement by all definitions. mina considers his questions, thinking back to when she first joined up with the new york city vampire cluster. “a little run down? that may actually be the best way to describe it, now that you mention it. it’s... dated but in a purposeful way. artistic, almost. definitely not like a frat house.” she leaves out the fact that the gossip and sexcapades that go on in the mansion may resemble such college frivolities, however. 

@holylace / 𝙺𝙸𝙼𝙾𝙾𝙽 ! 

hasun stared down at his music sheets and sighed heavily. he had been noting them all for what seemed like years but in reality it was about 3 hours. staring down at the music when he was already tired making him go a little cross eyed. he needed to take a rest and not think about performing for two seconds but every time he wanted to take a break his mind would just go back to this piece again. hasun swore that he was literally dreaming of it at this point with how many times he’s performed it. 

he also felt a bit neglectful to kimoon, he invited his boyfriend over to relax but he still hasn’t left the table yet. not that hasun really thought that kimoon minded him working because the pianist could understand but.. it still felt wrong to leave him alone like this. even if it’s barely been a month into the relationship hasun feels so natural with the other. getting up from the table and then sitting next to kimoon with another sigh that quickly turned into a yawn. 

“i’ve come back to pay you some attention. sorry it took so long to go through the piece..again.” 

in moments like this, with silence stretched between them as he reads and rereads his music theory textbook, kimoon’s mind is allowed to wander and he finds it returning to the same point of disbelief. this is his reality, he ponders with a sort of awe. after all the waiting and stressing, doubting and persevering, he’s somehow finally made it here into a state of domesticity with the boy he’d caught feelings for since (practically) day one. they were dating. boyfriends. the word makes him smile though he resists the urge to check that hasun is still at the desk and instead directs his grin down onto the page he’s failing to process. he’d have been more than content to continue to let the other focus on his piece for another three hours but when he hears the sound of the chair being pushed out, kimoon can’t help the way his gaze snaps upwards. 

immediately, he’s shifting on the bed, legs folded, turning away from his open books and halfhearted notes and towards hasun’s approach instead. arms spread naturally, a wordless invitation to come close which is matched by a soft-lipped smile. “how lucky for me -- spare attention from the loveliest boy in the room,” he hums in amusement, eyes glittering as they take in hasun’s study-mussed figure. he looks a little tired, kimoon notes gently, but not nearly so much as when they first met. maybe hasun, too, is sleeping better now that they’re spending so many nights together.

when jamie hears minkyu’s reply he nods in his own reply. finishing up the last rep’s of a long work out like he’s done today are always the hardest. breath coming out near painful as he pushes on. “you know focusing on your studies is important..” he grunts back. god he’s starting to sound like gabriel and that thought nearly makes him scowl. not that gabe wasn’t one of the better role models in jamie’s life but he didn’t really want to be a dad just yet. jamie sends another nod to minkyu at his last statement before completely finishing and then letting out a loud exhale as he finishes. 

“whew ! yeah i should be , i’ve been here for like three hours.” he chuckles and pants softly looking over for his water bottle and taking a healthy chug. “alrighty ! i’m sure as fun as it would be to get some food whilst im dripping , i think i need to shower.” 

an eyebrow shoots upwards at the remark. mid-workout academic advice isn’t exactly what he’s expecting to hear but he supposes it’s sweet, or meant to be, anyways. besides, maybe jamie has a point considering the only thing he’s focusing on presently is maintaining his composure in the presence of a very sweaty and very well-defined man. he’s not doing all that great a job; his mouth feels dry and it’s a wonder his jaw hasn’t gone completely slack in unabashed awe at the number of reps jamie puts in. his own workout pales in comparison -- though most days it’s followed by a rigorous dance schedule so he can’t be too hard on himself.  “three hours?” kyu repeats, gaze trailing slowly after jamie’s movements.

       it’s  hard  to  feel  anything  other  than  a  sense  of  whiplash  from  how  quickly  his  day  shifted  from  one  he  could  expect  to  having  the  rug  pulled  out  from  under  him.  ali  never  really  understand  when  he  heard  others  compare  meeting  someone  to  that  of  a  hurricane,  but  standing  beside  xavi  it  was  starting  make  sense  despite  his  lithe  stature  and  innocently  blinking  doe  eyes.  something  was  shifting  underneath  his  feet  and  though  he  couldn’t  tell  exactly  what  this  change  was  or  what  it  would  bring,  ali  had  a  feeling  this  wouldn’t  be  the  last  time  he  would  see  xavi.  especially  when  ali’s  curiosity  was  piqued  at  the  lack  of  an  aura  the  other  boy  was  giving  off.  he  wasn’t  sure  what  exactly  it  meant  or  had  time  to  figure  it  out  when  their  conversation  was  constantly  pushing  him  in  a  new  direction,  leaving  ali  mildly  overwhelmed  with  how  things  were  progressing.  listen,  ali  was  only  human,  okay  ??  well  …  a  witch  but  still.  the  point  still  stands.  he  fumbled  around  cute  boys  on  the  daily,  although  it  was  mostly  always  him  admiring  from  afar  without  ever  garnering  the  courage  to  go  start  a  conversation.  clearly  xavi  picked  up  all  the  confidence  that  ali  had  dropped  because  the  last  thing  he  expected  was  flirting  —  wait  …  was  this  flirting  ??  were  they  flirting  ??  ali  suddenly  felt  the  remnants  of  his  headache  kick  back  up.  oh  no.  ❝  i  —  ❞  he  cleared  his  throat  and  brought  a  hand  up  to  rub  at  the  back  of  his  neck.  maybe  if  he  willed  away  the  heat  on  his  cheeks  hard  enough  it  would  go  down.  ❝  i  doubt  i’m  the  only  one  person  to  have  called  you  cute  before.  ❞  ali  offers  as  a  reply  all  the  while  fiddling  with  his  wallet,  giving  him  something  to  occupy  his  racing  mind  with.  he  opens  his  mouth  to  speak  again  only  to  be  silenced  from  the  sensation  of  xavi’s  hand  slipping  into  his,  paired  with  the  light  weight  on  his  shoulder.  ali’s  mind  feels  like  its  been  consumed  by  that  static  tv  noise  and  he  can  only  imagine  explaining  this  situation  to  milo  later  on.  it  took  a  moment  for  ali  to  gather  any  semblance  of  coherent  thought  before  sparing  a  glance  down  to  xavi  and  squeezing  his  hand  lightly  in  confirmation  to  his  silent  question.  what  on  earth  had  today  become  ??  definitely  whiplash.  it  seemed  better  to  go  along  with  all  this  than  risk  putting  space  between  them  both  and  hurting  xavi’s  feelings  as  a  result.  ali  barely  has  time  to  realize  they’re  up  next  to  order  before  xavi  speaks  to  the  barista,  all  the  while  ali  is  heavily  aware  of  xavi’s  hand  in  his  and  his  presence  beside  him.  xavi’s  next  words  have  ali  peering  over  and  offering  an  encouraging  smile.  ❝  whatever  you  want.  i  promised,  didn’t  i  ??  ❞  ali  was  sure  his  blushing  fit  was  over  and  done  with  until  xavi  addresses  the  barista  again  who  in  turn,  fixes  her  gaze  on  ali  with  a  warm  expression  and  his  cheeks  light  up  again.  his  mind  fumbles  with  a  proper  response  and  automatically  juts  out  his  debit  card.  ❝  i’ll  just  have  a  medium  iced  caramel  macchiato.  please.  ❞  as  an  afterthought  he  adds  on  softly.  ❝  also  whichever  drink  he  wants.  ❞

for the most part, the coven had arrived to the ball together (along with a certain cursed witch to which he’s extended his own invite) but all split apart shortly thereafter. that was just fine by valentine; he prefers to be alone and is more interested in wine than company. it’s at one of several open bars where the coven head perches now, on a bar stool that’s a pinch too high so that his buckled shoes have the space to cross at the ankle. cloak falling prettily around him and actually blending in to his ornate surroundings, for once, he’s nursing his third goblet of wine; something old and expensive (since it’s not coming from his pocketbook). although it’s not blood-spiked, it’s brought enough of a flush to his cheeks to have humans mistakenly approaching with god-awful pickup lines, believing him to be a suitable lover. they’ve been met with icy rejection but still, arguably he’s having an okay time. valentine’s only allowed himself this sort of indulgence because there’s no smell of wolf to be found. sure, a few stray pack members were scattered about, some with friends of varying supernatural persuasions, but the main threat -- pack leader and his little housewife -- is notably absent. 

if he looks at his reflection for long enough in the unforgiving lighting over the hotel room bathroom mirror, kino can still see the remnants of his last tryst with cade dotted along the column of his slender neck. the hickeys are the worst the first few days after, necessitating turtlenecks and opaque scarves as the mottled skin heals around, frankly, feral puncture points. their very first time, kino hardly even remembers. he’d been so concerned about reigning back his siren abilities that he hadn’t even considered the possibility that the guy he was attracted to was a supernatural in his own right. it had been a dizzying discovery though, given the way the night proceeded, not entirely an unpleasant turn of events. now, much to silas’ dismay, kino had allowed things to progress to... this. he’s not quite sure how to define their relationship: not quite friends, not quite lovers. they’re somewhere in between but it’s still closer to commitment than kino’s ever allowed himself. and if he has to deal with finding a better concealer and the occasional sideward glance from his best friend, it’s worth it, just to keep things as they are. 

not being able to go to the last party kind of had jaejin down in the dumps honestly. he wanted to be able to go out and be an adult too! apparently however, the last gathering was much more dangerous and had a lot of tension. it didn’t really seem too fun after emi-eomma had explained it. but there was no reason why he couldn’t go to this one because it was supposed to be safer! and after hours and hours ( not really but it felt like such ) to emi, jaejin was allowed to go. he had even promised to be good and stay in her line of sight. jaejin may be still a young fox spirit but he was sadly still trying to work on his appearance. not that he didn’t know how to present himself it was more how to make sure he appeared more human then not. jaejin couldn’t really help it, sometimes he got excited and the grip on his foxy side just loosened ever so slightly. 

but everything was going well so far, jaejin was curiously wandering around for a moment when he locked eyes with someone he knew was another fox spirit. a bolt of electricity traveled down his spine and he was transfixed on this other person. not being able to take his eyes off of them until they had reached him. “uh,” he replied and looked down at the other’s hand, placing his where this stranger had offered. it really felt like a fairytale to jaejin in this moment, he never thought anything like this would ever happen to him! well at least not now anyways. “i don’t think that we have?” jaejin finally replies. he can feel his cheeks darkening at even the slightest touch from this stranger and he can’t help but wonder what is happening… 

zion can’t quite pin down his fascination with the fellow fox spirit. he doesn’t know many of his own kind, sure, but he’s never cared to so that still doesn’t entirely explain why he’s been struck with this feeling of rightness. the sense of deja vu only intensifies as they converse and zion vaguely recalls someone saying once that the phenomenon is actually meant as a sign to tell you that you’re on the right path, in life. he’s not sure how this fox boy is his right path but he’s willing to find out. “sorry, you must get that quite a lot. i promise i’m not about to feed you some corny pickup line about how i’ve seen you in my dreams,” he pauses, gaze quickly flitting over the other, mask and all. “unless that would work?”

jaejin was a little nervous when emi eomma and aiya said that they’d be gone for this party. of course parties were nothing to be nervous about but it was who the party was hosted by. jaejin may look the prime tender age of 18 but he had more years under his belt then his face may reveal. jaejin knows that dragons are nothing to mess around even if he hasn’t ever experienced them himself. it was good that aiya and emi eomma were seemingly on the dragon’s side instead of against them. the poor young fox spirit needed someone to be around to ease his worries and what better person then jace! 

it was so fun to watch all the disney movies with jace, so here they were sitting in the kitchen making more snacks for the next round of movies. jaejin rambling on and on when jace’s question stops him. his ear flicks for a moment and he purses his lips. “i dont know!! i hope so, it would be really fun to do! dancing around with someone you love like that…” his voice shifts into something dream like and he smiles. looking at jace for a moment and tilting his head. “me? no i’ve never. i’ve always wanted too! i mean it doesn’t look too hard.. have you?” he replies animatedly. 

of course, jace had brought up slow dancing in the hopes of asking jaejin to dance, like something out of a daydream. it’s as close a romantic gesture as his shy nature can muster without being too obvious about his feelings for his friend. he doesn’t want to scare jj off, after all. however, jaejin immediately interpreting it as an act shared only by two people in love dashes all chances of subtlety. if he asks him now jaejin’s going to know he’s in love; but if he doesn’t ask him, he’s going to regret it. a frustrated shade of pink gathers at his cheeks and he looks away under the guise of readying more of their snack bowls. he’s thinking hard, trying to find a work around that won’t completely out himself as a hopeless sap with feelings for his best friend.

𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙴 𝙵𝚃. 𝚃𝙰𝙴𝚈𝙰𝙽𝙶 & 𝚂𝙾𝚁𝙴𝙽 ! 

  it’s  in  this  hesitance  that  has  his  paw  catches  on  a  broken  branch  on  the  forrest  ground  and  taeyang  is  colliding  with  the  cold  ,  hard  ground.  the  impact  has  a  whine  leaving  his  mouth  ,  giving  into  the  exhaustion  and  pulsing  aches  of  his  body  ,  and  taeyang’s  wolf  pathetically  lay  on  the  ground  to  lick  it  his  wounds.  the  left  side  of  his  neck  feels  dumb  and  he  briefly  remembers  the  sensation  of  sharp  claws  against  his  throat.  he  doesn’t  know  where  the  fuck  he  ran  off  to  or  if  he’s  even  made  it  a  safe  distance  away  from  where  his  pack  lived.  his  only  hope  is  to  gather  whatever  strength  he  can  muster  and  push  on  —  being  packless  was  the  least  desirable  option  right  now  ,  but  he  didn’t  have  much  of  a  choice.  the  sudden  sound  of  a  snapping  twig  has  him  on  edge  ,  pulling  together  the  last  trace  of  his  adrenaline  by  settling  into  a  defensive  position  and  offering  a  warning  growl  to  whoever  was  nearby.  ❝  i  don’t  know  or  care  who  you  are  ,  but  if  you  know  what’s  best  for  you  then  leave.  ❞  does  having  backed  against  a  tree  to  support  a  fraction  of  his  weight  lessen  the  intimidating  stance  he  was  aiming  for  ??  maybe  ,  but  taeyang  would  be  damned  if  he  wouldn’t  go  down  with  a  fight.

jamie knew all too well what was going to happen when it was his turn to watch the pups for the upstate trip. micah couldn’t really be there every single time, nor did jamie really want him to overwork himself. micah already had at least 15 things to do at any given moment so it wasn’t fair to have him travel. the problem was, however, that jamie wasn’t the best with the pups. not like he was rude or anything but he had more of a temper then micah ever could. jamie liked to plan ahead for the moon so he decided that they would be going up a day earlier then they normally did. 3 days was fine for someone who knew how to handle everything. jamie needed the 4 days to prepare and get everyone settled ( including himself ).

everything was seemingly going good , until the moon. not that he didn’t know was going to happen, he had his first few changes years ago. but seeing the change again through the eyes of someone who knew that pain– it was just different. jamie coached the pups through it, telling them to push harder because once the pain was over they could run and play. that was the best part about the change, jamie thinks. that first rush of adrenaline and newfound freedom. to be connected with the earth in a way most wouldn’t understand. having to claw through the woods and race each other. jamie was attempting to teach some not so new pups on how to successfully catch a deer when he smelled something off. 

if it was a vampire his senses would be on high alert, danger bells ringing. but it wasn’t a vampire. ‘ stay back, i have to check on something… ‘ the smell of wolf blood was strong as he trotted over off into the northern area of the woods. ‘ soren ? can you follow me ? i don’t know what’s up so stay a bit behind in case..’ whomever this wolf was they were hurt and gods above know that jamie can barely cook let alone mend a wound. soren was really there for backup and little wounds but there was no better chance to practice wound prep then now right ? jamie followed the scent until he was met with the source. fur bristling on his neck and ears flattening on his skull. he returned the growl with a deeper one, rumbling in his ribs. 

‘ i think you’ve got a lot of fucking nerve for being on my land. who are you ? and why are you here ? ‘ jamie had every right to be protective right now, he doesn’t know any kind of motive. not that wolves really attacked each other too often, at least, not normally. but this stranger was clearly hurt and jamie didn’t want to risk anything that was following them to come attack the pups. 

soren tags along after jamie with apprehensive paw steps. actual age-wise, he’s older than many of the pups they’re bringing with them but, wolf-wise, he’s still only young himself, a tiny pup even among his packmates. to be trusted by the head wolf in charge of their outing is a big responsibility and not one soren takes lightly. he’s careful not to get in the way but remains close enough that he spots the other -- injured -- wolf only seconds after jamie. the smell of blood tangs against the roof of his mouth, but instead of invoking any primal sort of response, soren gives a shudder of sympathy. oh, the poor thing must be in so much pain to still be losing that kind of blood from wounds that seem at least an hour old if not more so. 

       as  charlie  watches  shiloh’s  lithe  frame  be  swallowed  up  by  the  oversized  fabric  of  his  denim  jacket,  he  realizes  he’s  allowing  himself  some  form  of  indulgence  in  the  sight.  a  bigger  part  of  him  offered  his  coat  because  he  knew  shiloh  was  cold  and  the  last  thing  he  wanted  was  for  his  friend  to  suffer  when  he  could  actively  change  that  around.  though,  admittedly,  a  small  part  of  charlie  was  excited  to  see  the  boy  he  liked  wearing  something  of  his  and  allow  to  himself  the  selfish  satisfaction  of  seeing  how  cute  shiloh  looks.  and  he  does  look  cute  —  completely  dwarfed  by  the  fabric  and  at  this  point  it’s  impossible  to  keep  the  fondness  he  feels  for  shiloh  off  his  expression.  rather  than  hide  it,  charlie  merely  smiles  in  return  and  lightly  bumps  his  shoulder  against  the  other’s  shoulder.  ❝  it  wasn’t  too  long,  but  i  really  don’t  mind.  take  all  the  time  you  need  ‘cause  i  have  nothing  else  going  on  or  would  rather  be  doing.  i’m  here  for  you.  ❞  he  pauses,  taking  in  the  jacket  on  shiloh.  ❝  don’t  mention  it.  that’s  what  i’m  here  for.  ❞  there’s  a  softness  to  his  tone  that  has  charlie  feeling  awfully  vulnerable  and  aware  of  his  own  beating  heart  at  their  close  proximity.  licking  away  the  dryness  on  his  lips,  charlie  offers  a  shrug  before  turning  to  glance  at  shiloh  with  a  playful  grin.  ❝  you’re  a  busy  and  in  demand  guy.  consider  it  my  job  to  look  out  for  you  when  you  have  other  things  on  your  mind.  ❞  he’s  joking,  keeping  the  conversation  lighthearted  for  his  own  sake  rather  than  have  himself  slowly  yearn  of  how  much  he  wants  his  joke  to  be  something  true.  instead,  he  swallows  it  down  and  wraps  his  arm  around  shiloh’s  shoulder  to  pull  him  closer  when  the  smaller  boy  seeks  shelter  from  the  onslaught  of  the  chilling  breeze.  despite  how  much  he  enjoys  their  walks  home,  charlie  wonders  if  he’s  putting  his  friend’s  health  in  danger  by  allowing  them  to  walk  back  to  their  apartments  in  such  weather.  he’s  considering  slipping  his  phone  out  of  his  back  pocket  to  call  an  uber  when  shiloh  speaks.  chocolate  hues  flicker  over  and  his  expression  softens.  ❝  i’m  glad  i’m  here  too.  ❞  he  echoes,  returning  shiloh’s  gentle  smile  with  one  of  his  own.  his  arm  suddenly  feels  heavy  around  the  other’s  shoulders  and  charlie  becomes  hyperaware  of  his  own  action,  immediately  reconsidering  if  that  was  the  correct  move  to  make.  maybe  shiloh  doesn’t  want  that  and  charlie  just  acted  on  instinct.  i  would  have  missed  you  too  much,  otherwise.  a  warmness  takes  root  in  his  chest  and  spreads,  filling  him  with  a  burst  of  euphoria  that  offers  more  warmth  against  the  cold  than  his  sweatshirt.  ❝  it  was  pretty  packed  day  now  that  i  think  about  it.  i  had  to  scan  new  shipment  of  encyclopedia’s  into  the  system  which  took  longer  than  expected  since  we  had  kindergarteners  in  on  a  field  trip.  so  i  got  to  play  tour  guide  and  read  some  books  to  them  which  was  fun.  ❞  charlie  recalls  and  stuffs  his  free  hand  into  the  pocket  of  his  sweatshirt.  ❝  how  about  you  ??  are  there  any  guys  you  need  me  to  beat  up  for  you  ??  ❞  charlie  asks  and  while  his  tone  may  be  playful,  there’s  a  sincerity  to  his  words.  if  there’s  anyone  giving  shiloh  a  hard  time  while  he  was  working  then  no  doubt  it  he  would  defend  his  friend  —  club  security  be  damned.  it’s  as  charlie  glances  down  to  step  around  a  particularly  wet  puddle  that  he  notices  the  dampness  of  the  other’s  canvas  shoes  and  looks  up  to  shiloh  with  wide  eyes.  ❝  your  shoes  !!  ❞  he  exclaims  while  his  breath  quickly  stains  the  night  air  white  before  evaporating  again.  ❝  your  feet  must  be  cold  —  why  didn’t  you  say  anything  ??  do  you  want  me  to  give  you  a  piggy  back  ride  ??  ❞  charlie’s  grateful  that  the  cold  is  already  tinting  his  cheeks  red  otherwise  the  words  which  leave  his  mouth  without  much  thought  would  do  the  trick.  all  he  hopes  is  that  he  sounds  more  confident  than  he  feels.

shiloh has jackets. he even has denim jackets, specifically. a few of them, even! but he decides immediately that this jacket is the best one he’s ever worn as sleeves flop over his hands and the warm, earthy smell that radiates charlie engulfs him. he wonders if he can get away with never taking it off though he supposes it wouldn’t be too subtle, considering he’s practically drowning in the heavy fabric. “busy and in-demand, huh? i suppose at work that’s true.” outside of it is a different story. aside from his loyalties to the coven and his smattering of supernatural friends, shiloh hasn’t got much by way of social obligations. he’d hardly be considered in-demand on a personal level. “if it’s your job to look after me, you surely deserve a raise. i don’t know where i’d be without you.” they’re bordering on too!sappy but shiloh doesn’t know where to stop. although english isn’t his first language, his mouth runs like a tap when it comes to soft sentiments spared for charlie. “i’ll tip you well.” it’s somewhat of a stripper pun. majority of his income is owed to tips so he’s definitely familiar with the concept. although he’s joking, some small part of him wonders what would happen if he gave charlie the kind of tip some of the more handsy customers offered. a kiss on the cheek would surely pay charlie back for the use of his coat! he feels shy at even just the thought, though, and so he swallows it down to rest where all his other affectionate desires lie. 

there is truly nothing that gabriel wants to do right now then rip this vampire in front of him limb from limb. pant the party walls red with his blood and hopefully finally stop this teasing back and forth they have going on. he can feel winnie’s hand against his back as a last chance soothing method. his skin prickles and his back tenses even with just the others introduction. a full conversation seems near impossible at this point. gabriel watches as valentine holds his hand out in a more ‘kiss the ring’ type gesture then a handshake. gabriel stares at it for a moment before flipping it over and clasping his hand in valentines. strong rough hand squeezing and giving a handshake before letting go.

“i’ve heard rumors but it is a pleasure to meet in person.” gabriel replies whilst wiping his hand on his dress pants. he needs to act calm in front of valentine, especially when he’s asking about his pack. about the pack he knows is in distress right now because of his bullshit. god, gabriel fucking hates politics. 

he runs his tongue along his teeth and suppresses the urge to growl. “they are quite fine, thank you.” bitterness oozes from his voice as he tries to be as polite as possible. honestly, at this point gabriel should be getting a reward for not going completely animalistic. either that or keeping his blood pressure down enough that he doesn’t burst a vein. “how is your new position treating you?” 

gabriel doesn’t kiss his knuckles nor does valentine exactly expect him to. the reaction he gets instead is nearly as satisfying and the corner of his lips quirks up in a pleased grin. leave it to a wolf to handle even a simple, civil gesture with disdain, valentine thinks as his gaze trails down to wear the pack leader is dramatically wiping off all remnants of the vampire’s touch. honestly, how is he supposed to see them as anything other than barbaric when they suit the stereotype so well?

“ah, my name precedes me,” valentine muses, luxuriating over his words now that he’s found himself in control of the situation, the ripples of suppressed tension seemingly one-sided. “it’s good to know our authority changes can reach all tiers of the supernatural hierarchy.”  there’s an implication in his phrasing. hell, there’s an implication in every word, gesture, and expression made by the vampire. he’s establishing himself and having a grand time doing so. “i am so glad to hear you are all well. my position suits me just fine, i’d say. we’ve been very busy but it’s only just the start of my time as head of the coven. i am certain things will only get more exciting from here on out.” valentine lifts a careful hand to toy with an earring -- a dangly little crescent moon that would be innocuous were it hanging from anyone else’s earlobe. 

it’s been at least 5 days since wesley has left his apartment and even longer since he’s had a proper conversation with anyone. well, mina counted for some of that interaction but it wasn’t a large part. mostly he’s been staring at a tv and trying not to think about literally anything that has happened in past 40 ish days. though in the big picture of things, jason was better off with …whatever took him then with wes right now. his phone continues to buzz and ding day after day. wesley thinks that he might as well just break the stupid thing, he’s already been fired from his job, who else needs to contact him?

he’s nursing a stupid fucking blood bag that mina gave him. poured it into a cup and sipping it through a straw like its juice. in the window above his sink in the kitchen he can see his reflection and he scowls. wesley would’ve never let himself get to this point. human wesley would’ve never in fact. his hair is slightly greasy and disheveled with how many times he’s run his fingers through it and sighed. dark circles under his eyes because lord above knows that he hasn’t slept properly in what feels like ages. and his eyes, crimson red eyes. they almost seem to glow under the light, like an animals eyes. mina said that they would go away but for now he’d have to wear contacts. wesley thinks he’s probably never gonna leave his home, just look at his roots. something so simple that he could control, hes got at least 3 inches of dark root growth and he curls his lip at it– until the sudden banging and shouting at his door pulls him away from his thoughts.

wesley furrows his eyebrows for a moment and then widens his eyes. it’s sage, holy fucking shit it’s sage. not that wesley really meant to disappear off of the face of the earth, things just happened. and clearly sage was not really too pleased about getting ghosted. though, wesley doesn’t really blame him after all. he literally just stopped responding to him. wesley didn’t even know how many times that sage had tried to contact him, but he can assume it was a lot. or at least enough for sage to actually show up at his place. which was probably not good, considering everything that had happened. but it’s okay, he can just…cut it off right? right?

he’s got blood on the counter and that’s fine. he can practice some self control with the fae. not that he really thought about sage being fae before he had explained the ordeal with jason. but, there was a reason his son was no longer with him… could he resist this urge with sage? he took a deep breath, “i’m coming!” and walked to open the door. when he opens it, sage looks rightfully pissed and wesley looks like he’s seen a ghost. not sure if it’s because he doesn’t really know how to deal with the smells that he’s getting from sage’s blood or the fact that his kinda almost boyfriend is at the door. 

“h-hey..”

all rehearsed words evaporate off the tip of sage’s tongue as his brain works to register the visual cues before him. wes looks awful -- not in features (never, that) but in the pallor of his skin, the sleepless bruising under his eyes and the grease-darkened state of his overgrown hair. sage would never say his type was ‘immaculately manicured’, preferring men a bit more rugged than tame, but it’s clear from first glance that wes hasn’t even been engaging in the most basic of self care. worse than all of that, though, are his eyes. gone is warm honey brown, replaced by a devillish and striking shade of red. he looks away quickly. the fae may lack common sense but he’s not stupid. he knows what it means and it makes his stomach lurch. vampire. 

fae blood tastes sweet to vampires, sage remembers reading somewhere. while it lacks the potency and addictive qualities of witch’s blood, there’s still magic running through his veins. he takes a few steps back. his next thought is worry for jason. while he’d been introduced to sage as something not-quite-human, with wes not fully understanding the fae world he’d stumbled upon, it wasn’t hard for sage to connect the dots. half fae was probably still in danger. he was in danger. he manages another half step into the hallway. 

every other instinct, however, urges him to move forwards instead of back. he’s missed wes and seeing him now, seeing him visually unwell and not himself, sends waves of sympathy washing over sage’s initial feelings of fear. the angry set of his brow lightens and his lips downturn in more of a pout than a frown. it’s not at all what he’s expecting and although he’s definitely supposed to be getting as far away from this situation as possible, he’s going to see it through, like he intended in the first place. determined not to draw attention to the obvious -- nor to the way he’s put distance between the two of them -- sage stubbornly lifts his chin until they meet gazes again.

@holylace​ ⌿ charlie & aurelio

       with  the  morning  that  charlie  had  at  work  that  only  seemed  to  progress  from  bad  to  worse,  his  lunch  break  was  something  he  was  anticipating  in  such  fervor  that  it  reminded  him  of  his  high  school  days.  the  tylenol  he  took  fifteen  minutes  prior  while  giving  the  new  hire  a  quick  rundown  of  what  to  expect  when  he  was  left  alone  and  that  he  would  only  be  a  phone  call  away.  truthfully,  charlie  did  not  want  to  be  a  phone  call  away  and  would  very  much  like  to  plunge  himself  into  self  induced  social  seclusion  for  the  next  hour  while  he  shoved  a  deli  sub  into  his  mouth  from  his  favorite  bodega  two  blocks  down  of  the  library.  he’s  passing  a  hole  in  the  wall  coffee  shop,  barely  turning  his  head  in  the  name  of  people  watching  when  he  catches  a  familiar  face  …  almost  ??  is  that  dae  ??  eyebrows  furrowed,  he  stops  in  the  middle  of  the  sidewalk  to  step  closer  to  the  glass.  that  definitely  looks  like  dae,  but  that’s  for  sure  not  prim  —  unless  prim  suddenly  cut  her  hair  into  a  crew  cut  and  masculine  features.  curiosity  aside,  a  shot  of  excitement  pulses  through  charlie  from  seeing  his  close  friend  and  any  negativity  he  experienced  prior  was  now  gone.  his  feet  carry  him  through  the  door,  ignoring  the  ring  of  the  bell  and  walking  up  to  where  dae  was  sitting,  smile  etched  across  his  features  and  eyes  crinkling.  ❝  dae  !!  what’s  up,  dude  ??  ❞  he  greets  and  claps  a  shoulder  down  on  dae’s  shoulder.  did  he  grow  his  hair  out  ??  brown  hues  shift  to  the  guy  across  from  dae  and  charlie  suddenly  feels  as  though  he  stepped  in  on  a  moment.  the  random  dude  was  definitely  good  looking  in  an  odd  way,  though  charlie  wasn’t  the  best  to  throw  out  a  definitive  answer  since  everyone  who  wasn’t  shiloh  seemed  to  pale  in  comparison.  ❝  how  did  your  hair  grow  out  so  long  ??  when  i  saw  you  the  other  day  i  swear  it  wasn’t  this  unruly.  ❞  no  better  way  to  ignore  his  growing  embarrassment  than  throwing  out  more  questions  to  keep  dae  talking  and  not  just  himself.  calloused  fingers  lift  his  palm  from  off  dae’s  shoulder  and  brush  lightly  at  the  ends  of  his  friend’s  hair  before  dropping  it  to  his  side  with  a  thoughtful  hun.  ❝  you  pull  it  off  though.  ❞  he  pauses  and  grins,  nodding  his  head  to  the  stranger  across  from  dae.  ❝  i’m  charlie;  nice  to  meet  you,  man.  you  guys  on  a  date  ??  ❞

going on harmless dates with harmless humans was proving to be nice. fun, even. elio’s certain that valentine would wholeheartedly disapprove but it wasn't as if he ever had to find out. this man, nice as he is, was merely a temporary distraction -- whether that be from elio’s hopeless crush on his sire or from the impending doom he senses in the coven, though, he isn’t certain. either way, this one in particular doing a decent job at providing company and he paid for the cafe food that elio’s only picking at to be polite. all-in-all, it’s a good date, especially when compared to others he’s been on recently. elio pays no mind to the twinkling of the front entry bells (which he hears only faintly anyway on account of his deaf ear facing the doorway) until, suddenly, there’s a model-worthy stranger beaming down at him. a hand falls heavily onto elio’s slim shoulder and he flinches, startled. saucer-wide eyes wander upwards and he tries to register what’s being said. the din of the cafe and the surprised utterance of who the hell is this? from his date make it necessary for him to try and read the standing boy’s lips, not that it helps him understand his words any. dae? growing out his hair? as far as elio was concerned, he’d just met this boy now -- how would he know anything about his hair? not only that but he was speaking as if they knew one another which was making his date visibly uneasy. 

it probably wouldn’t have been as much fun going to the gala without heejoon. not that iago didn’t mind going alone if it had come to that. of course he got an invite as well, but heejoon asking him to come with was a bit of a surprise. he was playing a very careful game of cat and mouse with the demon. not that he had expected heejoon to actually murder the toy he had been batting around, not that he expected heejoon to get jealous of all things. iago never really got attached to the humans that he entertained, they didn’t tend to last long. so he will push back and come to the gala with heejoon as a pretty lap accessory. 

and there was no denying that heejoon was keeping a tight leash on iago, a hand on his waist the entire time that they had been there. not letting the vampire wonder off and god forbid find someone else to talk too. iago leans back on heejoon and raises an eyebrow at the whisperings. “our hosts know how to throw a party, how could i not be having fun ?” he purred back. iago could feel the low burning in his throat that was only steadily rising as time went on. he hadn’t fed in two or three days time, not feeling the need knowing the event that would be coming. he already had the human in mind when they passed the pair. “i’ll be back..” he murmured before lifting himself off of his ‘date’. 

seducing humans was so easy, pulling them away from the crowd was the hard part. they didn’t like secondary locations, didn’t like to be away from watchful eyes. as if they weren’t surrounded by dangerous beasts right in this inviting room. it only took 5 minutes before the human was pressed against the wall, directly in front of heejoon. iago wasn’t new to this game and he did his job very well and within moments his knee was pressed between their legs, a sexual gesture to some but he was pinning them there like a butterfly on a cork board. fangs slip easily into soft flesh and sweet blood spills easily onto his lips. after he had carefully taken his fill he sends the dazed human back out into the more pleasant crowd. licking his lips as he returns to heejoon. 

“much better.” 

although he’d practically presented the pretty human on a platter with his suggestion, heejoon still feels a twinge of resentment as iago peels away from his lap to head off to find his prey. patience isn’t any demon’s strong suit but it’s especially not heejoon’s, only made worse by his possessive nature. the torturous timbre of their conversational companions’ chatting grates at his nerves but he leaves them to it without interruption. it’s not like they hold much of his attention anyways -- not even with their gleeful talks of murder and blood. his gaze focuses on a hand dancing up towards a shoulder, an inviting smirk, the flash of a vampire’s thirst reddening already thirst-darkened eyes. he watches iago with a measured expression that may even read as bored to an outside party; the vampire duo, for their part, hardly even notice iago’s gone.

the invited snack comes willingly with the vampire, heading back in their direction but stopping just short of rejoining them entirely. heejoon reasons that’s a deliberate move on iago’s part, what with how candidly this ‘noori and sacha’ were trilling on about draining men dry. things could have gotten messy, especially since he believes that, like himself, iago doesn’t love the idea of sharing. it’s an intoxicating sight, even at the distance they are away. he knows intimately how iago looks when he feeds, how he feels. the sharpness of his teeth contrasts dramatically with the sweetness of his voice -- honey with a sting. the act of drawing blood spikes a sexual energy that whets the demon’s appetite, whether the pair intends on following through, right then and there in the dragon’s lounge room, or not.