end game

location; the maze with; open to anyone in group 1

There was something about tonight that hadn’t felt right to Devrim. The whole time he’d been inside he had felt a nagging sense that something was wrong but he’d blamed it on the tension in the room between the Scarlet Dahlia’s and the Golden Syndicates. He’d spent the better part of the evening scowling about it with friends and associates but as they were ushered outside to watch the fireworks, he let it slip to the back of his mind as he found himself stepping into the maze where he was assured the best view of the show. If nothing else it would get him away from some of the small talk that was burdening him inside. 

And then without warning everything changed. The explosion made Devrim spin around, watching as smoke started to follow him into the maze, and then he saw the flames. Screams and cries for help caught him up in the moment and he hesitated just long enough for his jacket to catch fire, falling to the ground as his arm started to burn. Yanking it off with a loud shout of pain and scrambling to his feet, he took off at a sprint into the heart of the maze where he and several others found themselves trapped and panicked. He ducked under the gazebo and looked around, his eyes searching for the few people he hoped desperately were not inside the maze with him. “Jesus, fuck.” He winced in pain as he rubbed the back of his head and looked down at his shirt, fabric burned away from his dark red skin underneath.

“Shit.”

---

When she’d been ushered out into the night for the fireworks, Isla had been filled with excitement. This night had been better than she ever could’ve imagined, even with the few hiccups along the way. She’d been gazing up at the night as she waited for the sky to be filled with colour, hoping that Toby would be able to see it from his sleepover, though she had her phone set up to video tape it for him as well. What happened instead was worse than a nightmare. An explosion followed by screaming and clouds of smoke filling the maze.

She’d managed to get into the gazebo without much more that a few scrapes from the bushes, but it seemed other weren’t as lucky. As a man ducked into the covered area she could feel her heart pounding, looking down at the burns that covered his arm. “Stop moving.” She said quickly, while she didn’t have much skill, she did always carry a first aid kit with her. Just in case.

//

Aidan shoved his hands into his pockets. “Shameful, really…” He smirked as his eyes rested on the woman in front of him, taking note of the way her cheeks were heating up at the way he looked at her. He took a step closer towards her, lifting his hand out of his pocket and moving his hand to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “You look beautiful tonight, Isla.” Ignoring the question she had asked him, he knew most women didn’t want to hear about the ways he did his conquests.

---

Isla could feel her breath catch in her throat as he stepped closer to her, somehow this man knew just how to push her buttons and make her even more awkward. Her gaze feel to her feet for a moment, completely unaware of the fact that he didn’t answer her question, instead she was focused on how he moved her hair away from her face. “Thank you...” The woman said softly, lifting her gaze to meet his once again. “You look pretty good as well...”

special delivery for @islaxlewis​

“Well aren’t you an amazing dancer in any given situation?” Nicholas grinned as he watched Isla exit the dance floor. He sized up the shoes he wore and shook his head in disbelief, “Honestly don’t know how you do it but I know you gotta get tired at some point right?” he inquired pointing solely at the matching high heels.

---

Isla had let the glamour of the night take over, she’d been feeling slightly down on herself earlier but now she was fully enjoying her time. She had barely stepped off the dance floor since her mood had lifted, but now she was greeted by a friendly face which made her already wide smile, grow even wider. “You get used to it after long enough.” The woman told him with a slight laugh. “I actually feel weirder when I’m not wearing them.”

♔

  “Bless.” Rowan cooed, smiling at the thought of little Toby, now big enough to be going to sleepovers. “Nine already? Wow. I can’t believe he’s grown, Isla. You’ve done such a great job of raising him.” Time surely had gone by so fast, now knowing that Isla’s little boy was surely not so little anymore. Here was his friend, a fully-fledged mother now, and how proud he was that she was doing it all on her own, and doing a great job, too. “I’m proud of you. You’ve managed to do such a wonderful job with him.” he murmured, a soft, warm-hearted smile on his lips then. 

---

It always made Isla feel better when her friends reminded her that she wasn’t completely failing at being a parent. “I’ve done what I can.” The English woman said, deflecting the compliment but feeling a wave of pride swell in her as he said that he was proud of her. “I just hope he thinks so, I know it’s hard on him sometimes when we can’t do things that other kids in his class get to do... I hate knowing that he’s wanting something and I can’t help.”

Zelie’s lips straightened into a full pout as she eyed the other woman with curious eyes. Inhaling, she shook her head and pulled a flask from her garter. Flipping the cap off with short manicured fingers, Zelie took a deep drink before offering it to Isla, “Don’t do that.” She spoke into the space between them with a wiggle of the flask, she explained further. “You look amazing, and who gives a fuck who this event is for? Self-depreciation is an awful habit and I don’t want to hear any of it.” Zelie sighed a softer smile spreading across her features

---

Isla just watched the woman, it was interesting how she’d brought a flask to an event with a fully stocked bar, but maybe she was the paranoid type. The brunette took the flask when offered, taking a very small sip before handing it back. “Sorry-” She said softly. “I really should know better by now, if I ever heard my son talking down on himself like that it would break my heart.”

Easton was on the look out for any kind of trouble. So when the girl ran into him, it took him a moment to realize that it wasn’t someone he needed to worry about. He took a second before he responded looking at her. “Are you ok?” He asked her. She had hit him pretty hard. “No big deal. Lots of people around here.” He told her.

---

Isla waved him off with a sweet smile, quickly smoothing down any tassels that had swung out of place when she’d hit him. “I’m fine.” The woman assured him, nodding her head slightly. “There really are... It’s almost overwhelming.” She’d never really been fond of huge crowds, the only times she didn’t mind it was when she was working.

THEME SONG . TASK 002

- overwhelmed

I get overwhelmed so easily My anxiety creeps inside of me Makes it hard to breathe What's come over me Feels like I'm somebody else I get overwhelmed so easily My anxiety keeps me silent When I try to speak What's come over me Feels like I'm somebody else I get overwhelmed

- a million dreams

'Cause every night I lie in bed The brightest colors fill my head A million dreams are keeping me awake I think of what the world could be A vision of the one I see A million dreams is all it's gonna take A million dreams for the world we're gonna make

- are you what you wanna be 

Will all these things I wait for revelation These things make me want to duck for cover With all these things I wait for revolution These things ask the biggest question to me And it's are you what you want to be?

- once upon a dream

bubbly by colbie caillat

'Cause every time I see your bubbly face I get the tingles in a silly place It starts in my toes and I crinkle my nose Where ever it goes I always know That you make me smile, please, stay for a while now Just take your time wherever you go

hallelujah by years and years

You really help, really help with my emotions Like no one else Oh my god, it gets me going I surrend, I surrender my devotion As long as it is Somebody like you Somebody like you that I could dance to this to, that knows what to do Somebody like you that I could move to this to Until our bodies are singing hallelujah

Henry chuckles, tilting his head. He could see that the woman was much more relaxed than usual, which was nice. Life could be a lot more easy without a kid walking behind you, acting as a shadow all day. “Can I get you something to drink, by any chance?” He offers, a smirk spreading over his lips.

---

While Isla was grateful to have this night off, to merely be herself without needing to worry about her son, she did miss him terribly. Though she always did, since for the past eight years he’d been the one constant thing in her life. “I would love that, thank you.” The woman nodded, looking in the direction of the bar. “Lead the way.”

//

Aidan’s eyes ran down her to check out the dress she was wearing, his hands slipping into his pockets. “I agree,” he let a small smirk come along his features as he glanced past her towards the front door. After his conversation with Sophia, a part of him wondered if he wanted to keep on avoiding her or just go back inside and take Addison back to his place to prove the other woman wrong. “You’ve never had sex on the dance floor?”

---

Isla could feel her cheeks get hot as he looked her over, even after the few times they’d been together it was still exciting to be looked at like that. The brunette smiled softly, noticing how his gaze looked just beyond her for a moment, though she resisted the urge to turn her head and look. “You know, I can’t say that I ever have.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Have you?”

Jeremy watched as the tassels on her dress that were in full swing moments ago swayed to a stop.”Is that so? And let me guess-” he grinned directing his eyes from the dress to level with hers, “The party is just far too great to ruin right?” his tone was playful as he feigned an bewildered expression. He couldn’t help but feel slightly disconnected from those that had fun at such events, although hypocritically he was standing there and arrived of his own free will. “Also you should have some faith! I might be talented!” he continued flickering his gaze back at the tower, he was sure he could pull it off.

---

Isla could sense the tone of teasing that came from the man, especially as his face formed into an almost perfect imitation of what hers had looked like when she’d first arrived. “For most people, they’ll never see another event like this in their lives. Vegas might be full of beauty and bright colours, but that doesn’t mean everybody gets to live in them.” She told him, thinking of the tiny apartment she was sharing with her son, which she was working two nearly full-time jobs to pay for. “So no matter how talented you are, if there’s even a slight chance you’d fail, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

♔

   Finding Isla to be alright brought about a wave of relief. “Oh, good.” Rooted in his place, he watched her bend over and grab her phone, which had unknowingly gotten away, turns out. “Of course. I presume he was left to the sitter?” he said, well aware that Isla had a precious little one of her own, in the name of Tobias, otherwise known as Toby. “I can imagine it’s not easy being away from him.” 

---

Isla was glad to see her phone had come out of the collision with only a minor scratch, tucking the device back into her purse. “He’s at a sleepover, actually. One of the boys from his class invited him over.” The woman told her friend, before nodding slightly at his next words. “It’s never easy to be away from him, after all, it’s always been just me and him... He’s going to be nine soon, and I just can’t believe it’s been that long.”