BITTER

–

“And that makes me jump to the top of the favourite pile? Alright then, I’ll take it.” He snorts, falling into a light chuckle. He wasn’t one to blush at crude comments, hell, half the time he was the one saying them. Besides, it was pretty typical for them to be that way together, as the last few interactions they had only proved. They hadn’t hooked up in months and it seemed to go without saying that, it simply ran it’s course. However, here she was, flirting with him, making suggestions that only leaned towards one obvious thing. “Uh- well,” Jace started, frowning in confusion, more so at himself. It really wasn’t that long ago he’d already be out the door with her, but now? He just couldn’t do it. He knew why, of course. Leyla, she alone occupied his mind. It was almost laughable how he was still unable to label them a couple. “I’m gonna pass…” He says, gently pushing her shoulder so she would lean out of his personal space. “Respectfully,” he adds, naturally, he didn’t want her to take any offense. “I’d be wearing green if I wanted to be open to suggestion, but alas…”  Gesturing to the black shirt. “As it turns out, there’s another reason I’m wearing this colour, so…” shrugging softly, he knows she’s smart enough to figure out what that means. 

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“I liked you well enough to let you stick it in, now didn’t I?” Alina pointed out with a knowing look as she took another sip from the drink she had been milking up until this point. “Uh, well?” She mimicked his deep voice the best she could, as she cracked a grin. A hint of amusement flickered across her gaze as she watched him stumble over an excuse in an attempt to not offend her, like she would actually care one way or another. “And how would you pass unrespectfully, out of curiosity?” She mused, letting out a laugh at the thought. “Yet, that other reason, isn’t important enough to wear red for, is she? And don’t give me that don’t want ‘everyone knowing my business’ bullshit. If that were honestly true, you wouldn’t be trying to hint your non-existent relationship status to me.”

⇌

He had to scoff again, “In other words, desperate for attention.” They hadn’t spoken much but maybe it would go something like this. He did get along with Devin more and that was a fact that everyone knew. “No thanks, there’s a reason I like your sister more, she would pull a stunt like that,” he said pointing to the discarded olive stick stained with a drop of red, “Or this,” he added referring to whatever was happening now. There were many things Ken prided himself on and self control was one of them, but he tsked at her comments, and sat back down at the bar, “I’m not, but your need to piss her off is obvious as hell. I need to be heavily drunk to get with you, unfortunately the mirage over this place won’t cut it, so you can sit down and drink or leave.” While he wasn’t the only curious one, he did want to test how mild her curiosity really was.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“More like I told a joke that went over your head. But, don’t worry, baby, you’re still young. That thick scull of yours will figure it out eventually,” Alina teased, reaching up and patting Ken’s cheek lightly, before a low whistle escaped her lips as she slammed his head hard against the side of the bar table. He was a vampire. He’d heal and it wasn’t as if she was truly trying to hurt him. Only send him a little reminder of where he stood in the hierarchy of things. “If you truly believe that then you really don’t know my sister at all, do you? Which I mean clearly you don’t seeing that you just so carelessly broke one of her few clan rules- to treat one’s uppers with respect. Though that rule is probably for your own benefit more than it is mine, given that oh yes- I’m older than you, I’m faster than you, I’m stronger than you and I can snap you in half as easy as I could this tooth pick in my hand,” She pointed out as she leaned back in her chair, sipping casually at her drink as she eyes the other vamp, curious to see whether he’d actually try to pick a fight with her or have some semblance of self preservation. “Which brings us to that cute threatening look you have going on there with those scrunched up brows of yours. It’s a good thing you were turned when you were, or the wrinkles you would have now, but that’s besides the point- These are my cocktails. This is my bar. You don’t like how I do things, you can scurry along. But, you try to tell me what to do again and that breath of yours will be your last. Capisce, Ken Doll?”

.

Ruairi’s eyes narrowed as she spoke, unsure why she was still speaking to him. There were very few people that Ruairi didn’t like. It took a lot for him to get to that point. He was starting to get to that point with the woman. All she was doing was backhandedly insulting him then simultaneously trying or wanting to sleep with him. It was all very confusing, “It’s not a matter of being faithful to him.” Ruairi told her, his gaze narrowing, “It’s a matter of I’m not ready to move on.” Not that it mattered to her or anyone else.

His lip curled up at her comment and he shook his head, pulling her off of his lap and standing up, “We’re going to let it close t'en.” Ruairi said simply, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned up against the nearest wall.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Hm,” Alina hummed to herself, swinging herself up off of Ruairi’s lap before he had a chance to pull her off of him. “You may think I’m being crude and that’s fine, but all games aside, that heart of yours, will be your demise,” Alina warned, dropping the Selene act she had been cracking her own self up playing for long enough to give the dryad before her the word of caution. Wearing his heart on his sleeve like that was a sure fire way to give others like herself the ammunition they needed to hurt him and, now that she had it, she would be pocketing the little tidbit away to use against him one day. That much she could be certain. 

“Have a nice time sulking, puppy,” She mused, giving him a wave of the hand as she left the room. Her eyes glancing up at the clock in the hall as she made a note of the time. They didn’t have much longer now. A few more hours of freedom left and he was going to spend it on a bunk bed along with a box of tissues. Pathetic. 

-ˋˏ ✂︎—————

“Well since you’re talking about it so fondly, why not? No one else is using it.” Margot said as she poured ingredients into the cocktail shaker. She sighed at the correct assumption, one she didn’t want to analyze herself at the moment, but was apparently broadcasting to every room she entered at this event. “Don’t you think green is a little too desperate? I’d like someone to put in a little more effort than that. Besides, I think I can pull off yellow quite well. If we were really going by my completion however, I think we can both agree I’d look best in red.” She shook the cocktail shaker and tossed another look Ainsley and Liv’s way. “Just got the short end of the stick this time, have to be the odd one out every now and then when it comes to a trio,” she said, wrinkling her nose at Selene to show her displeasure at being left out. Margot poured the drink into the glass and turned her back on her friends. “My drink’s ready, so how about your drink, then?”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Smart girl,” Alina mused. Her fingers skimming along the other woman’s collarbone as she brushed Margot’s hair gently over her shoulder to expose her skin. “Someone seems bitter. Any less desperate than wearing yellow when you don’t actually have anything complicated going on and are only pinning after someone who doesn’t even know that you wore yellow for them?” She pointed out with a knowing look. “There is nothing wrong with stating you’re available and knowing what you want, angel. Like right now, I want you and I have no shame in admitting it,” She told her point blank. Her lips lightly grazing across that of the other’s before they trailed down her neck. “You tell me?” She mused, pressing a light kiss against the nape before her fangs pierced through the other woman’s skin. “Delicious.”

🚑

Brycen was only here to have a good time. He had spent way too many valentines day either sitting at home drunk with his friends or waiting for some sign of life from Christian. Now that Christian was awake and doing well, things were different; but also Brycen still was the type that liked to have a good time. He himself wasn’t exactly sure what kind of things he was going to get up to but he was already read to let loss. Watching the other for a moment he shook his head, “I don’t think it involves picking someone’s finger and adding blood to it. Even if it would spice it up a bit more.” Brycen admitted. He would have done it but watching Selene do it just made it all feel weird. “Maybe just ask next time .”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

“It does spice things up a bit, doesn’t it? And between you and I, it’s delicious. Gave it precisely what it needed,” Alina hummed. A playful smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she gave Brycen an innocent enough shrug. “Eh- not going to lie, I prefer to as for forgiveness rather than permission. It’s always seemed more efficient that way. But, glad your way works for you. So, what are you having? I take it blood is less of a wolf’s thing?”

–

“That isn’t what I said.” She couldn’t help but scoff at the attempt Selene made to twist her words. She had to know, Amara would never point Serephs in her direction, the fact she even suggested it was offensive. “Okay, you can pocket your superiority now, chica, I know the story well enough without the rerun.” Raising a brow, she wasn’t even trying to hide that she wasn’t appreciative of the way she was being spoken to, and it certainly wasn’t out of character for her to pretend otherwise. “How about you don’t try and use a happy potion as an excuse for the fact you’re acting as though fresh blood doesn’t make you turn into Jack the Ripper.” Picking up her glass as it arrived, she took a sip and narrowed her green eyes suspiciously towards her friend. Not in a ‘you can’t be you’, way, of course, but in more of a ‘are you about to have a relapse’ sort of way. “I’m happy you’re happy, but like I said, blood bags are available on request so unless you want to risk falling off the rails, don’t you think you should stick to them?”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“I mean you did just say I have issues and, although you’re not wrong, it’s not exactly the most friendly thing to do, now is it?” Alina pointed out, rolling her eyes lightly over at the other. “Superiority complex? Ha! That’s rich coming from you and we both know it. Like you weren’t the first to make a condescending comment, Little Miss ‘You Obviously Didn’t Get the Memo’? What? You can dish it out, but you can’t take it?” Alina challenged. At least Alina had the gall to admit she was an entitled bitch. What was Amara’s excuse? And she actually believed she knew Selene’s life story well enough to not need the reminder? She didn’t even know who she was fucking talking to. Call that ironic. “Jack the Ripper? Wow. Okay, well, I’ll tell you what? If you somehow manage to possess my body, then you can have an opinion when it comes to my eating habits, but until then I’m going to take my drink and go anywhere you’re not. Toodles.”

.

Rainbows. Sunshine. Unicorns. They were supposed to spark happy thoughts, right? Didn’t work though, especially when the cocktail stick went straight back into her hand. There’s a delayed reaction on Chloe’s part, there’s a tension that just tightens across her whole body. Jaw clenching she finally turns herself to look at the vampire, keeping her hands now behind her back the wolf simply watches her, listening as she shows no ounce of emotion to the female who was apparently trying to be funny. “You’re hilarious.” there was a need on her part to keep herself cool, she didn’t want to flip out and somehow find herself being blamed for taking it too far. “Stop trying to piss me off.” she says, even though it was probably too late for that. “No one likes a bitch.”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Why thank you, I know,” Alina teased, flicking her hair with the back of her wrist so that it could casually cascade over her shoulder. “And what? I said it was the last time, didn’t I?” She fluttered her eyelashes innocently over at the other woman followed by an eased grin. “Though with that I’d have to disagree. I mean Regina George, Cersei Lannister, Wednesday Adams, Katherine Pierce, Rihana featuring Beyoncé and I haven’t even touched upon the number of bad bitches throughout history. Shall I go on? Because, Blondie, colour me your colour, baby and call me whatever you like, but everyone loves a bitch. It’s just a fact.”

“It’s not a problem, just interesting that you don’t remember my name while I know yours,” Hayden sighed. She made a sour expression when Selene called her a princess, that was certainly never something anyone in her life had ever associated with Hayden before. “You think not cheating is an unfortunate way to live? That says more about you than it does about me,” she raised a brow. “I have enough respect for other people to not be an asshole.” Hayden was really regretting sparking this conversation now, she was already predisposed to be easily annoyed but this was just a whole other ball game. 

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Really? Because it sounds to me like I have a life and you don’t?” Alina offered up with a grin as she moved to rest her chin nonchalantly in the palm of her hands. Her smile only growing as the woman before her’s expression grew even more visibly sour. “I think not being able to take a joke is one. I mean seriously, when’s the last time you’ve ever let loose or had fun? Been care free? Ran through a fucking meadow with your hair down? I don’t god damn know. Whatever Twilight-related fantasy you probably have when you cuddle up with your pillow at night? And aww, Girly, I could hardly care less about being an asshole. You want to know why? Because well-behaved women seldom make history. Case and point, my name is the book, while yours will barely be a fleeting mention in the appendix. But, it’s cute, really, that you think your name is worth knowing.”

⇌

“I asked for a reason, not for your entire life story. Could’ve left it at ‘a lot’ and I would agree.” He had a vague understanding of the Khan sisters, but feeling like he got the spark note summary in three seconds, Ken definitely knew more than he had before. Piecing the information together now would seem counterproductive, seeing as the company he was with had other things on her mind. A brow quirked up in silent question as his gaze slowly moved down her, though desire at her words crept through him, he tampered them down knowing fully well the shit he would get inevitably get once this ended. “Did you get a shot of lust or something? Desperate is not a good look on you.”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“What can I say? I’m an overachiever. Oh wait- that’s Devin. But, you’d know all about that wouldn’t you? What it is she likes to call you again? ‘Her favorite’? You know, I could change that for you, if you like?” Alina offered up with an eased shrug. Her grin only growing as she caught the way his gaze moved down her. The hint of desire she could spot nearly anywhere momentarily flickering across his gaze. “Oh please. This is boredom and mild curiosity. But, I’m not the only curious one, am I? Don’t think I didn’t notice you checking me out only moments ago. What would my baby sister think? Only, you’re not actually her lap dog, are you?”

.

“Oh.” He said quietly, his hands rubbing together a bit awkwardly. He wasn’t sure who Sarah McLachlan was but he imagined being compared to her one of her songs wasn’t great. He probably should have spent more of his learning about media and music and things of the ilk but he just never did. He knew very broad media. Like the things that everyone had heard of. But if it was anything deeper than that, Ruairi was essentially lost. His mind continued to wander about the song he was compared to until he shook that thought from his mind and he turned his gaze back towards the woman.

A deeper frown crossed his features as she just ripped his entire theory apart. Ruairi wasn’t very experienced with relationships considering he had only had two before. The first one passed away and the second was Lark. He assumed most people knew more than he did so he would just take her word for it. His eyes widened in surprise as she suddenly straddled his waist and he pressed his hands closer to his stomach. His gaze shifted back and forth in confusion, unsure just what was going on. Ruairi’s brows furrowed before the settled and he shook his head, “What? No.” He said simply, “I don’t–” He cut himself off, just so flustered and confused, “What is going on.” He said, not even a question at this point, “Did someone ask you to do t'is?” Ruairi asked. He could think of a couple people that might think this would help him.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Oh?” Alina quirked a brow up at him in question as if to tell him to explain the audible sound he had just made in greater detail. “You don’t what? Want to move on? Want to feel better? What? Do you just want to spend the rest of your days hold up this room watching sad romcoms from a time period you clearly have a lack of knowledge of references from? Hm? Because you can. I won’t stop you. But, if you do, then, my dear puppy, you should ask yourself why are you exactly staying faithful to a man who doesn’t want you?” Alina asked curiously. Her words blunt and cut-throat. All the while, her fingers moved to affectionately come back his hair from his face.

“No one can tell me do to do anything, sugar. I wanted to because you’re easy on the eyes and what can I say? I’ve taken pity on you. But, the window of opportunity is quickly closing, so what will it be? You want to be more than a pile of tossed aside used tissues or do you want a night to remember?”

Finally, Kenan gave a smile as he came to stand next to Selene. “I didn’t say anything, just happy to see you practicing some restraint is all.”  He couldn’t be sure about himself, but that was a different problem. One that he didn’t want to have ruined his night. There was a lot – that he messed upon, there was to much actually. And try as he might, he loved her. Even though he knew that there was nothing that would come of it, too much hurt feelings, misunderstandings, distractions. Kenan wanted to try to get them on the right path or any path really. There wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for Selene. This was the right time, wasn’t it?  Even as his skin was crawling, the slight sheen of preparation on his forehead. He needed a drink himself, but right now that wasn’t the most important thing.

 “I’ve been looking for you, didn’t think I’d find you here. Are we hiding out?” 

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Alina was having nothing more than fun and games until the moment she heard his voice call out to her from over her shoulder. Her ears perking up and her spine straightening as he moved to join her side. She could practically hear the smile he always seemed to have for Selene, but not for her echoing in her ears, before she turned finally turned to face him.

“If memory recalls, you used to like it when I showed little restraint,” Alina pointed out. A soft and sort of nostalgic smile finding its way to her lips as her eyes took him in. Kenan. How long had it been? Since the pair had laid intertwined in each other’s arms out of pleasure and spite? It felt like an eternity and only yesterday. But, maybe that was in part, because the man before her hadn’t seemed to change. He still held that lovesick puppy dog gaze that would have almost been endearing in the way he seemed to still carry a torch for her darling twin, if not for it being so hopelessly depressing. You would think after all of this time he would get a clue? Or maybe she was just being spiteful because he had never once looked at her the way he did Selene.

“Have you now? I was actually hiding out. Not we,” She corrected. “But it looks like you have something you want to tell me, so why don’t you just go ahead and say it?” She whispered out, playing the part of her sister al too well, if she did say so herself, starring up at him with a hint of wide eyed curiosity as she read the poor sap like a book. “So, what is it?”

“Sorry I just want to make sure I get a good angle for the calendar.” She apologized. Half crumbling to herself that she didn’t even ask for this job, yet here she was. “Excuse you. I know how to push a button. There is a reason this is taking so long, it’s because we are changing lenses and etc.” She attempted to explain, rolled her eyes as she didn’t bother finishing. Snapping a few photos of Selene as she did different poses. “Selene you know I can’t promise that.” She informed the other woman with a sigh, put the camera back on the tripod. “While Devin may do you favors I’m not going to. If you win the votes then you win the votes. Otherwise you’ll get whatever month you’re voted.” She informed her with a shrug. “You ending up on the cover of a calendar shouldn’t determine anything about our relationship. Again I can’t pull any favors. Plus it’s a stupid calendar. In a year it’s not even going to matter.”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Oh, Twiggy, the first thing you should know about me is that I don’t have any bad angles,” Alina told her forthright, flashing her a grin as she continued to pose for the other, despite her patience quickly waining thin. “You can try to make excuses all you want, but more talkie, less doie. So, you can continue to be the slug that you are or you can actually do something with all of this time you seem to have no problem whittling away? Might be nice to have a change of pace, don’t you think?” She pointed out as she shifted her pose once more. “And I’m not asking you to. All I’m saying is that with her husband back in town, your chances of winning her over are quickly dwindling and I thought I’d, I don’t know, help you out? I mean, as you not so gracefully pointed out, Devin would do anything for her family. But, don’t take my suggestion. See how far you get on your own. After all, it’s been working so well for you for the past how many years exactly?”

.

Isra didn’t flinch at the sharp pain, merely raising an eyebrow at the woman beside her. “No, I don’t think the point is to make someone your fucking pin cushion,” she answered sweetly, twirling a toothpick of her own in her fingers before. The temptation to return the favor was a little too strong. “Do you always taste without consent, or am I just especially lucky today?” The seraph added, venom lacing her sweet tone. “Shame we’re not allowed weapons here, otherwise I’d return the favor and make you a pin cushion myself,” Isra muttered. And really, whose bright idea was it to make them all leave their weapons at home? Someone with foresight probably but still. ”Well? Are you satisfied or should I warn the others?”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Oopsie? My bad,” Alina flashed the woman beside her a toothy smile as she continued to sip away at her drink at hand. “Oh relax, darling. It was an accident clearly and one that probably wouldn’t have happened if you had been paying better attention of where you rest your hands, now would it have?” She pointed out with an amused grin as she watched the little muppet attempt to threaten her of all people back. The girl had balls that was for sure, if only they weren’t so misguided. “And oh, hunny. If you’re that defenseless without any weapons, you really should learn to get a bit more creative. I could help you, if you like? I happen to be a fantastic teacher or so I’ve been told. And warn who? The other seraph babies such as yourself? God, you’re so cute. Has anyone ever told you how cute the lot of you are? I could just eat you all up metaphorically and literally.”

Surely there were easier ways of getting a drink around here, but after getting split up from Ainsley and Liv who got to make their drinks together, Margot resigned herself to her new partner. Apparently she wasn’t paying enough attention to Selene, because she was only brought back to the attention of the drinks in front of them when she felt a sharp stab on the back of her hand. She tsked and wiped the back of her hand with a cocktail napkin before pointedly tossing it into the trashcan. “You ever hear the saying about the bee and honey? You’d be surprised what you can get when you just ask.” Margot was so bored she wouldn’t even mind being a juice box for an hour or two if it managed to actually keep her entertained. “Might even get more than a drop too, if you asked nicely.”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Oopsie Daisy. Welp, in that case, can I have a sip from that delectable neck of yours? I promise I can make it worth your while. I’ll make sure you don’t even think about those two brunettes your eyes had been glued on for the past however long since you’ve been here. I’m assuming they have something to do with you wearing yellow? Because we both know you have the skin tone and coloring to wear green,” Alina pointed out knowingly, flashing the red head an amused smile at the way she had chosen to react to Alina’s little prick. A tinge of admiration in her voice at the lack of irritation the other woman seemed to have. That and a hint of respect given that she herself knew all too well what it was like to be the odd one out in a group of three. Her own two sisters often running off and tag teaming without her, for now that is. And yet, even after they had so rudely chucked her in a box to rot away in for centuries, she had chosen, out of the kindness of her heart, to spend her shared birthday with Selene here of all places, with her sisters to wish her twin the happiest of birthdays and give her a well earned present.

Chloe had be minding her own, waiting for her drink before she wandered back over to her pottery station – she hadn’t tried it before, so what better way than today to do so? The wolf wasn’t interested in getting to know anybody at current, purely because her heart became set on making herself a vase. Call her more emotionally attached to clay than anybody around her. It’s the moment that she feels the slight stabbing sensation to her hand that she exhales quite forcefully, annoyance swarming her entire body as she thinks ‘oh. my. god’. She doesn’t even look into the direction of the vampire beside her – she’s choosing not to purposely, she didn’t need to for she could sense the shrug of the other. Clearly apparently thinking it was normal to prick random strangers with her little pathetic stick that she’d love to whip out of her hand and stab her in the eye with. “The point is to not stab people in the fucking hand.” she’s attempting to not let herself get completely irritated all while she’s trying to keep herself calm. Think happy thoughts, right? 

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Whoopsie,” Alina offered up with a light shrug followed by a wide and almost doe liked expression. “It was a slip of a wrist, promise. Won’t happen again, except,” She couldn’t help, but trail off as she gave the woman another light poke. “Sorry! It’s just that you’re so delicious. I couldn’t help, myself. But, that was the last time. Promise. Cross my heart and hope to die. Oh wait- I already did that,” She mused, having way too much fun ticking people off at this whole shindig than she should have been, but what could she say? She was easily bored and teasing the cute blonde in the room was at half way decent way of wasting time until the main event she had cooked up truly began.

⇌

The bar was the best place for him, Ken decided that upon arrival. The event rooms required effort and he was not willing to expend any these three days, decked in black it was also the place where a few would bother him. Or so he thought. While this wasn’t a verbal bother, annoyance creased his brows at the audacity and the sheer stupidity of whoever decided to jab him. “The actual fuck is wrong with you?” Ken hissed, though it was just a prick the sting that followed lasted a second longer than he would’ve liked, which was zero seconds. Sharply turning to face the person, Ken would’ve like to say his features softened, but no, the scowl remained as he whipped his hand away. They knew each other, but not well enough for Ken to gauge if this was normal behaviour. In his head she was the opposite of Devin, and Devin would not do this. Rolling his eyes at the other, Ken shook his head. “Honestly Selene, if you’re that thirsty there’s plenty of drunk people around, go pick on them.”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“A lot, but I really don’t see how the fact that I’m an eternal vampire who turned against her own family and started not one but two supernatural wars because my sister stole my boyfriend has much of anything to do about me finding you tasty,” Alina teased, blinking over at him innocently enough, despite the unhinged hint of mischievous dancing across her gaze at the present as she continued to sip away at her drink. “But, what if I want to pick on you? What then? You’re honestly telling me you’re going to say no to all this?”

.

Hearing the woman’s comment about his sad, pathetic room, Ruairi’s hazel eyes dropped to the floor and his arms dropped down beside him again. Honestly, all he wanted to do was curl up in the bed he was in and go to bed. But he had a sneaking suspicion that would be frowned upon. He really didn’t even want to attend this event but considering the fae were hosting it and he was on the court, he really didn’t have much of a choice.

As the woman sat down in front of him, his head raised and he sighed softly, “I’m a lot better t'en I was.” He said, but it was almost a mumble, “I mean, a breakup is a mutual t'ing–” For the most part. It wasn’t really in his case, but he didn’t have much of a choice, “–so I mean…t'e only option was to let it happen.” He shrugged. Ruairi wasn’t the most versed in relationships, but he did know that much, “Do I look t'at bad?” He asked and ran his fingers through his hair, “I t'ought I was doing better.”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Why is that fact even sadder? You’re like one of those sad Sarah McLachlan commercials. Next thing I know, in the ‘Arms of An Angel’ is going to start blasting out of that boombox over there. Which brings me back to, why the fuck is there a boombox in here? We are aware it’s 2022, right?” Alina noted, scrunching up her face as she glanced horrifyingly around. The room looked like the early 2000s, a time period she would have very much preferred to forget, had thrown up everywhere with the boyband posters strewn across the walls and the stack of dated romcom DVDs. 

“Aww, Puppy,” Alina turned her attention back towards the man beside her, shaking her head disapprovingly back and forth as he tried to tell her that a breakup was a mutual thing. “That, my handsome friend, is a lie dumpees tell themselves in a poor attempt to make themselves feel better about being dumped. But, no. It’s not mutual. There are winners and there are losers. You, my dear, are loosing. But, I don’t know. Let me take a look,” Alina mused, swinging one leg over Ruairi’s waist as she moved to climb on top of him so that she was now sitting smack dab in the man’s lap. Reaching up, she combed his hair back from his forehead so that she could take in his face. “Not bad.” You know, despite the puffy eyes of his that had been from, what she could only imagine, was hours of crying. “And you know what they say about heartbreak, right love? In order to get over someone else, you have to get under another. So, what do you say, Pup? Want me to make it better for you or what?”