the serpent;

he keeps his gaze on his drink, promptly ignoring the man for the moment. it’s annoying, finding out someone that he’d been somewhat interested in was an enemy. not that his interest meant that he intended on acting upon it, but it was annoying nonetheless. “maybe you should think twice about that next time. doing shit like that could you you into the kind of trouble you can’t talk your way out of.” he quips then, the there’s some underlying threat. he’s a soul, lawyer or not.. it didn’t matter that he was merely keeping other souls out of prison, his alliance still spoke volumes. “probably, but lucky for you, i can’t afford another ban from this place. next time it might be for life.” he’d already been given enough chances by the staff here after starting fights.

The bartender slid the nightly special right into Augustus’s palm as the man listened, unsure what kind of a face he should pull. He leaned over the counter. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as if by a string, one that accompanied his unfazed look all too well. Almost bitter to taste. “You’d be surprised.” Frankly, he has gotten in trouble. He has gotten into fights when others refused to meet eye to eye. And yet here he stood, body in tact and mind sharp. “Don’t tell me you don’t approach your enemies sometimes just to see where they stand and what buttons you can push to make their life miserable.” Lastly he noted what the other said about his former ban. "Well that's rather touching." His smile stretched yet did not quite reach those dark, soulless eyes.

she simmered falling back for a moment, bored with pretending to be witty. it was a constant volley with augustus, one that could be tiring when all she wanted was a warm body. but he had never been there just for that. it was for amphai to prove to herself at least, how clever she was, how easily she could take someone down. fangs out and jugular bared in every instance she went straight for the throat. “you’re no fun augustus.” she sighed turning back to face the dance floor. 

A grin cracked the lawyer’s features like glass. Her words were an invitation to start a game and he wasn’t going to back down from a round of entertainment. He wetted his lips, teeth holding his bottom-lip for a fraction of a second as his gaze roved her body. What a shame, indeed, he thought in response, sarcastically, of course. He downed his drink, leaving only half-melted ice cubes behind, and he rasped, “Then make me eat my words.”

she grins wickedly a flash of teeth beneath her soft mouth and sparkles in the neon glow of the club. she’s a modern day madonna of debauchery haloed by her congregation behind her, grinding and sweating their way to filth. “that might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” she purrs. each step she takes closer to augustus is a loaded gun in an increasingly dangerous game of russian roulette between them. never knowing whether they’re in for the best or worst night of their lives. it’s the most exciting thing she’s done in a while, eternally jaded and bored with her dates. it makes her want to crush his supple mouth to hers and scream all in the same instant. they are not dating, neither of them are functional enough for that. but she thinks they’d both agree the chase is more fun anyways. they’d kill each other if they tried to have anything in common other than their sexual preferences. “i was thinking the v.i.p room actually. is that a little too on the nose?”

Augustus was guilty of loving the way she spoke to him sometimes, her voice a pleasant purr. It was a shame they argued so much that he had grown used to preferring her mouth occupied. “You’ve got it all planned out in your pretty head, don’t you?” He teased, his dark gaze snapping to her. “Except I don’t feel so seduced yet.” But that wasn’t entirely the truth. Her mere presence did things to him he would never admit to, like he was trained to shove her against the nearest wall and make her cuss in moans upon sight. He simply could not wait to put her in her place, but that was something better left unsaid. 

𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑: augustus laurier ( @lawoferos )

he hadn’t given much thought to the man over the last few days. with all he’s got going on, he hasn’t had all that much time to think about anything other than his work, his family, and how much things had changed. but when reese had found the business card in his pocket a couple days later, he’d gotten a better look at the name and had deftly thrown the card in the bin. he knew of the reputation, kept enough track of what was going on in the other syndicates to know that he’d gotten several souls off in court. that was enough to discard the man from his memory, but apparently not his life. he’d come to olympus in search of a good drink and hopefully no one to disturb him, but augustus had unknowingly spoiled that plan. “well, this is getting creepy. you stalking me now?”

Augustus found himself roaming the Olympus floor, frankly empty-handed. He pushed past the crowd in the direction of the bar. Upon a closer look, he found Reese already sitting at it, seemingly stressed as he had been when they first met. Without taking a seat, he positioned himself beside the man and ordered Olympus’s nightly special concoction for the Hell of it.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I always approach familiar faces,” he replied with a sharp smile upon being spotted by the other. He could not help but test Reese next, asking with a cocked brow, “Should I leave?”

❛ Well, best of luck with that. ❜  Augustus has put him in a mental place he’s not sure he can crawl out. Obsessions are a funny thing. In the end, nothing is real. He guesses he’ll fuck him eventually and die at the ripe age of forty. Felix’s emotions swing very rapidly. One moment he’s somewhat enjoying himself, and the next he’s convinced he’s wasting time. He’s easily bored. He’s had more than enough of his fair share of short term affairs and relationships. Everyone has preferred ideals. His relationships are inconsistent, unreliable. Whatever this is might not last, it probably won’t. In short: whenever you run, there’s the danger of slipping, so he tries not to run at all. Felix has become accustomed to the fact he will die alone. He can’t ever feel anything. Doesn’t really matter. He knows what he wants and that’s what matters. He is especially aware of who he needs to become to get it. Everything else. Everyone else is irrelevant. 

Then he asks the question and this makes his chuckle. He had wondered who would be the first one to break. ❛ You know, don’t you? ❜ There is a sigh, standing still as Augusts keeps moving even closer. Is he smelling him? He can feel himself spreading physically throughout the universe. Feels the need to bite something and his teeth dig into the side of his cheeks. His capillaries are leaking blood and he realizes that Augustus’s voice is better than his own. It’s smoother, less coarse, more consistent. He feels restless and this does not end, will not end until the next great collapse of civilization. Felix stands there unmoving, feeling the urge to fret with his hair. This new conditioner he started using this morning is unquestionably better than the one before that - and the one before that. More expensive. Today is so confusing. His face feels frozen like when you apply a peel-off mask, leave it on for too long and your mouth feels stuck in place and moving your features hurt. 

 ❛ I think we both know what would have happened. ❜ And maybe if it had happened then the two of them wouldn’t be in this state of mind. A lustful smile then spreads across his face. He still holds a bottle on one hand but the other finds its way up his thigh, ending up on the bulge between his legs. ❛ Do you? Isn’t that why you’re here? ❜

Augustus felt the heat of Felix’s hand, his palm on his bulge, and glanced down for a brief yet slow moment as if inviting Felix to do more if he pleased. It did not matter how seductive he sounded, how gentle yet domineering his eyes looked, he kept his lust around Felix restrained. God knew he would unleash a monster if given the chance.

His lips found Felix’s neck and his mouth opened to taste him, tongue slipping over his skin, over his pulse. “I’m here because I was invited.” His whisper was hot against his skin and his teeth grazed it next, so careful it could’ve been mistaken for a tease and not a moment of consideration.

He resisted.

His fingers danced along the top of the man’s belt and later snaked around to rest on Felix’s waist. It was the first time he touched the man in what felt like ages. Surely their hands would accidentally brush every now and then, but—

A constriction took hold of his chest: an unbearable affliction of — it was not enough, never enough. Perhaps this was the other nemesis he never spoke of, the overbearing desire to consume and consume and consume until he was sated. Yet he was never sated. Not with Felix, no. Felix had long made home in the back of his mind and turned it into an endless abyss demanding replete gratification. He pushed the thought aside. 

"Every time a person claims they can't trust me. What is there not to trust?"

𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙰𝚈𝙻𝙰  𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙴𝙳  𝚃𝙾  𝙵𝙸𝚇  𝙷𝙴𝚁  features  into  something  that  was  a  bit  more  pleasant,  but  she  had  never  done  well  with  people  in  her  space,  and  the  unimpressed  stare  that  she  was  giving  him  likely  showed  it.  whether  he  decided  to  sit  or  not  was  irrelevant  but  with  him  no  longer  right  in  front  of  her,  she  shifted   ━━  crossing  her  leg  over  the  other  before  looking  back  down  at  her  phone.  had  mak  been  on  the  floor  at  heavenly,  purposely  turning  on  her  charm,  and  in  turn,  pretending  to  be  charmed  by  others  she  would  have  flashed  a  smile,  likely  had  some  flirty  comment  in  regards  to  his  name.  as  it  was,  they  were  at  a  wake,  in  the  house  of  someone  that  had  always  made  her  skin  crawl,  and  she  wasn’t  getting  paid  to  be  charming. ‘  no,  i  didn’t.  i  asked  you  why  you’re  snooping.  ’  

Her callous stare was noticeable and her body language told him he wasn’t entirely welcomed in her space. So he kept himself at a distance, hands buried into the pockets of his pants as he approached a painting hanging on the wall nearby. Still Life, Fruit and Dishes, oil on panel. Gottfried Schultz. Late 19th century.  

Of course, he wasn’t snooping.

He was curious but not curious enough – perhaps he was simply bored and making use of being here uninvited. His back was turned towards her and his voice dominated the room when he challenged, “And what difference would it make to you if I gave you an answer?”

her red lipstick glinted darkly under the neon lights of the club. the whole room was bathed in a blue glow that carved out the bones in amphai’s face and gave her something of a ghastly appearance. the music thrummed with heavy bass the vibrations moving through the floor into her fingertips. her dress glittered, a small slip of a silver thing that she wore expressly for these nights. she smiled, wet and wicked her tongue running across her teeth. “i think you’re a little in love with me and are remiss to admit it.” her voice settling into a low cadence. she pushed up onto the vacant stool beside him, eager for the higher ground. “it’s okay you wouldn’t be the first one.” she accepted a shot from the bartender, gracefully tossing it back and fixing him with a stare. “if i remember correctly the last time you were under me.” she simmered, this was the game they played. she was rude and coy and he was ever the ruthless authoritarian. they were shimmering caricatures of their real selves just to worn in public like a nice coat.

A fraction of a husky laugh left him as Augustus watched her, leaning on the bar himself and cupping his cheek. Amusement hid behind icy eyes. “I’d argue falling in love with you would be no different from falling in love with a demon. Torture, never-ending.” They went after Eros and Aphrodite, God and Goddess of Love, him trying to make her his marionette – her clawing him, clawing his back, cursing under her breath yet praying to his name. “You’re right, I did miss the way you looked taking control,” he said, his voice slippery and sweet. Toxic – almost as toxic as they were together, and a part of him enjoyed the arguments and lust they shared. She was a fire his fingers danced over every now and then, so close yet not close enough to get burned.

He swirled his drink, eyes falling on the ice cubes spinning lazily inside. “Tell me, are you here to give me a headache so I can fuck you harder in the restroom?”

a somewhat sheepish expression crosses her features before a smile takes it’s place. “seventy-five dollars. nothing that’s going to empty my pockets or anything, but it’s still losing.” she was hardly a sore loser or anything, she wasn’t about to go  off and sulk over losing money. she just preferred to win. she sipped at her beer as he answered, smile widening at his offer. she never really knew what to expect around augustis, but one thing she could always count on was him being a flirt at any given opportunity. “are you trying to wine and dine me, laurier?” she teased, all in good fun really. “i’ll never turn down a free meal.”

Augustus couldn’t help but play along at her words, entertaining the idea of fine dining with someone like Josefina seated across. Though he was no stranger to preparing meals at home either. Having grown up with siblings, it was a must-have skillset as second-oldest. “Is it that obvious?” He nearly chuckled, his gaze fixated on her frame. “Do you like it better when I’m colder?”

“isn’t it a crime of your own to have knowledge of someone breaking the law and doing nothing to stop it?” her voice is teasing, because milania has no doubt that he has plenty of knowledge of plenty of crimes and that’s why his paycheck is so padded.

lania has heard almost every question as an assassin, or knew when someone had one and didn’t think it okay to ask. she appreciated the people who were bold enough to seek the knowledge they desired, and she tended to reward it with a better answer than most things asked of her. “yes.” she says easily, because as cold and calloused as the twenty-nine year old is, she’s not immune. over the years her emotions have changed, but the further into her profession she gets it has started to remain the same. “it depends on the target. some i feel sorry for, they have no idea what’s coming and the shock in their eyes is enough to imprint into my mind for a few days.” those were rare, because she never knew what they did to warrant being her target, but she assumed it was worthy. “most i just feel a swell of accomplishment, pride, and a better high than any drug i’ve ever felt. better than sex, sometimes.” and that’s what had her keep going back. “i don’t do guilt or remorse, even if i feel sorry for them, i never regret a kill.” and the sorry she felt for some targets usually faded anyway.

“Being an accessory, yes. But why would I possess the knowledge of someone breaking the law?” Augustus hummed as he looked ahead again. “I’m a lawyer, that is all.” Not quite comparable to an assassin whose file was destined to be drenched inred, he could talk his way out of any situation.

It was nice to hear she could at least feel pity for the victim when in the act, not that he particularly cared – he ruined lives for a living, but it made her sound human. “Better than sex? My sympathies.” He teased, pretending not to understand the pleasure of drawing a knife across skin. She finished with, I never regret a kill, and he responded with a sharp smile, “At this point, I don’t think you’re allowed to.”

A voice chirped then from behind, calling for Augustus’s name and he gave Milania one last look. “It was a pleasure talking to you.” He excused himself with a nod and left her side.

He’s curious about things. Wonders what Augustus is like in his personal life and whether he is hygienic or not. What he does in his spare time? What side of the bed he sleeps on? And does he sleep in the nude? His life seems chaotic and messy enough so there’s a chance that it might translate to other things. He hears his words and the teasing tone in his voice. Right, right. Feels like they are somehow going around in circles.  ❛ Why would I lie? ❜ Then, unexpectedly, Augustus moves closer, practically forcing himself into his personal space. An invasion that he allows for the time being.

Felix can feel it. A compulsion. A burning sensation in the back of his head, a metallic taste at the roof of his mouth. His body stifles down the urge to yell something vulgar. Especially after the gap between them becomes almost non existent. He is now convinced more than ever that Augustus was forged within the deep grasp of the pits of hellbred magma in the ocean and was landed for the simple purpose of tempting him. He needs… a muzzle. Or a ball gag. And now his mind is going places.  ❛ Frankly, I don’t think you can afford me. ❜  

He gets closer by small increments and the frustration that builds within him sends pulsing drives up and down his arms that scream ‘grab him, pull him over here and finish what he’s failing to start’  ❛ But we could work something out, I’m a generous man. ❜  On the surface he was. Always willing to throw money to a charitable cause or at a problem to make it go away. ❛ We can have one right now ❜

Augustus’s lips twisted into a sultry smile the narrower the distance between them got until there was nearly none left to devour. He wanted to secure his hands to Felix’s waist, surrender himself to the dare. He wanted to ask, Do you think about me? Do you wish it was me kissing you when you are kissing someone else, my mouth below your belt? His eyes kept dropping to the man’s lips and he could feel control slip from his fingers like sand – the one thing they seemed to enjoy battling for.

I think about you.

A lot. And it’s raw, unhealthy, a craving so strong that I despise it and I want you splayed out in front of me, I want to –

He licked his lips, having noticed he stared at Felix’s for too long. “I’ll find a way to afford you, trust me.” Entirely dark, his gaze crawled up to meet Felix’s and his voice was silky and low. He wanted to deviate from the topic ever so slightly and address the elephant in the room. Perhaps the method of payment wasn’t going to be money after all. “What will you do, Felix?” He challenged first. “I know you think about it.” His head dipped low until his cologne was all he could smell, no more chlorine, and he whispered, “That night. How it could’ve continued.” He wondered how far he would need to go in order to plague the other’s mind before he would infect his own.