𝖓𝖔 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖉𝖊𝖊𝖉.

( henry golding. cis male. he/him. save myself & ed sheeran. ) have you seen CASSIUS LALLEMENT strolling around central park at lunchtime? rumor has it they’re actually THIRTY-TWO years old, but i’m pretty sure they’re only FIVE HUNDRED ELEVEN. they’re currently posing as a(n) LAWYER at LALLEMENT AT LAW, but when dusk falls, you can usually find them heading home to MANHATTAN by CAR SERVICE. apparently they DID attend the met gala this season! ( deanna. 26. she/her. est. )

featuring :   @ofpaintedlullabies​

open // closed for @duskstart​

location: outside some bar/lounge

     Cian couldn’t figure out which was worse in his mind. A permanent label of destruction on his father’s business or the fact that the family name was tarnished. Of course, everyone knew this business was the true pride and joy in the O’Riley household. It was Killarney’s way to escape the disappointment he held in regards to his family. But to Cian it was just a cruel reminder of how much his father didn’t care for him and what a sick joke to be now in charge of the business. He’d let the place rot if it wasn’t for the regulars who Cian had grown used to having around. 

     Instead of figuring out what to do next as he should be doing, the idea of drinking away into a decently sized stupor sounded much more entertaining. He was bitter, angry, and looking for a way to not be reminded of anything. His steps were out of line as he walked back to his truck, keys jingling his hand before they fell to the ground. Before he could pick them up, someone else already did. “Hey! What the fuck you doing?”

“ SORRY, I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP, ”   cassius raises his hands in defense, though he doesn’t let go of the keys. he had seen cian leave the bar, likely not even noticing cas was there, and he had been worried to see how he was getting home. he’s glad he followed him back now.   “ let me drive you home, ”   he offers.   “ you shouldn’t be getting behind the wheel right now. ”

“My hair is VERY weather resistent,” she comments proudly, which was true for some reason. Even the strongest wind didn’t make her curls falter or fall in a way that could be considered messy. She had already opened the door as his question makes her head turn back towards him, not expecting it. Most men didn’t give two shits about those kind of things usually, but she was glad to offer his hand to him for him to see. “If I knew you’d want to look at them I would’ve gone for something more colorfol.” The red french look was pretty basic, after all.

Location: UTP With: Deanna, choose ur fighter

Ariela had been about to leave when a sudden, familiar face was enough to make her give pause, and she second-guessed her decision. Or, rather, her decision to leave through the front door. Having been in this situation before, she had mastered the art of waiting somewhere ‘in the back’ until she could find another out. 

But it seemed she was caught this time.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, grateful that her condition was not one that prevented her from lying, and one that did not prevent a false smile. “Surprising that we haven’t caught each other sooner.”

“IF PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO ANSWER, DOESN’T MAKE THEM IMPOLITE,” she counters matter-of-factly, scoffing lightly. There’s no bite or snark in her tone, one that is was somewhat of a norm for her whenever she talked to him before. She tilts her head at his words, somewhat surprised by his blunt honesty. She shouldn’t be, when she’s equally a blunt individual, but maybe it’s because she’s not used to people being the same with her. More than that, he just admitted to her he’s been trying to get her to like him. The feeling she gets, fueled by him saying it’s worth it that they’re here together, overwhelms her a little bit and it annoys her. It’s totally a feeling she wants to control, but is and has been unable to. She’s fully aware things right now are nowhere near the same as when they had dinner together the first time. “Working for something isn’t all that bad, takes you down a few notches,” she teases subtly - the only way she can reply to him without revealing too much of what she’s feeling is that way. “I’m hard to please, Lallement, just a warning.” Though, she’s made that very obvious already.

It’s interesting to her he’s talking about the preciousness of time, when time is one thing he has an infinite amount of. She wonders if the death of his best friend has him talking that way, when as a vampire, he’s surely lost a lot of loved ones over the years. It’s a curse going through that countless times. “I get that. It feels like something’s missing when they’re not around in the same place as you are,” she says quietly, that topic hitting too close to home. If her family was still alive, she wouldn’t even think of leaving Turkey, and ever since their passing, there has been a void in her that won’t seem to close. “Good enough to make me stay,” she effortlessly lies, shrugging lightly and taking a sip from her drink.  “I’d like to go back to Turkey eventually, yes, it’s home.”

“Going out with someone you’re not interested in just seems like a waste of time and energy.” She waves her hand dismissively, taking another sip of her wine. “Dating apps? You’ve been on dating apps, Lallement?” This makes her laugh, because the idea of Cassius on a dating app seems like something out of a comedy movie. “Pray tell, do you have any funny stories?”

“ EVEN IF IT’S A SIMPLE QUESTION ? ”   he counters playfully, and it almost feels like they’re back on that case they had worked against each other. how long had it been—months ?   maybe a year ?   just the fact that so much has changed since makes him smile a little to himself. there was nothing more miraculous about being a vampire than seeing just how quickly things can change before your very eye, and his relationship with lilya was certainly no exception.   “ you think i need to be taken down a few notches ? ”   cas can’t help but ask, amused. his eyes glint back mischievously at her as he adds,   “ believe me, miss demirel, i know. ”   just what he LIKES about her.

her words make his heart ache, and there was that feeling again, that she knew more about loss than cassius would assume. the instinct to reach out across the table and take her hand is a strong one, but he holds back from his impulses, knowing he has to go slow with her. she’s given him a hundred reasons to go slow, but knowing her life in turkey was plagued with loss made them make sense. it’s hard not to ask her about her family when it’s the current conversation, but cassius doesn’t want to intrude on something she’s not willing to share yet.   “ so you see yourself settling down in turkey eventually ? ”   he finds himself asking instead, with a small nod.   “ selfishly, i hope it’s not any time soon. ”

casandra exhales. she’d known someone would have asked what she knew of rosamie’s death at some point. and in all honesty, cassius or thad asking were really the only two people she could manage doing so and still feel a sincerity and concern, as opposed to intrigue attributed to gossip. “i didn’t even believe it at first. i thought it was a stupid prank that tabloids had been stupid enough to believe. but then the council called me, and thad and…” she trailed off. she was quiet for a moment before looking up to cassius. “it felt just like it had last time,” she told him. “walking into the house, knowing she was dead,” she said, barely a whisper. “just like when..” she didn’t finish the sentence. but those closest to her knew what she referred to. the fire that had taken her husband and two children before she’d been turned. she cleared her throat, if she opened that wound now, it wouldn’t close easily. “i don’t know anything more than you at this point,” she clarified. the brunette vampiress shook her head. “just be around incase one of us needs someone? a drinking buddy, a slice of normality, or a shoulder to lean on?” was all she could offer; ask for. “and i extend that offer to you, cas. you were family too,” she added. “you are family,” she assured him. that didn’t change. rosamie would never have stood for that. 

CASSIUS SWALLOWS HARD, fighting to keep his emotions at bay, but it hurts to listen to casandra talk about losing someone else. he understand it, too ;   the grief that came with rosamie’s death was a lot like the grief he felt when his little sister was killed. back then he had chosen to let those feelings get the best of him, and he was trying not to repeat that mistake—but it was really hard, especially with casandra now.   “ i’m in charge of her estate, ”   he says quietly.   “ i’m not sure if you know, but we’ll have to do a reading soon. with the family. but of course. i’m only a phone call away. anything you need at all. ”   reaching out, he offers her his hand on the desk. her calling him family makes his emotions slip to through the cracks, eyes shining as he smiles slightly across at her.   “ thank you, ”   he bows his head in a small nod, not realizing just how much he needed to hear those words. she’d always be his family ;   the lynns would always be his family, with or without rosamie. it was just heartbreaking that it now had to be without.

𝑀𝐸𝑁𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁   𝑂𝐹   𝐻𝐸𝑅   𝑆𝐼𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅   𝐴𝑁𝐷   𝐻𝐸𝑅   𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑇𝑈𝑆   𝑀𝐴𝐾𝐸𝑆   𝑁𝑂𝑆𝐸   𝑆𝐶𝑅𝑈𝑁𝐶𝐻 .      she   has   nothing   against   her   sister   and   how   she   leads   but   knows   their   parents   would   hound   her   if   she   were   to   show   too   much   support   to   zehra’s   refusal   for   engagement .      ❝      truthfully ?      i’m   not   sure .      even   if   she   could   𝚒   𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗’𝚝   𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝   𝚑𝚎𝚛   𝚝𝚘   𝚏𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎   𝚑𝚎𝚛   𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙   𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑   𝚘𝚞𝚛   𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜   for   me .    ❞      there’s   a   sad   smile   that   sits   upon   lips ,      even   despite   her   clear   discomfort   with   the   entire   thing   she   can’t   help   but   want   to   keep   her   sister   away   from   the   issues   she’d   cause .      ❝      at   least   if   i   go   through   with   it   our   parents   will   step   back   a   bit .      and   i   hope   to   see   your   HANDSOME   FACE   at   the   impending   ceremony .    ❞

leilana looks away for a moment, fighting the urge to cry. the tears began to well up in her azure hues. “you don’t need to be, cas.” speaking in an almost whisper. she was just grateful for his presence here with her, right in this moment. “of course, i promise… let’s hope it never comes to that.” but, with all the death as of late, the tensions surrounding the city – it was all hard to say. 

a pure smile formed when he spoke of her kindness, it was the honest truth. as much as she envious of those who didn’t care, her empathetic nature was an attribute that she adored. she wore her heart on sleeve. “as long as i have you around to remind me of that, i’m sure i’ll do fine though.” she says, but as he speaks about torin, asks the question that causes her heart to go to her throat. 

“that’s the million dollar question.” glancing over at him. “i.. i really don’t know.” saying, shaking her head as she thought about it. “i never thought i would have feelings for him in general. i just need to speak with him, in depth.. about everything.” 

—

“ YOU CAN’T LET YOURSELF TRY TO REPRESS YOUR EMOTIONS, ”   he tells her, because hoping that it doesn’t come to that isn’t enough for him. normally cassius would be more positive, but hearing that she had turned off her emotions even for a few days scared him. who was to say she couldn’t do it again ?   and as much as he cared about her and torin, both together and separately, it seemed like their relationship was dangerous, and not because of the way the council believed it to be. 

his hand rubs her back lightly, thumb drawing small circles.   “ you know i love you, leila, ”   he smiles kindly at her,   “ but you’ll have to excuse me if i don’t believe you. you’re far too in tune with your emotions to not know if you’re in love with someone. if you don’t want to recognize it, i can understand because of everything—but either you are and you are. and if it’s the answer i think it is... i know i don’t need to tell you to be careful, but i’ll say it anyway. be careful, ”   he says, eyes finding hers. 

         she’s  a  bit  hesitant  ,   doesn’t  want  to  overstep  her  boundaries  or  anything  like  that  .   but  he  seems  to  be  …  willing  to  chat ?  so  what’s  to  stop  her  from  talking  a  bit  more  than  usual  ,   just  to  get  to  know  someone  else ?“  a  bit  out  of  it  …  yeah  ,   it’s  been  an  odd  couple  of  weeks  .   new  york  ,   huh ?  always  has  something  happening  .   except  all  the  gossip  is  broadcasted  instead  of  whispered  which  is  …  probably  worse  than  the  latter  .  ”    shakes  her  head  ,   now  she’s  rambling  a  bit  ,   isn’t  she ?“  ah  ,for  starbucks  .   boss  said  i  could  get  overtime  if  i  did  it  even  though  i’m  technically  off  -  so  basically  they’re  paying  me  under  the  table  .  ”

“ARE YOU USED TO GETTING ANSWERS RIGHT AWAY?” Something tells her he is, that he’s not used to having to try so hard. He probably doesn’t have to with other people, not when he’s so charming and kind, and not the heartless vampire she thought he was. She’ll admit that, at least. Seeing him try so hard with her the past few months must mean something, even if it’s not something Lilya was ever anticipating would happen. If she wasn’t a hunter and he wasn’t a vampire and her past didn’t haunt her, then she would’ve had butterflies in her stomach from their very first meeting. What she doesn’t want to admit or acknowledge is that they are there, but pretending they’re not makes it all more acceptable in a sense, despite the fact that yet here she is, on a date with him. “Why, aren’t you confident enough, Lallement?” She tilts her head slightly to the side, eyebrow quirked in a challenging manner. His other statement confuses her, and it shows. “Clarify,” is all she says, still not used to him catching her off guard with things he does and says.

She’s relieved he doesn’t further press on the topic of her family. Vampire or not, it’s not an easy topic for her, but surely, him being a vampire makes it even more sensitive to her. She expects if she told him, he’d sympathize, offer his condolences and apologies, and this isn’t what Lilya wants to hear, because then she’d want to yell out the fact that it was his species that took her family away from her. She’d rather things stay the way they are right now, pleased with how things are going thus far. “Do you ever see yourself leaving? I don’t think I would’ve ever left Istanbul if it weren’t for the job offer.” A lie, but also not a lie. She never planned on ever leaving her hometown, but the whole investigate the supernatural scene in the city and learn from it had made her. “Oh, you’re by the book, huh?” On how dates go. Her tone is teasing, yet she decides to oblige anyway. “This is my first date in years,” she admits the first thing that comes to her mind. She’s so used to being closed off, she doesn’t really know where to begin or what to say.

“ YOU MEAN ARE PEOPLE USUALLY POLITE ENOUGH TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS ? ”   cassius asks wryly, flashing her a small grin.   “ yes. i’m certainly not used to having to work so hard to get someone to like me, but i don’t mind so much. the fact that we’re sitting here means it’s worth it. ”   already this dinner feels world’s different than the last one they had sat through together ;   lilya hadn’t been rude, but it was clear she didn’t think much of him, with walls high up. from cassius is standing now, the walls still seem to be there, but they don’t seem as high or strong as they had been. he knows he’ll have to prove to her that she can trust him, but it’s a challenge he’s willing to face. his smile widens when she beckons at him to clarify, eyes darkening a bit as he watches her. it’s hard to believe they’re talking about food.   “ well, i don’t know firsthand how similar the food is here from what you’re used to in istanbul, ”   he tells her,   “ but i’m willing to bet you’ll be pleased. ”   otherwise he wouldn’t have brought her here.

he hesitates at her question, and he knows that a few weeks ago his answer would’ve been a lot more simple.   “ it’s possible, ”   he says slowly, but cas is already shaking his head.   “ but as long as my family is here, i can’t see myself going anywhere for too long. time is precious—it should be spent with the people you most care about. ”   cassius wondered, for lilya, who those people were.   “ i imagine it must’ve been quite an offer, ”   he reaches for his wine glass. he doesn’t get the sense that she likes new york very much, from the way she’s talked about it.   “ do you see yourself going back to turkey, or going somewhere else in the future ? ”   

“YOU THINK I’D TELL YOU THAT?” She quirks an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips. It’s actually nothing. Hardly anything impresses her nowadays, but she won’t tell Cassius that. Maybe it’s a little fun to see him try. What she won’t admit is that it’s not just fun, no, there’s something about how much he’s trying. She refuses to dwell on it, because she’ll be going down a very dangerous and unwise route. “It’s a popular Turkish dish.” Which makes her unsurprised it’s what he goes for, but then again, kofte’s the way to her heart. So she smiles. “Good choice. I like kofte, too. Let’s see if it’s as good as the ones back home.” Surely the restaurants here are run by Turkish people, but she hasn’t yet found a place that’s as good as the one she has back in Istanbul. Him asking about her family doesn’t come as a surprise. They are on a date and they’re talking about her hometown, it’s only natural. There’s a slight change in her eyes at the question, but it’s only a flicker, a millisecond, and she hopes Cassius doesn’t catch on it. “They used to be. Is your entire family here?” Maybe changing the topic so they’re talking about him would help.

where:  red  eye  bar,  late  evening.

josie  had  lived  a  MILLION  lives  since  she  left  home  but  if  there  was  one  constant  that  clung  to  her  like peanut  butter  to  the  roof  of  her  mouth,  it  was  slowness.  in  a  city  so  brimming  with  life,  a  moment  of  lethargy  was  hard  to  come  across  ━  josie  learned  to  savor  those  moments,  few  and  far  between  as  they  were.  it  had  been  an  UNCHARACTERISTICALLY  slow  evening  for  the  red  eye  &  josie  took  great  solace  in  being  able  to  ready  herself  for  the  impending  evening  traffic.  swabbing  down  her  work  station,  the  towel  once  palmed  in  her  hand  is  since  hung  over  her  shoulder.  on  the  balls  of  her  feet,  the  blonde  rummaged  through  varying  clear  &  brown-hazed  bottles  from  an  overhead  shelf.  bottle  in  hand,  sights  trail  closely  behind  the  gait  that  leads  her  newest  patron  over  to  the  bar.  a  cheeky  look  plastered  itself  on  her  visage,  as  she  lurched  toward  them.  ❝  hey,  what  can  i  get  started  for  you,  DARLIN’  ?  i’ve  got  a  new  cocktail  i’ve  been  itching  to  try  out  if  you’re  game.  ❞  

CASSIUS WAS EARLY TO THE AREA, always giving himself more time whenever he used the public transit. the subways aren’t something he uses often—not when he has his own car service, and certainly not to another borough—but cas was going on a date tonight, and wanted to appear more grounded. of course, his miscalculations had him wandering around the foreign streets of queens until it was time to meet with his date, so the vampire wanders into familiar bar he’s heard of before from colleagues. the bartender immediately charms him, a smile spreading on his lips.   “ what kind of cocktail ? ”   he asks, though he’s already nodding in approval. he’ll try anything.

          SHE  FINDS  IT  ALMOST  unbelievable  that  she’s  been  cassius’  associate  for  almost  five  years  now  .  it  only  seemed  like  a  year  ago  that  she’d  been  hired  by  the  vampire  .  but  it’s  still  nice  that  her  work  hasn’t  gone  unnoticed  by  him  .  when  he  takes  the  call  ,  she  returns  to  her  office  and  starts  working  on  drafting  up  a  couple  documents  .  she  figures  he’ll  come  get  her  when  he’s  done  .  and  that’s  proven  correct  when  she  looks  up  to  see  her  boss  .  “  yeah  ,  i  could  definitely  use  a  pick  me  up  .  our  usual  ?  or  did  we  wanna  go  somewhere  a  little  further  ?  i  don’t  mind  either  .  ”

          “  I  COMPLETELY  UNDERSTAND  ,  ”  she  nods  .  she  considered  doing  the  same  .  traveling  through  most  of  asia  just  because  she  can  .  returning  back  to  the  west  coast  for  a  brief  period  of  time  .  “  maybe  it’s  a  sign  that  we  should  eventually  take  that  trip  to  prague  and  vienna  ,  yeah  ?  ”  when  they’re  both  in  a  better  place  .  “  don’t  worry  about  it  .  i  just  came  to  check  up  on  you  ,  ”  she  smiles  softly  .  “  dinner  with  the  rest  of  the  family  sounds  nice  .  it’s  been  a  while  since  we’ve  done  that  .  ”  and  given  the  circumstances  ,  maybe  they  should  take  advantage  and  spend  more  time  with  their  family  .  “  given  your  amount  of  work  ,  i  guess  a  drink  is  out  of  the  question  ?  ”

leilana felt him move closer to her, which she allowed – she desperately needed something to ground her since her mind was spiraling. she leans into him, just nodding her head as he said it was alright. she knew deep down it would be, but in the moment she was finally coming to terms with the feelings she had been hiding. as he kisses the top of her head, a smile touches her lips. “no… that happened sometime before.” speaking softly. “ just seeing him with someone else during the event, along with us not talking about the kiss – it turned into a big mess. we fought, which caused me to turn it off.” 

she turned to look at cassius. “he doesn’t do well with… emotions or even feeling like he deserves happiness. and i simply don’t respond well to walls being built… or conflict.” she feels as if she is oversharing, but she needed to talk about this. & with how cas was responding, it made her feel comfortable enough to do so. 

—

THERE WAS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT THE CONTEXT OF HER EMOTIONS TURNING OFF, that her jealousy and anger towards torin was able to bring her to that state more than her ex-husband ever could’ve done. it spoke a lot about how strong her feelings for the o’riley likely were, then, but it also scared cas. being a vampire had many disadvantages, but the ability to turn off emotions was by far the scariest one, and he feared it in all his friends. the time he had done that had been the lowest point of his life, and leilana’s lucky it hadn’t lasted very long for her. the longer you go without the emotions, the easier it is to stay like that.

“ i’m sorry, leilana, ”   he sighs, wishing there was more he could do besides keep his arms around her comfortingly.   “ next time you ever feel in a situation where you think you’re going to turn off your emotions, you come to me, alright ?   your emotions is what makes you who you are—one of the kindest people i know, ”   he says, looking her straight in the eye.   “ you can’t let yourself lose track of that, regardless of anyone else. as for torin... well, we both had seen how he was raised, ”   cas’s eyebrows raise slightly.   “ i’m not particularly surprised he’s conditioned that way. but... are you in love with him ? ”

casandra couldn’t help the amusement that painted her features. the smile was perhaps the first genuine one she’d worn in a while. “i know,” she said. “little old me?” she mused coyly. of course, she could break the arm of a man twice the size of her in five seconds flat. if it hadn’t been for the vampire strength, the training she’d gotten from her brothers, thad specifically, would have been enough to make her an advisory for anyone. but unless you know what she could do physically, and professionally. you probably just thought her hard to read and a little prickly at times. she nodded her head, her jaw clenching somewhat at his words. not because they weren’t fair, but because she understood them. it was overwhelming when every corner you turned, you were met with a news story, or the whispers about what had happened. speculation was huge given the ritualistic way in which she’d left the world. it was enough to overwhelm anyone. let alone those more closely affected. “people have been…sensitive enough. although, i assume most are worried that asking advice or for statements of their whereabouts at time of…incident, would serve as some omission of guilt, or have fingers pointed at them. but i suspect soon enough they’ll find their way here,” she admitted. 

CASSIUS FELT AS RELIEVED AS HE WAS SURPRISED AT HER ANSWER, knowing that she didn’t have to deal with too much backlash regarding the death—yet. it was sure to come, and they both knew it, as more time passes and if it takes longer to find out more information regarding how she was killed.   “ i’m going to assume you know as little as everyone else, then ? ”   cas frowns softly, already knowing what to expect from her answer, but he can’t not ask.   “ is there anything i can do for you, casandra ?   you or the family. i know it isn’t much, but i hope you know we’re all here for you. ”   it probably sounded pretty pathetic coming from cassius, when he looked so distraught himself, but he was trying to move past the grieving stage, into something more productive.