Beautiful Mess

every moment of this conversation brought a deeper furrow to his brow,  a further dip to his frown,  and yas was in a state of full consternation  —  likely appearing  comically  so  —   by the time he spoke again.    ❛  you don’t think that he  ——  wanted  it to be more,  do you  ?  ❜      there was a swell of protectiveness that warred with the knowledge that his sister could certainly take care of herself,  and it felt misplaced when it came to titus.  with her promise,  he relaxed,  and nodded.    ❛  okay,  that’s what i thought,  it just sounded  —  intense.  ❜      the doorbell seemed to break them both from a spell he didn’t realize they were under,  and all at once the room seemed brighter,  and the troubles seemed secondary to his rumbling stomach.    ❛  oh, good,  ❜      he commented as she rose to head toward the door,  and yas went to grab some napkins from the kitchen,  but called over his shoulder toward where his sister was meeting the delivery person.    ❛  make sure he brought chopsticks,  and that sauce i like !  ❜ 

She shook her head at her brother’s question. She knew Titus and she knew him well. There was a time that Tas had harbored the biggest crush on him and probably saw the together as something more but it was all different now. So much had changed between them and this thing with the Cobras...it always drove a wedge between them. Besides, Tas wasn’t ready for that kind of talk about anyone. “It...well, it was intense. I won’t lie to you.” Boy, was she glad for the doorbell and the food. These conversations were never easy and truthfully, she’d only come to Yashu about it so it already felt overwhelming. “I got you!” She called out from the door, smiling at the delivery man before searching through the bags. “Rough night?” She gave him a decent tip and made her way back to the living room. “Chopsticks and Peanut dipping sauce! All in there. Ugh do you smell that tofu?” she cherished this time with her brother. They’ve always been inseparable and felt each other’s problems. It was the way they handled them that made them vastly different. Placing the cartons on her coffee table, Tas smiled at the selections they have made. “We’re pigs.”

“considering i still have boxes in my apartment? literal weeks.” there was still more to come, too — but she’d yet to decide if she wanted her archived research and articles around while here. ( that seemed too much like inviting trouble. ) mai reaches for the other’s hand, shaking it easily: happy for the conformation of identity. that would make it all the more easier for information, further down the line. “a woman sheriff. that was one of the last things i expected for this place, i have to admit.”

              she had basically forced him to go , not accepting no as an answer and had even bribed him for it.  still , he knew he should go to simply support his siblings in whatever endeavors they managed to get themselves into , but admittedly he also needed to loosen up.   he had yet to actually have fun during his time in america and while everyone was having fun he could not help but feel as if they should prepare for the worst.  the two had left at different times , anton stubbornly deciding to go later while she left with her own date.  he had not even caught a glimpse of her outfit so when he finally did he could not hide the look on his face. glass in his hand he made his way towards the woman who was observing a game of roulette.  “you know —- you said i would have fun. “

@oftasmaniandevil

             ‘  why  if  it  isn’t  my  favorite  sheriff  .  ‘  new  york  accent  is  thick  as  she  grins  towards  her  female  friend  .  truthfully  she  was  jealous  tas  could  have  the  best  of  both  worlds  but  her  moral  compass  wouldn’t  allow  her  to  bat  for  both  law  enforcement  and  the  cobras  .  nor  could  she  leave  the  cobras  ,  after  all  she  had  a  murder  to  solve  .  digits  pat  stool  next  to  her  ,  a  half  assed  attempt  to  get  the  sheriff  to  join  her  in  having  a  drink  .  gesturing  over  the  bartender  she  orders  two  more  drinks  ,  one  for  herself  and  one  for  her  company  .  ‘  so  tas  ,  any  juicy  town  gossip  you’re  willing  to  spill  to  your  cutest  friend  ?  ‘  / @oftasmaniandevil

   ╰ • ⊰ ☾ “ AYE, YE SURE are. “, gilles replied, a genuine smile tugging at his lips as he gladly returned her embrace. tas had always been a sight for sore eye – he would be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to her ; half of valdez probably had the hots for her and who could blame them ? and tonight, she looked drop dead gorgeous ( as if she’d stepped right out of the greatest gatsby ). “ right ? i dinnae believe they let me go. “, he replied, chuckling as he lifted a brow, hand digging into his pocket. “ why, thanks, lass. but truly, i cannae compare to ye. ye’re breathtaking. “, he sure meant it, too. “ oh, aye, i like it. haven’t been here very long, but it looks great. “. ⊱ • ╮

it was hard to relax at an event like this knowing that something bad could happen at any second. someone can get a little too drunk, or a little too mad, and guns could start blazing. micah didn’t want to be caught in that, but he was here for one thing only and the hell if anything was going to stop him. he was still trying to have a good time anyways, and when tas started to talk to him, he listened and didn’t purposely try to ignore her. “just a little.. it really does seem like we’re in a movie.” 

“enjoying myself as much as a newbie in town can.” mai shrugged easily, the smile following. her gaze flickered around the casino — dressed to the nines, no extravagance spared. if this was what it was like in valdez, maybe corruption ran deeper than she first thought. “my dress is nothing compared to yours.” she grinned just so. “i almost feel undressed.”

billie nodded, considering the other’s words “true, but at this point my camera is an extension of me, so would it really be one more thing?” she questioned playfully, she knew the woman had only the best intentions when suggesting it “oh thank you! that’s so kind of you, really have you seen yourself? drop dead gorgeous. seriously how do you do it?” she shook her head and placed her hands on her hips jokingly “i am actually, it’s nice to get out of the house and not go to sharp’s sometimes. can’t say i have,  do you have any recommendations?”

Tasmim smiled at the challenge, bumping Billie with her hip and laughing softly. “alright. You got me there, Peter Parker.” She knows the importance photography has in the younger woman’s life and how talented she is. A camera would have been great to capture a lot of the moments. At her compliment, she shook her head, her smile widening even more. “Why thank you. Old family secret. I can’t share everything now.” She laughed and looked over to the buffet, eyes beaming for she was starting to get hungry. “How do you feel about pigs in a blanket?”

when he’d first joined the savages, he’d been stubborn and incredibly capable of holding onto grudges. now, however, the older he got – the less able he became. deep down, stanley knew that most of the issues that had unfolded between the gangs weren’t intended to be personal, even personal losses and hurt had been created. right now, he had half clocked out for the evening and he wasn’t willing to display malice for anyone he didn’t feel personally attacked by. “no, it’s pretty great…though tell anyone that and i’ll kill you.” he raises a brow, mocks sincerity for a moment, before laughter splutters from his lips. maybe it was a joke made in bad taste, but he found himself using humour to distract himself from the concern eating away at his gut. he didn’t want anyone hurt this evening; savages, civilians or cobras for that matter. he wanted to be convinced that peace was possible, but he wasn’t idiotic enough to bet all his life on it. “i hope so too. i’d love to, i’m quenched.” he’ll admit, “what’s your usual tipple of choice then? i’ll have whatever drink you’re having.” 

Cam smiled and nodded at Tas. “Thank you so much, you know me. I can’t go anywhere without wearing the color pink.” She giggled. “I wanted to wear blue but, I couldn’t resist my one true calling that is..” She paused. “Pink.” Cam glanced around then, trying to track down a waiter. “Where do you think I can find one of those lovely waiters?” She asked. “I am parched.” 

❛  And yet somehow i’m still bored.  ❜ Myla sighed loudly and crossed her arms as she placed herself beside Tasmim. ❛  First of all, no one here has told me I’m pretty — a crime in and of itself. Secondly, their drinks suck. If I wanted to spend my evening drinking apple juice out of a fancy glass, I could have stayed home in my pajamas.  ❜ A gasp left her and she reached out to grip her friend by the shoulders. ❛  I am so sorry. I literally came over here to tell you something completely different. Let’s rewind, forget about my bitching for a sec.  ❜ She cleared her throat before beginning again. ❛  You look bangin’ hot and if you’re looking for someone to take home with you tonight, I volunteer.  ❜

“You’re bored?!” Tas wrapped an arm around Myla, an amused grin plastered across her face. “There’s so much to do. I just think you need to hang out with me until the night ends.” She listened intently and nodded as Myla listed off her reasoning for being bored, a soft chuckle slipping from her lips. “ok ok ok...that’s a lot to unpack right now.” She chuckled even more and shook her head at the compliment. “You’re kidding? You look gorgeous and if they haven’t told you it’s probably because they’re too busy gawking.” She gestured toward the bar. “Let’s have some drinks together, yeah?” 

Claire was bit taken aback by the embrace that Tas had captured her in, but it wasn’t entirely unwelcome at all. In fact, what she really needed was a good hub, one that wasn’t out of desperation or because things had gotten so messy that a hug was the only thing that would keep it all together. Just a hug. “Thank you…” she said, not so much quietly as she said calmly, like she was finally relaxing. She stiffened in a way that seemed so unlike her. Claire was actually nervous. “It’s so funny, I was getting ready with my best friend and I said…” she chuckled slightly as she wiped it off with a frown, “In the end, it won’t really matter what I’m wearing… because he’s the kind of guy who goes weak at the knees every time.”

 The holidays had pulled her into what felt like an eternal good mood and Tas wasn’t shy about it. She was prepared to share it with the people she cared about and of course, Claire fit that bill. “You’re going to be great and I’m really proud of what you’ve accomplished. We need to drink to that.” She chuckled and nodded at Claire’s words. “Exactly.” There was a glimmer in her eye. It was nice to see that Claire has found love. As much as Tas would tell herself she didn’t need that, moments like this made her somewhat curious but that was a thought for later. “He’s the luckiest guy in Valdez. That’s for sure.” 

he huffed a breath, if someone knew him good enough they would know it was the closer thing to a whine for zephyr. ❝ are you sure? not even the smallest chance? ❞ he asked, though by the half smile that was starting to pull at his lips it was obvious he was just talking for the sake of it. ❝ i wasn’t arguing on that. everyone went all out for tonight. ❞ he hummed in agreement, he could appreciate that at least. ❝ it’s just not my usual kind of party, y’know? ❞ he chuckled. ❝ i was trying to look sophisticated with this. ❞ ever so slightly shaking his empty glass, he grinned then, lifting two fingers when the bartender was in front of them. ❝ two bourbon on the rocks, please. ❞

“Maybe we can think of something to get you locked up for the rest of the night.” She chuckled, kidding of course and having no intention to drag Zephyr back to the station. She nodded at his words, completely understanding what he meant. Tas loved to dress up considering she didn’t usually get to so she did quite enjoy this sort of gala but also understood why someone wouldn’t. Chuckling at his words, she leaned against the bar. “You look fine and I know what you mean about it not being your usual kind of party. I don’t usually party at all so it’s a foreign concept, almost.”