ℍ𝕆𝕃𝕐 𝔻𝕀𝕍𝕀𝔻𝔼

The café was alive in the way she liked best, filled with people and low hum of conversation. Strangers tucked in close side by side and talking to one another while they waited for the performances to begin. It was also one of the times all her employees were together, operating with the efficiency of women that had spend years with one another. When the man walks in, polished shoes and tailored suit. Striding in without reserve, it is hard not to notice him. See the way that the air shifts with his entry in a way that it only does with beings that are a bit magic.

While she doesn't need it, can feel the difference and shift, small hands tug lightly at a lock of her hair at her nape. Telling her to pay attention. Even in a suit, there is a way he moves that seems entirely out of place in it. It may have been made, crafted for him but she had the distinct sense he was out of time and place.

In its own way, his politeness and normalness of his questions has her taking him in for a few seconds before replying. They too seeming out of place for man out of time and with a lilting accent that sounds like French, but older, somehow.

"Of course you can. It's open seating, if you can grab a spot you should. It will only get busier as the night goes and soon enough not even my blessing could get you a chair once the lights are down."

Giving him a tentative smile, some humor threading into her words she gently slides a near filled sign up list with names and their associated acts for him to look over.

"Both, neither. It is really up to whoever decides to sign up before 8 pm. Tonight, I think it will be two bands, three solo singers, four short poems and..."

Letting her warms eyes drift to the bottom of the list and tracing over the most recent entry upside down, a light laugh leaves her.

"And, apparently someone wants feedback on an essay."

Returning her gaze back to meet his, she straightens. Curiousity in her eyes as her head tilts slightly. Gentle, sincere, and inviting her question forms.

tension gathers between his shoulders at the mention of the place getting more crowded at the night goes on. suddenly, desi finds himself wishing he wasn't alone on this particular trip. on the other hand, a flash of emotion flits through him. anger that shadows still frighten him. fear of being restrained. manacles flash before his eyes before he has the chance to even try and shake the thought away. not that he ever can. they come and go as they please, ghosts haunting him time and time again.

" an essay? " a tight yet genuine grin finds his lips and the immortal finds himself looking up and around at the building, as if looking for some kind of secret menu. " very thorough service, that. and points to whoever has the courage to stand on stage to read the whole thing out loud. "

he wants to say something else. something about not burning herself out or a reminder to get fair compensation. business and all that. but, she strikes him as the type to go out of her way to help others. admirable, truly, but also something that can be easily taken advantage of.

desi closes his eyes at that last thought. it sounds more arthur than he likes to admit. while that certainly has it's place, this cafe isn't a battlefield. it's simply a stop on a long road with the added benefit of performance to accompany his meal.

" please, call me desi. it's much easier than what my parents chose to bestow upon me. " purely to feel himself again, he tacks on a very dramatic bow. " and i am a consumer of the arts in all it's forms. i play violin. that transgression is usually just between myself and four walls, however. " he holds up a hand as if to illustrate he is not holding a violin case.

" i'm simply passing through and the reviews here told me it would be the perfect place to stop. " the tension in his shoulders returns when he lets his gaze fall on the filling space. " the crowd reinforces that. "

you scared me to death .

there's nothing left to save now .

i don't think i caught your name .

i like it when you take control .

you're sacred and they're starved .

how dare you ? and how could you ?

one of us is gonna lose .

i don't even really know how it happened .

i'm out of sympathy for you .

just let me hold you .

don't talk about me like you might know how i feel .

try not to abuse your power .

i wish someone had told me i'd be doing this by myself .

it's not like me to be so mean .

you just want what you can't have .

would you like me to be quiet ?

i haven't slept since sunday .

i don't want to want you .

it hurts , but i know how to hide it .

i'm the only one who does it how you like .

you better keep your head down .

a lot can change in twenty seconds .

why aren't you scared of me ?

i thought that i was special .

you're looking at me like i'm see-through .

you were a hero , you played the part .

i never really know how to please you .

see what you wanna see .

gold's fake , and real love hurts .

no way , i'll call the cops .

maybe you should leave before i get too mean .

i just wanted to protect you .

you only listen to your fuckin' friends .

they're never gonna give you love like ours .

all you wanna do is kiss me .

don't you know too much already ?

it's weird that we care so much until we don't .

i didn't change my number , i changed who i reply to .

i don't know what feels true .

did you really think this is the right thing to do ?

i would hate to see you go .

i'd never treat me this shitty .

i'll only hurt you if you let me .

you made me feel like it was my fault .

now i know what you are .

i feel more and more like i was made for you .

you wanna kill me ? you wanna hurt me ?

don't try to make me feel bad .

wait , you know what ? maybe just forget it .

was i made from a broken mold ?

you want me to be yours , then you've gotta be mine .

tell me "nothing lasts" , like i don't know .

wait a minute , let me finish .

you know i'm not your friend without some greenery .

my demands aren't high to make .

stop , what the hell are you talking about ?

we both know i'm worth waiting for .

you ruined everything good .

you really know how to make me cry .

your love feels so fake .

i wanna be alone . alone with you , does that make sense ?

spit it out , what is it exactly ?

i'll never let you go .

if we were meant to be , we would've been by now .

you can pretend that you don't miss me .

just fucking leave me alone .

don't say i didn't warn you .

it's pretty cool , right ?

i think i might have fallen in love .

i tried not to upset you .

do you even feel anything ?

don't ask questions , you don't wanna know .

i've been walking through a world gone blind .

i just wanna make you feel okay .

i know you don't care , but can you listen ?

finally kissing the person you’ve been pining for .

a kiss shared during a game  ( truth or dare ,  spin the bottle ,  etc ) .

kissing your lover to show you forgive them .

neck kisses that turn into love bites .

wiping away your lover’s tears as you kiss them .

a kiss to prove you don’t have feelings for them .

a last kiss before one goes away .

biting your lover’s lip amidst a kiss .

an emotional kiss bringing one party to tears .

a kiss while being reunited after a long time .

kissing your lover in a moment of sheer joy .

a kiss while slow dancing .

sharing a spontaneous kiss with a stranger .

an abrupt ,  heated kiss during the middle of a fight .

kissing them to shut them up .

a kiss to wake your lover up in the morning .

sharing a kiss in a heavy downpour of rain .

kissing your partner to seal a marriage .

a possessive kiss that is meant to stake a claim .

a kiss to resolve suppressed romantic/sexual tension .

a kiss attempting to convince the other party to stay .

kissing the top of their head as you hold them .

a risky kiss between forbidden lovers .

stolen kisses while hiding away from a crowd .

a kiss that leaves lipstick stains .

a kiss shared on a rooftop while the sun sets .

a flirtatious kiss on the back of the hand .

sneaking off to a public bathroom to make out .

a kiss on the forehead as the other sleeps .

an  ( accidental / mutually )  drunken kiss .

caging your lover against a wall with your arms to kiss them .

a kiss after joining your lover in the shower .

a kiss after receiving good news .

a tentative ,  exploratory kiss between friends .

a kiss shared between enemies during combat .

kissing your lover after believing you’d lost them .

a kiss after a devastating event ,  meant to comfort .

a possessive kiss in front of a jealous third party .

kissing your lover under the night sky while stargazing .

a kiss between two people in a fake relationship .

a kiss that seals a promise .

kissing your lover lazily first thing in the morning .

holding your lover by the jaw to kiss them .

kissing the tears from their cheeks .

a kiss to your lover’s stomach as you travel down their body .

an abrupt kiss that you melt into after a moment of hesitation .

sleepy ,  domestic morning kisses in the kitchen while making breakfast .

a rushed kiss before one party leaves for work .

“Are you cold?”

“Where’d you put it?”

“You got this for me…?”

“Did you hear the news?”

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Did you seriously buy that?”

“How long ago did it happen?”

“Who do you have a crush on?”

“What are you doing out here?”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Did you have anyone in mind?”

“Have there been any updates?”

“Do you want to go out with me?”

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

“Did you make this? It’s beautiful!”

“You’re sticking to that story, huh?”

“Do you need something to drink?”

“I didn’t catch that, what’d you say?”

“Can I make you something to eat?”

“Why are you the way that you are?”

“You sound like a frog, are you sick?”

“How have you survived for so long?”

“Did you hear anything else about it?”

“What happened? This wasn’t like this.”

“You mind if I crash here for the night?”

“Do you want to just… get out of here?”

“Do you think I deserve to be forgiven?”

“What, you’ve never been here before?”

“Hold on, where’s this all coming from?”

“Does that sound like its getting closer?”

“Have you ever been to (place) before?”

“Why can’t you be honest with yourself?”

“Do you need somewhere to stay tonight?”

“I… I don’t understand, what’s happening?”

“Why do you let them talk to you like that?”

“Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?”

“Do you think people can earn forgiveness?”

“How long have you been dealing with this?”

“Why don’t you admit when you need help?”

“Why don’t you ever tell the truth, not ever?”

“Do you honestly expect me to believe that?”

“What makes you think I don’t care about you?”

“Why do you think you can get away with this?”

“How long have you been hiding this from me?”

“Who made you feel like you don’t deserve love?”

“Are you okay…? ‘Cause you don’t seem very okay.”

“Do you think you have feelings for (her/him/them)?”

“Why can’t you be honest about what you’re feeling?”

“What makes you think this is going to end well for you?”

“Seriously, you’re telling me you’ve never tried it before?”

“Do you think you’re better than everyone else, is that it?”

“Really? Do you really think that little of me that you think I’d do that?”

“Are you cold?”

“Where’d you put it?”

“You got this for me…?”

“Did you hear the news?”

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Did you seriously buy that?”

“How long ago did it happen?”

“Who do you have a crush on?”

“What are you doing out here?”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Did you have anyone in mind?”

“Have there been any updates?”

“Do you want to go out with me?”

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

“Did you make this? It’s beautiful!”

“You’re sticking to that story, huh?”

“Do you need something to drink?”

“I didn’t catch that, what’d you say?”

“Can I make you something to eat?”

“Why are you the way that you are?”

“You sound like a frog, are you sick?”

“How have you survived for so long?”

“Did you hear anything else about it?”

“What happened? This wasn’t like this.”

“You mind if I crash here for the night?”

“Do you want to just… get out of here?”

“Do you think I deserve to be forgiven?”

“What, you’ve never been here before?”

“Hold on, where’s this all coming from?”

“Does that sound like its getting closer?”

“Have you ever been to (place) before?”

“Why can’t you be honest with yourself?”

“Do you need somewhere to stay tonight?”

“I… I don’t understand, what’s happening?”

“Why do you let them talk to you like that?”

“Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?”

“Do you think people can earn forgiveness?”

“How long have you been dealing with this?”

“Why don’t you admit when you need help?”

“Why don’t you ever tell the truth, not ever?”

“Do you honestly expect me to believe that?”

“What makes you think I don’t care about you?”

“Why do you think you can get away with this?”

“How long have you been hiding this from me?”

“Who made you feel like you don’t deserve love?”

“Are you okay…? ‘Cause you don’t seem very okay.”

“Do you think you have feelings for (her/him/them)?”

“Why can’t you be honest about what you’re feeling?”

“What makes you think this is going to end well for you?”

“Seriously, you’re telling me you’ve never tried it before?”

“Do you think you’re better than everyone else, is that it?”

“Really? Do you really think that little of me that you think I’d do that?”

with the help of some very talented and amazing friends, i present to you an unexpected, very spontaneous meme list based on the beautiful art of cupping someone's face! there's a mix of romantic and platonic here, and even a few that defy the boundaries of normal relationship dynamics! i hope you enjoy! as always; DO NOT ADD TO THIS LIST NOR CLAIM IT AS YOUR OWN!

[KISS]: sender cups the receivers face in their hands before drawing them closer for a kiss.

[CHECK]: after an unexpectedly violent situation, sender frantically rushes to check if the receiver is okay, cupping their face to look closer.

[CLEAN]: sender affectionately wipes a smudge of sauce from the corner of the receiver's mouth, cupping their face in the process.

[LIFT]: sender gently cups the receiver's face and lifts their chin so the receiver is looking up at them.

[COMFORT]: sender cups a distressed receiver's face in their hands and steadies them by resting their foreheads together.

[ATTENTION]: during an important conversation, the sender takes the receiver's face in their hands and firmly directs their focus on them.

[MAKE-UP]: while applying make-up on the receiver's face, the sender cups their face in order to keep them still.

[PRIDE]: after the receiver succeeds in a remarkable achievement, the sender cups their face and tilts their foreheads together to express how proud they are of them.

[WHISPER]: in order to have a private, hushed conversation with the receiver, the sender cups their face and draws them close to make sure they can be heard.

[HAIR]: in the process of pushing the receiver's hair back from their face, the sender lets their hand rest against the receiver's cheek a moment longer.

[GROUND]: during a moment of intense emotional stress, the sender gently takes the receiver's face in their hands to ground them until they're calmer again.

[WONDER]: unable to comprehend how incredible the receiver is, the sender decides to simply cup their face in their hands and marvel at them instead.

[LAST LOOK]: before going into a situation that may result in their death, the sender takes a moment to cup the unaware receiver's face in their hand, just to take a final look of admiration at them before they go.

[SACRIFICE]: the sender cups the receiver's face tenderly to distract them, right before shoving them out of the way (to safety) and facing an attack alone in order to buy the receiver enough time to escape.

[BELIEF]: in a moment where the receiver is lacking in self-confidence, the sender cups their face tenderly and professes their faith in the receiver's abilities.

[DISBELIEF]: after the receiver has done something completely unexpected (and reckless) the stunned sender cups their face in their hands while trying to get them to explain why the hell they did it.

[BETRAYAL]: trying to keep the receiver calm before the big reveal, the sender cups their face gently to keep them steady, and then reveals that they're the villain.

[WOUND]: after the receiver has been wounded, the sender tries to keep them calm and conscious by cupping their face in their hands and talking to them to keep them focused.

[INJURY]: after having been badly wounded themselves, the sender tries to reassure the frantic receiver by cupping their face and comforting them.

AARON TAYLOR JOHNSON

Cortana's reassurances that this was, in fact, a safe way to travel and her reminders that should an emergency arise his armor was, actually, stored in a trunk in the cargo hold of the charter plane that he could get to if necessary did very close to nothing to make John feel any more at ease as he made his way up the stairs into the bowel of the aircraft. He had studied the schematics and science behind the aeronautic vehicles - they were primitive at best, in comparison to what he was used to flying in but ... it wasn't as if he'd had much of a choice.

Not if he wanted to actually make it to Thermopylae. He'd quickly eliminated boat passage, especially since he was not willing to leave his suit behind. Not when he had yet to find a place that was secure enough for his or Cortana's comfort.

At least Cortana had managed to find an option other than commercial flights. They'd taken one look at the estimated leg room and luggage restrictions and ruled that out immediately. The fact this particular flight provided far less invasion of privacy and more comfort was worth the additional price - not that the currency that Cortana had created (or stolen) meant much to him. It wasn't money that he had earned, but she assured him that on one would actually miss it and it wasn't compromising anyone's ability to live or function.

The same money had bought the clothes that he wore, a dusky gray suit and cream shirt, olive green tie and matching pocket square, tie pin, cuff links, watch, wallet and various electronics that Cortana had insisted on as being necessary to travel in this manner without arousing much suspicion. He felt like a monkey in a tuxedo. A curt, quick sweep of the other occupants and the lay out of the chartered plane was given as he ducked in through the door frame, a thanks muttered roughly towards the attendant as she showed him to his seat.

as much as desiderius wanted to own his own plane, there was a lot of logistics he still hadn't figured out. technology and documentation in the modern world made things like that a lot harder. there'd been a time when he could simply up, move, and start all over in a new city with no one being any wiser.

then again, people usually came to him, so going through the hassle of paperwork wasn't really worth it when he'd only use said plane once in a blue moon. arthur would find private accommodations much more practical. he spent too much time around andromache and her paranoia, though.

plus, these little chartered flights were private enough that desi didn't get too worked up over the other people. harder to sneak up on him when he was perched in the corner closest to the flight deck. everyone except the stewardess had to talk towards the back for the restroom. the smell of coffee was generally enough to ground him through the clicking and the clanging of locking everything back into place.

with the table folded down and the tablet propped up in front of him, desi takes a sip of the small glass of red wine set down by the stewardess. an image flashes in front of him of an old spartan helmet against a white background. historical artifacts weren't usually his department but, where there was a market he was willing to dip his toes in for an established client. one of which, had an obsession with the greco-persian wars.

when the hulk of a man first sat down near him, desi's first instinct was to become smaller. the way the man filled the plane's small door frame brought back a memory of a shadow against another such structure. once the immortal realized the other man's discomfort, however, he started to relax into the oversized seat. the man's face helped a little in that department, too.

desiderius "desi" mathieu

july 25, 1392

600+ ( first death at 27 )

sion, valais ( switzerland )

green eyes

reddish brown, wavy hair to the shoulders ( often in a ponytail )

5'10"

cismale ( he/ him )

panromantic pansexual

mercenary / entrepreneur

FAMILY.

father: claus mother: hannah siblings: prisca ( older sister ) extended: arthur pruitt, remy mazza

SKILLS.

hand to hand combat ( dagger & pike proficiency )

multilingual: english, french, swiss french, german, bavarian, russian, burgundian, romansh, italian, greek, turkish

rock climbing

violin

guitar

reading

easy demeanor

HISTORY.

1398: his father brings home prisca to live with them because her parents die in an accident.

1412: hannah lost to a fever

1419: first “ death “ during the raron affair ( the second battle of ulrichen while trying to ambush the bernese army ), which was a rebellion between several cantons and the swiss confederacy.

1421: battle of baugé, after taking refuge in france while he wraps his head around why he’s still alive, he fights alongside them to hold back the english.

1422: learns of his father’s death, assumed to be of natural causes.

1428: beginning of the siege of orléans.  he stayed with the french army after the success near angers because it felt so much like home.  fights alongside joan of arc.

1498: after wandering ( and fighting ) his way through france, ends up in italy where he finds refuge in the republic of venice.  becomes entangled in the war of the league of cambrai.

1500: meets leonardo di vinci while he’s staying with servite monks in santissima annunziata ( florence )|

1504: the unveiling of the statue of david in the piazza della signoria

1572: meets arthur while in the employ of william i’s mercenary army, fighting for the dutch republic

1999: founds trysor inc. in a joint venture with arthur & vinny.

VERSES.

The rest of the half sandwich he held was demolished in quick succession, mostly so he could free up both hands, fingers itching to tease through the freshly tousled curls again, to curl in against Desi's waist and hold, tighten, grip. And so they did, fingers digging in against the cloth there, that way he did every so often as if to convince himself that it was real, that Desi was here, still here, after all this time, and to hold to him, in that moment, to make sure he didn't vanish into thin air. Not that Amos would ever stop him, if he wanted to go. But it was nice ... it was necessary, sometimes, just to be reminded that he was here. Fingers twined, twisted a streak of curls around fingers that were permanently calloused, scarred, that had been shattered more times than Amos could remember. Fingers that had caused more harm than good, but that for one reason or another, Desi still let touch him. Know him.

His gaze doesn't settle directly on Desi's as the immortal speaks. He still doesn't quite know how to do that, when things like this get spoken of. Maybe he never will. But he doesn't flinch at the gentle taps, or shy away from the words, or the emotion, or the truth in them. In his mortal days? He would've shunned them. Scoffed at them. Hell, even in the first decades that they'd been together, he had found them disconcerting. Deceitful, even. He had always been more monster than man. Dying only made that more true. It had taken him a long time to accept that Desi actually cared. Actually accepted him, as he was. It was still hard, sometimes. But he knew it was an immutable truth.

The sun rose in the east and set in the west.

sometimes the insecurity within him wondered whether or not amos believed him. yet, the logical part of him combatted that by reminding him amos would also not stay if he believed desi to be a liar. still, his heart always got a little heavier with the expression that came over his lover's face when heavy emotions became the focal point of their conversation. in this instance, just how fucking important amos burton was to desiderius mathieu. how desi would burn everything down in the ways he knew how in order to protect a man the world tried to tear apart. or anyone who dared call him an animal, for that matter. acting differently did not mean evil and it showed just how little people made space for the trauma of other people.

they'd all been through hard things, he wanted to remind amos sometimes. somehow that felt like reducing everything the other man went through into something quantifiable. his point was, however, that the monster didn't make the man. especially in the line of work most of them had fallen into as immortals. bad things or bad circumstances did not make bad people. not always.

desi didn't say that, either. instead, he relishes in the softness of the moment. a lump forms in his throat from the strength of emotion he feels in amos's words.

" you've stolen my heart, too. and i hope you never give it back. " a soft, gentle kiss punctuates the sentiment. chills flow down the center of the immortal's spine and knees carefully squeeze the body standing in between them. selfish of him, for sure. most days desi had no idea where he ended and amos began. time and distance never dulled the sensation. not even when he'd been tossed into a dark, damp cage for someone to play with.

He offers merely a grunt at Desi's comments about Arthur, although there is a brief flicker of amusement in his expression, mostly lost in the creased forehead as he focuses in on the last task at hand -- he knows trying to get much more work done with Desi here would either lead to him missing a step in his work, or missing something that had been implied or even outright stated in the conversation. Straightening, he sets the tools down with a dull thunk, reaching for the rag at his waist to strip off at least some of the residual grease and dirt on his hands. "Not like Arthur's the only pretty boy in the world," he points out, closing the distance to the work bench to retrieve half of the sandwich, downing half of that in two bites that he squirrels away into a cheek, swallowed down a moment later by a still scalding swallow of the coffee.

amos reaching out is the perfect opportunity to lean forward enough to wrap his own arms around his lover's neck. even when heavy grease make's it's way down his nose those arms stay put for the sake of the message he wants to send. an eyebrow raises, though. very rarely did he feel prompted to say what was heavy on his heart, mainly because he thought it was understood between them. was it? desiderius had no idea since he wasn't usually adult enough to ask. maybe that was worth talking about, too.

" i don't really care how many pretty people are out in the world, " head cants to the side. auburn rivulets slide across his shoulder, just asking to be tied away. for once, desi's tone is serious. this wasn't a time to be playful between them. although, that would return soon enough. " i love you, amos burton. you're the one i come to and the one i will never stop coming home to. whatever - whoever - we do in our spare time, you're where my heart is. "