misery business

“You really should meet my sisters sometime. I think you’d get along well with them, always trying to kill me one way or another.” Ben laughed, taking the sandwich and humming as he chewed. Of course, he hadn’t spoken to his family since - well, since Rosie’s funeral, but it was still nice to think about the what ifs. And what better place to play pretend than at your enemies’ wedding? “That’s actually not a bad sandwich and I hate that I just said that. Anyway, fess up - how much did your dress cost? Assuming that you didn’t steal it for shits and gigs.” 

Ryan smiled, bright and sincere. She linked their arms together, tugging him along the buffet table towards the dessert section. “It’s God’s work, Ben. Our shoulders have been burdened with such glorious purpose.” Ryan filed Ben’s life into three sections: before, during, and after. Before, of course, was Rosie and family and running on the high of love through the streets of New York. Ben barely talked about before, but Ryan never pushed as someone who didn’t talk about hers either. Still, there was something about the wedding and the crowds and declarations of love that made it easy to play pretend that their before’s were tangible, reachable things. “Well, let’s just say, the term ‘could feed a small nation,’probably wouldn’t be amiss in this situation. Don’t I look absolutely fabulous?”

The sun, almost as if it knew the unheavenly creatures it beamed down upon, dimmed. She might have shivered, but Kat had known colder days than these - true bleakness, true weakness. She liked to think of herself as inhuman now, unbound by the laws of nature. Why not? They had, after all, named her for a Titan. A sinister playfulness dancing on her lips, Kat turned to her companion, matter of fact.“Some pigs squeal faster than others. I don’t waste my time with them.” Her craft was a work of art, a delicate brutality, to be treasured. “All you have to do is flash a knife and it’s all - oh, please don’t kill me, I have children.” As if that mattered. “They’re almost as bad as the ones who don’t think a woman is capable of inflicting such pain. It’s Schwachsinn.”

Ryan turned to the other woman with a laugh, bright and lovely. Oh, to be so picky. She remembered when she liked the ones who begged, who pleaded and spilled secrets and stories with just the flash of a knife or gun. It used to be so easy, to be above it all, to be better when she never got her hands dirty. How quickly that had changed after the first, after the second, third, and countless others. “Only the best for our sunshine, no? As if our fearless leader who bore you with someone so easy.” She tucked a strand of Kat’s hair behind her ear, smiling sweetly. “We do a very thorough job with people like that though, don’t we? Nothing quite like sending my Louboutins through their throats.”

Love. Erik paused and gave Ryan a once-over, feeling more threatened than anything else. “I’m just not a big fan of socializing.” It wasn’t entirely untrue - half the time, he did prefer the company of his own horses than to hang around a bunch of gunslingers. “Look, I don’t want any trouble. If you want me to go, I’ll go, but I’m not here on business.” 

Ryan leaned into the drug manufacturer’s space. “Funny place for an introvert.” She leaned back, covering her smile with a hand, sweet and demure as she glanced at the dealer for a brief moment. “Stay, stay. I’m hardly the one you should be scared of, anyways. I’m only here as a friend after all.”

The Metropolitan Museum of Art OPEN

“These are…interesting.” The tiny hors d’oeuvres stared stared back at him from what seemed like a plate made out of marble. He’d never really thought much about weddings before, but this - all of this seemed a little over the top, and he was almost glad he’d come, if only to quietly scowl at the Olympians. “Here, you try it and let me know if it’s actually any good.” 

Ryan tilted her head to the left, eyeing the itty bitty versions of food she probably wouldn’t eat on a regular basis. She’d never been to a wedding she was actually invited to before (if one could say she was invited to this one), but she could appreciate the over the top dramatics and needlessly but wonderfully expensive clothing choices. Picking up one of the mini sandwiches, she attempted to stuff the entire thing into her mouth at once. Chewing happily, she picked another one up and motioned for the older man to open his mouth. “I’m not dead yet, but if I’m going down because of a bad sandwich at this big fat Greek wedding, I need you to join me.”

Ryan Lee (Rahy-uh n Lee)

noun.

1. so lovely, all dark eyes and red lips and a laugh that sounds like the end of the world 2. set fires to feel alive, be careful not to get burned as well 3. half heaven, half hell 4. a cutie with a bat. a cutie with a gun. a cutie with nothing to lose. 5. melts in your mouth saccharine sweet, goes down your throat like hard whiskey 6. what is it to be a conquerer? a magician? honey on your tongue, spin lies sugar sweet, sickly sweet

Synonyms: daredevil, princess, survivor, power, girl reborn, hurricane

Kat had always liked nursery rhymes, catchy little phrases she could dangle from her lips. But most of all, she loved their sinister origins. It was darkness masked by poetry. Just like her. The words rang in her mind - Ring-a-ring o’ roses, a pocket full of posies, A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down , the old man bumped his head, went to bed and couldn’t get up in the morning and “Eeny meeny miny moe.” That one she said, words exhaled to the air, her lone witness. Soft speech under rosebud lips, she rose her gaze to survey the landscape, the ships passing in without comment. Trespassing on what had been declared Old Olympus ground, she felt rebellion hum underneath her veins. Sharp ears picking up on a disturbance to her left, Kat’s expression of indifference melted into a faux-tamed smile. “Catch a mobster by its toe. If it hurts…” Drawing out the words, she inhaled sharply. “Let it go?”

It was a question.

If Ryan had to rank the Titans, Kat would definitely find herself in the top five. They were closest in age, two girls with talented fingers and bloody hands and a childhood so tragic it could come out of a ‘wrong side of the tracks’ Lifetime movie. Ryan stepped next to older girl, humming along to the familiar nursery rhyme as they walked. Enemy territory was always a fun place to be, with the rush of adrenaline that came with danger. Still, she liked the docks, with its salty sea breeze and little secrets hidden on little boats with little men. 

She pursed her pink lips into a pout at the question. “Wouldn’t that be boring? I don’t like finishing things that...quickly.”

Tartarus Casino OPEN

“Crap. I’ll fold.” Tossing his cards onto the table, Erik leaned back against the chair, watching the rest of the players in annoyance. He turned his head to the side for a breath and saw someone a little too familiar, expression falling. “ - and I thought I’d get some alone time here.”

Ryan liked the casino, for what it was worth. Never a boring night, even if she had to discipline more than few patrons for their less than ideal behavior. Noticing a familiar face losing almost tragically at poker, she waltzed over with a smile sharper than her favorite knives. “So cruel, love. You’re breaking my heart.”

etna weaponry open

One of the most difficult parts of the month had finally arrived, and Henry wished it could wait another day — but alas, dusting couldn’t be ignored when the flecks danced in the sunlight and threatened sneezes. 

Moving about the shop with a duster in hand wasn’t the most threatening appearance, and though they wouldn’t want to dissuade genuine customers, they did have to work harder than most others to be taken seriously. Reaching for the top shelf on their tip toes — and failing more than once due to adjusting their stance on the prosthetic — wasn’t the best approach. 

Still, cleanliness was important, and it had to be done. Their father had done this type of work beforehand, and they would follow his footsteps, no matter if it was meager work. Though there was nothing to be said about a few sighs slipping through their lips every ten minutes or so. 

But then, a flicker of a shadow snatched their attention, and Henry stepped from the corner of the room, clucking their tongue with almost every step. 

“Oh c’mon, you know better than to do that here.”

There was something to be said about brand loyalty. Olympus, both old and new, found themselves at Etna Weaponry’s front door when in need for fire power. It’s as Mom and Pop as a gun shop can get, passing down its keys from generation to generation for longer than’s she’s been alive. New York City’s favorite NRA wet dream wrapped in a tidy little package to block out the amount of mobsters it supplies.

Mallie would throw a fit if he knew she was here. The older man didn’t want to admit to it, but he wasn’t pleased with competition of any kind. Even just mentioning the shop had him gritting his teeth. It was hilarious.

She entered the shop with a sugar sweet smile, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she stepped out of the cold. She’d been to a fair share of weaponries and gun shops, but this was probably the first time she’d seen someone dusting all the shelves. They were even on their tip toes. Covering her smile with a hand, she pulled her phone out to take a selfie to tease the others with later, only to pause when the owner spoke.

She giggled behind her hand, tucking her phone back into her pocket.

“Selfie-free zone?”

Ryan’s Apartment @ryvnlee

Even with his own sisters, Ben always tried to be the good brother. Not too strict, not too overwhelming, but not irresponsible, either. Of course, he’d completely fallen out of touch with Sara and Tiffany a long time ago, but  he never quite stopped being a brother. Especially not with one Ryan Lee around. He’d tried to keep things light-hearted when he was texting her, but it was impossible to shake off that dreadful feeling of what if. What if it’d been worse? What if she’d died? He tried to keep his mind from going to those places as he picked up the boxes of Chinese food from their favorite place around the corner, heading straight towards the familiar apartment and knocking at the door without hesitation.

“Hey, Ry-Lee, I brought you something,” He said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible though he was just about two seconds away from knocking down the door himself so he could see her face. “C’mon, let me in. I know you’re hungry because last I checked, someone was feeling a little bit…murdery, and I know how much energy you’ve wasted being mudery. So let me see you and fix you up, okay?”

It had been a long time since she had been a younger sibling. Vanessa was gone, dead in the ground and buried with the ruins of a girl who had once been Alexandra. Shedding her past and her name had been horrifically easy when she took Atlas’s hand and joined the Titans, but she couldn’t stop the way she looked at Ben and saw a reflection of her older sister. They were different people, from different worlds, but the steady hand and the way he took everything she was without hesitation made her stop and wonder. That was why she texted him, why she wanted him to come. She had never liked the feeling of needing another person, but she thought she could eventually deal with needing Ben.

She pushed herself up from where she had lain down on the couch, groaning softly. Experience made her good at first aid and pain wasn’t new, but she still hated the soreness that came with injury. The bubbling anger that couldn’t be let loose here. Opening the door, she plastered a carefree smile on her face. “Right as always, I am ravenous and I smell Chinese food. You really are spoiling me, Benjy.”

It was so easy to loop his arm around Ryan’s waist, look up at her with eyes that were both adoring and untrusting. He wasn’t another one of her marks or toys. He’d seen the cruelty under her sweet beauty more than once, and even if he’d trust her with his back in a fight and trust her to keep him alive, he truly didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her. “Oh, Ryan, my darling, you caught me. I am absolutely lost in your eyes and never want you to leave my side- Please, don’t ever leave me. It’d kill me.” His voice was completely monotone, and when he finished speaking he blinked at her once as if he were batting his lashes.

It didn’t take much to make the hitman bubble with laughter however, and soon enough he was chuckling at his own jokes. “You just like them because they’re easy targets and they’re fun to fuck with. Not exactly confidence inspiring or making me want to like them.”

Ryan smiled sweetly, twisting her fingers into his hair gently. She liked Bastien, she truly did, even despite his clear disdain for the darker parts of her personality. A bit hypocritical, considering his job, but she liked him still. Trusted him as one of her best friends and one of the few people who haven’t tragically disappointed her yet. And wasn’t that sad, one of her best friends hated something she could never and will never change? 

“Sweet, sweet Bastien, how your words set my soft heart a flutter. Your love is but the sole reason my lungs continue to breathe and my heart to beat.”

She laughed, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she turned her eyes to the crowd milling around them. “Well, you know, eat the rich. Just think of us as cuter Robin Hoods with better clothes and more ammo.””

Ben: "Not dying" is definitely not the same thing as "I'm okay."

Ben: I'm coming over with food and meds. Don't fall asleep on me.

Ryan: I'm that too :):):)

Ben: I'm not going to grace that with a response.

Ben: Who was it?

Ben: How badly did you get hurt?

Ryan: You're no fun :(

Ryan: Lovely lovely Athena, ya know she can pack a hit

“Making play a synonym to handle is dangerous.” Sebastian responds, choosing to ignore the commentary on family. Family had been nothing in Sebastian’s life - a tumor, a virus. A mistake. This was different, better. 

He would not call it a family.

“But I suppose I’ve got a thing or two for your perusal.”

“Handle sounds so boring. It makes me sound like a fifty year old whose on one last joy ride before I kick the bucket in a spectacularly boring and underwhelming fashion. Besides, danger is our business, don’t you think?”

Ben: Alright, so at least you're okay. What happened now?

Ben: Please don't do anything rash or anything I wouldn't do.

Ben: Which is almost everything.

Ryan: Got into a fight :((((( but you should see the other girl

Ryan: Ben I'm going to need you to give me some wiggle room

Ryan: like don't do anything Bas wouldn't do

He took a drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke away from the both of them before taking another sip from his drink. He felt a little bad about essentially pushing the other girl away, but he knew she’d find somebody to talk to quickly enough. His attention returned to the woman before him. 

He reached up with his cigarette-holding hand and scratched his chin, his smirk growing back into a smile, white teeth peeking out from behind his lips. “Well, I’m glad I could help with that,” he said before he sipped the last bit of his drink from his red cup.

Taking another quick drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke away over his shoulder, Russ cleared his throat before speaking. “Can’t let a pretty lady like you suffer boring conversation in a place like this. By the way, I’m Russ.”

He looked better smiling than smirking, although smoking was a nasty little habit. Alas, New York City was thriving with bad habits and this was hardly amongst the worst. Some might say murder was a nasty little habit too. She smiled sweetly up at him, watching him through her lashes. He got rid of boring company, at least, and seemed to be decent enough to not try to pull a power move and blow smoke in her face. 

“My knight in shining armor. She’s lovely, but unfortunately not the best conversationalist.” Ryan laughed, swirling her drink around in her cup. That was an understatement, the girl had been absolutely dull and almost a complete waste of time, but the exceptionally bitchy part of her felt nice for once. Maybe it was the lights. Maybe it was how much she actually had a good time tonight. Maybe.

“Russ.” Her smile grew. “I’m Ryan. I’d say I’ve never seen you around before, but that brings me back a little too close to high school and the really bad pick up lines we all thought were really smooth.”

Ben: Please tell me that you still have all your limbs.

Ben: Or at least that you're still alive.