#skeletonites

When it came to the company Kamryn kept, very few were common. She hung around the usual party goers, but few knew her past the mask she wore to them. A handful, maybe, maybe less. Most of her favorites came from the Lusty Lady, but she had a life outside of her job. She went to parties that didn't involve her stripping, and when she did, she often found likeminded people who wanted to spend time with her. Valentino was one of the ones she liked to go around with, preferring his company over select others. She wasn't sure what it was that had drawn her to him in the first place, but whatever it was kept her coming back. She guessed it was the fact that he fit into her aesthetic: tall, undeniably godlike, an aura of being untouchable. She knew he was beneath her, in the species spectrum (in her eyes), but she had a feeling if he was granted the unearthly looks that came with being Meyrfolks... The world wouldn't be able to contain him.

A beautiful creature to keep on her arm though, he was fit enough to scare off the pathetic animals that came crawling for her attention, threw hissy fits when they didn't get it. Attractive enough that he didn't make her seem out of place, together, they turned heads. She knew that, too. When the iconic duo walked into a building, everyone turned to look at them. She admired the power his presence gave her, also. Put her up higher on a pedestal, made her seem even more untouchable. And on a personal level, he was right to talk to. She could share her thoughts, and he wouldn't shoot them down, but instead help her elaborate on it. Perhaps she fed off his power too much, knowing that something deathly rippled underneath his perfect complexion. She'd watched him get mouthy enough times when he got a little too drunk to know damn well he wasn't all bark and no bite. Knew he didn't need the supernatural upper hand in regular fights, also. Power was always what she was drawn to, after all. She only surrounded herself with the elite of the elite.

So when she went out, she dragged him with her. A damn good thing she did, too. A rough night at work had her itching to unwind, downing shot after shot after shot until she couldn't see straight. Stars floated around the room as it spun, and so did she. Around and around until she began to drop, laughter echoing off the walls: the sound magic in itself. A call she would've used in the sea to lure men to their deaths. In this situation? It was used with no intention, slipping out in her drunken fun. Arms slipped around her before she could hit the floor, though, and she found herself twirling, the beads of her dress flaring out. Her lips pulled upwards, showing off the perfect pearly whites she had. Her eyes were met with the delightful sight of her friend, who was most definitely not as drunk as she was. Good call, she found herself thinking, right call on choosing him.

"My babbbbyyyy," the word was a giggle, the world spinning a hundred miles an hour around them. At least she had Valentino to keep her stable, dainty hands clutching his forearms as her body swayed with the movement of the room. She wasn't sure if she could walk anywhere. "Too many tequila shots, darling. Tooooo many." A laugh left her again, her body leaning forward, one arm raising, stretching up so she could tap his nose. God, she imagined the upcoming hangover would be unbearable. The downfall of the party life, but at least she could sleep all day and ignore it. She feared she couldn't say the same for the man strung about with her wild night. A second passed, and suddenly, she was being scooped up into his arms, hers hanging around his neck. It wouldn't be the first time he had to carry her out of a party; it most definitely wouldn't be the last.

@skeletonites​ said: “I’m worried about you.” ( valentino )

NO ONE HAD EVER   worried about kamryn. even when she was beneath the surface of the sea, violently going off the deep end her own flesh and blood had never so much as uttered the the word worried in her direction. her violent outbursts were always brushed off as apart of her nature or her dramatic attitude. but that was because they were meyrs. unbothered by the silly mortal coil that existed within the landlovers. something that kamryn had never really, truly, understood on any level. the desire to keep those around you happy was one she did not possess. at least.... not until him. 

valentino had come into her life like a whirlwind. a storm of beauty and familiarity she’d quickly become tangled in. granted at first her interest in him was pure selfishness. he was pretty and strong, he’d be good to keep on her arm to make people want her more, or make those who did want her more, leave her alone. but their partying together had brought on conversation, and conversation had lead to feelings. now kamryn was certain that he would fall into the title of her best friend. her confidant. her person.  of course he would notice the moment something inside of her ticked the wrong way. like he had senses, or some spell on her.

❛ I believe that dreams are sacred. ❜ ( valentino )

it was uncomfortable for her to be here asking for help.  she was once the leader of an empire , a beast who could topple her enemies with her heated breath or a swipe of her tail.  but she’d fallen and nothing had been the same since.  dreams plagued her.  they had for decades , but now they seemed to have gotten stronger , however possible that was.  

❝   they’re more memories than dreams.   ❞      fingers were interlocked together and clenched as she allowed them to flow.      ❝   being captured and imprisoned . . .   my children . . .   ❞   her breath hitched as sorrow threatened to overtake her.  she blinked , staying any budding tears , and focused the sadness into fury.    ❝   i need a spell or concoction of some sort.  i just need to sleep peacefully.   ❞    

in truth , it’d been weeks since her last full night of sleep.  and she was begrudgingly self - aware enough to know that the dreams were only part of the problem.  but nor did she need to spill every little , frustrating problem about herself to this young wytch.  

When: 11:59 p.m. Where: The Empyrean Casino Who: Lennox boy and NPC’s @skeletonites​

                                               The sound of laughter and music filled the large rooms of the casino. Chatter were drowned out by cheers yet, there were times it was overpowered by the sound of wins from tables. Hiko had already done his fair share of wins and loses this night. Having gone over to the poker table and winning well over five-hundred thousand dollars only to lose a million at the black jacks game next to it. The flow of money was a yin and yang as usual: coins leaving the pockets of patrons and visitors only to come back later on or never at all. There are some who lose more than, just their wealth and dignity. In the end, the casino takes everything and gives them only but a taste of what they thought they can have. An on-going operation made by yours truly.

It was invigorating, a breath of sheer beautiful havoc that surrounds him here in the casino right now. There were men and women at his side, urging the blond to come over and play with them. He had seen their kind before already. Others wanted to invite him to bed whilst, a handful of them had sought to extract revenge. All dangled themselves on Hiko's arms, wishing to find their own glory with the masked gambler.

He did not mind, on the contrary the blond reveled in the attention. If Dionysus’ way of intoxication were through alcohol and parties, this type of chaos was like ambrosia to Hiko.

Out of the corner of his eye though, someone had caught the blond’s attention. He had seen him in the Church before, the boy like Icarus who just kept on flying and flying higher into the skies.

‘The one who’s wings would melt from the sun.’ Hiko mused internally.

“Lennox,” He had called out the other’s attention, curios as to why he was in the demon’s den that wasn’t even his master’s. “Fancy meeting you here.” He chuckled as he dismissed the group of followers on his tail. Many of them whined at the cut of attention whilst others tsk-ed at the wasted opportunity.

But none would defy him.

All too afraid of what he can do if they did not obey.

When it came to the people he kept around him, the names were very, very few. He'd discovered quite quickly as a child that letting people too close would eventually ruin the facade of innocence and manners that he'd spent years building to hide the horns hidden beneath his black locks. Keen on protecting in the angel's skin until it was time for his demon to come to life. He supposed though that the time would likely never come around; there was so much fun in the way people reacted when the monster shed it's pretty skin and showed its true form; marvelous under the moonlight. Their confusion fed into all of his dark desires and left him filling more fulfilled than it did when he went after people who already knew he wasn't someone to mess with. Perhaps that was why he was such good friends with Valentino, the two of them always finding the best ways to create chaos together.

Derek never really felt the need to hide his true identity away from Val. No, not in entierty. Although their darkness was far from being the same, he saw part of in Valentino. Once he was hit with a few chaotic heartbreaks, the boy could be much the same as him. Of course, he never revealed the length of the evil in his veins; he didn't necessarily hide it either. If asked about it, he would gladly whisper about how he'd murdered man after man, how some of the faces on missing person posters around the time had been his doing. After all - it wasn't hard for him to do. He was physically and mentally capable, and any cop that came his way left believing whatever story he spun. He'd use that gift he had to get Val out of any trouble he got himself into, too. Something he would only do for those he kept close, frankly, he wasn't even sure if he'd help his father if the law came knocking on their door. He didn't feel a need to protect him, knew they had access to fantastic lawyers, and his father was capable of handling himself. But Val? He had to defend him, one way or another.

He'd showed up on the boy's doorstep uncalled for more times than he could count. He hardly thought Valentino would think anything of it when he did, it was just apart of the friendship at this point - or so he supposed. So when the door finally opens, and his self-chosen brother opened the door, he greeted him with the fullest, most sinister smile he could muster. His hand raised and slapped down on the others shoulder, tilting his head back a little bit.

When they had first met, Val didn’t want Selene to know anything about her that might otherwise ruin or taint their relationship. So she’d stopped drinking, rarely smoked, and hid away everything that was her past: the boy she loved included. Ultimately, her hope to save their relationship had been their biggest downfall. If she hadn’t suspected that telling her girlfriend there was a boy out there somewhere with gorgeous blue eyes and a laugh that made her heartache, would make her love her less more, she would’ve told her. She would’ve told her that the hoodie at the back of the closet that was too big and old was his. How she only washed it when it needed it because the scent of the forest after a rainstorm still desperately clung to the fabric. How some nights, she would hold it and cry, or wear it to feel closer to him.  Part of her thought Selene would’ve understood it all, had she been told. After all, Justin disappeared without a trace in such a strange way; their whole city remained affected by it. His posters still scattered about the town, many of them blowing across the street. Her pain made sense. Yet her mother said it didn’t, so part of her feared it didn’t.

Val had been the cause of their relationship ending, and just because it ended did not mean that the young wytch wanted to cut all contact with her. Quite the opposite: Valeria’s heart ached for Selene all the time. Her mind rerouted back to the nights where they were happiest whenever she was at her lowest points. In a sense, Selene had been her knight in shining armor, when she had no one else. Before her, Val was a shell of a girl walking the earth on autopilot, wondering when she would find meaning when she would die. Now, everything was brighter, more vibrant, struck her harder: all because of Selene.

So when she had come outside as Val was angrily rummaging through her purse, the rain beating off the umbrella above her head, she didn’t try to hide what she was doing. Instead, she turned, cigarette dangling from red lips, and offered the smallest, saddest of smiles she could when she saw the lighter in her old love’s hand. Hesitantly, gentle fingers removed the lighter from her grasp, her body moving closer to share the cover of her umbrella, before she lit the cig and handed it back, blowing out a small cloud of grey afterward.