evielallemxnt

[evielallemxnt]

gallagherisms​:

—

ONLY WHEN THEA SEES THE FLASH OF WHITE FABRIC IN HER PERIPHERALS does she finally gain the bravery of looking back at evie, chest settling when she sees that she’s covered up more. there’s sensory overload going on in this giant closet :   the bright colors of her clothes, the lingering employees she can hear in the next few rooms, the smell of vampire everywhere. add in the ridiculously intimate conversation evie is trying to have and thea’s mind is already whirling enough. if the vampire decided to keep her clothes off, there’s no way in hell thea would be able to keep a clear head. they don’t like vampires, but they can’t ignore a female figure made by the gods. 

why don’t you like vampires ?   god, in that moment she hates evie so much. she hates her for putting her through this conversation, for using her favor in such an intimate way, and for not letting her lean on the one biggest reason of all :   she was raised to hate them. thea’s relationship with their parents is a tumultuous one, and there’s a lot about what she’s been taught that she doesn’t agree with. but some lessons couldn’t help but slip through the cracks, especially when they’re backed up by her brother and the rest of the pack. it’s not like she had ever met a vampire until she was well into her teens and knew better, let alone have one try to befriend her until now. being confronted with her poor excuse stings more than any vampire bite probably could. thea has always prided themselves on being openminded, especially compared to the rest of her family. and now evie is poking holes in the person thea thinks they are. poking holes in her character. her body flashes hot, not sure if she’s embarrassed or angry. probably a mixture of both.

her mouth opens to spit out the first venomous argument she can make, but it’s only when evie suddenly stopped talking that thea realizes something was just said that can’t be taken away. they replay the last of evie’s words, lips pressing together into a tight line. there’s no doubt who exactly she’s talking about, and while it’d be so easy to use this against her… thea’s chest tightens with the reality that she won’t. if there’s one thing thea detests, it’s vulnerability, but evie has pushed herself past that wall and is now making it far too hard to not understand where she’s coming from. i’m not a monster. there was a time when thea had thought the same, before her wolf took over and she allowed it to. she pities evie for believing it’s not true, but she also can’t help but look at the vampire with new eyes. how can she be so old, and so naive ?   is it really naivety, or is there something true there ? 

eyes flash at the use of her full name, and she feels it rush through her entire body—even in parts she doesn’t want to feel. holy hell. maybe thea should be focusing on the way her body feels warm around evie, because it’s easier to admit that she’s attracted to her than anything more deep. eyes slowly rake over the vampire’s body slowly, wishing she didn’t hate what she sees. her heartbeat starts to rise, and she knows that evie can hear it.   “ i told you, ”   she says finally,   “ i’m not a fucking liar. ”   there’s far too much that evie threw at her to unpack, so thea settles for the easy part of it. 

fingers comb through her hair once before she moves from the spot she’s been standing, frozen against the wall, to close in on evie, stalking her like she would her prey in the wild. backing her against the wall of the closet, thea reaches out to bunch the fabric of the robe in her hands—then tugs it off the vampire, letting it slip onto the floor.   “ if you don’t want to admit what you are, fine, ”   she says in a low voice, hand gripping evie’s wrist, an exciting jolt at the coldness of her skin and lack of pulse. her fingers slowly travel up her arm and over her shoulders, finally gripping the back of evie’s neck so she can look right at her.   “ maybe you’re not a monster, ”   her chest is heaving more than normal, though maybe it’s just in comparison to evie’s still body,   “ but l i am. ”

Evie had never been hunted before – perks of being an apex predator – but she still entertained the werewolf’s movements. At first out of curiosity. Would Thea really risk attacking her in her own home? In a brief millisecond she could hear Cassius scolding her for bringing a young werewolf where she’d most be vulnerable. He always did say her impulsivity would get her into trouble one day. But then things…shifted.

Suddenly the vampire found herself with her back against the wall – in a way Evie wondered would mean more figuratively than literally soon enough. Her silk La Perla softly descended to the floor, and in that moment Evie wished something she hadn’t bothered to waste precious time on in decades: to be human. In another world, her body would be running hot and her heart, oh her heart. If she concentrated she swore she could feel it race again. A slow breath escaped her as shaky fingers reached up to push a strand of hair out of the she-wolf’s face. “No – no you are not a liar, I know that,” she finally admitted. “Maybe I’m just desperate to get into that head of yours.”

Maybe I’m just desperate, she really wanted to say.

For what exactly, Evie was still trying to figure out. All she knew was being around Thea was different. They made her feel unsteady, like she craved to crawl out of her own skin. Shed who she was to become something new. Maybe something better.

“Like now,” she continued, “what is your inner monster saying now?” Their natural sworn enemy nearly naked at their mercy, what was Thea to do but what was expected? Evie didn’t give them time to consider.

With swift speed and precision, Evie grabbed the wolf and swung her around. A soft ‘oof’ escaped Thea as her back met the wall, more so out of surprise than pain. Evie’s hand was wrapped around her throat before the wolf could even process it, though she applied no pressure to the action. “I know what mines is saying. My inner monster is screaming at me for not having dinner before you arrived…” Evie teased as she leaned in. Nose trailing up the she-wolf’s delicate throat until her lips brushed the side of her ear, “I might have to rectify that soon.”

[evielallemxnt]

gallagherisms​:

“ JESUS CHRIST. ”   thea glances away quickly as the vampire sheds her outer layer, body heating up as she continues to strut around half-naked. it’s incredibly difficult to keep up with the conversation when she’s being so immodest, and… making thea overthink her own line of vision. she hadn’t been wrong when she said that vampires look in everything, but that doesn’t mean she wants to admire evie in her underwear, especially when she’s trying to make her use a lie detector.   “ will you put some fucking clothes on ? ”   she cuts in halfway through evie’s little speech, and it’s hard to feel bad about the way the vampire sees her when she’s struggling to focus on anything else.   “ i don’t think i’m better than you, evie, okay ?   it’s literally not personal, i just don’t like vampires. and vampires don’t like werewolves, so you shouldn’t like me either. ”   god, this would be SO much easier if evie wasn’t trying so hard to make them friends. why did she care, anyway ?   thea can’t remember the last time anyone in her life tried to change her mind on a first impression.   “ i never said i wasn’t a monster, ”   their words are sharp when they finally face the vampire better, and something evie had said had struck a chord in thea, because suddenly it’s easier to focus on narrowing their eyes at them rather than the lack of clothes.   “ you think i don’t know what the hell i am ?   get over yourself. we’re BOTH monsters. but i’m not the one who brought out some witchy voodoo shit just to prove their point. ”

Evie could only muster an eyeroll at Thea’s protests. Mortals and their complicated relationship with seeing bare skin was always so strange to her. Perhaps it was simply because after hundreds of years seeing every naked form in all shades and sizes under the sun, time simply desensitized her to the natural allure and repulsion of the human body. After all – the attraction died for everyone after a while, what resided within is what was most memorable decades after her many dalliances. But, she succumbed still, too afraid the she-wolf would rather march herself to the roof and throw herself off it than be in the same room as Evie in a two-piece lingerie set for an hour. Shrugging on the egg-white, silk robe previously draped on the arm of the chaise, Evie let out a huff as she tied the sash belt tight around her form, throwing the wolf a ‘happy now?’ look when she was done.

“Why don’t you like vampires? I, personally, have no problem with wolves, never did. So be honest.” Evie demanded after listening to Thea’s rebuttal. “And don’t give me some fake, regurgitated, bullshit that this is ‘how you were raised’, what is it? What did I do?” She was aware that her voice had raised a few notches but that didn’t stop her from inching forward, fury dawning in her eyes and shaking her core. “Did I spit in your bean curd? Did I fuck your girlfriend? Go around, I don’t know, maiming and slaughtering innocents for funsies? Did I...murder an entire family out of boredom, nearly kill their last living child out of hunger then turn her instead, make a witch erase her memories of the event out of fear and then have them live, ignorantly might I add, for over a century under my name, with my family who all know the truth about what I did?”

Throat clenched as she realized what just slipped out – the truth. And she didn’t even need a shiny magical ball to do so. Evie was frozen, and it took her awhile to swallow and recoup, eyes fluttering down as direct contact with Thea’s didn’t seem the best right now. Doing so would’ve made her tear up in another life, one where she could and her body was normal and did normal things when responding to this unresolved…pain. But, the vampire was sure the last thing Thea wanted to see was streams of blood pouring from her eye sockets. So, Evie did what she did best.

One deep breath, shoulders back, and her head held high. After that pregnant pause, she finally said, “I’m not a monster.” It was a simple statement, but then she repeated with emphasis– “I’m not a monster. Not intentionally. And I just..I want people to stop looking at me and not see me. Do you know what that does to someone after a century? Of course not,” she stopped to scoff and shake her head. Thea was young, so maybe it was asking too much to expect her to relate. To know what it’s like to walk in a room and immediately sense disgust, hatred, repulsion. To be despised..for her own skin and bones. “I’m more than what I was turned into, Dorothea, so if you think me caring or trying to change what people think is foolish then so be it. But I have to try.”

Evie wanted to add that because if she didn’t, then she couldn’t imagine living forever living with this resentment, from others and..herself. Arms brushed again as she passed Thea once more, needing the original distraction meant to frame her ulterior motive. “Also,” she started, hands grazing the gauzes and chiffons from Galliano and YSL alike waiting for her approval, “the only reason I brought out my ‘witchy voodoo shit’ was because I didn’t know if you would do me the decency of being honest.” Hell – Evie didn’t even know Thea would have the decency to show up. “And making you sweat is always a fun pastime.”

[evielallemxnt]

ofdorothea:

“ THIS IS SO FUCKING STUPID. ”   thea knows it could be a lot worse than taking a lie detector test, but when they had offered an i-o-u to the vampire, they had been expecting, like, manual labor or something. not to get conned into spending the day together like forced besties. rolling their eyes, thea put the orb down on the chair and got up to unzip the vampire’s dress, fingers delicate and touch practically non-existent as she moved the zipper down halfway.   “ you know if you have any questions for me, you can ask me without your magic toys, ”   she comments after stepping away, arms folding over her chest.   “ i’m not a fucking liar. ”

@gallagherisms​

“Perhaps not to me. But maybe you are to yourself,” Evie suggested honestly. Loosened fabric led to fallen straps, and quickly, the once tight mesh floated down her delicate frame into a heap at her feet. The petite macramé La Perla set was a stark rose beige against her dewy brown skin, and as the cooling air hit her midriff goosebumps appeared. Turning to face Thea, Evie relaxed into a natural confidence as she gathered the dress at her feet and moved around the wolf, arms brushing as she passed. Returning the garment along the rack of clothes currently under review – spring cleaning and all that, the vampire continued, “all I know is that in the short time we’ve known each other, you’ve made it very clear that you think you’re better than me. Like I’m lesser than because of something that happened to me. I’m sure there’s some SJW coined term for it, but I digress.” The vampire let out a long-winded sigh, feeling the weight of her own words settle in the tense silence. Hoping that somehow the grief that coated her tongue was felt – truly, beyond measure. Because she didn’t know to live with the disgust anymore. “Maybe it’s time someone make you finally face the truth. That we’re not so different, you and I. That I’m more human than you think, and you’re more of a monster than you let on. And when the hour’s up, maybe my magic toy will have forced you to learn to be a little nicer to people, hmm?”

[evielallemxnt]

ofdorothea​:

THE ROCK IMMEDIATELY DROPS FROM HER HAND INTO HER LAP.   “ a truth orb ? ”   it’s mostly surprise in her voice, but a little… discomfort, too ?   thea didn’t know much about supernatural life outside of being a werewolf, but if there was one thing that freaked her out, it was witch shit. and there’s no way a truth orb was not something a witch had made, back in the day. her stomach flutters uneasily, wondering why the vampire chose THIS as her debt to be paid.   “ and what’s the point of this ? ”   thea asks, an edge in their voice.

WATCHING THEA’S REACTION was interesting. Her face ranged from disgust to curiosity, though her body language never shifted from being uncomfortable. While being intimidating was usually something Evie hoped for in situations like this, there was a part of herself that hated making Thea feel this way. In another world maybe things could’ve been different, one where Evie didn’t have to blackmail someone just to spend time with her. “Does it matter? You could be doing worse,” she countered, choosing to remain evasive. “It’s not contagious Dorothea, pick it up. But first, could you unzip me?”

[evielallemxnt]

sabinaleon​:

“COME ON IN, MY DARLING.” She hears Evie’s voice coming into the apartment. The brunette had only woken up an hour ago. It had been a long night and she needed her beauty sleep, thank you very much. She reaches down to press a kiss to Evie’s cheek, huffing dramatically at the news. “Ugh, talk about an inconvenience. I’m barely here, so if anyone wants to break in, they can do it so easily.” She hates Staten Island, so by default she doesn’t stay at her apartment longer than needed, always opting to hang out in Manhattan. “I’ll call a locksmith later. Anyway, you look as gorgeous as always.”

“I DON’T KNOW why you just don’t move in with me. You know I have more than enough room.” Evie knew it probably wasn’t that simple as New York was often set up like a high school cafeteria with designated places the species could or could not fraternize in. But still, she was a Lallement. Who would actually say no to her? “Thank you, though I must say I’m vibing with this au naturale look you’ve got going on,” she teased, gesturing towards Sabina’s robe and messy bun, beautiful as always. “Anyways, I didn’t know what you wanted so I ordered half the menu. Please, help yourself. Today I’m all yours.”

[evielallemxnt]

makaraxalarie​:

closed starter // @evielallemxnt​

location // coffee shop in manhattan 

        “i’ll just have a double shot of espresso with almond milk and a couple shots of that.. coconut flavor stuff.” makara tells the barista behind the bar, looking back over at the table with her laptop opened. being a freelance writer gave her the freedom to work from.. well, everywhere. moving to the side while they made the drink, she looked up when noticing the scent of a familiar face. “evie?” she spoke out loud, seeing her walking into the coffee shop. makara had met her when she was sophomore in college. their friendship blossomed and she eventually figured out about the council the various founding families that sit upon it from the vampire. 

CAFFEINE. CAFFEINE. CAFFEINE. That was all that was on her mind as she quickly entered her go-to cafe. One would think that coffee would have very little effect on her considering she was, y’know, not alive, but it still worked wonders. Hearing her name being spoken, the vampire almost expected it to be the barista with her caramel mocha in hand. It was something better. Though her features had matured, bone structure more pronounced, longer hair, definitely upgraded fashion sense, the face of an old friend was instantly recognizable. “Mackie?” The nickname slipped out like no time had passed.  “Oh my god, hi,” Evie spoke, quickly swarming her with a hug before pulling back, “Last time I saw you I was begging you to not get on a plane to Cambodia. How are you? When did you get back?”

[evielallemxnt]

lallcments​:

           “  NO  AND  YET  SOMETHING  about  it  constantly  has  us  returning  .  ”  hera  can  speak  from  experience  .  she  left  for  a  while  .  settled  on  the  west  coast  .  built  an  empire  of  her  own  .  and  yet  ,  here  she  is  .  back  in  new  york  .  even  disappearing  to  shanghai  for  two  weeks  to  process  rosamie’s  death  still  had  her  returning  to  manhattan  .  “  you’re  fine  .  i  suspected  either  of  us  would’ve  gotten  held  up  in  traffic  .  but  it’s  good  to  see  you  too  .  how  have  you  been  ?  ”

HOW WAS SHE? It felt like a loaded question. With the state of their family and the chaos of the city. Evie wasn’t sure how she felt exactly. “I think I’ll need a martini or three before I can answer that properly,” she admitted, trying to smile but it only felt painful and fake on her face. ���How are you? How was Shanghai?”

[evielallemxnt]

nicolasparra​:

nic nodded his head, an amused smile on his face as he agreed with her. “touche,” he said, shrugging his shoulders as he shoved his hands into the pockets of the dark jeans he wore. “i’m not freaking out,” he pointed out. “i’m just making an observation about the rat situation. 5,000 cases per year isn’t really a problem. at least for me.”  

“WELL – IT STILL sounds like a fear of yours,” she rebutalled, recalling the slight hitch in tone at the thought of, not catching a deadly disease, but of having to tell people about it. There was something humorous in that ridiculousness that had Evie’s lips turning upward. “Just don’t go around shaking hands with furry friends named Ben or Remy, and definitely don’t allow them to cook you a gourmet meal.”

[evielallemxnt]

leilanasx​:

Leilana hugged her back instantly, rubbing her back in a comforting manner. She had grown fond of her over the years && hated the fact that she had seen her the way she was the event – it wasn’t a huge deal.. but still. There were more important events occurring. “I couldn’t agree more with you.” She spoke while grabbing her new glass of straight whiskey. “What do you want, I’ll buy.” 

“MY MIND IS saying a glass of chardonnay, but my heart is demanding tequila shots,” Evie joked lightly, but honestly, it was no joking matter. The stress had been eating at her for months, and just when things seemed to die down someone actually died. Sometimes the vampire wished she could drown herself in the warmth and fuzziness of intoxication and stay there forever. Too bad her immortal metabolism had other ideas. “But I’m down for whatever,” she ended with a shrug, hoping the service was quick this time around. “So, what sorrows are we drowning tonight? Besides, y’know, my will to live.”

[evielallemxnt]

silasxhawthorne​:

“No I uh.. completely understand where you are coming from.” Silas responded, thinking of how he deleted some of his snapchat stories from that night… and was refraining from posting on instagram, he felt just weird about it all. Befriending Evie was on his list of good things that happened that night, but the murder canceled it all; he didn’t even know the woman & vampire or not she seemed to have a big impact on the city around him. “I wouldn’t mind that, are you free right now?” Asking while looking over at her. 

CHECKING HER PHONE quickly, the vampire noted the time before nodding her head, “Sure, I was just headed to Alice’s tea house, have you heard of it?” It was her favorite place to go to destress – something the vampire hadn’t had the option of doing much lately. Sweet tea and pastries were her afternoon routine, and while she’d abandoned it in favor of helping Cas these past few weeks, it was nice to get back into old patterns. Even more with a friend. “It’s not far I promise and the whole place is decked out to recreate wonderland, you’re going to love it. And what better way to trauma bond than over sweets,” she joked lightly before throwing in a quick smile. Maybe jokes were too soon.

[evielallemxnt]

ofdorothea​:

“ A GAME ? ”   despite her dubious tone, thea doesn’t know how to feel. mostly she’s just… confused, why this vampire would go out of her way to make the favor thea owes her include spending time with her. last the werewolf checked, they didn’t like each other. it’d take a lot more than a present or a round of rummy to change that, too. but today thea was at evie’s whim, and despite her bad attitude, she could play along—for now.   “ i hope for your sake it’s not poker, ”   they warn her, going over to the couch and picking up the pouch before taking a seat.   “ i’d wipe the floor with you. ”   when thea spills its remains into the palm of her hand, they find… a rock ?   “ what the hell is this ? ”

EVIE SNORTED IN response. Yeah – sure. The wolf was more of an open book than an actual open book. While reasoning behind her actions remained obscure for Evie, her general mood and aura would give Thea away in a second. It’s what led to the vampire calling her out all those times – just her face spoke all the heinous thoughts that most likely swarmed in that hard head of hers. Time to let them out. “It’s a truth orb,” Evie responded without even looking. Knowing the clear ball in her hands would only lead to more questions, the vampire continued, “I commissioned it decades back to use against my sire and it’s been collecting dust ever since. Long story short,” she paused to look at the wolf over her shoulder, “it lets me know if you’re telling the truth. I ask you a question and if you’re telling the truth the ball will turn blue, if you lie it turns red. You do this for an hour and your debt is paid, and you’ll never, ever have to see my lovely face again. Got it?” She finished with a sickly sweet smile. 

[evielallemxnt]

oflallement​:

“ EVIE, ”   HE SIGHS OUT HER NAME, knowing what was coming before she even finished her mini-tirade.   “ i have to. the vacation had been nice, but i knew what i signed up for. all this, ”   cassius motions to the stack of papers and folders beside him,   “ have to be dealt with by the end of the week. half of it have a deadline for this evening. you’re welcome to sit with me for a bit, though. i was thinking of ordering from lenwich, but you get thai. ”   he’s not looking to argue with her any further than working through lunch will probably instigate something.

“CASSIUS,” SHE SIGHED back, using his full name so he knew she was serious, “you know we could get extensions. You’re a top attorney in New York, nobody would bat an eye at you needing more time. At least…let me help you.” Evie gestured to the growing pile of case files that looked like he barely put a dent in. While she might not have studied law officially, there was much she’d learned from Cas over the decades and she knew she wasn’t incapable of it. “You can’t starve yourself either and surviving solely off deli sandwiches doesn’t count,” Evie paused to take him in, “she…she wouldn’t want you to act this way. And you know it.”

[evielallemxnt]

@sabinaleon

“GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE,” Evie sang as she entered the apartment -- groceries and Chinese in hand -- kicking the door shut behind her. It was three in the afternoon technically, but this was Sabina. Her late night tendencies extended to sleeping at all hours as well. “Oh -- you’re going to need to get your lock fixed by the way. It just broke suddenly and the last thing we need is some rando breaking into your place.”

[evielallemxnt]

duskchased​:

chace sniffed back tears, happy to be back at his apartment after the day he’d had, the theatre was busy and then there was seeing his ex in the public. to which of course, he used his speed to run away nearly sobbing. so when evie came flying towards him, he had no choice but to react a bit negatively. he flinched as he caught her, stammering as he was almost suffocated. “eves wh-what … ,” he chokes out.

he was being scolded right now like they were some married couple and he breaks into a half-smile, spinning her about. “i work everyday of the week, you know this. sweets, what’s wrong?”

“I TRIED TO call your job but they must’ve thought I was one of your groupies trying to post-hump stalk so they wouldn’t tell me if you came in or not,” she sniffled. The gargantuan feeling of paranoia had waned just that quickly, Chase’s embrace and smile quickly soothing her. But that didn’t mean he was off the hook. “And you haven’t called so, I just got freaked out, I guess. You promised you wouldn’t ghost again. Did something happen?”

[evielallemxnt]

ofdorothea​:

DID IT BOTHER HER THAT THE BLOODSUCKER SEEMED TO CONJURE HER NUMBER OUT OF THIN AIR ?   yes.  did thea go anyway, because it beat getting ready for her new semester of classes, and because she knew it’d piss off her brother further if he found out ?   also yes.  besides, she couldn’t admit that she was a little curious to see what this favor finally was—and maybe it would mean her and evie could stop running into each other so serendipitously, because it was starting to make the werewolf sick. it takes half of the walk inside the giant apartment to realize that she was being led through the vampire’s home, mouth slightly agape as her eyes worked to take everything in at once. she had assumed that vampires lived lavishly, what with all the money they probably have from investing in computers or something, but she had no idea someone could live like THIS. just the size of evie’s closet was bigger than thea’s own bedroom, and she didn’t even want to think about the fact that evie had HELP who was showing her around. arms immediately move to cross over her chest when the vampire greets her, a bit stunned that after all the anticipation of getting here, it was clothes evie was asking about. she shouldn’t even be surprised, but thea is, a little.   “ you’re a vampire, ”   evie reminds her.   “ everything looks good on you. is this what i’m here for, to play project runway ? ”

EYES REFOCUSED ON her own reflection, a bold amount of skin showing through sheer cutouts and asymmetrical designs that could only belong to the house of Mugler. So much so that Evie wanted more than a simple compliment -- - she wanted an awestruck, speechless, reaction. Something only an immortal could elicit. And if Thea wouldn’t provide that naturally, the vampire would just have to take it for herself. Turning back around slowly to face the wolf, she took in the crossed arms and closed off nature that Thea naturally projected. Time to take a break from all that. “I’m so glad you asked,” Evie finally responded, her tone light and airy. Chin jutted in the direction of a velvet chaise in the middle of her walk-in, a bright silk pouch that one couldn’t miss sitting on the seat, “that’s for you. Open it and take a seat. We’re going to play a little game.”

[evielallemxnt]

@duskchased

SHE WAS WAITING for him as it’d been days since she’d last heard from him. In another life Evie would be furious, especially since on the very night tragedy struck Chace had promised to not ghost on her again. Usually it wouldn’t matter as immortals naturally lost track of time, but with an added layer of worry for the sense of impending doom that had been circulating lately, her fury watered down into a paranoia. Going as far as to break into his apartment and wait for him there. And that’s exactly what she did, for days, before the familiar sound of keys jingling had Evie speeding to the door and hurling herself at Chace the moment she saw his face. “Damn you,” she swore as she enveloped him in a bone crushing hug. “I haven’t had to wait on a man since the 50’s and I could feel my rights being stripped from me by the minute, god, where the hell have you been?” 

[evielallemxnt]

@unveiledxx

A VISIT TO her brother was in order, especially after New Year’s Eve. But not for the reasons he might think. Rapid knocks against his door turned erratic until it eventually swung open, words tumbling out Evie’s mouth before he could comment on her sudden arrival on his doorstep, “I need relationship advice.”