grinningdevils

[grinningdevils]

For someone who wasn't in the eye of the storm for long, Dylan looks like hell. His usual sandy strands are coated with soot that he can't seem to get rid of no matter how many times he pats his head in the hospital bathroom. Ash has nestled into his pores and stuck there. There's a hole on the lower half of his shirt, exposing a sliver of stomach. He looks like he's over-committed to an audition for an all-adults production of Oliver Twist.

He's sore, too. His back aches from being bent under the weight of Willem's body resting on his as he half-ran, half-stumbled towards the flashing lights that signalled safety. his legs ache from being sat too long in these rigid hospital chairs as instructed by Zak, waiting for word on Willem and Asheer to report back. Dylan stands up slowly to stretch the ache out, taking no more than three steps down the hall when he's bumped. He glances at his assailant, surprised to see who's just apologised to him without spontaneously combusting. He's too tired to think of some smart, sarcastic quip but can't help a feeble barb anyway. "Oh it's you. Wow, you look like shit."

♡ ˚ ﹔ closed @grinningdevils ( your choice. ) ♡ ˚ ﹔ muse ; natalie.

Natalie had spent the entire night waiting for something to happen. She had never knowingly allowed her guard to slip, and yet, she had been caught entirely off guard by that explosion. She supposed everyone experienced that initial shock, though. She'd done what she could, tried to look for her own people, but hadn't had any luck finding them. In the midst of the chaos, she'd gone to the hospital, waiting for any sort of information on if anyone she knew and cared for had been admitted. Her phone had been lost in the chaos, so she had no way of keeping contact with anyone. She'd been pacing the floors of the hospital, usual, confident demeanor had been replaced with a hint of vulnerability. She was stressed, especially without any method of communication. She'd accidentally bumped into someone in her pacing, head shaking slightly in confusion. "Shit, sorry, " she said before focusing on the other's face to see who she'd even run into in the first place.

[grinningdevils]

Dylan strong-arms his way past what feels like a tsunami of people surging towards safety — wherever that is on the other side of the billowing smoke. He's completely lost sight of Freddie, goddamn him, every muscle in his body resisting going further towards danger. Good to know his fight or flight wasn't all messed up, although he can't confidently say the same for his friend. Fucking Freddie, always having to be the hero in someone else's story.

Dylan pushes on, his vision becoming more and more impaired the further he ventures into the grey thickness of the smoke cloud, oppressive to even the worst of chainsmokers. He stumbles on something and trips, cursing as his hands shoot out in front of him to catch his fall. Now at eye level with the ground, he can see a vague outline of someone moving not too far ahead of him. Immediately thinking it could be Freddie, Dylan crawls towards the figure, realising as he gets closer that its not the signature shaggy blonde of his friend, but still someone he recognises all too well. "Willem," he calls over the noise of structure collapsing, fires crackling. He shakes the tail gunner when he doesn't get a response. "Willem, it's Dylan. How you holdin' up, old man? Can you walk?"

Cupid's Carnival, after the explosion closed. @grinningdevils ( dylan )

The thunder of running feat, the panicked, piercing screams - what his mind logically told him should have been deafening sounds were oddly muted by the sharp ringing in his ears into a dull, incomprehensible wall of sound.

tw blood, injury

Willem took stock of his body part by part - his relief overwhelming when he could move all of his limbs easily ( though they all ached something fierce ), every stinging cut from flying debris too shallow to leave any lasting damage. All in all, despite the throbbing headache behind his eyes, the feeling of nausea building in his throat, the start of bruises blooming into his skin, he wasn't in a bad state - truly.

He just needed a little push to get onto his feet, maybe a little nap to rest his tired eyes-

[grinningdevils]

Dylan nods, not waiting for any further permission to traipse through Ruby's living area to the kitchen. Making his way over to the fridge, he opens it and bends over to inspect its contents, eventually find a stray Budweiser towards the back. Not ideal, but it would have to do. He can't be bothered to ask for a bottle opener so he shows off one of his party tricks instead - popping the cap effortlessly with his teeth. Dentists would weep if he could afford them. There's ash and soot all over his clothes and to avoid getting any on Ruby's furniture, he hovers by the kitchen island as he takes his first swig. "Yeah, cheers," Dylan mumbles into the bottle at the initial offer, an eyebrow raising immediately after. "So what am I supposed to wear while my clothes are washin'?"

She knew how to host company. Ruby had been raised well enough, so she was always the perfect host. "Beer?" she questioned, brows furrowing. "There's probably some left over in the fridge from one of my gatherings. You're free to help yourself. I, on the other hand, will be having a large glass of wine." That was what she preferred, even if she didn't drink often. The ferris wheel incident had been a lot to handle, and the aftermath was even worse. She didn't want to talk about it, though. "I bet you do feel like shit," she said, nodding as she took in the sight of him. "I don't have any spare clothes, but you're free to use the shower anyways. I can throw those in the washer for you."

[grinningdevils]

Dylan is in the middle of pulling the bottle down that he knows Harley will want, hand hovering to unscrew the lid until she dismisses it. He studies her face for a moment to try and decipher if she's serious, but her explanation offers the answers before he has to. "You don't gotta thank me, it's fucked up the way all that went down. But Freddie and me, we got your back. Even if no one else around here does." He offers her his usual half-hearted, lopsided smile - the most genuine he can manage, before clouding it with a frown. "Wait, why are you takin' a break? For how long?"

closed starter | @grinningdevils location: seduction

Harley strolled up to the bar she knew so well, heels clicking on the floor although they were much lower than the ones she usually had on in seduction. "Hey, I'm not working or anything I'm actually taking a leave of absence.. I'm actually here to see you. I wanted to thank you for the other night at the carnival, for being there for me. Especially because nobody else seemed to give a fuck. I really appreciate it."

[grinningdevils]

Stella has to blink a few times before Abby's frame becomes clear in her vision. She looks like she hasn't slept and despite their acquaintance, she knows the blonde hasn't been there all night to see her. Her mind wanders to the other injured civilians, likely just down the hall from her. She wants to ask a million questions all at once, but the thought alone makes her head pound. Everything in due time. "Thank you," Stella murmurs earnestly, slowly pushing her hands into the mattress to prop herself up. The room is clearer now, a clinical backdrop offset by more flowers than she's ever received in her lifetime. Mostly from the precinct, she figures. Maintaining an array of close friendships has always been tough for her. "Has anyone released an official statement yet?"

Abby had made a few visits that night. She was still in a state of disbelief. She didn't understand how something like this could happen. There were so many questions she'd had that were left without answers, and Abby didn't care for that. She knew she wasn't going to find anything out anytime soon, considering she wasn't someone who needed to be informed of events, but she hoped answers would start spreading by word - of - mouth. It was upsetting, seeing the differences in injuries from person to person. She thought for a moment that se should've offered to help, she had the degree necessary, but she didn't think her offer would be accepted. So she stayed out of the way. As stella began coming to, she sat up a little more straight, brows furrowing together. "Not too long," she said, shaking her head. "I'm glad you made it out of there alive, Stella."

[grinningdevils]

Dylan's solitary nights have started to feel like Groundhog Day; an endless loop of bar hopping until he's numb, stumbling home to sleep, waking up and repeating. Food is optional, slotted in wherever necessary. He's never been good at being idle, and somehow being idle in a big city feels worse than the stagnant backwater towns he's used to. What is it about the concrete giants that make up the New York City skyline that's so fucking suffocating?

He notices Nasrin as soon as she walks in - it's almost impossible not to when her put-together demeanour clashes with the overall filthiness of the dive she's found herself in. He observes her curiously over the rim of his glass until he swears he can she her eyes dart towards him. He averts his own gaze, sure he's been caught, but when he dares another look, Nasrin's eyes are fixed firmly on her drink. Maybe he's seeing things.

Throwing a twenty dollar bill on the bar, Dylan downs the rest of his drink and gets his coat, slipping out quietly against the throng of shouts and glasses clinking against each other. Another rowdy Friday night, but he's not feeling it. He emerges onto the street and fishes out his pack of cigarettes, flicking his lighter and allowing the flame to warm the tips of his fingers for a moment before he holds it to the stick between his lips. At her voice, his head jolts around to meet her face to face, a momentary startle that's quickly replaced with armour. "Do we really know each other though?" Dylan scrutinises with a tilt of his head. "I don't know one thing about you."

@grinningdevils

LOCATION: outside of a neutral dive bar. FOR: dylan frost.

WHILE NASRIN OFTEN FOUND herself in attendence at bars with red velvet plush seats with the smell of expensive cigar smoke woven into the fabric, there were times when even she needed a change of scenery. a place where no one knew her, where no one would expect anything from her. as much as she loved the crimsons -- there were times where she wanted to talk about other things besides her latest innovation in weapondry. instead, there were times when she needed to simply have a drink. however, what she doesn't expect is to see a certain ghost rider on the opposite end of the bar. what is it with her and her history with ghost riders? running her fingers through her hair, she continues to enjoy her drink before eventually finishing it off, hoping she's continued to avoid his gaze. she could say she just didn't see them. that is, until she realized because she was trying not to make eye contact, he's managed to slip out. " well, well. " she hums, crossing her arms over her chest in order to keep her coat closed. " for such a big city -- you really can't go anywhere without seeing someone you know. "

[grinningdevils]

@gcldenhecrts

Scrubs 4x25 | My Changing Ways

[grinningdevils]

"You got a beer?" Dylan asks in his signatory monotone drawl. He'd been in the hospital for far too long tonight, having to give statement after statement. Yes I ran towards the wreckage because I was lookin' for my friend. No, I don't have a deathwish. No, I didn't see anyone loiterin' around the ferris wheel and wouldn't they be dead by now anyway? The parroting was exhausting. Nevermind that he'd helped get Willem out, the police didn't seem to care about that when you were tied to a gang. Go figure. "Eh, like shit," he shrugs casually. "But nothin' a shower and a little hair of the dog can't fix."

♡ ˚ ﹔ open @sinnerssquarestart. ( 0/4 ) ♡ ˚ ﹔ muse ; ruby. ♡ ˚ ﹔ location ; ruby's apartment. open to society, ghost riders & civilians.

She had been locked away in her apartment for roughly a day and a half. Sitting around at the hospital felt like it was pointless. She wouldn't be doing anything of value there. She kept in touch with everyone in her circle, but she didn't want to wait around, she wanted to find answers. She hadn't been successful yet, but she wasn't a defeatist. She'd figure something out sooner or later. Her guest wasn't unwelcome by any means, she just hadn't been anticipating any company. "Can I get you anything?" she offered, taking in their appearance. "How have you been feeling since the carnival?"

[grinningdevils]

"Do you mean apart from the shambolic organisation of the carnival, the ferris wheel toppling over and my custom-made dress getting destroyed?" Eloise asks nonchalantly, pausing for effect. "Still a complete disaster, thank you for asking. Whose idea was it for us to all work this year? The booths are for poor people." Aware she might be complaining to the unamused, she moves the subject along. "Where did you end up, anyway?"

closed starters | @grinningdevils

"So, how was your valentines day?" Dante asked, leaning against the wall in front of the blonde. He had decided to check in on the serpents more often, especially those he didn't speak to very often. After two spies had been discovered in their ranks the Don had learnt to keep more of an eye on his people. God forbid any more of them were to surprise him.

[grinningdevils]

Eloise smiles a perfect pageant smile as the younger girl rattles off all of the qualities she shares with Elsa - which is mostly attributed to having blonde hair and being pretty. She's been called worse. "I'll accept it," she comments, turning her head to face Asher once again. "However if she'd called me Cinderella well... that would be a different story." Even mellowed with the help of Grey Goose and soda, she can't help but remind those around her that she's a woman of a certain status. "Asher, and Maddie," Eloise repeats attentively, mostly to herself since Asher has turned his head to find where she's already run off to. A feathered brow raises at the revelation and something in the blonde shifts slightly. She'd assumed Maddie was his, some kind of tether. "Your sister? Hm. What's that like?" She asks, perking up at the severance. "No, I'm not often around children at all, and I'm an only child so I only remember what I lived. Which I imagine is quite different from Maddie over there. I did always wonder what it would be like to have a sister, but truly I think one of us would have eventually eaten the other." She's saying too much, she knows, but she can't seem to stop now that she's been helped along by this rare tipsy state. "Well my family always participates in the carnival, it's kind've like a tradition. Although I will say this is the first year I've had to work as well. That's new. How are you liking it?"

Asher couldn't help but smirk as the blonde woman took in the littler blonde girl, Maddie of course talking a mile a minute about everything under the sun. You look like Princess Elsa! The little girl had exclaimed, and it made Asher roll his eyes in laughter, shaking his head. "That, by the way, is the highest compliment there is. Don't forget it - but hey, Eloise Westwood is still great. Asher, Asher Brooks and this - or uh, was - " Asher saw the little blonde girl go for the slide again, not too many feet in front of them, giggling excitedly and he laughed too. "Mads, be careful! Stay in my eyeline, kiddo!" He looked back at Eloise with a chuckle. "That's Maddie, my little sister. Hurt? Nah, the kid is made out of goddamn steel, I think. You got experience with kids or no? Those who age tend to fall down and get right back up like it's nothin' - unless they want the attention and all." He smiled. "Whatcha doin' on a fine night here anyway? Enjoyin' the carnival?"

[grinningdevils]

Eloise coughs harshly into the cups of her hands in attempt to purge her lungs of the smoke she swallowed hurrying away from the collapse. She hadn't been close enough to be in danger, but the ash cloud that had followed was much larger than she and apparently everyone in her vicinity had anticipated. As soon as it touched them, the crowd scrambled, pushing the blonde in the back to get past. It seemed everyone was reduced to animalistic tendencies when survival was compromised.

She hears her name and whirls around to find the voice, sighing audibly with relief at the sight of Abby rushing up to her. "Thank God you're alright, you're not hurt I take it? I swear there aren't enough paramedics to see everybody. I might die of smoke inhalation before someone finally checks me over." She shakes her head at Abby's question. "No, not really. Why? Are you looking for someone?"

♡ ˚ ﹔ closed @grinningdevils ( eloise. ) ♡ ˚ ﹔ muse ; abby.

She was still trying to wrap her head around everything. Abby felt bad for everyone involved, but her mind had admittedly been on Asher the most. Sure, she was worried about the other friends she hadn't heard from, but she'd neglected to check in with them. She was happy to see Eloise, to see she appeared entirely unharmed. Abby breathed a sigh of relief, offering her friend a half-hearted smile. "Eloise," she said, hands moving to take hold of her friends shoulders. "I'm so glad you're okay. Do you um ... do you know anything about what happened at all? Have you heard anything?"

[grinningdevils]

iMessage: Eloise

Angelina: I have a strong urge to swindle people out of their money and maybe kill them after Angelina: Wanna hit the club with me? Eloise: You can keep the money and the murder as long as I get to play with them. Eloise: Where do you want to go?

[grinningdevils]

"You're gonna fuckin' poke your eye out one day," Dylan mutters with a mild air of annoyance, moving well away from the backboard of balloons. He has no agency or much care to lecture Freddie about the safety of swinging sharp objects around anyway. He glances up at the comically large teddy above his head. "That ugly thing. But you won't hit 'em all anyway, shit's rigged."

There’s an almost menacing laugh that escaped Freddie’s lips at Dylan’s BARK ( all bark, no bite ) and the fact that he still hands the darts over to him. Freddie spins them in his hands for a moment before pointing it towards his chest, pretending to plunge it in for a moment before laughing again. “ alright, alright, I’m ready now. What do I win if I hit like, all the balloons? ”

[grinningdevils]

"A shot of whatever? That's dangerous," Dylan comments, his brow arched despite his downward cast glare. It's almost a relief when other Ghost Riders approach the bar - he doesn't have to be 'on' or extend some kind of politeness that's fucking out of place in a strip club anyway. But with Brooklyn here he knows there's no rush. He can finish what he's in the middle of, which at present is carefully carving out a dick with the frost residue from the ice well. "Well now I just wanna be mean and give you like, fuckin' coconut cream or somethin'."

Location: Seduction Status: Closed @grinningdevils

Even though the world seemed to be in shambled, work didn't stop. If nothing, they needed to be there now more than ever. For Oxana. Though she wasn't getting as much action with her current state, the red arm cast really took away from her sexy appeal. Leaning against the bar, Brooklyn let out an exhale. She should be wearing her sling but she couldn't completely tank her night. "Pass me a shot of whatever. I need it."

[grinningdevils]

"God, who cares? Blonde this, brunette that. As long as you ain't fuckin' ginger." A tug on the corner of his lips at his own joke. "What even is 'dirty blonde' anyway? In my experience it means somethin' kinda different..." Dylan gauges her reaction to see if he needs to brace himself for a slap to the arm (sometimes face) that usually follows a comment like that. "Why would you think that?" He inquires, tilting his head to the side. "Just because i'm with the riders? Thought you said you weren't your last name, so why would it matter? Besides, I don't really give a fuck about all that shit." And I'm not even officially one of them yet, he adds silently. Just to remind himself. "The only thing in pain is my head from all your naggin'," he scoffs. "I'm not here by any fuckin' choice of mine. And I know you're tryin' to make fun of me but that actually sounds way fuckin better than what i'm actually doin'. At least I'd be havin' a good time."

Amara couldn't help but smirk, shaking her heard at the slightly blurry Dylan image in front of her. "Okay, if anything, I'm dirty blonde, but barely. I'm mostly brunette - or do I have to put colorblind on your updated medical chart now, genius?" She quipped back, rolling her eyes. "My head? I'm fine - although I'm shocked that you cared, I would think you'd be itching for my head to be taken off. And your neck isn't fine, by the way - you are favoring a right lean, which means the left is in some sort of pain. Liar. At least that is what medicine has taught me." She shrugged, moving a little bit closer. "There's still some left, god. You could be a gentleman and all and take me to refill, or are you still too cool for school?" Amara chuckled, slightly stumbling a little but regaining her posture well. "I just - wow. Dylan of all people at a fun family friendly carnival. Are you here to scare the kids in the haunted house or something?"

[grinningdevils]

Stella nods, grateful that her being asleep hasn't been an inconvenience to her visitor. The thought dawns on her then, slower than it should that she has no clue why the woman would be visiting her at all. If nothing else though, she does appreciate the candor. "Yeah you're right, I really did," she chuckles, which comes out as more of a forced exhale that hurts her ribs. "Fantastic, I could do ten cartwheels in a row right now if I wanted to." She throws a furtive glance down at her leg, wrapped tightly in plaster and already making her feel claustrophobic. She'll have to get crutches, the thought of relying on someone to wheel her around is humiliating to her own independence. Stella looks back over at the woman in her visitor's chair, trying to think of a polite way of asking, 'why are you here?' but failing to think of any. "Were you near it?" She asks instead, spinelessly deciding to continue the small talk instead, hoping the woman will state her business sooner or later.

Stella had the resources Angelina needed, she was a cop that could be used. Ang had been looking into the girl for a few weeks now and there was no time like the present, right? "A few minutes." She said as she looked her over, "You got your shit rocked." Angelina said as she examined her manicure. Angelina wanted to make sure a possible future asset was alright, she couldn't be using damaged goods and if she was out of work she became useless to Ang. "How are you holding up."

[grinningdevils]

By now Stella has been delivered the prognosis: Her leg is broken but has been repaired with the help of metal plates and screws that will see her never know peace at an airport TSA walkthrough again. Additionally, there was some internal bleeding which has now been downgraded to bruising. Mild smoke inhalation, abrasions. What one might expect to earn from a stupid endeavour like Stella's. "But apart from that, you could run a marathon tomorrow," her nurse had said heartily. A well-meaning joke at the worst possible time.

The sight of Sofia in the doorway makes Stella sit up a little straighter, a tired smile fleetingly appearing across her face. Her mouth is dry from the medication, and she reaches for her cup of water before replying. "Hey," she says once the styrofoam has been placed back on her bedside table. "I didn't expect you to...I mean, thank you for coming to see me. Did you get out okay?"

♡ ˚ ﹔ closed @grinningdevils ( stella. ) ♡ ˚ ﹔ muse ; sofia .

Sofia had been terrified when that explosion happened. She couldn't recall a time she'd ever been more terrified in her life. It took her awhile to navigate towards the exit and get to a point where she deemed herself to be a safe distance away. When she'd heard about what happened to Stella, she did what she could to get to the hospital. They weren't exceptionally close, but she did care about the older woman and wanted to see how she was doing. She took a deep breath before entering, and found herself feeling terrible. Stella didn't deserve this. "Stella," she greeted her softly, tongue peeking out to sweep across her lips. "Hey ... I'm so glad you made it out of there alive.''