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David Gandy by Arnaldo Anaya-Lucca for GQ Japan

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tag drop !

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⟨ david  gandy.  cis  male.  he  /  him. ⟩  ↪  have  you  met  ivan  wolff  yet  ?  this  forty  year  old  aries  has  been  living  in  the  beverly  hills  area  for  twenty  five  years.  he  makes  a  living  as  a  private  investigator  /  former  fbi  profiler,  which  works  for  their  flamboyant,   charismatic,  fickle,  and boastful  nature.  everybody  wants  to  rule  the  world  by  tears  for  fears  is  one  of  ivan’s  favorite  songs.  

no  trigger  warnings,  just  a  Very  Obnoxious  Man 

FULL NAME: ivan james wolff NICKNAME(S): ive DOB: april 12th, 1980 AGE: forty GENDER: cis male SEXUALITY: bisexual  ( biromantic  ) NATIONALITY: american    ETHNICITY: caucasian  /  white  HOMETOWN: sammamish, washington RELIGION: none SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): english ( fluent ), spanish ( fluent ), french ( good ), italian ( good ) OCCUPATION: private investigator  /  former fbi special agent  &  fbi profiler   

ivan was born in a town in washington where the median household income was $183,000 ... so he was doing p alright from the start. born to a wannabe actress and her casting director husband who was already well established in the scene. a sister came along a few years later to complete the happy family picture. naturally, the kids grew up in the public eye, their father being the world class casting director and their mother, now a star actress. his sister followed in their father’s footsteps as a casting director, something she was intent on from a young age. ivan’s career path wasn’t as clear cut. he enjoyed the art of acting, but not when it was him doing the acting. he found that he had an incredible talent at finding actors in real people; people that didn’t claim to be actors. 

was somewhat of a prodigy throughout school. the type to learn four different languages at once just because he Could to come across that extra lil bit spicy to his teachers and peers alike.  thrived on All the attention.

while his sister went to work with his father, he stayed on track with his education. he got into princeton university and fought hard to graduate with a degree in psychology while he continued to balance his own wants and needs, as well as the wants and needs of his family who had always remained supportive. thrived on All the attention. 

there was no doubt in his mind that he was going to return to cali after graduation. he knew beverley hills like the back of his hand and if he moved away from his family, he moved away from the limelight which he secretly relished. 

he got a job working for the fbi as a special agent and while he got on well with the work, he struggled with the idea that he couldn’t be the extraordinary emancipator he so desperately craved. there was a heavy focus on teamwork and he wasn’t used to not being the centre of attention; hated it, in fact. 

while most detectives are never off the job, if ivan is attending an event, he’s entirely off duty. he doesn’t even bother bringing his badge. in that way, his lines between work and play are never blurred. he’s come to loggerheads with a Lot of officers about this over the years, being accused of not taking his job seriously. but he always gets results.

ivan moved into criminal profiling, making use of his background in psychology. he liked it more than being an agent - and he was good at it. but after doing it for ten years, he realised that he wanted an “”easier life””, like that was ever going to happen for the son of a movie star / director duo.

which brings us to now ! he’s a private investigator for the stars ( of sorts ), working out the beverly hills  /  hollywood areas and prioritising work for the rich and famous. 

he likes the fact that being a pi is less involved than other forms of police  /  criminal work. in most cases, he’s dealing with the people he’s being paid by and not those he’s out to investigate. and for a lot of the clients he’s helped over the years, he remains friendly with.

he can be extremely selfish and often turn an investigation into something it was never meant to be Just to prove a point - and that point is always that he’s always right.

he’s an overall chill guy but ... do we trust him ? we just don’t know. 

a walking paradox : both loves and hates the company of others. how he feels mostly relies on whether he’s chosen to be around those people ? he likes having control over

has a HUGE head. but if you can get past his adoration for himself, he is relatively easy to get along with and can be fun to be around. some people feel safe around him bc he doesn’t pry ( outside of his working needs ) ... truthfully, bc he’s too busy focussing on Himself.

wanted connections !

honestly .. . an ex boyfriend would b really spicy ? would be 30+ and i’m flexible as to when this was !

ex-fiance ! any gender. i doubt it was ivan’s idea to get married so this would’ve been Fun for your muse.

people that he’s worked for, whether that be while he worked in the fbi or recently !

his family are quite well known in the biz so family friends that he’s seen on and off over the years at events and such ?

not to b Too hasty but friends .. . that put Up with him ?

maybe someone he had public beef with ?

someone he always attends events with 

frenemies ! ! v Spicy 

a criminal he’s investigated but now they’re weirdly ... friendly ?

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MEREDITH 

         meredith glances over at him and shrugs her shoulders casually. “well, no one,” she admits. there was no one else who got her big spoon skills, she wants to say. “except you. well, sort of. you say i have potential.” she wants to focus on the road like a responsible driver, but how can she when she’s with mazen and he’s like an utter distraction? a satisfied smile is worn proudly, glancing at him every so often. “well… maybe you can teach me, then. a skill for a skill.”

        his words make her stop for a moment. she involuntarily rubs her lips together as he talks, both attracted and fully amused by his words. “well…” she looks back to the road for a moment, shrugging her shoulders. “you can always test it out again. you know, get a good feel for it.” she feels proud of herself for that one, pressing on the accelerator once more. something about him kept her on her toes and she ate it up and– she can’t help but realize that it just isn’t like this with other people.

        “that sounds like a fair deal.” maze agrees, “i’d better stock up on pringles before you next come over.” he acts like that won’t happen sooner, rather than later. up until this point, they’d failed to hang out without ending up staying at the other’s place. for someone so afraid of routine, he likes this one — their one. 

        “a feel for it?” he’s just repeating her words at this point in the hopes of projecting his own reddened cheeks onto her. it’s then they happen upon maze’s plan. another red light. he looks at meredith, then the light again ( like he’s making sure it’s real and not a figment of his besotted imagination ) and it’s between those looks that he makes a decision. twisting his pelvis in the seat, he unclips his belt with one hand, entwining another into mer’s hair. he edges his body closer and just before he plans to close his eyes and touch their lips, the light turns from red to green. just their luck. “maybe later.” he murmurs, their lips close enough that she would’ve been able to feel his words, as well as the disappointed exhale that follows them. his thumb brushes her chin before he slumps back in the passenger seat, seemingly defeated by the light change. but he can’t help but think that perhaps it’s worked in his favour. obstacles didn’t exactly exist between the two of them often. if they want each other, they get it. sometimes maze wonders —  no, worries — that it’s not a case of wanting, but convenience, that brings them together. he ponders that thought with his fingers still entangled in her hair, circling the back of her neck with his touch. 

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JESSE

“i could say that for both of us,” he coldly snaps. “we don’t belong here.” jesse had already locked the door of the bathroom. if anyone wanted in, they were going to have to kick the door down. a hand moves to rest on the wall beside mazen’s head to trap the male between his form and the wall. when jesse wanted something he’d find a way to get it. now, he wanted answered out of mazen, and he wouldn’t shy away from violence to get them. “it’s not? then what is it?” his brows rise as he awaits an answer. grabbing the collar of his shirt, he shakes him a around and shoves him back against the cool tile behind mazen’s head. “why the fuck am i left without a hacker?”

“there’s no ‘we’, jesse.“ even if that were true, he was a fool to actually tell him that. the truth was, mazen wanted a normal job with a pension scheme and cumulative holiday allowance; a job he can tell his mom about so she knows he’s alright. working for a criminal isn’t exactly a mom-friendly career. he couldn’t exactly ask for a workplace adjustment from his lawless boss in respect of an overbearing mother. or could he? he lets out a mewl in reaction to being shaken, bracing for more: he’s seen how jesse handles his business all too many times, and that was just from being his hacker. he can only imagine what his right-hand men have to witness. the shove had rattled maze; he fights to compose himself and draw in enough breath to stop him from becoming a gasping mess, “i— i— ” he can’t get the words out. turns out it’s difficult to speak from the heart when it’s beating at full tilt. “i just want to be fucking normal. i don’t want to be looking over my shoulder all the time,” working for jesse, he felt that. “come on, you can understand that.” like appealing to jesse’s human side has ever worked before. “right?” his words, though composed in nature, come out as a panicking plead. “right?” he repeats, his voice but a squeak.  

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out of all the places maze expected to run into his old patron ( granted, it was a brief list ), his current place of work was not anywhere on that list — much less the men’s toilet. having known jesse, it should’ve been. the famous lutz roll of the sleeves was enough to spook maze. there was a reason he fought his battles behind a computer screen. ”jesus christ, jesse,” swearing was perhaps his first mistake but maybe he relied too much on the relationship they once had to trust that the man wouldn’t react to it. “you shouldn’t be here.” but he was. and he had questions. if maze didn’t want to make his second mistake, he would answer them. conveniently, he ignored the first question, swiftly tackling the latter one, “you know that’s not it.” clearly not - it didn’t take a genius to figure that was why maze found himself backed against a wall. 

betrayal w / @starseren​ !

jesse didn’t like to be double-crossed. sure, he could dish it, but could never take it. he had been crossed in his life before and swore it would never happen again. all his life people made him feel small— made him feel defenseless. but now, he wanted to make it known you couldn’t betray him without paying for it. “yo mazen,” he called out. jesse rolled up his sleeves as he stalked towards him. large hands move to push the other’s chest until they were backed against the wall. “what’s this i hear about you working for the pigs? think you’re too good for me now?”

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LUKE

luke didn’t understand those who had a soft persona. he was one to say how he felt, in the moment, and never bend to the will of another. probably why he was successful at what he did. also the fact that he was a good chef and he spent the whole beginning of his career fucking over others. but it was also the personality. so he towered over mazen as he sat in his seat and looked down between his plate and his food. “too much salt, huh?” he hummed, thinking about the comment. not really something he can fault anyone on in a detrimental way. sometimes you just put in a bit too much salt. but he’d keep it in the back of his mind. he’ll remember. “no you’re probably right, i’m sure there’s just a bit too much salt. trust your gut, man.” he gave him a nudge. “hopefully it’s not inedible. i can excuse putting in a bit too much salt on an occasion, but to the point of not being able to keep it down, that’s another.”

“you underestimate my ability to eat absolutely anything, luke.“ and he wasn’t wrong. mazen was his mother’s own garbage disposal, working perfectly alongside her inability to cook a normal amount of food for a three-person family. “say, i have a proposal for you,” maze revealed before taking another bite. he let the thought sit in the air for a moment, just in case the other wasn’t in the mood for any of his proposals. but after yet another morsel, he continued, “my parents are visiting next week.” he took one of the napkins off the bar and wiped away some escapee sauce. “i told them i was busy — which i am, that wasn’t a lie ...” like he could ever lie to his parents. “ — anyway, as you know by now,” maze paused once again, grinning through another bite, “i don’t exactly cook.” an understatement, if there ever was one. “...  so, what i need you to do. is cook for me— i — i’ve got the recipes. that’s not the issue. i know what i want to cook. i just — “ he finally put the burger down and with his head finding solace in his sauce-covered hands, he ruefully mumbled, “ — fuck, man, i’ve got no clue.”

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MEREDITH 

            “just potential?!” meredith plays up her offense, jaw dropped. “i am a great big spoon, thank you very much.” if it was anyone else saying these words she would be full of scoffs and furrowed brows, but her face is nothing but relaxed, casual, at ease. she nods her head at every one of her talents that he lists, raising her eyebrows. “the pringle thing was that impressive, huh? i’m gonna keep that in mind. the next time i’m trying to be real sexy, i’ll just pull a pringle out of nowhere and fit it in my mouth without breaking. hell, maybe i’ll stack a few and try it.” she takes an exit and they finally slow to a red light, and she raises her hands as if to say, see? “well, lucky for you, you’ve got the best teacher around. and i’ve got plenty of lipgloss for you to test it out.” her head falls back onto the headrest and she looks at him fondly. “just observe me and learn from the best.”

            “who’s told you that?“ mazen’s taunting easily masks the fact he actually wants to know the answer, ( though he’d never admit it ). he’s not jealous, exactly - frankly, he has no reason to be. but he was curious. of course, he mused, having a feeling the ‘pringle thing’ would spark the most intrigue out of his list. “oh, yeah,” he agrees, “i thought about that one for a good few days after.” sadly, he’s not wrong. “but don’t get too cocky. stacking is harder than it looks.” there’s a smirk and he looks far too pleased with himself, “it overwhelms some.” 

            as expected, the red light doesn’t take long to appear, but it’s mer’s word where he sees an opportunity and seizes it. “test out your lipgloss?“ as soon as his words fill the air and he realises that, yes, he did just say that, he has to choose whether to commit fully. he dances somewhat between full commitment and completely chickening out with a mumble, “haven’t done that before.” yet another grin surfaces; he can never afford to be so ... cheeky in his professional life. “i’m observing, dammit!”

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LUCIUS

“shrek juice?” luci laughed loudly, holding it up, “yeah, you’re not wrong- you’re funny sometimes, damn, when are you gonna try your hand at stand-up?” he teased, before uncapping the bottle and smelling it- not great, that had been a bad idea, “well, i’d require double the pay, an order of mozzarella sticks, and for you to try just a sip of this- is that worth it to you?” the pay was the main reason he had taken this particular role- it was more than he had ever made on a job. it made the workout regimen seem worth it. he took a sip cautiously, failing entirely to keep the disgusted look off of his face. that carton of apple juice was seeming like a much better idea now, “it’s, uh, it’s really good,” he muttered after swallowing, “best thing i have ever tried! you’d be amazed how healthy and energized i feel already.” he took another resentful sip, giving his best friend a thumbs up as he forced it down, “you’re gonna be so sorry that you didn’t order one too.” 

"funny to you,” mazen pointed out with a harmless roll of his eyes, “i once caught you laugh at the big bang theory.“ even the disgusted look didn’t put mazen off. to his detriment, he was naive when it came to his friends; they truly could convince him of anything ( and apparently especially of drinking something packed with kale ). he cautiously unburdened his friend of the juice, swilling down what he soon found out to be more than enough of its contents. it was in that sip he learned that friends can and will lie. “fuck, luce.” he spluttered ... and more than just his words. “i actually can’t stand you.” he said with a grin. it was far from the truth and the actor would’ve had to of known that. “is this where i tell you i’m only your friend so i can meet rihanna one day?” he joked, handing the bottle back as if it was a firework about to go off. it was all in jest. if anyone believed in their friend’s talents, it was maze; he also believed in speaking things into existence. if drinking shit juice and working out more hours than before was going to get his friend there, he had to support it.. “and when i do,” he nudged the other, “it better be worth it.” seeing lucius in the spotlight was always worth it. “now, drink the rest of your juice before the fda hunt us down.”

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⟨ sofia  boutella.  cis  female.  she  /  her. ⟩  ↪  have  you  met  katia  ziane  /   dahlia  lutz  ?  this  thirty  six  year  old  taurus  has  been  living  in  the  venice  area  for  twenty  years.  she  makes  a  living  as  an  escort  /  madam,  which  works  for  their  nurturing,  sybaritic,  forlorn,  and  rancorous  nature.  call  me  by  blondie  is  one  of  dahlia’s  favorite  songs.

triggers:  sex  work,  implied  drug  use,  implied  abuse,  death.

FULL NAME: dahlia black  (  formerly known as katia ziane  ) NICKNAME(S): dahlia DOB: may 14th, 1984 AGE: thirty six  GENDER: cis female  SEXUALITY: bisexual  (  homoromantic  ) NATIONALITY: algerian   ETHNICITY: algerian  HOMETOWN: algiers, algeria    RELIGION: none SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): arabic  (  fluent, mother tongue  ), english  (  fluent  ) OCCUPATION: escort  /  madam  

triggers:  sex  work,  implied  drug  use,  implied  abuse.

i am so bad at writing intro posts as u can tell bc i decided to skip the entirety of deliah’s childhood bc it would’ve been sad and :/ you can kind of fill in the blanks.

dahlia didn’t find sex work ; sex work found her. and it found her young. it was her mother’s only source of income growing up - honorable, had she used the money to look after her children. it doesn’t need to be said where the money went. dahlia saw where it went on multiple occasions, as did her two elder siblings. she couldn’t blame either of them flying the nest as soon as they could. though it wasn’t much of a flight, rather a  f l e e.

dahlia’s flight took place when she was sixteen. that’s when she left alergia on a fake passport : her one way ticket. she escaped her mother but she didn’t escape the life. she continued using her birth name ( no one had taught her otherwise ) and it worked for her. the name didn’t mean anything ; she had no family to tie it to in america. until her older brother became a fuckin business mogul. 

the lifestyle manifested into escorting at some point in her mid-twenties. with it came more money. she found herself with regulars that had more and more prowess in their respective fields and before she knew it, she’d found her brother. it wasn’t a happy reunion by any means. he didn’t see his sister across from him, but his mother. their mother. he provided her with a large sum of money and asked her to ~sort her life out~, mostly for the sake of his reputation. 

her brother’s visit didn’t change anything, really. the one thing she knew for sure was that she needed a new name and so she went with her grandmother’s middle name, dahlia. the only woman in her life that didn’t expect anything of her and loved her unconditionally ( and also the woman that died shortly after her seventh birthday ). 

she married, not only for the name, but for the business. the money her brother had paid her off with was enough to seal any kind of deal. call it premature alimony. she was now dahlia lutz.

her and her husband work on an ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy when it comes to announcing their marriage. it’s not well known. there’s no love there. maybe once dahlia thought there was because it had been so long since she’d experienced it, but it didn’t take her long to veto that idea. there’s still a weird, mutual understanding between them. she provides him with brutal honesty, money and a string of men that he can exploit in his own way and he provides her with women in need. which brings me onto the next point ...

she vowed to help any woman in need, particularly in the sex industry, stopping them from being exploited any more than they already have been, helping them deal with their past and giving them a future ;( she does this by working as a madam to the city’s escorts and through funding ( thank u, hubby ), aids girls from all walks of life in separating herself from her pimp - and in most cases, abuser - and allowing them to work for themselves. 

the love she gets from those she calls “”her girls”” is the reason she does what she does. her dream was to become a mother and although she would never willingly bring a daughter into the world, she has found that in others, whether or not they know it. 

P E R S O N A L I T Y ( aka the shortest personality paragraph you have ever seen )  -  it’s better the daliah you know.  she is fun-loving and excitable and is always up for an escapade. she is fiercely loyal to those she keeps close  -  to those she doesn’t, it’s really pot luck what you get. there’s always a mouthful of venom that she’s ready to spit.

plots !

people she’s met over the years that have been engaged in some kind of dodgy lifestyle ( drugs, sex work, arms dealing - she’s been around it all ).

any girls she’s worked with throughout the years.

friends ! ! people that have lived in cali for a while.

a sisterly type of relationship :( someone that knows about her marriage 

an unrequited love, mayhaps ? would be a lady.

people she HATEs. likely to be men ( same tbh )

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MIA

For a moment there, Amelia thought the young man would ignore her completely– which maybe wouldn’t be a bad idea, sometimes the worst thing a person could do was indulge her. “This morning? And you’re coming back now? Whoa, what do you do for a living?” Amelia’s eyes widened as she questioned the stranger, addressing the part which sparked her interest. A moment later, she extended her hand as she motioned for him to take it and help her get up. “This damn tail is making it impossible for me to move, help.”

you should’ve thought of that, mazen considered, but didn’t vocalise. this mermaid might not have taken his sarcasm as lighthearted. he accepted the invitation in helping her stand, offering his own hand and letting go as soon as he could. “what don’t i do?” he mumbled, a hard day’s work behind him, before flashing a smile and giving the right answer, “i work as a cyber special agent,” a hacker, but the former lacked any immediate negative connotations. “but i haven’t been at work this whole time. i ate at the burnout.” for the third time that week - but as he could tell from the other, everyone had their vices. “and you?” his gaze averted to the tail, “full time mermaid?”

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LUKE

> @starseren​ reacted for a starter

luke didn’t really get to come out from behind the kitchen until things calmed down a bit and the dinner rush was over. while they were usually busy all around the clock, a week night after eight was a bit slower. so he slipped out, seeing the familiar face of maze, and approached his place at the bar. “well?” he looks down at the plate. “you know how things usually taste so if it’s off, let me know and i’ll fire a line cook.” not that he was looking for a reason to but, he had an inkling someone wasn’t doing their job right.

a large part of the reason mazen was a returning customer at the burnout was its owner. the same owner that had a habit of showing up when maze was mid-bite. he knew better than to expect a conventional greeting. as luke spoke, mazen’s gut instinct was to shake his head at the word ‘fire’. the idea of someone losing their job because of something mazen had said just didn’t sit right with him, even if he was just joking. as if he hadn’t been a part of someone’s undoing before. he was well aware of how backwards it would’ve looked in the eyes of another. “if i had to be picky,” he didn’t - and yet he continued, “maybe there’s a little too much salt.” something about the burnout’s proprietor made it seem like it was okay for him to be picky, like no matter how picky he was, he’d still come off as the better person. still, the guilt trickled up the back of his throat as he wolfed down the food. with a mouth full of burger, he spoke, a concealing any mess, “but tastebuds change! it could just be me.” he hastily swallowed the mouthful. “it’s definitely just me.”

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