#| int. Richard |

[soulsuckrrs]

open to: m/f/anyone plot: based on #6 - A Tale as Old as Time. hmu if you'd like to plot more! connection: Muse B, the vampire.

Richard was never one to deny his feelings, least of all to himself but for a while there he had found himself doing just that. Denying how he felt, how much he truly cared and even loved the other, he had pushed it down not for fear of his own life but for theirs. The love they shared was a forbidden one, shamed and dangerous. Even despite that their meetings had become more frequent, letters and notes burned after being received.

If Richard's uncle, the alpha of his pack, found out that his only nephew and heir was fraternizing with a vampire, Richard was sure they'd both be set to death. His uncle was a very strict man and even stricter alpha, although he loved his two nieces and his nephew, the children left to him by a late sister, Kyland did not know how to show mercy. For many centuries he had held the title of alpha and many did not wish to see that change, even if Richard was in line for the position. There were just as many pack members that did not want Richard to take over as there were those that did want him to.

So what did his uncle, the alpha, do to remedy the worries his pack had about the heir to his throne? He set Richard up for marriage, like any powerful leader would to ensure his nephew faced as little opposition when he took the title of alpha over but Richard did not want any of it. The title, the marriage, the power. All he wanted was them. All he could ever think about was being with them and the next time he could feel them close to his warm body. They were intoxicating, tempting, and he just couldn't give them up. Even if that was what he came there to do.

Richard knew he had to tell them about his betrothal even if he had zero plans of following through with it, that didn't matter. Their presence touched his senses and his thoughtful, distant blue eyes turned to the shadows where he knew they would come from, hearing and scenting them just outside of where he waited. A hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere, no one would suspect them, no one knew them. "There you are, I was starting to get worried," he half teased, a sort of exhaustion touching his gaze as they finally came into view, his lips curled into a fond and soft smile.

[soulsuckrrs]

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It was strange that he hadn't picked up on her scent the moment he had entered the bar let alone sat down at it, now that he was aware of her the scent that surrounded him was stirring more than just old memories and a rush of emotions Richard wasn't entirely sure what to do with. So he sat there, like a frozen statue as if he were that unnoticeable to everyone in the place, most of all her. His blue eyes flicked over to her once again, lingering and a little inspecting before he tore them away and almost wishing this was some memory come to haunt him.

Richard was like his uncle in the respect that he was raised by the man but what he had adopted from the other wolf more than any morales or manners Richie might have learned was the way his mind could wander from the sun and brood in the past with a shroud of darkness uncharacteristic to the otherwise charismatic wolf. There was a moment where Richard was sure he'd get lost in that cloud of thought when Lenora broke the silence he realized had stretched between them. The tall man finally shifted in his seat, eyelids batting a few times over his eyes before Richard shifted his sharp blue gaze over to where she sat.

Large shoulders relaxed some as Richie shifted to lean against the bar, suit jacket already unbuttoned and the white shirt underneath loose a couple clasps at the collar as well, despite that he felt suddenly on fire as if he'd set the place ablaze and Richard knew it was entirely because of how close he was to Lenora. A decade apart and she still set every one of his senses on edge, tuning into her as if there was no one else in the world.

A question almost bubbled past his lips quite impulsively but with the clearing of his throat, it had taken Richard far too long to learn how to reel in his words which often came out without thought or little filter but he was so in tune to Lenora he wanted to be careful what he said. But that didn't stop him from wondering what else she felt, if she could hear his thudding heart and the racing thoughts in his head. He couldn't help but try and lean closer, body drawn to her the longer he sat in her presence despite several chairs that separated them. "Hello to you too, Lenora," he spoke finally, his tone low and laced with something that was close to sorrow but not completely, old feelings that bubbled in his chest where his heart hammered.

The road trip all the way there had been the best part of whatever this was. She didn't even want to come in the first place, but the job required it, and whatever the job required, Lenora had to uphold, as dutiful as ever. It didn't mean she was going to do it with a smile... or without a little booze. Maybe a lot of booze. She so clearly didn't fit in this fancy and pompous environment, sitting at the bar with her double vodka. She tried, really she did, slipping on a black dress to appear as meek and boring as all those people, but the leather jacket hanging from her stool at the bar and the perpetual, slightly scary, look of annoyance on her face simply shattered that illusion for anyone willing to look a little too close.

And someone was. She had felt it the moment that person sat at the bar. To be perfectly honest she had felt it the moment they entered the room. Felt the tingle floating at her nape, as familiar as her own breathing now. The feeling that she wasn't the only dangerous thing in the perimeter anymore. It wasn't that unusual to run into supernatural creatures on her jobs and so at first she didn't really try to pinpoint where that sensation came from, but when it grew stronger, closer, she just had to look from the corner of her eye. And fuck, she shouldn't have. Why did it have to be him? Why was he here? Lenora had tried to keep tabs on him for a few years after they parted ways but she had stopped when she realized her obsession was simply hurting her further. Maybe if she had kept up with it, she wouldn't be in this bloody situation.

She wanted to ignore him, really she did. But she felt his eyes on her, felt him shift on his seat, felt every single breath of his only a few stools away, sitting at the same bar. It was infuriating, irritating. Her heritage had always let her feel danger of any kind, but when it came to him, it had always been something else. Yes the danger of his nature had called to her at first, just like any kind of danger always had, but the immediate bond they had then formed had taken a life of its own in her veins and as much as she hated to admit it, some traces of it still seemed to remain, her blood humming at the near presence of him, making her all too aware of his every move. Making her all too impulsive - as if this wasn't already the worst of her flaws. So as much as she had wanted to keep quiet in hopes he would just disappear, unable to deal with her own feelings of seeing him there almost ten years after the last time they had laid eyes on each other, it seemed her body had decided otherwise. ❝ You know I can feel you sitting there, right? ❞

[gecko-in-a-can]

Haha Fantastics so weird, I wonder what his Int stat is, considering the whole joke with him is how he’s incompetent and dumb it must be pretty lo-

[richardarmitagefanpage]

A trailer for The Boy in the Woods is coming in 2 days.

🎥: boyinthewoodsfilm

[soulsuckrrs]

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The tension that had been in his shoulders eased away as the situation dissipated into something calmer and the way Eden's body seemed to be pulled towards his in the moment he'd confronted the blonde man silently made his whole body vibrate from the brief contact that he reluctantly pulled away from. It wasn't until he'd made sure the blonde man had truly moved on and no longer posed some sort of unruly annoyance that Richard honed in on the way her heartbeat thrummed through her veins and her warm scent filled his senses and caused a small ache to pulse through his chest at its familiarity. Fondness twitched at his lips as she stumbled over her words in an awkwardness he'd always found quite endearing and made him want to be closer to her again so he shifted just a fraction more into her space by leaning against the bar a little in a casual motion.

She was waving her hands and going on in an effort to thank him and make it less awkward but all Richard could think of was how fucking gorgeous she was. His lips curled more over his teeth to reflect that feeling in a smile before he took a slow pull from his drink, dropping his eyes from her green hues, sure he would get lost in them if he kept looking into them. A small chuckle bubbled past his lips after he'd swallowed his drink, blue gaze flicking back up to meet hers. He never could have just stood aside when he saw her so visibly uncomfortable, it had been a reaction of impulse and nature, something he hadn't really thought about. Now that he was so close to her and his senses were remembering her so strongly Richard knew it had been an action of protectiveness that he now realized had never left.

Richard's head shook a few times before another breath of a chuckle played against his lips. "I wasn't going to stand by while that jackass bothered you, Eden," he confirmed, eyes flitting from hers to find the back of the blonde man's head and half glare as if he could make the other drop where he stood with just his mind. Fortunately for the other man Richard was born a wolf and not a witch or some other creature who could do such a thing. A sigh left his lungs and he cleared the irritation from his throat with another gulp from his drink before he returned his eyes to Eden's. "-- it is really good to see you," he added, that softness reserved only for her flecking against his features as he looked at her.

Perhaps it was the drinks he'd downed in such quick succession prior or the way everything about her seemed to drown him in memories and a feeling Richard never thought he'd ever experience again but something made the man feel as if this wasn't just two old friends running into one another on a business trip. A glint of mischief sparked within his blue eyes as his smile turned into more of a knowing grin. "Oh, we were more than just friends, weren't we?" He teased only hoping to get some more flustered reaction out of her.

Occupying his mouth once more with his drink Richie took a slower drink from it just to stretch the time between his responses. "You're braver than you think and uh... no, I'm not here with someone." He finally finished, eyes sweeping over to watch the bartender momentarily just to draw himself out of her stunning eyes again. It hadn't been a complete lie, it was true that he wasn't there with someone but that didn't mean there wasn't a person back home that even now was making his phone buzz annoyingly in his pocket. "My Uncle finally decided to retire so I have taken his place and with that his responsibilities," Richard said, eyes moving back to meet Eden's with a small shrug and a slight tilt to his head. "So I'm here on business..." a pause and glance at his glass, "what about you? Are you here with someone?"

continued from here @soulsuckrrs

Eden still had the same aroma, she still smelled like her bakery. Warm bread, freshly baked and then honey, salted butter, vanilla, and somewhere in that mix were spring meadows, afternoons in soft sunlight, and nights spent basking under their full moon. There was no way she couldn't step into this room and act like she did not feel his presence, it was all she felt like it suffocated her very being. She'd never forgotten it, the air around him, how it felt being near him but she had to act like it wasn't something she remembered or right now, wanted. She couldn't get into that again after everything, could she?

She wasn't the type to want a scene, nor make one. If anything she avoided things like this, shying away from the limelight. She was timid that way and coming on that strongly, loudly, was the wrong way to approach Eden. She looked like a deer in headlights, not any werewolf. There was a relief that came with the way he wedged himself between her and the blonde man, a relief that she wasn't entirely sure she should be feeling but old feelings could easily resurface.

Darling. She had always liked that, and hearing it again just reminded her of far too much. Eden instinctually shuffled into his side, gravitating to where she felt safe and despite how they'd ended, despite the time... if anything, she knew that Richard was safe for her. Instinctually her hands move to rest on his back, one hovering on his arm. Even with heels on she was small in height, but Richard was there like her shield, letting her feel so protected when she couldn't find her own voice.

The blonde was backing off, his eyes looking up and down Richard, and Eden was certain her heart was beating double speed in this worry that this would become a full brawl. Thank the heavens it didn't, the blonde accepted the loss and moved on to try and find the next girl he could try it on with, but it wouldn't be her. It wouldn't be the pretty raven-haired beauty that was Eden O'Connor. She stared at him for a moment, a long moment where she probably should have tried to stop the curve in the corner of her lips. "Hi..." she spoke so softly, green hues searching his. It was only then she realized that Richard even after all these years, remembered her drink of choice. "You ummm.." she was already half flustered. He'd been so close. "You didn't have to do that- not that I didn't want you to!" she spoke quickly to try and correct herself. She heard it, the racing of his heart, almost as fast as her own. "I'm really grateful that you did that, that you.." she wiggled her hand in reference to that whole fiasco. "Thank you." she blurts it out, taking a breath because it really felt like she'd held it in. "Are you here with someone?" she just came out with it, all this time, he must be with someone right? Just like she was. "Listen everything that happened, this... this awkwardness? How about we just.. forget it. We're here on a business trip and, it's nice to see an old friend right?" Yeah.. old friend. That is totally what this was, nothing more. Nope. Definitely not her sipping that cocktail and fluttering her eyelashes at him like butter wouldn't melt.

"Guess I never turned into the big brave wolf I said I'd be huh?" you could see the shift when she glanced around the place and glared at the blonde across the way but she looked at him differently, with softness. She could not help but wonder, did he react like that because he was being a gentleman, being kind to an old flame, or because he couldn't help but feel protective over her, like an instinct.

[antebellumite]

getting into the isaacman bio and i am amazed by the jarring realization that kissinger was spending 80% of Watergate dealing with the yom kippur war.

and nixon was still calling him for good boy pats... truly a "not now kitten, daddy's trying to force a ceasefire while beating soviets back with a stick"

[friendscfmine]

▸   @sinshosted  ​ ⟶   ❛  "It's just… I've got a lot of life left to live. I'd hate to peak in my sophomore year." //from ava for. surprise me. one of the adults- LKDFKLS  ❜   ╱   (  percy jackson & the last olympian , accepting .  )

The stool in front of Richard’s coffee counter is as good as one in any bar, a place to go when you need some warm liquid comfort or courage in the morning rather than the dead of night.  And he has earned a reputation like a bartender, wiping down the counter or the milk foamer while he nods sympathetically at the town’s problems.

He is also able to play the role for children, who can’t get into bars, although not many of the local ones stop in, save for Kenny.  Ava is another exception, but she has not ordered a coffee, instead picking at a pastry she smelled baking from the street.

Richard gives her a soft smile.  “Don’t worry, you haven’t peaked yet,” he tells her.  “I know at your age, it seems that once you turn forty, you might as well be dead, but that’s not true.  You have all the time in the world to make something better of yourself.”

He wipes his hands on his apron and says, “Are you sure I can’t get you a coffee?  A lot of people say it makes them feel like they can take on the world.”

[chrliebot]

richard siken, scheherazade; 2005

[c1tyhaunts]

SYMBOLS STARTER CALL. @lotuskissed: 🩹  for  an  injured  /  sick  starter .

MESSY, MESSY, MESSY; tonight wasn't as easy as the previous ones, was it? You were in over your head, as usual; you didn't even think twice about how to go about your assault tonight. Walkman pinned to your torn jeans, headphones blaring Hip To Be Square like you're Patrick fucking Bateman, cutting through the Russians like they're squealing pigs and you're the butcher. You felt it: sparks traveling through your bloodstream, the high straight in your brain. You were blind, caught in the rush, and the beat-by-beat. It only took a second before you looked back, horns blaring in your airphones, and then came the loud crack on your own skull—

"But, you should see the other guy," Richard's dry laugh echoes in the empty hallway outside of Ramona's apartment, rumbling as it came deep from his chest. The coy joke falls flat, however, as his face stays motionless, glossed, and deadpanned. Richard stands tall before her, almost completely unfazed by the steady stream of blood that soaked and crusted up strands of his strawberry-blonde hair down to his chin. His signature jacket spotted with speckles of blood, and clearly, not all of it was his own.

It's a scary sight, but Richard wasn't thinking that far ahead. He recalled Ramona lived close to the last assignment, and it may have been better to find someone to patch his head instead of driving all the way back home. Adrenaline can keep him walking, but he wasn't going to die drunk against the wheel, high off of the endorphins.

Plus, who knows? Maybe company is what he needed after a good night out.

"Can you patch me up real quick?" Richard asked simply, pointing to his general person. "I, uh, don't think I have time to go to a hospital just yet."

[dustymagpie]

[soulsuckrrs]

open to: m/f/anyone connection: the alpha's son/daughter/child of a rival pack👀👀, another supernatural. plot: after several centuries of searching, Richard has more or less given up on the idea of his mate being out there, not everyone found their mate but the fact that he was now newly appointed the alpha of his own pack, it is a heavier weight upon his shoulders. no alpha in the history of his pack has been without a mate, even his uncle. running into your muse flips his world upside-down. hmu to plot more if you'd like! editor: using beta

Parties weren’t an unusual place for Richard, he was a social butterfly and was often times on many people’s guest lists. That didn’t always mean he attended every event he was invited to, especially since obtaining leadership of his Uncle’s pack, however, Richard’s responsibilities had brought him to this party in particular. A mating ceremony, or in a more modern term, engagement party. He was dressed to impress, a black suit tailored just for him with accents of baby blues and whites that made his piercing blue gaze even sharper as he meandered through the reception of the party, champagne flute in one hand. It was always nice being reminded that he was one of the few alpha’s attending that had not found his mate just yet. His sisters were already settled down and happy, why he hadn’t discovered the other half that so many of his kind believed in just eluded Richard. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, Richard simply lived an extremely active life and the things he did to seek out another rush of adrenaline wasn’t always that welcoming to those that wanted to settle down or mate. 

Shifting through the crowd further and towards the bar Richard eyed those around him, happiness and lust was thick in the air and it reminded him the days such events were more or less orgies instead of simply parties to celebrate a coupling. He sighed and swiped two fresh flutes of champagne before he downed one and took a large gulp from the other, almost finishing it as well. He moved around to where the bar was and finished off the champagne, eyeing the empty glass thoughtfully as he waited for the bartender to order another drink. The pressure since he had taken over for his Uncle had been great and it didn't help he still wasn't sure what had happened to his Uncle, whether the other man was dead or not perplexed Richard and kept him awake most nights-- that along with the crippling guilt he'd failed the only man he'd ever considered a father, Richard hadn't been there when he was needed and now he was left picking up the pieces, cleaning up the mess he'd been left with.

So his thoughts were heavy tonight but the only thing that gave that away was the tension in his shoulders as he leaned against the bar, blinking out of his thoughts to glance around, see if he'd missed anyone he knew aside from the mated couples-- he'd said hello to them first before wandering through the thick mass of people, it seemed every pack for a several hundred locations had been invited but it wasn't a surprise to Richard. Royalty among wolves walked this crowd and Richard knew he wasn't the only one, it would be disrespectful to let the connections his Uncle kept to wither. Eyes so blue they resembled the ocean scanned over people with a lazy manner, not really bored but not truly engaged until his eyes met theirs and a jolt of energy rippled throughout him. Richard smiled instinctively and the action did well to hide his slight surprise.

[waugh-bao]

Keith: Man, I hate Valentine's day. It's all just a huge scam for the greeting card and chocolate companies to increase their sales.

Charlie: Oh, since we’re on tour I was going to ask you to be my valentine but you're right, it is a scam.

Keith: Did I say it's a scam? I meant... I'm such a fan!

Keith: I'll be your valentine. Please.

Shirley *hiding behind the door*: ;)

[silkchvffon]

closed for @jawbrkrs !

PICNIC BASKET IN ONE HAND, carter trails beside zoe. dark gaze keeps sneaking glances at her out of the corner of his eye, admiring the curve of her lips, the dimple on her left cheek. he ignores the urge to pinch himself; to remind him it's not real, but a stupid game for a stupid boy who'd never deserve her even if he tried for a lifetime. still, it's hard to let go when she's the sweetest thing he's ever held. « i had a good time today, » he breaks the silence. « when can i see you again ? »

[troublcmakcrs]

     @lastsurvivor  〢  cont from here .

Tweek was used to coming to such festivities with his parents, and he could not stop looking over his shoulder, wondering if they would be angry with him for ‘Cheating’ on them.  He absolutely hated coming to festivals with them, watching them laugh and smile with each other.  They put on airs of being the perfect family, and he could never act enough like he wanted to be there with them, which only led to further criticisms about his ‘ungratefulness’ when they were behind closed doors again.

He was glad to be here with someone else and hoped to actually enjoy himself this time, but he could not let go of the possibility that his folks would show up and ruin things.

The caramel apple was a welcome distraction, something to occupy his hands so that he wasn’t scratching at the backs of them, and Tweek took it from ripley with a soft, “Thank you.”  He took a bite of it while he surveyed the festival grounds.

“Ah… the hay rides aren’t… those haunted ones, are they?”  If they weren’t, that sounded like it would be a chill time, and it would allow him to eat his apple before they moved onto anything that required both hands.

[angusbyrne]

How was Angus feeling about it? He was tempted to chew his fingernails to the quick, for starters. But that was an instinct brought to a halt thanks to the diligent trimming meant to prevent that sort of thing in the first place. And after that, well. He was strategically benumbed. The thought of being paired with Reece, ultimately, did not immediately trigger his fight-or-flight as he might have expected. He knew that things could go awry—it was hardly ever a straight path from Point A to Point B with Reece—but he was making deliberate attempts to exhibit a sense of confidence in her capabilities.

If God was good, and Angus liked to on occasion think He was, then Reece would not go off the rails. What was that phrase, from that movie in the 80's? If you build it, they will come. That was his current strategy. If he streamlined the entire process so Reece wouldn't have to do anything but show up and shoot the shit, then things had no reason to go not-smoothly. Angus took a breath, then let it out. "I feel optimistic," he settled on. "She's quick-witted and charming. I'm sure that would be a great improvement from the usual dry personalities that people come across at your average auction."

Angus had been to plenty of those Sotheby's type events, so he knew. And he'd been to plenty of the inverted version, as well. When Naomi revealed a mostly blank page, he wasn't surprised. Not because he thought Naomi wasn't proactive but because, well—the drool of it all. Angus hummed contemplatively. "'Should' being the operative word there, I'm assuming," he replied, then tilted his head in vague, performative acquiescence. "Though correct me if I'm wrong, of course." When Naomi asked him for suggestions, Angus took a moment to think about his answer.

Last he was in the city in early August, he'd eaten at The Queen's Hideaway. So far, it had been one of his favorite meals of the year, in part thanks to the Lactaid he brought along. Peaches roasted in duck confit with triple-cream cheese. Crab and corn custard tart with a side of smoked cherry tomatoes and bush basil. Albacore tuna ceviche with avocado, currant tomato, and fresh fried tortillas. Raspberry pie. The chef said he'd been inspired by his grandmother's dinner table in the summertime. Would that be Naomi's plan? To take inspiration and then to elevate?

For all Angus' love of fine dining restaurants, he couldn't put himself into the mind of a person who lived and worked behind the scenes of one. He simply enjoyed the fruits of their labor. "Suggesting a simple roast chicken wouldn't be a faux pas, would it?" he started, offering her the shadow of a smile. It'll come together. A quick assurance before the discussion could properly start. Angus thought he felt Naomi slip back into her shell. "What were the first and last things you cooked for him? I'm curious."

Naomi turned away from him to smirk, recalling a classic Angus trait. Perhaps it was because she was speaking more Japanese lately, but most didn't speak as formally as Angus did. It was a quirk of his that she always enjoyed. It was another thing that could make his auction duties with Reece interesting. "How are you feeling about that? It won't be boring, I'm sure."

Have you got any grand ideas? At this, Naomi held up her notebook, the page only marked with a title and the projected attendance number. "Not yet unfortunately. It should be easy, I create menus all the time." Her partner's flavor combinations could be unbalanced, thus she wasn't willing to consult him on them anymore.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Angus's past wasn't something Naomi had investigated much. He was the ward that arrived just before her, so some things had been shared, his attitude switch and connection to Richard* among them. The blank page in her hand made her feel more insecure about her own connection to him - how well did she really know him? If she had to interrogate the face that he meant more to her than she to him, she feared the tears would come like earlier. Her skin felt hot recalling how she embarrassed herself during her 'eulogy' and then had to sit between the two wards who were most likely to hover, Celia and Angus. "It'll come together." She reassured them both, not wanting to spark the anxious protectiveness of the tall man.

*I wasn't sure how aware the other wards are ie. if he calls him Uncle Richard in front of the others so I left this vague but i'm happy to change it if you'd like

[friendscfmine]

     @sailingtempest  〢  cont from here .

“You do,” Richard said, with a well-practiced friendly smile as he took his place next to her on the bench.  As long as she was inviting him, he would take full advantage of it, never passing up an opportunity to make new customers or connections.  You had to meet people where they were at, though, and had she greeted him with more hostility, he would not have pushed his luck by sitting down.

He rubbed his hands together and put on an exaggerated shiver as if the cold Colorado wind was cutting through the thick fibers of his burgundy sweater.  “It’s cold as death out here!” he remarked.  “I run a coffeeshop up the road, which I was just on my way back to.  Our morning rush is long over, so it will be quiet for you by now.  Why don’t you let me set you up with a cup of something?  If you want to talk, we’ll talk.  If you want me to leave you alone with your mug, I can do that, too.”