#╞c:Eve

[synergynine]

Synergy 9 Episode 00: the prologue

[mothernatureknows]

“I must say, Eve…you certainly know your way around a dance floor,” Orion chuckled softly as they strolled along the deck, recalling the previous night’s events. “I think I wore a hole right through my shoes, and my good ones at that.” As if all of his shoes weren’t pristine and never experienced anything to cause as much as a scuff. “If I recall correctly, I believe you still have my tie.” 

"Hey now, I can't take all the credit. Who knew you could dance a jig like that? You even out danced some of the actual Irishmen there!"

Last night felt like an absolute dream.

***

To start it all off, Eve and Maddy had had the wondrous chance of being formally invited by Orion and Minjae to a proper dinner in the first class dining hall. They were to be greeted by the elite of this cruise's society and partake in their menial pleasantries, how exciting!

Well...sort of.

Honestly, Eve had been nervous for that event. A, she had no pretty gowns other than the plain dresses she scavenged before the trip, and B, how the hell was she supposed to communicate with those people? They had "real" problems, like accidentally getting veal instead of steak, or not having enough bathrooms in the summer villa they just bought.

What was Eve supposed to say? "Oh yeah, I once got short-changed by a vendor and spat in the face by a man thinking that I was a prostitute?" She knows that they'll more than recoil their faces in disgust. No, she had to be civil, and pretend like she had all their problems.

But how?

By the grace of her sister's unnerving kindness, and Eve's own bubbling personality, they managed to befriend a first-class passenger: Madame Natura. She was a young widow, who just came into a grand fortune since her husband's passing. Madame Natura was intrigued by the pair of sisters and sympathized with their plight, so much so that she even let them borrow two of her own fancy gowns!

It was amazing to finally feel, at least for one night, like a first class elite. The sun-colored silk flowed nicely on Eve's skin, trailing down past her ankles and lightly touching her matching, embroidered heels. It struck her as odd but convenient that Madame Natura had sizes for both her and Maddy, despite the fact that they were both different sizes. When asked, all Madame said was:

"I like to make dresses of all sizes in my free time, don't worry!"

Ok, sure.

In their trying outfits time, Madame Natura gracefully spilled about how to act snobbish enough for the first class passengers. They were full of themselves, so if Maddy and Eve acted the same—with a few choice words here and there—they should fit right in. Madame even went as far as perfuming the duo with one of her finer collections: Eve with a citrusy scent, while Maddy received a floral one.

Thus, the sisters were prepped and ready to enter their first, high society dinner, Eve hoping that no one took deep offense with her nor Maddy.

Upon arrival, however, Eve was more than bored. Orion, handsome and dashing like the first time they met, would drive most of their conversations with the elite. More than once, Eve heard about the "dreadful" service on the Celeste: they never had enough towels, not enough soap, not enough forks for the meal, blah, blah, blah. Give her a damn break, was this all they knew about? And this was only the men speaking.

The women were ongoing about their own husbands and children: my child just got accepted into Harvard, my child just won Olympic gold, my child just got married and has a baby on the way, blah, blah, blah. The same old, droll bullshit that Eve unfortunately could give less of a shit about.

Most of the night, her eyes drifted to her sister, the same (albeit less) bored expression on her features. Maddy seemed like she was trying to be as polite as possible but it wasn't turning out in her favor.

Eve had sighed, loud enough to have drawn several odd stares, before schooling her features to reflect a "pleasant" face. Dammit, she couldn't stand this any longer. These people just kept dragging on about the most empty topics and never had any real conversations. She knew Orion was trying to be polite and introduce her to everyone, but she'd grown tired of it.

Plus, she's pretty sure she just heard some of the elite ladies start spewing shit about her and her sister behind her back. Over all of it, Eve managed to scribble a note beneath their table, folding the small slip of paper into her glove.

"Well, folks, it was a pleasant night but, uh, I must retire to my bedchamber," she had stated mechanically, getting up from her seat. In turn, all the men got up as well to see her off. "Thank you, Orion, for the night but my sister and I will be leaving now." Discreetly, she snuck the slip of paper into Orion's hand, before departing the dining hall, her sister in tow.

"Are we really going to sleep?" Maddy had asked once they were out of earshot.

"Hell no, the night's just started," Eve answered, waggling her eyebrows. "We're just getting a head start and waiting for—"

In that moment, both saw Orion and Minjae exit the dining hall, the note in Orion's hand visible. A dazzling smile slipped onto Eve's lips as she said:

"So, you wanna go to a real party?"

***

"Loosen up! Come on, get into the thick of it!" Eve had shouted at Orion as they stomped onto the dance floor.

As soon as they had shown up to the third class dining hall, they were greeted with a raucous chorus of "Hey!," "Sisters are here!," "Fancy getups, now?," and "And they brought some suits!" Eve and Maddy had pulled both men into the energized crowd, pushing Orion and Minjae to the forefront. From the get go, all the attending passengers were greeting the first class pair, all welcoming these fresh faces to the party.

Eve had immediately beelined it to the beer station, grabbing a glass for herself and for Orion. Maddy had disappeared to the other side of the party with Minjae, but Eve wasn't too worried. Everyone there meant well and didn't have any beef with the sisters—besides, Minjae was with her, so Eve was relatively relaxed.

After a moment of drinking—and Eve removing Orion's tie for making him look too formal—the blonde hurriedly dragged him up to the dance floor, much to the hollering of the crowd. Ironically, the band struck up the fastest jig they could play, forcing the people on the dance floor to move practically at the speed of light.

"There you go, you're getting it!" Eve had laughed loudly, twining hands with Orion and spinning in his arms. "Gotta go faster, let's go!"

***

"Oh, pish posh, you have a million more pairs, I bet," Eve says. "And, honestly, the first shoes I saw on you looked way better than those."

"Oh yeah? Didn't I return it back to you?"

She didn't. After a couple of hours dancing and causing chaos in the third class dining hall, Eve had literally gone to her and Maddy's bedchamber to sleep. Of course, she had made sure to say her proper goodbyes to the first class boys before heading off.

In the time that it took for Eve to sleep, she couldn't help replaying what had happened and how gorgeous Orion had looked in the low lighting. Of course, he always looked great, but something about being in the company of good, lively people, really brought out his heart-shaped smile and radiant glow so well.

She regretted not having kissed him before heading to bed.

When she woke up that morning, she actually did spot Orion's tie thrown haphazardly on their sink, the fine material unblemished surprisingly enough.

"Oh, wait! You mean this?" She smirks, pulling the tie out of her coat pocket. "Ah, looks like I did, my mistake."

She twirls the material playfully in her hands, smiling coyly at Orion. "I could give it back to you. Or..." she trails off, beginning to back up slowly. "I could show you something cool and give it back to you there. You up for the challenge, star boy?"

[scmethinginthewater]

@jereviendrai​

Reyna should’ve known that her step-father would stoop so low. That he would send someone after them to find them. Bring her sister back, make Reyna disappear. She hadn’t imagined that he’d send a freaking mutant after them! Apparently Reyna underestimated how much he hated having the two of them slip out from under his grasp.

“Stay. The fuck. Away. From us,” Reyna growled, pushing Darcy behind her. They’d managed to evade him for this long, but he had caught up now. Fear coursed through Reyna, but she’d be damned if she’d show that.

[rorydakota]

@perksofbeingeve

Rory had been out and about running several much needed errands when she spotted something fall from the pocket of another individual on the street. With canvas totes filled with groceries weighing her down, she couldn’t exactly run after the individual; and she figured her voice wouldn’t carry enough to call out to them. But that didn’t stop her from trying. Making her way to what had fallen on the sidewalk, she picked it up before awkwardly running after the other. “Uh, hey.” She called out once she’d gotten closer to them (thanks to a no walk sign at the next intersection). “Hey... I think you may have dropped this.”

[livplots]

𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓸𝓾𝓽…

[armstrong-james]

Drop Anchor // Eve & James

@eve-martin

James was embarrassed to admit he didn’t know too much about Professor Martin, other than she was the headmistress of Shadow Falls University. He figured volunteering to be in the auction would not only raise money for a good cause, but also an opportunity to take off his alpha hat and relax around someone.

Anxiety had other plans. He had his hands behind his back, fingers awkwardly fidgeting. He didn’t know what to expect. She wasn’t a werewolf, so chances were she wouldn’t care about his title as Alpha, which was fine. He could do with a few less threats. He waited on the dock next to the boat he had rented and smiled as Eve approached. 

“Hey, I’m James,” he said, stepping forward. His hands stopped shaking in time for him to extend a hand for her to take. “Nice to finally meet you. Hope you are susceptible to sea-sickness.”

[unsteadyxmuses]

tag drop for eve st.claire

[shotsme-walt]

/ 2007 /

@ofsmalldeath

Se pressentimento de mãe é forte, de vó deve ser duas vezes. Peggy Schotsman não costumava ter problemas de sono, assim, quando acordou de um pesadelo horrível gritando pela jovem Black ela tomou como uma mensagem divina. As duas da manha, porque afinal, divindades não trabalham em horário comercial. Depois de a senhora descer e subir as escadas da residencia, tentando encontrar o sono, Oscar, que dormia de lado, enrolado no edredom off -white com estampa de borboletas no quarto do casal foi acordado com uma balançada não tão sutil em seu corpo, tentando assimilar, pelo misto de sono e a feição de preocupação da mulher, porque diabos ele precisava ir até a casa dos Black. Sem uma explicação muito obvia a não ser pressentimento, acabou por concordar com o pedido da esposa. Afinal, não havia nada que ele não fizesse por ela.

Walter, que dormia na casa dos avós sempre que o pai estava de plantão, fora acordado de maneira muito mais sutil, apenas com um chamado. As vantagens do sono leve, talvez. Ele e o avo desceram a escadaria e entraram na picape ainda com suas calças de moletom e atravessaram o bom bairro que viviam, até a residência dos Black.

Barulhos estranhos do que parecia uma discussão ecooavam para fora da casa, deixando o velho Oz em alerta. - Me espere aqui…Certo? - pediu ao neto, que nao demorou a assentir com a cabeça. Segundos depois, parado a porta da casa, o homem tocou a campanhia diversas vezes, esperando ser atendido.

[causeimmrbrightside-walt]

@eveblack

/ 2007 / 

Se pressentimento de mãe é forte, de vó deve ser duas vezes. Peggy Schotsman não costumava ter problemas de sono, assim, quando acordou de um pesadelo horrível gritando pela jovem Black ela tomou como uma mensagem divina. As duas da manha, porque afinal, divindades não trabalham em tempo comercial. Depois de a senhora descer e subir as escadas da residencia, tentando encontrar o sono, Oscar, que dormia de lado, enrolado no edredom aff-white com estampa de borboletas no quarto do casal foi acordado com uma balançada não tão sutil em seu corpo, tentando assimilar, pelo misto de sono e a feição de preocupação da mulher, porque diabos ele precisava ir até a casa dos Black. Sem uma explicação muito obvia a não  ser pressentimento, acabou por concordar com o pedido da esposa. Afinal, não havia nada que ele não fizesse por ela. 

Walter, que dormia na casa dos avós sempre que o pai estava de plantão, fora acordado de maneira muito mais sutil, apenas com um chamado. As vantagens do sono leve, talvez. Ele e o avo desceram a escadaria e entraram na picape ainda com suas calças de moletom e atravessaram o bom bairro que viviam, até a residência dos Black. 

Barulhos estranhos do que parecia uma discussão  ecooavam para fora da casa, deixando o velho Oz em alerta. ˜Me espere aqui...Certo? pediu ao neto, que nao demorou a assentir com a cabeça. Segundos depois, parado a porta da casa, o homem tocou a campanhia diversas vezes, esperando ser atendido. 

[alwaysa-winner]

┇┅Midnight Friends [Closed]

Francesco had had a week like no other. The bright sun and LA weather was not what he pictured it to be.

The movies were wrong! This city was far more than a vision of perfection, but a nightmare. The racers sponsors had been pushing him during training for the past couple of days, causing him to feel like a walking corpse. Stripping away any fun. Francesco was beginning to feel discouraged with his newly formed life. All he was looking forward too was this upcoming race, hopefully, then things would loosen up.

The Italian would throw those thoughts aside and drunk his night away, at least that was his plan as he strolled into the bar and took a seat.

“Anything I can get you started with tonight sir?” The bartender asked as he approached the blue eye gentleman

“I’ll take the best Martini Vodka you can make”

[aj-writess-blog]

tag drop for eve st.claire

[mothernatureknows]

When the Night Lost the Moon

{ For @intergalacticxmisfits​ <3 }

The point of the dagger pierced her delicate skin, drawing a bead of blood in its wake. In desperation, she clutched at the foreigner’s arms, fearful of this person, fearful of the dagger moving any further, fearful of what he might do when he finds out that a stranger visited her. 

It takes a while for the terror clouding her mind to clear, allowing only traces of the foreigner’s words to seep through. When they finally register, her arms tremble even more, green eyes widening as the blonde woman says:

“You...YOU...shouldn’t be here.”

***

In this galaxy, long abandoned and uncharted, lies a decrepit castle, noticeably haunted and littered with dying stars. Stories and rumors have bled throughout the universe about what lies within, from ghosts that clamor for the light to vengeful spirits that prey on the innocent. 

It’s a familiar tale, used to keep the curious away from these lands and scare the young to sleep. But hardly a soul actually travels to that part of the universe, an unconscious pull keeping them from fulfilling that desire. 

Thus, any soul found living and breathing in this land cannot be of their own will. 

***

Evelyn was, arguably, the first of her kind. 

Found in the throes of ash and fire, she was retrieved from the smoldering earth, to a realm far beyond her wildest imagination. In a daze and barely alive, she was inherently...rescued, saved from becoming a charred crisp. 

Grateful, she tried her best to thank her saviors, releasing praise and gratitude from her lips. Sure, she hadn’t had much when she was on earth, but she’s sure that she could repay their kindness tenfold. 

Something about their gaze told her otherwise. 

Soon, she found herself fighting for her life in a hellish castle, trying and trying to flee the cold grasp of her captors. As much as she’d try to run, there was no way out of this prison. The castle itself was as the stories said:

Floating in the middle of nowhere. 

Worst of all...Evelyn was immune. 

This wasn’t her captors’ first rodeo, others had traipsed the land before her. Unfortunately for them, none of them had lasted beyond what she had. She can see the remnants of their agony and desperation in the shadows, or in a makeshift graveyard she saw once in passing. 

All suffering from the consuming dark of these princes, and none able to overcome it. 

But she could. 

And of course, of course, they were delighted. 

All the more reason to keep her captive. 

Now, with star-stitched scars and a dimming light, Evelyn twirls her makeshift flowers by her window, struggling to keep herself sane and wishing that someone can hear her cries at night, when they have taken all but her own life. 

***

Luna was the most difficult. 

Suffice to say, she was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. 

All she had wanted to do was to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her best friend, maybe dabble in other forms of travel not accessible to most humans. With the abilities she had, somehow, she had linked herself access to her friend, opening a portal of sorts. 

Unfortunately, that had inadvertently dragged her through, engulfing her being and dumping her in the last place she should’ve ever ended up. 

Weakened, Luna was also dragged through the ominous castle. She was half-icicle, almost dead, had it not been for the “care” of the princes. Eyes bursting open, she had tried to book it out of there as soon as she awoke, but, like Evelyn, she was unable to find any form of escape. 

She was stuck. 

But that didn’t stop Luna. 

For a seeming eternity, whenever she was approached, she would become volatile and violent, spitting and screaming, shredding anything she could with her powers and, should they sputter out, then her bare hands and feet. She was not about to bow to these monsters, she had had enough of them in her past. 

So, being that she was so resistant, Luna was locked up tight in the castle’s highest tower, heavy chains draped around her limbs. All freedoms she’d had were restricted, limited to the window that overlooked a portion of the castle’s garden. 

Still, no matter who visited, Luna would not back down, turning her room into the coldest room in the castle, clumps of ice attached to the brickwork in the tower. 

She had to—no, she WOULD get out. Fuck the princes. Even if she was “immune,” there was no way they were getting within an inch of her. She would escape and do anything to get away. 

Even if it meant freezing the galaxy itself. 

***

Maddy was the most compliant. 

Of course, it was well known in the nearby galaxies that a mere human had been captured by the “mystery” princes. This had been one of their most gaudy kidnappings, done in front of some of the most wealthy residents of the galaxy. Certainly, rumors would be flying as fast as lightyears. 

Whispers of her husband’s capture were also shared, but the whereabouts of where he was held changed often. It was never known if he was dead or alive, either. 

What the wealthy residents did know was that the princes had had their eyes on this “powerless nobody” the entire night of their celestial ball. In all honesty, the Hosts themselves hadn’t even registered the arrival of the princes—it was like they had slipped right through the shadows and onto the gold-poured floor.

With their captives in tow, they had vanished into the stars, leaving no meaningful trace, other than the impression left on the guests.

Further along, and unbeknownst to the celestial wealthy, Maddy regained consciousness and was rightfully terrified of her captors. She didn’t recognize them, had no familiarity or warmth for them, other than the casual kindness afforded to strangers.

She was scared. Confused. Unnerved at the stares. 

She was clueless to what was going to happen next. 

And then...there was the first approach. 

Then the second. 

The third. 

And so on, until Maddy was finally deemed for what she really was:

Immune. 

By that point, she was over-consumed by stars and embellished in cosmic frills too incredible for her to fathom. Her mind was lost in the fog created by the princes, dwindling her consciousness to roam on autopilot, silently hoping for anything, or anyone, to break her out of this neverending cycle.

***

Eve tapped her fingers against her bed frame, tawny hues trained on the double doors of her bedroom. A frustrated sigh escaped her painted lips, her unoccupied hand picking at a loose string on her robe. 

He was late. 

He always made it routine to visit her on this day, at this exact time, since the time of her capture, going through the starstuff routine and seeing if perhaps, this time, it would actually stick.

She sighed again, running both hands through loose, blonde locks. 

Was it because of what she said two days ago? She was only joking. Based on their current relationship, she figured Orion would have a decent sense of humor and not leave her half-naked and waiting in her bedroom.

With a huff, Eve stood up and headed for the restroom, her mind made up. Well, if he wasn’t going to come to her, she was going to find him for herself.

After the seemingly endless time she’d spent here, Eve had mastered a mental map of most of the hidden passages throughout the palace. She knew there were exactly two in her own bedroom, one by the vanity and another in the restroom. The restroom was interconnected with some of the rooms in the palace, perhaps one where Orion was cooped up in.

She slipped through the gap in the tile, slippered feet traipsing along the cold pavement. Eve’s glad she found this route versus stupidly going out through the front door. Last time she did, she ended up running right into Scorpious and it almost cost her a week’s worth of meals. 

She felt along the concrete walls for guidance, the indents and curves familiar under her smooth fingertips. Judging by certain patterns alone, she knew which ones would lead her directly to the dining hall and which could send her out in a section of the garden. Eve recalled even one that had accidentally led her out to Cassiopeia’s room, forcing her to book it back the same way and hide under the covers for the rest of the night, afraid of invoking the latter’s volatile wrath.

A small noise brought her to a halt, her ears straining in the dark. She heard it again, coming from behind her. Eve retraced her steps and headed down a different hallway, one that brought her closer to the ballroom and other bedrooms.

The noise became louder, loud enough to where Eve could discern it to be…sobs? Really? Could it be actual sobs or just another wailing soul from the princes’ previous captures? A crease formed on her brows as her steps quickened, night robe flowing behind her.

Finally, the blonde stopped in front of a crevice, leading into, from what she can guess, was one of the many empty bedrooms. Ever since her arrival, the bedrooms by the ballroom had always been empty, even sectioned off by the princes because of their dilapidated state.

Eve sucked in a breath as she leaned in to listen, the sobs now loud and constant. “Please…don’t take it away, please.”

Hazel eyes widened. Was that—no, impossible. Orion had assured her that they hadn’t brought anyone else. No one else was like her, Eve was the only one they’d found. Surely this was one of their weird, disappearing servants, begging for forgiveness. Maybe even the wandering spirit she’d believed it to be earlier, manifesting itself completely. 

But, the more she listened to this crying voice, and the mellifluous voice of none other than CASSIOPEIA responding back, Eve had no more doubts:

She wasn’t alone.

***

“Fuck off.”

Luna scratched another mark on her wall, joining the other hundred that calculated her time in the palace. It was discouraging, yes, but it kept her somewhat grounded—one of the few things that kept her sanity from disappearing altogether. 

She rolled her wrist, newly freed after seemingly “good” behavior. Well, good in the sense of not trying to throw chunks of hail at the princes for a while. It got really bad when one of them actually hit Cassiopeia on his forehead, but, damn, Luna hadn’t felt that good in so long, it really was worth it to be in full chains for a while. 

Another knock rang on her door, light and timid, just like the previous. She sighed and scooted over to the doors, the chains on her feet dragging on the cold tile. Her scowl at opening the door was replaced with resignation as she was met with the timid knocker, blue eyes meeting a soft brown.

“Don’t even know why you bother knocking, none of your brothers do,” she murmured, allowing Draconis inside while she kicked at her chains.

“What now? The usual shit or will I finally get some real food?” Her tone is dry, arms crossed defensively over her chest. 

Over the past couple of months, or years, that she’s been stuck here, Luna has received nothing short of dry hunks of bread and crushed up fruit with water. In some of her “bad” times, she would get nothing at all, forced to wait for her own ice to melt to hydrate herself. 

But...sometimes...there were certain surprises that popped up on her plate. Always delicious and never delivered by any of the other princes. 

Save for this one. 

“Y’know, Orion’s been getting on my fucking nerves. His archery practices right outside my tower and it seems like he always manages to—” she picked up a stray arrow from the floor, throwing it in a growing pile—“shoot it in.”

“But who gives a fuck, right? Not like my life is valuable or anything,” she shrugged, stepping closer to Draconis and retrieving the plate from him. Blue eyes spot the surprise in her meal, a twinkle sparkling in her irises before they flit back up to him. 

“…Your hair looks longer,” she commented, before taking a bite of the stale bread. “Doesn’t Cygnus keep you guys strict on a certain look? I bet he’s gonna start giving you shit about that.”

Luna may be imprisoned, but that doesn’t close her off from some of the ongoings in the palace. She’s seen all of the princes at some point of time, hyper analyzing their behaviors and mannerisms. Even with their few interactions, she’s already keenly aware of who runs what part of the palace and which have completely given up on any hope for her.

“If you give me some more news, I can show you a cool ice trick I learned,” she tried, already allowing a few snowflakes to float down between them. “Like, if anybody else is actually being kept here? Am I the only one?”

The snowflakes increased, falling heavier and thicker, Luna’s blue eyes growing more darker.  

“Draconis...am I the only one?”

***

Eve twirled the dagger in her hands, the pointed end digging into her palm. She lied in wait behind the large tapestry of the brunette’s room, hazel eyes peeking through the gap. 

She needed to get answers. For obvious reasons, none of the princes were going to say anything. She had tried to prompt Orion but, even then, he had brushed her off entirely, leaving her unsatisfied and worried. 

So, being the free and independent woman she was, Eve had snuck through the secret corridors, grabbed a dagger from a random room, and stepped up right to where this girl would least expect her. 

After an adequate amount of time, and no unexpected surprises coming through the brunette’s double doors (Eve had made sure to do this on a day where no princes would “conveniently” show up), Eve quietly slipped out of her hiding place and made the smooth trek across to the former. The girl seemed completely oblivious, candidly watching the starry sky from her only window, unaware of just what was approaching her. 

In a flash, Eve was upon the woman, clutching her tightly by her shoulder while the dagger was pointed into the brunette’s neck. Right away, Eve’s met with a mix of terror and panic in the brunette’s eyes, the latter’s arms clutching tightly to Eve’s dagger arm. 

“You...YOU...shouldn’t be here.”

[mothernatureknows]

“I can fix that,” (Orion lowkey pulling a Sam from Holes offering to help patch something up in Eve’s apartment 👀 as a good neighbour ofc)

“Oh, yeah! I’ll just let you have a whack at it.”

Sparkling eyes meet those of her neighbor’s before she sidesteps and lets him into her apartment, promptly shutting the door behind him. Not so subtly, Eve has had her eyes on this man since the moment he moved into the building. Partly because he settled in right across from her own place, but also because he was the hottest man she’d seen in a while. 

Granted, Eve’s seen her fair share of men in the last couple of years. Hell, a lot of good-looking ones lived in her own building. Has she tried to shoot her shot with all of them? Yes, of course. Has she succeeded? Yes!...for the most part. One of them ended up playing for the other team, but they both ended up being pretty good friends afterwards. Other than that, Eve has had an impeccable record in snatching up every hot guy that crossed her path. 

Her next target? The man currently fixing some loose drawers in her kitchen. His name, from what she’s already gathered, is Orion Starling. Attractive name for an attractive man, if she’s being completely honest. Ever since she laid eyes on him, Eve just knew that he was her next one. Quite convenient, too! She just recently cut things off with the guy from the floor below. The latter was being much too clingy and gross and just...not the sort of man Eve was looking for. 

“I’d say the ones that need more fixing are...” she begins, walking ahead and casually bending forward, showing off one of her more prominent features. She pretends to inspect them before turning and slowing coming back up, slightly pushing her breasts forward and swiping her hands through her hair. “I’d say all of them, honestly. Y’know kids, can’t stop them from slamming and punching these drawers.”

“Did you want anything to drink while you’re at it?” she says, opening her fridge. “I have water, apple juice, chocolate milk—” she smirks as she pulls out a large glass bottle, slender fingers tapping on the glass— “wine?”

[mothernatureknows]

Swallowing The Night 

"It's all coming to a head...isn't it?"

@intergalacticxmisfits​ 👀👀👀

"Did you hear? About all that blood found on the beach this morning?"

Kai's pen screeches to a halt, the writing instrument slashing a dark line across the parchment. Blood? Had he heard that correctly? He strains his ears further, zoning in with his siren senses.

"Yeah! Oh my god, that sounded so scary. Apparently it wasn't a little bit, it was a LOT. Covered some of the rocks nearby, too."

"Damn, some real scary shit going on around here. You hear about all those tourists going missing, too?"

Kai's blood runs cold.

He stops listening for fear of hearing anymore of those uncanny coincidences, all of them pointing to the only logical explanation: more of his people. On land.

Hunting him.

Trying to be as discreet as possible, the siren gathers all of the paperwork he had amassed on the small coffee table, shoving it down into his backpack. No time for organization, he'd have to do that some other time. For now, it was imperative, no NECESSARY, to return to his dorm and warn Minjae.

Their lives depended on it.

Just when Kai had swooped both straps of his backpack over his shoulders and was about to walk out of the cafe, a pair of figures stops him in his tracks, forcing him to practically sprint back inside, hiding behind one of the farthest tables.

No way, it couldn't be.

Kai carefully peeks up from the marble table, knuckles turning a pale white. He sucks in a breath, dark irises wide as his eyes land on the incoming figure.

Pristine complexion, porcelain skin, blood red lips, eyes as dark as Kai's...these were sirens. And not just any sirens—REGAL sirens. The kind of sirens that assisted only the Representative, who were faithful only to him or her.

They swept the cafe scene, piercing eyes taking in the human filth seated at the tables, behind the bar, their dull eyes gazing at them curiously. By Poseidon's grace, they manage to miss Kai altogether, the latter's body concealed by the table.

Rather than ordering, they simply turn and exit, taking long strides away from the establishment and to another building nearby.

Kai swears under his breath.

If they were here...

Then so was he.

*****************

"Wakey-wakey bitch!"

A resounding CRACK sounds as the hunter's fist connects with Eli's jaw, forcefully waking the siren. The siren grits his teeth in response, a sharp pain now flaring in his left cheek. His vision is momentarily reeling, trying to center when he is met, again, with a fist to his other cheek.

A grunt of pain rumbles up from his chest, now both of his cheeks profusely red. "Human scum!" he retaliates, gritting his teeth.

"That's enough, Dimitri. I think he's awake now."

"Y'sure, Evelyn?" a gruff voice asks, the one connected to the fists. "This fishface looks like he could use another round of—"

"We need him to talk, dumbass. I'm sure he won't be able to without his jaw," responds the other, more familiar voice.

Fist-man grumbles in return, something about 'doesn't really need his jaw,' before stepping back. Eli takes this chance to spit out a glob of dark blood, slowly rolling his shoulders as he begins to assess his situation.

Wrists and ankles bound, not good. Waist taped to this chair, also not good. From what he can see in this semi-dark room, there is not an inch of water in sight.

Definitely not good.

"Over here, handsome," says the familiar voice, forcing Eli's vision to the center of the room.

There, standing with arms crossed, is the supple blonde from the bar. The one with the nice singing voice, who, now that Eli is more fully aware, was the same one that towered over him when he was slipping into unconsciousness.

"Sorry, had to wake you up some way. I mean, I dunno what shit Mercury put in your drink but it was more than what we paid for," the woman explains, shrugging to herself. "But, hey, welcome to the party! Now we can get started!"

She steps closer, pulling a chair of the darkness and setting it in front of Eli, flipping it around so the back is facing him and she can straddle the chair. Now in better light, Eli can more easily see her facial features, definitely more...attractive than the average human, more than what he's seen, but there's that dark spark in her eyes.

Eerily similar to that of his kind.

"Wow, I swear, you might be one of the prettiest ones we've caught. Your healing is a lot quicker, too," she muses, running a finger down Eli's cheek. An inward shiver travels down Eli's spine as he sets his jaw, staring defiantly at the woman. Normally, he would reel back in disgust because of humans, especially when their leathery, sweaty skin graced his own.

But this one is different.

Despite his best efforts, he can't help but be entranced at the way her skin feels soft, inviting even. And that only angers him more, his gaze now seething.

"Evelyn," Dimitri warns. "Stop playing with the shithead, we're short on time."

"Relax, will ya? We have plenty of time," she says, smiling slyly at Eli. "Because you'll help us, right?"

Eli remained silent.

"Oh, right! If you didn't already hear, this is Dimitri," she gestures to the beefy man in the shadows, his fists clenched. "And I'm Evelyn, but you can call me Eve. What's your name?"

Eli hesitates, Eve's soft hand now trailing along his neck. He couldn't give his name, that would be playing right into their trap. Of course, he already guessed that they were hunters. Why else would humans want to capture a siren? He tipped his head back in defiance, instead continuing to look straight into Eve's eyes.

“Hmm, well that’s ok, I’ll call you pretty boy in the meantime,” she giggles, momentarily breaking eye contact to extend her hand out to Dimitri. “I’m guessing you’re one of the important sirens, right? Judging by this, it looks like you’re a border siren, to be specific.” She holds out a long sash, decorated with runes and embedded with igneous rock. “They only give these out to border sirens, from the last ones we’ve captured. But you never come out this far on land. So, tell me, why were you sent out here?”

A whirlpool of reasons circle through Eli’s mind, the stark image of Kai popping at the forefront. Oh, curses. Kai. He was in danger. Eli had to get out of this, he had to get to his brother! Their lives were at stake!!

That sense of danger must’ve slipped through his eyes, because Eve’s eyebrows raised just then. “Ah, ok, I see pretty boy. Must be something urgent, then. What is it? Rogue siren? Naughty human? You can tell us. Well, you can tell me,” she smiles, curling her hair with a singular finger. 

“No.”

“Oh! He finally speaks!” Eve almost claps, swinging her legs on the chair. “And you can’t just say no, pretty boy. You gotta answer or else—” her eyes swing to Dimitri, who was now looming closer. “He’s gonna do some things that I won’t be able to control.”

“Answer her,” Dimitri threatens, cracking his knuckles. 

“Burn in hell,” Eli seethes. “BOTH of you.”

“You motherfu—”

“DIMITRI,” Eve yells, sending a hardened gaze at the man. “Sorry, pretty boy, try one more time.”

Eli struggles, tugging at his restraints. “May you both drown in the deepest cavern and get swallowed by our very kind!” 

Eve sighs. “Man, why’d you have to ruin the mood? And we were doing so well! Dimitri, guess we gotta—”

“Eve!”

Another woman came bursting through a door, her breaths coming in rapidly. She looked disheveled, a notable sheen of sweat on her features. “There’s more of them.”

“What? Where?” Eve asks, immediately standing up from her chair. 

“There’s been reports of blood, lots of it, by the CAU campus’ main beach,” says the disheveled woman. “And there’s an entire group of tourists missing.”

“Holy shit,” Eve mutters, turning back to Eli. “You guys are sure busy, huh? Dimitri, follow Atta to the scene. I’m gonna stay back with pretty boy here, see what else I can get.”

“But—”

“That’s an order, Dimitri. Don’t make me tell you twice,” Eve commands, her gaze not moving from Eli. For some strange reason, Eli found Eve’s power to be quite...respectable. Intimidating, yes, but, once again, very similar to the way his people spoke. 

Dimitri grunted in response, nodding once before leaving with Atta, slamming the door behind him. Eve crosses her arms across her chest, turning back to Eli. 

“Ok, we’re gonna try this again. And this time, you gotta work with me here,” Eve says, plopping back down on her seat and scooting closer, hazel hues now contrasting against his. “Now tell me why you’re here pretty boy. Or should I say—” she grabs a fistful of his hair and pulls him forward, just an inch from her lips. “Eli?”

*****************

“It’s special ice cream. Don’t ask where it’s from,” Luna takes a lick from her own ice pop, the blue color staining her lips and tongue. She stares curiously at Adrian and his own red ice pop, equally marking his own mouth. She refuses to answer his question about how she had magically produced these ice pops, mostly because she hadn’t exactly produced them in a conventional way. To be brief, their blue and red Gatorades had met an icy demise at her hands. 

She walks side by side with her (arguably) friend, strolling leisurely on the CAU campus. It had been a rather rough week for her: exams, projects, typical university shit. Not to mention the weirdos that kept popping up out of nowhere. And not the usual weirdos. Like weird, fucking weirdos. The kind that made your skin crawl and made you wanna freeze their asses then and there. Luna’s seen a handful of them already around campus and has vehemently avoided every single one. 

Well, almost.

As they come up to round a corner of the pathway, Luna slams straight into a solid body, almost knocking herself back.

"Holy—hey, watch where you're fucking going!" she growls, using Adrian to help her stand straight.

The asshole stares back at her, his eyes wide and suddenly filled with anger.

“How dare you address me that way, human scum?” He seethes, fists curled. “You shall regret having ever breathed on this earth.”

“Fuck you, shithead! You can’t talk to ME like that,” Luna spits back, already feeling ice crawling up her wrists. However, just before she has a chance to do anything, she feels a light tap on her shoulder. Turning, she locks eyes with Adrian, stormy blue on temperate brown.

Huffing, Luna makes the ice dissolve back into her skin, glaring back at the shithead. “You’re a waste of my fucking time, anyway. Come on, Adrian.” Adrian, the ever so neutral guy, still working on his ice pop, follows Luna’s steps around the asshole, her throwing a middle finger at the latter before rounding another corner. 

Fucking weirdo.

***********************

“Waste of time?? Why I NEVER—” Paris seethes to himself, glaring back at the white haired woman. The GALL that this mere human were to call him, the Representative, so many obscenities was practically preposterous. Why, had it not been for the multitude of humans on this campus, he would have sliced her up and fed her to the sharks. In no manner would he have allowed himself to consume such filth. 

And that man beside her...

No, that was out of the question. 

In no manner would a mer be out and about with a human. All of them were in their own coves, being scared into obedience by his kind. The slightest possibility of one of them slipping through and assimilating with a lesser species made his skin crawl. 

Then again, the red-haired man didn’t seem all mer either. 

He’d have to investigate that later. 

For now, he sets his eyes on the dormitories. 

He was to pay a certain human a surprise visit. 

**************************

“Minjae! Minjae!” Kai’s voice echoes through the empty, dorm hallways, his feet sprinting up the stairway connecting them all. 

He had to get to their room. No, he NEEDED to get to their room. There was no time to lose. He’d seen too many of them in the short time he had snuck out of the cafe and rushed to the dorms. Everywhere—sirens. His own people, dominating every corner of the campus. It was like no other student had ever been present at the university. 

And that could only mean...

He races up the stairs even faster, willing his human body to go as fast as his tail would in the water. The lack of noise through the building sends his senses haywire, goosebumps crawling over his flesh. A light sheen of sweat coats his skin, making him lose his grip on the railing a few times already. 

He bursts through the door of their entryway, continuing to shout, “Minjae!,” as he approaches their door. His vision was so focused on their door that he almost, ALMOST, misses the ajar door of their roommates across the hall. 

His fist stops in midair at their door, dark eyes staring blankly at the faded paint of their door. He takes a shaky breath and a gulp, turning in place. Where the door of Maddy and Cody’s room would be, one of the hinges had been broken, the door hanging in an awkward, leaning position. Inside...

“...Maddy?”

[mothernatureknows]

📸 :3c

muse snapshots!

"I’m in love with all your charms” — a few (of a couple hundred) snapshots of Po Minjae from the eyes of Madeline Ashford Po

“You seep into me, and I’m being pulled by you” — a few (of a couple hundred) snapshots of Orion Starling from the eyes of Evelyn Ashford

"Drunk...with thoughts of you” — a few snapshots of Po Minwoo from the eyes of Luna Ravenhelm

"Among the days that feel the same, I feel happiest when I meet you” — a few snapshots of the merman, Adrian, from the eyes of Luna Ravenhelm

"Thankful you’re my day one” — a few snapshots of Peter/David Kim from the eyes of Luna Ravenhelm

"This place is our start line” — a few duo selfies of the underwater duo, Minjae, the mer and Kai, the siren

"So for now, let’s all enjoy this view” — a few duo selfies of the Moon prince, Minjae, and the winged man, Zephyr

Bonus!: “Forever in this place, we’ve escaped to, together” — a series of snapshots taken by Madeline Ashford Po of the wonderful Po brothers, Minjae and Minwoo

[mothernatureknows]

Ok for that multimuse grape vine meme *cracks knuckles*

🍇 Kai x Zephyr about each other?

 💞 Maddy’s thoughts on possible Luna x Minwoo? 👀 or Peter…or both 👀 + Eve’s thoughts on Maddy x Min?

📂 Hazel’s thoughts on our Mer au kai x min thread? Or zephyr’s thoughts??

 👍 something Maddy likes about Luna and Luna likes about Maddy? And something Kai and Zephyr like about Hazel (and Hazel likes about them???)

🍇 - Muse A to comment on Muse B’s eating habit (favorite food, least favorite, eating etiquette, ect) -- Kai & Zephyr

"Zephyr's eating habits are honestly quite shameful. The amount of meat I have seen this bird scarf down throughout our traveling is really sickening," Kai manages to say with a relatively straight face, a slight shiver of disgust running down his spine. "The worst part of it is that he favors fish! He openly flaunts his fish tacos and wild salmon in front of my face and expects me to just accept it. I almost smacked him because a piece of dead fish landed on my plate once." The siren sighs, shaking his head. "I got him back though," he smirks, "He found an unsettling pile of birdseed in his meals for a week."

"Kai is a little too special about his food. Most of the time, he's complaining about there not being enough sea-friendly meals," Zephyr rolls his eyes. "I mean, the dude doesn't just go out there and try some food, y'know? I get the whole 'no-fish' thing, but it gets annoying sometimes when you kindly offer something to someone, and they just don't want it because they're picky." He sighs. "One thing I can commend him on: he makes a really mean, vegan scallops dish. It tastes so good."

💞- Muse A to comment on Muse B’s relationships and/or people they know

Maddy on Luna x Minwoo:

"Luna and Minwoo? Well, I know they both make an excellent babysitting team! Whenever Min and I are out, they always take really good care of them and the girls absolutely love their auntie and uncle," she says, absentmindedly writing down some errands for work. "Well, come to think of it, Penelope has asked if they were together, since they are auntie and uncle...I think I might be able to see it? Luna is really secretive about her love interests, and I don't want to bother her with any personal questions or assume otherwise. Minwoo is a sweetheart, but I don't know if Luna would be too much for him?" her brows furrow. "I don't mean to be condescending about Luna's behavior but she can be a little...intense, sometimes. Minwoo’s more gentle and soft-spoken, compared to her. Then again, Minwoo might just be the right person to anchor her when it all gets to be too much. They could easily balance each other out, too. Whatever they choose, I will definitely support it!"

Maddy on Luna x Peter:

"Luna and Peter?" lips pout in pensive thought. "...I will assume you mean university Peter and not her brother, considering the circumstances. But I do think they'd compliment each other very well! I mean, we all went to uni together and Peter and Luna had a history of joking around with each other. I did sense that maybe something was there, and maybe something had happened between them before? Once, when Luna was really drunk, she briefly mentioned that Peter looked really nice in scrubs," Maddy giggles. "It was the first I'd heard of something like that from her. Besides, I'd only ever seen Peter wear scrubs at work, so Luna must've stumbled upon him at the hospital. Regardless, if they do like each other and want to give it a try, I will definitely support it!"

Eve on Maddy x Minjae:

"Oh my god, fucking adorable. Seriously! Look, normally, couples that are into the cute, lovey-dovey shit, make me gag a lil' bit, but not these two. Yes, I'm biased because she's my sister, and I haven't seen her in a long time, but there's something about the way they do it," Eve explains, face lit up. "Like, holy shit, I have NEVER seen two people simp over each other so much. It's a healthy simping, mind you, and there's nothing toxic that I've noticed or heard from Maddy. Plus, Maddy has told me, in great detail, how much she loves that man. Makin' me feel jealous sometimes," she laughs. "In all seriousness though, they really are wonderful together. After what Maddy and I had been through, it’s relieving to see someone love and accept her for who she is.”

📂  - Muse A to comment something about a current thread of Muse B’s

Hazel’s reaction to Kai and merman!Minjae thread:

The redhead’s face betrays her concern for once, worry tainting her irises. “I would assume Kai to be more cautious, especially concerning such a dangerous task as this. One small mistake and, not only would he risk his own life, but his brother’s, Minjae’s, and Madeline’s. Perhaps...if he had only gone through with his mission, only one life would’ve been taken and this could have all been avoided. Sadly, it is that small portion of humanity in him that has caused him to stray,” she shakes her head. “And Minjae? Dead weight. He has no reason to be there and is intentionally jeopardizing Kai and his own life. Could he not call upon the mers to assist them both? They could offer much more protection and defense than the sirens.”

Zephyr’s reaction to Kai and merman!Minjae thread:

“Y’know, I really gotta commend Kai on his choices. Yes, some of them were dumb and I’m sure Hazel will disagree with me, but hear me out on this,” he begins, sitting up straighter. “He had a mission to do, a fairly difficult one. I mean, I get it, you gotta kill someone because they could easily be the cause of your and your people’s death. Since Kai is a rule follower, of course, he would go forth in doing that mission. But Kai is also not that cold-hearted, unlike the rest of the sirens. So, this conflict between him and Minjae, over killing an innocent human who, really, has an innocent belief in mermaids and sirens, is understandable. Kai decided to follow his heart and it ended up getting him a new best friend and the ability to love which, I think, is BEAUTIFUL,” Zephyr explains. “Biggest mistake though? Staying. Near. The. Beach. He’s got connections, right? Get your ass to the desert! Nobody’s gonna follow you there, trust me.”

👍 - something Muse A likes about Muse B

Maddy about Luna:

“I would say Luna’s bravery. Luna has always had a very strong personality and she is not afraid of being outspoken or facing situations head on. She never seems afraid of anything, no matter how big or small. She definitely inspires me to not be so afraid of certain situations or people, nor to be so quiet about something that I’m uncomfortable with.”

Luna about Maddy:

“Her kindness. Never, in all my life, have I met someone as nice as Maddy,” she states bluntly. “Coming from a terrible neighborhood and being around only shitty people, Maddy was nothing like anyone I had come across. Didn’t matter how terrible someone was, she would not stop being kind. Pissed me off at first, yeah, but that’s who she is. It’s helped me to not be such an asshole...sometimes.” 

Kai about Hazel:

“Must I narrow it down to just one thing?” Kai laughs, clearing his throat. “Hmm...Hazel’s wisdom. Ever since we met, Hazel had this old soul, as deep as Voda’s main ocean. She always knows what to say, regardless of what we’re doing. She’s helped me out of many difficult situations and skyrocketed our squadron to the elites. Her words are forever powerful and it never fails to amaze me to what she’ll say next.”

Zephyr about Hazel:

“Hmm, I’d say her leadership. I mean, she’s obviously our squadron leader, right?” he chuckles, chewing at his bottom lip. “Hazel has always had this natural leadership aspect. In our final training days, when they were feeling out which groups would go better together, we were joined up and we all just naturally turned to her. She’s got her flaws, yeah, but she takes full responsibility of everything we do and leads fairly and justly...and I think that’s pretty admirable.”

Hazel about Kai and Zephyr:

“They both have their own sorts of quirks that I appreciate. With Kai, I would say that I like his loyalty. Kai’s people greatly value loyalty and he has come to encompass that, wherein you may trust that he will remain faithful. Never has he abandoned his post or given reason to any of us to distrust him. Concerning Zephyr, I like his lightheartedness. We are one of the more serious squadrons and we tend to get major tasks that do not allow room for any dilly-dallying. So, it is a breath of fresh air to have someone joke around and help us relax...in a reasonable manner, of course.”