#Alexa Vandus

[universal-shenanigans]

Tension & Questions

     “How did this happen?” A very confused and rightfully irritated Don V asked over the laptop. He wasn’t blaming them, just absolutely baffled as to how so many mobsters were dead. Andrew spoke up, “Of course we don’t know how it happened, but we can surmise who did it.”

     “I think the real problems lie in how many people we have left, and how recent these incidents occurred.” Alexa paced around the room. She was too anxious to sit still and think about this. V pushed himself up and grunted. He was still in the hospital after all and was definitely feeling the aftermath of the back-to-back blood transfusions and stitches. “Okay, we need to tackle this one step at a time. Majority of them are dead, but we do still have a good number of outlets to see, right? Haven’t you two made your own alliances once you had more stake in the business?”

     Alex shrugged, “I mean, yeah. But pretty much everyone we knew, our dads knew, and vice versa.”

     “Yeah, and anyone that me and Arthur made alliances with are definitely on here. Those people are obviously out. It’s just...” Alexa gazed at the list once more after Alex had forcibly stopped her pacing at the couch. She shook her head, “V, there are a lot of names on here. Several of them are some pretty big names. Ones that I know, for a fact, should not be dead. So, clearly Arthur killed off a good chunk of these people. I refuse to believe he didn’t. The others, there’s a chance there was some in-fighting and betrayals. So right now, that’s why we’re down to five pe-”

     Brrring! Brrring!

     Alex’s phone started ringing. She raised a finger as she took the call to another room. V continued the conversation, “So, we’re down to five people?”

     “Yes. Thankfully, the ones that are still alive know one if not both our fathers, or they have a straight connection with Arthur.”

     Alex walked back and plopped back down on the couch, seeming to be even more irritated with their situation. She highlighted the fifth of the top five names and struck through it. They looked at her, surprised and more confused than they were before. “That was my dad on the phone. He died last night. Not by Arthur, granted. He died by health complications with his heart and whatever the hell else was going on. Point is, we’re down to four people.”

     There was a collection of groans about the news. Of course, no one was going to lose hope or stop over this, but the setback just made their investigation 20 times harder. V pinched the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat. “Okay. We’re just going to have to work with that. It’s far from what we need, but maybe some worthy information can come from some of them.”

     “Well, I know the second one, Victor Bass. Calls his place of operations “The Pro Shop” and calls himself “Big Bass”. He knew my father in the past, but he cut ties with him years ago cause he tipped someone about my dad doing something, don’t know to this day, but long story short it almost got me, and my mother killed. I don’t know if he’s changed his place of operations, but we can try and start there.”

     “Alright, I consider that a step in the right direction.” V nodded.

     Alex continued as she scrolled through, “I know a guy here too. Know where his place is. No connection, but I’ve very briefly interacted with him cause of a quick trip. I can see if I can get us some time to talk.”

     “Good, good. I will try to look into some of my own connections and see what I can do from this damned hospital bed.”

     “Do you think any of them actually have ties, let alone know him?”

     “You’d be surprised. Young or old, everyone seeks to benefit from anyone. I just need to weed out the worst ones.”

     Alex gave an arched expression as she stretched her legs onto the coffee table, “How’s that goin’ anyway? Ya know with the whole needles and medical stuff?”

     A note of coy and mockery was laced in her question, causing the man to snap his attention to her and sneer. “Watch it, Vandem. I’m not in the mood. I’m a sitting duck here with everything going on. Unfortunately, I don’t have the muscle that you and Alexa carry, so who knows what could happen while I’m here.”

     “Besides them comin’ after you? I don’t think there’s much for you to worry about. We actually got family to look out for...” She mumbled the last bit under her breath. It wasn’t hard for him to hear her and it garnered a negative expression from Alexa. However, V stayed silent. Alexa took the laptop and sighed. “Look, we’ll try to figure out another way to-”

     “Find a back-up plan. I’ll see you all when I’m out...” The call ended. Alexa took a deep breath and snapped her attention to her friend, who didn’t look even a little bit remorseful about what she had said. Alexa looked up at Andrew, who only looked away to avoid her gaze. She tossed the laptop onto the couch and took another deep breath. “Okay...what the fuck? Why would you say something like that?!”

     “Alexa, what makes you think an absolutely waste of space and air like him has a-”

     “What makes you think that he doesn’t?! You’re acting like a petty child and throwing cheap shots at a man that’s literally helping us go after a real monster! I don’t fucking know what he’s done, frankly I don’t want to know, but I do know that with as suspicious as he may seem to you two, he’s only shown day by day more of a reason to trust him!”

     “You wouldn’t be sayin’ that if you knew what he did! Everyone who crosses his path stays clear, hates him, hightails it outta there or all of the above! Why the fuck would you try and take a chance like that after seeing and hearing all of those warning signs about him?!” Alex jumped up.

     Alexa stepped closer, yelling, “ARE WE ANY FUCKING DIFFERENT?!”

     Silence. Andrew looked between the two, eyes finally landing on Alex as she began to back down. Alexa’s voice was laced with anger as she continued. “Are we...? If we are, prove it...”

     Alex still didn’t say anything and just snatched up her jacket and stormed out the door. Alexa watched, and as soon as the door closed, she glared at Andrew. He shook his head and grabbed his coat from the back of a chair. “Can’t expect everyone to be as trusting as you are, darling. He’s done...a lot. More than the two of you combined. But, it’s not our place to talk about it. He should tell you himself. Even if he wants to keep his past in the past. Not fair to you or the people getting involved in this situation being left in the dark...Gonna try and calm her down...”

     He left. The air felt heavy. Alexa looked down at the laptop. Then to the door. The laptop. The door. The laptop. The door...the door...The amount of profanities that were screaming in her head were...immense. The only thing that managed to come out was an angry, “This is fucking ridiculous...” She quickly grabbed her coat and left as well.

[universal-shenanigans]

((STAYED UP LATE MULTIPLE DAYS (not in a row) TO NAIL A DESIGN AND???????

LIKE I FINALLY DID MY GIRL SOME JUSTICE LIKE SHE TURNED OUT SO PRETTY HOLY FUCK AND I HAD TO SHARE THIS CAUSE I’M SO PROUD OF MYSELF DAWG!!!!!!!!!! 😭😭))

[universal-shenanigans]

Understanding...

V sat in his hospital bed. He was motionless and staring at his phone that lay in his lap. He could understand Alex's jabs, but it didn't mean that she was completely in the right. The amount of information she knew about him was only base level, and the fact that she had the gall to make a comment like that really managed to piss him off. He gripped the sheets of the bed and blew heavy air from his nose. He was doing everything in his power to keep himself together. He had half a mind to call back and verbally rip her a new one. However, he knew that he needed to be the bigger person, unfortunately. He also didn't want to witness anything that the other two would do if he flew off the handle. He flopped back onto his pillow, grunting as he had pretty much forgotten about his healing wounds.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"I'm fine. It's not time for another test yet. Please go away..."

The door opened anyway and revealed an angry Alexa and an apathetic-looking Juliette, cigarette in hand. Vincent only grew more irritated when Alexa walked in, glaring at the nurse. She blew a puff of smoke and shrugged. "Sorry Don. Only knocked to be polite. I'll let you guys "chat"."

V raised a brow at her as she closed the door and Alexa pulled up a chair next the bed. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you're here to apologize for-"

"Not in the slightest..." He caught her tone of voice and gave her with a look of suspicion and confusion. She took a hold of his hand and sighed herself. "What she said was fucked up, yes. I'm sure you have people that you care about that could be targeted if our situation spiraled out of hand..."

He nodded, softening his expression a bit, "Well, I am a little glad that you agree with-"

"However..." Her grip on his hand started to grow tighter. V had a very high pain threshold, so it didn't affect him too much. Yet. It was just a weird and slightly uncomfortable pressure at the moment. Alexa continued, "She does have some valid points. There's a lot of, information, that myself, and the rest of my people are missing. It's making it hard to trust you and, to some extent, each other. So..."

Her grip became even tighter, and she could tell that it was starting to hurt because of the small grunt that slipped out of him. His eyes narrowed at her, and she could feel that he was trying to pull his hand away. In an instant, she snapped her attention at him and gripped even tighter. He winced and growled under his breath. She then gave him a sickly-sweet smile and spoke, her voice dripping with anger. "We need to have a little "talk". Cool~?"

"God damn it, yes, Alexa fine!" She let go and sighed. He rubbed his hand and looked at her with a scowl. "You know, this isn't the best way to go about things. You're inching towards thin ice like your friend..."

"Yeah well, I think I've been a little too trusting like she said. Even with the little to zero knowledge I know, you seem to be causing a lot of shit. With that being said, because everyone knows so much more than me, no one wants to speak up and tell me what the hell you've done. Andrew said that you need to tell me yourself. At least to keep the everyone clued in on your stake in this whole Arthur bullshit."

He fell silent. They did have a point, and he somewhat hated that. He just wanted to let go of the past. Completely, or even just for a little while. He was trying to have a fresh start and this whole thing was not helping that. Still, he couldn't just...leave it be. He was trying to do right by himself but wanted these people to have a better chance as well. They at least deserved that since they had somewhat been through the same life. Although, he a very small part of him thought some were more deserving than others right now. Alexa noticed that what she said had struck a chord with him. The silence grew between the two. There was a mutual feeling of caution and wariness. Although, a level of suspicion was rising as well from both sides. Clearly, both of them had something to say. It was just a matter of who would say it first. Alexa felt the need to break the silence, "Look, I get that you did a thorough background check on us, but there are things that I am certain that you did not find...I am...um...I can uh...fuck..."

He looked puzzled at her sputtering, but it was mainly out of anticipation and curiosity of what she was going to say. Alexa began to shake a bit, her voice rattling as if she was on a bustling train. Her hands were clasped together, and she continued in a hushed voice after taking a deep breath. "I will...tell you those events. It's only fair...to share even the worst crimes..."

His eyes widened, but only slightly. It was enough to show her what he was thinking, though. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Both could understand that they needed to do this. To keep a level of trust or distance between one another. To make things a little more bearable and easier in this shit storm that they all have found themselves in. V placed a hand on his forehead and sighed heavily. He was still quiet and quite annoyed with the events that led up to what was currently occurring at the moment. But if this was going to get people on the same page and possibly get them closer to solving the overarching situation...

"...alright. Your friends are...correct in being so wary around me. To completely distrust me..." He paused. Whatever he was trying to say, Alexa could see the struggle he was facing inside. His demeanor shifted almost entirely: stalling because he was trying to find the strength to come clean, the nervousness of dreading how she would think of him after he told her, the fear of even saying it out loud. She could see it all. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and it caused him to look down at her. Her sympathetic expression calmed him a bit. He slowly continued, "My past...my past involves a lot of-"

He was cut off by the sound of yelling coming from down the hall. "Sir please slow down! Now is not a good time!"

Suddenly, the door swung open and revealed a well-dressed, yet distressed-looking man. Alexa's eyes grew wide, and she glanced at V. His expression matched hers. He also looked kind of embarrassed. Nervous, even. The man hurried inside, and his eyes darted all over his body. "God what happened?! I had to hear it from one of your employees at the casino!"

An accent lingered in that worried and slightly angry voice. Interesting... the thought crossed her mind.

V tried to calm the man down. "It's fine. Just a bullet wound and-"

"I'm sorry, "just a bullet wound"? V-" The man stopped and glanced at Alexa. She never moved or spoke. Her expression from when he entered didn't change either. She just, watched. Curiosity had won the battle in her head, and she wanted to see where this was going. He noticed that glint in her eyes. Especially as soon as it seemed like he was going to say V's full name. Curiosity wasn't the only thing that kept her attention on the stranger, and he knew better than that. He had been around for too long to make a mistake like that. He looked back at him and sighed. He brushed his fingers through his strawberry blonde hair, clearly frustrated with the current state of V. He tried to regain his composure and rubbed his temples. " V, I thought you stopped doing this. You said that you were going to kill off the business and do better!"

"I am, Oli. A situation just...came up. It happened in the casino, so I took responsibility." V gave Alexa a quick glance. Was he...signaling her? If so, for what? There wasn't much she could add to the conversation besides...oh. Right. She was going to try and not say anything, however, it would seem too late now. The man had fully turned his attention to her. "I apologize for the intrusion, and for my son pulling you into whatever mess he's in now. I do appreciate you making sure he's alright, miss...?"

Hold on, son...? She caught onto that detail fairly quickly. She also quickly noticed that she hadn't responded and had to jolt herself out of her thoughts. "Uh, Alexa. Alexa Vandus..."

She waited for him to be taken aback. To be either disgusted, angry, scared, or any other negative emotion that would be evoked when her name was uttered. He stood there a moment and looked at her, puzzled. Where did he hear that name before...? She glanced to the side, cracking her fingers and anticipating the worse now. "...Miss Alexa Vandus. Family name seems...vaguely familiar. But only by a little. Thank you, Miss Vandus."

Alexa was shocked, to say the least. She quickly answered, "Oh! U-Um, no problem. But you really shouldn't blame V. He was only trying to keep me and my friends safe."

"Really?" He raised a brow at V, seeing if he will give confirmation to the statement. Although slightly embarrassed by the interrogation, he nodded. "Yes. Miss Vandus had a past mistake rear its ugly head. It's a bit of a complicated situation. The point is, I'm only temporarily participating in the business again."

After a pretty long silence, the man huffed and groaned quietly. "Fine. I can't stop you. You're a grown man."

V nodded, slightly relieved that his father didn't argue with him right now. He was still going to hear it when he was finally out of the hospital, though. Or maybe even if Alexa left before him. Either way, he was going to be chewed out. The man reached over to give Alexa his hand. "I know a thing or two about past mistakes, Miss Alexa. I'm sure whatever is going on, I can help. Mostly to keep my son from getting himself killed, but if he is willing to trust and help you, then I suppose I should lend a hand. Whether he likes it or not. Oliver, V's father."

She shook his hand and gave him a nervous chuckle. "Wow. It's um, very nice to meet you. Although, if I may speak for the both of us, it may be best to try and sit this out."

"Nonsense. I've probably handled worse situations than whatever it is you're in. If any of you need assistance, shelter, anything, he knows where to find me."

"Thank you. I um...I really appreciate it." She smiled and he returned the gesture. V had watched the rest of the exchange in silence due to being in his own thoughts. For one, he was not expecting Oliver to be so willing to be a part of this. Though, knowing him for as long as he has, he shouldn't be so surprised. Alexa's reaction was a bit more puzzling. He didn't touch on the subject just yet. He wanted to wait for Oliver to leave and bring it up once they continued their previous conversation. Oliver let out a heavy and exhausted exhale before heading for the door. "Alright. I'm a little at ease now. Only a little, V. I expect to get updates on this situation you're in."

"Of course."

Oliver whipped his head back at stared daggers at V. Alexa could see him physically jump at his father's silent threat. She had to hold back a small laugh and watched as V quickly nodded. "I promise I'll let you know!"

Oliver's face then went back to the gentle smile he had before, and he nodded to the two before he left the room. V let out a relieved chuckle and fell back onto the pillow. Alexa giggled at him, and he watched with an unamused look. "What are you laughing at...?"

She shrugged and stood up. "Didn't think your father would still scare you."

"Oh? So you're not still scared of your father?" He rolled his eyes.

"Didn't say that. Oliver just doesn't seem like the type to strike fear." She stretched.

"Trust me, he can be...a lot...terrifying even..." His voice trailed off and she could see his distant stare as he spoke. She found that even more interesting. A little funny, as well. It is always the pleasant ones, huh? Almost a little harder for her to believe. But then she realized the hypocrisy in her thinking and shrugged once more to agree. She headed for the door but was stopped by V. "Hold on..."

She glanced over her shoulder and raised a brow. "Hmm?"

"About our, ehem, "talk"..."

"Don't worry about it." She waved it off.

V, curious as ever, raised a brow and even grinned slightly. "Any particular reason why?"

"Pretty sure you know why. I'll handle Alex. Need to talk to her anyway. Plus figure out another plan for Arthur..." She looked at the ground as her hand gripped her hair a bit at the thought of everything she needed to do. She noticed his face and scoffed. "Don't take this as my way of trusting you. That's still going to take a bit. Think of it as...a newfound respect."

V blinked. How could she...and she didn't even know what he was going to say. She looked into his eyes, and reassuring smile on her face and a gaze that explained everything. Or at least, what could be explained from such a silent stare. He blew air out of his nose and shook his head with a smile. "I would never assume such a thing. Just thinking about what an enigma you are."

"Gotta keep you on your toes. Can't let you think you've got everything figured out cause of a little file, right?" He rolled his eyes at the smug look she gave him before she left the room. V was now alone with his own devices and thoughts. A good time to process things now that Oliver forced his way into the situation and the forming rift with his newly hired employees. He rubbed his temples and groaned. He just wanted all of this to be over already. Keep his focus on something other than another mafia "business venture". How did he find her? There definitely wasn't much advertisement for their act and even if there was, it would have stayed in the "underground" and those who frequent Swing. As he thought about it, a possible answer to this question was starting to present itself and it caused him to groan and facepalm. He promptly picked up his phone, dialed and waited.

"Hello?"

"I know you just left, but I need your assistance."

"Be right there."

Alexa walked outside and into her car. She sat there for a moment, contemplative and more frazzled than when she left the house. First, she needed to call Alex and apologize, and try to get things under control. Next was another way to deal with Arthur. The few bosses that were alive wouldn't be enough and they needed all the intel they could get. Then she had to make sure that there was enough manpower to keep herself and everyone safe, get ahold of information on Don V, keep up with their performances to at least some semblance of peace...her brain was going a million miles a second. She could feel a headache coming on and she wanted to hit her head against the steering wheel of the car.

Too much...fuck this is too. Much... Her thoughts caused her breathing to stagger and as much as she was trying to do so, she couldn't think straight. That urge to scream and throw a fit was starting to swell up inside her again. She slammed her fist on the wheel and took a deep breath.

One. Step. At a time...

She then picked up her phone and dialed. She waited only a couple of seconds before the line was picked up. "Hello?"

Alexa hesitated, but just as quickly pushed herself to talk. "Hey...can...can we talk...?"

"Yeah...yeah there's...there's a lot we need to talk about..."

[universal-shenanigans]

Scarring Memories

((Took a break from updating the bog and co to put this chapter of the Mob AU out. Just so I can get into the mode of writing the storylines for the blog’s ACTUAL AUs.))

//TW: Slight mention of Ph*si*al A*use & P*nic A**ack

     Alexa, Alex, and Andrew had arrived back at their apartment. Although the complex and the others around it were decent, the area was still dingy and dark. The stench of trash, alcohol, and the cigars of the "local mobsters" took over the air like a toxic haze. As they climbed the stairs to their floor, they passed the halls that filled with assorted sounds. Televisions, children, animals, and the occasional rhythmic thumping. The trio reached their door and hurried inside.

     "Al, if you could." Alex nodded and loaded her pistols. She took a lap around the apartment. She checked every closet, under every bed, and behind anything that could even be considered a hiding place. When finished, she walked into the living room as she unloaded her guns. "We're clear."

     "Alright. Get ahold of Frankie and I'll call my dad. We need as many options as we can get to even get a step in the right direction."

     "Got it. Andy, could ya come help me out?" He nodded and followed her to her room. Alexa quickly grabbed her laptop from her own room and walked back to the living room as she waited for her father to pick up.

     "Hello?"

     "Hi daddy. I need your help with something."

     "Of course, Pup. Whatcha need?"

     "Alright, I need you to look up the ties Arthur and I had made when we were together. I’m also gonna need a list of our connections. Both of’em gotta be from most reliable to the least. Also, and this is optional cause I’m already asking for a lot and I don’t know if you really remember, it would help if you could mark who’s dead. Saves us a lot of time.”

     "Your mother and I are on it. I'll get it to you as soon as I can."

     "Okay. Thanks daddy. Tell mama I said hi. Love you lots."

     "No problem Princess, I will. Love you more."

     She put her phone away and sighed heavily. Running her fingers through her hair before typing away on the keyboard. Being the daughter of a very high-ranking mob boss came with its own perks. Alexa had access to previous records and files of various mobsters and the crimes they’ve committed over the years. It also helped that having had a previous relationship with Arthur, she had leeway on what she could access and keep on him specifically. She gazed at the laptop screen once she was able to pull him up. The first thing she saw almost acted as a warning sign:

CONFIDENTIAL

     Hesitantly scrolling past, his picture now plastered the screen. Arthur Bushell. The pages on him were extensive. The photos that littered the document made her stomach twist. As she searched through the file, Alexa found many incidents that she was certain were very new. Others made her breathing hitch as she gripped the bottom of her shirt. One incident made her abruptly stop her scrolling. The bruises, the gashes, cuts, and blood...the demented look in his eye as he looked at her. The photo caused her to let out a shaky breath and caress her abdomen. She could feel the reminders. Her heartbeat slowly increased its pace as she looked at each photo.

     "What the fuck are you doing?!"

     Hard to breathe.

     "Arthur, stop! Please!"

     The stinging.

     "One. False. Move. That's all it fucking takes Alexa..."

     The God damn ringing.

     Can't breathe. Stop. Please. Can't breathe. Can't breathe.

     CAN’T BREATHE.

     "I CAN'T BREATHE!"

     "ALEXA!”

     She jumped when Alex shook her. She quickly wiped her eyes and grabbed the bottom of her shirt to wipe the rest of her face. Her friend let out a heavy sigh and moved the laptop to the coffee table. Alexa was now visibly shaking, clenching her shirt and on the verge of hyperventilating. Alex sat down and wrapped her arms around her.

     "You’re okay. I’m right here, try to breathe slowly..."

     Alexa nodded, gripping on Alex's shirt. Her eyes wouldn't fixate on one thing. They moved constantly as she tried to relax her breathing. The ringing had slowly begun to stop. Alex's soothing voice did help a bit. But the thought of him-having control over her, touching her...she saw that as a fate worse than death.

     Brrring! Brrring!

     Alex answered, "Hello? Yeah, she’s right here hang on." She covered the phone and quietly asked her if was able to talk to her father. Alexa was still quite shaken up after her breakdown a moment ago, but she didn’t want to worry her father. Plus, it could be an update on the files they needed. She gave a small nod and Alex handed her the phone, “Yes daddy?”

     "Pup? Are you alright? You sound upset."

     She noticed that her breathing was still a bit heavy. Besides his fatherly instinct, it was kind of a dead giveaway. As it finally slowed down, she was able to answer clearly, "Yeah, I'm okay. Do you have an update?"

     "Yes. We’re halfway through the list and I’ll send it as soon as it’s finished."

     "Alright. Thanks again daddy."

     "Anytime sweetie, and you're sure that you're alright?" His worry still remained.

     "Yes, I promise I'm okay.” A lie.

     "Well, alright. I’ll get it to you as soon as I can. I love you."

     She managed to crack a small smile, “I love you too papa.”

     Once she hung up the phone, she dropped her head in her hands and sighed heavily. Alex rubbed her back softly, "Hey, maybe you should take a break. We know this is a lot."

     "..." She didn't say anything right away. Alex was absolutely right. This is a lot. Especially with everything she's gone through with the psycho. But she saw this as a chance. A chance she couldn't pass up. Too many things...too many people were at stake. Alex squeezed her shoulder to bring her back. She glanced at her friend and nodded. "Yeah...yeah I need a...a bath. Or something..."

     "Go ahead. I'll get Andy and we'll let you know about the rest of the list. But please, don't stress yourself out on this. We just, gotta be cautious and stuff, ya know?" She quietly nodded and pushed herself off the couch.

~

     Alexa laid in the tub, letting her face and hair sink in the water. The warmth against her skin was relaxing. Even it was for a moment. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She just needed to take a break. Breathe. Clear her mind as much as possible. But, she couldn’t help but run her fingers along the scars. The memories were starting to buzz around her head again. She could remember how loud she screamed before he...

     ...

     She took another deep breath. Push it down...Relax. Too much to do...

     She left the bath. Too much was racing around in her head to really try to relax. After getting changed, she walked into the living room and met with somber expressions on her friends’ faces. She gazed upon, worry starting to build inside her. “What happened?”

     “We got the list from both your dads...” Andrew said quietly. But she could hear a mixture of discontent in his voice. She looked at Alex, who was silent. However, she knew her friend long enough to know that her body spoke louder than her words. Alex whipped the laptop around and pushed it towards her. Alexa watched her pinch the bridge of her nose and let out a troubled sigh as she pulled the laptop closer. Not a good sign. She scrolled through the file and found...so many names. Way too many. Far too many with the same status: DECEASED. She wanted to throw the biggest fit at that moment. Scream, yell, throw things and punch holes in the walls. At least it would be something to get rid of the frustration that was building up. She took a deep breath, “...call ‘V’...”

[universal-shenanigans]

"Oh Alexa~"

Oh Gods. Hearing her name be called that way always managed to scare her a bit. She looked up with a bit of a nervous expression. "...yes?"

[universal-shenanigans]

What happens, when a very romantically-timid queen, tries to be sly~? I needed to draw this, including some other interactions with the snake that I enjoyed. I'm definitely finishing this cause I want y'all to visually see her have a windows error malfunction. Hopefully I can get her body right throughout the process cause toned muscles are H A R D.

[universal-shenanigans]

✂

✂ How does your character usually style their hair?

Doesn't specify so I'ma pick. Alexa has been wearing her hair down more often and puts it in braids. But she still wears the high to low ponytails. Vincent and Andric both wear their hair down constantly now.

[universal-shenanigans]

lol i dont regret it hey alexa take lessons from dr suess

-Her eyes had grown brighter at the sight of the grey gremlin who caused this.- “This, is your fault. I want to launch you from a catapult. There are other things I want to do that are a lot worse. Most involve with you leaving in the carriage version of a hearse. So please go, take a hike, before I decide to place your head on a pike~...”

[universal-shenanigans]

More Art (Just Gotta Link It...)

OKAY, so, I drew another sketch of Alexa. However, since Tumblr has restrictions on NSFW, which if I remember correctly includes the exposure or even slight exposure of...ehem...TIDDIES, I posted it to my twitter to avoid Tumblr’s dumb rules.

Needless to say it was difficult to draw, but I like it.

https://twitter.com/FireheartForces/status/1342043157828136960

- PLEASE DON’T TRACE/STEAL -

[universal-shenanigans]

A traditional art dump cause I got bored a little while ago. I guess part of a scene from a thread with @/mythologyvincent and NightmareVin, and I decided to try and draw Mob!Alexa. Been awhile since I drew humans.

((Pleeeeaaase don't steal or trace.))

[universal-shenanigans]

Breaks & Healing

     V shot up. The pain from his wound shot through his body and it caused him to ease himself back down on the...bed? He looked at his surroundings. It looked like he was in a hospital room. As he scanned the room more his eyes fell upon the person sleeping next to his bed. Alex rested in a chair at his bedside, slouched and snoring quietly. He admitted to himself that he hoped it was Alexa. Just a tiny bit. But, it was better than no one. A nurse walked inside. Upon walking in, Alex woke up. She looked at the nurse, then to V. She sat up and stretched, “Glad to see you’re not dead.”

     “I’m glad as well. You lost a lot of blood, and if you were in that alley longer you would have been dead.” The nurse stated. V was thankful that he was alive, and that someone was here to see him wake up. But, the fact that they brought him to a public hospital was his main concern at the moment. Forget the pain, forget the cause of the pain, forget everything. If he did not get out of this hospital now, someone was going to find out who he was, and things could get even worse from there. “Don V, are you listening?”

     He snapped out of his thoughts and brought his attention back to the nurse. “Hmm? What was that?”

     “I was saying you’ll have to stay here for a couple of weeks in order to regain the blood that you lost. You’ll need some stitches for that wound too, and once you leave you’ll need to clean them everyday for a month, at least.” She explained as she looked through her clipboard.

     He nodded, “Okay. But, is there a way I can leave sooner? Maybe in a week and half? Or a week?”

     The nurse raised a brow, “Um, no? Physically, that’s not possible for you. Why did you think you could leave early?”

     “Well I do have things to do, and I have a casino to run. I want to make sure that things run smoothly and...” he fell silent. He didn’t want to outright say anything about the position he is in, but Alex could tell by the look in his eyes why he was so adamant on leaving. She turned to the nurse, “Could ya give us a sec Juliette?”

     She nodded and walked out of the room. V looked at her with a raised brow, “Juliette? Why do you know her name?”

     “One: her nametag. Two: she’s my family’s nurse. This is a public hospital, but a lot of nurses work with mob families. Mine and Alexa’s included. So we made sure to get you to one of our nurses, rather than a random one that could get you arrested. You’re good, don’t worry.” He felt a wave of relief wash over him and he relaxed into the bed. He noticed the bandage around her arm. “How bad is it?”

     “What? This?” She looked at her bandage and chuckled. “Nothing that I haven’t felt before. I promise you, I’ve had worse.” The door opened and Alexa walked inside with Andrew following behind her. She smiled at Alex, “Thanks for watching him.” She nodded and smiled back. Alexa knelt down next to his bed and held his hand. She hated to see anyone hurt, but knew it came with the job. She let out a soft huff and looked up at him with a raised brow and grinned. “Been awhile since you’ve gotten shot?”

     “Yeah. I would have liked to go longer without remembering the feeling. How is ‘the trove’?”

     "Robin has things handled and the band is entertaining the masses pretty well.” Andrew chimed in. That’s another thing he didn’t have to worry about. He carefully pushed himself up and propped his back against the pillow. Andrew pulled up two chairs for himself and Alexa. She sat down and let out an exhausted sigh. “Alright, you’re not dead. I’m glad, but we need to seriously talk about Arthur. If he already has people on the hunt, then who knows what the hell else he’s going to pull.”

     Alex’s eyes narrowed when she glared at him, “What did you even say to him?”

     “I exposed his ass for the creep he is, and told him that if he thinks about pulling a stunt like that again that he would face consequences worse than death. Apparently, that didn’t affect him and he called my bluff.”

     “Typical. He’s fucking insane...” Alexa scoffed.

     “I had him taken outside, and I was moments away from killing the bastard until one of his maggots shot me...” he half growled. “As soon as I was pulling the damn trigger...”

     Alex sighed and shrugged. “At least you were willing to end it right then and there. Hell that’s all I could ask for really.” she chuckled. She rubbed her head and groaned. “But in all seriousness, there’s gotta be a reason for goin’ after Alexa, besides whatever sick thoughts he’s got goin’ on.”

     “You saw one of his men the other night. They’d rather die than tell us anything. Getting that sort of information is going to be difficult considering that type of reputation.” He scoffed. “He might just be worse than me...” Silence consumed the room. It seemed when someone had an idea, they immediately shot themselves down and resumed their thinking. After a few more minutes of silence, a voice broke the air. “We find another source.” They turned to Alexa and she continued. “When Arthur and I were together, we had connections to the same people his father had before he died. Arthur managed to increase that number as well. It’s a bit of a task, but I’m sure we can find a lead from at least one of them.”

     Andrew raised a brow, “What makes you think they’ll tell us anything? If his own goons are scared enough to die for him, wouldn’t rumors like that spread and freak out other mobsters?”

     “Not necessarily. I’m pretty sure that they still don’t see him as a huge threat, but are keeping a close eye and keeping ties with him just in case. Whether it’s to benefit from it or not is beyond me, but it’s a good start.”

     “Besides if they decide to keep quiet, we always have the choice to help’em remember how much of a threat we can be if we have to.” Alex added. As V was listening to the plan, he was hatching his own plan in his mind. In case things turn for the worse. He was hoping it wouldn’t have to come to it, but it was to keep these people safe. Even if he had just met them, they didn’t deserve to have to go through the stress of the situation they were in now. “V!” His trance was broken by Andrew. “Hmm? Sorry, right. About these connections, do you think you can come up with a list of people we can visit? Most reliable to least?”

     Alex had noticed that this was the second time that he wasn’t paying attention, but decided against saying  something about it. Alexa responded to his question, “I can try, but it’s gonna take some time. There are a lot of mobsters to go through.”

     “That’s fine. I’ll make sure to tell Robin what’s happening so that I can keep the crowds at the club happy, while you all take a two week vacation. Paid, of course. Dig up everyone you can find while I recover.” They nodded. Nurse Juliette entered the room once more and placed a tray of food in V’s lap. “Alright guys, gotta give the Don his rest. He’s got a lot of it to do. Plus a couple blood transfusions so he’s really gotta sleep for that.” Alex couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on V’s face when she mentioned the procedure. “What’s the matter Don? Don’t like blood?”

     “No, I can’t do needles. I hate needles. I despise them. If you think you’re putting one inside me, I will make sure I leave and never come back.”

     “Well I mean I figured you wouldn’t come back, cause you’d probably be fuckin’ dead, Don. So ya got no choice. But, since you’re freaking out so much about it, I’ll make sure asleep for it.” His heart was put at ease a little and he nodded. Alex left the room chuckling with Andrew following and snickering to himself. V’s eyes narrowed at them as thy left, “Children...” He looked over at Alexa when she caressed his hand with her thumb. “You’ll be okay. Plus this way you might get out sooner and help us out.” He smiled and nodded. “Yes, of course. You’re right.” She gifted him a warm smile in return and hurried out the door to catch up with her friends to get started.

[universal-shenanigans]

hold on im gonna make it longer it ends in 4 days

((FUCK YES.))

“I am not doing this shit. I’d rather go, and jump in a deep pit.” -Covers her mouth-

((Oh shit it’s starting~!))

[universal-shenanigans]

Confessions (4)

     The next morning was full of hassle and the constant calling of Alexa’s name. Her hair was a messy ponytail, her ears were moving frantically from all the sounds, and now small sparks were slowly flying off of her and making small explosions. Sometimes her magic would go on the fritz, and her immense amount of stress right now was absolutely not helping. Her eyes were darting in every direction, and her hand was flying as she signed almost every paper that was described and thrown at her. "Yes yes. Uh, yes please let them know- uh, no don't do that! Do this instead. Yes I will be there I promise. Really? Okay that sounds great actually. Yes I have it! Let them know immediately please. Thank you, um and yes please get that done..."

     She was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder, and that sent her over the edge. A small, but powerful explosion erupted from her body as she yelled, “WHAT?!”

     When she turned around she saw Vincent jump back a little. She blinked. Oh shit. Not now. Not while she looked the way she did. She cleared her throat and fixed her clothes a bit. “Vince, hi. Sorry, what’s up?”

     “I was hoping that we could talk for minute. But, if you’re busy I can-”

     “EVERYONE, give me FIVE minutes please and thank you.” She took his hand and dragged him to her room. He watched her quickly lock the door, walk over to her bed, and collapse on her bed. He slithered over and sat down next to her. Several minutes went by, and finally she pushed herself up. She ran her fingers through her now loose hair and let out a heavy sigh. “Alright. I’m good. What’s going on?”

     He chuckled, “Well I was wondering if you’d want to go on another date, but it seems like you’re busy.”

     “Shit...Vincent you know I’d love to, but I’m in a bit of a rush. I have to make sure I get this part of my day done quickly because I have meeting later today, and a gala to attend tonight.”

     He dropped his head a little, “Yeah. I understand.”

     “Maybe we can get together tomorrow.” She gave him a weak smile and pat on his shoulder. She groaned and trudged over to her closet. “Speaking of that meeting, I need to let Andric know that he needs to get ready.” Overhearing her talk to herself, Vincent’s eyes lit up. He turned towards her, “What if I went with you?”

     “Mmm...I don’t know Vince. These meetings can last two and a half hours, and dear they can be immensely boring.”

     "Well I am curious, and I could provide a bit of entertainment at the gala." Alexa was hesitant. It wasn’t like she didn’t want him to come, she just didn’t want him to be bored out of his mind. He watched her think over her decision, and decided to coerce her a bit. He really did not have much to do today and he would rather be doing something rather than nothing. He pushed himself up and laid his head against her shoulder. She glanced at him for a moment, but quickly went back to finding the clothes she needed. He took it a step further and rested his face in the crook of her neck. Her face grew warmer by the gesture, but she stayed focus on her task. He huffed, and purred softly. She kept her composure even the what he was doing tickled a lot. He pushed his face further and his purr grew louder. Soon she broke and started giggling and pushed him away. “Alright. You can come. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I need to get you something nice to wear though.”

     He chuckled, “Of course, but I do have my own clothes.”

     “Yes, but I would like for you to wear something from the kingdom so that they do not question you in case you speak.”

     “I don’t think I’ll be speaking. Especially since I’ll be amongst royalty.” He raised a brow.

     “Oh no. You’ll want to speak. Trust me.”

     “Um, alright. When do we leave?”

     Alexa checked the clock on her nightstand. “Oh shit the carriage leaves in 15 minutes!” She started pushing him towards the door. She quickly unlocked it and pushed him out. The crowd of advisors were still outside of the door. “I need someone to quickly take him to the seamstress and get him a nice coat, jacket, ensemble, anything for his torso and a crest of the kingdom.” One of the men nodded, “I will your highness.”

“Thank you so much.” She smiled at Vincent. “I’ll meet you at the carriage in ten minutes.” She quickly shut the door.

[universal-shenanigans]

Fatal Threats

     Alexa entered the casino with an entourage. Besides The protection of Alex and Andrew, a few men were surrounding her as she made her way to backstage. She knew that extra precautions needed to be taken, but this was a bit ridiculous. Her father did have the tendency to overreact. Once backstage, she moved towards her dressing room. “Okay boys. You can move now. Just guard the room and keep a post somewhere on the main floor.”

     “But your father said to guard you at all times.”

     “Well, I’m saying that you don’t have to do that. Not while I’m working at least. Just, keep a look out, okay?” They looked at each other, and then dispersed. She entered the dressing room, and Alex and Andrew followed. Once inside she was greeted by Don V and Robin. Robin looked worried and a bit distressed while V looked more serious than ever. She set her stuff down and raised a brow. “What’s going on?”

     “We need to talk about last night.” V stepped out of the way of her chair to let her sit down. Alex locked the door just in case anyone decided to try and drop by. “Great. Cause we need to take some kind of action. I’m not trying to be caught up in some kind of war between families, and not to speak for ya but I don’t think Lexie does either.”

     Alexa nodded. V sighed heavily, “Yes, I know. That’s why I have upped the security, and made sure that all exits were guarded.”

     “And what about Arthur?” Andrew folded his arms.

     “I will confront him. You all just focus on the show, and I will have a few words for him.” V exited the room. Alex couldn’t help but run her fingers through her hair and stomp at the ground. “God...son of a bitch! This is gonna turn for the fuckin’ worse. I can feel it. V needs to kick that asshole out of the fucking club! If he just gives him a stupid-ass threat, then Arthur is just going to take it lightly, and come up with some other shit to fuck us over!”

     Alexa motioned to her, “Calm down Al. With whatever rep V has, I don’t think he’s gonna let him just continue to come here. Arthur is obviously a danger to us, and probably everyone else here. We don’t know what his plan is, but whatever it is has to do with me, and he’s not going to stop. Even if he does ban him from the club. Arthur is ruthless.”

     Robin pinched the bridge of his nose, “Oy. Alright, well, right now we’re just gonna have to be light on our toes. For now, let’s let V handle it.”

     Alex glanced at her watch, “Yeah. C’mon Andy. We go on in three.” She and Andrew left to get ready for the show. Robin walked over to Alexa and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You gonna be alright hon?” She sighed and nodded. He gave her a few pats and exited the room. She rubbed her face, and stared at herself in the mirror. So much for trying to move on, but what did she expect as an ex-mob member? Life was always going to find her no matter where she went, but she was hoping it would never involve Arthur. She stood up, and lifted her shirt slightly, revealing a scar on her stomach. She gently ran her fingers against it, and felt so many forgotten memories reappear in her mind. She pulled her shirt back down, and sat back down in the chair. She took a deep breath, and kept her face in her hands. Everything was starting to spiral, but she needed to breath. Calm down. “Relax...”

~

     The beginning of the show had gone smoothly. Everyone involved had been watching Arthur who resided in the back of the club. Even Alex and Andrew occasionally and knowing full well that V wanted them to keep most of their focus on the show. Now it was time for Alexa to go on. Don V watched her start her song, and looked over at Arthur. His expression was unreadable this time, but that didn’t matter. He knew that it was a mixture of horrible emotions that only a sick man like him could feel. V made his way over to his table, and placed a hand on his shoulder once next to him. Arthur looked up at him, and V put on his best fake smile. “I couldn’t help but notice you from over there. Enjoying the show?”

     “Yes, I am. Very much so...” His voice trailed off as he brought his attention back to Alexa. He narrowed his eyes and V could see him biting his lower lip. That alone made him sick to his stomach, but he had to push through. He gestured to a chair next to him, “May I join you? Maybe get you a drink?” Arthur looked at him for a moment. After looking him over, he motioned to the chair. “Go right ahead.”

     V sat down and watched Alexa’s performance. At rare moments he would glance at Arthur. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, and the way he stared was absolutely disgusting. V chuckled, and that caught Arthur’s attention. “Hmm? What’s so funny?”

     “Why, you, of course. You’re staring at my singer pretty hard there.”

     “Hmm, yes. You see, I used to date her. We were actually supposed to get married.”

     “Oh really?” V pretended to be shocked at the information. “Lucky man. What happened and why the split? She cheat on you?”

     “Oh no. She couldn’t really keep up with my lifestyle, so I had to let her go.”

     “Hmm. Strange...” V brought his attention back to the show. “Not the way I heard it went down.” He could see Arthur turn to him and chuckle. “Excuse me?”

     V motioned one of the waiters to bring him a drink, and chuckled darkly. “Oh, you heard me. Let’s go down memory lane for a bit, shall we? And please correct me if I’m wrong.” He took a sip of the drink and continued. “Alexa’s past is rough, that much I know, but it got worse when you were brought into the picture. I know that her reputation was one to fear if mentioned, but you made her somewhat soft when you two first got together. Am I right so far?”

     Arthur’s face quickly turned into a scowl, and V could see him reaching for something. He snapped his fingers, and the waiter, and the men around him pulled guns on him. He motioned the waiter to Arthur, and he placed the gun to his back. “Not the wisest decision Bushell. Now, where was I? Oh yes! The beginning of your relationship. Somehow, you were able to get Alexa to see how horrible being in the mob really was, and you two were set on leaving and starting a better life. Weeks later, your father dies. You take control of the business with your new fiance. Things start to change for the better: you’re set to get married and both of you use your status as a way to keep others in check. But the job doesn’t come without its prices. As three, four, maybe five years go by, you quickly and surely begin to lose your sense of humanity. Soon, you’re out of control. You’re slaughtering anyone who gets in your way. Killing and tearing apart families. Alexa didn’t like this dramatic change. She called off the wedding, and the relationship entirely, leaving you to rot by yourself. But, you didn’t want her to leave, so you tried to make her stay. It only worked for about a month or two, until she found an opening and escaped. And I’m guessing her father got a hold of you and gave you a reason to get that neat little prosthetic you have now.”

     Arthur was completely silent.

     “I of course have my connections for these things~.” V placed his glass down and brought his full attention to Arthur. V stared daggers at him, but he seemed unfazed by the silent threat of his expression. So he continued, “I want you to listen to me very carefully. If you ever so much as think of hurting my employees, or anyone else here, I swear to you that you’ll meet a fate worse than death.” The man across from him stayed quiet for a moment. But to his surprise, when he did respond to his threat, he was laughing. It wasn’t loud enough for others to hear, but he could clearly tell that he was having a ball. V snapped his fingers once more and Arthur could hear the click of the gun. But that clearly didn’t faze him. He chuckled darkly. “Oh, now that’s funny. Don, forgive me for laughing, but you can’t do shit to me.”

     “Oh yeah? What makes you so sure that I can’t...?” V reached across the table and grabbed the collar of his shirt. Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle more at his attempt at scaring him, “Let’s see, shall we? The fact that no one has heard of you causing any extreme crimes lately, people aren’t as afraid of you anymore, or maybe the fact that you’re trying to pull this “change” bullshit?”

     “Get to the point, bug...”

     Arthur grabbed V’s glass, and took a sip from it. “My point is that you’re old news. Washed up. You’ve gone soft. How many ways do you want me to say that you’ve become weak? You don’t have the balls to try anything since you know it could fuck up your reputation even more than it already is. So, here’s what’s gonna happen: if I have eyes set on something, I will stop at nothing to get what I want. And my ex, your singer, just so happened to be apart of something that I want. So, make all the threats you want, but it’s not going to make me back off.”

     It was quiet between the two. Cold stare met the eyes of smug ignorance. The performance had ended. V snapped his fingers and the man behind Arthur grabbed his arms. He yanked him out of his seat, and V stood up. "Let's take this outside, shall we~?"

~

     V's men took Arthur out back and threw him against the wall. He didn't try to get up, and V liked it that way. He stood over him, silent, and hand firmly grasping the handle of his gun. As soon as he applied pressure to the trigger, another gun shot intercepted his own. He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, and his own bullet missed its initial target. It instead hit Arthur’s foot, but he managed to crawl away to his body guards that were not far from the scene. A man lunged at V, but even with his now wounded shoulder he fought him off.

     He propped himself against the wall. His chest was heaving and he was holding his wound with the jacket of the man he just silenced. Arthur had been helped to his feet, and given a gun. Unfortunately, V had noticed at the last second.

     Alex had noticed the way they left, and kept an ear out after the song. She headed back stage to meet with Robin when she heard the gunshots. She broke into a sprint after Robin ran towards the backstage exit. It was too late. As soon as they could see, they witnessed V get shot in his stomach. He fell to the ground. The four stood there in shock. Alexa's breath hitched when she saw his attacker. Alex saw him and immediately pulled her guns on him. However, Arthur snapped his fingers and in an instant his body guards were shooting at them. They ducked and ran back in the building. Alex quickly peeked out the door and shot both of them with ease. But a couple bullets did graze her arm, and one got lodged into her arm. The body guards fell, and a car pulled up to the entrance to the alley. Arthur ran down the alley and quickly entered the car. Alex tried to shoot after him, but with her bleeding arm she couldn’t keep a steady shot. Alexa ran to V's body. He was barely breathing and bleeding out. "Someone rip something off of those corpses! Hurry!"

     V's vision was becoming blurry. He could see Alexa's worried face, but he started hearing ringing. Everything was going in and out.

     "V...with me...okay...hospital...and hurry!"

[universal-shenanigans]

Confessions (3)

     Alexa slumped into her room and closed the door. She flopped onto her bed and drifted off to sleep. A few minutes into her slumber, her eyes shot open to the sound of tapping at her window. She growled quietly to herself as she pushed herself up and trudged over. Upon pulling open the curtains, Caroline was floating on the other side. Alexa unlocked it and she flew inside. She crawled back into bed, and Caroline chuckled as she watched. “I told you not to work yourself so hard.”

     “I had to. I needed to make sure I was free tonight.”

     “And why is that? What’re you up to tonight?”

     “...I have a date...”

     Caroline’s fluttered with excitement and she clapped her hands. “Really?! Finally! I knew he’d ask you! Granted, I didn’t expect him to ask you today, but hey I’m not complaining.”

     She lifted her head, “I didn’t even tell you who it is.”

     “Lexie, I think we both know that he’s the only man you’d actually go on a date with right now. Plus, he’s gorgeous. What time the date?”

     “7:45...”

     “...it’s six o’clock. I’ll come back in an hour or whatever, and let ya sleep.”

     “Thanks Cari...see ya...love ya...” she drifted back to sleep.

~

     Alexa jumped up. She looked around her room, and then to her clock. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed it. “Shit shit shit shit!” She threw the clock away and race to the bathroom. She opened the door and found Caroline on the other side. “I was just about to wake you up. Bath’s ready, clothes are hanging up, there will be a horse outside the gates for you.” She passed Alexa and gave her a few pats on the shoulder. “Tell me how it goes.”

     “I will. Thanks a lot for this I owe you one.”

~

     Alexa ran out the front door and towards the gate. She leapt onto her horse and rode out of the village. She trotted up to the mouth of his cave, and climbed off her horse. She walked inside and tapped her heel against the rocks. “Hey Vince, I’m here!” She waited for an answer. Nothing. He couldn’t have been in a deep sleep, and even then he usually always answers. Her ears flicked She smelled the air. His scent was very faint, which meant he wasn’t there anymore. She turned around and slowly walked away from the cave. She paused for a moment, and inhaled. Once she found his scent, she hopped onto her horse and rode further into the forest. She came across a house. She hopped off the horse and walked up to the door. After giving it a few knocks, the door opened and a well dressed Vincent appeared on the other side. “Well, you look absolutely amazing.”

     “Aw how sweet. You look very handsome yourself.”

     He stepped to the side, “Come on in, your highness.”

     “Why thank you.” She walked inside and looked around. It was quaint, yet lavish at the same time. He closed the door and lead her to the living room. “I apologize for not being specific on where we were going to be having dinner.”

     “It’s alright. I should apologize for being a bit late.” She smelled the air and her tail began wagging. “It smells amazing in here.”

     He chuckled, “I’m cooking something special~. Please, have a seat, and make yourself at home.” She walked around the couch and drummed her fingers on it. It was soft, and so were the pillows. She sat down and soon she was letting out a long sigh. She melted into the couch and she could hear him chuckle behind her. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Something to drink? Water? Wine? Mead?”

     “A glass of wine would be lovely, thank you.”

     “Anything in particular?”

     “Hmm...do you have plum?”

     “I’ll go take a look.” He smiled and slithered into the kitchen.

~

     He came back with two glasses, and handed her one. She thanked him and took a sip as he sat down next to her. She sighed and placed her glass on the coffee table. it was quiet for moment. As much as she knew Vincent, she didn’t really...know him. She’s been on dates before, but she would always cut them short because of the guy she was with. But, since she was with Vincent, it was bit more difficult to actually communicate. She had become lost in her thoughts, growing more nervous about the date but not really showing it to make him worry. He had already noticed, and broke the silence. “Are you alright?”

     She jumped, “Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah I’m okay.”

     “Are you sure?” He raised a brow. She nodded and smiled. “Yeah I promise.” He sat there for a moment and stared at her. Her heartbeat hadn’t slowed since she went into her trance. She grabbed her glass and took a sip while trying to avoid his gaze. Finally after a couple more minutes, she set her glass down and nervously chuckled. “What?”

      “Oh nothing. Just waiting for you to tell me what’s on your mind. Since I know you’re lying.”

     “Vince I promise I’m fi-”

     “Your heart rate has been increasing slowly since you blacked out.” Shit. She's only seen him pull that trick one time, and then totally forgot about it. He sat up and placed his hand on hers. "If something is wrong you can tell me."

     She was quiet for a minute. She kept looking from her feet to his eyes, and then sighed. She pushed a piece of her hair back, and sighed. She looked up at him, "So, you know that I don't really go on dates. Haven't even before I left for almost a year. And even before that, the dates I would go on would be kinda short cause of the guy I was with. I wouldn’t even tell him about myself, or really talk too much at all as a matter of fact. But now that I’m on date, with you, I wanna talk about something, but can’t Long story short, I feel like I’m failing at this date.”

     He couldn’t help but to laugh, “That’s it? You’re nervous? Alexa it’s alright that your nervous, but you really have nothing to worry about.” A ringing interrupted the conversation and he stood up. “I have to go check on that. If you can think of a topic of conversation that’s fine, and if you can’t that’s fine too. Be right back.” He smiled and ruffled her hair a bit before slithering into the kitchen. She placed her face in her hands and pushed back her hair. Why was she having such a hard time talking to him? Nothing was different. They were just on a date. Having a nice dinner. Gods why was she being so awkward. Her thoughts almost spiraled out of control, but a tap on her shoulder helped break her away. She looked over her shoulder and saw Vincent holding out his hand. She smiled and took it. He led her around the couch, and took her other hand. “Maybe I can help you relax.”

     She raised a brow, “How?”

     “Ever play 20 questions?”

     “No. But I’m guessing it’s where we ask each other questions till we get to 20?”

     “And we have to answer them. Nothing around it. I’ll try to make my questions expandable for actual conversations. Sound good?”

     She nodded, “Yeah. Sounds fun.” He smiled, twirled her, and pulled her close. “Alright. I’ll go first. What’s with you and apples?”

     “Pfft. Okay. I just really like them. I especially like granny smith, those yellow ones, and the honey crisp apples.” She chuckled. “But yeah I sometimes think I might have a problem.” He laughed.

     The ringing went off again and he let her go to get to the kitchen. “Okay I won’t judge you. I just see you eating them a lot. Your turn.”

     “Alright give me a sec.” While she thought about her own question, he came back with two bowls in his hands and another bottle of wine in his tail. He gave her a bowl and sat down next to her. He grabbed the first bottle with his tail and poured more wine into their glasses. She took a bite of her food and her eyes grew wide. She had to stop herself from scarfing the whole bowl into her stomach. “This. Is. Amazing.”

     He laughed, “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.” She watched him coil around his glass and bring it to his lips. That gave her an idea. “Well, my question is, what all can you do with your tail? It seems to come in handy, so can it help you pick locks or something?”

     He scoffed, “I can assure that it can’t do that. But it does come in handy for remedial things. Think of it as a third hand, but without the fingers.”

     “Okay. Your turn now.”

     He sat there in thought for a moment. He took bites of his food, and glanced over at her. “Well...”

~

     The two had finished dinner, and were finishing up their little game of questions. Alexa dug her fingers into her hair, “Alright your turn.” He looked around the room in thought. A lot of the questions he asked were a bit mundane, but it did let him know more about her. The same went for Alexa. It was good that they were playing the game since she wanted to know more than she already knew about him. Upon looking around, he noticed her hair. He’s seen it in mostly ponytails, and one time he saw it down while it was wet. Right now it was in a braid. He turned towards her, “Do you ever let your hair down? Just, let it loose for awhile?”

     She shook her head, “Not really. Tried changing it up with braids and stuff, but I am trying to break out of that habit. I mostly let it down on very special occasions, and when I’m going to bed. Now my question is will you ever cut yours?”

     “I get it trimmed. But, no. I will never actually cut my hair. Guess I have the last question.” She nodded. Her eyes were closed, and he wanted to take advantage of that. He slowly coiled around her, and brought her closer. When she opened them his eyes met hers, and he had a very toothy grin across his face. Her face turned pink, and her eyes grew wide. He leaned in a bit closer, “Would you like ssssome dessert~?” She was speechless at the moment. She didn’t know whether to say yes or no to that question. Especially because she knew what he was implying. Her heartbeat increased and her face became darker. “...yes.”

     “Great! Because I baked something that I think you’ll absolutely love.” He let her go, but she was still frozen in her position. She stayed that way even when left the couch. When he was behind her he knelt down and almost whispered, “I mean, what did you think I was talking about, Alexa~?” This caused her to break her paralysis and shove him. He laughed and headed for the kitchen. He came back with two more bowls and gave her one. “I hope you like it.” He smiled.

     She took a bite of it and she could feel herself slip into bliss. “Mmm. Apples~.”’

~

     After dessert and several minutes of conversation, Vincent led Alexa outside and helped her onto her horse. She looked at him and smiled. “Thanks for tonight Vince. It was really fun, and dinner was amazing.”

     “Your quite welcome. I enjoyed tonight as well, and I was hoping that you’d maybe like to do this again sometime?” He raised a brow.

     “I’d love to. If any day or time comes to mind, you know where to find me.” She winked.

     He chuckled, and planted a kiss on her hand. “Until then Alexa. Goodnight.”

     She giggled, “I’m excited for the moment already. G’night Vince.” She snapped the reigns on her horse and sped off to the castle.

[universal-shenanigans]

Confessions (5)

(Warning: long as hell.))

     Vincent waited at the carriage with another jacket and dress shirt in hand. The seamstress had given him a nice blue one and a white shirt for the gala. She had some time so she did play dress-up with him for a bit. When Alexa arrived she saw him in a blue jacket with a tail and he accessorized in silver bands, rings, and chains. “Oh she must have loved you. She really gave the whole regal look.”

     He turned to her and scoffed. “Nevermind me. What’s with the cape?” She wore something that looked as if she stole it from a prince’s closet. She pouted, “What? You don’t like it? I think it fits. Gets the message across.”

     “And what message is that?”

     “That I walk with pride and purpose. And that I look good in capes~. Now come on.” He rolled his eyes and hoisted himself in the carriage after her.

~

     An hour and a half passed when they had finally arrived to the castle that the meeting was being held. A woman stood by the carriage with a smile. “Welcome your highness. If you will allow me, I can take your things to your residence for the night. I have been told there is a place that you frequent when visiting here?”

     “Oh yes! I actually stay at a lovely inn a couple buildings down the road. Take this as well. The inn-keeper will know.” Alexa handed her a bag of coins, along with a bag that she had brought along with to hold her and Vincent’s clothes for the rest of the day. She smiled, “Thank you so much. And please, take my carriage if you’d like.”

     “Oh! Well, thank you, your majesty.” The woman climbed into the carriage and it rode off. Vincent couldn’t help but chuckle. She raised a brow, “What’s so funny?”

     “Nothing. Your generosity and kindness just tends to tickle me because of how selfless you are. It astounds me sometimes, but in a good way.” She smiled and opened the door for him. “Thanks. I try.” He raised a brow as they walked inside, “Now I do have one question.”

     “And I will have one answer.” She chuckled.

     He scoffed, “Anyway, why did you book an inn? It only took us about an hour, maybe an hour and a half to get here.”

     “I like to make sure that the carriage man has enough sleep before I leave. Plus the gala tends to last past 10 and I’m always tired after them.” Vincent smirked, “So it wasn’t for any other purpose~?” At first she was confused as to what he was eluding to. It took her a minute to finally realize what he meant and she instantly punched his arm.

~

     Vincent followed Alexa down the halls of the castle. It seemed as if they were walking for quite a while. Soon they arrived at two large doors. Upon opening them they were greeted by a large table filled with food and several people sitting around it. By the looks of the many other empty seats, they had arrived earlier than Alexa expected. An older man walked up to them and greeted her with a smile and handshake. “Queen Alexa, welcome. I’m glad you can join us.” He turned to Vincent and noticed how tall he was. And the lack of legs. But mostly because of how tall he was. He gave him his hand and smiled. “Usually she brings her bodyguard to our meetings. And you are sir?”

     “Vincent. A friend of Alexa.” He shook his hand.

     “It’s very nice to meet you sir, I am King Adamere. Of course you two can help yourself to the food until the others arrive.” He straightened his coat and walked out of the room. Vincent raised a brow as he followed Alexa to their seats. “King Adamere? I don’t believe I have heard of him.”

     “I don’t think it really matters if you have or haven’t. He is the king of one, if not the, highest populated kingdoms in the land. He usually tries to call these meetings every few months. Very sweet and kind. Although he hasn’t been that way for forever.”

     “What was he like before?” He asked as he sat down next to her. He noticed that they were seated pretty far up the table. Very close to the head of the table. 

     “A bigot if you want the short version. Very small-minded, and extremely racist. But, he changed his ways, and became more open-minded. Some still ridicule him for his past, but things like that happen when your actions are the result of your own thoughts. At least he realized that he was wrong. Some people that will arrive in today, not so much.” Although curious, Vincent was a bit worried about these people. He assumed because it was a meeting, anyone could and will speak their piece. He heard the doors open once more and looked to see a young woman and a man walk in. Alexa noticed as well, but as soon as she saw the two her eyes grew brighter. The woman glared back at her as she sat down in a seat further down the table.

~

     “Alright, settle down. Welcome everyone to the Meeting of the Royals. I appreciate you all being here today, and I do hope you all are able to attend the gala that is being held here tonight. Now with that being said, let us begin.”

     The meeting was very slow, and each subject of the meeting slowly grew more important. Very slowly. Alexa only spoke a few times throughout the few hours that the meeting was held. Vincent gripped the bottom of the table cloth. He regretted his decision on coming along, and Alexa couldn’t help but grin at his agony. She was used to the meetings droning on for hours, so seeing someone besides Andric, who was also used to it, witness it was a funny sight to see. King Adamere flipped through a few papers, scribbled on one, and sighed. “Alright. Our last point is to address the Mythics.” Vincent perked up. Something that he could actually listen to with interest.

     Adamere continued, “The population is increasing rapidly, with Mythics mating with each other, branching to humans and creating half breeds, or other species to create hybrids. There is also the problem that some have been unfortunately kicking out Mythics because of the laws you have in place.” Vincent was obviously outraged by this statement, however he stayed silent. Adamere turned the woman that Alexa had a staring contest with before the meeting, “Princess Penelope Chandra, being the next in line to your throne, you have taken some steps into an...interesting rule. And you have unfortunately gained a more negative reputation for your kingdom because of the laws against Mythics. So forgive me when I say that I was a bit appalled by the accusations that were thrown at two Mythics who supposedly committed a robbery in your kingdom, and they are facing a severe punishment for it.”

     Penelope nodded, “Yes and there is no “supposedly”. These two stole from a jewelry shop. They admitted to the crime, and they said that they came from her kingdom.” She pointed at Alexa. All eyes landed on the young Queen. Her eyes were a bright blue now, but she knew how to keep her composure. Vincent was about to say something, but she raised her had to him. Her ears flicked with irritation, “Even if that were true, Penelope, why would I send them? Sending them to your kingdom would be a death sentence, and you know just as much as everyone else here that I would never do that. Not even for a crime as petty as theft.”

     “Then why would they say that they came from Kingdom Vandus hmm?”

     “Maybe because they’ve lived under the rule of your family for far too long, know that my family scares you because of our acceptance of Mythics, and is trying to start a movement.”

     Penelope scoffed. Alexa straightened her posture and fixed her gloves. “Now, let’s say that they were from my kingdom. I am well aware that they should abide the laws of the jurisdiction they end up in. However, your kingdom is known to be...to put it bluntly, over-the-top racist. I want to know the punishment they are facing.” She waited for a response from the princess. Vincent was just as curious. This Penelope, from what he gathered just from her talking, was one that wanted his race wiped out. Just because they existed. The princess didn’t answer, but the man next to her stood up and spoke. “I don’t think that is any of your concern, heathen.”

     “Frankly, King Isaac, I do not give a damn what you think. As her father, if you are going to teach this girl how to rule your kingdom, she should be able to speak for herself. Besides, she claims the Mythics in question are from my kingdom, so I am going along with the hypothetical. If my citizens were to say, die, as their punishment, I want to know about it. Their families or anyone close to them need to know about it. What, is, their, punishment...?”

     Silence fell over the table. Princess Penelope fixed her posture and huffed. “...they are to have their hands cut off, and are to be hung for their crimes.” Alexa’s eyes grew wide and brighter. But before she could speak against this injustice, someone jumped in before her. “Over stolen jewelry?!”

     She, along with the rest of the members turned to see Vincent out of his chair. Alexa took particular notice to the color of his eyes. They were a light gray. At that point she knew that she had said enough. Penelope grew red at the sight of him. The young princess had to admit that he was very attractive. Even taking into account his horns, spines, and obvious tail. She regained her sanity and scoffed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’re allowed to speak about matters such as these. I will not-”

     “Penelope he is a stand-in for my bodyguard, who speaks on these matters all the time, a good friend of mine, and I would like to think he is a very big representative of the Mythics that reside in this land. Now I suggest you hold that Gods forsaken tongue, know your place, and show some damn respect...”

     Penelope jumped back and fell silent. Alexa turned to Adamere, “I apologize in advance for my behavior. Although you should’ve seen this coming, I do apologize.” The King nodded and motioned for Vincent to continue. He glared daggers at the princess, “How dare you give them such a sentence for a minor inconvenience? I do not condone stealing, but the punishment these two Mythics are receiving is overkill. This is one of the many annoying and unjustified problems my kind faces now. Just because you are in power, and for some reason hate Mythics, it does not give you the right to try and eradicate us without conssequence. My kind only fight back when threatened. If you go through with this outrageous punishment, trust me when I sssay this, my people are going to take it as a threat, and they are going to fight back.” He growled. Alexa couldn’t help but smirk at the fear on the young princess’ face. She placed a hand on his arm and gave him a nod. He huffed as he sat back down in his seat and folded his arms. There was more silence amongst the leaders. Adamere decided to break it, “What do you suggest she do, Alexa?”

     “Simple: turn them over to me. If they are apart of my kingdom, I want to be the one to give them a proper trial and punishment if they are willing to confess.” She explained as she stared down the princess and her father. “As for the other point before we discussed all of this, I have expanded land to allow a lot more Mythics to reside in my kingdom. Take into account how many you all have and let me know the ones who want to leave your kingdoms.” The other rulers murmured amongst themselves, and Penelope spoke quietly to her father. After a few minutes of conversation, the other rulers agreed to the offer. Alexa hadn’t broken her stare with Isaac and his daughter. They were still talking about her offer. It looked more like quiet arguing to the others at the table. Vincent had been watching and grew impatient. “It’s as easy as one, two, three. You either agree to the terms or you don’t.”

     They turned towards the Queen and huffed. “...fine. You will receive custody.” Adamere sighed with relief, “Oh thank goodness. Now that that’s settled we can end the meeting. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day, and hope to see you tonight.” Everyone made their way out of the room. Alexa and Vincent left and she grinned at him. He noticed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t say it.”

     “Say what? I have no idea what you’re talking about dear~.”

     “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Is that Penelope always like that?”

     “Oh yes. She tries to pick a fight with me practically every meeting. She’s why I told you that you were gonna want to speak~.” She smirked as they walked down the steps of the castle. “I told you not to say it.” He groaned. She laughed and opened the carriage door for him. He climbed inside, she climbed in after him, and the carriage took off.