#Lmk if this works!

[thefreshprinceofdownton]

@butlerbarrow liked for a starter

Nighttime could often be more dangerous than daylight on the front. The darkness left both sides more vulnerable for raids. Matthew had undertaken a few of them himself, mostly to gather intelligence or capture prisoners, and they were never bloodless. Sometimes the Germans would attempt to break their lines with such a trench raid, hoping to catch them off guard. In any case, as the officer on duty that night, he was hypervigilant. And when he heard a single gunshot ring out, he one hand immediately reached to pull his revolver from his holster, dropping into a crouch as he tried to discern where the shot had landed. The other hand instinctively clutched the toy dog inside the pocket of his jacket.

There was a call down the line that one of the men had been wounded, and he ran over in that direction, navigating the network of trenches. He stopped upon seeing Barrow on the ground, clutching his hand. It had been only moments ago that they were just having tea in his dugout, talking about Downton, which felt like a completely different life than this one. “Are you alright? What happened, Corporal?” he asked as he finally found his voice, kneeling beside the man.

[neverendingparable]

@bluescreen-vend-etta

It froze at the noise, its head shooting to the side. He could feel his heart beat faster. A person. A real, live person. He had to find him. With his mission changed, vendETTA left the room, dropping the old search to find a new, more important one. He followed the sounds, his heart beating in his chest faster and faster as he clunked and dragged through the halls. The noise, the voice, got louder till he stood right in front of the door he knew would lead to the person. Another person. His hands shook with giddiness. It hurt. He pushed the door open.

Bradley hears the door opening and he glances up briefly from his work, thinking it might be a friend coming to hang out or maybe a Narrator storming in to yell at him for making a mess of the place.

What he didn't expect was to see a stranger approaching. Their appearance was off putting enough that he freezes, tools still gripped tightly in his hands as he stares at ETTA.

"Er..." He starts, then trails off awkwardly. He gets up and takes a few steps towards him, his eyes slowly widening as the details of vendETTA sinks in.

"Whoa- hello! You look sick as hell, dude!"

[bloodymyhands]

starter for @dragonspined / accepting

lara feels like she's on a high. she's finally fucking figured it out. after mulling on it for weeks now, she finally knows her new friend's truth. and she's desperate to talk to them about it.

her father, ever the lover of artifacts, had various offices in the manor filled to the brim with books, notes, information. she'd read extensively when she'd taken over the manor, but still not enough to scratch the surface. it was a serious of poorly aged notes in his old office behind the library where she'd found information on dragons.

she'd told no one. interesting and magical artifacts were one thing, but dragons were something else entirely. if she decided to pursue it and learn more about it, she didn't feel comfortable dragging along jonah or sam with her. although the information was limited, it was enough. she'd always suspected that dragons had once existed, but here? for their civilization to be prominent enough for them to be artifacts and caves somewhere, waiting to be found... it was more than a breakthrough. it was revolutionary. she had a thousand questions: did archeologists know? had they been lying and burying the information for decades? was her father the only one to know? how many had there been?

and so, it had been lara's intention to pursue it someday, ideally alone. if trinity had been formed and rose to power due to magical artifacts her father had found, she shuddered to think what might happen if they found out about this. it sat at the back of her mind until recently, where her most recent break convinced her to explore the city enough to run into a certain shop with a certain person that just made everything click into place.

she strides in, the sun setting in the background, looking disheveled but determined. she looks around, making sure no one else is in the shop, until she finally finds her target. with a grin she's unable to hide, she walks right up to the front desk. in her hands is a large binder, with as much information as she felt comfortable gathering from her father's notes on dragons. she slams it down on the desk, still grinning. "i figured it out," she says excitedly, her accent thick and voice excitable. she leans in and drops her voice to a whisper. "you're a dragon."

[devourcr]

he should never have come back to san francisco. it’s such a cliché, isn’t it? to return to where it began — to feel the impact of the story once more, even to his own detriment. like an act of attrition. he’s like a ghost haunting the city, memories of the 1970s flashing through his mind, despite the obvious modern changes around him. the latter half of the 20th century and now, riding through the 21st, feels as if time moved faster than it ever had before.

the historic tavern makes it easier to sink into the past, however. what he doesn’t expect, however, is for the thoughts of another one of the patrons to draw him into the 1970s. especially not one who looked to be born in the 2000s. amber eyes watch them from a corner table, reminded vaguely of daniel clutching his work everywhere.

what a coincidence though. he stands from the table,orders a drink at the bar to pretend to drink as an excuse to notice them. ❝ a bit loud of an environment to work in, don’t you think? ❞

@pluresque liked for a starter !!

[yeniens]

@intxication -- The Resol, after hours, late

"..god, yeah, they still haven't fixed the broken security cameras. I called them for it a week ago. What if someone breaks into the restaurant within that time span? God, my insurance would tear me apart." Yenna's on her phone, keys jingling in her hands when she enters her restaurant, closing the door behind her. It's already after hours, no costumers around, and the last staff is just leaving.

"I'll stay behind.", she explains to the cleaning staff, "Just in the kitchen, I can clean up myself. Make sure to lock the door, yeah?"

-- But they don't. The door is left unlocked (though closed), and Yenna, listening to music over the kitchen's radio, doesn't notice. In fact, she's completely focused on crafting a new dish. The woman is not worried about the lack of her security system for the tiniest bit - in fact, she finds herself feeling less watched, less observed once in her life.

Humming the lyrics to some Argentinian songs, Yenna carefully cuts two carrots into pieces, when a strange feeling overcomes her -- but after pausing for a second, she just resumes her work.

Until there's a flicker in the headlights.

[oscar-carrasco]

@elizabeaufort | Setting: The Gentille Fille | Local Time: 01:33

The situation was so ironic, Oscar could have laughed out loud the moment he set a foot into a strip club. It wasn't his place to be, and it likely never would be. Unlike his old friend from college, who decided that it was his perfect place for a bachelor's celebration - and being as nice as he was, Oscar said fuck it, and went.

And regretted it. And hated it.

He'd repeated the process of downing one of his drinks any time one of the dancers came remotely close to where he was sitting (with all of the other men gone elsewhere already), and when Eliza came closer, he didn't act much different - his third drink was downed, blush creeping up into his cheeks, up his neck, because, what the fuck. How beautiful can a person be?

"Uh, hi?"

[dontleaflily]

*/ @aarenreynell in Warwick territory

Lily's back hits the ground, and she feels her veins burn with the urge to transform as the air is pressed out of her lungs. Deep natural rage conquers her brain for a moment and her scent turns sour, but it switches right up as she scrambles back onto her feet.

She hates this. All of this. She can feel her teeth digging into her tongue, only slowly changing back into their human form. "Sorry.", Lily apologizes, pulling her shirt back down. She knows her older brothers would both kill for this opportunity, and would kill her to get become the alpha. Lily just wants to survive, so she switches back into her defense position, looking back over at Aaren, who has hit her good a few mere moments ago.

"I really don't want to hurt you on accident.", which feels laughable, yes, "My inner wolf wants to die, currently. It's screaming at me to not fight my Alpha." Her laugh is soft, and awkward, and she fishes a few leaves off her skin and off her clothes.

[colemonroe]

WHERE: Tonopah Valley Firehouse WITH: @rafmorata

Idling to a stop outside the firehouse, Cole cut the engine and climbed down from his Harley, quickly stashing his helmet on one of the mirrors. He had a few hours in between now and his next appointment at the shop, giving him ample time to stop by and check in with Taliah– something he’d always made a point to do since they’d gotten together but had been slipping in as of late. In recent weeks, he hadn’t been himself, turning more inwards than usual and staying seemingly stuck there, and Cole recognized that– more importantly, he recognized the need to try and snap out of it. Starting towards the door, he came across Rafaele first and nodded in greeting. Cole couldn’t claim to know the man very well, if at all, but he certainly knew the Morata name. For years, it had been synonymous with Los Santos, largely due in part to the man’s relatives and their tightly woven webs within the organization. But as of late, Los Santos had become a rather moot point in Tonopah Valley, but even if it hadn’t, it wouldn’t have stopped Cole from being cordial with a man who worked so closely with Taliah. Much like the MC was to him, her team was like family to her, and so Cole wanted bridge whatever gap might exist between him and Rafaele on account of his ties to LS. “Hey, man,” he started, slowing to a stop in front of him, “Taliah around?”

[swordstance]

Starter for @starlighttrain

She sees him out of the corner of her eye. At first, she's not sure it's him. Then he turns around and she's shouting: "Silent but deadly! Dan Heng!" Waving wildly in his direction, she doesn't care if people are staring as she sprints toward him, careful not to hit anyone with the too-long sword strapped to her.

She comes to a screeching halt in front of him. "You're back! I heard... rumors of something crazy happening in the Asdana -- that you were involved in? Are they true?"

[beautifully-execut3d]

@viadangelo | Setting: A bar, New York | Local Time: 21:33

"If that isn't my favorite person." And it's been a while. It's been since the auction, to be exact. If there's one thing Seine likes, then it's getting on other people's nerves - especially if they're attractive. Especially if they're Via. Has she scored her goal yet? Seine can never be quite sure, but maybe she'll get there, tonight. Question to be answered: What does it take for a person to snap? Good or bad.

Seine's fingers drag over her shoulders, and the woman then drapes herself over one of the stools next to her, ordering a drink, then - batting an eyelash at Via, asking: "You pay?" It's not a must, just a funny little extra that could be. That would make this more fun. "What's a pretty lady like you doing here all alone tonight? Or were you perhaps waiting for my gorgeous self?"

[taliazheng]

@thad-spaulding location: Greywood Forest

Talia loved the human world, but there were times she missed the simplicity of Briar Court. It was filled with magic, good wood, simple pleasures, but she wouldn’t change anything about her life… at least not currently. In those moments, she ended up in Greywood Forest. It reminded her of home, and she could feel that there were portals nearby that would take her to her court. The scuttle of feet in the distance brought a smile to her face, and idly, she wondered if Thad was actually safe her. Surely, with two Fae by his side, he’d be just fine. As Norma played, Talia smiled and sent an illusion her way of a deer running alongside her. “Sorry,” Talia said, glancing at Thad. “Is magic okay? I just wasn’t thinking.” Charms came naturally to her — in fact, they were her passion. “This place reminds me of home, my court, I mean. It was called Briar,” Talia explained with a smile. “Norma would love it. The cakes there are unlike anything you could ever find here.”

[bulletpro0f]

@elizabeaufort -- a park, early

Every time Nick makes new friends at any place, the alarm bells in Ezra's head ring and give him a fair warning about who those children's parents might be. 99% percent of the time, they turn out to be harmless. Today, it's rather sweet.

Ezra is standing next to Eliza, arms crossed as he watches Nick play with her twins -- they've got an age gap, but Nick makes friends with everyone. So.

"Your kiddos are adorable.", Ezra says, "What's their names, how old are they?" He gazes at her for a moment -- she's drop dead gorgeous, and Ezra can tell there's more to the pretty surface. Likely a lot more.

Beat, then he turns in her direction and offers his hand for a shake, "Ezra. Nice to meet you. Are you here all alone with them, or...?" Eyebrow raised in question, Ezra searches the place for a moment, checking for a potential, dangerous partner she could be with, but there's no one to be seen.

[easton-m]

@delphincjefferys | Setting: Delphine's house | Local Time: 20:34

"No, you can't have chocolate. I think you should sleep." Shaking his head, Easton gently patted Estelle's head. "You know what, I will lay down right beside you, that's what will make you feel better, no? If I sleep, too? I bet you want to be as cool as me and go to sleep early." It wasn't early, and Easton was tired (he had long decided that yes, he was getting two or three kids max). It took him approximately five minutes of setting next to Delphine's daughters bad to fall asleep with his head leaning against the wall. Usually, he'd spend his Friday nights differently, at Liv's house, friends get-togethers. But his good old friend had asked him to jump in - and he did.

Delphine's keys in the door woke him up about an hour later, and he tried to make his way out of the room as quiet as possible, managing not to wake her second-to-youngest kiddo up. "Hey.", he yawned as a greeting as soon as he got down, "They're all sleeping. Should be, at least. How was your night? Had fun?"

[gabriel-knox]

WHERE: Mad Dog Brewery WITH: @robertbuckhayes

Owning a brewery meant meeting and interacting with people from all walks of life, which was something that Gabe genuinely enjoyed. The human condition had always fascinated him, even more so after his accident nearly two years ago, and so he was always willing to lend an ear to whoever came into Mad Dog and wanted to share stories with him. Wiping down the bar in front of him, he glanced up when the bell rang, signaling the arrival of another patron. Green eyes widened slightly once he realized it was the mayor striding in. Sure, it wasn’t that uncommon to see him or other political figures hit up the brewery, but Gabe had always had a hard time picturing them anywhere other than a nice, five star restaurant– certainly not a laid back, local brewery. But he still appreciated the support nevertheless. “Heya, Mayor,” he greeted, giving a little wave, a hand already reaching for a clean glass. “What’re you drinking tonight? The usual, or would you be interested in trying out our newest IPA?”

[tbhsilver]

silver unfortunately found herself at the infinite building more often now, due to preparations for her solo. at least the plus side was that she was in control, which made these meetings far more bearable. all morning, she and the company's creative director went through an array of possible concepts for her to do. once it was decided, she bid the team an unenthusiastic goodbye and slid on her fendi sunglasses as she exited the conference room. on her way down the long corridor, the leader happened to pass by another office space, noticing through the long window that dahye was inside with a filming crew. it only took a quick glance to realize it was for the stupid-ass reality show that infinite was pushing, and silver had to laugh — if anyone would hate doing that shit as much as her, it was the guitarist.

out of the kindness of her heart (see also: she wanted to be a little shit to the company), the blonde decided to rescue the other. without even knocking, she pushed the door of the room open, casting a smirk in her friend's direction despite the annoyance on the crew members' faces. " sorry. am i interrupting ? " the dancer inquired in fake concern. it took all her strength not to laugh in their faces. instead, she focused on the goal: getting the other out of here. " dahye-yah. you promised me coffee. " with an unapologetic shrug, she looked at the employees. " sorry all. " she wasn't sorry at all. " i have to steal your star. "

꒰ ♡ ꒱ — @rising-angelx !

[antoniojimenez]

WHERE: La Macina WITH: @bariskaplans

Whenever there was a break in the madness at La Macina, the owners often liked for their chefs to mingle in the main dining area for a moment or two in order to show their faces and take credit where it was apparently due. But Antonio wasn’t much for that idea and hadn’t ever been– quite frankly, he’d rather just clock in, do his work behind the scenes, and leave without a word at the end of the night. Besides, this job was hardly more than a cover for him now that his work within the cartel more than sustained him and paid his child support. But here he was, drying his hands after washing them and stepping out onto the main restaurant floor, his lips molding into a rather tense smile as he moved from table to table, awkwardly accepting praise from each patron.

He turned then, starting for the next table when he stopped short, dark eyes instantly recognizing the man who was sat there. Baris Kaplan. Their history went further back than Tonopah Valley and was pockmarked by memories of war, death, and destruction, but they’d always gotten along. War had a way of forging friendships, whether or not they were wanted. But they were always needed. It had been a while since Antonio had seen Baris, though, but the man didn’t pretend not to know why. Antonio’s arrival in Tonopah four years ago had been nothing short of chaotic and it had stayed that way– at least right up until last year when he’d finally put down the drugs and the drink and cleaned himself up. 

Estranged from so many people now, Baris included, Antonio was trying to bridge the gaps he’d created between him and nearly everyone he knew. And so rather than turning back towards the kitchen, he approached the table. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” He started, his strained smile thawing into a warmer, less forced one. “Long time, no see,” Tony pointed out, though he figured that much was obvious, but he’d never been the greatest at small talk. The fact that he’d been blitzed out of his mind the last time he’d seen Baris and now felt a little embarrassed in front of him didn’t help. “Enjoying your meal?”