#MISS SOKOLOVA YOU ARE SO REAL

[zorkaya-moved]

CREDIT SOURCE.

[larkingame]

play the demo | patreon | larkin is rated 18+

someone is after you.

for over a decade and a half now, you’ve traveled up, down and across the country--running schemes and hunting fiends with your mentor, con-man-by-day, vampire-hunter-by-night, Wyatt Abrams--the prolific vampire slayer and the living descendant of Gregory Abrams, founder and prophet of the Abrams Family, the nomadic vampire-hunting cult that raised you--and was wiped out years ago.

carrying the abrams name means also means carrying on it's enemies--but that isn't to say you haven't forged a couple of your own along the way. now, it seems someone is trying to make good on old threats and promises. they've placed a bounty on your head.

so you and wyatt do what you do best: you run away. to some little town, out nevada ways, where the title of town preacher is unexpectedly thrust upon you--bringing back years of trauma you thought long tucked away.

as if that wasn't enough, on your first day in town the local mine up and explodes--leaving the reclusive family that runs the town--and owns the mine--to suspect you as the main culprit.

now you're left with the responsibility of investigating the disaster to clear your name, looking into the mysterious cult just south of town, the gang of outlaws who've been wrapped up deep in a feud with larkin's patriarchal family--a group of people which you suspect to be hiding a secret most monstrous--all while dealing with the ghosts of your past, and the roots your family left behind.

larkin is a vampire western choose-your-own adventure game, with focuses on romance, religion, horror and complicated family dynamics.

play a fully customizable character [[decide upon their physical appearance, gender identity, sexuality, customize their pronouns]]

dictate a unique relationship with your mentor-turned-father-figure and his former appentice

romance any of twelve characters, five male, three female, one non-binary and three gender selectable characters.

define your characters skillset and scheming tactics, select their weapons and fighting style, elect their feelings on religion, vampires and the cult that raised them.

the doctor [male] cyrus sokolov - the quasi-mayor of larkin, cyrus sokolov also operates as the town's doctor and mortician. he's immeadiately suspicious of you, the new preacher and the reputation you comes with. even though he doesn't like it, he needs your help.

the princess [female] celina sokolova - despite the misconceptions among the townsfolk, the reclusive third sibling of the sokolov family, celina, is actually the family’s eldest. hardly leaving the sokolov mansion, it’s rumored around town that she’s been struck with some sort of sun-related illness, others seem to hold the opinion that miss sokolova simply sees herself as too good to linger amongst the common folk. whatever the case may truly be doesn’t much matter to the people of larkin, after all, it's much more fun to gossip. she's very suddenly developed a fascination with the preacher, a hunger almost. but will she eat you whole?

the mortician's assistant [male] dominic sokolov - the youngest scion of the sokolov family, dominic works as assistant mortician in larkin, though he’s much more interested in larkin’s living townsfolk then the dead ones he’s been charged with taking care of. with seemingly endless information on everyone and everything that goes on in larkin, mister sokolov might not be the worst friend to have.

the lawyer [male] jacob nash -  larkin’s only practicing attorney and resident do-gooder. after passing the bar exam, nash headed out west in the hopes of making a real difference for the people there, only to spend most of his days settling petty disputes and notarizing documents. despite his disappointment, however, nash has managed to keep a level head and his fondness for the people of larkin, even though he’s not so sure the sokolovs have the townsfolk’s best interest in mind.

the bartender [female] rose holloway - larkin’s most recent transplant, that was, until the preacher showed up. former city-girl, rose has adapted to both life out west and on her own, the only way she knows how--by pushing through it. the owner and bartender of larkin’s only saloon, the emerald, rose is a popular figure around larkin whether she likes it or not, but whether that has more to do with her occupation or the fact she also happens to be larkin’s youngest widow is still a topic up for debate.

the lieutenant [male/female/non-binary] hollis - an enigmatic figure around larkin, hollis serves as a lieutenant for the mysterious rateliff fellowship. one of the cult’s few members to make the long trek from their encampment in the desert to town more than once. talked to by few, hated by most, hollis bears the reputation of the people they represent to the town of larkin--one, that isn’t particularly favorable.

the vampire hunter [male/female/non-binary] ace zhang - vampire-hunting-mercenary extraordinaire, the last the preacher knew of ace, they were the young hot-shot on san francisco’s hunting scene. once upon a time ace was a prominent figure in the preacher’s life, the first real acquaintance they managed to make on their own, someone outside of wyatt’s sphere. growing up a member of the guild, their life is one that’s mirrored the preacher’s. maybe that’s why the two seemed to be linked so closely during the preacher’s time in california, whether that was as friends, rivals or something more, their presence is one that remains prominent in the preacher's mind.

the outlaw [male] cassidy alan ward - cowboy, outlaw, bandit, cassidy goes by many names and titles, but the one he prides himself on most is leader. protector of his people, the ward gang hides out somewhere in the hills outside larkin, looming over the townsfolk as an ever-present threat, cassidy finds the sokolovs personally responsible for the death of his sister, caroline, and he is out for blood.

the gunslinger [female] ethel jackson - cassidy's right hand, ethel is a gunslinger through and through. fancying herself the robinhood type, she's got a personal hatred for the family that looms over larkin.  with the fastest gun in all of nevada, maybe even all of the west--ethel could prove to be a valuable friend--or a deadly adversary.

the stranger [non-binary] reyes - the newest addition to ward's gang, not much is known about them or their past--what everyone is well aware of, however, is the fact that nobody whose ever decided to cross reyes has ever come out of it alive.

the vampire [male/female/non-binary] montero moreau - you've hunted down their coven, debilitating any hopes for growth they had in terms of advancing in the cut-throat world of Vampires. you've made montero look like a fool, and they hate looking like a fool. They're determined to hunt you down and take revenge.

the first man [male] - adam - he believes himself to be the mirrored man mentioned in the abrams family book of genesis--the first vampire, plagued to walk the earth--and he has long been in search of his eve.

play the demo | patreon | itch.io

[queensconquest]

@zorkaya​ said: “I think I’m done playing,” Zarina confesses as she closes her eyes while lying on Solomon’s lap. Her voice soft, low, lacking the familiar energy. It’s not about Solomon, she’d been more real with than others. “I have been foolish for thinking my attempts will work, but, Solomon,” golden eyes open as Sokolova sighs, glancing at the sorcerer before then switching her gaze to look at the ceiling. “Will you still let me be in your company if I don’t create the same trouble as I did before? I might be switching my strategy and going after another objective, but — only you matter in my approach; thus, I’m asking this of you. Will you let me stay like this? With you alone I’ve been honest, but I still wish to hear your answer.” She’s tired, exhausted, not having fun anymore doing what she was doing with other brothers abd how bring a troublemaker wasn’t working as expected, but it won’t change anything between her and wizard from her perspective yet she wished to hear his response to know what to expect of the future. Zarina simply had to adapt. “I can’t outsmart demons like you yet, ahah, so I should be quieter while thinking of what should I do next to not drown in boredom if you were to deny me.” It was said out loud, but only a thought. She didn’t expect him to stick with her, she would always give the sorcerer a choice to stay or to distance himself. Sokolova wanted to make that clear.

   His  gaze  falls  down  upon  the  one  resting  in  his  lap  ,  head  tilted  to  one  side  as  he  allows  her  to  speak  her  mind  in  its  entirety  without  interruption  from  him.  It’s  clearly  important  matter  to  her  (  and  the  subject  proves  that  further  as  he  listens  )  and  thus  it  gains  his  full  attention.

   She  isn’t  wrong  in  admitting  her  foolishness.  Solomon  had  thought  it  in  the  past  ,  realizing  the  danger  that  she  was  putting  herself  into  by  trying  to  play  the  game.  Not  the  same  as  him  ,  but  in  a  similar  enough  manner  to  be  relevant.  Her  strategy  was  one  doomed  from  the  very  beginning  against  most  demons.  Not  all  ,  but  many.  Instead  her  acts  made  her  stand  out.  But  as  a  target  rather  than  a  threat.  At  least  such  was  the  presumption  that  Solomon  held  to  how  demons  might  see  her.

   They  aren’t  the  same.  She  can’t  outsmart  the  to  the  level  he  can.  In  fact  ,  that  among  many  is  a  skill  of  him  alone.  He  who  was  blessed  under  God  ,  adorned  by  the  Heavens  ,  and  who  threw  it  aside  for  demons.  Be  as  it  may  ,  his  wisdom  ,  surpassed  by  no  mortal  now  nor  ever  in  the  future  ,  remained.  His  ring  ,  granting  him  unnatural  power  and  wielding  an  essence  of  God  and  control  over  the  elements  ,  remained.  But  the  cost  of  it  all  was  his  immortality.  Was  he  human  ?  It  felt  more  adequate  to  say  not  quite.  His  soul  contained  something  irresistible  to  demons  and  angels  in  it.  Zarina’s  did  not.  Zarina  did  not  wield  the  power  to  force  some  of  the  most  powerful  demons  into  contracts  with  him  ,  to  destroy  mountains  with  the  same  ease  as  eating  a  grape  ,  to  anything  of  that  level.  Solomon  got  away  with  it  because  ,  deep  down  ,  there  was  a  FEAR  of  him  by  demons.  Because  his  immortality  and  raw  power  and  wisdom  and  experience  made  them  unable  to  TRULY  oppose  Solomon  the  way  they  could  a  normal  human.  

   The  look  in  his  eyes  shifts  as  she  gazes  up  at  him  ,  asking  for  permission  to  remain.  As  if  he  was  not  as  guilty  of  being  a  LIE.  This  mischief  and  playfulness  in  his  eyes  fades  away  into  a  gaze  full  of  wisdom.  Eyes  that  had  seen  empires  rise  and  fall  ,  who  knew  the  secrets  history  had  long  devoured  ,  who  knew  more  than  anyone  ever  should.  Eyes  of  a  man  befitting  the  title  of  wisest.  Of  King.  His  eyes  did  not  old  the  oldness  of  age  ,  but  something  ancient  and  wise.  

   Fingers  reached  down  to  brush  along  her  cheek  ,  not  yet  saying  anything  but  letting  the  silence  exist.  A  simple  smile  rested  on  his  lips  ,  speaking  not  of  mischief  but  of  knowing  and  understanding.  His  touch  was  gentle  ,  seeming  to  have  no  further  goal  beyond  simple  contact.

   “  Did  you  think  I  would  be  so  cold  to  reject  you  for  changing  ?  For  deciding  not  to  continue  playing  a  losing  game  with  a  failing  strategy  ?  “  Finally  he  speaks  with  a  voice  warm  and  accepting.  He  is  a  man  who  surrounds  himself  in  demons  ,  did  she  truly  believe  he’d  abandon  her  for  this  matter  ?

    His  fingers  move  to  gather  a  lock  of  her  beautiful  hair  ,  pressing  a  soft  kiss  to  it  as  tenderly  as  he  would  her  hand  or  lips  before  letting  it  fall.  “  I  should  hope  you  didn’t  truly  thing  that.  I  cannot  deny  I  will  miss  some  of  the  antics  ,  but  I  will  also  respect  your  desire  to  stop  playing.  “

   Now  his  gaze  focuses  on  those  gold  eyes  ,  knowing  eyes  looking  directly  at  her  as  if  looking  at  her  soul  rather  than  just  her  face.  Truly  at  her. Solomon  leans  down  to  press  a  kiss  to  her  forehead  ,  lingering  close  to  speak  softly  as  if  to  deny  the  universe  the  pleasure  of  hearing  words  spoken  only  for  her.  “  You  will  always  be  welcomed  in  my  company.  If  you  ever  need  a  place  to  be  ,  you  will  always  have  a  spot  with  me  and  you  shalln’t  ever  be  turned  away.  Regardless  of  what  path  you  choose  or  if  you  choose  to  play  or  not.  You  will  be  welcomed  ,  of  that  I  give  my  promise  to  you  ,  Zarina.  “

[belacedia-a]

. * ♛ •       UNPROMPTED ‚   always accepting. @zorkaya beseeched:  "No, I don't look at you as if you're a fool," Zarina shakes her head as she twirls his knife in her hand, skillfully showing that she also had a knack for playing around with such weapons, but she doesn't do it for no purpose. "You're smart, but you've got a lot to learn akin to a child who has yet to reach his full potential," she explains as she throws the knife into the wall, it lands exactly in the middle of a photograph of a person who was hanging on the wall - one of the future targets. "You can be the smartest person in this whole city, but even geniuses slip and fall. Pride becomes one's downfall and if you cannot fit, you'll fall no matter what." She doesn't smile or laugh while explaining it to him, walking around the room looking around. From what she concluded, Belphegor has yet to reach something more but he had no one to guide him. Wouldn't be fun to offer him a path towards better (bitter) glory that may make him into someone even more dangerous. "You can try to scare me away with violence, but it gets boring when you're always surrounded by it. Men especially are known for their raging outbursts, didn't you notice?" The woman ponders for a second, turning to the Prince with a chilling and calm smile, her eyes show no concern and no fear, there's calmness. Is she an illusion right now or is she real? With her, it's always been a question. "Have you ever thought of how much more can you reach if you had someone guide you? You clearly have no true guidance, Varia is not a place where you'll be given the right .. hm, support, I'd say. You're predictable to me, just like many in this place, but it's not about their battle skillset, it's about their reactions to what is around. Don't you ever wish you could control your emotions and turn them into another weapon?" Was she offering to give him a way to study? A way to become even stronger? Who knows. She might just speak like this to draw a reaction out of him once more. It was more fun to never know if she really means it or not. "I believe you have potential that can blossom even more with the right path. Right now? I doubt you're at your forty percent of what you can truly become."

                    𝑯𝒀𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑳  𝑳𝑨𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑬𝑹  𝑹𝑰𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑫  𝑭𝑹𝑶𝑴  𝑯𝑰𝑺  𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑶𝑨𝑻,  pristine teeth bared in a subhuman cheshire grin as he cackled. Belphegor didn’t entirely understand Zarina’s intentions, but he didn’t really care either. Predicatable?  Perhaps. There was no complexity nor depth to his motives, hopes,  &.  dreams  ——  that simple-minded nature of his painfully easy to grasp ...  yet so many people failed to truly understand who Prince the Ripper was, inside  &.  out. Pride? Control? Potential?  Nay, Belphegor was not that intricate of a person. They look too far into who he was  &.  they miss the simplest truth that was always there, unconcealed, shamelessly put out on display for all the world to see.

          “ The Prince will play your game, Sokolova ...  but only if it’s fun ~ ”  Some might say that a person lacking ambition is tragic, yet Belphegor only felt unhinged freedom. There was no pride in his languid strides, no control over his uninhibited emotions,  &.  no desire to achieve whatever boundless potential he may have. If everything in his world was bleached colorless grey, he’d stain it in lurid crimson, then set it all ablaze in scarlet fire.

          “ I have never thought of how far I could reach under the guidance of another person,  &.  neither have I ever wished for anything that wasn’t somehow satisfying to myself, ”  he purrs, acknowledging her questions with sadistic amusement,  “ I don’t go out of my way to do things for other people. Pride is the weakness of peasants who rely on the validation of others to feel satisfaction, ”  he continues, lips relaxed into a lazy smile,  “ &.  I have nothing to hide, least of all my emotions. ”

          A prince has more fun that a king does. “ Why should I want to become stronger ?  To defeat an enemy ?  Ushishishi ~  I have no intention of challenging other people, because I am a Prince. ”  As long as he could fight  &.  he could kill, Prince the Ripper needed nothing else. Some people may play chess inside their minds, with the world as their chessboard  &.  other people as their pieces, but Belphegor would not use his genius to achieve the bitter glory he may be capable of. He was a child, indeed  ——  with naked desire for joy in it’s purest form.

          Zarina’s intentions were a puzzling enigma to Belphegor, a complicated woman with too many facets  &.  layers, like an unsolvable multistep puzzle box  ——  but somehow, it seemed purposeless. When he solved every riddle, cracked each code,  &.  found his way inside, what would he find?  What could possibly be worth locking behind so many facades,  &.  for what reason?  These questions that even a genius prince did not have the answer to swirled around his head in dizzying circles, yet were ultimately meaningless.

          He’d play the game, but only until it was no longer fun  ——  because Belphegor was a Prince,  &.  he didn’t like being bored.

[zorkelwds]

husky -- my muse reacting to your whispering in their air from behind | :3c

@warblissed

All too used to York’s charming persona, Sokolova let her guard down around him more often than she understood. Evidently, it seemed like such was the reason for this discovery of his and, well, abuse of the newfound power. Her reaction to his voice before was cute, but not to the point of hows he reacted today. Busy days completely isolated her from her beloved, leaving her rather ... unsatisfied with the whole ordeal, she missed York’s touch and his lips and his voice and... 

The daydreams were not the usual thing, but Zarina also rarely wished for someone’s presence by her side in the both emotional and physical sense. Nothing satisfied her, her work kept her awake, and unlike before, her interest in having one-night stands was not there as her mind and body only wanted Matteo, him alone, no one else. Thus, she decided to please herself with the thought of her lover’s visage in her mind. Masturbation was her go-to when she couldn’t do anything else to ease this tension and her desires, but today she didn’t think York would even return to her simply because it was deducted he’d be busy with his own business. They hadn’t seen each other in a while, it was only natural she’d finger herself in her office while thinking of how it could be York doing this instead, pleasing her, whispering into her ear, maybe even teasing her. 

“Haa...” She breathed out upon feeling the growing dampness on her underwear, applying some pressure to her clitoris through the fabric. Her skirt laid on the floor, such a waste of fabric, but Sokolova didn’t care. The only concern was this unbearable heat and just how much she wished HE was here to do this instead of her coming to such a sad, lonely decision. Her shoulder twitched as she closed her eyes, her other hand unbuttoned her shirt. “M-Matteo...” His name is saccharine sweet as she thinks of him, but...

--You called, Zarya?

It felt so real, the whisper in her ear, the hands-on her shoulders. This husky, delicious voice made her desire intensify every single time. That low dip in the way he spoke whenever she as much as uttered his true name in-between her moans. But wait, this felt too real. The warmth of his hands on her shoulders, the sound of his voice, the hot breath on her ear. 

The realization hit her hard. Her cheeks flushed uncharacteristically, making the pink blossom on her cheeks to her ears. She liked being caught, but something about today’s fully not expecting him to come in and catch her basically getting off on simple thoughts of him made her feel just a tiny bit ashamed. Simply because she was never embarrassed to speak of her desires, but mayhaps the overworking were to be blamed for that... or something. 

“Y-York?!” A high-pitched squeak of his codename out of shock. Suddenly, her whole body tensed as she closed her thighs moved away from his touch, turning around to meet his eyes. When did he come in?! Yes, she was happy to see him, but how long was he in her office and she didn’t even notice? She didn’t even hear the door open and close. Or was she so concentrating on getting herself off that she didn’t notice. “When... when did you come in? I thought you’re... not coming today.”

He caught her off-guard certainly, the way her blush didn’t calm down as looked away from him to kick the skirt under the couch didn’t make it better. How did she look to him now with her thighs pressed together and her shirt exposing her lacy lingerie? With her face flushed and her actually looking cuter than her usual confident, snarky self. She hated the feeling of heat in her face, but it was a one-time thing, but his voice. Oh, his voice was making her feel hot and bothered, she won’t lie. If he were to tell exactly what she was doing, she might as well just get off on his thigh. 

“Don’t... whisper like that next time. Just say you’re here or better tell me you’re going to come so at least I can put on a show instead of pathetically whining your name alone in the room?” It’s more defensive to hide away the unusual sensation, her blush finally started to settle down and return the natural porcelain color. “Matt...? Are you listening to me?” 

The look he was giving her made her rub her thighs together again. Did he want a show? Did he want to touch her? Fuck, she didn’t care as long he’d just stop being a smug bitch and fuck her later. 

“Do you want to watch or help me out?” Returning back to her old self. But then again, masturbating while Matteo would watch? Zarina would lie if she were to tell it won’t arouse her even more. She didn’t know what she wanted more: for him to touch her or for him to watch her at this point. Both were perfect. “You can... guide me. Whisper what you’d like me to do from behind.”

[lorettadelluci-blog]

TASK IV: THE EXTRAS.

summary: when loretta calls, you always pick up. there’s never any other choice. word count: 1.9k trigger warning: ptsd mention, illness mention

i. what’s worse, do you think: falling out of love with someone quick enough that it’s like it never happened, or falling out of love so slowly you wish you’d never met?

ada wilhelm can answer that question with ease. she stares at her call log, mouth pressed into a tight line. it’d been hard enough to hear it over the low roar of the private jet, but she’d gotten the voicemail.

ada, loretta had said, like she does every time she’s going to break ada’s heart, her voice emotionless, listen to me.

listen to her? for what? but ada --- stupidly, recklessly, knowing she’d have four board meetings waiting for her once the wheels hit the ground --- sat there and listened as loretta made it clear.

i don’t --- i’m not sure when i’m coming back. and i know it’s not fair to you, but i think it’s best if we... called this done.

she cycles through the emotions rapidly: anger, sadness, joy, grief, pure and unfiltered rage and envy. it’s not fair. but loretta’s never been fair. she’d thought for so long that maybe they could make it work. that if ada worked hard enough, kept up with the phone calls and text messages and spoke when loretta needed to listen that maybe things would be different this go around. she’s not sure what it is, exactly, keeping them together, but it hurts more than an open wound.

they’d met when they were barely kids, just out of college, and ada... she’s not stupid. she’d been in love with loretta since the day they’d met. and she’d never been selfish. not exactly. WILHELM was rightfully hers. her position at the top of the ladder is still hers. everything she’s clawed out of flesh, every minute she’s spent pouring over code and emails and texts and videos --- it’s all still hers. loretta wouldn’t take that from her. her wealth, her home, her newfound family --- they’d all be safe.

but this sacrifice doesn’t feel fair. not to ada. her phone shakes in her hands so she sets it down and smooths her skirt out, attempting to regain some semblance of poise. restraint. she thinks of the wedding ring, still in its velvet box, sitting on her mantelpiece. her fingers twitch. it’d been a nice dream, at least, for a little while. a happy one.

she orders a drink and lets it be. loretta’s been a ghost in ada’s head for too long. maybe it’s time to stop mourning.

ii. the phone rings at three in the morning, when the party is still raging. they’re celebrating a good closing to the fiscal year: more wealth, more power, more room to grow. she’s not sure when someone gave her another mimosa, but what the fuck is franchesca gonna do? not drink it? she pulls her phone out and stumbles upstairs, laughing in the same pitch as hannah in accounting past a slew of guests.

they’re happy. why shouldn’t she be happy? this is --- this is her fucking company. she did this.

she stares at her screen, squints. the letters eventually blur together to form a name: ‘etta.

the joy drains out of her chest like water in a sink. oh shit. oh, shit. oh, shit. oh shit. she fumbles with her hands to slide the button on the screen, pulls the phone to her ear. “loretta! hey!” does she sound drunk? fuck, she better not sound drunk. she sets down the mimosa near the bed, where hopefully the cat won’t decide to swipe it over.

“franchesca,” loretta says. there’s a long pause. franchesca can picture her now: reading glasses on, the weariness of hours without sleep on her face, looking the picture of medusa. beautiful, tempting, deadly if you stare at her too long. her heart skips a beat.

“what time is it in italy? shouldn’t, uh --- shouldn’t you be asleep?” is she slurring her words? she swallows.

“it’s nine in the morning, and i’m currently enjoying a cup of tea. it’s three am in new york, though, franchesca. should you be awake? i know you have an interview with entrepreneur at ten.” oh, she sounds pissed. she sounds so fucking pissed. franchesca’s known loretta long enough to know when she’s pissed.

franchesca’s not going to question how she knows about the interview, either. best not to beat around the bush if this is how it’s going to play out. “’m not... you just woke me up. what is this about? is everything okay?”

“listen to me, franchesca.”

two things about loretta delluci franchesca has learned in her best efforts to imitate her: she likes to use names, because it grabs attention. it’s not uncommon to hear your name three times in five sentences around her. when she says listen to me, you fucking listen. she straightens her spine and gets ready for the lecture.

it’ll be short and sweet. “i’m listening.”

“franchesca, if you fuck up this interview tomorrow like you did with bloomberg, i’m going to take a red eye back to rhode island and ruin things so badly for you that you’ll be in debt for the rest of your goddamn life. you have a job to do, and i’m paying you to do it for a reason. get it together. no more slip ups. i won’t ask twice. am i clear?”

there’s a clatter, sharp and sudden, from right beneath her. orange mimosa is spilling across her floor, beneath her prada pumps, and there sits garfield, staring up at her with relative innocence. franchesca swallows. “i hear you.”

the line goes dead. party’s over.

iii. each day in verona has henri asking himself why, exactly, he decided that verona was the city to get away from the mob in.

you leave chicago to get away from the mancini-sullivan bullshit and you end up in capulet-montague bullshit instead. great job, morrol. real smart, dean might have said. but dean’s dead and buried somewhere in the desert outside vegas.

dean, as it happens, also looks so much like faron vasiliev that henri’s having some feelings right now he’s not particularly comfortable addressing. he pops his nicorette --- sourced in from the states en masse, because jesus christ, quitting is hard and nothing else really works --- and lifts the binoculars back up.

even from almost a mile away, it’s still easy to see that faron vasiliev looks at calina sokolova like she’s the sun. legs kicked out in front of him, tilted back in his chair, henri watches them cross the street and disappear into some antiquated tea house often frequented by capulets and montagues both. it’s a miracle the little place hasn’t been set on fire yet by either group.

he’s not sure why he does this shit for loretta. not really. sure he’d owed her a favor, but this is different from a favor. this is putting his life on the line for someone who otherwise doesn’t give too much of a shit about him.

the sound of dean’s body hitting the dirt rings out in his head, just before the shot of the gun, and the guilt. the immense, incapacitating guilt that had henri running from chicago in the first place. he knows, idly, that dean had deserved to die for what he’d done to the sullivan family. he’d fucked them over. he’d known that then, and he knows now.

when cristopher mancini tells you to kill a man, you just do it. you don’t ask why.

but dean had wanted nothing more than to just... get away from everything. disappear just like henri had asked him to, over, and over, and over again.

let’s get married. let’s just fuckin’ do it, dean. we can go, he’d said. we’ve got the money.

just a little while longer, dean would insist, every single fucking time. what bullshit. absolute bullshit. he wishes, maybe just a little, that he’d died with him. it’d be easier this way.

his phone vibrates in his pocket, and he answers without checking to see who it is. who gives a fuck anymore? 

“henri, how are you?” loretta asks. she sounds... chirpy. criminy.

“peachy keen,” he lies. “what do you know about a faron vasiliev?”

iv. three things happen to freya when she returns to los angeles after her second year abroad in italy: she gets the internship she asked for. her mother’s medical bills are magically paid. both her brothers listen to her when she talks, now, and that’s almost enough to make her want to be honest with them.

she goes back to st. louis in august to finish her degree, finally, and then after that it’s off to work with whatever tech-based company will take her. twenty-two years of hard work and determination and a little bit of lying, and her dreams are coming true.

loretta calls every friday at seven o’clock, and freya’s not dumb. she knows to pick up the phone. the nail polish on her hands is still drying when she fumbles with her new iPhone, using her foot to clumsily crank down the volume on the radio she’d been using in her bedroom. “loretta! hi! hey!”

“hey, kiddo, how are you doing?” loretta’s voice is warm, and it fills freya with unexpected affection. the things she’d done in verona had been awful, and she’s still not sure that those ghosts won’t follow her home, but they’d been worth it.

worth it for the free tuition and worth it because her mother’s chances of survival over the next twenty years are so much better than they’d been three months ago. “good. how’s verona?”

“boring without you here. i miss our morning reviews and you ranting to me about ancient architecture and history.”

she snorts. “not the cool, fun, spying stuff? just the history?”

loretta quiets for a second or two, and she’s wondering if she maybe put her foot in her mouth. “i almost wish i’d never dragged you into any of that. but you’re safer in america than over here, at least. i’ve got your back.”

it’s a relief to hear something she wasn’t really listening for anyways, but freya feels a sudden tightening in her chest. “i don’t regret any of it. it was --- what the capulets and montagues are doing? they’re ruining verona. i’m not even from there and i saw it. the bridge...”

loretta sighs. “yeah, i know. but hopefully this whole thing will be done. i’m working on it, and you and i can both go to bed resting easy.” she sounds tired. really, really tired.

“will you call me next week?” she asks, voice soft, like she always does. maybe it’s stupid, but she worries, and loretta delluci isn’t a woman you just forget. she can almost picture her face: the way the lines around her eyes soften, the curve of her smile, the warmth of her arms when they’d hugged one last time in loretta’s apartment before freya’d had to go to the airport.

“of course i will. you keep me updated, okay?”

“sure thing. i’ll let you know if --- if anything happens.”

loretta never says goodbye, over the phone. she always just ends the call. with the promise she’d apparently needed, loretta leaves freya with bad punk rock on the radio and a smear of blue polish on her index finger.

she still scrubs at her suddenly wet eyes anyways.

[mymusicaljourneyuniverse]

My guest today is one of the best volleyball players I have ever seen. For sure one of the best middle blockers ever. She has medals at the European Championships, she won the Champions League four times, she is always smiling and now doing an amazing job at CEV. If you don’t know her yet, let me introduce you, one of the most spectacular players in the volleyball history: MAJA POLJAK!

Hello Maja and welcome to vladpop.com. It is an honor and a pleasure having you here. I am a huge fan of volleyball and I must admit that you were one of the players I watched with great pleasure every time you played. So, the first question is a simple one: what is volleyball to you?

Volleyball has been initially for me just one of the many sports I enjoyed playing as a child. Having grew up in a sport family, surrounded by sport I watched live or on TV, my way of having fun was just doing some of the numerous sports with my friends or family.

After I started going to volleyball practices, my coaches soon realized the athleticism I fortunately got from my parents and the determination and discipline I had even though I was very young. Very soon I started collecting the fruits of hard work and really enjoyed the outcome. The harder I worked, the results were getting better and volleyball very quickly became my passion and stayed until now.

That is the reason why I chose to stay in volleyball even after retiring from playing it.

You had an amazing career as a player, winning the silver medal at the European Championships and also winning the Champions League for a total of four times with three different teams. Also a lot of national championships won with various teams. Still, which is the dearest win to your heart?

My dearest competition was always the Champions League, but to say which one is the dearest is hard. Most probably the first one I ever won, in Tenerife, since no one could expect that kind of achievement at the age of 20, while also being in the starting 6. My parents flew there just to support me, and since then we never abandoned this practice for the finals.

Another amazing feeling was in Istanbul. Fenerbahce had an incredible budget that year and they created a dream team. We fought so hard against them in the past years but never managed to win. And then it finally happened in the best possible moment, semi-finals of the Champions League Final Four. We fought like lions and managed to win a practically already lost tie-break.

The hall was crowded with Fenerbahce fans, around 7000 people supporting them that suddenly became silent. The feeling of winning someone that was so dominant in that period was incredible.

What does it mean to be a professional player? From the outside everybody sees the fame, the money and the glory. How is it from the inside?

The feelings were most of the time very positive, specially if you reach the high levels and achieve great results. Then everything you “invested” suddenly pays off.

However what people don’t understand is the sacrifices one does on the road in achieving that. Missing your family,  friends, constant changes (whether it’s the new team mates or staff you get, or you completely changing the club and needing to get used to new colleagues and city/country).

The pain and the sweat you go through, the injuries that unfortunately can happen. It is not a pleasant feeling when the first thing you feel when you wake up in the morning is the pain cause you’re injured.

What I mostly see around me is the not knowing what to do once your sport career is over. Many athletes have absolutely no time to study, because of the demanding schedules. In one moment they realize that the career is over and then for some of them the real struggle begins.

How did you ended up in playing volleyball?

My dad took me to see the CL Final that was held in Zagreb. I saw straight away the highest possible level of volleyball I could possibly see. I said ok, let’s give it a try with this sport, looks like fun.

You had a lot of coaches throughout your career. Could you name some of them, mainly those who influenced your career in a decisive way?

Giovanni Guidetti, Lorenzo Micelli , Giovanni Caprara, Marco Fenoglio…all of them gave something to me, each of them something different. But I also believe that with the dedication and fighting spirit I had, I also gave them in return.

As you know, this blog is about sports but it is also about music. So there will be a couple of musical questions too. One of them is about the music you have in your phone. What kind of music does Maja listens to?

I listen to all sorts of music, depending on the mood. But I am a true rock junkie.

Was there a special song that you used in order to get in the mood for the matches?

Oh yeah, I had a playlist from my favourite band, Muse. Music was a must for me before the matches. A great motivational tool.

Can we compare a volleyball match to a symphony? Why?

Honestly, my perception of a symphony is gracious and elegant. With volleyball  being so physical I can compare it more to a rock concert. It probably has to do also with my music taste, so I can’t really give you an objective answer to this one.

If you would describe yourself using only song titles, what would they be?

Please don’t stop the music

Butterflies and hurricanes

Fix you

Explorers

Let’s pretend that you get an offer to form a musical rock group and you have to choose another four members, all of them being former teammates of yours. Whom would they be and what instrument would they play? What name would the group have?

Neslihan Demir (lead singer), Jenny Barazza (guitar), Jordan Larson (guitar),  Francesca Piccinini (backing vocal), Jelena Nikolic (backing vocal), Nataliya Goncharova (backing vocal). I would play the drums. I always aimed high, can’t stop at 4, sorry ☺

After retiring last year from your professional playing career, you started working for the CEV. How did you handle the difference from being always on the road and always in training or playing and now sitting behind a desk?

Well, in the beginning I was sitting a lot at the desk, but I was just thinking the other day how very little time I spent in the office lately…A lot of events and preparation meetings so a lot of travelling. I have to say I feel way better at events then at the desk ☺

What is your job for the CEV?

Event Coordinator.

  As you’ve already told me, you have a lot to travel with this CEV job too. But is it all work, work, work or now you have time to visit some more in the cities you travel to?

Not really a lot of time to visit. Only if it happens that my hotel is in the city center, then I‘ll always try to have a nice walk before going to sleep, if time allows me.

The most beautiful city you played in?

Istanbul probably. It is indeed a beautiful city, but it also has its flaws. The traffic really takes a lot of time and energy.

Who is the best player you’ve ever played with?

Liuba Sokolova when we played together in Bergamo.

Who is the player you’ve ever wanted to play with in the same team but you didn’t have the chance?

Kim Yeon – Koung.

What is more successful? A group full of high-rated superstars playing as individuals or a team full of hard working player, playing as a team? Who is more successful, the money or the spirit?

A team full of hard working player that play as a team, and my teams have often been a proof of this statement.

What was your favourite drill in volleyball? What was your least favourite?

My favourite was anything related to the block, and my least favourite was serve. Even though I was aware that it has to be trained, there was never rhythm in it and I found it super boring.

The Champions League format will change starting this year with no more Final Four tournament. Do you think this could favour the bigger and more powerful teams? I mean, a team like Alba Blaj for example, will no longer have the chance (probably) to play a semifinal or final in this competition in this new way this competition is organized.

I believe that playing with home and away matches gives a real picture of quality between opponents. And the strongest teams should be the ones playing the Finals, wouldn’t you agree?

If you’d summarize your first year at CEV, how would you do it?

It has been very challenging and difficult in certain moments, but also surprisingly fulfilling.

Maja, thank you for all your answers and for your availability and I hope I will see you soon.

  *photos taken from Maja’s FB page.

MAJA POLJAK – THE SPECTACLE OF VOLLEYBALL My guest today is one of the best volleyball players I have ever seen. For sure one of the best middle blockers ever.

[poledancertoday]

Media Perpetuating Misleading Pole Dance Information

It recently came to our attention that there is false and misleading pole dance information going around the mainstream media outlets on-line. As the news, UPA has taken the time to attempt to set the record straight. But we wanted you to be aware of what they are now saying. And, oh yeah, furthermore, they still are calling it a stripper pole in almost every article we found on the subject of spinning poles. Despite the fact there is not a stripper on the poles in the images and/or videos they are using. It seems they don't know the difference yet. It seems they don't care either.

This false pole dance information continues to perpetuate, and it is our duty as a community to calmly and intelligently put these myths they have about us to bed. But let's start with what's happening currently.

Here is where it started.

We found this entry on Reddit, only as a result of other mainstream media outlets reposting this blurb, as if it's fact or truth.

Find out stripper poles spin in place (instead of strippers around the poles) is the grown-ups's finding out Santa isn't real.

Firstly, all of us polers and/or strippers know that we do not only spin when we are on a spinning pole, but yes, sometimes we are on a spinning pole.

Secondly, we found an article on the New Zealand Herald (link: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11875337) using a GIF of Anastasia Sokolova doing a massive spin on a static pole. However, their entire article is stating that we spin in such a way because the pole is spinning. This leads people to believe that Anastasia, and thusly the rest of us, are not accomplishing these feats by using momentum. What this looks like to us is misleading pole dance information.

On this next article on the Metro UK (link: http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/12/sometimes-its-the-stripper-pole-thats-spinning-not-the-dancer-6703461/) we found, they adequately and thoroughly explain the difference between a spinning and static pole. They even show the mechanics of it seen here (below):

However, if you look at the title, they are doing a disservice to strippers and pole dancers. These types of poles they are referring to are not used inside of the strip clubs. Strippers inside the clubs are not using hex keys. In fact, some strip clubs don't even have a pin for spinning pole to become static.

Furthermore, they are using images of pole dancers and continuously refer to the pole as a stripper pole. These ladies don't look like strippers to us, and strippers don't look and dress like these ladies. It's difficult to wrap heads around this. Since when do strippers dance barefoot in a brightly lit room? How can they not see the difference here?

Just to be clear, this author supports both activities. My beef here is with the media consistently perpetuating false information, still using the word stripper pole because it is grabby in headlines. To me, that's offensive to strippers. Not giving a damn about the fact that things have evolved, that pole has changed over the last decade dramatically. Strippers and pole dancers alike are both to be praised and respected. But at this point, the two are completely different.

Here is my message to the mediaStop spreading misleading pole dancing information to your audience.

A woman asked me today, what is the difference between instructing at a pole dance studio and working in a strip club. I told her The two things are worlds apart. The intent, the action, the movement, the reason we are all there are all different. The only thing they have in common is the pole, and only sometimes the movement and only sometimes the attire.

Here is my message to the media Stop calling it a stripper pole when the thing is clearly just a pole. We don't even call it a stripper pole in the clubs. Stop spreading misleading pole dancing information to your audience. We have a hard enough time as it is teaching those that are clueless about what pole dancing has evolved into.

I wrote the New Zealand Herald today and set them straight. I'll update this article if and when they respond.

Yours Truly,

AMD

For more of the latest pole news click here!

United Pole Artists Pole News is a place where news from around the world regarding pole dancing is shared. UPA and UPA Bloggers write and/or gather news and stories for you so you don't miss a thing. Have something to add to this story? You do not need to be signed in to leave a comment. Let us know your thoughts on these stories. We would love to hear from you!

News, articles, blog entries and/or other stories do not necessarily reflect the opinion of United Pole Artists LLC.

The post Media Perpetuating Misleading Pole Dance Information appeared first on United Pole Artists.

[zorkaya-moved]

💋 MAAM........for miss koto

@dayrisen

It's weird, she will not deny. There's always expectation of how Koto Unkaku would almost spit in her face, acting like such a brightly independent star with disgust written all over her face when Sokolova brings up the way she works, the way she acts, the way she does everything in her life. Those eyes of gold do not look at her with kindness or warmth, but she never needed to. However, it's surprising when Unkaku comes to her, all dolled up and adorable as if she wishes to sacrifice herself to the beast to satiate its hunger and to keep its fangs away from the people who live in the villages.

A small request that makes a silver eyebrow to raise in an inquiry, repeating the request again out loud to ensure that Koto meant what she meant. To teach her to kiss? To show her how a kiss feels like? Oh, sweet child of the Sun, she is as innocent as she is powerful, looking forward and asking winter death itself to kiss her, to claim her lips and grant her wish for this very moment. It's strange, it's weird. She felt like Unkaku is just fucking with her, but by the look on the other woman's face, she can see that she does mean it.

"Really?" Zarina asks as she gets up from her chair, approaching the woman in slow and languid steps, looking her over to see if this pretty appearance was done for her to be captured by her beauty. Koto is a beautiful woman, a desirable by many, she's sure. Many would find her personality charming and her drive breathtaking. Sokolova brings her hand up brush the woman's cheek with her knuckles, taking pleasure in the way she tenses but relaxes. There is trust in her eyes, there is a wish to try and see where it goes. It makes the silverette wonder if she will regret this later, sharing a kiss with someone like her because of how different their moralities lay. But then again, that regret can feed her just as well down the line when weeks or months or years will pass. "Alright, Koto. Since you dressed up so prettily for me and asks this, I'll show you how a real kiss feels like."

Koto's chin is caught between Zarina's thumb and index finger, hooked up to look up at her before the distance between their lips closes. It's not rough, but it's not gentle either. She kisses Koto with an intent to make her knees feel weak, to make her mind swim from overstimulating pleasure and passion that the winter can show to those who want to lay with her, kiss her, touch her. Her lips fit wonderfully against her own, their heads angle to deeper the kiss. It's adorable how the other clings to her when the kiss loses its gentleness and become more passionate, open, and deep. She'll melt the mind of the woman who shines as brightly as the Sun itself, holding her closer and wrapping her arms around her waist to drag her closer. This kiss is not out of love, it is to show how it can feel and how experienced Sokolova is in doing what she does. Seduction and temptation are her forte, but she breaks the kiss apart when she notices Unkaku's state, satisfied if only for a short moment when their lips part and the string of saliva, thin like a web thread, breaks apart.

Zarina still secured Koto's standing with her hand wrapped around her waist, bodies pressed against each other to keep the less experienced one safe from falling down.

"Are you satisfied now, doll?" Her voice is sultry, adopting a velvety tone before chuckling. "You look good, by the way. I'm impressed how much you dressed up to ask me." Arrogant, as always.

[zorkaya-moved]

❛ who taught you how to do that? ❜

@thornicidxs

Weapons, the lot of it. From guns to knives to more. Every single one that people use in this world. They may not be needed with the abilities existing, but they are still the best way to kill, to fight, to live through dangers. Not many want to show their powers, especially exploring themselves as being unregistered as those who possess this 'modern day magic.' Lists can be faked, but being exposed is worse on many occasions, so... weapons that is. As a weapon dealer with one of the largest companies behind her back in Eurasia right now, Sokolova has to know what works and what doesn't. Checking all of the equipment became a routine she does before any mission.

Crystal's words make her look up but not stop what she's doing. Her hands continue to put the bullets in, counting them and writing them down in her notebook. It's been like that since she's been to the battlefield. The battles fought across the world aren't exposed to the large scales because many want to keep their conflicts hidden. It's politics, it's economics, it's a search for power and knowledge. There are no heroes, there are only those who want to survive.

"A man..." Zarina begins, thinking about how to describe the person who accepted her after Yaroslav's introduction. A man with broad shoulders, tall height, white beard and white hair, one fake eye of bright grey and another real eye of green. He had a woman next to him, a woman with bright red hair and similar green eyes. He told her the woman will be her leader and he will be the commander of their team. A man with a confident smirk and charisma oozing off him, he offered his hand and said that she will do well if she forgets how she's been raised and will stop being a brat. He didn't see her as a child even then, he saw a soldier in the making. And he made her into a soldier. "...Who was like a second father to me."

The picture of team meetings change into the office filled with blood and ash. The same older man holds onto his stomach, coughing out blood as his other hand is missing from being shattered. But he still looks at her without any fear as she is ready to make one final shot. He lacks the same brightness he did before, ever since [she] died. Vasilisa's laughter will never grace any of them, not anymore. He decided to betray her, betray their country, betray her family. He grew weak and he died from her hands with Yaroslav behind her.

"And a man who betrayed us all." She doesn't notice how she's already done with every single note. All equipment was checked and there is nothing left to do. For a moment, she can see the same figure - a ghost - sitting by her side and giving her a thumbs up and then ruffling her hair for catching up to everything so fast. Hw strange. She doesn't feel anything when she sees those mirages now, those recollections. He's been a traitor, he betrayed her, and he became weak. "He was a good commander, but the death of his daughter made him lose loyalty, his determination and... himself."

Does Crystal have a similar experience? Does she have those whom she respect so much yet they betrayed her trust and now they are no longer bringing up any feeling except numbness?

"Love... be it familiar or romantic... can be such a double edged sword, huh? We can so easily lose ourselves in it," Zarina chuckles but the smile doesn't reach her eyes. Her laughter is lacking any emotion, numbness continues to make her want to either smoke or to just do something else. "Can you pass me my cigarettes? They're on the table next to you." Another habit born from watching [him] and Yaroslav.

[zorkaya-moved]

@decimatcd continued.

Her smile is tender at the sight of him, the sleepy look and his morning voice. Sokolova's gaze softens as she feels her heart beating faster, serotonin hitting the brain from just one sight of her beloved. Kalpas' response is met with a nod, acknowledging his wishes. and how happy she gets when he kisses her, responding to his soft and quick gesture without missing a beat by wrapping her arms around his neck loosely, chest against chest.

Zarina gazes into his eyes with the same smile.

"Had some worrisome dreams, but it happens around this time," she brushes them off like a duck does water, not caring about what wasn't real. "When I woke up and saw you by my side, I calmed down immediately." It's true; she doesn't wish to lie to him. Not when he looks concerned (he's so warm and kind). "If you're so worried, give me more kisses?" Of course, she acts like this because she doesn't care about those dreams. They're memories and lies, a combination of emotions, imagination, and memories. Not real, not true. But if it would concern Kalpas, she'll simply show him how to make her feel better. "Let's say~ Three more?"

[zorkaya-moved]

❛ missed my touch that much, did you? ❜ from kaveh :')

@avaere

No one would believe that the infamous Zarina Sokolova can be rendered to such state. Needy, pouting, wanting, affectionate and loving. And it's impossible to deny the architect. It's impossible to deny how much she missed him and how much she loved when he touched her. Kaveh has her wrapped around his finger and it's something she'll never let anyone else have over her, but with the man whose eyes shine with lustful affection and undeniable love in this very moment? She'll be anything and everything he'd ever want her to be: herself. Her heart swells at the sound of her name leaving his lips, especially after they've been apart for so, so long.

Zarina feels shivers running across her skin, ones so pleasant where he touches her. She cannot deny just how nice it feels when he hugs her from behind, his lips tracing kisses from her neck to her ear and then using his hand to angle her face so they can kiss normally. It feels wonderful when she can once again experience his warmth in real time, not imagining the way his chest would be pressed against her back and his tongue would explore her mouth.

As one hand still gently holds her face so she won't turn away, the other is led by her palm laying on top of his. She leads him to travel below her shirt, his calloused fingers tracing the kin of her toned stomach. Such warm hands, such a safe touch. Zarina moans sweetly into their kiss, her fingers find themselves in his golden hair, playing and lightly tugging.

It feels wonderful. He feels wonderful. His soft lips and the smell of his cologne. They envelope her and she wants to have him all to herself. For as long as she can. This love, this affection, this desire, this wish. Everything mixes together and when they break their kiss, looking into Kaveh's eyes is a moment of inner peace and delight. Oh, he's so right about what he said: she missed his touch.

"You have no idea," she purrs, wishing to whisper exactly how much she missed him. The evenings at her house where she'll wear his shirt he left behind while her hand would travel between her legs, imagining Kaveh being the one to please her. His name always leaves her in such a breathless melody that even now she wants to say it over and over again. He's here, he's home, he's back. Her elated happiness cannot be contained as her heart dances in her chest, cheeks flush from delight on her pale skin. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

[zorkaya-moved]

" did you miss me? "

@thornicidxs

"No."

An answer comes out all too monotone and easy off her lips as golden eyes continue to look over documents, clearly ignoring the expressions on her friend's face. The answer isn't true, naturally, but Sokolova feels a bit impish today and joking around with Slevant's always been her favorite time well-spent. They're friends, it's so obvious and so true that it puts a smile on her face when she looks over photos of them together at some cafe, restaurant, outside, inside, it doesn't matter. Jut them together. A bond established and a story intertwined with another. A beautiful continuation or a tragic ending isn't even on the horizon, if there is anything they had together - it's time.

She keeps her game fairly well, not even the corners of her lips twitch while not even looking up from her documents. Zarina knows she won't break character even if she looks up, but it's even funnier to imagine Crystal's shocked or scheming expression. No matter what, she'd look good and quite gorgeous. Be it with a sprinkle of comedy or not, but it will always remain true: the pinkette will always blossom like the prettiest flower wherever she went. No matter how many thorns there will be, Sokolova knows she'd want to be in her company eternally.

The sound in front of her desk makes the silverette finally look up, meeting with eyes of amethyst and now her smile appears on her face rather easily. Documents are put down as she chuckles, giving a bit of a cheeky smirk to the other.

"It sounds like you missed me so much, Crystal. That's cute," she teases and places her chin on her open palm, looking up at her friend from her sitting position. "Well, I lied, I did miss you. It's been quiet around here these weeks. I thought you left without saying goodbye."

It's a joke, too, but Crystal's capabilities are beyond this world and Zarina wouldn't put it against her if she wants to leave this world, too. Then again, she wonders if the other world will be different compared to this one. Slevant seems like a fairy out of a tale that fiction writers conjure on their own, but she's all too real. Is this world too different compared to her own? Aside from social nature, is it?

"I already ordered your favorite drink to be delivered here, by the way. You're welcome. Also chocolate pudding you wanted to try last time. You're double welcome."

Ah, yes, the cheekiness comes back.

[zorkaya-moved]

Sexy but probably traumatizing to some muses thought: 

Zarina demands to those who she meets that they shouldn’t stop if she’s stabbed or shot. As in, if she is hurt, they need to get the fuck out and not look back.  And that anyone here who wants to stab her or shoot her right now better have Plan B because killing her is not that easy. 

Why? You don’t believe her when she tells you to do that?  Or you don’t believe she means it for real?

Well, no one noticed but she has less true accessories that prevent her mutation from acting up and limiting her regeneration. 

With that in mind, she reaches out for a knife, flips it in her hand

And...

Stabs herself right in the gut in front of everyone. Blade straight into her to the hilt.  Bending down to show she’s in pain and hissing from the experience... Blood dripping from the wound but she instead tell everyone to sit the fuck down.  Because then she straightens up, takes the knife out and tells them to look at what’s happening her blood when it touches the ground: it turns to frost several seconds, no longer red, as if liquid nitrogen spilt.  Her then sitting down on the couch, manspreading and letting people understand that she’s... fine? After stabbing herself and very much bleeding out? Wpes blood off her chin, snapping her fingers to turn every single blood droplet (besides her soaked shirt) into ice and then into nothingness. And her wound? She lifts up the bloody fabric of her shirt and there is nothing left, not even a scratch.

So then she places her elbow on the armrest and supports her chin with her hand, looking at everyone with her golden eyes gleaming:

“Now if I tell you to run, you fucking run to get out of my way. If you want to try and stab me from behind or from the front, I guess you’re wasting your valuable life. Am I understood?”

And no one knows how many accessories she doesn’t have on. And no one knows how far her regeneration ability goes.

Ultra traumatizing to some people BDE showcase from Miss Sokolova.

[zorkaya-moved]

❝Hey mom, do you think that you can do me a favor?❞ Rin would turn to the other with an inquiry, he wasn't sure how she'd respond to his request or if she would accept it. Either way, he knew he would have to do work if she does decline. ❝Saturn's sister's Pluto is interested in meeting you. I know she's someone that Saturn dotes on a lot too. I kind of asked a favor of her and in return she wanted to meet you. So um, if I am good not to skip classes for a while and quit my rental boyfriend dating in exchange, would you go meet her?❞

@eliteimperialism 

It was natural to expect that she will stop working, but she did not. The documents were on the table as she would be reading them while speaking with Rin and not missing even a second of his company. He was her son, she could work here without any problems. It didn’t matter as long as he won’t inquire about the details as this was a classified information written in three different languages as a code, combined with her own coding that only she would be able to read along with her teammates. Matthew did a good job in sensing everything coded like this, other people would take days to understand what’s written here while for Zarina it’ll take seconds as if she’s reading a book. 

“A favor?” She’d settle down the paper upon lifting her molten gold gaze to look at her son. It was fine if he’ll see her in her work mode, the chaotic self would be pushed aside as the ice empress would come out. For Rin to ask her a favor, it must’ve been important. Arashi’s words made her frown slightly in concern, it could’ve been considered as her being unhappy, but the gleam in her eyes spoke of genuine concern over what the other would speak about. Sokolova remembered she asked him to be honest regarding his life and its dangers, all so she would be able to protect him; it made her wonder if it was about that, but the words spoken made her tilt her head to the side instead. 

A look of momentarily confusion would cross the feminine features, ichor gaze would change from concern to inquiry. A question met with a questionable gaze. Why did he want her to meet Saturn’s younger sister? It didn’t matter what Saturn thought of his sister. She would not do something as foolish as try to butter up his siblings to like her, she would remain respectful to them and she would be polite to them as they were his family, but it didn’t mean that she would want to bend her knee to make herself likeable. None of them deserved to know the real her besides Saturnus, Rin, and Albionite. It was quite harsh, but it was her opinion that she will not speak of, but the specific conditions Rin would provide didn’t give her much problems to speak next words.

“I will meet her if you promise to drop your rental boyfriend job. Your classes are yours to take and skip as you wish, simply do enough to pursue your wished career no matter what it is. Also... Allow me to pay your allowance once a month, speak of a sum later during the week and I will be sending it to you every month. You still need some sort of income and you can save it for your future education,” her cool and collected nature would show-off in a strict manner as she would state her conditions to meet with one of the maidens from Il Vuoto family. If Pluto wanted to meet, why not simply meet her when she was visiting Saturnus? Or ask Mercurius or Saturnus themselves to tell her that message? It was strange, quite irregular to apply her son’s presence and his conditions to make her go. It was smart, the woman won’t lie, it was quite an intelligent move as she would not be able to deny Arashi’s favor when conditions were what she wanted her son to stop doing immediately upon learning it. The skills of rental boyfriend, in her judgmental eyes, would not provide him with the skillset he’d need in the future. Charm would only carry him so far, but it was her own understanding. “Quite cunning of her to tell you to ask me such a favor. I assume since Saturnus did not tell me anything about this, it must be her idea that she does not want him to know. It might be, hm. I wonder now what she wants from me.” 

Zarina would take a moment to place the documents down and collect them all together. If Pluto wished to meet, it would be better to get this over with as soon as possible to avoid any interruptions with her actual job. She would have to leave for a while to visit the MEU once again as Andrea said his mother in Turkey needed several new... samples. It would mean that she’d have to go “hunting” for certain individual samples that will be beneficial for the experiment. 

“As I said, I will meet her as long as you drop that job and tell me the sum of your wished allowance. I will not accept anything less than fifteen thousand dollars a month, but nothing higher than thirty thousand dollars a month as you are still a student,” the prices were astronomical to some people, but Zarina actually was quite strict regarding what she was offering from her own look. For her, such money was easy to get and it would not be hard to acquire in an hour. She didn’t think it was that much to offer, Sokolova thought that she shouldn’t spoil her son too much; to her, money was easy. “If I learn that the favor you asked of her is dangerous to your life, I will not hesitate to do anything to protect it, Rin.” Spoken as a matter-of-fact, Zarina would look at her wristwatch before looking at the calendar on her phone. “I’ll have to deal with this first thing then. It would get in the way if she won’t meet me in the next two or three days.”

What should she expect from Pluto? And what would Rin ask from her that she couldn’t ask from her or Saturn? Zarina wouldn’t dive into that as long as it would not harm her beloved son. His life was his to live, the only time he will not be given the choice by her if he is going to die. To her, it was how the rules of the jungle went. 

mention of @alchemiasaturnalis‘s Pluto. 

[zorkaya-moved]

THE DOWNSIDE OF HIS POSITION——leading the next generation of Il Vuoto in his wake, is the travel ( in many cases, which he had to leave behind loved ones ). A month passed which felt eternal to him, FATHER TIME of all people. Closing his eyes to look back at the beautiful alabaster flesh, the ripe cherry of her lips. A bed of silver, cascading down in waves like an ocean——and her eyes: the natural pearls, treasures of the deep. Thinking of her could not amount to how greatly he missed her, how he yearned to be close.

Counting the days up to the moment he could leave the Motherland, he refutes the use of his eye to ask himself: how much has she changed ? A little——if not at all ? Is her hair combed back to that side part I adore, or did she tie it back for a job ? He wanted to laugh at himself for caring of those little things. The weather was cooling down since their last encounter; he hoped her well.

When his attendant DOMINIC came to fetch him, he nods and promises to be down in a second. Before leaving that room desolate to only work and memory, he fishes out his phone and records short video to send her before his embark. ❛ I’ll be home soon, amore mio. ❜ He speaks, sheepishly gazing down at his reflection in the phone——the first time he’s ever went out to using those phone utilities: for her. It wasn’t much, but he leaves a deal.

UN BACIO VIRTUALE——a virtual kiss, before ending the recording to send. He hopes it’ll hold her off until he arrives home for the real deal.

@alchemiasaturnalis

The longing for one another reflects on both sides, yet it shows in two different things. Despite missing her beloved’s presence, the owner of the golden gaze remains as busy as ever. More so than ever, even. Surprisingly, the incompetence comes out when you least expect it and the only person capable of dealing with such pigsty was indeed Sokolova Zarina. The flow of time passes faster when there is work and she is glad to be busy when Saturn is away, making it more bearable for her who has never longed for another’s presence so earnestly and wishfully as she does with Il Vuoto. Hours and hours pass, her orders fly from left tot right, the voice of storm rising to scare those within the facility to work better and faster or they will be left behind. It’s time for the raging sounds of thundering blizzard to start rampaging across the sea of people who have learned the lessons in not slacking off during such an intense process of preparation. 

“ Идиоты, ” she softly allows an irking sensation to slip off her tongue, the idiots indeed continued to test today’s importance. The weaponry needs to be handled with care and it seems to her they were not trained to handle such a fragile equipment, there’s fear within the masses as the falcon’s gaze is colder than the winds of Siberian winter. Today’s the day to have her work without comedic interference, the type of work she takes rarely to not destroy her carefully built image for the sake of future. Even if she needs to look it over now that her heart belonged to only one man whose presence is missed every day, even if it is only when she is alone and can allow herself to settle down. 

Her mind does not circle to the pleasant dim light in Saturn’s office, the smell of his workplace and the quietness that lacks here. No, it does not. Not until she lets herself finally catch a break and speak to Yaroslav about him now being the leading person here. She trusts him with documents before turning to Hae Won who looks quite tired as well, unhappy with how they were all forced to do such an intense yet different type of work today. Diversity is good only when it’s not aggravating. Zarina herself does not care for anything that’s happening right now besides the loss of one particularly important piece of equipment that’ll have to be manufactured all over again, the punished men begging for forgiveness to this moment behind Sokolova’s back yet ignored as she has no time for them. 

“Your phone’s buzzin’, Zar,” speaks Hae Won as she points at Sokolova’s personal phone. The silver woman sighs and takes it out to look at it. 

“ I am aware, ” Sokolova wants to speak something else but stops upon seeing the name of the sender. Now her mind, knowing full well of its free time, sends her back to the pleasant atmosphere in the Il Vuoto mansion. The warm tea with honey she gets to drink in Saturn’s office while watching him work ever so often. The way his glasses do not hide away the frown or relaxation of his eyebrows to give her an understanding of his feelings. The way he speaks her name echoes in the mind of the Slavic maiden, her golden gaze softens visibly and everyone on her team knows who is the one to make their wintertide leader’s heart melt. 

“We’ll take care of it. Go check what you’ve got. You both haven’t seen each other in a while, right?” The voice of Matthew brings her back to the reality, the busy work around her has been fully repressed alongside the gazes of her teammates. Hae-Won smirks as she jabs at her friend’s shoulder with her elbow, almost making Zarina drop her phone, a look of tiredness crossing over the silverhead’s face right then and there. “Hae-Won, with such acting, she won’t be able to leave.”

“ No, it’s alright. He’s busy as well, so I’m sure it will not take me long to check it out. Thank you, Matt. You all, keep up the kids from ruining our paycheck, ” with a wave of her hand, Zarina doesn’t even need to look back to know what faces all of them are making and what they’ll be whispering about. It’s obvious they all will be speaking about how there’s been a subtle change only noticed to them. As she passes Derek, she can see his light frown before he continues to walk to the rest of the team. As always, he’s refusing to be here but it’s alright, she knows he cares for those who talk behind her back. For now, she wants to care about the one who she misses dearly. That’s why the seclusion of the office makes it easy for her to slip away, door closes and she takes out her phone to see what the message is. 

“ A video? ” Confusion colors her mind, suddenly wondering if it’s been an accident. They’ve been away from each other for a month now, it’s been so long but she’s been so busy. Time has been catching up to her only when she’s been alone like this. She misses her travels to Il Vuoto mansion, knowing full well how Albion there misses her and how she promised to stop by once her official business end. Zarina catches herself thinking of his sarcastic, deadpan remarks that became so important and so lovable for her to hear. The man who she hasn’t expected to ever be her type besides his appearance... now he’s the one who owns her heart and she can feel the subtly worry that this message is only a mistake until she opens it. 

Akin to a teenage girl in love even after all this time, her heart jumps at the sight of Saturnus’ face before her. Does he use the technology now? She laughs to herself but stops immediately upon hearing the tender Italian words speak out:  ❛ I’ll be home soon, amore mio. ❜ It sets the mind into the spring time, the snowdrops blossom under the snow in the light of her love’s voice. It only becomes more evident at that virtual kiss that both confuses her and makes her chuckle as well. The cuteness of this video surely must be used later when she sees him, teasing about doing something so scandalous as sending her a virtual kiss. If he wishes for her to be patient, such action has only made her want board the plane and travel straight to Italy without anyone’s permission and regards to her work. Zarina steels herself, giving a moment to remember once again the voice of Saturn speaking to her that he’ll be home soon. 

Home... Her pale skin gives away a tender pink that’s rarely seen on her face before others. She’s rarely blushed before anyone, even Saturnus. Perhaps once or twice, perhaps only once when he made his move for the first time and caught her off-guard during his retrograde months. “ Mhmm. I’ll be back home soon too, любовь моя. ” She utters to herself, leaning against the wall as she types a short message:

TEXT:   I cannot wait to see you again. You look adorable being so bashful on camera. I’ll never delete this video, you know that, right? I miss you, Saturn. Love you. Take care.  P.S. I’ll be back later than expected, forgive me.  if I’m back later than you are, ask of me what you wish.

And she presses send. For today, she’ll let him off without a risky photo of herself and without something to agitate him just a bit. He’s caught her with that sweetness, she wishes to return it this one time as well. 

“ Saturnus... I miss you, ” she admits to herself again, thinking of the way she’ll weave her fingers into his hair when they kiss, closer to herself. Oh how she longs to see those Lucerne eyes, their bright color forever being the weak spot to see into the core of her soul. “ You rascal. Since when did you start sending videos? So cute. I have to praise him more when we see each other next time. I should record something like this. Maybe, a lullaby would be fitting. ”

That’s what she’ll do this evening.