#but call me selfish but maybe just dont look at my ao3 page if your my employer

[c1trvswurld]

In the stage of life where I'm thinking about my digital footprint...like seriously. Lol. Like it has me pondering if it'd be wise to show obvious connections/associations with my art and ao3 acc. Like if I ever got a highend job and they looked thru.

Oh yeah it's over.

[collective-laugh]

Detective AU - Muriel x MC Chapter 4

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three

Taglist:  @a-zoidberg-aesthetic @lesbiancountess @fartkittyonline @yaysam @y-all-dnt-ve @countgoatman-and-drleechboy @julians-chest-hair @vesuviass @caterpiller-tea @zaemoultrie75901 @saltywerewolfrebel @obsessedwiththearcana @thatsaltyseaman @xburningwitch @i-dont-speak-wolf @missrabbitart @softarcana

This chapter was highly inspired by ‘Private Investigations’ by the Dire Straits. @dr-devorak-will-seeyounow introduced me, and it fit the vibe, and I fell in love! I recommend listening while reading!

Also, please let me know if you would like me to put together some sort of playlist/mood music! I’ve done this before on AO3, and it really seems to help!

Thank you to everyone who has made this series such a success, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! Please let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Chapter Four: Private Investigations

“You’re looking more miserable than usual, Muriel.” Ludovico leans against the handrail to the back entrance of the Raven, “Which is a feat, considering you always look miserable.”

Muriel lets the cigarette dangle from his lips, still worried about her, hoping that Julian got her back home safely, that he didn’t try anything…

If he found out he so much as laid a hand on her, he’d fucking kill him.

He didn’t really know why he cared so much, and he knew the doctor well enough to know he wouldn’t be stupid enough to try anything...sober.

“‘m tired.” Muriel claims, and though it’s a half truth, he wished he wasn’t so transparent, “Don’t worry about it.”

Ludovico smirks at him, tossing his cigarette butt out in the rain, “Wouldn’t have anything to do with the little broad you walked in with, huh?”

“No.” He answers a little too quickly, a little too sharply.

He raises his eyebrows, unused to Muriel being anything other than quietly benign, and asks, “Who was she anyway?”

Muriel knew it was none of his business, but he didn’t mind Ludovico, and it didn’t hurt to talk to someone, he guessed. That was always Asra’s advice - “feelings” and “talking” and all that bullshit.

“You wanna, ah,” He waggles his eyebrows, “make whoopee with her?”

Never mind.

Muriel rolls his eyes, smashing his cigarette on the hand rail. Trying to talk to people was shit, and definitely something he didn’t want to make a habit.

“She’s a friend.” He claims, which...isn’t a lie. He’s known her for years now, and knows more about her than he probably ought to, considering just how little they talked. Asra liked to talk about her to no end, sparing no detail about just how much he missed her.

He hopes she’s gotten home safely, that she’s managed to fall asleep so she doesn’t muck up her interview with the Countess later.

The Countess...he could hardly believe that the Countess of Vesuvia herself had resorted to a backwater private detective, no offense to her or Asra. She held no real title outside of being insanely rich and being the former wife of the most prominent crime boss in the city.

Lucio sickened Muriel. The thought of him made him sneer again, and the mere idea that someone could pull the right strings and make the right deals with the right people, and all his problems, all the sick shit he did, could just disappear.

“A friend, huh? Well, the last friend I had like that ended up in my bed, compadre.” Ludovico raises his brow, his sleazy intentions obvious, “You could always give her my number if she doesn’t have someone waitin’ for her at home.”

He was about to say she did, that there was Asra or maybe even Julian waiting for her back at the office, that she wasn’t going to be in that dank little hole all on her own.

Maybe it was selfish. It was definitely selfish to want to be the one waiting for her.

He curses himself, wondering when the hell he started considering her as anything more than an acquaintance he kept at arms’ length. He’s itching for another cigarette, especially as he’s facing the stupid grin on Ludovico’s face. Instead of lighting another, he’s looking at the watch on his wrist. It was a quarter past five, which meant he was free to go.

“Maybe.” He says, trying not to sound so cryptic, but, like Asra said, it was a second nature to him.

He debates stopping back by the office. He’d sent Jules home with her around midnight, and he did want to make sure she was alright. But, something she said to him earlier stuck out like a sore thumb, something about how she could walk herself home.

She was still a grown woman, even if she couldn’t really remember who she was, and he wasn’t certain she’d be all too thrilled about his breathing down her neck.

He does light a cigarette, with Ludovico yelling something crude about her after him, and he shuts his eyes for just a moment, trying to steady himself. It had been a long night, and he was so tired, but he needed to check on her, to make sure she got home alright…

The nagging voice in his head telling him to leave her be wins, despite his instincts screaming at him to do otherwise. He walks the opposite direction, straight back home.

His place is small, modest, and...decidedly not comfortable. The landlord insisted on no pets, but as soon as she saw Muriel, she made an exception, considering she claimed, “ruffians’ll go running soon as they see you, boy!” He couldn’t live anywhere without Inanna, he knows, and was thankful to the lady - Nonna Linka, as she insisted on being called - for letting him stay.

She wasn’t up yet, like anyone with sense, so he’s alone on his trek up the single flight of stairs. He isn’t surprised to find his door unlocked, considering the damn thing had been broken for months now, and all but collapses in bed alongside Inanna.

He dreams of her, of happier times, and wishes things were simpler than he made them out to be.

_

She’s scrambling to get dressed.

It’s embarrassing; the first time in months she’s had a case, and actual, honest to God interview with a client, and she’s running around like a headless chicken trying to gather everything she needed. Asra would have been no better, she knew, waiting until the last minute for everything, but she refuses to think of him now, today, at least until she’s gotten this interview over with.

It was a murder case. Not only a murder case, but a case surrounding the Lucio Morgason. It was more than she ever could have asked for, and she was squandering it because she could quite reach the button on her dress.

Once she’s certain she’s gathered everything - and certain that she’s forgotten at least one thing - she’s out the door, only half remembering to lock it and turn the tacky neon signs off. She only barely catches the train to the Heart District, and knows she must look a mess.

A gorgeous socialite looks at her, all legs and brown hair tied up in some elaborate braid, lips painted a red far too improper for the time of day, and arches a perfectly sculpted brow, as if the very sight of her was amusing.

It was enough to send her blood boiling, and remind her exactly what she was here for.

Nadia’s house - estate, mansion, whatever - is only a seven minute walk and a four minute run from the train station, and she makes it with five minutes to spare before she was considered tardy. It takes two minutes to have her looking presentable again, another three to even reach the door and be led inside by a butler - butler! - one to have her coat taken, and another seven before she even sees Nadia.

She’s the picture of perfection, and puts that socialite from the train to shame, effortlessly beautiful with her long, black hair, and long, golden dress. She greets her gracefully, as she does all things, and ensures that they’re alone, beginning the interview in Lucio’s private library, sitting across from one another.

“Can you tell me about the last time you saw your husband?” She asks, subtly looking over to the tape recorder to ensure that it was getting all of this. Her hand stood ready, just in case Nadia said anything important, and she settles into detective mode, trying to calm herself.

“I…” Nadia wrings her hands, eyeing the white gloves she set aside moments before, as if she was debating whether or not she really wanted to hold them. “I don’t remember my husband. The accident…” She shrugs, looking everywhere but at the detective, “I didn’t know where else to turn, detective. The law is thankful he’s dead, and his ‘friends’ are starting to call for my removal.”

“Removal?” She asks, “Removal from what?”

“I’ve been acting as an interim...boss, I suppose.” She finally meets her eyes, “You must understand, detective. This city isn’t kind to us.”

Truer words had never been spoken, but she only purses her lips before asking, “Is there anyone who might have wanted to hurt your husband? Anyone he had any bad blood with?”

“He was not known for his...subtlety.” Nadia hesitates, as if the gravity of the situation was just catching up to her, “Detective, you must know that I’m willing to pay you handsomely for your services. And that the law is not to know of this.” She says it with such vindication, with such authority, that the detective feels like she has to listen.

“Don’t worry about that.” She replies, thankful her voice didn’t betray her nerves, “This conversation will only ever be heard by you, me, and my associate.”

“Asra?” Nadia inquires, like she was quizzing herself to see if she could remember his name.

The detective nods, but moves on, “Did your husband have any enemies?”

Nadia purses her lips, eyes flicking over to the tape recorder before pulling a small notepad from between the chair and its cushion, sliding it across the table toward Nadia, “I, um...I compiled a short list of people it could possibly be, or people who might have wanted him dead.”

The detective flicks through the pages, though the only writing found inside is on the first and second slips of paper. “Consul Valerius…Vulgora...these are his associates, right?”

Nadia opens her mouth to say something, closes it, and shakes her head, “They are...suspicious at the very least.”

The detective purses her lips.

This was going to be a long interview.

[dee-vine]

Shutter Speed Ch. 13

I angered a lot of you from the ending of the last chapter, and this chapter may anger you more but DONT WORRY I promise it will get better in the next one :)

Enjoy!

xx Dana

Ch 12 | AO3

Jughead gets back from visiting his father to find Archie lounging on the couch, flipping through channels on the tv. He looks like he is half asleep, still in his workout clothes, but sits up when Jughead walks in, turning the tv off.

“How was it?” he asks immediately, setting the remote down on the coffee table. Jughead tosses him his keys before sitting on the arm chair diagonal from him, putting his feet up and leaning back.

“It was good, really good. He seems healthier already, looks happy too,” he says, leaning his head back.

“That’s good right? It’s gonna last this time?” Archie asks, and that’s the same question that Jughead has been asking himself since he received the initial call. Will this rehab really help him get his dad back?

“It might, but I don’t want to get my hopes up. He says he’s doing it for me, and that’s not the first time he’s said that. But it is the first time he hasn’t added Jellybean or my mom in there, so maybe he’s finally accepted the fact that they’re not coming back,” he says, trying to mask the emotion in his voice.

“Well, I hope it does, for your sake at least,” Archie comments. Jughead nods and lifts his head back up, sighing. His phone buzzes in his pocket and he pulls it out, finding a text from Toni, whom he had exchanged numbers with before he left.

“Do you remember my friend Toni? From when we were young?” he asks Archie, looking up from his phone.

“Is that the girl who really liked to wear black? Like the girl version of you?” he asks, and Jughead actually laughs out loud at that, because she really is like the girl version of him.

“Yes, that is Toni. I saw her today, actually, because she works at the rehab center. I guess she’s going to school for social work so she’s there like three times a week to work with the patients, and my dad recognized her and they’ve really clicked. She might be one of the reasons he gets better,” Jughead tells him.

“Wow, that’s really awesome. When was the last time you saw her?” Archie asks.

“It was definitely before my mom left, maybe when we were eleven. She moved to the Southside and we never crossed paths after that,” Jughead explains. He opens the text from Toni, which just says that she was glad to see him and that they need to meet up for coffee sometime. He responds with a quick affirmation and puts his phone away, saving the other notifications for later. “We’re going to meet a catch up sometime soon, and you’re invited too.”

“Yeah, just let me know I guess. Sounds like it could be fun,” Archie comments, giving a small smile. He picks up the remote again and turns the tv back on, settling back, signaling the end of the conversation, which Jughead is more than happy to go along with.

Jughead gets featured on his internship’s Instagram page. His most recent shoot with Betty is posted for thousands to see, meaning strangers have seen Betty’s face. Jughead had mentioned that his boss had taken an interest in her, but she still cannot fathom the thought of being a model.

Veronica, of course, thinks otherwise. She tells Betty everyday how lucky she is to be noticed and how she’d be a fool to pass up any offer to further her career in the fashion industry. And now is one of those times.

“I’m not you, V. I don’t think I can do that,” Betty tells her. She just now started accepting that Jughead picked her out of every other girl to model, she’s not ready to accept becoming an actual professional.

“You can if you believe in yourself,” Veronica counters, to which Betty just responds with an ‘are you serious’ kind of look. Veronica sighs, putting down her fashion magazine and giving Betty a look. “Fine, do what you want to do. Just know I strongly disagree.”

With that, she gets up and walks off to her room. Betty shrugs it off, opening up a text from Jughead. She had congratulated him on the feature, saying how proud she was of him. He thanks her, of course, especially for being his ‘muse’. The thought of being his muse creates a flutter inside her chest, which she tries to push down and not think about at this moment, made easy by the buzz of another text from Jughead.

I know you work a lot this week, but do you think you can come over one night? Maybe friday? I have a surprise for you

A surprise? Betty feels like she should be scared, because Jughead is not the type for surprises. She tells him that she will be there anyways, a smile on her face as she says it.

“Oh my gosh, Betty, get yourself together,” she mutters to herself, but it is hopeless. She is so gone for Jughead Jones that she can’t stop smiling over the thought of hanging out with him. She needs help.

Ever since he and Betty had become closer friends, he’d find himself visiting the coffee shop that she works at quite often. At first he used it as an excuse to see her, but then he began going when she wasn’t even working just because he liked the coffee and atmosphere of it. Which is why he told Toni to meet him here instead of another place, on the only day that Betty has off.

Except when he walks inside, early for once, he sees Betty helping a customer at the counter. She looks up when the bell on the door dings, and the smile on her face when she sees him is blinding. He feels lighter, all of a sudden, and he walks up to the counter as the other customer walks away.

“I thought you didn’t work today?” he comments as he reaches the counter, resting his hands stop it.

“So you’re telling me you don’t just come here to visit me?” she asks, pouting out her bottom lip. He shrugs, flashing her an innocent smile that makes her laugh. “My coworker, Kevin, has the flu and asked me to cover his shift.”

“Sounds pretty selfish to ask you on your only day off,” Jughead says. Betty rolls her eyes and shakes her head at him.

“Only you would say that, because you have no positive bone in your body,” she retorts, and Jughead really can’t argue with that. “Are you getting your usual?”

“I am, but for here this time. I’m actually meeting a friend, so I had to suggest only the best coffee shop in the state,” he smiles. Betty rolls her eyes but smiles too, punching in his order. He hands her the money, leaving enough for a tip, and is about to say something when the bell dings again, a voice sounding right after.

“Forsythe Jones, as I live and breathe,” he hears, and doesn’t hold back his groan. Betty gives him a confused look as she looks over his shoulder, and he sighs before turning around to face his childhood friend.

“Antonia, you know I don’t go by that name,” he says, walking up to her. She uncrosses her arms and opens them up for a hug, but glaring at him at the same time.

“And you know that’s not even my name. Now come here and hug me for all the time we’ve been apart,” Toni says. He steps into her embrace, hugging her tight for a good amount of time. He only pulls away when he remembers Betty, and how badly he wants them to meet.

“There’s someone I want you to meet. Betty, this is-” he starts, turning around, but stops when he sees another worker at the counter. He can’t see her anywhere, so he walks up to the register to ask. “Hey, where did Betty go?”

“Oh, she took her break in back. And here’s your coffee, by the way,” the worker smiles at him, pushing the mug across the counter. He quietly thanks her and picks up the mug, turning back around to face Toni.

“Do you want anything? I’ll treat,” he tells her, pulling out his wallet.

“I can pay for myself, thank you very much. Keep your cash, Jones,” Toni says with a smirk, patting his shoulder and stepping up to the register to place her order. Jughead laughs lowly and walks over to his usual table, placing his mug on the table and sitting down. He tries not to think about how strange it was that Betty chose to take her break at that moment, not wanting to overthink it. Instead, he focuses on Toni sitting down across from him, a wide smile on her face. Her coffee is brought to her not soon after, black like Jughead’s, and she turns to him, taking the mug in her hands. “So. Tell me everything I missed the past almost-ten years.”

“I feel like you already know everything, since you’re best friends with my dad and all,” Jughead says, sipping his coffee. Toni rolls her eyes, moving her long hair behind her shoulder and leaning forward, elbows on the table.

“Your dad doesn’t know everything, Jughead. I want to know the dirty bits, like when your voice finally dropped, any girlfriends you’ve had-” she pauses when Jughead scoffs, visibly squirming in his seat. “-or boyfriends? No judgement here,” Toni adds, sipping her coffee. Jughead looks up at her, one eyebrow raises and shakes his head once.

“It’s girlfriend, first of all, and second, I have been extremely single my whole life. So no, no dirty bits for you,” Jughead tells her, much to her dismay.

“Oh, come on! You have to give me something,” Toni whines. Jughead bites his lip and glances behind the counter, still not seeing any sign of Betty. Sighing, he leans closer, lowering his voice so there’s no unwanted listeners.

“There is a girl. A recent one,” he mutters. Toni grins and leans forwards, signaling him to go on, so he does. “She’s my model for that internship I mentioned, and I think I fell in love with her when I first saw her picture. And then I met her and she’s actually the greatest person ever. She puts up with me, and you know how tiring that can be. She’s my best friend and sometimes I still can’t believe I met her.”

He takes a large breath of air when he finishes talking, not realizing he’d held it in the whole time. Toni is staring at him, a small smirk on her lips, her finger swirling around the rim of her mug.

“Jughead Jones, you are in love. Does she know?” Toni asks, and Jughead’s heart falls again. He frowns and shakes his head, looking down at his coffee. “Well that’s stupid.”

“I want to tell her, I just don’t know how. She’s way out of my league, Toni. She’s way better than me and deserves better and...she works here, actually. And she was here when I came in and I wanted to introduce you two but then she disappeared,” he says, looking back towards the counter. Still no sign of her.

“Another time, then. But seriously, you have to stop it with that sad loner crap. You’re a total catch, Jones, and she’d be lucky to date you,” she says, sipping her coffee casually.

“Are you hitting on me, Miss Topaz?” Jughead jokes, smirking at her. Toni levels him with a look before laughing out loud.

“Sorry, but you’re not exactly my type,” she says. Jughead feigns offence, scoffing and everything, and Toni laughs again. “I’m more into girls.”

Out of all things she could have said, that was the last thing Jughead was suspecting. Then again, he really shouldn’t be surprised, since she never seemed interested in what the guys did anyways.

“Okay. So...any girlfriends for you then?” Jughead asks, smirking at her. Toni laughs and kicks him under the table, a blush appearing on her face.

“You’re ridiculous. But if you must know-” she starts to say, but they’re interrupted by another coffee being placed down in front of Jughead, Betty standing over their table with a smile on her face.

“I figured I’d fill you up, I know you drink fast,” Betty tells him. He smiles up at her, mouths a thank you, but his jolted out of his trance by the sound of Toni clearing her voice. He turns to her, seeing the raised eyebrow and extremely annoyed look on her face.

“Um, Toni, this is Betty. Betty, this is my friend Toni. We grew up together,” Jughead says, glancing between the two. They both seem to pause for a bit, studying each other before Betty extends her hand for a handshake.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Betty says enthusiastically, her hand still extended. Toni glances at it before hesitantly grabbing it, the two shaking hands.

“Nice to meet you too,” Toni says, smiling at her. Jughead watches the two of them closely, and is not fooled by either of them. They keep it up though, letting go of each other with smiles still on their faces.

“Would you like a refill as well? I figured I would ask instead of assuming,” Betty says, motioning towards her near-empty cup.

“Well you know what they say, when you assume you make an ass out of you and me,” Toni tries to joke, but is met with complete silence from both of them, Betty’s smile faltering slightly. “But no thanks, I’m good. I actually better get going, I have someone waiting for me. Jughead, it was nice to see you, keep in touch. Betty, great meeting you.”

And with a pointed look towards Jughead, she’s swiftly getting up from the table and out of the coffee shop. Jughead watches her leave through the window, but his attention is averted when Betty starts to leave. He quickly reaches out and grabs her hand, causing her to turn around with a blank stare at him.

“Are you off? You’re not wearing an apron,” Jughead points out. Betty looks down at herself, her hand still in Jughead’s, and nods slightly.

“My shift ended right before I came over. Just wanted to see you before I left,” Betty says, shrugging. Jughead runs his finger lightly along her knuckles before letting go of her hand and motioning towards the empty chair in front of him.

“Wanna sit with me for a bit? While I finish this coffee that you so graciously gifted me,” Jughead says, raising his eyebrows and smiling lightly. Betty bites her lip, glancing at the chair before looking back at his coffee.

“I am kind of tired, so I should get home. And you can throw that out if you want, I won’t be upset,” she tells him, pointing at the coffee he is sipping. Jughead tries not to show his disappointment, shrugging to seem nonchalant.

“Wouldn’t want to waste a perfect coffee. I could walk you home if you want, though,” he adds, setting the mug down and getting ready to stand up when Betty stops him with a waving hand.

“Don’t be ridiculous, that’s out of your way. But I will definitely see you tomorrow, okay? I’ll come by after work,” Betty tells him, smiling softly. Jughead nods, because he can accept that instead of nothing.

“Right, for my surprise. You can bring Veronica too, Archie has been a bit sulky lately,” he says. Veronica told Archie she was trying a new ‘spiritual cleanse’, which means no strenuous activities. Which basically means Archie has not gotten laid for over a week.

“I’ll let her know. Bye Juggie,” Betty says, and in a flash she’s grabbing her purse from behind the counter and walking out the door, sending a wave in Jughead’s direction. He sighs and takes a huge gulp of his coffee before dumping it out in the trash and leaving as well. Betty’s demeanor after Toni left put an unsettling feeling in Jughead’s stomach, which is why he didn’t want Betty to be alone. He’s still scared for her, even though she seems to be better nowadays. He’s always checking for signs-- making sure she’s eating, noticing if her smile is fake or not. When he was holding her hand, he was checking for the scars and thankfully found none, so in a way she must be getting better. He just hopes that it lasts.