#frgdsecrts

[thegraveyardshifts]

@frgdsecrts ft. Emiliano

Location: Arcane Bookstore.

There are a few things Maddox has begun to keep for himself - interests outside of the Deathrunners and whatever he's set upon to destroy. Reading is one of them, a quiet past time that requires little other than ones own company and a talented author. Though Arcane Bookstore sells primarily magic-tainted fare, there are the occasional normal book that Maddox is able to purchase if Emiliano sells it well enough. He walks in, eyes browsing book spines, many written in languages he'll never be able to parse before searching for a familiar figure. They aren't friends in the traditional sense, no but, this is one of the few positive interactions he gets outside of chatting to his witch. So few inside makes such a job easy, the man with seriousness set into his brown behind the counter. He greets Emiliano with a nod before revealing the real reason for the visit; "Did you get any new stock?"

[lieslauroraschneider]

Club Ωγυγία / Club O (Lotus Eaters HQ)

⸻ Liesl was having a good time by herself. She was more conformed by her new state, and she also was controlling her hunger better. Lars was guiding her and she was learning with her sire, sure… There are moments she cannot control herself, but it does not happen as often as it used to ( which was all the time ). The music was loud, and she was twerking her hips with the beats of the song, using Lars's credit card to pay her bills since he gave her one. ❛ Do you want more drinks? ❜ ( @frgdsecrts )

[thegraveyardshifts]

He gets lost in the fervor of the melody as it ramps up, both hands tirelessly dancing across the keys, determined to get to the crescendo that is just as dramatic on the keyboard as it is with a full orchestra. Maddox desperately wants to impress, winding down slowly as he finally finishes, hands coming to rest on the ivories as the echo fades and leaves...silence.

It isn't uncomfortable, more pleasant, a lingering appreciation for what's just happened yet such a still moment is broken by a warm hand on cold, undead skin, gently guiding his face till it's in line with Ric's and -

He's kissed. He's being kissed, soft lips slot so easily against his own, that hand still resting against his cheek, and Maddox's own slips off the piano to rest on Ricardo's thigh. A shock courses through him, lighting up the holes in his brain and he remembers this happened before, music hall, practicing, just the two of them, a first gentle kiss. Dressed in scratchy jumpers with embroidered university badges, a crooked nose smacked against his own, the embarrassed laugh that followed.

It's over before it really begins, because Ric pulls back and away and apologises and calls everything beautiful and calls him beautiful and it's all too much. The heart in his chest yearns to crawl up his throat and escape because the witch is babbling and trying to leave but, Maddox grabs him and pulls him back down for another. A red hot flash in the pan, a stupid error, giving into desires and wants, an accumulation of 7 years dissolved in an instant.

Maddox pulls away, panting, dark eyes wild, the cornered animal attempting to be coaxed into the cage. Terrified to trust, to give that part of itself away to someone it isn't sure will even help. You can't have Ric. It's too complicated, messy, he shouldn't have reciprocated like that, giving the other something tangible to work with. For a few brief moments, Ric looks like someone else with black messy hair and pale blue eyes and Maddox's stomach lurches at the implication, the connections his holed-mind are making.

"No. That was foolish, and selfish of me. I...I have somewhere to be," The others quick exit is being stolen by Maddox who is much quicker to stand and move away as if burned. "Thankyou, for letting me use the piano it was very kind," God, what is he even saying?

Ricardo almost instantly snaps his hand back at Maddox’s reaction, giving him an apologetic glance. He didn’t want to cause the other any discomfort, not ever, their trust was too fragile and they had come so far. But Ric also could not shake how close everything suddenly felt between them, and how he was suddenly more aware of everything involving Maddox. Like the way he did have a light hint of cologne on him, the way the shirt he was wearing outlines every muscle, it was almost all so inviting. He wanted to lean in and just….but he doesn’t do any of that, because Ricardo was so dead set on these maginary lines he had led himself to believe needed to be there. If only he wasn’t having a hard time with trying to make himself believe that, if only his mind didn’t often travel back to the undead next to him, if only he could just…lean over. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to discomfort you, it’s just your hands were busy. I’ll keep my hands to myself or the piano here on out,” he gently replies, resting his hands back on his lap.

He looks down at Maddox’s fingers that were resting on the keys, patiently waiting for him to begin, but his graze travels back up to the other’s face as the seconds linger on. Had he ruined everything? Did Maddox suddenly not want to be around him? He was about to start blurting out apology after apology, about to beg for forgiveness from the other, until he heard Maddox let out a slow breath. Then the melody follows and it distracts Ric from his buzzing thoughts. He feels himself relax again, returning his attention to the keys.

Admittedly, it was a little difficult for him to follow along at first. Though soon he was able to understand the melody Maddox was producing and he got lost again. The way he looked playing, it was unlike anything he had ever seen from Maddox. Such passion, determination, everything being put towards this song. And he felt it in the way Maddox played, in the way his hands moved on the keys, in the expression the other held on his face. Then something in him just flicks on, like a switch, finally something stirs enough that Ricardo can not think of lines.

The moment Maddox is done, Ricardo lets silence fill the air between them. He doesn’t really know what makes him do it, but he does. After a second, a split second really, he turns to the side to look at the other, and he reaches up to turn Maddox’s face in his direction. And then…he kisses him. It’s quick, heated, but it felt so nice. Shit. Then he pulls back all of a sudden, clearing his throat, “I’m so sorry. Everything was beautiful. You’re beautiful. I have…I should go. You can keep on playing.” What was he even saying? He’s just blurting out words. Quickly he begins to shift over to get up, mentally cursing himself for having let himself now.

[naga-raja-suresh]

Where: The Bayou

Who: @ascnsionismx (with mention of Em @frgdsecrts)

This was a formal call. Though he detested having to be the one to come to Mathias. He found the petty little push for power silly. But Suresh was a demi-god and guardian of water. The Bayou was not something that frightened him. He did however bring one of his most trusted bodyguards and Emiliano in the form of a crow, sitting on his shoulder.

He walked into the presence of the Deathrunners little court, shoulders back and spine erect. Gold eyes drifting over the small group outside of the meeting room. He left his bodyguard at the door but kept the crow on his shoulder for the time being. Stepping into the room and seeing only Mathias there. A small piece of Suresh relaxed. He turned his head and murmured low in rapid Spanish to the crow, telling him to go find a spot to watch and listen to anyone of interest.

He rested his hands on the back of an empty chair and asked, "Why are you so angry?" Perhaps a little cheap to use his ability to read emotions but he couldn't help it. It was coming off the other rather intensely. "Did your previous meeting go so badly?"

[ascnsionismx]

Things were beginning to get out of hand very quickly. The drinks had been spiked, that much was apparent by how hard it was to lie suddenly. Part of Mathias was amused to learn how many were keeping secrets, while the other part of him was stressed out. He had taken a drink from the drugged champagne, and he was already feeling the effects of it.

He had to do damage control before things got too out of hand. The first order of business was finding Ric. He really hoped his friend hadn't drank the champagne, but was prepared in case he did. When Mathias found him, he rushed over and tried to pull Ric to a more secluded area, just so any truths that could be spilled wouldn't be heard by the wrong people.

"Please tell me you haven't drank anything".

@frgdsecrts

[kazimir-voronovitch]

Who: Ricardo @frgdsecrts

location: mardi gras / Bourbon street

Kaz moved his way through the people, mostly tourists, following the scent of Ric. They weren't too far apart in the press. He'd just stopped to buy a drink for Ric before catching back up.

Kaz was wearing a bunch of beads and as he came up behind Ric he took off one of his necklaces and tossed the bright purple beads over Ric's head. Leaning forward and putting his chin on Ric's shoulder for a moment so he could speak in his regular laughing voice, "Aye, Zvyozdochka. Your beverage." He glanced around the group. It would be harder to see an issue coming but also crowds had their own energy and this one was full of happy party goes.

[sanguisxferox]

—Mardi Gras Party in French Quarter

Ain't their first and clearly far from being their last date, but there's something special to Leto about being with Levi in a crowded space, 'cause it always reminds him of their first meeting. There's no explaining how much he loves Leviathan. Them together, partying among others that are so meaningless to him. It's them in a sea of faceless people. They hold hands, arms, shoulders, waist. They dance when music starts again or while walking through a dancing crowd. And yeah, he devours his boyfriend with his gaze, but there's also pure and endless love in his eyes.

Though today, Leto has no clue where his boyfriend is taking him. He'd go anywhere with that man. Sometimes, he wonders if it's wrong to think about wedding or just engagement. Truth is that he has a ring hidden somewhere that he's been looking at a lot lately. "Where are you taking me, my love?" He doesn't need to know, he just wants Levi to look at him again and hear his voice.

@frgdsecrts

[rus-st-cyr]

Who: Versi @frgdsecrts

Where: Rus and Versi's apartment

Dinner had been quiet but not unpleasant but finally Rus couldn't take it anymore and put down his Chinese food. Clicking his chopsticks at his roommate. "Dude, what the fuck is up with you?" He smirked at the werewolf, "You've been floating around this apartment. Don't think I haven't noticed."

[thegraveyardshifts]

@frgdsecrts ft. Levi

“Levi!” Chester is on his own again, having wandered off from the safety of friends to pursue singular things like more alcohol and anyone looking for a good time on Grindr. Anything, really, to have a good time, even if such a thing were forced. They’re pretty sure they can see their co-worker and best pal somewhere amongst everyone else, waving obnoxiously as they weave through people - as if everyone else isn’t doing the same to somebody else. Upon arriving in front of his friend, he wastes little time in giving them a hug and a beaming smile, followed by the all important words; “Wanna halve a new pill? I think you’ll love it,”

[thegraveyardshifts]

@frgdsecrts ft. Versi

Location: Bayou Brawlers

The snap was barely audible as Maddox quickly put his nose back in place, wiping away at the blood from where the bridge had split through the sheer force of an over-sized fist to the face. It was good, really, that he was undead, so sure that if he'd have been mortal the blow would've forced cartilage straight up and into his brain, killing him painfully. It had been a hard night, too many losses for the hard earnt wins, unwrapping his knuckles to reveals scuffed flesh that would soon knit back together slowly. The crowds were still leaving, the night ended, bets won and lost, and he prepared to leave to - winters chill still lingered in the air but, he only threw a hoodie on. Do better tomorrow. It was a silent comment from the unsatisfied monster that sat in its cage, wanting more. He'd shut the locker where he kept his bag, turning on his heel ready to leave when someone entered the area. Another guy, not someone familiar though, not another fighter. Maybe someone trying to cause trouble? That would be a better outlet than 6 rounds out in the ring. "Can I help you?"

[thegraveyardshifts]

@frgdsecrts ft. Levi.

Location: The Danse Macabre, after closing.

The doors were shut yet, the staff still inside, dancers getting changed and cleaners simply tidying with an easy wave of the hand and a quiet word. The sight of it made the hairs on the back of their neck prickle slightly, knowing how odd it was to be a witch and yet manually unloading the dishwasher and refilling empty spirit bottles without a little magic touch. "Here," Chester twists open a bottle and slides it over to Levi for a little post shift drink, putting his hands flat on the bar-top and jumping up to use the space as a seat. He uses his teeth to open his own, the smell of tequila infused beer permeating the air for a few moments. "To another shift survived. Remind me to try and talk Suresh into banning stag parties, macho guys are easy on the eyes but fuck are they boring,"

[thegraveyardshifts]

@frgdsecrts ft. Versi

It’s a long day when you’re part of a float, which Cleo has always been for the past few years of her life. Now, she does it to attempt to bring a little joy back into her life, throwing beads out from the top of a float themed to look like a large bird with a few friends, waving at people watching and dancing along to the music. She never thought she'd say this but, thank god for the carnival-esque outfits they’re provided with every year, a little relief when it’s as humid as it is today, spurned on by the sheer amount of bodies in the streets, packing them full. Sweat clings to her temples and the shifter is glad when she’s given the opportunity to climb down and off the float entirely, becoming one with the crowds…or, she would do, if not dressed in a bejeweled bodysuit with feathers sticking out from the back and elaborate headdress. Cleo takes it off, shaking out her braids and shoving a hand down the hand-crafted top, pulling out her phone to see where everybody else was at when she noticed someone...staring. No, watching, glancing up to see a stranger...admiring, maybe? Wouldn't be the first time a man had gawked at her, and it wouldn't be the last. "If you're gonna keep staring, I'd like you to at least buy me a drink,"

[thegraveyardshifts]

Such words buried their way under Maddox's skin and ate away at re-animated flesh, gnawing at the hardness and slightly softening the stoic undead. You are someone. Even after all the years he had been at Ric's side, such an admission felt strange when directed towards him. It wasn't as if Maddox hadn't had such thoughts about himself, quietly, late at night - that perhaps, there was more to existence then violence. That the hands that choked the life out of people were the same that danced across the ivories and produced beautiful music, that the mind able to conceive multiple ways to use a blade enjoyed poetry, and literature.

"Thankyou. And - you may do as you like. I shall not be around to think, nor care, about what you do afterwards," There was an odd finality to Maddox's tone, as if finished talking about such a morbid affair. It was many years off, it could be sorted nearer to the time.

"I think I'm ready to walk back. Come, let us depart," The silence wouldn't bother Maddox, who had much to think over regarding the answers to Ric's questions, and his responses to his own. "I would like us to do this again - when we walk, one question each. It's...easy,"

Truthfully, Ricardo had not expected Maddox to address his kindness. He never actually had someone do that, mostly people either accepted it or brushed it off. Why was he so kind? He couldn’t really say, aside from having always been this way, but he would argue that he wasn’t as kind as he seemed. He was selfish and sometimes killed without thinking. Most importantly, he felt that he was a monster for keeping his sister locked away from the world. Even if it was truly with the best of intentions, trying to protect her as well as those around her, it didn’t change the fact that she was his prisoner. And it was one of the many things that weighed on him, not letting him believe he was truly kind.

"There's no need for an apology, Maddox. It's okay to not do anything at all. I don't expect anything, and I am happy just the same. You deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and kindness. You’re not just a machine, you’re a someone. I will not treat you any less than that." He smiled, "I am happy to hear you would not mind my company. I look forward to our trip and helping you in any way I can." If he could help those closest to him in even a small way then Ricardo was a happy man.

To be considered lucky to have been summoned by someone like Ricardo made Ricardo actually soften in a way that he usually never did unless he was behind closed doors, and a feeling of relief also goes through him. He quietly listened to the other speak, silently cursing those who had mistreated Maddox in the past. He has to hold back the desire to reach out for one of Maddox’s hands at the moment but he does take a step closer when their voice goes a bit quiet. “London,”Ricardo repeats, just as softly. It is as if they were sharing the world’s most sacred secret. “I will make it so, Maddox. Once you’ve tired of your time on this earth, just tell me. We can both go to make sure you’re next to your creator, finally having that eternal peace you rightfully deserve. Maybe we can even travel to a couple more places you’d like to visit, look at a whole world map for you to pick from, just before you take that last slumber.” It actually made him a little sad to think about, not having Maddox around. “Also, with your permission, I would like to be able to visit you from time to time. Make sure your resting place is kept nice and taken care of.” He pauses, “And please, I would like for you to tell me if I ever mistreat you in any way. You never deserved any of that cruelty shown to you, and not a single soul will ever convince me otherwise.”

With that, he smiles a little, “I believe it’s your turn now, hm? Unless you have grown bored of our questions and walk. I can understand that and we can head back out of the bayou.”

[naga-raja-suresh]

Where: Leaving the Bayou headed towards Lotus Eater HQ

Who: Emiliano @frgdsecrts

When he felt the crow land on his shoulder as he walked out of the Bayou he raised a finger to his lips. Just a little further even the Spanish Moss had ears in the swamp. They had a town car waiting at the edges of the Bayou. He slid into the back with Emiliano as his bodyguard and driver stayed in the front. The back was private. He settled back into the soft leather of the seat, the sound of the heater a soft hiss in the quiet background. He looked at Em, someone he considered a close friend. His eyes tired in a way that he rarely showed anyone else other than his son. The Naga was quiet for a long time, letting it stretch between them gently. "Em..." The soft sound of the nickname an invitation and an entreaty. A request for his advisor to break the silence and pull Suresh out of his thoughts.

[sanguisxferox]

—At Club Oshun (Mississipi, French Quarter)

They're so happy Suresh accepted to hire them back. This place has always made them feel comfortable and safe. Suresh is ancient, but strangely enough, they feel cozy beside him. Club Oshun also holds many of their good memories of New Orleans. It's where they met most of the people they know—or knew. It's been a decade after all, they aren't sure who's still around and who ain't. But all that matters for now, is that they've officially settled back. Technically, they've only been out and about for a couple days, but they've been in New Orleans for a month now; figuring shit out. They'd be working part time as they used to at the Club—singing for patrons—in two days.

For now, they're just enjoying the night sky while standing on the highest deck of the river boat; the captain cabin behind them as they sing an old lullaby to themselves.

@frgdsecrts

[sanguisxferox]

—Dance Macabre. (Downtown)

It's stupid, but it's exhilarating to visit Levi at work again. It's been months since he retired. So after his short visit backstage, Leto is so ready to surprise his boyfriend. He comes up behind him, placing a hand around his waist and pulls him flush against his chest. "Mmm. So sexy." He presses his nose to Levi's neck and grins. "That scent. You know it makes me want to devour you?" He whispers.

This makes him so happy to be back here. This is home outside of home and so is Levi. It feels amazing. "Surprise!"

@frgdsecrts