fahir  chuckled  and  shook  his  head.  ❛  no.  i'm  the  alpha  of  the  new  york  pack,  and  i  own  a  boxing  gym  to  help  them  get  out  their  aggression  and  energy.  ❜  he  didn't  care  who  knew,  he  never  tried  to  hide  from  anyone  and  if  anyone  walked  into  the  gym  they'd  see  that  everything  was  reinforced  to  handle  their  strength  and  stamina.  ❛  thank  you.  it  gives  them  things  to  focus  on.  we're  not  known  for  being  the  calmest  bunch.  ❜  he  joked  and  stomped  on  some  of  the  boxes  to  flatten  them  so  they  would  fit  better  in  the  dumpster.  ❛  it  could've  been  but  they  still  have  to  be  more  aware  of  who  and  what's  around  them.  ❜  

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄 when he mentions that they are pups — even though talia cannot say that she expected this information . she is far more used to people trying to hide their identity and while it's refreshing to see that some are comfortable with honesty , it can be difficult to wrap her head around things . ❛ you are part of a boxing gym that is full of werewolves ? ❜ she asks , her tone revealing surprise , not judgement . ❛ that . . . sounds smart ? ❜ the exercise ( even though this was not one ) . ❛ it's fine . no one got hurt . it could have been worse , it just startled me . ❜

waking  up  and  getting  his  memories  back  at  one  time  had  been  a  lot,  but  nothing  had  surprised  him  more  than  gluttony  having  a  child  tagging  along  now.  greed  had  come  to  like  the  child  over  the  month  or  so  and  didn't  mind  the  wandering  hands,  tickling  under  his  chin  again.  ❛  have  you  been  back  yet  ?  ❜  he  asked,  but  knew  why  she  wouldn't  have  yet.  her  vessel  disappearing  with  the  notoriety  it  had  would  be  like  if  his  own  did.  people  would  ask  questions.   ❛  you  have  to  go  and  take  him  there  eventually.  ❜  but  he  went  every  other  day  and  trusted  malena  to  keep  everything  in  order  until  he  finished  his  plans.  ❛  i'm  going  to  meet  malena.  it  depends.  what  did  he  do  for  him  to  have  to  have  one  ?  ❜

“ and if i did ? ” aisha responds with a chuckle , handing camden over to their brother easily . “ the others have already gone to my house for the demons to enjoy . ” until gluttony got a handle on their memories and emotions , along with what they'd need to do to maintain the same mundane life for the sake of their vessel's son they'd come to enjoy . “ what appointment was cancelled that we've been able to see you in the middle of the day ? ” they asked , watching the cam giggle and try to tickle greed back . “ also , will you pretend to be his dad and go to a parent teacher conference for me ? ”

whatever  she  expected  her  sister  to  say  it  wasn't  that.  ❛  he's  a  shadowhunter  ?  ❜  lavender  couldn't  remember  melody's  ex  very  well  except  for  what  he  looked  like,  and  since  they'd  only  met  a  couple  of  times  before  their  sister  went  missing  that  was  it.   ❛  i  thought  you  were  going  to  say  you  had  two  and  a  half  kids  now,  like  you  wanted.  ❜   her  becoming  a  shadowhunter  and  then  getting  broken  up  with,  and  everything  that  happened  afterwards  lav  felt  bad  for  not  being  around  for.  even  though  melody  had  chosen  that.  ❛  that  was  really  stupid  of  you,  melly.  to  leave  your  family  for  a  man,  and  then  he  left  after  despite  your  sacrifice,  ❜  lav  said  but  sighed,  ❛  but  you  tried  to  protect  us.  that's  not  your  fault.  you  always  make  everything  your  fault  even  when  it's  not.  you  didn't  know  mom  died  until  i  told  you  so  how  could  you  have  known  to  come  back  around  ?  ❜  lav  watched  her  for  a  moment.  ❛  but  look  at  what  you've  done  since  then.  why  do  you  still  look  so  sad  ?  ❜    

minty had tried to brace herself for the questioning , and though lavender hadn't asked anything she hadn't expected , recounting the events of the last five years ── she could already feel herself getting emotionally exhausted . “ i let you all believe that i was dead because he's a shadowhunter and i trained and underwent ascension so that i could be one with him . then he broke up with me , ” minty begins with a sigh . “ after that , i wanted to be dead , but ── well . . . ” she launches into the story in full , circling back from the beginning to present day . as with anything , she made sure to explain where she'd gone wrong and what was her fault , and hers alone , from becoming a werewolf beyond . excluding everything that had to do with death themself that could draw connections to what zion was . “ now i own luxe , and spend most of my time there . you can . . . if you want to come by and get a massage or something , i'd be happy to see you . i'm sorry for everything . i should've . . . when mom died , i should've come back around but i couldn't handle it . ”

katriya  lived  a  life  very  different  than  how  lavender's  had  been  as  a  human  that  the  stories  she  told  were  always  interesting.  ❛  estate  in  france.  how  sad  for  you.  ❜  they  teased  and  finished  their  cocktail  off.  ❛  what  did  you  hear  that  was  going  on  here  ?  i  haven't  heard  much.  ❜  except  for  their  sister,  but  lavender  didn't  think  that  was  what  kat  was  talking  about.  then  again,  since  melody  had  been  around  living  her  life  without  lav  knowing  maybe  they  knew  each  other.  ❛  i  haven't  heard  any  drama  in  the  clan  either.  who  has  been  sending  you  information  that  even  i  don't  know  ?  ❜  

          ❛  i  never  leave  you  of  my  own  free  will  .  there's  always  something  that  requires  my  attention  .  unfortunately  ,  this  time  it  was  my  estate  in  france  .  ❜  legal  affairs  required  less  maintenance  than  illegal  ,  unfortunately  ,  and  what  kat  had  done  to  acquire  wealth  independent  of  their  mother's  was  far  from  squeaky  clean  .  ❛  you  came  to  the  bar  at  the  best  time  ,  then  .  i  don't  have  anything  interesting  to  say  about  france  ,  instead  ,  tell  me  about  what's  been  going  on  here  .  i've  heard  a  lot  of  interesting  things  .  ❜  kat  looked  at  lav  expectantly  ,  and  grabbed  their  drink  when  it  was  finished  .  ❛  about  your  clan  ,  too  .  ❜              

it  was  basically  a  booty  club,  so  lavender  wasn't  surprised  that  he'd  gotten  left  at  the  bar.  ❛  who  is  your  friend  ?  i  may  be  able  to  help  you  find  them.  ❜  they  watched  in  bemusement  as  the  drink  disappeared  faster  than  it  had  before,  but  she  her  head  at  his  question.  ❛  i  can't  stay  drinking  at  the  bar,  unfortunately.  i  have  things  to  do,  people  to  dance  for.  if  you  decide  to  not  leave  and  go  home,  you  can  join  me  at  my  stage.  ❜  lavender  nodded  towards  where  they  were  talking  about.  ❛  it's  not  sad  to  drink  or  do  other  things  alone  if  it  makes  you  comfortable.  i  do  things  alone  all  the  time.  ❜

"Yeah, she's... prone to distraction." Oz smiled, trying his best to not project the nerves he felt tensing his whole body up. If his embarrassment was radiating off him now, just imagine what it would be like if he actually unmasked. She was right, alcohol truly was the only thing that would relax him, and that was why he took a big sip from his cocktail. So big of a sip in fact that he finished the drink up in just a couple of gulps. "Thank you. For trying, I mean, to make me less... like this." It took him a moment to realize he should probably ask. "Would you, um, drink with me? Doing it alone is sad, isn't it? We could have your favorite. I'm Oz, by the way."

most  things  weren't  as  good  as  people  made  it  out  to  be,  from  their  experience.  ❛  a  classic  case  of  most  people  act  like  something  is  better  than  something  else,  but  it  doesn't  suit  you.  the  grass  isn't  always  greener.  ❜  they  shrugged  but  they  weren't  encouraging  them  to  do  anything.  ❛  no.  not  if  you  don't  want  to.  i  think  most  dancers  would  prefer  appreciative  gazes,  anyway.  ❜  they  would  if  they  were  on  stage  then,  at  least.  ❛  no,  it  didn't  offend  me.  not  everyone's  cup  of  tea,  and  i'm  fine  with  that.  i  just  think  it's  funny  that  you  stepped  in  here  but  don't  like  it,  is  all.  ❜  the  vampire  shrugged  again,  but  their  next  smile  was  full  of  fangs.   ❛  it's  a  playground  for  someone  like  me,  and  curious  humans  that  come  in  and  want  to  be  adventurous.  you  don't  seem  like  you're  human,  anyway.  ❜          

𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 with death , isn't it ? strangeness surrounds them more often than not . ❛ thank you . unfortunately , it is not as delicious as people make it out to be . ❜ it would not become a new favorite of theirs , that much is certain . the statement makes them chuckle as they turn to glance at them . ❛ are you encouraging me to look ? ❜ even if zion did , he is sure that the sight would not be enough to banish any boredom : it takes a certain interest in a person to have any interest in their body . her response brings a grin to his own lips and he hums under his breath . ❛ i see . i hope my statement did not insult you . ❜ they swirl their glass in one hand , tilting their head . another snack . they focus for a moment , fingers tapping against the glass . vampire . ❛ victrola must make for an excellent environment for night children . i do not mind , no . i would be a horrible snack , after all . ❜

lavender  laughed  again,  because  of  his  reaction  to  their  statement.  ❛  you  can  tell  them  that  next  time.  ❜  they  looked  so  awkward  that  lav  doubted  that  they  would  want  to  come  again.  ❛  they  left  you  alone  in  a  place  like  this  ?  it  might  not  be  all  their  fault.  all  of  the  dancers  are  good  at  their  jobs.  they  may  have  gotten  distracted.  ❜  or  it  could've  been  a  prank  on  them,  which  lav  had  seen  before  even  though  those  people  didn't  look  as  awkward  as  he  did.  ❛  i  think  that  they're  probably  okay  if  they're  with  another  one  of  the  girls.  you  could  always  finish  your  drink  and  maybe  it'll  help  you  loosen  up  a  little  bit.  no  one  here  will  do  anything  to  you  you  don't  want.  ❜

"Oh." The very notion that his compliments were any less than satisfying made him shudder from defeat. "Well, they are... all of those things, too." He could only hope that his more than generous tips would make up for the fact that he could not keep eye contact with them. Or look anywhere else on their bodies. "I was just... accompanying a friend who has since mercilessly abandoned me." He focused on his fingers around the cocktail glass. "I suppose I should probably go. I just want to make sure they're alright." Who else wouldn't be fine at such a club? It was only Oz who found it to be a nightmare.

starter  status  :  closed  at  the  peachy  dragon @likestvrlight

samira  had  gone  to  the  bakery  for  something  sweet  like  a  cupcake  or  muffin,  but  she  hadn't  expected  to  see  vala  there.  ❛  i  didn't  think  that  i  would  see  you  today,  vala.  how  have  you  been  doing  ?  ❜  samira  asked  with  a  surprised  smile,  but  she  had  thought  about  the  other  every  now  and  again  when  they  came.  ❛  hopefully  you're  not  working  very  hard  right  now  and  taking  breaks  when  you  need  to.  standing  on  your  feet  a  lot  could  be  bad  for  you.   ❜  

fahir  smiled  a  little  bit,  used  to  his  brother's  barbs  that  he  didn't  let  them  bother  him  as  much  as  they  used  to.  ❛  i  tried  to  teach  you  manners  since  you  were  a  child,  but  that  didn't  happen  either,  eh  ?  ❜  it  had  taken  decades  for  fahir  to  try  to  control  what  he  could,  and  what  he  couldn't  try  to  guide  and  let  it  go.  the  pack  was  big  enough  that  if  he  tried  to  watch  each  wolf  individually  and  stop  them  from  doing  something  stupid  he'd  make  himself  crazy  and  run  himself  ragged.   ❛  no,  though  the  emergency  was  fake.  i  knew  you  wouldn't  agree  to  come  otherwise,  but  since  you're  here,  would  you  join  me  for  lunch  ?  there's  something  i'd  like  to  speak  to  you  about.  before  you  say  no  it's  not  about  either  of  our  packs.   ❜ 

          gaze  lingered  after  the  young  wolves  as  they  heeded  the  instruction  of  their  alpha  ,  gaze  moving  to  his  brother  once  they  disappeared .  ❛  i  thought  you  said  your  main  goal  was  to  teach  them  manners  .  ❜  there  would  come  a  day  where  aslan  didn't  prod  his  brother's  nerves  for  amusement  ,  but  it  was  yet  to  be  seen  when  it  would  occur  .  was  always  for  the  best  that  he  didn't  intrude  upon  his  brother's  pack  or  mingle  wolves  of  his  own  with  fahir's  unless  circumstances  dictated  it  .  alas  ,  his  brother  had  requested  his  presence  so  he  had  come  at  his  call  ,  now  looking  at  the  boxes  .  ❛  i  hope  you  didn't  call  me  with  a  fake  emergency  to  help  clean  up  after  your  pack .  ❜  

bad  promo  sounded  like  the  better  answer,  but  that  wasn't  true.  the  gym  was  for  them  to  get  their  energy  and  aggression  out,  and  they'd  been  there  for  maybe  five  minutes  before  fahir  sent  them  to  crush  the  boxes.  ❛  the  boxes  are  empty,  and  they  have  trouble  controlling  their  strength  when  they're  playing  around.  pups,  ❜  he  offered  with  a  shrug  since  he  could  smell  that  she  wasn't  a  normal  mundane.  ❛  it's  a  boxing  gym.  they  don't  usually  hold  anything  that's  light  unless  they're  meditating  and  trying  to  learn  how  to  touch  things  when  they're  worked  up  without  destroying  them.  this  wasn't  one  of  those  exercises,  unfortunately.  apologies  for  them  disturbing  you.  ❜

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 aside , creating more space between her head and those wobbly boxes , because she certainly does not trust the ones that are carrying them to keep them steady . still , she shrugs when the man ( their boss ? ) apologizes on their behalf . ❛ it's alright . just one of those days . ❜ it would have been her bloody luck to go home with a raging headache tonight — but nothing happened , so there is no need to apologize . ❛ are the boxes that heavy or are they bad promo for this place ? ❜ talia asks , nodding toward the gym .

it  seemed  like  an  odd  place  to  go  when  victrola  seemed  like  the  opposite  of  a  place  that  they  would  enjoy.  but  lav  had  heard  stranger  things,  just  not  that  night,  and  wasn't  going  to  push  the  question.  they'd  finish  their  drink  and  return  to  their  stage.   ❛  enjoy  your  juice,  then.  ❜  lavender  raised  her  glass  once  she  got  her  drink  and  took  a  sip  of  it.  ❛  though  you  might  stay  bored  if  you  don't  want  to  look  at  anyone.  ❜  lav  grinned  at  the  question.  ❛  i'm  a  stranger's  bare  body  that  you  don't  want  to  look  at.  i  was  bored  and  looking  for  fresh  meat,  and  you  looked  new.  since  you  aren't  going  to  be  another  snack,  or  a  regular,  now  i'm  just  going  to  finish  my  drink.  if  you  don't  mind.  ❜   

𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 , though death decides that they cannot hold it against her : most people do not enter victrola for juice and are more than eager to watch the dancers . ❛ i know what it is . ❜ they respond with an amused smile on their lips as they take the seat beside zion . ❛ i came to a gentleman's club to have a look at it . the juice is merely the cherry on top . ❜ one he prefers over alcohol . . . or the view of half-naked bodies . ❛ i am not looking for someone , no . perhaps i was bored . ❜ there is far more to it , but he rarely shares his intentions with anyone — least of all total strangers . . . even if there is something about them that is almost eerily familiar . ❛ what about you ? what brings you to a place like victrola ? ❜

he  didn't  know  what  she'd  said,  but  the  tone  was  enough  that  the  words  didn't  really  matter.  with  the  younger  wolves  already  back  in  the  gym  and  fahir  setting  the  empty  boxes  straight,  he  nodded  even  if  it  wasn't  what  she  wanted  to  hear.  ❛  yes,  a  little  bit.  ❜  considering  what  the  pack  looked  like  any  other  time  when  they  were  playing  around,  empty  boxes  and  a  few  shoves  that  they  gave  each  other  was  the  least  of  fahir's  concerns  when  he'd  dealt  with  resetting  broken  bones  and  cleaning  up  blood  every  other  day.   ❛​​​​​​​  they're  excited,  i  apologize.  ❜

GOLD  EYES  FLASH  BRIGHTER  as  she  lets  out  a  snarl  at  the  two  young  wolves  when  they  nearly  bump  into  her  had  she  not  jumped  out  of  the  way  as  she  walked  towards  her  bakery  from  talia’s  townhouse after she and lacey   ,  too  protective  of  her  newborn  to  keep  herself  in  check  .  “  иди в баню  !  ”  she  snaps , arms shifting to further protect her daughter  from any potential harm .  if  any of her  staff  behaved  like  that  she’d  have  told  them  off  in  front  of  whoever  happened  to  be  around  ,  though  she  understands  why  some  wouldn’t  .  “  a  little  ?  ”  she  quirks  an  eyebrow  .

starter  status  :  closed  at  the  commune @insidiousncss

fahir  had  smiled  before  he  turned  around  from  putting  out  hay  for  the  horses,  happy  that  kwame  was  there  in  general  but  it  grew  once  his  eyes  landed  on  the  demon.  ❛  i  thought  you  said  you  were  going  to  help.  i  haven't  seen  you  or  coco  move  yet,  ❜  he  said,  but  was  amused  by  it.  fahir  hadn't  expected  for  kwame  to  help,  not  when  since  they'd  first  started  dealing  with  each  other  years  ago,  the  werewolf  had  asked  them  not  to  do  anything  except  for  be  there  while  he  worked.  ❛  i'm  almost  done,  then  i'll  shower  and  we  can  go  to  dinner.  did  you  bring  some  slacks  ?  we're  going  somewhere  fancier  tonight.  ❜  he  asked  as  he  walked  over  to  kwame,  brushing  the  leftover  hay  off  on  his  jeans.  

aaron  hadn't  expected  to  run  into  one  of  his  siblings  while  walking  through  new  york  towards  his  office,  but  he  wasn't  surprised  that  it  was  aisha  with  food  in  their  hand.  ❛  did  you  buy  out  the  store  again  ?  ❜  he  asked,  and  reached  out  to  take  camden  from  her  to  hug.  ❛  i  don't  want  it.  save  it  for  one  of  our  siblings  or  for  cam  to  eat  later.  what'd  you  do  with  the  rest  of  them  ?  ❜  they  were  too  similar  in  what  they  wanted  and  how  they  acquired  things  so  they  could  have  more  and  more,  that  aaron  didn't  think  that  it  was  only  a  measly  few  that  aisha  had  bought.  ❛  where  did  your  mommy  hide  the  rest  of  them  ?  ❜  he  cooed  and  tickled  the  child's  tummy.  

“ would you like an éclair ? the little one's eyes were too big for his stomach . i think this one is chocolate . ” far from unusual for aisha to be giving out food , but certainly with camden settled on her hip and outside of a business that wasn't one of her own . as she tended to do , the choices that any place was one where she tended to get one of each ── some given to their son at a slower pace , others finding an unfortunate place in the trash or given to her various staff members . since she wasn't supposed to be at the restaurant , an unsuspecting passerby it was . “ no worries , the box hasn't been opened yet . ”

open starter : @dihstarters

lav's  smile  got  larger  with  the  surprise  of  finding  out  that  it  was  selene  they'd  sat  next  to.  ❛  i  didn't  think  you'd  actually  come.  i'm  glad  that  you  did.  ❜  lav  had  been  trying  to  get  in  good  with  the  original  vampires  since  she'd  been  turned  because  she  hoped,  that  it  would  pay  off  for  her  in  the  long  run.  they  were  already  in  selene's  debt  and  didn't  want  their  slow  growing  friendship  to  go  badly.  ❛  you  look  nice  enough  to  get  on  stage  with  me,  selene.  are  you  trying  to  show  us  up  ?  ❜  they  asked  before  lav  grinned  with  a  nod.  ❛  that  sounds  good,  i'll  take  one.  ❜

“ your set had yet to start , darling , so i thought i may have time for a nice cocktail first . ” as lavender sienna had made the request of her presence , selene had seen no reason not to oblige the wish . though it was more of her siblings' desires to become acquainted with the vampires of new york , there were a couple that had landed on selene's radar ── for better or worse . lavender happened to be one of the few . “ a simple chilled blood and vodka tonic with a splash of lime . have you been drinking already or would you like one as well ? ”

they  wondered  if  he'd  come  into  victrola  not  knowing  what  it  was,  then.  it  seemed  like  the  wrong  type  of  place  to  go  to  have  a  drink  given  the  nature  of  the  club  if  someone  didn't  want  to  see  the  dancers.  ❛  you  know  it's  a  gentleman's  club,  right  ?  ❜  lavender  was  entertained  by  it  though,  and  had  been  going  to  sit  down  with  or  without  the  invitation  to.  ❛  you  came  to  a  gentleman's  club  to  drink  juice  ?  that's  more  interesting  than  anything  else  anyone  has  said  to  me  tonight.  so,  are  you  looking  for  someone  then  ?  or  were  you  bored  and  decided  to  get  out  of  the  house  ?  ❜  lav  asked  after  they  ordered  a  cocktail. 

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐈𝐒 unexpected : most people have a rather natural sense of self preservation , something that tells them to stay far away from their presence . dark eyes settle on one of victrola's dancers and they hum in response to their question . ❛ i have never taken pleasure in watching the bare bodies of complete strangers . ❜ it is not in death's nature to view physical aspects the way that others do . ❛ and i am afraid i am going to disappoint you . this is pomegranate juice . i do not believe in poisoning my body . ❜ not that alcohol would ever cause zion harm . ❛ you may have that seat , though . others are likely to steer clear of it . ❜

lav  was  surprised  to  see  kat  since  it  had  been  a  while  since  they'd  come  to  victrola.  ❛  you  finally  decided  to  grace  me  with  your  presence,  i  see.  i've  been  here,  where  have  you  been  ?   ❜  kat  always  came  back  with  fun  stories  to  tell  whenever  she  went  somewhere.  ❛  i'll  have  the  same  drink,  ❜  they  told  the  bartender  before  smirking.  ❛  i  was  waiting  to  find  someone  interesting  to  dance  for,  and  here  you  are.  once  i  get  my  drink,  we  can  go  to  my  stage  and  you  can  tell  me  about  what  you've  been  up  to  and  what  made  it  good  enough  to  leave  me  with  less  fun  patrons.  ❜

          ❛  yes  .  you  know  i  only  want  dances  from  you  .  ❜  once  kat  claimed  a  favorite  anyone  in  their  vicinity  became  irrelevant  .  they  enjoyed  the  vampire's  candor  ,  sharp  tones  reminded  her  of  their  own  .  kat  supposed  that  was  the  case  when  anyone  worked  for  pleasure  rather  than  the  need  for  money  linehere  they  were  less  inclined  to  kiss  another's  ass  for  a  few  dollars  .  ❛  some  concoction  of  cranberry  vodka  with  blood  .  where  have  you  been  hiding  ,  jolie  fille  ?  had  i  known  you  were  here  i  would've  already  gone  to  your  stage  and  shooed  everyone  else  away  .  ❜