boss ass bitch

Cleo De Vil | The Prosperous | • • • • • • • • • — Six inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody's business. G o d d a m n, she murdered everybody and I was her witness

[cleopatradevil]

taking a sip of the champagne in her hand, she shifted easily with a sigh. trying to get back into the swing of things had been tiring. Cleo was pretty certain she could have slept for a week but, obviously, that wasn’t going to happen. still, she was wearing her own creation per usual and it was a good feeling. it was the first thing she had made since October and that Halloween costume she never wore. it wasn’t the most extravagant or whatever but it was her’s and the feel of it on her skin soothed something rough in her mind. looking around the room, she caught sight of Hook and Willow. a smile tugging on her lips looking at the too of them. despite them still figuring everything it out it was nice to have come in with them. had the feeling of right when everything else started to feel so wrong.

making a mental note to look into making clothes she knew Willow would prefer to wear, she turned to go to the bar. the champagne bubbling in her stomach wasn’t really what she was in the mood for. ordering a bourbon straight from the bar, she leaned against the counter, idly waiting for her drink when she caught sight of a face she knew. one she had been slightly surprised to see come on the arm of Tati in a dress she had made. of course, not the dress part, that she had been a part of but seeing Valentino taking her long-time friend to the ball was a little surprising. instead of focusing on that she noted his emerald green suit. the soft material mirrored her own and it was, interesting. green versus a deep red. opposites and yet, there they were. it was easy to wonder all of the different ways life could have been in that single moment. it seemed to be her new annoying past time. still, there they were how they were. 

Cleo didn’t have the energy to try and be witty or biting but she could compliment someone when she saw something good. “Valentino,” she started easily, nodding a thank you for the drink that was headed to her. “you look great in that color and the cut of the suit works well.” @valdevil​

[cleopatradevil]

tatianabeaufort‌:

her stomach was churning, probably due to the fact she’d hardly eaten much the last few days mixed in with the nerves and this sudden feeling of anxiousness that was settling in. back on the isle she’d gone a few days without eating, picking at scraps that she got her hands on, but the pain in her stomach was now a combination of emotions and lack of food. the mere idea of living her life without cleo in it was hard, made her feel like she was going to puke, and she pursed her lips together when she said she needed to prove everyone wrong. “i….don’t know how.” it was embarrassing, to admit her weaknesses, but if she was going to open with anyone it was going to be cleo. she didn’t want to bow down to the royals, to play their little games and act all prissy and be perfect. tatiana knew she’d never fit that mold, and if she tried, people could see through it instantly. always wondering what her intentions were. she was the girl who ruined a fae’s wings, after all.

her eyes moved up, the glow of green still lingering like a burning ember as cleo motioned between them. they were broken, they did need to be fixed, but a part of her was so fucking scared about what that meant. if that meant changing who she was, and she wasn’t sure if she had the courage to do that. funny, tatiana beaufort being afraid of something, it wasn’t common but when it was something as important as losing cleo, all pretenses flew out the window. “of course i want to fix us, cleo, you’re….the only person i have.” it was the truth, and she knew that, ever since they were young cleo had been there. her right hand woman, a bond that went farther than blood, they were soulmates. 

she hadn’t even realized that her gaze went back to her hands until cleo told her to look at her, eyes misty with tears that burned her hues as she looked at her best friend. she looked tired, and tatiana hated that she was to blame for all the stress she’d been put under. nodding slowly, she took a deep breath, ignoring the shaky way it sounded before nibbling on her bottom lip, “can you….be there with me, when—if i do it?” the blonde asked, almost feeling the way her face heated up with embarrassment for asking, like when she scraped her knee as a child and asked her mom to bandage it….only to be met with laughter and mocking. it wasn’t until she felt cleo’s hand reach out to grab her that the tears that were brimming her emerald hues came out, rolling down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, “i can’t lose you cleo. i can’t.” she whispered before exhaling slowly, opening her eyes again as she looked over the girl’s face, a face she had known her whole life, “are you saying that, if i don’t….” tati wasn’t sure if she was able to even get the words out, but she swallowed it down. no, she wouldn’t lose cleo to willow, she refused.

was that what she was saying? is that what she meant? could she leave behind the one person she always fought so hard for? from the moment Cleo could choose, she had always picked Tatiana. through thick and thin. she offered a balance to all of that anger the other girl held. kept bridges from burning when she walked over them on the isle but ever since being on the mainland. things had been different. all of their plans turned stagnant. they had wanted to take it all of over. in her fashion, she took classes that made sense. after all, you couldn’t tear a kingdom apart if you didn’t know how to build it back up. but that had shifted. in her heart, it wasn’t vengeance she wanted. nor was it a want to fit in a mold. she wanted to break it. turn the De Vil name into something people saw on a billboard. something her mother saw and would know, she didn’t mean a damn thing. 

looking at Tatiana, she really took a moment to look at her. a lump forming in her throat. the scar from where they swore to always be there for each other, burned in her mind. they were washed in a glow of green. it never occurred to her what a lack of control could look like. how magic could change the stakes. she could feel a burn to her eyes as she tried to formulate what she wanted. “i am here for you and i will stand with you if you want to talk to her but i - i,” she paused before finally, she reached out for the other girl’s hands. clasped them together despite the magic she knew was in them. “i chose you over my family.” she started, her words sticking to her throat while she forced them out. “over everyone else on that little isle we called home.” they thought they had been so important. ruling such a small place but it had been theirs. a balance between them made perfect by how in sync they were. 

“i love you so much. i have for so long and you are my sister in everything but blood.” finally a tear fell. something slow as it tracked down her cheek. everything was so fucked up. nothing was how they planned it would be when they got the invitations but she couldn’t keep doing the same thing. not when thinking about who she would lose, killed her. how could a person choose between the family she loved and people she loved? “i picked you over everyone else. every. single. time.” like the words were on repeat, she said it again. drilling it in her mind. this time her words stuck to her throat so strongly she had to swallow them down. “i don’t know if i can keep doing that forever.”

[cleopatradevil]

willowdoe‌:

Willow had been feeling what could only be described as unrest the past few weeks, and considering there had only been on thing that had changed, it wasn’t hard to figure out why. Her relationship with Cleo was practically nonexistent after the fight club, and she will take full responsibility in being the cause of that. She had just been so hurt by what had happened to her, still was, actually, and seeing Cleo was a reminder of who had done this to her. Willow still wasn’t sure what was going on between the daughter of Cruella, the son of Hook and herself, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit she cared about them both more than anyone else in her life.

Her mind even suggested it might be love, but she squashed that thought before it was even fully conceptualized.

Regardless of what she was feeling, she knew she missed Cleo and she knew she had to make an effort to mend whatever they were. The costume Cleo had still made for her while they had not been speaking was kind, and Willow needed to extend an olive branch. She knew that. Sadly it took a good three months to come to that realization. But better late than never, right?

Heading to Cleo’s apartment, the fae took a deep sigh as she got to the door. Knocking softly, her body was buzzing with nerves. It wasn’t something she felt often, usually her body was filled with much stronger emotions that any nerves were quieted quickly. But not today. Today she was a ball of fears and anxiety. When the door finally opened, the blonde’s face fell. She took Cleo in, could spot the difference in the woman’s appearance almost instantly, and wondered what had been going on in her life to cause her to look so… well tired. Willow knew she wasn’t the only factor, but she suspect she could be one of them. “Uh, hey.” She offered the awkward hello, not feeling comfortable just walking into Cleo’s home unless she was invited. “Do you have time to talk?” @cleopatradevil​

looking through her glasses quietly, Cleo took her time stitching the lapel of her outfit by hand. the smooth material beneath her hands soothed some of the frayed edges of her mind. the last few weeks had been shit. just pure shit in her personal life. it wasn’t often that she found herself questioning decisions. matter of fact she couldn’t really remember a moment in her life where she hesitated. paused as if she hadn’t known what she would be doing. what the consequences would be of her actions. every choice she ever made was calculated. planned. her mind thinking of what the board would look like twenty spaces ahead... and yet... the last few weeks had been filled with nothing but doubt. 

her conversation with Tatiana had.. happened. she could almost still feel the lump in her throat. but, one thing came out of her weeks of relative silence. she could finally finish a project. the evidence in her hand while she tied up her stitch with a small smile to her face. holding the needle with the little bit of thread between her lips, she got up from her position and slid the blazer over her dress form that was in her size. Cleo eyed the burgundy pants and top together. the tarnished gold accent where the v ended was perfect. it was meant to be her outfit to the winter ball. of course, she hadn’t truly decided if she was even going to go. she hadn’t discussed it with Hook and to be honest, she wasn’t sure if it would feel right without Willow being there too. just thinking about the blonde fae made something flutter in her just but she couldn’t totally name it. 

she cared about her. obviously. wouldn’t have said the things to Tatiana that she did if she didn’t care. before she could lose her mind to her thoughts, Cleopatra heard a knock at her door. eyeing the state of her living room and kitchen around her, she sighed before pushing her curls from her face. of course she was in comfortable pants and yet another t-shirt of Hook’s, soft red slippers on her feet as she opened the door without checking to see who it was. almost as if her thoughts had summoned her, there stood Willow. at her door. “hey,” she mirrored softly. eyeing the girl, she nodded her head at the question, shifting so she could walk into her space. had she been there since she had to move out Tri Delta? she didn’t think so. “do you want something to drink?” she questioned, she closed the door behind her before moving to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water, her throat suddenly dry.

“what do you want to talk about?” of course she was certain she knew the answer but, still she wanted to make sure what was on her mind was the same as Willow’s. 

[cleopatradevil]

pushing a stray curl behind her ear, Cleo made her way up to Hook’s apartment. it seemed like ages since she had been there. maybe it had been. since before fight night at least. after fight night she had found herself wanting to hide from people. it took a conversation with Willow that had really drilled in the urge. disappearing from everything for nearly two weeks before finishing up her exams before the break and then disappearing again was normal right? totally damn normal. she hadn’t made plans with anyone like she normally would. just quietly got her life back into some semblance of order. well, all of her clothes were clean and her apartment was semi organized once again. that was something anyway. 

sans her signature heels, she knocked on his door softly. one his shirts laid over her arm as she waited. of course, there was the other shirt of his that she had on her body with her dark wash jeans and burgundy velvet jacket on her body. at least he could have one back. hearing a come in, she did as she was invited. standing there for a minute, looking over the familiar place a smile tugged at her lips. she had missed him. seeing his familiar face coming towards her, she could feel a sigh easing the tension of her body. shit, she had really missed him. “hey,” she offered softly moving into the place and closing the door behind. per usual he moved to wrap his arms around her and she didn’t put up a fight. 

the hug turned into a soft greeting of a kiss and she melted into the affection before just looking up at his slightly taller form. “missed you.” @thejhook​

[cleopatradevil]

tatianabeaufort‌:

cleo had always been the level headed one between them, tatiana knew that at an early stage in their friendship, that’s why she loved cleo. she was everything tatiana wasn’t, them being vks about the only thing that brought them together, and ultimately made them lifelong sisters. the blonde was full of rage, constantly, and had been at a young age. maleficent wasn’t exactly a kind mother, her screams could be heard throughout the isle on a regular basis, and the rage certainly trickled down to her daughter. cleo always calmed her down, always knew exactly how to keep her emotions at bay from doing something she’d ultimately regret. the yin to her yang, the calm to her storm, and maybe that’s why things were starting to go wrong.

since coming to auradon, it seemed like cleo was only getting more and more busy, she fit in way more than tati ever could try. she was busy with hook, busy with her dreams and ambitions, and tatiana was just….tatiana. she felt so out of place here, like no matter what she did, the royals wouldn’t ever take her seriously. even if she was the type to play pretend like delphine and lucy, she doubted it was of much use. cleo had gotten busy, tatiana had gotten restless, when all of these bad things kept happening she wanted to talk to her best friend but it just seemed like she was miles away. with new people, with people she was starting to care for, and a part of her gut was lurching at the fact that cleo would probably end up caring maybe a little more for them then she did for her.

call it selfish, maybe it was, but when you had no one and you found the one person who felt like home…it was hard to let that go and share it with other people. when cleo finally answered her, said that she believed her, tati let out a slow breath that she hadn’t known she was holding in. “good, because i wouldn’t….i couldn’t do that on purpose.” the blonde murmured, because a part of her was a little scared that maybe she had done it on purpose. like the evil inside of her was dictating her moves that night, out of control, dangerous. her eyes dragged back to cleo, brows knitting together as she shook her head, “she isn’t going to accept it, she’s going to feel the way she does about me for the rest of her life, apology or not. cleo, i wanted to try for you, i wanted to tolerate her, but she just….she made it so hard. even if i was to apologize, it’s not going to change anything i did.” her pride had always been large, and she pursed her lips together as she glanced down at cleo’s hands, “cleo..i-” closing her eyes, she felt something stinging them as she cleared her throat, “no one’s ever going to believe me. no one around here trusts me, or likes me, except for you and i’m already ruining that. i just, i don’t know what to do.”

“then prove them wrong,” she said it like it was something simple. but to Cleo it really was. her entire life was built on the idea that a person could make themselves who and whatever they wanted to be. if Tatian wanted to be better. then she could be. simple. there were ways to cope. other outlets to figure her shit out. hell, she knew there were people that were more violent than the girl in front of her that had somehow been able to keep shit under wraps for most of their time off the isle. it was possible. if she worked hard enough. “if you want to be trusted. then work for it.” their entire lives nothing had been handed to them on a silver platter and nothing ever would be. rich or not. they were the kids of villans. there would always be someone out there in the world that would look at them twice. 

“if you want to fix this,” her hand motioned between them. signifying exactly what she was talking about. “then do it.” for the week and a half she had been hiding from the world. she had made a few decisions. there were things she had to fix to. once she knew how to do it there wasn’t a single minute Cleopatra was going to fucking spare doing just that. the thought of seeing someone to talk our some of her shit had crossed her mind. hell, everyone from the isle really probably should have. needed to be a part of the curriculum as far as she was concerned at this point. 

“look at me, Tati,” she urged her friend to look her in the eyes. make sure she was really listening to her. “asking for forgiveness isn’t easy. you don’t even need her to fully give it but the moment you take that step. it’s already different.” sighing she shook her head as if to shake out some of the passion in her words.  you might not be able to change what happened but you can affect what will happen next.” she added quickly before moving to squeeze Tatian’s hand. like she wanted to ground her before what came next. “she hates you or you hate her. you piss her off or she pisses you off. you don’t need to sing kumbaya but -,” her words paused for a minute finding where they went next to be dangerous territory. still, she had to say it. “it can’t keep going on like this. it isn’t good. for either of us.”

[cleopatradevil]

rangr-lefou‌:

“yeah. thats exactly it. me and the girls come in weekly to talk about our stitches. girturd has been really focused on the sweater shes making for her granddaughter’s birthday.” if he was going to go with a joke might as well play along, right? shaking his head he shrugged. “coffee fix. he said holding up a cup that was full of straight black liquid. “i work t belles and for fucks sake i cant stand being there on my days off. it gives me a headache.” ranger hated the mass of people who loved to nag on him about making their coffees for him even if he was off the clock just because they knew he worked their and they didn’t want to wait. he thought they were entitled assholes. “got to have my coffee though or i go insane.” 

ranger sat down and looked over at her, she was a VK he didn’t ever hear anything about, a real mystery honestly. but he didn’t mind that. it meant he wasn’t going to have to listen to a bunch of annoying crap when he was trying to just get his caffeine fix. “so, what are you working on?”

“i knew it.” she exclaimed softly as if she had been a detective. oddly enough, a laugh breezed over her lips when he went along with the joke. suddenly she was imaging the other isle dweller with knitting needles, trying to make a hat or some shit. smiling Cleo shook her head at the thought, taking another drink of her coffee. eyeing him from behind the rim as he continued to speak. she may have been hesitant when he first came over but if Ranger going to continue to be as amicable. she was willing to put up with him sitting with her. his quick admittance that he would pretty much go insane without coffee had he nodding. “i feel that on a deep level.” 

leaning back in her seat she smiled at him like he was in on a secret. “oh no i don’t come here to knit.” she explained quickly as she looked around the room. “i came here to crochet. big difference.” she countered with a quick nod as if she was imparting knowledge before laughing softly to herself and shaking her head. “really, it’s a nice change of pace from most of the places near the college.” was added honestly. she left out the fact that she had been trying to avoid people she knew... and yet was being found by one. “it’s a little more relaxed. sometimes it’s nice to just go with the flow.” 

[cleopatradevil]

tatianabeaufort‌:

that night, fight night, was still a bit of a blur to her. she was just so furious, at the school, at herself, at willow. when she saw she was going up against the fae, the thought of injuring her wings wasn’t ever in her mind. tatiana knew the effect of damaging wings far too well, it was a subject she didn’t speak about. see, the blonde was part fae, and anyone who did some digging into maleficent’s past would find that out. but tatiana never really let anyone in on the trauma, the way her mother’s wings were ripped out of her back after she was drugged by stefan. it was what made her mom evil, which ultimately trickled down onto the way tatiana now functioned. when she was paired with willow, all she wanted to do was just beat the ever living fuck out of her for the way she treated her. the way she doubted just how big and bad she was. it was a long time coming, the wings got in her way, it was simple as that. a wrong move, an impulsive one, she didn’t set out to do that. it had just happened…

and she couldn’t take that back, it wasn’t possible, the damage was permanent and done and she had to live with it. but she hadn’t expected cleo to get this bad, to feel this deeply about the girl and the injury. hook, yeah, she saw that coming from miles away…but she really thought cleo would have not been as torn up about it. which only meant she really cared for willow, which almost made tatiana’s stomach turn. she would never understand that, how cleo would like someone who constantly ragged on her, not that she really cared it was just weird to process. “i know…” she murmured whenever cleo said it wasn’t like a broken leg, “you think i don’t know the damage i did? the minute it happened and the bell rung my win, i felt awful about it.” it was the truth, and she clenched her jaw as she looked down at her hands, tightness spreading throughout her chest.

she could feel her hands shaking before she balled them up, glancing back up at her friend, “i didn’t mean to do it, you know that right?” tatiana asked, eyes searching cleo’s face for something, anything, that showed she hadn’t given up on her. “i may hate that girl to bits, but you know i’d never take away someone’s wings like that. me of all people, my life, you know i wouldn’t do that. they got in the way in the middle of the fight and it happened, i can’t change that. and i know a lot of people might not believe me when i say it…..but you do, right?” tatiana’s voice had never taken this tone, so small, almost pleading to have the girl in front of her believe her and if it was anyone else, she wouldn’t have cared. but it was cleo, her cleo, the only person she had ever trusted or let in as much as she had. “i never, ever, wanted to hurt you. and you know that i don’t give a fuck about anyone, but i give a fuck about you. you’re…..all i have, cleo.” 

after saying her piece she took a breath in. as if saying it out loud took a piece of her with the words. all of their lives they had been in sync. seemingly every thought. every plan. the people they disliked like and she strategically kept as friendly. they agreed on it all. but this. this was different. still, Cleo when her life long friend, her sister said her piece. blind rage was never something she understood. not from a personal viewpoint. all of her life she had controlled what she did. every step measured and calculated. her bluntness part of what she provided to the world. she didn’t play games. she didn’t leave room for misunderstandings. or she thought she didn’t. but she did know Tatiana had rage. even when they were young she would pull her friend from whatever ledge she had been at. whatever new thing set her off. they would talk it through. they would figure it out. 

this was different. part of her wondered if it was her fault it had happened. they had been doing their own things. talking to their own people. figuring out their own lives. Cleo had been digging into school, into work, into the fashion world and wasn’t making as much time as she used to for Tati. hell, she was spending more time with Hook and Willow than her own best friend. maybe it would have been different if things had been different. 

pushing the thought away, it didn’t due to dwell on the past. it couldn’t be changed. instead, she nodded her head if she believed her. a part of her did. truly did. she had seen the girl do things as if she had blacked out before. there was another part of her that knew she didn’t like the fae. never had. it would be easy to relay on previous behavior to cover it. “i believe you.” she added, willing herself to lead with that. focus on the part of her that trusted Tati not to lie to her. “accidents can be apologized for.” she continued as she leaned against her knees, towards the girl in front of her. the sound of her voice mirroring the one that asked for reassurance. “it won’t fix what happened but it’s something.”

[cleopatradevil]

sterlingchristensen‌:

nodding slowly, he didn’t have to reply to her words, he knew exactly what she was talking about. all his life he grew up as his father’s favorite, out of all of his siblings, he had it the easiest some would say. but there was a heavy weight on his shoulders from his father’s expectations of him, that he would be the one who made the difference, who got them back to where they should be. and while they were alike in many ways, sterling ultimately saw his father as an impulsive, tactless idiot. he didn’t want to help him for anything other than pity if things went the way he wanted them to, and even that was on the fence. “yikes, animals are soft spots for lots of these royals, making their clothes and shit.” sterling said with a chuckle, shaking his head at the thought of little rats back home on the isle doing anything but hiss and attack your ankles. 

her response had him nodding as he motioned to her, “there’s that confident cee, i knew she was somewhere in there.” he said easily, twirling his car keys around his fingers as he used the other hand to hold the flashlight to the path. it was quiet, but that comfortable quiet, as they walked the short path to the cart, “that would be her, your summer roommate.” sterling teased before reaching the abandoned train cart, turning to her with a smirk at the final question as he pulled himself up onto the platform before offering her his hand for help hiking her up given his height helped him. “i’d like to think so as well, not exactly a princess BUT, still holds a hell of a lot of power in the royal lives.” he stated proudly, only smirking more at her next question, “as a matter of fact, as of halloween night, i finally fucking did. i didn’t know how much longer i could last putting up that whole patient act, to be honest.”

for a quick moment, she nodded solemnly. people had a thing about animals. Cleo sort of got it. people said it was like they became of the family or whatever. she herself had never had any and still didn’t after being off the isle but whatever. rolling her eyes at him being pleased that her confidence bled through whatever sort of life she was giving off. the smile at the corner of her lips betrayed her ease and happiness just hanging out with. how inconvenient. still, it wasn’t really a secret that she got along with the eldest Christensen. they had been getting along for years. taking his hand she let him help pull her up a she looked around the train car. “look she isn’t a princess but she isn’t stupid. she has connections to pretty much every royal family with friendships or acquaintances and also happens to be the daughter of the fairy godmother” she turned to look at him, letting her words sink in. “you did good kid.” was added as she teased him with a laugh before spotting something to sit on. 

moving to sit on the rickety crate she looked at him expectantly. “i was promised some good old fashioned relaxation time with one of the few people in the world i feel like talking to right now. don’t hold out on me Christensen.” wiggling her hand slightly as if it would make something appear. 

[cleopatradevil]

delphinewinter‌:

Delphine had worked the opening shift at Tatiana’s and was now indulging in a good cup of coffee as a reward. What she hadn’t been expecting is to see Cleo settled into one of the tables. Furthermore, she hadn’t been expecting a very unkept, compared to her normal aesthetic, Cleo. The girl’s words pulled her back from her thoughts. “I wasn’t sure that was you, Cleo.” she chimed as she moved to sit in the seat across from her. Her head tilted slightly as she appraised the girl. “You are looking a little different than usual,” she added as she took a sip from her cup. Del wasn’t oblivious, she’d noticed that Tatiana and Cleo were no longer attached at the hip like they had been back home. Usually, when she saw Cleo she was either by herself or with Hook. She couldn’t say much for Tati, seeing as she avoided the girl like the plague. 

“So, how has Ms. Cleo been lately?” she asked a hint of mischief twinkled in her eyes as she leaned back in her chair. “I noticed you don’t have your sidekick with you these days. Trouble in paradise?” she asked not so tactfully. She didn’t need to play pretend with Cleo. The girl was well aware of what kind of person Del was under the nicely curated exterior she presented to the world. Which made talking to her oddly refreshing if she did say so her self. 

eyeing the girl in front of her, she could feel what was hidden behind the words provided to her but opted to, swallow down any snappish remark that was near the tip of her tongue. Cleo just wanted to enjoy her coffee. not think about things that were weighing on her and maybe actually finish a sketch. that was it. she wasn’t going to rise to any bait. “sometimes people need a little change in their life.” was all she offered on the comments. yes, she got it. she wasn’t wearing her signature red lip or really any makeup at all. she was dressed down. the shirt she wore was hook’s. the black jeans and flat sneakers were all outside of the norm. yes. astute observation. amazing. 

but she should have seen the next comments coming. despite whatever was going on between them, she wasn’t about to give the girl in front of her anything to bite. “oh i’ve just been focusing on the line i am working on.” not a lie. she had been trying to get some things out. it didn’t matter that there was more thrown away then what was in her sketch pad. not something Delphine Winter needed to damn well know. “Tati has been taking care of some of her own shit. i’ve been taking care of some of mine.” she continued, trying to figure just what the other vk would be trying to get out of the deal. “what about you miss delphine,” she countered with a tilt of her head. “how have you been?”

[don-sosa]

[valdevil]

@cleopatradevil

[cleopatradevil]

mimithefirst‌:

it was no secret to anyone that they were the kind of siblings who didn’t get along. This awkward sit down just solidified the fact that this was still unequivocally true, even though they’d both some growing up. Mimi took a long, loud drink of her soda, pulling back with a pop.

Mimi snorted, “For what it’s worth, I suppose you look better than Miss De Vil ever did. I noticed you’ve been busy with getting your name on the market. Congratulations. You’re a talented designer.”

If there was anything that both sisters were stalwart in their believes  about it was giving credit where credit was due, even if you didn’t particularly enjoy the person’s company. She took a deep breath and tried to put a decent set of words together that didn’t sound condescending. 

“How are you?”

resisting the urge to curl her lip at the loud drink her little sister took, she internalized the eye roll only because, she was too tired to deal with it. they didn’t get along. fact. they hadn’t in a long ass time. Cleo was pretty sure Mimi didn’t remember a time when she hang around her or Val which was.. fine with her really. mistakes had been made. a long ass time ago. no turning back now. 

despite all of that, a smirk turned the corner of her lips when Mimi continued to speak. beginning with the observation that Cleo looked better than their mother. also a fact. finishing with the details of her efforts at becoming a designer. normally that would make her preen. she hadn’t even been going to school for it. no, she had picked economics, business, and the start of the new school year she had even added politically aligned classes. it was like she was being buried alive. still, she offered a little shrug and a smile like she knew exactly what she was doing. made friends with the king and designed his coronation outfit. made clothing fro plenty of people that would tweet about it. talk about it. post it online. awareness and networking was key. “you’re making you way with that jewelry venture.” she countered with a head tilt. even by mentioning it was like she was congratulating her. she had seen it after all.

she was a little caught off guard by her next question. actually asking how she was... almost like she was interested. for a moment Cleo wondered what the other De Vil was looking for. instead of trying to play any mind games that were more effort than she wanted to put into it all she just shrugged. complete confidence in her tone hid what was really happening in her head. “living the dream in this place.” lately it had been more of a personal nightmare. “i’ve been working on a lot of designs.” most of them had been thrown away. if the had ever actually made it to cloth they were either never finished or torn apart. “full class load and work.” she hadn’t been to either in two weeks and was desperately trying to play catch up. “you?” 

[cleopatradevil]

tatianabeaufort‌:

this all felt so wrong, and she’d never felt uncomfortable around cleo, in fact if there was one person who made her feel completely herself it was the girl who stood before her. pausing for a moment after she spoke, tati’s gaze shifted to the floor, “i didn’t realize that i was lumped into a group with everyone.” it was no secret that cleo was her number one, and for a while it had been the same the other way around, but there she was slipping through her fingers just like everyone else seemed to be. tati didn’t know what she would do if she lost cleo, if the one girl she always counted on turned her back to her. they had promised to each other at a young age that they would always be there for each other, through thick and thin, even going as far to make it a blood pack. the dark night as young teens, a small blade cutting a little incision in their palms, a spell book spell to seal the deal to make them even closer than ever. but now, her palms itched for an entirely different reason as she watched cleo settle into her couch.

the phrase made her nod slowly, making her way over to sit beside her at a comfortable distance. the usual confidence tati exuded was replaced with insecurity as she picked at her nails, her gaze fixated on her hands as she rubbed them together, coaxing her emotions to try and stay at bay as she closed her eyes for a moment to get rid of the glow to the best of her ability. tatiana didn’t care if the place was a mess, given where she grew up, it was a little bit comforting in a situation that had her feeling like she was going to be sick at any given moment. it was cleo’s voice that drew her attention back over, and she nodded slowly, “i don’t even know where to begin.” she whispered, pursing her lips together as she kept her gaze on the girl now, “you….can go first. i’ll explain from there, i just, i want you to know i’m sorry.” it wasn’t a common phrase from the blonde and she swallowed down the way it felt foreign in her mouth, “i’m so, so, sorry that this has been hard on you.”

while she waited, her fingers traced a small scar on her hand. the same scar that signified a promise was made. a pact even. Cleo didn’t think about it often. maybe it was because she usually never had to. blood pacts were just little whispers to people on the isle. almost like legends. like most magic. when they had been little, her and Tati had found an old book and decided they just had to show the world that if they wanted a family, it would be them. not whoever they were born with. but there she was... thinking about it. hard to believe they had wanted something so bad they had even said the words. even if magic hadn’t been available... it made it feel even more real. not just them making a vow to each other. Tatiana’s words made her fingers pause. she wanted her to start. okay, yeah she could do that. 

nodding her head, she cleared her throat as she thought over what she was going to say. “fight night.” she started, her tongue a little reluctant to begin. “i was wrong to act like it was okay. it isn’t a broken are or leg.” at the end of her words got a little stuck in her throat. of course she had to know that. Tatiana wasn’t an idiot. she may act rashly sometimes or lash out when people piss her off but she knew there were consequences for shit. Cleo needed her to know what it really meant. to her. after her conversation with Delphine.. despite her not biting at the offer sent her way... she needed to say it. needed to say that it didn’t just mess with Willow. it messed with Hook. it messed with her. “it didn’t just hurt her." looking at her friend in the eyes, she wanted to be as clear as she could. “it hurt Hook. it hurt me. i care about them. i lo-,” she stopped her last words. she hadn’t admitted to Hook how she felt about him. or Willow how much she had come to care about her.

she could feel a burning in her chest. a warmth in her eyes as she looked away from hues she had know forever. trying to keep her composer she licked her lips and took a deep breath. “they both mean so fucking much to me and what i said that night. i shouldn’t have. there is no coming back from that.” finally made it’s way out into the world. her words sticking in her throat like she couldn’t set them free. 

[cleopatradevil]

TEXT | WILLOW & CLEO

Willow: So I got that halloween costume.

Willow: You didn't have to make it, but thanks. It was beautiful.

Willow: [...]

Willow: [...]

Willow: How have you been?

Cleo: [...]

Cleo: [...]

Cleo: i know it looked great on you.

Cleo: shit always does.

Cleo: i've been living.

Cleo: how about you?

[cleopatradevil]

tatianabeaufort‌:

the greeting alone was signal that something was off. no smile, no excitement in her voice, her name sounded foreign on the girl’s tongue and it made her lips come to purse into a straight line. cleo was always happy to see her, but right now there was a tension in the air and it literally felt like a punch to the gut. and tati had felt plenty of those. her eyes were still glowing, a light green as she looked over the girl’s attire. something was certainly off, a man’s shirt which she could only assume to be hook’s, her hair wasn’t done, now an inch of makeup on her face, it was the worst of what she was expecting. all she did was nod slowly when she said she wasn’t expecting her, another red flag, because it wasn’t a greeting but more so of a why are you here. they never questioned surprise arrivals either, and she clasped her hands behind her back to stop the way they were shaking. 

but she moved to the side to let her in regardlessly, and she surveyed the area. balled up papers, overflowing out of the bin and onto the floor, fabric disregarded along furniture, this was bad. beyond bad. and she turned slowly on her heel, “you’ve been avoiding me.” might as well just put it out there, and the words were sharp, in fact they were small coming out of her mouth. in a tone that she hadn’t ever heard fall from her lips as she slowly dragged her gaze to her best friend, swallowing down that fear in her throat. tatiana wasn’t afraid of much, but losing cleo? she might’ve found her biggest fear.

resisting the urge to snap a no shit, Cleo shifted her eyebrows in acknowledgement before she actually found the words to speak. instead, she moved to sit on her little couch. shifting a pillow to sit on her lap. “to be fair i have pretty much avoided everyone for a while. not really a special occasion i guess.” she finally verbally countered with a nonchalant tone. the thing of it was, she knew where this entire situation was going to go. after this, they were both going to get blunt. they were going to say some shit they might not be able to walk away from. she was going to say things that had been eating her alive since fight night. since seeing Hook. since seeing Willow. things she hadn’t figure out how she wanted to deal with but it was going to happen. Tati would get whatever she needed to off her chest. then when the dust settled, they would figure out if there was anything left. anything they could salvage.

“why don’t you sit down? get comfortable,” it didn’t matter if her house was a shit show. she wasn’t going to be uncomfortable in it. nor was she going to care that a person could see how unorganized her mind had been as of late. she couldn’t even finish a fucking sketch let alone make something. there were shredded remains of other dresses that were already disposed of. Cleo hadn’t wanted to stare at them and remember why they were like that. “look, we have to talk about the shit between us. cause we both know it is there. so,” running a hand through her curls she eyed the girl that had been her chosen family for so many years. “do you want to start or should i?”

[cleopatradevil]

sterlingchristensen‌:

“i think it sort of follows us wherever we go, especially because i bear such a likeliness to my father so….kind of hard to avoid it.” sterling easily said with a little shrug, because it was no secret that out of all his siblings, he was deemed most like his father. in looks, in demeanor, he was unable to escape from being under his father’s thumb even when he tried to. most people saw past it, bought into his sob stories, but there was a select few who saw through it and refused to budge. aleena being the main one, especially after their encounter earlier in the week. still, he didn’t have to pretend around cleo, she’d known him his whole life. sterling was close with most of the devil family, save the youngest just on sheer fact of her attitude alone. laughing under his breath at her point of her mother, he sighed, “ah yes, the whole trying to kill pups to wear their fur. who could forget that?” he noted with a smile shot back her direction, it felt good to talk about villain stuff without listening ears. 

“i don’t have any doubt that you’ll succeed in whatever you choose to do, it’s one of the reasons i fuck with you. you don’t give up.” sterling told her honestly, another simple shrug as he finally got near where he was taking them. it was an abandoned train car on the outskirts of the city. quiet, discreet, no one checked up on it and it gave him almost a feeling of home. something that was once so grand, broken down and discarded. parking the car, he glanced over at her with a cheeky smirk, “wouldn’t you like to know?” he teased before undoing his seat belt, motioning to her, “but i’d say my plans have been working out pretty well, with this tight connection to beatrice, it’s opened a lot of doors for me. i have a business degree, so, maybe i’ll figure out how to put that to use.” sterling explained easily, not needing to go into detail before opening the door and hopping out as he grabbed a flashlight to light the path to the cart.

“like a shadow of the ones you look like most that came before you,” she added quietly. she looked like her mom. she knew that. just a damn fact. part of her wondered if people waited for her to go off the deep end like she did. Cruella De Vil was insane. certifiably. she only got worse on that shit show of an isle. pushing the thought away, a laugh tumbled from her lips. “no one in the animal community has. i am pretty sure i get watched by dogs every time i walk by them.” okay, she didn’t but it was good to laugh about it. most people got weird when they just happened to remember who her mother was. it was almost comical. the emphasis she had put on her name in the beginning of being off the isle... made it all worth it. 

whatever soft smile she had on her face, turned into a smirk when he mentioned that she would succeed. “no shit.” Cleo acknowledged his words as she slid out fo the car. eyeing the old train car in front of them. it worked. tilting her head she looked it over. it sorta reminded her of home. not that it had ever been much of one but, there was a grandeur to the eaten wood and broken pieces. just like everything on the isle. “ah yes ms Beatrice Fae.” she stated without any heart. honestly, she had no problems with her. the women knew how to run a sorority. network with people and just generally deal with the public. Sterling had picked a good target. “i mean nice catch.” she added as she saw the path and started to walk down it. “you get in her pants yet?”

[andermuunoz]

- So friends don’t talk to each other? - Not the way you talk to me.

[cleopatradevil]

sterlingchristensen‌:

growing up, sterling and cleo were tight, maybe not as tight as her and her blonde better half but, tight nonetheless given the fact sterling kept a rather small circle. he trusted few, something his father gave him advice about and he actually took note of because he made a rather good point. people let you down, most were messy and emotional, but cleo wasn’t either. she was calculated and patient, something he greatly appreciated, and he knew that she knew how to not run her mouth to everyone. since arriving to auradon, however, they both seemed busy with their own plans. chuckling under his breath as she spoke, he kept his eyes on the road as he shook his head ever so slightly, “now, now, who said anything about that?” he joked, because she knew that he had a bit of a soft spot for her, and he drummed his fingers along the curve of the steering wheel as he maneuvered down the roads, “for all you know, i could be taking you somewhere to murder you. ya know, it runs in the family and what not.” sterling gave her a smile now, something rare from him, just to show her he wasn’t being serious.

sighing as she pointed out he graduated, he was satisfied with the fact, and nodded slowly at her now, “eh yeah, had to do that. you wouldn’t catch me dead failing anything, i wouldn’t let it happen.” and she knew that, cleo knew he was far too smart for his own good, and even if he wasn’t, he was cunning enough to talk his way at least up to a b plus. “you’ll get there soon enough, as fucking corny as it sounds, shit flies by.” he explained as they exited to go down a more darker road in auradon city. “so at least try to enjoy all the bullshit while you can. i know i did and my life is looking pretty sweet right now.”

“here i thought we were passed the reminders that all of our parents tried to be murders or succeeded in being so.” she teased lightly with a good-natured roll of her eyes. some days she thought what sterling and she was a little unique. they were close enough that she could say she trusted him to have her back if she ever needed it and Cleo knew that if it came to a day that he needed her in that way she would help as much as she could. it was just an unspoken fact between them. all of that on top of the fact that they didn’t fuck around. it worked for them. “and my mother tried to kill animals. in some cultures that is more of a sin.” was added with a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. not over the fact that her mother as a swine but over the ease in which she could joke with him. who knew she could miss it after not talking to him as much?

while she listened to him talk about graduating and time flying by. she could feel her little smile turning into a scowl while she looked out the window. Cleo knew that. eventually she would be out of school and out in the world but maybe he didn’t exactly do the same shit did. such as bury herself under school work. paycheck work. side business work and then on top of it try to maintain a stable relationship with the people she cared about. which was obviously the part that was failing. “oh, i know.” she countered, pushing her frown away and focusing on not thinking about bullshit. “last year and then i have a whole fashion empire to build.” it was still her goal. she was working towards it. making all the connections she needed while working at the boutique. knowing people was part of the game. “what about you? you on your way to your plans?”