but in all chaos there is calculation

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

“I’m just trying to hold things together.” Holly stated, still blunt, but feeling as though perhaps this could be her chance to continue to snake her way into his heart. “A death wish might be on the lines for whoever takes up the gauntlet, unless that person has acquired numerous support from all sides, and protection for life from a pack that he runs solely now.” It was obvious what she was implying, but she wanted him to say it.

Holding things together seemed to be the theme since the party, practically from everyone. If things around town at least appeared to be stable, they could all live in the illusion that it is. An eyebrow raised as he caught onto what she was suggesting, leaning back in his chair. “You think I should become mayor?”

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

“God, you really are a wreck.” She stated bluntly as she crossed the office space to place the bags of foods on his desk. “It’s been a month Dylan, and I know this might come as a shock to you, but the rest of the world is moving on.” Holly looked at him before taking a seat and sighing. “I’ve been fine though, dealing with everything that comes after a public execution, and still we’ve got nobody wanting to run this damn town.”

He chuckled dryly, “You really know how to cheer a guy up.” His eyes stared at the food, not wanting to admit this had taken too long. The pack, the town, everything except for him were practically back to normal as he fell into a monotonous routine. “Things take time, Holly. My wife died, and no one has figured out what happened. It’s along the same lines of why no one wants to run this town. A death wish waiting to happen.”

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

The month hadn’t gone over too well, especially working at the City Hall, and going through the motions of figuring out next steps. It was running Holly into her own rut of things, though the holiday centered on love couldn’t be overlooked, especially when she knew Dylan could be in a vulnerable state. While her intentions weren’t all bad, she came into his office with more clothes on than the last time she had surprised him there, and with some takeout as well. “Can’t a girl just come in with some comfort food and check in on you?”

He’d shut almost everyone out subconsciously, unable to remember the last time he had a decent conversation with her. No matter what the two of them had, continuing whatever they had before didn’t seem appropriate. Dylan chuckled, nodding his head. “I guess you can. Especially because it smells delicious, and I’m unsure of when I ate last.” Much of the same happening the last month. “How have you been?”

[dylanmazzoni]

ethanxraynor‌:

“I think you’re right. If this place were normal, no one would be encouraged to live here. Coffee does sound like a much better option.” Ethan grimaced, then turned to look where Dylan did. He sighed softly, then nodded. “We should move forward. There’s no point sticking around a place where everyone is out.” 

“No place is really normal. Our town just happens to be home to more supernaturals than humans. We’ll have to set up a time when all of this blows over.” Dylan didn’t know when that would be, or if it were really possible with the town being shaken in such a way. “You should get yourself out, I can handle this. Unless you have magic, I assume you’re human so if this place starts to collapse, you won’t be as protected as some of the other citizens.”

[dylanmazzoni]

The house didn’t feel like home anymore, spending less and less time their since the Centennial. He holed himself up in the office instead, most nights sleeping in one of the on-call rooms to make up some of the sleepless nights. The oncoming night seemed no different, reading over the endless pile of paperwork that formed over the course of the day. His door opening, finally made him look up, unsure if he wanted to welcome the distraction or not. “Hey, Holly. What can I do for you?”

@hollylastella

[dylanmazzoni]

ethanxraynor‌:

“I hope it’s the last of the bad meetings. We should definitely meet in a normal, every day setting like normal people do right?” While teasing, Ethan meant his words. If there was any good of this night, he was hoping that it would bring people together versus pushing them apart. “Perhaps it will. But it’s not right now and that’s okay. Let’s get away from this area before it decides we’ve pushed our luck too far, huh?” Ethan gestured toward him, hoping that Dylan would go with him. 

“I’m not sure normal exists in this town, but maybe a cup of coffee should be in order the next time we see each other.” At least then it might feel as close to normal as they could possibly get. Dylan looked around the area they were in, surely not going to hold for much longer. “I’d say so too. No one seems to be left here, all of our work is finished. Time to move on to a different section and look there.”

[dylanmazzoni]

ethanxraynor‌:

Ethan wasn’t sure why he had gone back into the building. Perhaps it was due to his nature to want to help others. He had immediately moved to people, offering what little assistance he could to at least get them out of the building. In his mind, he knew that the building couldn’t be structurally sound any longer, and getting others out seemed rather important. A familiar voice drew his attention and he gave a small, smile in the direction of Dylan. “I’m all right. Dinged up pretty good but I was far enough away to avoid getting messed up. We have a thing, meeting in bad times.” Unable to stop himself from trying to lighten the mood, he joked back softly with the other. “Are you all right?” 

The structure threatened to collapse with each breeze, thankful almost everyone had made their way out of the building. He knew it wouldn’t be long until the two of them needed to get out as soon as they could. “Let’s hope this is the worst of them all.” Dylan stating, sighing as he looked around the room. The question, albeit small, was loaded, more than he cared to admit. Physically, he was perfectly fine. Fit as a fiddle almost as his body fully healed. Mentally and emotionally were another story. The night had been a rollercoaster with learning about Viv’s boyfriend and now his wife dying in the explosion. His eyes met the other’s again, giving him a small smile. “Eventually, everything will be okay.”

[dylanmazzoni]

Dylan could have easily left after coming terms with losing his wife, instead staying to help people. If he hadn’t already been at the party, he’d end up being called to work anyways. He helped a few people out of the building, entering again to see who else he could treat, running into a familiar figure. “We have to stop meeting like this, at least you don’t look in need of saving right now. Everything feel okay?”

@ethanxraynor

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

She nodded slowly as she turned back towards Dylan, not sure if she even wanted to see what happened to the stage, but realizing that it couldn’t have been good. As she watched as Dylan sat up himself, Holly took her own breath to relax and come down from the incident, finding a moment to try and relieve the tension before she noticed his hand offered out. Taking it with a bit of ease, Holly stood, glancing around as he spoke and adding, “Wasn’t….she on the stage?” She hated to be the bearer of bad news, but it seemed to her that there couldn’t be much left of her, considering what the podium looked like. 

There was very little hope to finding his wife at all, wishful thinking more than anything with the possibility her body might be intact. At the very least, he needed to check, wanting that for his daughters when he told them. They might have been on the outs with the family and the pack, but they would always be his children. His head nodded solemnly, “She was, which means I should only assume with being so close to it.” No matter what might have happened in the past and the mistakes he’d made, Dylan loved his wife. He stepped closer to where the blast originated, taking in the surroundings. “Fuck,” he muttered slowly. “What am I supposed to tell the girls?”

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

Lifting her head from his chest, she felt a slight creak and her own sharp pain as if she had slept funny on her neck, but was managing it as her own hands pushed from the ground on either side of Dylan with a huff. With the wind getting knocked out of her, she took a moment to situate herself before sitting up entirely, the light ringing and an oncoming migraine forming as she looked down at the man. “Just peachy. How about you?” She muttered back, thankful for the first time in her life she hadn’t worn an actual dress, as she maneuvered to the side to sit on the ground before looking to where the impact had come from. “Holy shit.” 

His hand brushed a piece of hair back, nodding as his head leaned back again. He didn’t feel more than a few cuts here and there, which would easily heal before he assessed what might be happening around them. “I think I need a minute, but no serious injuries from what I can tell.” The pain in his back subsided, sitting up as she moved to the side. His eyes glanced to where the bomb potentially came from, head hanging as he feared the inevitable. Dylan hoped his daughters were safe, but he wasn’t sure he could say the same for his wife. He groaned as he stood, stretching out the sore limbs before holding out his hand to her. “I need to look for Martina, and the girls.” 

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

She stared up at him, rolling her eyes back, before the sudden snatch forward as he grabbed at her wrists. “My place?” She asked back in slight retaliation, seeing a ferocity within him that she hadn’t seen much of before. Her breath nearly hitched as she added, “The last time I checked, we were on the same side. You can’t afford to lose anymore people anyways.” She grit her teeth back at him with a narrowed glare, before trying to pull away. In the moment of distraction, the explosion jolted through the building, and the inertia was felt in an instance, something Holly hadn’t braced for and flew into Dylan in an instance, letting him break her fall.

No matter how angry he wanted to be at her, she made a valid point. Too many people had come and gone within the last year, and losing such a strong ally would only hurt him in the long run. Dylan didn’t let go yet, “You’re on thin ice. Don’t blow this.” He let go as she tried to pull away, looking back to his wife on the stage, only to be knocked over by the woman in front of him and the blast. A pain shot up his back, taking a few deep breaths to recover before his hands trailed over her back to see if she were at least in one piece. “You alright?”

[dylanmazzoni]

vivianamazzoni‌:

“It’s not always about the numbers. And it doesn’t matter anyways. You’re not teaching me anything that you’re trying to get through to me. I’ve made my decision.” Viviana had had enough of his bullshit by now, and sighed heavily. She needed to find Ben and get out of there before something worse happened. “Who cares if there are more wolves or more vampires. This town is collapsing either way it seems, and you can’t blame any entire species for that. Why can’t you just leave them alone?”

His nostrils flared as every word burned every lesson he’d spent her life trying to teach her, the final straw practically reaching it’s peak as he tried not to make any rash decisions. “Don’t do this, you’re smarter than that.” The only option he had left was to disown her, something he was trying very hard not to do. “There is a reason we don’t live forever, and our species is the only ones able to kill them so easily. You can’t deny these were put in place to control their population.”

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

“Well, I know she’s not stupid, but with how many guys she’s sleeping around with—” Holly paused herself as she glanced up at the man, before adding, “Sorry, I’m just being realistic about all of this.” It was his daughter they were talking about, and as ruthless as she was, she stopped form continuing. As her eyes narrowed onto him, his retaliation something she hadn’t accounted for, Holly swiftly swept a slap across his face, while saying, “You need to focus. I’m the last person you want to lose trust with. I didn’t tell you before because I knew we were gonna have to tear their little bond up eventually, and she trusted me not to tell you. I was playing the long game. You need to look at the bigger picture here.”

“Thank you for the reassurance, Holly.” He added dryly, gaining more information than he was looking for. Dylan didn’t want to add more to his plate with thinking of what Caterina’s future held outside of taking over the pack. All the while, the woman in front of him held onto valuable information until this very moment. The same one he tried to not freak out, the slap practically snapping him out of his hands as he grabbed at her wrist. “I’ve played this game for much longer than you have. The stakes may be different now, but nothing is going to stop me from gaining what I want, including you. If you want to be a part of this, you need to remember your place too.”

[dylanmazzoni]

vivianamazzoni‌:

“You’re wrong. I’m not some naive little girl anymore and I’m doing great without the pack breathing down my throat every five seconds.” She retaliated, shaking her head still, trying to find the argument to best convince him, not sure he would take anything at that point. “So are we! We change one the very sigh of a full moon and become animals! Actual carnivorous wild animals. And our kind haven’t been any better either. You really have major double standards for them and us, when it should just be all of us collectively working together.” 

“If we look back on the history of this town, this pack has killed far fewer people than the vampires. We might become animals, but we do not kill someone every full moon.” The town survived because the species found a way to live together. This past year though had him thinking otherwise, and now with the vampire population growing he needed to somehow put a stop to it. “When more vampires outnumber the werewolves, a problem is brewing even if you don’t want to realize it.”

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

“Yeah, well let’s just hope that distraction doesn’t lead to a nine month mistake.” Holly rolled her eyes as Cat’s rendezvous’ seemed to be getting more and more serious as of late. “I know I have. And that’s why you can trust me on this. As for a plan, you have to get them to turn on each other. It’s as easy as that. You know Viv’s not living with me right. She’s living with Ben. Tell her that Cat told you.” Holly played her card, adding in a slight smirk, confidence getting to her. “And I plan on learning all you’ll let me know. We’re the king and queen on the board, everybody else just pawns at our disposal.”

“Don’t jinx it like that.” The last thing he needed on top of this was for Cat to get knocked up by a random person. Dylan could only stare, the anger he thought subsided coming around again. The woman in front of him had known the whole time, the talk of trust coming to mind again as she had clearly lied to him this whole time. “Not that it’s a bad idea, but when were you going to tell me? Or is it now a convenience thing because I need a way to break them up? You want me to trust you, and you’ve been keeping this from me.” His head shook, “You’re no better than them with wanting to protect each other.”

[dylanmazzoni]

vivianamazzoni‌:

She stared at him, actually unsure if this was even her father speaking or not. This was never something she thought he was actually capable of, despite his harsher tendencies. “He does. And it’s forever. It’s our forever!” She tried again, shaking her head back at him as she slowly took a step back. “Dad, he’s different. He’s not…he’s not some evil vampire like you always made them out to be. Vampires aren’t our enemies…”

Dylan sighed, “Your mother and I raised you better. You’re young, naive. This is a phase you need to get past. Let’s hope the pack can be it as that since you’ve turned your back on them too.” Even he would have a hard time easily accepting her back into this lifestyle if she tried. A small part of him though believed other measures would need to be taken to ensure she never saw the blood sucker again. “One out of the entire population is nice to you. You’ll never know their true intentions. Does the one who wreaked havoc on this town not cross your mind? They’re unpredictable and he will disappoint you like the rest of them.”

[dylanmazzoni]

hollylastella‌:

“That bastard vampire, yeah, I noticed. And Cat’s dress might not even be the biggest issue. She’s guarding them. Overbeaing protective older sister, it’s her duty, and she got distracted.” She paused, feeling a bit of a plan in the works, especially at Dylan’s words. “How are you supposed to trust me Dylan? I’ve been your right hand woman through out all of this. And I might just have the best next idea in pitting the girls against each other. After all, if they’re so focused on each other, how can they split their attention on you? This has never been trust about me. We want the same things, and I know just how far you’re willing to go to get that. If that’s not loyalty and trust, I don’t know what is.”

“Her distraction let me talk to her sister. Whether I wanted to have it here or not, it needed to happen.” A different setting wouldn’t have changed it in anyway, he agreed with everything he’d said. Dylan listened intently at the words coming out of her mouth, mulling them over in the hopes some sort of resolve could come out of all this. “You’re right, you have been there for me through all of this.” And more. “What plan would that be? They seem rather well distracted on other people than each other.” He grinned, looking her over. “We’ve barely scratched the surface, Holly. There’s plenty more for you to learn about me.”