alive

freddie mishra - 24 - spy "the best way to lie is to tell the truth"

[mishrafreddie-blog]

zeusluli:

She got fucking shot.

Who the hell did that asshole think they were? And Hera-the nerve of her to keep something business related from her. Hell hath no fury like when Luli was pissed. She was determined to get her hands on the person who shot her just as soon as she was fully healed. As of right now, she could walk- with assistance of a cane, and she felt frustrated. She was supposed to appear mighty and powerful, not like she was some old hag already. But alas, the deed had been done, and she had to commend her team for a job well done. Except for her supposed bodyguard- where was Athena when she needed her?

Central Park was quiet in the early morning, fifth avenue was the one place in the city that actually did sleep, and its bedtime was apparently eight pm. Luli did not want to lay in bed, restless and awake, and despite doctor’s orders, she was going to be as active as she wanted to be. So there she was, early morning taking a stroll before anyone else woke up when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She knew when she was being followed, but rather than immediately turn around, Luli spoke in her soft, cold voice. “I suggest if you’re going to keep following me, you make yourself known before something happens to you.” Just like that man in the subway, all those years ago.

Freddie was still reeling from the events of that night, his paranoia beginning to get the best of him. He jumped at shadows around corners. He triple checked his locks at night. He didn’t press anyone for information in New Olympus besides what they offered voluntarily, instead working his shifts quietly and as inconspicuously as possible. He still charmed and smiled his way through guests night after night, but it mostly resulted in tips, not information.

Now, he wandered the city to get some fresh air and clear his head. If there was anything he needed to do, it was relax. His conflicting feelings were like a hand tightening around his neck, and he just needed a moment for all of the pressures, both from New and Old Olympus, to disappear. He skirted the paths of Central Parks, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his sweatshirt. It was just late enough in summer for the days to still be hot, but for the nights to get chilly. 

Freddie spotted Luli before she spotted him. He sighed, shaking his head. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to completely escape from the Olympians after all. He trailed after her for a while, steeling up the courage to talk to her, until suddenly, she spoke. That voice sent shivers down her spine. She scared him--so did Victoria. “It’s, uh, Freddie. Mishra.” He cleared his throat, dropping into more of a murmur. “Uh...Caerus.”

[mishrafreddie-blog]

jullybeans:

Julian’s gut reaction was to say yes, I’d love something alcoholic - a little bit of liquid courage went a long way for him, but for once, he wanted to stay sober because he didn’t know what was going to happen in this apartment tonight. He trusted - no, he wanted to trust Freddie, but if his suspicions were correct and he didn’t know Freddie as well as he thought he did, who was to say Freddie wouldn’t try to attack him if he were found out? His mind was obviously going a little too wild, heading towards the darker part of it all and he finally shrugged, wiggling his shoes off and making his way into the apartment. “Yeah, uh, maybe a bit of water. Or tea, if you have any.” At least that’d keep the other man preoccupied. 

When he looked up again, he noticed the bandaid on Freddie’s face and frowned, suddenly more worried than angry, much to his own annoyance. “You - what happened? Did you cut yourself?” He asked, though his tone wasn’t as kind as it usually would have been. Hell, he’d come barging in, looking for answers, but the truth was he had no idea where he was supposed to start. There was a good reason that he never went past being a manager for the club. 

“I’m guessing you heard about what happened at the docks, right?” Julian began again, feeling his heart beat in his ears, walking around and trying to seem threatening with his back straight, though he was sure he was failing miserably. “It’s just - it’s just that it’s weird that we met up that day and this shit happens like - what am I supposed to think, Freddie? It wasn’t me that snitched and - where did you even go after?” 

Freddie nodded. “Tea. I can do tea.” He hurried over to his cupboards, digging through them until he found his kettle and the few boxes of tea that he had. He wasn’t much of a tea drinker at all--he much preferred coffee. But that wasn’t what he was thinking about as he filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. He took a few steps towards Julian, then turned back when he realized he hadn’t even turned the stove on. He mentally scolded himself. Be cool. If you start freaking out, then everything will fall apart.

He reached up and touched the bandaid, making a face as he turned back to Julian. “I fell.” The lie went out so easily, Freddie was momentarily reassured. It was a lame and easy excuse, but it was better than nothing. This was what he had been raised to do. This was what he was good at.  “Skimmed the table. It was throbbing like a motherfucker earlier, but now it’s fine.” If only that were the truth. Instead, the cut served as a reminder of his failure, of how he hadn’t covered his tracks enough. The Titans had never seemed like a big threat to him, as his job had nothing to do with them, but now they were occupying a big portion of his mind. What did they want? What was their angle? Why would they want to expose him at all.

Freddie shrugged. “I mean, I haven’t really heard specifics.” False. He’d heard most of the info through Old Olympus channels. “I’m not really, uh, in the loop when it comes to a ton of that stuff.” He let his mouth hang open in surprise at Julian’s accusation, his expression hurt while his stomach seemed to twist into even tighter knots. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” he asked, crossing his arms. “I went home and went to sleep. I worked the late shift the night before. Do you...do you seriously think I did this? Why the fuck would I put people I care about in danger? Huh? Huh?” His words came out harsher than he’d expected them to. But it was Julian that Freddie was mad at. The only person he was upset with was himself.

[mishrafreddie-blog]

jullybeans:

Freddie’s Apartment @mishrafreddie​

His phone had been blowing up since the morning, but talking to Syrus or any other member of New Olympus was just about the furthest thing from what was plaguing Julian’s mind right now. He’d fucked up - there was no denying that he’d messed up, but there was no use crying over spilled milk. The important thing was that there was still a way to redeem himself, and the only way to do that was to figure out who had told Old Olympus.

Maybe it was because his mind wasn’t in the right place, but Julian found himself standing in front of Freddie’s door, hands curled up into fists. He didn’t make a habit of visiting Freddie without at least a two-hour warning, but then again, he never would have expected any of this to happen. To him, in that moment, it made sense that Freddie would have been the one - it made sense and it didn’t, because he trusted Freddie with his life, but he was the only person Julian was with earlier that night. After two quick knocks, he didn’t skip a beat when he finally saw Freddie’s face. “We should talk. Now.” 

Freddie hadn’t slept a wink the whole night. Every time he even tried to sleep, whether it was in his bed or simply letting his eyes shut for a moment while he was standing, his brain reminded him of what was going on--what he’d caused. He’d given up on fighting the insomnia, instead keeping himself running on a disgusting cocktail of energy drinks and coffee. He’d even beaten Bagel, who rarely slept all the way through the night, who was passed out in his kennel.

He’d been studying the cut on his face when he heard the knock at the door, wincing as he tried to dab at it with a wet cloth. That was the other thing that kept him awake; someone knew. Someone had put the dots together, and now he had to live with knowing that he could be exposed at any minute. He hadn’t told anybody about what had happened, and he didn’t plan to. He mumbled a curse under his breath as he hastily put the cloth away and slapped a bandaid on his face, hurrying towards the door. “Who the hell––” he started as he opened the door, falling silently when he saw Julian on the other side of it. “Julian.” He’d only had Julian at his apartment a few times, and all of those times with plenty of prior notice. This was completely different territory. Freddie didn’t have any plan, any go-to stories to fall back on. Hell, he was vulnerable.

“Sure. Uh, come on in. Do you want anything to drink?” he asked, turning so that Julian could enter the apartment and taking a deep breath. If there was any time that his “loyalty” to New Olympus was going to be tested, it was now.

[mishrafreddie-blog]

marcodesantos:

On an average day, there was no way in hell Marco would have ever taken a New York City subway, finding the collection of people who took the subway to be an inferior type of people, ones he hadn’t found himself mixing with in many years since being plucked from the streets they run under by Cronus. Though the memories of his childhood still flooded his mind most nights as he slept, humility and gratitude washed over him every day as he woke next to a woman who was nothing more than magnificent, reminding him of the empire he now controlled and the power that he held. But he still regarded himself as superior, having come from nothing to owning one of the most powerful empires in the world, the feeling of his name being recognized world wide and striking fear within the minds of others gave him the greatest rush no drug ever could. And as Marco entered the subway, finding himself on a crowded car, his disposition turned rather sour as he walked on, looking for a seat. Having no luck, Marco opted for a pole, gripping his hand around the cool metal of the train as it pulled away, his eyes scanning the train for anything noteworthy.

As far as methods of travel went, Freddie had always preferred cars to trains. With cars, everything was so much more personal, even if you were just renting it. You could still play the music you wanted and smell the breeze from the open windows. Trains, on the other hand, moved too quickly to admire anything, and everything was dark and enclosed. The underground in general freaked him out--it felt too close to being buried, or like he would get stuck down there forever. Still, public transportation was really the only way to get around New York City, so he’d had to learn to suck it up and master the subway system. Now, he sat comfortably on the train, earbuds blocking out the noise of the train around him as he headed to work. He glanced up at the people around him everyone so often, his observant nature getting the best of him. When he spotted Marco, he felt himself rise to his feet, grabbing on to a bar above his head and nodding towards him. He pulled his headphones out of his ears and cleared his throat. “You, uh...Wanna sit down?”

[mishrafreddie-blog]

7, 11, 27

7: things you said while we were driving 

“Getting out of New York City is a fucking nightmare,” Freddie grumbled as his car moved forward an inch before the traffic in front of him came to a stop again. He should’ve known not to have tried driving in the city–it was much better to take the train. And yet, here they were, slowly making their way through the grid-like streets at what to Freddie seemed like the slowest pace known to man.

“I’m gonna have nightmares about this, Juj, I swear to God,” he continued, scowling as they finally (mercifully) made a turn. “I will be trying to get like, an hour, of beauty sleep, and all of a sudden I’ll find myself in this traffic again. And I’ll wake up, look out my window, and see it in real life, and won’t be able to sleep anymore. At least, maybe, in the dream, you’ll be there with me.” 

It took him a second to register what he’d said, his mind wandering for a moment. He glanced over at Julian, wondering if he’d noticed. His reverie did not last for long; the driver behind him was laying on his horn. “What a fucking asshole.”

11: things you said while you were drunk

“JULIAN! My man!” Freddie called from across the room when he spotted Julian, hurrying over to clap his friend on the back with his free hand. His other hand gripped tightly to a red plastic cup containing his fifth–sixth? Honestly, he’d stopped counting–drink of the night. He was in the sweet spot that was past the pleasant buzz but before making himself sick, and he was living. “I’ve got things to tell you, dude. Okay listen…” He faltered a little, swaying from side to side, before righting himself.

“First of all, I am not drunk. This guy?” He pointed to himself. “Total heavyweight. Second thing, I am doing like, super good right now. Like, on a big scale type of way. NYC? Best place I’ve lived. And I’ve lived a loooot of places.” He laughed at his own comment, shaking his head slightly from side to side. “Third thing, I think I’m doing super good ‘cause like, everyone here is super good. All these people.” He motioned to the party behind him and at Julian, grinning sloppily. “Fifth–Wait, shit, no…What number was I on? Nevermind. Let’s get you a drink.”

27: things you said on the phone at 4 am

Freddie sighed as he listened to the phone ring, shifting from side to side to keep himself warm. He was a few hours outside of the city, far enough that he could see the stars twinkling above him. He didn’t expect Julian to pick up. Why should he? He’d given him every reason to ignore him for the rest of his life. Still, as he waited, he decided that a quick slap to the face would have been easier to deal with than this. The waiting. The wondering. He hated it. Once he finally reached Julian’s voicemail, he sighed again. 

“Hey, Jules–I mean, Julian. I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear from right now. Or probably ever. Most likely ever. I’m sorry, that was dumb–Anyways.” He was better than this. He was Freddie Mishra, smooth talker extraordinaire. But right now, he couldn’t find the words. “It's really late, and you're probably asleep, but I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. That’s, like, not even close to enough to cover everything, but it’s all I’ve got right now. I had to leave. I had to…clear my head. It was only a matter of time before this happened. I’ve never been able to stay in one place for too long. But me leaving is probably better for everyone anyways. I, uh, don’t know if you’ll be hearing from me again any time soon. I don’t really know where I’m going right now. Whatever. I just hope you can forgive me, at least a little bit? That’s all I need to know. Even if it’s just a little bit.

That’s, uh–that’s all, I guess. No need to call me back, I’ll probably be trashing this phone soon anyways. I’ll…see you around.”

[robbersdjh-deactivated20221115]

‘prompts: 1) things you said at 1 am 2) things you said through your teeth 3) things you said too quietly 4) things you said over the phone 5) things you didn’t say at all 6) things you said under the stars and in the grass 7) things you said while we were driving 8) things you said when you were crying 9) things you said when I was crying 10) things you said that made me feel like shit 11) things you said when you were drunk 12) things you said when you thought I was asleep 13) things you said at the kitchen table 14)things you said after you kissed me 15) things you said with too many miles between us 16) things you said with no space between us 17) things you said that I wish you hadn’t 18) things you said when you were scared 19) things you said when we were the happiest we ever were 20) things you said that I wasn’t meant to hear 21) things you said when we were on top of the world 22) things you said after it was over 23) things you said on the streetcar at 1 am 24) things you said with clenched fists 25) things you said in the back seat of a cab 26) things you said sitting still 27) things you said on the phone at 4 am 28) things you said but not out loud 29) things you said in the backyard at night 30) things you said on the highway 31) things you said while I cried in your arms 32) things you said I wouldn’t understand 33) things you said at the back of the theatre 34) things you said in your sleep 35) things you said that made me feel real 36) things you said you’ll never forget 37) things you said with the tv on mute 38)things you said while holding my hand’ 39) things you said when we first met 40) things you said when you met my parents 41) things you said you loved about me 42) things you said when you asked me to marry you 43) things you said in our vows 44) things you said before you kissed me 45) things you said on new year’s eve 46) things you said when you kissed me goodnight 47) things you said in a hotel room 48) things you said on our honeymoon 49) things you said when we were 18 50) things you said when we were 70 51) things you said as we danced in our socks 52) things you said with my lips on your neck 53) things you said in the dark 54) things you always meant to say but never got the chance 55) things you said under your breath 56) things you said in the spur of the moment 57) things you said when no one else was around 58) things you were afraid to say 59) things you said after we fell in love 60) things you said [make your own]

the ones with single quotes aren’t mine, but the rest are. great story and fic prompts

reblog if you want your followers to send you a number and pairing to write a fic about

(via showbizhowell)

[mishrafreddie-blog]

kieferrjenkins:

How awkward it was for Kiefer to not be the object of desire in this case. That’d been his whole life, working his way around invitations and propositions either because they were useless to him or they sounded like trouble. The difference with Kiefer was that his intentions were mostly innocent, this was a rare occasion in which he wasn’t trying to manipulate anyone mostly and he just wanted some company on a night that was lasting too long. And he knew that Freddie could easily say no, it was likely he would given the current climate between them, and Kiefer held his breath as he waited for a yes or a no. He turned his head from the phone to let out his sigh of relief.

“The ‘cool kids’, huh? Definitely sounds like us.” He was out of bed now, searching for jeans and a t-shirt that wasn’t too nice for a 24-hour diner but wasn’t disgusting and covered in coffee stains. “Works for me. I’ll see you down there.” Kiefer got himself dressed and spent maybe…5 minutes making sure his overall appearance was okay. Not that he cared how he looked right now at all, not that he valued Freddie’s opinion of his appearance in any way shape or form. He drove down to the diner and waited patiently indoors, trying to pay attention to the game he had open on his phone but unable to resist looking out the window every half a minute. He might not even come, he kept taunting himself, look at you a darn loser sitting by himself in a diner.

“Definitely. Right. See you down there,” Freddie echoed. He scrambled out of bed, suddenly feeling very much awake. He threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and slipped out of his apartment. There was something about meeting Kiefer that felt dangerous. Chaotic. Meeting any member of Old Olympus in public was risky, but that wasn’t why it felt like a risk to meeting with Kiefer. He didn’t know what would happen. That was what enticed him out that evening--if there was anything Freddie craved, it was a thrill.

He spotted Kiefer’s silhouette as soon as the diner came into view. He smiled in spite of himself, picking up his pace until he was right outside the door. Freddie felt himself falter for just a moment as he reached to pull the door open, pausing for just a moment too long before he entered. “Listen, nothing sounds better to me right now than some super greasy breakfast food,” he said as a greeting. “Like, I’m thinking eggs, hash browns, stuff with a lot of cheese...”

[mishrafreddie-blog]

mvl-prvctice:

“Not yet,” Malcolm replied, not particularly confident in people’s ability to keep recent developments under wraps for much longer, “But there’s only so much control you can have with so many different players involved.” There was still a part of him that was incredibly angry at the members of Olympus that had split off and weakened their forces. It had been selfish and lacked forethought, especially with the Titans now worsening things further.

Malcolm leaned back in his seat, giving a short shrug, “That’s sort of how these things go.” He didn’t want to come out and say it, but the anonymity for most of the members of the gangs afforded them some sort of security and safety over their actual lives, especially for Malcolm who had a whole other career to keep up. If it ever got out that he was involved with Olympus, or worse yet, some of the duties he carried out, things would end very very poorly. “Apart from this,” he said, tipping his head at the newspaper, “Hear anything else going on behind the scenes?” he asked, knowing full well that he was pushing the limits on what Freddie could discuss. But even the slightest bit of vague information would settle Malcolm’s nerves somewhat, just knowing that there was someone keeping an eye on things on the other side.

“Different players. You make it sound like a board game or something.” Despite his comment, he could see how complex this whole business was, not only concerning the present, but also the past. He’d heard stories from both sides about the split between New and Old Olympus and didn’t know who to believe. He’d never met Cronus before he’d died, but Zeus and Hades both scared the living hell out of him.

Freddie sighed. “I guess so. Doesn’t meant it doesn’t get kind of annoying.” He shifted a bit in his seat at Malcolm’s question, taking another sip of his drink. He’d always traded in secrets and trickery, ever since he was younger, but he’d never been involved in anything of this scale. Mostly, the cons his parents ran were little hustles and schemes, just big enough for them to cash out and leave but not get caught. The bar was probably the most complicated they got while Freddie was still with them. They seem to have stepped up their game after they left--enough to get his father arrested, anyways. The gang work was the big leagues, and he had to learn on his feet. “Just rumors,” he replied, which was the truth. “It’s, uh...kind of slow going on my end. The long con, y’know? But I’m hopeful that I’ll get something soon.”

[mishrafreddie-blog]

solismortem:

Kit really had hoped that this guy would shut up after he got out of his way.  He’d been quite enjoying his peace and almost too quiet here on the beach.  But, he really didn’t seem like the type of guy who would traditionally show up at this party, so Kit couldn’t say he wasn’t curious.  

“It’s not my typical scene, if I’m honest,” he mused, inviting this man to sit on the lounger beside him with his eyes.  “But I’m not too mad about it.”

“Me neither,” Freddie replied, taking a set next to him and leaning back. He scanned the party again, his arms crossed, before glancing back at Kit. “I don’t really go to anything very hoity toity like...ever. At least, not with an invite,” he added with a cheeky grin.

[mishrafreddie-blog]

bvstiens:

When the bartender brought him his water, Bastien lifted it in a salute, a small grin flitting across his lips. There was something about the other that was friendly enough to put Bastien at ease but also just friendly enough to make sure he didn’t actually let his guard down. At the request, Bastien hummed quietly, thinking through the songs he could play. Finally, his fingers settled on House of the Rising Sun, head tilting a little as he tried to remember the lyrics. Everything about the guitar Bastien had taught himself, through the internet and by watching others. Reading music wasn’t needed; every song was carefully locked away in his head, filed into perfect order.

Bastien finished the song with a flourish and a half-bow from his chair, and then leaned back, brows cocking up. “Can I get you anything else then?”

Freddie watched intently as Bastien started up the song, smiling once he recognized the melody. There were so many people at the party, it was difficult to keep track of who was who and what was going on. He wasn’t sure where this man fell into the mix--Freddie didn’t recognize him from Old or New Olympus. Maybe he was just a regular guy, but he could never be sure anymore. 

Once the song was over, Freddie clapped. “Bravo, bravo,” he said. Freddie shrugged. “Dunno, I was pretty satisfied with the song. Oh, hey, I’m Freddie by the way. Freddie Mishra.”

[mishrafreddie-blog]

jullybeans:

Julian found himself staring at how good Freddie’s hair looked in the sun for a moment too long (and simultaneously being jealous of the long locks - his hair never quite looked like that back when he tried growing it out), before just smiling again and nodding towards the bar, which seemed surprisingly unoccupied.

“Whoops. You know me. In one ear and out the other.” He shrugged, giddy as he moved towards the plastic table and grabbed a good-looking Costco-brand vodka right off the top. “Good. I’m already like three drinks in and they’re not very good. Which means I should probably just have some more.” He didn’t miss a beat as he grabbed two cups and poured them both a healthy amount, then grabbing a bit of coke and mixing it in, before finishing it off with a hint of cranberry juice. “I know it looks gross but I promise it’ll taste better than anything else you can get around here.” With that, he stuck one cup out, shaking it as he motioned Freddie to take one.

Freddie laughed. “True. I’ll have to remember to tell you at least three times next time.” You know me. With those words, the knot in his stomach seemed to get even bigger. Yes, he knew Julian--very well, in fact--but Julian didn’t know anything about him. If he did...Freddie didn’t know what would happen. He didn’t want to know what would happen. “Right! Glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks the drinks are bad.”

 He made a face as he took the cup from him, looking suspiciously at its contents. “I dunno, Jules. This looks like the type of thing I had in like...high school. But I guess I can trust you this time.” Freddie took a sip of the drink, then shrugged. “Not bad, not bad--soon enough you’re gonna be able to steal my job.”

[bunchofrpmemes]

Bold everything your muse has done. (caution: contains multiple common triggers)

[mishrafreddie-blog]

atlasjohnson:

Despite the man having nearly chased him from the party, there was still something endearing in the way that he spoke and it prompted a small chuckle from Richard. He, of course, was still slightly alarmed at why someone at a party full of people who’s pockets were lined with both money and power would follow someone who broke from the crowd. If he was a thief or an assassin, Richie certainly wouldn’t make it easy for them. He was also sure that he had the faithful eyes of his Titans around him to make sure it was nearly impossible as well.

“You’re funny, I like that.” He replied, his tone genuine as he shook his head as though he were humored. Eyeing the drink that the boy still held in his grasp and his face, Richie turned his gaze away once more to the ocean. “Lucky for you, I love dogs. Though, I don’t think my current one would appreciate another new addition to the family if you don’t manage to find another owner. Trust me, he’s a biter and as much confidence as I have in you, you’d definitely lose.”

As Freddie thought about it, following the man from the party had not been the best decision for multiple reasons, including the fact that it was conspicuous and, as far as he could tell, people from all walks of life were at the party, including New and Old Olympians. He had no clue what this guy was capable of. Still, he grinned. “Thank you,” he replied with a mock-dramatic bow. “Maybe comedy’s my true calling.”

He blinked in surprise. “I’d have to get rid of my dog in this situation? You have suddenly become much less magnetic,” he replied, but his tone was still light and joking. “Well...Bagel still trips over his own feet, so it’s probably for the best.” He paused for a moment, glancing out at the ocean and taking a sip of his drink. “Seriously, though, I was just curious. There’s like, a whole huge party over there, so it was weird to see somebody leaving it. And I was getting bored–I’m Freddie.”

[mishrafreddie-blog]

cerberusfelicia:

“Oh I don’t come to these kinds of parties. Mine are more loud.” She shrugged before chuckling softly as Freddie spoke. “I could set off a sprinkler in the wrong direction.” Freddie was a newer member, but he was still trusted enough by the others. Felicia was more cautious of newbies, maybe because she herself had gotten similar treatment when she first joined Olympus back in its original glory. Still, he seemed pretty harmless and it wasn’t her job to micromanage the other members. 

Taking two champagne glasses from a cocktail waiter, Felicia handed one to Freddie and straightened up. She knew she’d been colder to him, so maybe this was her stupid olive branch. “So,” she started before taking a glass, “I feel like I barely know you. Where are you from before you joined us? I ask because everyone can guess where I’m from and it’s not fair.” She knew her English accent was still strong, so she cracked a small smile before narrowing her eyes. “And if you tease me consider this conversation over.” But she wasn’t serious, not today at least.

Freddie chuckled. “Now that I can believe. An interesting choice...But who knows how these people’ll react if their clothes get a little wet.” He didn’t know Felicia well. Outside of a very small group of people, he didn’t really know anyone in New Olympus that well. The whole spying thing was painfully slow, but that’s also what made it most exciting--it was the long con that mattered, and that’s what he was in for. Still, it was difficult not to feel at least a little intimidated by the members, from New or Old Olympus, 

He smiled when Felicia handed him a champagne glass. He shrugged in response to her question. “I mean, I was born in LA, but me and my parents sort of lived all over the place after that. I moved up here from Philly, though.” His father’s voice rang in his ears: the best way to lie is to tell the truth. He’d moved up to New York City with the intention of getting out, of living as the real Freddie Mishra, and he still tried to uphold that at least a little bit. Of course he wouldn’t mention Old Olympus, but there wasn’t anything in his history that sparked any real red flags. He took a sip of his drink. “Tease you? Wouldn’t dream of it. You could definitely kick my ass. And hey, you could have gotten that accent from anywhere. I knew a kid in high school who had a British accent because he was super into British TV shows. I’m, uh, guessing that’s not your case.”

[mishrafreddie-blog]

mvl-prvctice:

Malcolm shook his head in dismissal, “Not to worry, I’ve just been a little on-edge as of late. No harm done,” he excused, giving the other a brief tight-lipped smile before he was called away to retrieve his coffee.

“News stories,” Malcolm answered, tapping a finger on the newspaper sitting in front of Freddie. “There’s word of some uprising happening inside New York’s mob scene,” he explained, his brows hiking up at the word ‘uprising’. He didn’t want to spell it, but the fact that news outlets were beginning to shed light on gang tensions was worrying him. He’d begun looking over his shoulder every time he’d go over to Mount Olympus - which, was thankfully less frequently than in the past anyhow. “I’m not quite sure what your role is in everything, but whatever lid gets blown off will impact everyone.”

Freddie shook his head and shrugged. “If you say so, man.”

He tilted his head to the side slightly as he listened to Malcolm, his eyebrows furrowing together. He didn’t really know much about “mob life” besides what he’d seen in movies over the years, but everything seemed to be done behind closed doors, under the noses of everyone else in the city. He hadn’t even known about the gangs at all until his fateful meeting with Zeus. It was odd how quickly he’d fallen into it. “Uprising,” he echoed thoughtful, taking a sip of his coffee. “I mean...They don’t know any details yet or anything, right?” Freddie paused, tapping his fingers on the table absent-mindedly. “But at least they’re telling you that they’re, y’know, looking. It gives you a chance to control the info that gets out. Right?”

He snorted. His role. “Well, I’m not quite sure what yours is either. All of this is kinda shrouded in secrecy.”

[mishrafreddie-blog]

✌

✌ - a memory of a relative

The trip to visit Freddie’s grandparents was completely unplanned. His parents rarely talked about them at all, or any extended family for that matter. His mom would mention a sister on very rare occasions, but only in the vaguest of terms. His father was as tight lipped with the subject of family as he was with, well, everything else. Still, there was he was, sitting uncomfortably on the plastic-wrapped couch in his grandparents’ house in Kansas City, unsure what to make of any of what was going on.

His mother and grandmother were in the next room, where he could hear bits and pieces of a heated argument (he could hear the words “that man” coming up a lot), while Freddie tried to keep his composure under the gaze of his grandfather. He hadn’t seen his dad for a few hours–he’d made some excuse about errands and bolted right after they’d walked through the door. It was the most scared he’d ever seen him. 

Freddie shifted a bit and winced as the plastic squeaked beneath him. It felt like he’d been sitting there forever. His grandfather’s stare was calculating, judgmental even, and he understood what had made his father run. Finally, he cleared his throat. “You play any sports?”

He was struck dumb. He’d expected something…deeper. A bigger question. Like, maybe, where have you been for the past thirteen years? or want to hear the story of how your parents met? He opened his mouth to answer, but no sound seemed to come out. “Come on now, speak up,” his grandfather added. 

“I, uh…No, not really.”

“Well, you should try track. You have the build for it.”

They fell silent after that. Freddie stared at his hands. Suddenly, the faint arguing went quiet. He and his father met each other’s gaze, and watched as the door swung open and Freddie’s mother stormed out. She grabbed his jacket from the chair on the way. “We’re leaving,” she spat, not even turning to look at them as she passed.

Freddie moved to storm out after his mother, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. His grandmother was looking at him with wide eyes. She shoved a piece of paper into his hand. “Call us,” she said earnestly. “If you need anything. Please, call us.”

He nodded and stuffed the paper into his pocket.

He never called.

[xxmoved-blog]

Memory Meme

[edisonvilensky-blog]

xxmoved-blog:

Past experiences help shape who we are currently, how we see the world. Send in a symbol and I’ll write a drabble of one of my muse’s memories. 

❥ - a childhood memory

♣ - a fading memory

✂ - a vivid memory

✖ - a repressed memory

✈ - an eye-opening memory

✤ - a memory that involves romance/love

☤ - a memory of death/loss

✍ - a memory of their mother

☽ - a memory of their father

✌ - a memory of a relative

↕ - a memory that may or may not have happened

♚ - a memory of something paranormal

✓ - a sexual memory

♬ - a friend/best friend memory