there's a dead man in my head

“We are entwined together in this culture of death” Nathaniel Fitzgerald // Hitman // 32 // Business owner @ Sisyphus Security Inc. “I have felt the wind on the wings of madness”

[ofabattoirs]

vxsilicv‌:

    “Heaven forbid that you’re a workaholic and have a non-existant love life.” Yev smirks and downs the rest of his glass before looking over at Nathaniel again. “I’ll let you catch up. I should probably have a few glasses of water so that I don’t kill my liver. Then again, it’s probably already fucked…” He shrugs his shoulders but lifts his hand to catch the attention of the bartender. He’s given two glasses of water, which he takes one and does his best not to chug it like it’s the one thing he’s missing in his life. Yev turns and leans against the bar, fully facing Nathaniel now. “I don’t have a lover. I’ve always been a bachelor. Fleeting romances and such, nothing stable because I care more about my businesses than people whom I share a bed with.” He lets out a sigh and closes his eyes. “Frankly, I’ve just never met a person who’s ok with what I do. Until then, I’ll be single. I fear that I may never really find someone to love before the end of my time.” A bit morbid but the truth.

“Are you reducing yourself to these two words? A workaholic without a love life?” Nathaniel was certainly not even close to Yevgeni’s level of intoxication but he sure was influenced by his presence: the tenseness that he previously felt dissolved completely, and he gladly accepted the shared alcohol. “Your liver is made of steel, but if not, what’s it worth being Russian then, if not for the endurance of your collective livers?”

Yevgeni’s answer seemed more to Nathaniel as a rather intimate confession – alcohol does wonderful things, doesn’t it? “Perhaps, my friend, it is for the best.” he slowly said as his mind began to wander already, the fingers of his left hand tracing the circle where his wedding ring used to be – it seemed to have left a dent in his finger, a reminder, even. A sigh escaped his lips, he was frustrated with the pattern of his thoughts that, one way or the other lead to Ilse, as if there was a maze inside of his hand without an actual exit, and all paths took him to Rome – to her – even if he tried his best to erase her from his existence. He felt exhausted from his never-healing wounds, of her image constantly spurring in front of his eyes. “I was married,” he blurted, a beginning of what seemed to be an honest conversation, “I may still be, for the matter,” ironic, wasn’t it, after all? Their divorce was intended to be a bullet to his heart, fired from her gun, “But that is merely a technicality.” Well, he was ready for another bottle.

[ofabattoirs]

itsbreehenderson‌:

“It’s good to meet you too.” she said softly as she looked around the room, trying to make sure the other man was gone, “I, ah, I’m okay without a drink. But I wouldn’t mind sitting down.” she said. It had certainly shaken her up, and she knew she would be a lot more careful from now on. Clearly even the fancy parties weren’t safe. Then again, it did seem like half of New York was here anyway. She was beginning to suspect that maybe this hadn’t been intended as the open house she had been led to believe it was.

She shook her head softly at Nathaniel’s question, “I wouldn’t mind.” she said softly, “You did save me.” she added. She also knew that considering she wasn’t carrying a taser or pepper spray, if the other man came back, he was probably a lot more likely to be scared of Nathaniel then her. She shook her head again, more forcefully, as if she was trying to shake the thoughts out of her head. “I, um I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Are you from the area?”

Nathaniel tries to observe Bree, but to do so without leaving her with the feeling of some kind of an intrusion, he tries to do it one step at a time; a glance at her skin, then her hands to check if she is shaking, trying to assess her overall condition. Shock is not an easy emotion to overcome, especially if accompanied by panic. In the back of his mind, he stores his worry and dismay, so as not to let it affect her. “I meant something like, water, not alcohol,” He smiled – a soft smile, something so atypical for the man and his adopted sternness, yet so sincere, “Are you sure? I can get you water myself.”

Talking, he pulled out a chair and offered her with a simple gesture to sit down, away from the bar, “You know,” he began, “I am told that parties like this one are best enjoyed if you drink water only,” a light-hearted banter, intended to cheer her up and take her mind off of the entire situation; it was something that came naturally to him, a pure intention, rather than all of the feigned polite and nice gestures that he served people with throughout the evening, “Why, you may ask?” Nathaniel chuckled, as if he was narrating a talk-show, “You actually get to witness these snobs in their natural habitat, uptight and self-absorbed as they really are. Come on, isn’t that what everyone wants to see?” He let out a feigned dramatic sigh, let his eyelids fall shut for a moment. “Please, sit,” he said, waiting for her to sit down before he took his place next to her, "I am not actually a New York native, but I do live in Queens. What about you?”

[ofabattoirs]

cxptxinrivers‌:

closed | @ofabattoirs

Time was ticking by far too slowly for Lilah’s liking as she had found a seat thankfully by the alcohol source which was currently her saving grace. Her eyes were scanning over the crowds of the people, the varying stages of drunkenness with the odd emergence of sobriety did nothing to amuse her as it normally would have - so long as no one got hurt. But rather a yawn broke free from her lips and it was then she knew she had to call it an evening. Standing, taking hold of her purse as she brushed down the front of her dress and set for the exit. Sticking to the sides of the room to avoid being dragged into any unwelcome interactions, she had made steady progress until a body blocker her otherwise clear path. She didn’t mean to release a huff but the exhaustion prompted a shorter fuse. Her patience was wearing really thin, against her will she couldn’t also feel her emotions start to bubble up. Lifting her hand to tap the broad shouldered man, she didn’t wait until she turned before speaking, “Hi mister, if you could kindly move. You’re blocking the path.”

He spent the majority of his night circling between people so to avoid the dreadful small talk, but also not to risk his newfound and very well enjoyed solitude being obstructed. His date had went away in search of some friends, and since then he made it an effort not to see her again. Parties like these would be far more tolerable if the people who attended them did not have a stick up their ass, but that was just Nathaniel’s humble opinion.

He could not remember when was the last time that he enjoyed an outing such as this one – perhaps it was set in his childhood, which appeared so distant and far away from him that it all seemed like a very elaborate, intricately drawn dream. As he tried to search for an exit, but was stopped early in his attempt to leave – the guards blocked what appeared to be the only exit. “A simple security breach, sir, once we deal with it, you will be able to leave,” he was told. A security breach was practically a part of his job but he had no intention of getting himself into the middle of the entire situation – he did not care enough. And so, he stood there, caught with a rush of sudden impatience, unnerved by the entire ordeal when someone asked him to move.

“Gladly,” Nathaniel turned, summoned by the voice that held as much impatience as he was feeling, “There was a security breach. I think we will have to wait a bit before running away.” He took a step forward to the table that seemed unoccupied, leaning his fists against it as a support, “Excuse me, waiter,” Nathaniel said, “A whiskey for me, please. And ask the lady what would she like to drink.”

[ofabattoirs]

itsbreehenderson‌:

Bree let out a sigh of relief as her rescuer scared the other man off and she relaxed slightly, leaning against the bar. She quickly handed over the drink when he asked for it and she shook her head quickly, “No, no. I hadn’t had any of it yet.” she assured him, still feeling sick at the thought of the possibilities. If he hadn’t seen what was going on, things could have gone very, very badly tonight. She hated to think that she had been naive enough to take her eyes off her drink like that, but it had happened so quickly. She supposed she hadn’t realized just how easy it was for something to get slipped in. 

 “I thought I could read people better then that.” she said softly before taking in a deep breath and shaking her head, as if to shake off the what-ifs. “Okay … lesson learned, watch my drink better, and leave the pepper spray in my purse even at places like this.”  she said, half to herself before looking back up at the man. “Really, I just … thank you again. So much.” she added, before smoothing out her dress, trying to calm herself. “Um, I’m Bree. I should probably introduce myself to the man who saved me from that.”

If the man that was trying to spike her drink had any common sense, he would be gone by now – unfortunately, Nathaniel knew better than to dismiss the very thought of his presence completely off of his mind. He knew people better than that, and he knew that this one, as scared as he might have been of Nathaniel’s presence, would probably try to prey on the woman. Bree, as she introduced herself. Between the struggle that organizing his thoughts had been and keeping up the conversation, Nathaniel found a key to balance the process – and that was, one thing at a time. “Bree,” he said her name, as if to affirm that he will remember it and Nathaniel rarely forgot a name, let alone a face, “I’m Nathaniel. Pleasure to meet you.”

He wanted to make sure that she was a bit relaxed, not panicked before he would tell her what he thought of the entire situation. “Do you want to get a drink? Perhaps to sit down?” He offered, knowing well that he would not leave her alone as long as it was necessary. A pleasant company was better than to trail after her with a safe distance. “If you have nothing against it, I’d like to keep you company for a while, at least.“ A strange, although not an unfamiliar feeling appeared - he knew it very well, feeling protective of someone, it was just that he had not felt it in a long time, and it was an unusual situation, to say the least. With these thoughts in mind, he hoped that she would not reject his presence, although it would be more than understandable if she would do so - after all, a strange man almost drugged her, why would another strange man not try and do the same?

[ofabattoirs]

vxsilicv‌:

    Yevgeni rolls his eyes. “I had a coworker at the office insist that I bring someone along to the party. The assumed that I had a secret lover that I was hiding from everyone. I decided to make them look like an ass.” He chuckles and finishes the last of the wine in his glass. “Charlotte agreed because I let her drive my car.” Shrugging, he looks over at Nathaniel, admiring how well put together the man was, especially in a suit. “So we decided that I was a widower mourning my wife who passed away from cancer and she was my daughter.”

    When the new bottle of wine arrives, Yev grabs an extra glass for Nathaniel and pours him some before doing the same for himself. “She’s probably eyeing up one of the many women here. She’s a lesbian so she couldn’t pretend to be my girlfriend or whatever. That’d be way too awkward.” Yevgeni soon begins to take off his tie, starting to feel an uncomfortable warmth rise up within him. Was it the room or just him? “I’d drink the vodka but it’s not the brand I usually like so I’ll pass. Wine was the next best option.”

A melodic, loud laugh fills the air as Yevgeni begins to explain; now, that makes more sense, Nathaniel thought to himself and allowed the other one to finish the story of how he came to be with Charlotte in this place. A fan of a bit of a charade himself, Nathaniel could not help but wholeheartedly embrace the pact that the two of them had made, albeit unusual, it was fun. “Ah, the things you do to make your life seem interesting to other people.”

“I will take your word for it, but I guarantee that the whiskey is good. Expensive, if not thatgood,” Not a keen connoisseur of alcoholic beverages but rather a person that would eagerly indulge in them, Nathaniel remembered the hum of Ilse’s laughter as she once or twice accused him of having an underdeveloped palate for alcohol. You’d drink tap water and know no better, she would tease him. It was the moments like these that his world would succumb to a microcosm inside of his head where he kept her, locked away. Brief moments of mundanity, ashes of past carried by his thoughts. Love that bound her to him went cold as his anger swelled, yet all of these changes of his emotions went unnoticed and unexpressed with yet another chug of wine. “I have to say, I am warming up to the idea of getting drunk on this. You, on the other hand, should let me at least catch up on you, before you swallow this entire bottle. And, I almost forgot… Back to your secret lover,” Nathaniel was briefly overtaken by the impulse of childishness, “Is it merely a fiction of your coworkers or…?”

[ofabattoirs]

itsbreehenderson‌:

Bree wouldn’t exactly consider herself drunk, but she had certainly had enough to drink that she wasn’t as aware of her surroundings as she would be otherwise. However, she was determined to enjoy herself. She definitely made it out to the occasional bar or club, but she rarely got to attend something so formal. It wasn’t exactly part of her social status, and while she didn’t usually mind, it was still nice to enjoy on occasion. 

She had gotten caught up in conversation with a man she had met at the party, who was both very complimentary and very impressive if his own word was anything to go by. Still, he seemed harmless and she didn’t think there was a problem with some small talk and a little flirting. That was just part of what you did at a party like this, right? 

She hadn’t noticed anything was off until another man approached, grabbed the hand of the man she had been talking to and telling him to put the drink down. Her eyes widened as she realized he was holding her drink and at her rescuer’s words she knew exactly what had happened. “How dare you!” she exclaimed, slapping him before she even thought about keeping things discreet. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm down and process what had almost happened before she turned to the other man, “Thank you.” she said sincerely. 

Once she slapped the man, Nathaniel could feel his muscles tensing up and the inertia as he tried to pull away from his grip, however, Nathaniel had zero interest when it came to cutting his leash right away. While his temper was still at bay, Nathaniel could function with the simmering anger and his senses were not yet fading away. He knew that, if he wanted to, he could rid this man of his petty existence if he wished to, but there was a solid voice in his head convincing him against committing unnecessary acts of violence - after all, what good could his death do?

“If you have any interest in preserving your hand, leave this moment,” Nathaniel purred out his threat with conviction, knowing that every word of it was meant seriously, “If not, know that I will find you, and rid you of it.” Before letting him go, he made sure to get his point across by applying more pressure to the lock on the man’s wrist, and as a result, he got a slurred okay okay, before he set the man free. He did not turn to look at them, he just vanished.

“No problem,” Nathaniel said, straightening his tie as he took a step toward the woman. He reached his hand out, the one with which he held the man before, to take the spiked drink out of her hand, “May I?” Tension filtered out of his body all at once, his mind briefly dissecting the mishap, assessing the what could have happened stage instead of focusing on the reality of the entire situation. All angles considered, there was a hue of relief on his face, as his right state of mind returned to him once again. “There are a lot of people like him,” Nathaniel said, which actually meant you should be careful, “Did you drink any of this?”

[ofabattoirs]

vxsilicv‌:

    He’d agree that he’s had way too much to drink but being Russian, he could also handle his alcohol very well. Fron a young age, probably starting around 14, he had been exposed to taking shots of vodka. While wine was different from vodka, he could still drink a lot and feel perfectly fine. Tonight though? He was slowly coming up on his threshold and it was starting to show. His hair was now out of it’s place, sweeping across his forehead, and his cheeks flushed. When he feels Nathaniel touch his shoulder, he slowly turns to him with a smile on his face.

    “My date is old enough to drink.” He says, speech slightly slurred and accent heavy. “She is my fake daughter after all.” Yev knew that he didn’t have to keep up the act around Nathaniel and the rest of the people at the bar were just as drunk as he was so no one would remember. “Do you want a drink?” He asks, sliding the bottle of wine closer to Nathaniel. “Drinking alone is never fun.”

There was no need to be asked twice, and Nathaniel hated when he had to repeat himself so he ensured that this occurrence never happens with other people; that being said, he took up Yevgeni’s offer without giving it a second thought. “Drinking with you, on the other hand, issomething I would never miss.” His grin spread infectiously to his eyes as he sat down next to Yev. “Fake daughter, you say? Never knew you were into that,” he chuckled, resisting the urge to contemplate every single word of Yevgeni’s; his presence did, after all, improve this party. “Do not hog the wine,” As he grabbed it out of Yevgeni’s hand, Nathaniel noticed by the weight of the bottle that they would be in need of another bottle soon.

With avid zest, Nathaniel took a long chug of wine, letting go of the bottle when he was sure that there would be enough for Yevgeni to drink. “Ah, I can see why you like it so much,” Truth be told, Nathaniel was never a big fan of wine, however, he enjoyed an occasional glass now and then. “So, are you playing hide and seek or is she too old for that?”

[ofabattoirs]

Yevgeni unexpectedly kisses Nathaniel. @vxsilicv

A smirk appeared on the corners of Nathaniel’s lips once he saw Yevgeni at the bar. What was considering a normal sight of Yevgeni had nothing to do with the picture that had just appeared before his eyes - Yevgeni with a bottle of wine, hammered would be the appropriate definition of him. A rather amusing sight to Nathaniel, whose smirk grew into a full-fledged grin as he approached the bar. “Well, well, well...” He mused, hands locked behind his back as he leaned towards his old friend - although the wine was quite expensive, he was sure, it still provided the one who drank it with a smell that went along with intoxication. Nathaniel chuckled, “Look at big Daddy-o over here, all juiced up,” He tapped Yevgeni on the shoulder, so in the manner of saying hello but also as a way of ensuring that the man was standing straight on his feet, “I can see you are enjoying your alcohol but I have to ask, is your date old enough to drink?” 

[ofabattoirs]

Nathaniel just caught someone trying to slip something into Bree’s drink. @itsbreehenderson

Nathaniel was spending his evening chatting with his date (whom he could not quite place in the crowd of whiteness right now) before she disappeared to say hello to a few people she knew. Needless to say, Nathaniel was thankful that she did not ask him to accompany her - he already had enough acquaintances and had no interest in establishing any more of those lingering, unnecessary contacts that he would quite possibly never cross paths with again, at least not soon.

He took the liberty of circulating the party, uninterested about the fact that his date might seek him out in the spot where she left him; he did not have, in all seriousness, any intentions with her. He carelessly roamed between people, with a few “Excuse me” and a couple, “Pardon me, sir, madam”, eyeing the crowd, politely smiling when it was needed; until his eyes detected a certain situation before him. His face remained expressionless when his eyes met the eyes of an unknown male, that was casually pouring a powdery substance into a glass that he assumed belonged to the girl that was chatting to him. The entire moment seemed endless, his stare fixated until he detected a hue of panic in the other male’s eyes, after which came a slight drop of relief once he saw that Nathaniel was going the other way. 

Or at least he thought so. Unnerving as this entire situation was, Nathaniel was not going to do anything rash just for the sake of doing it. He ensured that the entire situation does not escalate by removing his presence from the immediate surroundings. An idiotic move like that would sure go unnoticed (frankly, no one cared enough to look past their noses around here) hadn’t it been for him. He harbored a very strong, cultivated distaste for drugs, but what he felt about taking advantage of anyone was pure hatred. As he approached the unsuspecting couple from behind, his hand around the wrist of the other man. He slowly added pressure, making sure that the pain was gradual, “Put the drink down, now,” Nathaniel said in a low voice, his eyes on the girl. “I believe he has something to tell you.” He breathed out, discreet enough not to start a ripple around them or draw any attention to them. “Do you, big brave boy?” Nathaniel spoke into his ear, slowly and loud enough for the man to hear it. 

[ofabattoirs]

charlottesdrive‌:

CLOSED THREAD WITH @ofabattoirs

being in the party wasn’t even in charlotte’s plans, but after she was invited by the blonde and yev asked her for a favor, using his car in return, she couldn’t even say no, it was two of her favorite things in one, an open bar and driving the LFA. yev was a close friend of hers, the one she runs too when she needs his opinions on things, or whenever she wants a certain russian cuisine that only her could cook. they came in the party together but the man lets her wander alone to socialize and maybe meet someone. she’s seen a lot of familiar faces but chose to stay in one place, enjoying her glass of champagne

A thick cloud of smoke permeated the air, the tobacco odor unsuccessfully blending with a variety of expensive fragrances that men and women wore. The atmosphere of the entire party was rather lively, the people seemed to have a pleasurable time albeit it appeared that this kind of a party was something they enjoyed every now and then – it was nothing out of the common. He stood by himself, enjoying a glass of whiskey which was more than good, his presence unnoticed by the guests, as he intended it to be. His date, a lovely girl who had hoped for something more between them, roamed the crowds with a plastered-on smile, tame and polite. At least that was how he saw her. There had not been a single thing that he found interesting in her, except well, the ticket to this party, that he suspected to be filled with people of a social milieu more akin to his.

And he was right, as usual – his old friend Yevgeni made his presence known to Nathaniel by a simple nod in the passing while the arm of his date, Lilly (was it?) was still hooked tightly around his arm. This was the perfect opportunity to search his company out, feel the murky waters of the party, see what kind of fish swim around here. He saw the girl that accompanied Yevgeni – he had never seen her face before – but Yev was nowhere to be found. Nathaniel approached her, cleared his throat before he spoke in order to announce his presence but also not to startle the woman. “Excuse me,” he said, “I could not help but notice your date is not around.”

[amancanfly]

SIX YEARS WITH @amancanfly! EST. 8th August 2012. I’d like to thank everyone who’s been with the blog since the beginning. Thanks to the follow, all the likes, reblogs, requests, and asks. You guys make running this blog a lot of fun! Here’s to another year of blogging about our favorite dude! -A

[ofabattoirs]

skylarhale‌:

Alright, so that is new. 

Skylar left her apartment, taking her beloved car Eddie from the garage and drove around the city before parking next to a restaurant. Fancy. She usually didn’t meet up with the client or the partner (depending on who this job was for - the Cotter organization or a side job of hers) until after the exploring of the sight and checking out the best escape routes for herself let alone meet up with them at a fancy restaurant. She wasn’t sure if this was put in motion by the organization or the hitter himself but she didn’t really care either. She was just pleasantly surprised, that was all. 

She got out of the car, considering whether she trusted a valet to take Eddie or not but deciding not to draw attention, she handed the keys to the young man welcoming her. 

She stepped inside and before she needed to ask for her table, a waitress already showed up, leading her where a man was already sat. “Well, this is very discreet indeed,” she said raising her brows while delivering her sarcastic comment. 

@ofabattoirs

There were more important matters that needed tending to, yet an arranged dinner seemed to serve better than anything. He was told that the target would be in the very same restaurant for the evening, a personal favorite of theirs, and that it was the perfect opportunity to do the briefing that was needed before a hit was arranged. The target, he too was told, would be dining with his in-laws, a rather loud couple, and he was seated next to them. What he, however, did not know, was that he was expecting company. He was a lone wolf before Ilse, and she briefly did manage to make the entire business of theirs seem like it was a job for two, but after Ilse, he decided it was in his best interest to keep his business to himself. To go, and to take care of it. However, this was something else entirely. The waitress came in and asked him if he would like to order right away or to wait for his date. Utterly confused, Nathaniel said that he would be dining alone, but the waitress reassured him with “The table is booked for two.”.

This came to be true, a moment later. A tall, blonde woman that he had never seen before in his life was escorted to the table by another waitress, that said: “I’ll give you some time to decide.” A soft smile. A courteous departure. Surprised even more than the woman herself was, Nathaniel looked up at her and said, “This isn’t my doing,” obviously, he intended to add, yet refrained from doing that, “It appears we will be working together, miss…?” He collected himself as he saw that this was an inevitable situation and more than that, he was sure that she could feel his annoyance and how he was slightly shook by her presence in the entire thing.  Just for once, he wished that he could do things his way. Unfortunately, that was not the case and Nathaniel knew that stubbornness needed not be involved into the entire situation, so he decided to let his annoyance simmer.  He wondered what her part in all of this would be, but decided not to ask until he had to. “Appetizers?” he said, picking up the menu.

[ofabattoirs]

mrnoahjeffery‌:

Noah sighed as he looked around the elaborately decorated room and tried to figure out how exactly he had gotten roped into this. Something was going to have to be done about his inability to tell his mother ‘no’ even when she was completely across the country from him. He wasn’t even sure why he had to go, but there had been something about “important”, “appearances”, and “representing the family”, which was how he got pushed into most things. He knew that she meant well, he just wished she understood how uncomfortable these things made him.

Even so, he took a glass of Champagne, sipped at it slowly - drunk would be such a bad idea at a place like this - and slipped on the mask he had picked up from all the years of growing up with a politician for a father. He smiled, shook hands, and participated in small talk peppered with a lot of ‘my parents both wished they could have been here tonight’ and pretended not to be incredibly uncomfortable with the whole scenario. 

He frowned slightly when he spotted another man being approached by a woman that Noah could instantly tell was making the man uncomfortable. He thought of his own experiences in trying to deal with Crystal in public, and even if this was nothing like that, he knew he had to step in. Just in case. “Excuse me,” he said, stepping over and smiling politely at the other man, “Someone in the other room was looking for you, I didn’t catch their name, but I can lead you to them if you’d like?” he offered, hoping that he understood Noah’s intentions there.

Just before the woman was about to dive into an in-depth but a very one-sided report on her daughter’s social and academic life that Nathaniel certainly did not care for, there came in a complete stranger whose intentions the man recognized as completely benevolent. He wished to mouth a thank you immediately: the gratitude was immense, indeed, he just saved him from an incredibly dull presence. “It must be dr. Everson,” Lying was not that strange of a thing for him, so he just decided to make the story more convincing, “After all, I did promise to meet his wife the last time. A wonderful man, I had an ankle surgery last year, he operated,” It took him almost no effort to concoct such a lie, words came out of his mouth as he maintained eye contact with the woman, “Now, if you will excuse me,” he took one step back, precise and fast, “I do hope to see you later. Please, do show me the way.”

Not. 

He held in what seemed to be a heavy sigh, and he managed to conceal it for approximately ten steps from the woman as he followed the young man into the next room, and then it came out, almost severing his chest open, “You,” Nathaniel said, eager to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, “Are a lifesaver. I owe you one,” he said, a grin plastered onto his face. “I’m Nathaniel Fitzgerald,” he extended his hand to the man in front of him. His eyes fell to the glass of champagne he held, “I say we ditch the champagne. Whiskey?” The sudden but positive change of the mood lit up a warm, friendly grin towards the stranger. 

[ofabattoirs]

a business offer // nathaniel + liam

[ofabattoirs]

officerliambarrett‌:

Liam frowned a little as the other said there was a situation but quickly asked what was going on. He certainly wasn’t a regular worker for Nathaniel’s company, but it was good side work for him, and something that he enjoyed. Even if he didn’t need the money as desperately as he once had, it was certainly nice to have a little extra, maybe even some to put into savings. The stability he had now was something he was still getting used to after the way he had grown up, but he certainly didn’t want to lose it again.

“I have a couple of days off, so if you need it quickly I think I should be able to help you.” he responded, wondering what the problem was. “I certainly don’t have any other plans.” he added, shrugging slightly to himself. He supposed that was the biggest perk to his situation for something like this. No family and very few friends meant that when he was off, he had quite a lot of free time. “I’m not that far from the park myself actually, I can meet you there in a few minutes?” Liam suggested, changing course to head in the direction of the park instead of the subway station. 

Once Liam said that he could do it, Nathaniel immediately felt a bit more relaxed – he knew that he could count on him. “That’s excellent. And yes, we can meet at the park. Once again, thank you. See you in a few, then.”

He felt a wave of ease washing over him, glad that Liam agreed to it instead of having to hire a complete stranger to handle such an important case for him. Not that he was not a fan of new employees or anything, quite the opposite – he loved a new face amidst the familiar ones, it always brought something else to the entire dynamic. It was more that he felt confident having Liam on the job. Patience came easy now, and his mind drifted elsewhere – it was a rather nice day, pleasant weather and all that, but his thoughts could not latch on this. Weather never was much of an obsession of his (a complete contrast to, say, his mother; but what seemed like an obsession to him was rooted in her meteoropathy) and he simply never gave it much of a thought. Of course, it did come as a problem if he was on his otheroccupation, but he could dismiss it as a slight annoyance: nothing stood between him and death.

He lit a cigarette out of necessity to do something with his hands, he could not keep still. His eyes closely followed the clouds of smoke that he exhaled, twirling and disappearing into the air, simply dissolving in front of his eyes. Having something concrete to do was always a good tactic to distract his mind from racing thoughts, a simple, occupying habit, like smoking, was enough.

[bypetchiensky]

[oldfashionedvillain-deactivated]

Let’s just say I fill gaps in important collections.

[ofabattoirs]

in need of a drink // nathaniel+ lucas

[ofabattoirs]

heartmadeofglcss‌:

He has to keep himself from staring at the man. The sharp jawline of the stranger is enticingly beautiful and it’s like as if he had been chipped from the marble stature of the Greek gods. How can someone be this…handsome? Luke’s stomach nearly jolts at the thought and he feels another rush of heat threatening to grace his cheeks. The days are a normal ritual and he’s seen many handsome strangers before, but this one certainly rests on top of his list. Nonetheless, he’s one to respect personal space and he doesn’t allow himself to intrude. He normally strays from the barriers of those who he doesn’t know, in an attempt to show some kindness.

Luke gives a small chuckle at the comment before shrugging. “I’ll call a cab for you if you do run into any walls.” He flashes a broad grin before carefully pouring the liquid into the glass with steady hands. He listens carefully to the words that are being spoken now, steadily drowning in man’s voice. “It won’t be an issue.” He feels his shoulders begin to relax with a strange sense of calmness washing over him. This is probably the quickest he’s opened up to a stranger. A new record.

“Yeah, they are, but if you work in a place like this, you have to expect it.” He’s had his own trouble with drunks and there’re some experiences in which he doens’t want to reveal too easily. His eyes are caught by the other as he raises the bottle to place it back on the shelf. For a moment, he swears that his feet have stopped operating. “Uh…it’s great,” he nearly stumbles over his sentence. “It can get crazy during happy hour and I’ve had many instances in which I was nearly tripping over my feet because I was so tired. But other than that, it’s…pretty nice. There are the occasional assholes, but that’s just apart of the occupation.” He pushes the drink over the counter to the man, quickly retreating as if he’s going to get bit by a tiger. Turning away for a second, he places the bottle back on the shelf.

“I do hope there is no need for that,” Nathaniel grinned, his attention briefly concentrating around the counter. As the other man pushes the glass towards him, his fingers eagerly wrap around it, as if he were thirsty for a thousand years. Not wanting to seem eager to get drunk (and for the record, when he came in, he truly was not), but within the spur of his thoughts, his opinion changed. He took a sip and the liquid made its way down his mouth, leaving a bitter, scalding sensation – the one he loved about it. “Please, keep them coming,” He said, rather refreshed after the first sip. “And, of course you have to expect that,” He agreed, “But really, there is no preparation. People tend to dissociate from who they really are after they’ve had their limit. I’ve seen it happen.”  His mind briefly went someplace dark, perhaps an instance of his childhood flashed before his eyes yet he refused to think of it. He started twisting the ring on his finger, unconsciously trying to distract himself. “I have to admit that I think of myself as quite resilient when it comes to alcohol,” he acknowledged his false arrogance with a nonchalant smile, “But that too is open for changing.”

Changing. How many things could he exactly change in one night, about himself? Perhaps it was time to take the damn ring off – he felt as if it added weight to his hand. Gold and glimmering, beautiful – he did remember how they picked them out together. She wanted something old-fashioned, vintage, she said and an engraving. Perhaps, I could… the sentence could not seem to find its own end in Nathaniel’s mind. His marriage was long over, without papers, lawyers, fights and tears. It was everything but old-fashioned, he smiled, more to himself, the simmering pity underneath his thoughts was about to come to the boiling point. He decided to leave it behind. After all, it was not as difficult for her – the night she left, she left her ring behind. That was how he knew it was over.

He took another sip, the original bitterness of the first faded, and he needed a fast recharge. The taste of alcohol and the smell of it was precisely what he disliked about it before, but that too – changed. “Can I smoke in here?”