diamonds and pearls and revolvers oh my!

I want money, and all your power, all your glory Hallelujah, I wanna take you for all that you got Hallelujah, I'm gonna take them for all that they got I can do it if you really, really like that I know what you really want, baby You should run, boy, run

[ofmonstersandmasquerades]

jude-devine‌:

If it wasn’t a universal truth, Jade would be met with few objections on that side of the room. Jude certainly hadn’t been impressed with the man, but he hadn’t made it his business or attempted to intervene. The blonde seemed to appreciate the attention, or at least the free drinks it was netting her. It wasn’t until she’d strutted back to the bar without the drunken idiot that Jude had realized how much of it had been an act, and a rather convincing one at that. Maybe he should’ve been uncomfortable, or at the very least concerned for his own wallet. He had no doubt the blonde’s expensive designer handbag was stuffed full of things that didn’t belong to her, yet he still seemed happy to offer her an out.

His invitation wasn’t explicit and when asked about it, he only smiled, “It could be. If you’re all done here… My night’s wide open.” He only needed to finish his drink, which he lifted from the countertop now. However, he paused before knocking back the last, watered down swallow. The scene on the dance floor was growing more and more dramatic, with other people now checking to make sure they still had all their valuables and the bouncers getting involved. Jude’s expression as he looked on was the perfect combination of bland indifference and bemusement, appearing to neither care nor fully comprehend what was happening. After a short while, he finished his drink and turned to set the empty glass on the bar.

“Hey, can we get that to go?” he asked the bartender as they were returning with Jade’s mai tai. With a shrug, the drink was unceremoniously dumped, fruit garnish and all, into a styrofoam cup with a straw and a lid. Jude stifled a grin as he forked over a ten dollar bill to cover the round, “Thanks… Have a good night.” After transferring the drink to Jade, he crossed in front of her to offer an arm. It was both terribly old-fashioned and terribly convenient, his much taller frame blocking her from her former date’s sight and practically ensuring a clean getaway. Presuming she accepted, they’d be out of the club and into the (relatively) fresh air of the Quarter in no time.

A few paces from the door, Jude gave her the option of slipping her arm free, but the amusement he’d previously manage to contain to just his eyes was spreading across the rest of his face like wildfire, “Well, that was fun.” Coming from anyone else, it might’ve sounded sarcastic but Jude truly seemed to mean it. His smile was nothing short of devilish as he laughed, “Now that we’re partners in crime, care to tell me your name?” He didn’t expect her true title so much as an alias, probably something as pretty and perfect as she was, but just to keep things fair, he introduced himself, “I’m Jude.” 

She watched, lightly amused, as he’d gotten her drink to go and cleared the tab. Efficient. That wasn’t exactly a surprise, but it was an interesting characteristic to add to her portrait of the man. And either generous—possible, given that he was giving her a clean getaway— or monied enough that ten dollars wasn’t a great loss—also possible, given that the clean getaway might be a way to proposition her for more. Not that she’d say no. He was the most fascinating person she’d met in a long time. She wasn’t likely to let this one go without learning more about him. She didn’t hope much anymore for someone who could keep up with her, but anyone who could get close was worthy of investigation. 

So she took his arm and let him lead her from the bar without a backwards glance. No one back there held a candle to him anyway, so no great loss. She still had a drink, even, which she took a sip from as she considered him. He seemed actually amused when he said it had been fun. He introduced himself and she just stared before laughing. Real, actual laughter, which was rare. It almost felt wrong. 

“Jude. Really.” She shook her head, knowing that she was about to break one of her cardinal rules, but come on, it was too hilarious not to. “Well, lovely to meet you Jude. I’m Jade.” First names only, at least, she wasn’t completely idiotic. Still, the idea of having a partner in time, at least for the evening, was... enticing. “If you really want to be partners in crime...” She reached into her purse and nimble fingers rummaged around until she withdrew them, triumphantly holding Bar Asshole’s credit car. 

“I know you’re obviously not hurting for cash, but want to help me make a dent before he sobers up enough to cancel the card?”

[ofmonstersandmasquerades]

jude-devine·:

Nightclubs weren’t Jude’s usual scene but sometimes there was good reason to endure the bad remixes, worse propositions, and watered down alcohol. Being new to the city, he was eager to make new acquaintances, and places like this attracted a certain kind of person. The typical clientele didn’t appeal to him, but apart from the writhing mass of bodies on the dance floor and the barflies was a third, more interesting party that occasionally surfaced. He couldn’t say for sure who they were or what they would look like - only that they were a bit like himself in the sense that they’d come here for a reason, and that reason wasn’t just to unwind and have a good time.

Unfortunately, he’d only know what he was looking for when he actually saw it. In the meantime he resigned himself to sipping a whiskey with ice though he’d ordered it neat, keeping tabs on a number of situations unfolding around him. In the back booth, where the lighting was too low for human eyes to see, an inebriated couple was exploring just how far denim could be made to stretch. A young woman in a hot pink ‘bridesmaid’ sash that had apparently gotten separated from the rest of the bachelorette party was in tears on the phone near the bathrooms, and just down the counter a man was throwing away money on overpriced drinks, attempting to woo a blonde that was unspeakably out of his league.

Cerebral it was not, but like all other dramas it contained some intangible quality that made it amusing. Temporarily, at least. All told, Jude’s interest was waning. This club was his third stop of the evening, and having still not found what he was searching for, he prepared to call it a night. He asked to close his tab before the ice in his glass could completely melt, and was waiting for the bartender to return with his card when the blonde from before came strutting back to the bar. Jude idly glanced over with the expectation he’d soon look away, yet something about her was different. His eyes narrowed slightly, and ultimately it was too striking a transformation to ignore.

He was positive it was the same girl that had been drunkenly giggling up a storm ten minutes before, but suddenly her expression was sharp and sober. Following her line of sight back to the dance floor, Jude started to put the pieces together. “… finally gave him the slip, huh?” he asked with both a shake of his head and a smile, not reacting when her companion from earlier announced, rather loudly, that his wallet was missing. Jude said no more as the bartender waited for him to sign his bill, scribbling the initials JD on the dashed line above ‘Daniel Devine V’ and  dropping the pen into the plastic tray. Nudging it back across the counter, he picked up his nearly empty glass, remarking, “Guess we’re both headed out soon.” 

@ofmonstersandmasquerades

She’d taken notice of the man before. Of course she had—he was basically the textbook definition of ‘tall, dark, and handsome’, but he hadn’t done anything interesting enough for her to do more than clock where he was sitting and how often he was ordering drinks: not that often, he was probably more sober than most of the people in here. Certainly more sober than the forward man she’d decided was her mark for the night. Honestly, anyone who thought that starting right off describing what positions he thought she’d look best in deserved for her to take him for all he had on him. She wasn’t one with strong opinions on morality, but that had to be some sort of universal truth. 

The fact that this man seemed to have picked up on her little game, though, was startling. Women caught it far more than men. Men didn’t like to think that pretty blondes were predators—of course not, that meant that they were the prey, and no man she’d ever met had honestly felt comfortable admitting that the gorgeous blonde with her perfect nails and her diamonds and pearls and meticulous make-up was actually far more intelligent than he could hope to be. She wasn’t complaining. It was far easier to manipulate someone who thought they held all the power. But it made it a little unsettling that Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome was indicating that he had any idea what she was up to. 

She glanced down at the bill as he signed it, adjusting her impression of the man slight to accommodate the “IV” behind his name. Old money, then, not one of the newer tech magnates. “Are we?” she asked, deciding to play into it. “Well if that’s an invitation, then... I’ll say that you’ve sparked my interest.” She was sure she didn’t have to leave. Bozo over there probably wouldn’t suspect it was her who stole his wallet, and if he did start to look her way, all she had to do was to get hysterical about “wait, is mine missing too?” and then turn to the bartenders and the bouncers and wail about how they had to do something, she didn’t feel safe, wasn’t that their job? It might even be fun, but it was old hat. This man was something new. 

[yvesdot]

oc asks that reveal more than you think

Do they sleep with a stuffed animal? If they have multiple, who’s the favorite?

Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child?

Ask them to describe their love interest.

Do they look good in red?

Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?

Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate them?

Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)?

What age do they most want to be right now?

They’ve won the lottery. Spend, or save?

Do they like romance in the books they read (or in the book they’re in)?

Name one thing their parents taught them.

Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any?

What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

If money wasn’t a limit, what would they wear?

Do they like children?

Kissing: tongue or no tongue?

Do they study before tests? Practice before job interviews?

What do they like that nobody else does?

What would it take for them to break up with someone? What would be the last straw?

Do they like being called pet names? Do they call other people pet names? What’s their go-to?

Stability or novelty?

Honesty or charity?

Safety or possibility?

Talent or effort?

Forgiveness or vengeance (or…)?

Would they date a fixer-upper?

What recurring dreams do they have?

What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven?

[ofmonstersandmasquerades]

Night Out || open

The club was quieter than it usually was. Probably because it was a weekday, and not everyone could set their own hours the way she could. Poor people with their desks jobs—it must get so boring. She couldn’t fathom it. They didn’t even pay well, and how boring must it be to do that day in and day out. She’d dabbled in those sorts of jobs over the years, but never for more than a month or two when she needed to make a cover more concrete. Which made it more akin to a game, because she’d be immersing herself fully in some new character or another. But having that be life? The thought was horrifying. 

Almost as horrifying as the fact that this man at the bar seemed to actually think that his pick up line would give him a chance with her. Which it did, almost, but not nearly in the way he wanted it to. She put on the bright, bubbly grin, acted far drunker than she was, and let him start buying her drinks. She laughed, leaned in closer, let her hand linger on his waist, and felt a flash of triumph as she confirmed exactly where his wallet was. 

It only took a little longer to subtly suggest a trip to the dance floor, and then five minutes after that to slip his wallet out of his pocket and into her purse. After a few more minutes, she added his watch for good measure after a particularly painful attempt at a transition to his car—an added tax because really, he was boring her to the point that she had to entertain herself somehow. She steered him towards another group on the dance floor, letting them close in around him, and sauntered right back to the bar, nodding to the bartender for another mai tai. A glance back confirmed that he’d already started whispering in some redhead’s ear, so clearly he wasn’t going to notice any time soon.