@librarywent sent: "i've killed before, and i'll kill again." norarams modern? serial killer au?
She did not care. She had seen people be killed, strangers and acquaintances alike. It hardly bothered her, but then again she was never the one delivering the killing blow. Lenora did not need to be the one doing the act when she had the means to pay someone else to do it. Perhaps if she held a knife in her own hands and plunged it into someone, she would feel differently.
"That was an answer to a question I did not ask." Scarred fingertips danced up Ramsay's arm, feigning gentleness until she reached his neck. Her hand was briefly planted around his neck, even giving it a small squeeze --- not too tight. It was like she was checking the ripeness of an apricot. "Will you kill for me?"
Brown eyes widened, unwavering as she stared into a sea of blue. Her gaze alone demanded the answer to her question as her fingertips began idly moving toward dark hair like a sneaking spider in the night. Impulsively, she yanked on the locks, clearly using much more force than she had against his neck. "If I were to point at someone on the street, would you kill them for me? No questions asked?"
Her words were near a hiss, yet they hinted at desperation. She needed to hear him say yes like the way she needed air for her lungs. Lenora's grip on his hair, like her gaze, did not tremble. She stood like a towering rock against the shoreline, unbothered by the storm raging, as she tugged him closer. Their noses almost touched.
𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐈𝐑 ; an oxymoron in display - steps are light, mind HEAVY with consumption. - ideas now buzzing, swarms of thoughts formulating in and out : FACTS, opinions, empathic neuron's, work. goodness, what a peculiar taste - what a unique PROFILE that is held within manila folder ( cursive writing could be found scribbled throughout the case files, after all, el camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente. )
she keeps files close to her as she absentmindedly finds her way to one of her favorite SPOTS --- really, with the work that she has just WITNESSED one would be rather forlorn . bella, however . . . .
" 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 ! ! "
beaming, she enters the room as fresh air would. she announces herself with an energetic hand raise - eloquent, musical as if salsa was playing in the background. however, she stops in her tracks.
. . . dios mio ( dear god ) the atmosphere was HEAVY. and he looks. . . well, to put it nicely, he looks like shit.
" will - " her face is serious ; any sign of lighthearted nature has all but dissipated . the heavyness of the folder hits his desk with a muted THUMP. taking a deep breath, bella sighs -
** @librarywent : ' okay mr graham, how do you want to play this ? ' foggy asked and leaned back in the chair behind his desk, pen poised to take notes. he was a good lawyer, he had done his research; he was very much aware that a trial wherein he didn't give his defendent room to say his piece was likely to spiral out of control. he crossed his legs at the ankle, ' because I think we play up the idea that you're a teacher who was dragged into investigations with no regard your best interests. '
THERE WERE CHILDREN. Hostages that were actual children. Fay was one of them. There was a slight sense of sympathy for the child, just because he reminded Andrés a lot of Sergio when HE was younger. However, that small hint of sympathy wouldn’t keep Berlin from doing what was necessary — which, RIGHT NOW, was standing guard. It was rare for HIM to be on this duty; it was usually Helsinki or Oslo or even Nairobi, but here he was, taking his shift as usual.
“Hey.” He looked down at Fay, who looked UTTERLY TERRIFIED. “Hey.” Berlin’s voice was a quiet whisper, not wanting to wake the others. They’d passed out sleeping bags, and it seemed like Fay wasn’t the ONLY one who was having trouble sleeping, but he was certainly one of the youngest. “Get some rest, ¿sí? Tomorrow, I’M PUTTING YOU TO WORK.”
Sweet boy. He was still sweet, so unlike Bran who now seems so unattached from reality, mighty and all. Jon wonders if someone had told Rickon what had happened at Castle Black and why he is now fearful he will die again. But he cannot lie, so Jon does what he must and shows the scars of what happened to him, they never fully healed, and he wonders if it's there as a reminder to himself and everyone else, that he had been betrayed, that the red woman's magic had worked.
"I was lost to you once and the Gods brought me back to found you. I will not allow myself to die again." He simply cannot. He has his siblings to protect now, as Robb would want him to do, as their father would. "You are not going to lose me, Rickon. I know it might be an empty promise but know I mean it."
@librarywent asked: ❝ ... i guess i'm just scared of losing you. ❞ rickon.
what age do you feel like? from ivy? two girls who lost girlhood </3
the idiot starters | still accepting.
"I don't feel like anything."
Inexplicably, Mary wants to reach out and brush a strand of hair off the girl's cheek, press a hand to her face, because she knows she's being asked a question she doesn't have a sufficient answer to. Girlhood doesn't sit well on her, never has: a too small coat, a hideous need crouched in her chest. Need to be cared for, need to be entirely and smotheringly alone. Turning her gaze upwards to people uninterested in her. She stays still, feeling the soft fabric of the couch against the back of her legs, and shuts her eyes to the light, to Ivy's waiting face.
"I'm 34," she says after a long moment. "Sometimes I still feel like I'm that dumb 20 year old." 20 and thrilled with fame, devastated by the need to degrade herself daily. Sometimes Mary Dahl feels 16 and desperate. Sometimes, alone and scared in the dark, she feels eight years old all over again.
a kiss shared on a rooftop while the sun sets ( a happier one <3 )
they climb the staircase to the rooftop of sae-byeok's apartment complex, arms full of all the fixings to make mojitos ... curtesy of the 45 billion won they've just fought and bled and nearly died for. the first thing sae-byeok had wanted was the cold beverage ji-yeong kept teasing her for not knowing, and the first thing ji-yeong had wanted was to sit and watch the sun set. the view they've settled on isn't exactly picturesque. it's certainly no jeju, but at least they can actually see the sun from where they're both perched on the low wall that lines the perimeter of the roof — wide enough that they can let their legs dangle off a little and not feel the fear of imminent death; sae-byeok, personally, thinks they've had enough heights for one lifetime.
she takes another sip of her drink, sweetness coating her tongue and throat. it could be too sweet, but the burn of the alcohol that follows does a good enough job in muddling the taste, keeps it from becoming too cloying. and for all the death and destruction they've born witness to over the last week ( all their lives, really ) and the bustling of the city below as people try to finish their errands before nightfall, a peculiar sense of calm settles in sae-byeok's bone — her frame worn and tired, hunched as she still nurses a wound in her abdomen, but oddly peaceful. she sets her drink down at her side, the one farthest from ji-yeong; there is too little space between them to try to place her drink there.
this is how it is supposed to be, sae-byeok thinks to herself out of nowhere, for no reason in particular. her eyes fall to the frays on the other girl's jean shorts, stringy and uneven, like she had cut them herself. and below that, the smooth expanse of ji-yeong's thighs, evening light softening the blemishes there. sae-byeok hears a laugh then, feels a bump to her shoulder, and her name being said. that's what makes her look up, and her stomach swoops like she's just taken a nosedive off of the side of the building. ji-yeong really is ... a very pretty girl.
this is the sunlight sae-byeok is meant to see her in. not that fake, gaudy orange that saturated them like an oppressive fog back in the games. that false sunset they stood in as marbles were exchanged, the light harsh and unforgiving, shadowing their faces too sharply. it is supposed to be like this. ji-yeong bathed in light that is warm, soft and real as she is. like this, she looks off-perfect; stud in her nose catching the sun's rays, her grin tilted and toothy. sae-byeok swallows — did ji-yeong lean in just now? or is that something she only imagined? she stares for what feels like minutes, dark eyes taking in the other's features like she's seeing her for the first time. it is only after noticing the triangle of moles at the base of ji-yeong's neck that she remembers — ji-yeong had said her name, had wanted something from her. sae-byeok hums quietly, meeting the other girl's eyes. it makes ji-yeong laugh again, and nod her head towards the skyline. you're going to miss it, sae-byeok hears her say.
sae-byeok blinks, a quiet show of confusion in the small shake of her head. i'm not missing a thing, she thinks. she leans in, stretching out a thin hand to rest it gently on ji-yeong's bare thigh, leaving it there before she gets too nervous and backs out. sae-byeok searches ji-yeong's expression, her body language, takes in all of her as she looks for any sign that she doesn't want this. that's so important to her ... that whatever this feeling is, ji-yeong feels it too. that they both want the same thing.
sae-byeok looks back at ji-yeong, eyes softened, and there's a question in them she isn't sure how to phrase. her heartbeat hammers in her ears, louder than the incessant noise of the city below, and she realizes — realizes what this feeling is, and what she wants to do about it.
"ji-yeong," she says. it comes out quieter than she intends it, whispered like a secret. "is it okay if i ... ?"
sae-byeok doesn't get to finish, the mumbled, awkward nature of her request saved by ji-yeong's hand on her chest; not pushing her away, but pulling her closer. that hand fists into the thin fabric of sae-byeok's shirt, and there's a moment where they both hesitate, their eyes flicking up to catch the other's gaze: one last search for approval. sae-byeok smells the sweetness on ji-yeong's breath, leftover from her own drink, and doesn't think twice about closing the scant space between them.
she presses their lips together, tentative at first — sae-byeok doesn't quite know what she's doing — but her heart jumps into her throat at the first brush of their lips, eyes closing as the kiss deepens, and she releases a sigh into ji-yeong's open mouth. hand moves from thigh to hip, searching for something to steady herself while sae-byeok's other hand rises to gently cup ji-yeong's cheek. it just feels right that way, cradling her like she's something precious ... which sae-byeok believes she very much is.
heat twists abruptly through her, somewhere deep in her core when she feels fingers snake through the soft hairs at the back of her neck and lightly tug. sae-byeok feels light in the head, chases that high with each press of her lips against ji-yeong's, each curious swipe of her tongue, until it feels like gravity has nearly loosened its entire hold on her ... which is when sae-byeok remembers their somewhat precarious positioning upon a rooftop.
she pulls away, face hot and only getting hotter when she catches the pink in ji-yeong's cheeks and her blown pupils. sae-byeok resists the urge to squirm under her gaze, but mostly resists the urge to just start kissing her again, and remain ignorant to the fact that there are far better places they could be kissing. but that small smile ji-yeong is wearing — not a smirk, and not smug, and not entirely self-satisfied, but rather very pleased and very much endeared — it makes sae-byeok a little shy to be on the receiving end of it, so she averts her gaze and returns it to the sunset in the distance. it sits on the horizon like the split rind of an orange, visible only in small slivers between buildings.
and as if on cue, ji-yeong makes a joke. something about how much this view blows and that this is not what she paid for. it makes sae-byeok roll her eyes, fighting the smile that tugs at the corner of her mouth as she bumps their shoulders together, using the way ji-yeong jostles back at her as an excuse to cover the other girl's hand with hers. and as the sun continues to fade away, the light slants just right and focuses on ji-yeong's parted lips. and that seems like enough of a sign for sae-byeok to lean in and kiss her again, again, again.
jonathan knows it’s bordering on blasphemous but...
“i’m thinking about staying in for halloween.” he admits with a shrug. “all the bats will be out. and i don’t really like messing with kids.” arkham isn’t exactly in his up and coming plans, and he’s long since learned there’s no not getting caught - not when it’s halloween. the difficulty level is certainly a challenge many villains find enticing. but jonathan doesn’t have anything grand - would rather strike in the days following, when the bats are all trying to recover from the overhaul of the holiday.
“do you have anything planned, jervis?” he wouldn’t mind helping - preferably behind the scenes and a ways off from any real trouble. but he isn’t one to leave a friend high and dry.
