Tatiana Bhatt

[tatianathequeen]

griddyshazel

“What if I told you there was indeed an apocalypse. But the umbrella academy were able to go back on time and stop it. If I told you I watched with my own eyes, the world end. And the only reason I’m still here is because I used to work for an agency of time-traveling assassins.” Hazel said, pausing for a second so he could answer her question. “You don’t have to give me anything. Just listening and not thinking I’m a crazy is more than enough.”

After another quick pause, he took in one more deep breath before speaking up again. “I don’t know it happened. But a chunk of the moon fell off and hit Earth. That was the end of it. Everything gone. But the academy stopped it now, apparently.

How? He had no idea. He was also still yet to see Five. It was as if he disappeared. No one knew if his whereabouts at all.

She managed to stop herself from asking any questions when he mentioned an apocalypse until he’d finished talking. “I’d say that the moon hitting the Earth does sound very end of days. But that clearly hasn’t happened, unless you’re really a time traveler. But - not offence - you don’t really look like one of the Umbrella people.” 

Normally, if she knew someone interesting, she’d drop the name into the conversation, but it didn’t seem right to admit that she knew two people at the Tower. Tatiana had no fear of getting Cassius in trouble, she knew he could handle himself, but Jax was an entirely different matter. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about seeing him again. 

“I’m a historian, not a scientist, so I will say that I don’t think the moon could break that easily. I hope. But also, if you are a time traveler, please take me to the French Revolution, that’s my area of study right now.” 

[tatianathequeen]

httpronan

Ronan had to pause and think about her hand movements– they were a bit fast, but he caught them. “My parents made me take classes. Sorry, not very good. I make sentences like a toddler,”He responded slowly, glad that she had seemed grateful someone was signing back to her. “I’m hearing, but they always said it would be easier for me to get jobs if I knew more languages.”Which, they were right about, and it had even come in handy at his job as an event planner. He’d had his fair share of deaf clients who were more than pleased that they could effectively communicate with him.

Slowly down her own signs, Tatiana moved her hands again. ‘You’re good enough.’ She would never discourage anyone from learning sign language, even if it meant they were slow and awkward at first. ‘Your parents, very smart. What do you do?’ She knew what the Deaf community was like, and if she could promote a place that had someone who signed working for them, she knew they’d love that business. She’d seen it happen in action. Her favourite restaurant (barring the fancy ones, of course) was one where the waiters all knew how to sign, and she always ran into deaf people there. 

[tatianathequeen]

@tuajax​ Tatiana Bhatt and Jax Coyne playlist. LISTEN HERE. 

when we were young // Adele ... who knew // Pink ... good goes the bye // Kelly Clarkson ... complicated // Avril Lavigne ... we used to be friends // Dandy Warhols ... somebody that I used to know // Gotye ... need you // Allie X ... everybody’s changing // Keane ... need you now // Lady Antebellum

[tatianathequeen]

LISTEN HERE. 

hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it // Lana Del Rey ... don’t stop me now // Queen ... bulletproof // La Roux ... runaway // Pink... you’re so vain // Carly Simons ... bad girls // MIA ... confident // Demi Lovato ... maneater // Nelly Furtado ... I am a good girl // Christina Aguilera ... chandelier // Sia

[tatianathequeen]

tuajax

        it was strange, seeing his old life and the new bleed together so seamlessly. not a badstrange, per say, just … strange, strange.  like maybe he’d blink and she might disappear.  inconspicuously, he dug his nails into the back of his arm when he’d pulled away from the hug.  it hurt, so he knew he wasn’t dreaming.  this was, as absurd as it sounded, real.  

      “ three years, more than double that ago. “  he replied with a slight shrug.  “ …you definitely look different.  good different.  you’re.. “  he waved his hand.  she didn’t need him to say she was hot;  she surely knew.  “ i’m … about the same, really. “  he replied with a shrug.  “…debt-free though, amazingly enough.  this whole superhero gig might get me killed, but at least i won’t starve to death. “  he smirked, even if it wasn’t really that funny.  it had been a real concern just a few months previous.  if ari hadn’t deposited that money in his account and wiped out his debts, he’d be in a completely different position in life.   it was still almost impossible to believe.  “ you win some, you lose some. “

          at the mention of his height, he rolled his eyes.  “ do they even make them higher than those ?  seriously, what are those ? “  he pointed to the death traps on her feet.  “ those look like they cost more than a year’s tuition.  don’t tell me. “  he added quickly.  “ i don’t want to know. “  he shook his head.  “ things change, they stay the same. “  

She didn’t need to be told how long it’d been since they’d seen each other. Nostalgic wasn’t something anyone would accuse her of, but when it came to him, it seemed impossible not to miss how close they’d once been. 

Smiling like the cat the caught the canary, Tatiana struck a pose. “I’m what?” She teased, well aware that she was an attractive woman. She used it the same way she used her brain. As long as she got what she wanted, she didn’t really care what people thought of her. But at the same time, she had to admit, she did like attention, and dressing the way she did helped that. 

“You look like you’re starving to death. Don’t they have food up in that tower?” She didn’t much like the idea of him getting hurt, but she wasn’t going to say that. It wasn’t her style. “You could afford to put some meat on those bones. Or muscles. I mean, I’m not exactly a paragon of health, but at least I don’t look like a feather could knock me over.” 

Gracefully, she twirled on her heels, used to them now. “These are actually only five inches, thank you. Just an everyday pair. My evening pairs, they can go up to ten inches. Not that most guys actually know what that means.” They had still cost a lot, but then again, so did most of what she wore these days. 

[tatianathequeen]

ceryslyy

               or if it does exist, she signed back, i’ve chosen to ignore it.  at that, she giggled.  it was a sound she hated on principle;  fake sounding, and flighty.  cerys was not flighty.   she’d been trained to be strong, to be iron willed, and her severe nature was something she took pride in.  her ability to camouflage though, to become what she thought would best suit a situation, was near flawless.  sometimes she even wondered which parts were real, on the simplest of levels, and which were near mimics of how a person SHOULD be.     it would probably keep her up at night if she dwelled on it … which was why she didn’t.          

            i would love that. she signed back.  i have a work function in a few weeks.  cocktails, but formal.. whatever that means.  my boss sends the worst emails.  she rolled her eyes, giving her phone a little shake.  cocktails are formal, are they not ?  how do you get more formal than that ?  honestly, he’s a pain.  she tucked her phone into her bag, glancing around them.  what shop do you recommend ?  

Tatiana was a sociable person who could talk to anyone easily, but she didn’t make real friends. Even though she enjoyed the woman’s company thus far, she didn’t really expect it to be anything more than a companionable way to spend some time. Plus, the woman might be useful. If she could afford the kind of shops Tatiana liked, then she was the kind of friend that belonged in her world, but she didn’t recognise her. 

‘Men are all hopeless.’ She laughed easily, offering her arm to her new ‘friend’. ‘Good thing I think I might be able to translate that. Some women think cocktail dress means something short and paired with good jewelry. Fine but not cocktail.’ She tilted her head as she thought about the question. ‘Come on, I knew exactly where to go.’ She started walking, still signing. ‘My name is T.A.T.I.A.N.A. Tatiana.’ She finger spelled her name before giving her sign name. 

[tatianathequeen]

httpronan

Ronan had walked into a store, a little mindlessly, but with the intention of buying himself some new pants. A lot of his summer clothes had been destroyed, or lost, or he just didn’t like them anymore, so he felt like he needed to replace them. Plus, a little retail therapy wouldn’t hurt. He had been feeling pretty good, until, of course he clumsily bumped into a woman who had just been trying to shop in peace.

It took him a minute to process what she was doing with her hands, but when he did, he bowed apologetically and signed a quick sorry back to her. He wasn’t the most versed in ASL, though, like his Korean, his parents had made him learn it when he was young. He was surprised they never made him learn any other languages, but he was grateful for the ones he knew. It made communicating easier with more people.

She certainly hadn’t expected him to sign back at her, but Tatiana was always pleased when people knew the language she preferred. There was a beauty to signing that she didn’t think the spoken language met. Maybe other languages, but truth be told, she struggled with those. English had been hard enough. While she could translate several ancient languages, that was just on paper. The moment something was spoken aloud, it became harder for her, less tangible. 

‘How do you know sign?’ She wanted to know if he was deaf like her, or just someone who had picked it up. It was always so much easier when she could sign, so meeting people who were like her, people she didn’t have to struggle to communicate with was always a good thing. 

[tatianathequeen]

griddyshazel

Hazel was unsure about joining her, seeing as anything he said may not be taken seriously. But. He was here and they were busy. So what choice did he really have?

He pulled the stool out and slowly planted himself down. “Even if I told you, you’d probably think I’m crazy.” He said, placing his hands together on his lap. “I’ll tell you, but no laughing. If you’d like to judge me silently, so be it, but the moment you laugh, I’ll be on my merry way.” If there was one thing Hazel couldn’t stand, it was people mocking him. It had been a HUGE problem he’d faced his entire life. Always being belittled by Cha Cha and The Handler.

Tatianna shrugged. “Everyone’s crazy.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. “I’m not going to promise not to laugh, because I like to laugh. It’s not necessarily at you. I can promise that I have an open mind.” Jax might not have ever shown her his powers, but she’d believed him, she still did. She knew there were things in the world that couldn’t be explained. 

“Just to sweeten the deal, do you want something? My shout.” She figured since he didn’t seem happy about talking to her, which was a little rude but she’d get over it, she might as well play nice. 

[tatianathequeen]

ccssics

“ no- although it would be unfair if there was. people would be torn between the view of my stunning face or my glorious ass. “ the blonde falls into his seat, arm slung over the back casually and he winks playfully at a passing waiter before turning his attention to her. “ last time we spoke you were married and i wasn’t- now i’m married and you aren’t. “ he doesn’t plan on telling her much more than that. cassius has always revealed his information in small doses. never too much at one time. never any interconnected. he’s not dumb enough to trust her. “ i’ve been the same as i always have, “ he answers with a practised smile. “ we both know that no-one knows anything unless i want them too. “

“Mm, it would be a hard choice to make. Won’t you turn around for me, just to check which I’d rather look at?” Tatiana enjoyed the teasing, it was an easy way to spend the time. Like everyone she knew, she found Cassius attractive, but she appreciated his humour too much to seriously flirt with him. Tatiana didn’t exactly stay on good terms with her exes. “Oh my, you’re married? And you didn’t invite me?” That was definitely interesting, she hadn’t even heard whispers of a wedding, which meant that his spouse wasn’t someone who was part of their circle. Cassius might know how to keep secrets, but no one else did. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not going to tell me who the lucky person is? Don’t you trust me?” Of course he didn’t. Tatiana barely trusted herself. 

[uptional]

[tatianathequeen]

tuajax

      everything about this was awkward.  he regretted not saying anything, and he equally regretted leaving his suite.  regrets, unfortunately, were something he’d gotten well acquainted with over the years.  didn’t love ‘em, mind you, but couldn’t seem to avoid them … no matter how hard he tried.  he’d just resolved himself to turn on his heel, head back upstairs, when she stopped and turned back towards him.  had she …

   she had.  at the mention of his name, he nodded his head once.  it was a careful glance, one that said – if i make this move, if i do this, is this going to come back to bite me ?  if it did, he would have to live with the consequences.  “ uh, yeah.  hey. “  he grinned, a rarity for him.  “ i wasn’t sure if you … it’s been, uh, awhile. “  understatement.  “…you’re the last person i expected to see here. “  the new last name wasn’t a surprise.  years ago, when he’d still been on facebook, he’d seen a different last name from bhatt and smith associated with her account.  she’d been married, he’d assumed.  maybe a couple of times now.  it wasn’t that surprising;  tatiana was the complete package.  any guy would be lucky enough to have her.

         “ it’s good to see you. “  he responded honestly, impulsively tugging her into an awkward one-armed hug.  jax wasn’t  G R E A T at affection but he was trying.  at least his awkward attempts would be something they could laugh about later.  “ even if this is the last place i would have ever expected to see you. “

It was a relief when he didn’t seem confused about who she was. The awkwardness didn’t bother her, she remembered he’d always been terrible at talking to people (but had he ever been that tall?), and she knew her skills at conversation would more than make up for it. “Oh, please. Like I could forget you. You were only my best friend for... three years?” Tatiana didn’t want to admit that he was the only real friend she’d ever had. The life she had now was one full of false smiles and empty words, with no one she could really count on. That just sounded pathetic, and she hated not being seen as perfect. 

The hug was a surprise. She hesitated, frozen for a moment while her usually quick brain tried to understand the situation. She was used to being touched, but this was different. This was something that actually mattered. Giving into what she wanted to do, Tatiana hugged him back - no more reservations, no awkwardness. Even as a teenager, she’d known how to feign confidence, and she was even better at it now. “I was just dropping by to see a friend. Trust me, if I had powers, I’d never stop showing off.” She leaned back from the hug, playful smile on her lips. She was nothing if not an attention seeker. 

“I never really expected to see you again.” She admitted, holding back the wistful tone that threatened to slip in. “But I’m glad. Look at you.” Time had changed both of them, even if she could still see traces of the teen he’d been. She was pretty sure she’d killed off whatever soft parts of her had existed back then, but that had been necessity. “Good thing I like to wear heels, otherwise you’d be too tall for me now.” 

[tatianathequeen]

griddyshazel

The saracasm. She wreaked of it. Speaking to Hazel as if he was a crazy person, or that he was pulling words out of his ass. “I’m sure you weren’t around during their heyday. And believe me. They’ve saved you, whether you’re willing to accept it, or not.” This was of course referring to the apocalypse. Had the academy not been successful in stopping it, she would’ve either been dead, or never been born. Depending on her age.

“Things happen. But some people are fortunate enough to possess the skill to make sure said things don’t happen.” He added.

"That sounds interesting. Perhaps you’d like to sit with me and share what you know?” She patted the stool next to her, encouraging his company. Tatiana hated to be alone, and she loved an interesting story. He seemed like he’d provide that. 

Things happen. It made her laugh, knowing full well how unfair the world was. But heroes weren’t real. People weren’t that kind. “You’re speaking about superpowers. I don’t deny they seem to be able to do amazing things, history is full of people who could do wondrous things.” 

[tatianathequeen]

winifredtalbot

The last thing Fred wanted to spend her day doing was arguing on the phone with some idiot that was pissed about his mother willing all of her estate to her so she could sell it off - she could no more control the whims of old ladies than she could the weather, but she also wasn’t about to just roll over and let him do whatever he wanted. The will was legally binding, she was going to stick to it and if he wanted the stuff she got he could show up and buy it.

She’d taken to simply carrying on with her day, letting him rant and complain and get pissed when she didn’t give in to his sob stories while going out to get herself lunch. She likely could’ve been paying better attention, or at least not closed her eyes as she let out a soft sigh while walking, and yet that’s exactly what she did - running straight into another person.

She didn’t even spare a moment before mouthing and signing back a quick ‘sorry, are you alright’. She was out of practice, had only spent a few years learning, but she could manage simple signs well enough.

Grateful for the woman’s attempts to sign back to her, even if it was stiff like she’d hadn’t done anything for years (or perhaps was just a student), Tatiana nodded to say she was alright. No harm done. She signed slower to make it easier for the younger woman to follow along. 

She pointed towards the phone with a little smirk. Important call? Someone special owe you some flowers tonight? Tatiana could see the annoyance that had put tension in the woman’s body, so she was willing to try guess what had happened. She loved gossip, even about strangers. It was so much nicer to hear about everyone else’s lives rather than admit how lonely hers was. 

[tatianathequeen]

camlafayette

cam enjoyed his time being a tourist. he would walk hours each day, scouting out new museums, shops, cafe’s, anything that caught his eye really. He knew he’d have to start his new job soon,  but for now he was actually enjoying his vacation and using it as a distractor to all he left in france.

he was glad he forced himself to walk everywhere. he knew that if he hadn’t he would have lost all of the tone in his body, thanks to all of the goods he’d been sneaking.  he was excited to head into an odd shop, but as he entered his phone buzzed. being as easily distracted as ever he pulled it out, and then accidentally bumped into a woman in front of him. “sorry!” he said quickly before looking up and seeing her hands move.

he was rather entranced but understood nothing of what she was saying. Instead he used the phone in his hand and pulled up his translator app. he wrote in french how he was sorry for being a klutz, offering her the screen as it turned to english. he offered an apologetic smile.

Curious to see what he’d do, Tatiana stayed longer as he tapped away on his phone. Most people just looked blankly at her when she signed and then walked away. That was what she was used to, and she was amused at his way of apologising. So much for the French being snooty rude people. He made more effort to apologise than an American would. 

“It’s alright.” She spoke, rather than signed. “I do speak English. I just can’t hear much right now.” She could hold grudges, but not over something so little as this. “Do you speak English? Or am I talking nonsense?” She gestured for him to walk inside with her, not wanting to block the door for anyone else either.

[tatianathequeen]

ceryslyy

        she’d seen the girl before.  at the tower, visiting with the blond boy with sex powers.  beyond that, cerys didn’t know anything about her.  a quick search online reflected the mundane; a few marriages here and there, writing penned under a different name, a past that she probably wished to keep hidden.  she was sure the girl was of no threat but she’d rather be safe than sorry.  she’d kept a distance, following behind her as she approached a shop.  spotting the crowd inside, knowing she’d easily lose her in the crowd, cerys slipped closer to stage an encounter.

       sorry, she signed in response, when tatiana turned towards her.  fluent in 14 different languages, ASL was one that came easy to her.  i saw the sale sign and got ahead of myself. she straightened up, smoothing out the crease of her dress.  while she preferred pants herself, she’d dressed the part to easily fit in among the crowd.  you can never have too many pairs of shoes, right ?  she signed, flashing a smile.  

Surprised when the woman signed back to her, a smile spread across Tatiana’s face. She loved it when people could sign, it felt much more natural than the years of speech therapy she’d paid for herself after she left the foster system. No one had cared enough back then, but now, she could be whatever she wanted. It’s alright. Dismissing her annoyance easily, Tatiana laughed at the comment. Of course not. The limit does not exist. 

Standing on glamorous heels that had cost a little too much, Tatiana knew that her shopping habit wasn’t the best part of her. But she had an image to maintain, and with the money she’d gotten in the divorce, she didn’t even have to use the royalties she earned from her books. Would you like a shopping partner? I promise I have good taste. 

[tatianathequeen]

ccssics

it’s been a while since he’s gotten all dressed up- but it’s a special occasion he supposes. after all how often do they meet? though even his dressing up is something more lax than it should be, tie loose around his neck and the first few buttons of his shirt undone. cassius hums thoughtfully as he runs a hand through his hair and he thinks he hears a gasp from somewhere in the back of the room. it was moments like these when he remembered how much he enjoyed his powers. it had always been like this- people drawn to him like moths to a flame, commanding a room with a few simple steps. it was intoxicating. the smile on his lips as he approaches her is the same charming knife edged expression he’d learned to adopt in high society. “ as beautiful as ever “ he answers sweetly, rolling a yellow rose between his fingers before offering it to her with a flourish. he was a gentleman after all. 

Jealousy forgotten, Tatiana laughed easily at his charm. “Is there a mirror behind me?” She teased even as she took the rose and tucked it into her hair. “Thank you, Cassius.” The warmth in her voice wasn’t entirely feigned, she did enjoy his company. It’d just been a long time since she’d been able to relax around anyone. Truth be told, she could count the number of people she didn’t put on an act for on one hand and still have fingers to spare. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I think I was still married the last time we spoke.” Tatiana’s marriages came and went easily. She always convinced herself that she could learn to love them if they just gave her enough attention, but inevitably, she’d come to the conclusion that she just wasn’t built for love or monogamy. Maybe this time she’d remember that fact. “How have you been? I feel like I haven’t heard anything about you lately, which is a shock.” Cassius was well known in their circles, and Tatiana was the Queen of Gossip. He must have been busy elsewhere, and she wanted to know. 

[tatianathequeen]

tuajax

              ooh la la, what a lovely curse, ronnie radke’s voice screeched through the earbuds in his ears, baby i get off by getting you off first.  the sounds of falling in reverse’s discography had been blaring painfully loud in jax’s suite until jarvis had kindly suggested he turn it down to prevent any lasting damage to his ears.  jax had responded by flipping off the ceiling, pulling on a hoodie and exiting the tower as unceremoniously as he’d arrived that morning. he’d listen to his music as loud as he wanted, for as long as he wanted, thank you very much. “fuck you, jarvis.”  he grumbled on his way out the door, one of the buds tumbling from his ear as he near-crashed into someone entering the building.  “ shit. “  he cursed, his phone slipping from his hands and hitting the ground.

         it was only once he’d picked his phone up that he made eye contact with the person standing before him, freezing up instantly as he blinked.  it might have been a decade, but someone like tatiana was hard to   F O R G E T.   she’d been a force when he’d known her, back in one of the various homes he’d been bounced into over the years.  hell,  she was the only person he’d ever really clicked with;  bothered to get to know.   but she was looking at him like he was a stranger so, uh, fuck.  he sure as hell wasn’t going to say anything in case she completely forgot he existed.  (  he was  SKEPTICAL.  he’d read some of her work -  by tatiana coyne.  he’d thought it was funny at the time, now he just felt like someone had dunked him in ice water.  thoroughly dunked. )  he blinked slowly, realizing he’d been quiet for too long.  his hands twitched at his sides, a ghost of a sign started before he shoved his hands violently into his pockets.  “ uh, no idea.  you’d probably be better off asking someone else.  anyone else. “  he grimaced, stepping aside awkwardly so she could pass him by.

For a brief moment, Tatiana felt certain that he remembered her. How could he have forgotten, after all? He’d known her better than anyone else, he could probably see straight through the act that convinced everyone else. For a brief moment, she felt like this might go alright, her smile starting to warm until it froze in place. 

He didn’t greet her with the warmth she expected. 

Stupid. She should have known he wouldn’t. She’d tried to stay in touch with him, but she knew what it was like. The only person Tatiana could count on was herself. “Right. Thank you.” Her words were stiff with brittle anger. She’d never liked it when she was ignored, being forgotten by the only person she’d ever loved (other than herself, of course) was even worse. 

Starting to move past him, she was going to keep pretending, but damn it, she’d always been too much of a gossip for her own good. She wanted to know what Jax was doing here. Hoping her skills at lying would keep her from looking embarrassed, she stopped and squinted, as if trying to figure something out. “Jax? Is that you? God, you’re still as skinny as ever. It’s Tatiana Smith. Well, Bhatt now. It has been a long time.” She couldn’t keep the bitter accusation out of the last words, although her smile was still perfect.