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Tombs & Treks: A Pulp Roleplay

Finally put up a collab me and @Dervish did! You can tell the better parts are his writing

Tombs & Treks: A Pulp Roleplay

_{Collab with @Dervish}

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The snow drifted lazily through the night air, a brisk and biting cold compared to the the quite comfortable and warm interiors of the Baron’s manor. The meeting had adjourned and standing next to one another were Lucian and Lakshmi, both seeming very out of place in the wintery climate considering the places they both had called home. While most of the others had departed, having had the foresight to arrange transportation, the two friends had elected to split cab fare and catch up on the adventures they had been up in recent years since they’d last been in acquaintance. If nothing else, the good Baron Carnock had a way of bringing people together.

Lucian readjusted his scarf, feeling like he was have preferred to endure another bout of malaria than wait another ten minutes for the headlights of the taxi to arrive in the snow. “Quite the interesting assortment of guests tonight. I must admit I was surprised to see that you were in attendance. How long has it been?” he asked Lakshmi.

Interesting was an understatement, though she politely kept that comment to herself. Or rather, she was distracted by trying to remember the last time she had seen Lucian. She never did have the best recollection of events, only remembering highlights and never details. “I want to say...four years?” She took a random guess, although that didn’t seem right. “No, it’s three, you passed by Newham and we ran into one another then,” She paused, realizing her memory was complete crap, though she couldn’t quite hide her smile. “Actually, you nearly toppled me over. Always in a rush, aren’t you?”

That prompted a chuckle from Lucian’s lips as he slipped a cigarette between them, his hand searching his great coat pocket for a lighter. “Perhaps I am always fishing for a conversation starter with you. That or crowds and I do not agree, so in my haste, I might have taken inspiration from a rhinoceros. What makes for a better tale?” he asked, offering a cigarette to Lakshmi. “We always seem to find the strangest locations around the globe to come across one another. Perhaps we should begin sending telegrams and leave it less to fate, no? It is always a genuine pleasure to make up for lost time.”

Politely shaking her head and declining his cigarette, Lakshmi exhaled into her hands in an attempt to warm herself. He had a point; they really did have an odd time always running into one another, whether it was in England, France, or any other country. Even reuniting now had to be more than happenstance, or at least, that was how she felt. Looking up at Lucian, she raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s not as fun if we start arranging to meet,” She couldn’t help but tease him lightly, although she did agree. “But yes, we should try to close the gaps. Maybe shorten it to once a year? I have to admit, this time I don’t have as much to report. I falsely believed once I graduated I’d have more adventures, but...well, tonight is the most exciting I’ve had for quite some time.”

“My dear, you’re going to have to start paying me a visit in the Congo. Outside of this particular job, I mean. Rich French aristocracy pays handsomely to look at animals and suffer from heat exhaustion, I’d much rather be in the company of someone who could actually appreciate it.” Lucian replied, letting the embers light from the Zippo. Inhaling lightly and letting his breath mingle with the fluttering snow, he continued. “But yes, I think once a year could be quite agreeable for both of us. Both from a social and business standpoint, I’m always looking for new clients. I could always take on an apprentice?” he teased, offering her a wink.

“If you’re in need of an arm, leg, whatever it may be, I’d be more than happy to help,” Lakshmi’s boredom with her life was apparent, and she made no effort to hide it. At the very least, she knew there was never a dull moment with Lucian around. “There’s only so many mothers I can tolerate coming in hysteria because their husbands didn’t notice their new haircuts.” She huffed, slightly pouting. “It’s the same reason I even considered this...expedition. I thought it better to go searching for something that may not even exist than staying home reading the paper and ignoring the hundreth telegraph coming from my mother.”

“You’ve gotten your hair cut? When?” He asked, feigning shock before resuming his stoic vigil of staring towards the darkness for a sign of reprieve from the damned cold. “Life is too short and interesting to stay cooped up in a life of domestic tedium, I feel. Even if this expedition turns up being a much of merde de chien, I’m still going to be doing what I do best with my life regardless. Perhaps afterwards, you would like to stay for a while longer? Weeks out in the bush, watching sunsets with elephants and fending off all manner of beasts with the muzzle of a fusil? I’ll tell you, Lakshmi, life is seldom boring where I’ve learned to call home.”

The dark haired woman nodded in agreement, shifting her weight from one heel to another. She should take a page out of his book and do the same. Then again, her life had a way of throwing some unexpected twists, so who knew where it was going? Shivering slightly, she tried to clear out the more negative thoughts and ended up letting out a small sigh, watching her breath. “You’d think I’d learn...but if that’s an open invitation, I’m taking it,” She told him with a surprising amount of certainty. “I won’t lie, most of my motivation for accepting is getting away from this sort of weather, I can’t stand snow or cold or--any of it!” She joked, letting out a laugh.

As if answering her wishes, a pair of headlights began to round the bend. It appeared as if their taxi had finally arrived. “Now, when have I been a man who extends empty platitudes? Let us see what you think of the proposal after a few drinks, because I am going to need them to feel my toes again and try to recall if the Baron was being truthful that fucking dinosaurs still exist.”

~~~

Kingsguard Tavern & Inn, Southampton, several hours later…

“So the idiot pulls out this big fuck-off sized knife from his belt, oui? He says to me, ‘You watch your damned tongue to me, Frog’. It was as if God himself had a sense of humour about this man and his over-compensation choice of sidearm, because the fool steps towards me, slips on the glass I’d knocked over earlier, and down he goes!” To emphasize the point, Lucian ran his arm down and back upwards, mimicking the man’s fall. Suddenly, the Frenchman smashed his fist into the table. “Bang! He smashes his face off of the bar, comes up and his face,” he circled his hand over his mouth several times, “It’s a mess, blood everywhere. Both his front teeth are missing, and he starts bawling like a child. I’m not joking, this was a week after we met in Newham. Apparently, the gentleman American was quite envious of our agreement.” he let out a rancorous laugh at the memory, definitely feeling quite a bit warmed up after a for whiskeys and ales.

By now, a few glasses had piled up between Lucian and Lakshmi as they raced the liquor to recount stories and make up for time that had been lost. Considering the time of night, there were still numerous patrons about, and perhaps the most patient tavernkeep Lucian had seen. Then again, compared to much of the English lads that had called the place home, he was rather quaint and restrained in comparison. In fact, the only thing off about the night were the table of three men in the corner with dark eyes and faces that might as well have been carved from stone. It was actually what had prompted this particular drinking story.

Lakshmi watched Lucian, greatly enjoying his stories as her middle finger continuously traced the rim of her glass. The woman was definitely having a good time, letting herself go a bit with her own drinks. Lucian’s story had her grinning as he painted the picture of the scene for her, and she let out a chuckle as he finished. She picked up her glass, downing the rest of the whiskey and placed it down, raising her eyes to his again. “As they say, the bigger they are…” She laughed, shaking her head slightly. “You always seem to be getting yourself into trouble! I’m starting to think you like it.”

He smiled, in spite of himself. “Could very well be. Trouble seems to find me, but I’ve learned to enjoy the chaos life sends my way. It allows for fine evenings such as this. A toast, then? To good fortune and good company?”

Raising her glass, she agreed. “And dinosaurs,” She joked, though as she drank and placed her cup back on the table, she tilted her head slightly and lowered her voice. “I have to ask, and forgive me if this is my own paranoia, but...do you get the feeling we’ve attracted…attention?”

“Those gentlemen in the corner? They’ve been staring daggers at us since they’ve arrived. I assumed it was because we are aggressively very non-British.” He replied, setting his own glass down after emptying it. He felt the same unease towards the men, and even as he said it, he felt that there was something more than typical hooligan rage being directed towards them. He’d seen similar looks on the Kaisar’s men during the Great War, one with cold hearts and murderous intent.

“It might be prudent for us to switch establishments for the evening, would you agree?” he asked, glancing around for escapes, and if need be, anything that could be constituted as a weapon. The cigarette tray and several glasses seemed to be the battle order of the day. Adequate, if disappointing.

Lucian’s confirmation soured her mood a little, although she was glad she wasn’t completely losing it. Clearing her throat, she would nod in agreement. “Ah, well, all good things must come to an end,” She stated as she stood up and put her coat on.

If the men were trying to be subtle at this point, they were failing miserably on that count. One went to head off the exit while the other two approached straight towards the pair. Lucian quickly glanced over the figures, and from open coats the distinctive grip of Luger pistols were stuffed in the waistbands. While it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility they were war trophies, nothing was going to be left to chance. Lucian stood leisurely, as if greeting old friends, and downed what was left of the last glass on the table.

“May we help you?” he asked, offering a stern and unblinking stare to the men. “I don’t take kindly to men who accost myself nor my companions while armed. Leave us be, and I might forget this evening.”

The first man, with a surprisingly convincing English accent, replied, “Come quietly. No one needs to get hurt, but we will do what we must.”

“Ah. C’est la vie.” Lucian replied quietly, regarding the glass in his hand for a few moments before in a explosive burst, he brought it hard into the man’s face. With his other hand, an ash trash was plucked off of the table and shoved hard into the second man’s face, the crunching of a broken nose being blotted out with a puff of ash. With the ashtray still in hand, the Frenchman continued to use it as a striking instrument, alternating between men so they’d have a harder time getting their guns out.

The bartender yelled something out that Lucian couldn’t quite make out, but it sounded not unlike, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”

“It’s being handled, sir!” Lakshmi told him as she spotted the third man coming in to help his allies. “Hinsa se sambhaala,” She murmured under her breath as she slid her coat off, watching the hulk of a man approach them. Drawing her arm back, she decided to let him try to make the first strike, though rather than attack, he decided to try to grab her. Of course, the poor man had no idea what he was in for as she took his arm mid-grab, quickly twisting him around and throwing him onto the other pair. “Did we ever talk about my practice of platha, darling?” She asked Lucian.

“Can’t recall, I’m afraid. Care to demonstrate?” he replied, grabbing the arm of one of the men who was reaching into his coat, twisting it by the wrist behind his back while the other had managed to pull his gun out and had it trained on Lucian and the man’s partner. He began to pull the man away from Lakshmi to keep the gunman facing away from her. If he turned to face her, he’d break for him.

The barkeep, for his part, was particularly alarmed about the sudden presence of gunmen in his establishment. He ducked behind the counter, finding his trusty old side by side shotgun. When he rose up, he trained it on the man with the Luger in hand. “Drop your fucking piece!” the man bellowed.

“You heard him.” Lucian remarked, calmly tilting his head towards the barkeep.

“What a ruckus…” She commented, raising her eyebrows at the armed man. “There isn’t anything in this world that can’t be talked out.”

Apparently not liking his chances, or deciding he was a far better gunslinger than he should have in that particular situation, the man opened fire, firing a shot towards Lucian and his hostage, the 9mm round digging into the German’s shoulder. The gunman swung towards the barkeep, preparing to suppress or kill the Briton only to immediately be hit with dozens of ball bearings from the double barrelled buckshot. He crumpled to the floor, dead before he’d even lost his balance. Lucian tossed the man away from him against a table, grabbing a chair and smashing it over the man’s back. Other than a pitiful moan, the man didn’t move. Lucian looked to the barkeep, who was now fumbling with a box of shells to ram home into the shotgun’s breach.

“Lakshmi, my dear, I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.” He reached down and plucked the Luger, training it on the barkeep.

“We do not wish for any trouble, sir. Just keep the gun down.” Reaching into his coat pocket, he plucked several bills and a handful of coin. “That should cover our expenses, you can charge these fine gentlemen after we go, d’accord?”

There was no hiding Lakshmi’s rather giddy smile, though it faltered for a moment as the last man decided that rather than call it quits he would instead charge at them, grabbing her arm. Reacting without a second thought, she turned herself towards him, her leg hooking his ankle. Normally the next step should have ended there and the man should have stumbled, but she felt her heel slip into the crack and hold his leg steady, and she pushed down just a little too much on the man. His weight worked against him, and a rather sharp crack was heard as he fell. “Oops…” Her word was drowned out by the man’s scream, and she hastily grabbed her coat, managing to wiggle her heel out of the floorboard. “Well then, have a good night!” She hurried to the entrance, her wide smile unabashedly showing her enjoyment. As the cold air hit her, she turned to Lucian. “Care to split a room? I don’t think it wise to travel.”

Checking to make sure no one followed them out of the Kingsguard, Lucian pocketed the pistol and fell into step with Lakshmi. “Travelling, this time of night? Uncivilized.” Lucian remarked, shaking his hand after realizing it ached after their brief encounter with, who, exactly? “And a mighty forward offer on your behalf. I agree, let’s find somewhere a bit quieter. You can have the bed, I’ll take a chair, if they have one. I am a gentleman, after all.” A smile crossed his lips. “And we saved a bit of coin on drinks. I’d say a productive night overall.”

Is this what he called productive? A joke, likely, but still, now that she was clear of mind and the adrenaline was wearing off, she had to admit she was concerned. “I wish I could agree, but…” She looked around for a moment, making sure no one else was around before she would speak. “I can’t think this is a coincidence. It’s clear that they wanted us alive for...whatever reason.” She murmured, trying to think.

“Well, at least it gives some credibility for this entire endeavor. Whom would have the resources and drive to monitor the Baron and his associates and be bold enough to attempt to apprehend or silence them?” Lucian asked rhetorically. He put an arm around Lakshmi’s shoulders to reassure her; danger wasn’t something one could shake off easily, and they’d both escaped quite a bit of peril. “I’m sure the answers will materialize in time, but for now, we shall find our way to safety, and I will teach you how to shoot this gun in my pocket so the next time we run into those sorts of men, you will not find yourself at a lack of options. Besides, where we’re going, you are going to be thankful for it. Think of it as an opportunity to grow.”

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ School
TIME ⤑ Evening
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend]
FEELING ⤑ In love~}

Of course Eva trusted in Arthur. It'd be stupid to think otherwise and outright disrespectful of their relationship if she didn't trust him. There were too many times he had helped her, too many instances where he was basically her knight in shining armor coming in to save the day. But a knight wouldn't have handled the situation the way Arthur did, a knight would have talked it out, or at the very least apologize for spilling her drink all over Matthew. But maybe that was her problem: she idealized Arthur way too much. Yes, he was incredibly kindhearted and held a soft spot for her, but he wasn't perfect. And it was clear as day that regardless of what he said or his intentions, he had anger issues. Severe anger issues, considering they came out in explosive bits and often resolved in something getting destroyed. This wasn't the first or second time he resorted to his outbursts, and other times he ended up hurting himself. He didn't realize how afraid she got anytime he got mad.

Eva still had her doubts, but as he squeezed her hand, her worried expression seemed to melt away. His anger wouldn't get fixed in a day. Maybe they could work on it together? She wasn't going to just forget about it, but for now, there wasn't a point in arguing it any further. "Of course I do, I trust you more than anyone," Eva replied, gently placing a kiss on his hand. "I love you, Arthur." She told him sweetly, giving him a small smile.

Alexander really thought he had to make it up to her? If she wasn't already guilty, Gigi definitely felt it now. Still, maybe it was actually for the best as he suggested going somewhere to get ice cream with her. The prospect of getting sweets was already enticing enough, though she felt her heart go into overdrive again. Her eyes briefly flickered to Alyssa, who was nodding enthusiastically, motioning for her to agree. Gigi's head nodded slightly, though she looked back at Alexander, clearing her throat slightly. "That sounds nice..." She admitted quietly, that odd feeling in her chest again. Geez, what the hell was Alexander doing to her to make her feel like this? She timidly held her hand out, waiting for him to take it. "Let's go."

The brunette grinned as she watched Gigi and Alexander, though gave Jacob her attention as he asked about Eva. Honestly, Alyssa didn't know too much about Eva's dating history. She knew the girl was asked out once in a while, but she used to be so focused on Arthur she wouldn't really budge for anyone. Of course, there was that one guy they talked about very briefly that day, right? "She mentioned an ex-boyfriend the other day, but I think that was at her last school. Think his name was...Julius?" Alyssa said slowly, trying to remember the conversation. "Helene told me once that she thinks the reason Eva liked Arthur so much at first was because Arthur resembled her ex. When I brought it up to her, though, she really didn't want to talk about it. I think it ended really badly since she mentioned he dumped her." Yeah, that sounded right. Honestly, Alyssa wasn't surprised Eva had a previous relationship, though she wondered why Jacob wanted to know. "Why do you ask?"

Helene away from Terrance for a moment, a dilemma of conscience on her. Considering they had carpooled, technically yes, Helene had her keys in her pocket. However, if she went with Terrance, it would likely leave the rest to have to squeeze into the other car that the guys came in. Should she really ditch her friends? No, that was wrong. However, considering Terrance was just as eager as she was to get away, the temptation to just get in her car and go to his place was just too much. Oh well, it wasn't the first time she had left them behind, so they wouldn't mind, right? Placing a kiss on Terrance's cheek, she pulled out her keys, jingling them lightly to show him she had her car. "If we run, I think we can get far enough so they can't catch us," She grinned mischievously, raising her eyebrows at Terrance.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ School
TIME ⤑ Evening
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend],
FEELING ⤑ Worried and confused.}

Going home sounded like a good idea. She hoped Arthur didn't think he was off the hook, though. Something about his actions really disturbed her, and his justification was flimsy at best. As far as she knew, Arthur didn't know Matthew. So what in the world would give him the idea that he was untrustworthy? Matthew was a nice guy, and the poor thing was always getting picked on. She honestly thought the two could be friends, or at least just get along, right? As much as Eva wanted to wait until they left, however, she felt that it bothered her too much. They needed to discuss it now. "You don't trust him?" She repeated his words, but she didn't seem to buy it. "That can't possibly be it, Arthur. You're acting like he had already done something to you, but I've known Matthew for a while and he's been nothing but kind. I don't know where he's getting the idea that you're abusive, but that show of force didn't really help things if I'm being completely honest." It was putting it lightly, actually, considering Arthur's actions had shaken her. "You keep having these bursts of anger and it really scares me, Arthur. I hate it when you're angry. It makes me feel like...like I did something wrong." She put her hand on his, looking up at him again as they approached the double doors. "Did I do or say something to make you not trust me?"

---

Alyssa crossed her arms, watching the trio of guys interact. Poor Alexander was bummed out, though she found it weird that he wasn't over the moon that Gigi was holding hands with him. Guess there was nothing that could get him out of his funk, huh? It was too bad, she was so sure that if she nudged Gigi enough towards him, she'd get Gigi to admit she reciprocated some sort of feeling for him. Maybe not to the same extremity as Alexander had for her, of course, but no one was going to convince her that Gigi didn't at least have a crush on Alexander--even if she had yet to realize it herself. One thing did catch her slightly off guard, though; Terrance seemed rather impatient all of a sudden, probably irritated that he and Helene got interrupted. Which was dumb considering all they did was shag.

Gigi, on the other hand, had multiple thoughts running through her head. Alexander was upset again, and no one was going to convince her it wasn't her fault. Was it because she left him alone? It had to be. She was so absorbed in trying to figure Alexander out that she didn't notice ALyssa next to her. Approaching Gigi, who watched Alexander with a rather forlorn face, Alyssa carefully placed her hand on her arm. That seemed to snap Gigi out of her thoughts for a moment, though rather than look back at Alyssa, Gigi went to catch up with Jacob and Alexander. The night air was actually pretty reliving, though she didn't stop, running in front of the pair of boys to stop them from going forward. "I'm sorry," She blurted out to Alexander, nervously rubbing her arm. "Don't be upset--I mean, I didn't leave to avoid you, it's not what you think." What was she even saying?

Helene decided to stay with Terrance, not really paying attention to anything and more focused on his arm around her. She could tell he was annoyed, though she didn't comment on it. She did lean towards his ear, thinking she could make him feel better as she whispered, "We should pick up where we left off at your place. We need to celebrate."

Attack on Titan: Somnium [Closed]

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"Come along, child, it's time to go,"

Her mother's voice was like a little bell ringing her out of her thoughts. Hotaru had been staring out into the distance as she usually did when she was bored. She loathed accompanying her mother on her errands, especially ones that took them so far from their home. It should have been a nice change of pace all things considered, but having to stand around doing nothing got tiring after the first two hours. She didn't bother asking her mother what they were doing as she'd likely get scolded. 'Mind your manners' and whatever, it was 'unladylike' to express her thoughts. The older she got, the more she realized that a lot of the things she was taught by her mother were pointless. Not that she was any better as she blindly followed along.

Following her mother, Hotaru's curious eyes wandered around. It looked like something had some people excited, although she wasn't entirely sure what was going on. As she listened, however, it sounded like some troops had come back or whatever, and she perked up. The Survey Corps had returned? She immediately turned to her mother, an excitement gripping her, though her mother had also heard the news and shook her head sternly. Disappointment filled the girl's expression, and her pace slowed slightly even as she followed. Of course she wouldn't get to have any fun. Stupid chores. Letting out a sigh, she dragged her feet slightly, although she stopped as soon as her mother turned around. Expecting a scolding, Hotaru straightened up and prepared herself, though rather than the stern look she was expecting, instead the pair were distracted by the ground shaking.

It was like the entirety of the street was put on pause as everyone stared up at the titan, only able to watch as it kicked in the wall. The titan made it look so easy, like it was kicking over the wall of wooden blocks. Of course, these weren't toys, and once the part of the wall caved, everything seemed to resume. Panic gripped people as they began to run. Hotaru managed to take a few steps, though fortunately for her, her mother had already grabbed her arm, pulling her along as Hotaru couldn't take her eyes off the monstrosity and carnage.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ School
TIME ⤑ Evening
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend],
FEELING ⤑ Worried and confused.}

As Gigi pulled Alexander to the hallway, she stopped as she spotted Terrance and Helene, unfortunately noticing the way they were on top of one another, though she quietly thanked the heavens that at the very least they were somehow still dressed. The way Terrance was going about it, however, made it clear that Helene's dress was definitely something he wanted to get rid of. Shaking her head in clear disapproval, she let out a rather shrill, quick whistle to catch their attention. Helene's eyes narrowed at them initially, though they became wide as she realized who it was, her face flushed as she repeatedly patted Terrance's shoulder to get him to stop. "Terrance--It's Alexander and Gigi--" She hastily tried to alert him, unable to hide her embarrassment at getting caught by Gigi of all people, who didn't look like she wanted to put up with any of their shit.

As Alyssa and Jacob pushed the doors open, Alyssa let out a small laugh, grinning at Helene's expression. "Geez, you two couldn't resist the temptation, huh?" She teased Helene, who threw her a scowl as she tried to fix her messy hair. "At least now you'll stop moping around, though I recommend not picking a main hallway to get it on."

"Shut up!" Helene huffed, surprising Alyssa slightly. She usually took it in stride, so Alyssa studied her face carefully, trying to see why her face was so red right now.

"Enough," Gigi cut their conversation short, though she made sure she had a tight hold on Alexander so he wouldn't slip away. Of course, the two girls took notice, looking at one another before looking at Gigi and Alexander. Alyssa threw her a thumbs up, and Gigi scowled at her as well. "I think it's time we left, don't you?"

---

How could Matthew say that about Arthur? Why wouldn't he believe her? Borderline abusive...is that how things looked? Admittedly Eva never really paid others much attention when she was with Arthur, but he never so much as raised his voice at her, so she didn't understand where Matthew was coming from. Before she could reply to his accusation, Arthur beat her to it as he pulled away from her. Why was Arthur so angry? Matthew was harmless, he wouldn't do anything! Eva didn't understand Arthur, although he ended the conversation abruptly as he pulled her away from Matthew, her chance at reconciliation gone as he led her away. She looked up at Arthur, disappointed, though she could tell he was still angry. But she wasn't exactly happy with his actions, either. "You didn't have to go that far, it was just a misunderstanding," She tried to tell him.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ School
TIME ⤑ Evening
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend], Matthew [Friend]
FEELING ⤑ Alarmed.}

He felt the same. He had felt the same for a long time. Helene was in disbelief, almost waiting for the punchline to kick in, but it never came. He was serious, and she suddenly felt so relieved to know he felt the same. Terrance loved her. And she loved him. Somehow that little addition put a new fire in his kisses and his touch, and all she knew was that she wanted him bad. But then he reminded her that her fantasies belonged in her mind for a reason: “I promise… I’ll never let any harm come to you.” This was the first time she had seen him so serious. Her bliss was put on pause for just a moment as she froze up, her hand flying to her neck. No harm? The other night's events came flocking back, and she felt herself losing her nerve. It was a sobering thought, though it was weird, she hadn't been drinking, so she wasn't sure why it affected her like that. She wanted to believe him, but her fear took a hold of her again. "Terrance, I..." Was it wrong to want to forget about all that just for right now? Just for this moment? They could talk about it later, right? Rather than continue that thought, she kissed him, returning his passion the best she could. There was always later.

---

What did Jacob mean 'where was Alex'? She was confused by his urgency but nodded, watching him get back into the crowd. Was it like what happened on the beach? She never did find out what had caused the sudden mood shift. But if that was what Jacob was referring to, then she needed to get Alexander away from the crowd. Damn, she shouldn't have left him alone, how could she be so stupid? Gigi had no disregard for anyone who stood in her way, literally shoving people aside and leaving a trail of disgruntled students as she went back to where she thought she left Alexander. Sure enough there he was, and she froze upon seeing his eyes. The same eyes that were usually so full of life, the ones that had made her heart race looked so empty and dead that she almost thought she had the wrong guy for a moment. Yeah, something was definitely wrong. As she got closer, she realized he was still dancing with someone else. While her focus was Alexander, her eyes sharpened on the girl he was with who she recognized as one of the previous girls that she had gotten rid of. Hmph, tripping her to make her stumble wasn't enough, she should have snapped her heel.

Making a beeline to Alexander and ignoring the many people that she either walked through or pushed aside, she only stopped until she was in front of Alexander and his new partner, placing a hand on the girl's shoulders and interrupting them. While the girl's attempt at a glare was quite cute, Gigi reminded herself that Alexander was delicate, so she had to push down all thoughts of maiming and violence and try to resolve this diplomatically. "Alexander, let's go," She told him, taking his arm.

"Excuse me? Can't you see you're in the way?" She snapped back, clinging onto Alexander and inadvertently drawing more attention to them.

"I need him right now," Gigi stated.

Of course, the girl wasn't about to budge just because of Gigi. "He's dancing with ME now," The girl snapped, obviously peeved that Gigi would have the audacity to interrupt them. "Run along, Sluterella, he's done with you."

The little patience that she had in order not to look like a complete bitch in front of Alexander evaporated with that insult. Gigi determined that civility was no longer necessary in this situation, though she had to ignore her first instinct which was to immediately get violent. It was a good thing she came unarmed, though she briefly considered running to her car to grab her gun. "I don't care," Gigi stated bluntly, feeling annoyed. "He's my date. Mine, so either remove yourself from him or I'll remove you. Either way is fine with me. Your choice."

The girl hesitated, but Gigi wasn't willing to wait any longer as she yanked Alexander away from her, throwing her a rather frightening look so she wouldn't get any ideas of trying to take him from her again. Without realizing it, she lowered her hand and interlocked her fingers with his, holding onto him tightly as she guided him through the crowd of people. Her free hand reached into her dress pocket, deciding to send Alyssa a text. Tell Jacob I have Alexander.

---

Alyssa was enjoying herself a little too much. Sure, it would've been good to find Ajcob, but for some reason their little game of cat and mouse made her giddy, throwing her back to a simpler time when she was a kid. Honestly, she wasn't a big fan of drinking and smoking, she loved playing games and dancing. Maybe it was her upbringing that deterred her from the usual vices of a teenager, or maybe it was just personal preference. Either way, she managed to blend herself with a proper crowd, though as she looked around, she swore she spotted Jacob. He hadn't seen her yet--or maybe he hadn't recognized her. Feeling mischevious, she sauntered over, making sure she was as sneaky as possible. Just as she was about to reach out to him, however, her phone beeped, ruining the surprise. Rolling her eyes, she scanned her phone, seeing a weird text from Gigi. She was with Alexander? Well she was glad she took her advice, at least. "Gigi said to tell you she has Alexander," She relayed the message faithfully, thought she was confused. "Is something up with him again?"

---

Smacking the drink out of her hand was just a little overboard. The blonde let out a gasp as she saw it spill on poor Matthew. As she reached for a napkin, Arthur took her hand, quietly letting her know the punch was spiked. With what? It took her a second to put the pieces together, though when she did, she mouthed 'thank you' to him. That could've been bad if she had too much of it. Still, Matthew had suffered the consequences, and she wanted to apologize on his behalf, but Matthew promptly exploded. Eva was actually startled by Matthew's yell, never having heard him raise his voice in such a way. Moreso when he shouted that Arthur didn't deserve her. Considering everything that had happened lately, it was the other way around in her mind, but she was just shocked to hear Matthew talk like that. Still, she wasn't sure what surprised her more, Matthew's outburst or Arthur wanting to get into a fight. This was the first time she had seen ill-intent on his face, and for a second it actually scared her.

"Arthur, please, it doesn't have to come to that," She told him, greatly concerned, though she put her hand on his arm to calm him down as she looked at Matthew. "Matthew, I promise Arthur's never laid a hand on me, I don't know why you would think that," Eva tried to assure him, though she drew a blank when she was trying to think of why Arthur would act the way he did without revealing she was pregnant. "I just forgot I can't have anything sugary, my doctor wants me to watch my blood sugar because of my anemia." Did that even make any sense? Eva was never good at lying or thinking of things on the spot...

What Happens In Vegas: Remastered

---

---

"Despacito--Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito. Deja que te diga cosas al oído. Para que te acuerdes si no estás conmigoooo~" He genuinely had no idea why people didn't like the song, but he sang it to himself nonetheless as he walked towards the taxi he had waiting for him. His driver eyed him curiously as he flashed a smile, though shrugged and began to drive him to the hotel. Leaning back in his seat, Darien found he couldn't quite wipe the smile off his face. But did he have to? Why wouldn't he be in a good mood? He was getting married to one of the most gorgeous girls to grace New York, someone whose family adored him, who he had been in love with for years. So yeah, he was in a fantastic mood. No, he was--what was better then fantastic?

Truthfully, Darien was on Cloud Nine and had a very difficult time coming down. Admittedly he really didn't find the wedding to be stressful, even though he did his part more than other grooms could say. Of course, he did his best not to step on his beautiful bride's toes, only really disagreeing with her on maybe one or two things, but hey, no one is perfect. So he often let it slide, content with having her in his arms and showering her with kisses to show how sorry he was for daring to go in a direction she didn't want. It was pretty easy to get back on her good side, though admittedly he knew what to say and do to get back into her good graces.

"Para que lo sepas, thanks man," He told the driver as they pulled up to that rather fancy looking hotel. This was it, right? Shit, it was a lot nicer than he thought. As he walked, his head kept turning this way and that, slightly confused. He could have sworn they agreed on another hotel, though rather than assume Nicole had changed her mind he actually thought he was in the wrong place. Going to the receptionist, he cleared his throat, catching her eye. She looked at him somewhat expectantly, and he recognized that tiny crush forming in her eyes. It wasn't that Darien didn't know he was good looking, it was more like he never got used to that reaction out of women he didn't know. "Hi, I'm checking in under Monterrosa," He said, grinning.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ School
TIME ⤑ Evening
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Boyfriend], Matthew [Friend]
FEELING ⤑ Uncertain.}

As he slid off his mask and flashed that gorgeous smile of his, Helene thought she was going to pass out. It was Terrance. Mr. Macho was Terrance. Actually, that made a lot sense, he was too smooth and no one else could have hit her spot like that unintentionally. Of course, it had been so long since she had seen him in action considering they usually just went straight to it, but this had to be more than a coincidence. Guilt took over as she realized she had just admitted to him that she couldn't stop thinking about him. Her first instinct was to get away, but he knew her too well, already making sure she wouldn't run. She looked right into his eyes as he spoke, her own eyes widening as he admitted he wasn't ready to let her go. Overwhelmed with emotion, as he kissed her that warm feeling returned in her chest and drove away the emptiness that had been there. Her hands pulled on his suit, bringing him as close to her as he could get. Yeah, she missed him, there was no way she could deny it, not emotionally or physically. But the little voice in her head said that maybe he misunderstood. She didn't just want him physically anymore.

So when they parted, she looked right at him, her cheeks slightly pink as she decided that she needed to be honest. "Terrance...I'm in love with you." She admitted quietly, searching his face for a reaction.

---

No, there was no way to her heart; she threw it away a long time ago. Or at least, that was what Gigi had told herself numerous times. Her job required her to quiet any sort of emotion lest it cloud her judgement. She needed to be a machine, executing her orders without having doubt or hesitation. It was easier if she was being honest to herself, never having to stress about anything unnecessary. She never worried about her looks or boys or grades like her classmates, just going along with her orders. All she had to do was follow and not have to think. It wasn't her job to think. Even now she was doing just that, following Alexander's lead as he flawlessly lead her this way and that, letting him do as he pleased. Still, Alexander was good at making her think. She thought it wasn't a good idea to let him get close, warding him away every chance she got. She thought that she wasn't going to let him get through to her no matter how hard he tried. She really thought his gestures were wasted on her.

Well, that was what she wanted to think.

Gigi felt dizzy as Alexander lifted her up, but she was pretty sure it wasn't because of the spin. Was she having a heart attack? Quickened heart rate, breathlessness, aforementioned dizziness. There wasn't any pain, but it was the most bizarre experience. Her chest felt tight as he held her close, so maybe something was happening. Palpitations? Was this anxiety? Logic wasn't giving her any answers. Her brain didn't give her any answers, either. That hole in her chest where her heart was supposed to be was quietly whispering that she should keep dancing. Because...who knows. Except when she looked up at Alexander it was like her heart went into overdrive and every single one of her symptoms slammed her like a bull in a china shop.

Gigi found it exceedingly difficult to keep looking at Alexander as her face turned red, and she politely squirmed out of his grip. "U-Um...Bathroom. I'll--I'll be right right back," She excused herself rather lamely, avoiding eye contact as she turned away and headed for the ladies' room. Maybe she really was having a heart attack. As she pushed the door open, she realized how much her hands were shaking. Luckily for her, Alyssa was fixing her mask in the mirror, and she approached her. "I think I need to go to the hospital," She said, wringing her hands.

The brunette looked up at Gigi, looking her up and down. "Uh...what makes you say that?"

"I'm about to have a heart attack," She stated. Alyssa broke into laughter, and Gigi looked at her, confused. "What?"

"You're not feeling any of those symptoms now, right?" Alyssa asked. When Gigi shook her head, she grinned. "I'm going to assume you've never liked anyone before so this is all new to you, isn't it?"

"I like plenty of people," She replied. "You and Helene and Eva are probably the best examples."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow at her, though she chose to check her hair in the mirror. "You're really dense, Gi. I'm not talking platonically, I'm talking romantically. Alexander raided your heart with a Flan-flavored Trojan Horse and he's conquered you whether you realize it or not," She elaborated, turning back to Gigi. "I was watching you two for a bit, and despite not cracking a single smile, that look in your eyes was so soft I thought you were going to melt away in his arms. Hell, I'm surprised you're here and not with him." Romantically? What? No, that couldn't be it. Except, Alyssa was usually very blunt and upfront, so it wasn't like she was lying. But how could this have happened? She had batted Alexander's advances for so long. As if reading her mind, Alyssa laughed again. "It was only a matter of time."

"How did you know?" Gigi found herself asking.

Just as she finished, she turned back to Gigi, hooking her arm up with hers and leading her out of the bathroom. "Let me ask you: if you really did find him annoying, why didn't you ever just block his number?" She asked her. "You blocked Anthony, James, and Henry's numbers when they messaged you. But you never did block Alex's. Just saying. My advice is to go find him and turn your brain off for a bit. Now, if you don't mind, my boyfriend is doing exceptionally well in hiding and he's going to try to find me, so I need to hide." She patted Gigi's arm as she released her, and Alyssa disappeared into the crowd, leaving Gigi to her thoughts. She gave Alyssa's words some consideration, but she wasn't sure if she could really believe her. And yet, as she did stop thinking and just moved, she caught herself trying to look for Alexander, moving through the crowd again.

---

Eva smiled at Matthew's compliment, knowing it was coming from a genuine place. So the results of her labor were coming Monday? Admittedly her mind had been in other places, and she couldn't help but mentally berate herself for forgetting. Now that she thought about it, her life really was a mess right now. Once he mentioned NYU, she lit up slightly. That was one of her options, though her smile faltered slightly as she remembered her pregnancy. There was so much going on that she was unfocused on the future she had planned out for herself. But she would have to change, wouldn't she? Maybe somewhere local? Would she be able to handle school and a baby? What if she got into NYU, would Arthur be willing to go with her? Suddenly her previous excitement seemed to get drowned out by the music as she realized she had no idea what her future looked like. It was something she used to use to escape her reality, to escape her mother, but...now what?

She snapped out of her thoughts as Matthew handed her a drink, toasting to their schools. She nodded politely, bringing the cup to her lips, though she couldn't drink it. Dream school was likely the best she could hope for--in her dreams, not in reality. As Arthur called her name, she lowered the cup, frowning at him. He was certainly in a hurry. "Arthur, what is it?" She asked, confused.