Futuristic Inked In Blood [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

“I’ll take a water,” Xandros said, before the woman left. She returned not too much later with that water, before leaving them again, and Xandros offered a small tip, “in these circles – take what’s offered. It makes them a little friendlier. Dunno why.” He’d noticed it, though. Maybe because they felt it put them in a higher position, to have offered something?

He wasn’t sure.

He was sipping the water when Tyr walked in, a tall and muscular man with tattoos in sight – though not all were magical. That was part of Tyr’s trick. He wove the illegal ones into decorations to make it difficult to pick out what was wrong. “Well, well, I never expected to see you here, Xandros,” Tyr greeted, taking a seat, “Aren’t you still seeing Dee?”

“For my work, yeah,” he shrugged, “but Dee doesn’t deal in all my needs, and, well, my girl and I were thinking of solidifying our relationship a bit more.”

“Oh yeah?” Tyr arched a brow and looked over at Tessa, “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”

“Some of us are discreet.”

“What’s your name, dear?” Tyr asked Tessa.

~***~

Damia returned to her duties to Gina, feeling only a little bad for sticking Dimitri with Caleb, who would know doubt fail at small talk with him. Not to mention those others who knew of him, that would likely pester him about Gabriel, and how to step up. If Damia was aware of one thing, it was that she had somehow surrounded herself with people trying to climb the ladder.

Her relationship with Emilio had opened up the door to those circles. Given, Emilio was close to Gabriel – that’s how it all worked out, after all. Emilio had helped with Gabriel’s funding, and made sure they didn’t run out in those early years. Damia had been seen close enough to Emilio in those years, to pass off the lie it was always Emilio she was close to, so she ended up in “his” employ.

And ended up around all those who wanted to get close to Emilio, so they could get close to Gabirel.

They were just rungs on a ladder.

But Damia liked some of them, such as Gina, who was marrying up to try and do better. Love, or power, it was hard to say. Maybe both. That was a terrible mix.

At least the ceremony would give Dimitri some boring peace as he had to endure the union of two people he did not know, and Damia had to stand up with the rest of the bridal party. Thankfully, the ceremony wasn’t too long. The sharing of vows went quick, before everyone was ushered towards the room over, where the meal would be – and where Dimitri could finally get drinks.

Damia wouldn’t leave him to wander there alone, but left the raised platform where the bridal party was after a few words with Gina and Tanner. “Come on, help me get out of this dress,” she didn’t need help, but she figured it would improve his mood, and she’d brought a bag with her that she left in the bridal’s changing room.

She wasn’t staying in this for the reception; the formal part was over, she could slip into something far more comfortable.

If the bride got to change for the reception, she saw no reason she didn’t get to change!

Besides...it was fun to torture Dimi until he got his "one victory".

 

[cleopat]

Tessa listened to the tip Xandros offered, and nodded that she understood. It was similar for wealthy people. Most of them offer you tea when you visit, and it was considered rude to turn down the offer, even if you don’t want tea.

Next time she’ll remember to accept the tea.

A man soon entered the room - a rather large, intimidating man that caused Tessa to subconsciously draw herself closer to Xandros. The man just exuded dangerous power, and she did not want to get on his bad side.

So she played her role as the submissive girlfriend to Xandros with an easy smile. “I’m Tess. It’s nice to meet you.”

~~~

As predicted, Dimitri ended up being bored by Caleb and his group. Their conversations didn’t interest him much, and when the questions shifted over to him, they hinted at wishing to climb the ladder, and wandered as to how to do that.

He offered them nothing, except for “luck.”

He did get some semblance of peace when the ceremony started. No more annoying questions or attempts to get to know one another. Just watching two people in love profess their vows to one another. It was sickening.

Finally, it was over, and before he had the chance to move to where the reception was, Damia interrupted him. He raised his brows at the requisition, and Dimitri could only nod and follow after her. “Okay.”

Dimitri placed his hand on her lower back as he followed her away to get changed. “I think helping you get out of that dress would almost make up for what you’ve put me through today.”

 

[Lucyfer]

“Tess, huh? So, what kind of tattoo were you thinking?” Tyr turned his attention back to Xandros easily, assuming little input from Tess right then. Xandros wasn’t surprised by that, considering her mask and dress made her role very apparent to one like Tyr.

“Well, I was hoping we could talk that out a bit. I don’t quite know all the options to bind our relationship. I mean, I know about the names,” he chuckled, “but I’m not sure we’re ready for that step.”

Tyr nodded in that understanding fashion he had mastered over the years, “Yeah, I get it, that’s a pretty difficult choice to make, but if you’re already thinking of getting a tattoo to symbolize your union…,” he gave a shrug.

Xandros let that be the easy opening, “I don’t know much about the options there,” he admitted, “I know there are ones that use signatures—”

“They all use signatures,” Tyr clarified. “You can’t just carve someone’s name on you and expect it to work. It has to be their signature.”

“So, does that mean there’s only one kind of tattoo for them?” Xandros let his nose wrinkle at that.

“Basically,” Tyr agreed. “Signature tattoos give up control to the signer. So your signature on her would give you control…or vice-versa,” he winked, “but hey, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already enjoy that space, would you? It’s freeing, really, to lose control.”

~***~

Damia chuckled at the Prince’s statement, “I thought it might,” not that it would be the kind of undressing he’d prefer to be doing, but at least he’d get a kind of win. He’d get to see her in lingerie.

That was it, though.

She led him back into the bridal dressing room and found the bag she’d grabbed on her way out, opening it up to make sure her things were still in there, including the dress she brought for the reception, a deep, dark, sparkly purple. Backless, short, and plunging, of course. “I told them blue was a terrible color for a wedding, but Gina insisted on it,” not that blue, aesthetically, looked bad. “It’s a calming color, Gina said.” The eye roll could be heard, if not seen.

Of course, for Damia, there were a hundred thousand other associations. They were generally calming, in the way one imagined drowning was a calm affair. It wasn’t. And blue wasn’t. Blue was the color of depths of sorrow, darkening all the way down. Blue was the color of the wide open sky and opportunity – roaming, wandering eyes.

Blue was not a color commonly found in nature.

Blue was not a steady color.

“Here, get the zipper, would you?” with the dress found and draped over a chair, she went back to Dimi and turned so her back was to him and he could unzip the dress. She was hardly going to ask him to look away.

He could enjoy the brief sight of the lacy, red set beneath; sadly for him, she did own strapless bras.

 

[cleopat]

Losing total control from a signature. Tessa didn’t like the sound of that, and she couldn’t fathom how others would so easily do that. What if they wanted out of the relationship down the line, would they essentially have to get permission from their partner?

It would only make it harder for someone to escape an abusive relationship.

“Oh yes, to lose control? It’s such a freeing feeling after spending all day at a high-stress job, to let someone else make those decisions for you.” Tessa acted as if not a single negative thought was going through her head, but that the idea excited her.

“I’m sure you deal with clients all the time from high-stress jobs who just need to…lose that control with their partners.” The thought of someone of a high position job with that kind of tattoo didn’t sit well with Tessa. Manipulation and coercion for some highly protected secrets was all too easy.

~~~

Dimitri furrowed his brows at Damia as she spoke of colors, and not liking blue for a wedding. “I think blue’s a nice color,” he mumbled, but what did he know? He wasn’t an artist, a creator. He understood technology, not color theory.

Another one of Damia’s eccentricities that he didn’t know what to make of.

Dimitri all-too-happily took his place behind Damia when prompted. His fingers grasped the zipper and slowly pulled on it, tracing the bare skin that revealed to him in the process. A cumbersome strapless bra was in the way of what he wanted to see, but the sight was still nice to look at.

Red was always a nice color to look at, and Damia pulled it off quite well.

“You sure you don’t want to spend a few minutes in here?” he asked, bending down slightly to whisper the question in her ear. His fingers trailed over the bare skin now revealed to him as the dress fell away

 

[Lucyfer]

“I see you wouldn’t be surprised at all by my usuals, then,” Tyr chuckled as Tessa mentioned just what sort of job she had, and why the space was appealing. Which was indeed what Tyr heard often. People just wanted to ‘turn off’ and relinquish that control to someone they trusted. It was sweet. Romantic.

Until it wasn’t.

“And here I thought there were more uses for signatures and names,” Xandros huffed, sounding disappointed. Why the hell did this senator want all these signatures? No way they were just going to tattoo a bunch of names to a person, or people, to have control over the populace. That wouldn’t work out. Too many tattoos was dangerous, for one.

Two, there was no way to guarantee that kind of loyalty.

“Eh, not much,” Tyr shrugged, a bit hopelessly, “what, not enough for you, Dragon?”

Xandros waved his hand, “It’s not hard to get Tess into sub space without a tattoo,” he grinned, “I guess I wanted something more interesting with the control thing, but I just don’t know what.”

“Well, there are ring tattoos, but you’d have to get one, too—”

“Pass.”

Tyr rolled his eyes, “Just what do you want?” It was directed to both of them, of course.

“You got a tablet with options? I could scroll through those old jobs, see what peaks my interest.”

Tyr rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, I can show you the work,” he got up, “I’ll be right back.” And he would leave them on that note to fetch his tablet.

Xandros just frowned when left alone. ‘This isn’t it.’ He didn’t know he was so sure of it, but he was. There was something amiss with the lead, or something amiss with the project – or something Tyr didn’t know. Was that possible? Probably. Tyr specialized. He glanced to Tessa to see if she might have any ideas. He could waste time looking at the tablet – and downloading shit – but he wasn’t sure if she could do anything while he was doing that.

~***~

Damia knew she was asking to be touched with her request. She knew Dimitri would try to take more from the moment. Much as she enjoyed the way his voice sounded, and the way colors lit up from his touch, she still just chuckled low in her throat and shook her head.

“Sorry my prince, you haven’t won anything else,” it was only too fun that he decided to make it a game. If he’d never asked for it in a bet, she would have easily gone home with him, or stayed here longer.

But, he did.

So she stepped away from his touch to put on the dress, twirling once even though the skirt didn’t lift at all in the gesture, before she went to pick up her blue dress and stow it away, “But don’t worry. If you dance, you can still touch me,” she said, before looking up with a cheeky grin, “and go home suffering a serious case of blue balls.”

Blue was a terrible color.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa relaxed when Tyr left the room. She didn’t like the man one bit, and he had a presence she would not want to encounter alone at night. But he didn’t give them anything that they were looking for.

She could feel that Xandros felt very similar.

“You don’t have anything, do you?” She certainly didn’t. “I just don’t see how individually tattooed names would be beneficial for one person.” Maybe there was something they weren’t seeing. Maybe they needed to think about what they’ve learned outside of their current environment.

Knowing that Tyr could return any second didn’t help Tessa. “Do you think we started with the wrong tattooist?” There was a list of them, as she recalled. “I mean, I could directly ask him about his connections with Senators Orzen and Veltose, but it would be extremely risky.” And it meant touching him. She really didn’t want to touch him.

~~~

Dimitri could only groan as Damia pulled away from his touch with a sly remark. Fucking tease. He huffed, but his hands moved back to fall at his side. Maybe he would just have to go to a bar after the wedding and find someone to pick up for the evening to help him relieve the tension that grew within him.

“One day, I will win, and victory will be all too sweet,” he promised with a grin. He allowed her to get dressed, his eyes soaking in her form the entire time. Well, she never said he couldn’t watch. In fact, she may have enjoyed it.

The fucking tease.

With a deep sigh, Dimitri moved back over to Damia to place a hand on her back after she was done. “Are you ready to get to the reception?” And touch her all he could, he shall do.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Yeah, there are others,” Xandros said, pushing a hand back through his hair in frustration. He had really hoped it was Tyr just to take him down in all of this. It wasn’t looking that way, “If you can get him to speak directly – go for it. Odds are, we’ll never see him again after this.”

And Xandros would do what he could with the technology side of things, already pulling a blank UBS into his hand from the pocket of his jacket. He kept it out of sight, palm down, as Tyr came back in with the tablet.

He handed it off to Xandros, “Take a look,” he said, the tablet already open to pictures of designs. No names, of course, but there were explanations of them, some quite legal, others not so much. Xandros began to skim it, moving his finger over it to scroll, looking for anything that made sense of what Evan found.

“Did you have something particular in mind, Tess?” Tyr asked her with a smile, “you must have had something when you came in here with Xandros.”

~***~

No, Damia didn’t mind at all that The Prince kept his eyes on her, and she easily rejoined him and allowed that touch, now that she could feel his fingers on her flesh thanks to the low dip of the fabric at the back.

“Mmm, yes, I think so,” she agreed, and did indeed take him back to the reception, where her spot – and his – were reserved at a table for the bridal party and their guests. Food would come first, but Damia did point out on entry, “There’s where you can go get a drink. Get me something fun, would you?” she ushered him that way as she went to the table.

With all of Gina’s other bridesmaids, and their guests.

Which was mostly their boring significant others. “You changed already?” Ashleia asked with a bit of a laugh in her tone.

Damia shrugged, “I told her blue was the wrong color for all of this,” which she had. Without explaining. “Besides, when this reception is done and everyone’s given their speeches, I was promised dancing. I’m not dancing in that.” She gestured to what Ashleia was still wearing.

Ashleia laughed, “Honestly I just wish I thought of it,” she admitted. “Where’s your boytoy?”

“Hopefully getting me something fun to drink. Don’t worry, he’ll be back!”

“How did he really get those scars?”

So obsessed!

 

[cleopat]

Tessa looked over at the tablet as Xandros began to skim through the pictures, but her attention was diverted when Tyr addressed her. She was caught a bit off guard, not quite expecting the question directed at her, given how he had addressed either Xandros or both of them.

“Oh, I don’t know.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I wasn’t really set on any one thing in particular, but I know I wanted something to…heighten that trust between us.” She looked at the distance between her and Tyr, and there wasn’t an easy opening yet to brush her skin over his that didn’t seem suspicious or weird.

“Something to really solidify our bond and allow that complete loss of control, you know?” Maybe when they all stood up to leave the room as they exited the building, she could just casually shake his hand as a departing greeting.

“Oh, but I am just so indecisive,” she giggled with a wave of her hand. “We need something that’s perfect.”

~~~

With an amused huff, Dimitri did go off in search of drinks. Something strong for him, and something…fun for Damia. He didn’t know any fun drinks, so when he got to the bartender, he simply asked, “My girl wants a fun drink. What would you recommend?”

A few minutes later, Dimitri headed to the table where he saw Damia, who now stood out from the other bridesmaid thanks to her change in dress. “Something fun for you,” he placed the drink on the table in front of her - a fruity and pink drink he couldn’t remember the name of, and placed his drink - a glass of whiskey - in his spot on the table.

He moved to sit in the seat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I hope I didn’t miss anything.” And yet he hoped he missed everything.

He still remembered how they stared at him earlier, and how it was obvious they were buzzing with questions for him. Dimitri hated answering questions about himself, and any attempt at that will easily be deflected.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Well, if you want trust between each other, you ought to get rings, or matching signature tattoos.”

“Pass.” Xandros said.

Tyr rolled his eyes. “He’s apparently very selective with his tattoos. Surprised you went with a sonic scream.”

“You have no idea how useful it is.”

“Probably not in the bedroom. I’m guessing there’s some gags involved?” Xandros actually heated at the question, “It’s a safe space, Xandros.”

“Yeah, I don’t need the world thinking I’m a screamer in that way, Tyr,” Xandros chuckled.

“That’s not a denial.”

Xandros knew better than to give an actual answer as he continued flipping through designs. There really…wasn’t anything he thought useful in the images. He didn’t know if he could get into Tyr’s email here, or not.

“There are other kinds of matching tattoos – ones that only work when paired, that is,” Tyr noted, “Ones that you feel all that the other is feeling – physical, mental, emotional. Ones that you link minds, so you always know what the other is thinking.”

“Well, this has given me some ideas,” Xandros couldn’t risk it. He offered the tablet back. “We’ll have to have a talk back home. We’ll be in touch, Tyr.”

“Sure, sure. Drop by with what you want and we can make an appointment then.” Tyr took the tablet back.

~***~

Damia was quick to pick up the pink drink, picking up some of the fruity notes before it even touched her lips by the pops of sounds that emanated from it. It was a ‘safe’ drink, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t tasty; she’d had the rum-and-lemonade mix before plenty of times. Usually it had a nice umbrella in it.

Gina didn’t splurge for umbrellas.

“No, no, they’re just wanting to know more about you, you didn’t miss anything at all,” Damia chuckled. “Although they need to stop asking rude questions about appearances.”

Ashleia gave a nervous chuckle, and then mumbled an apology.

So Lori butted in, “Okay, but how long have you known each other and not told us? I mean, bringing a date to a wedding is kind of a big deal?”

“Not to mention him.”

“I don’t understand your obsession,” she did, and it was humorous. Mostly because they wouldn’t say it. “He’s just some guy in IT. How do you all know about him? Are you all secretly nerds?”

Ashleia laughed and shook her head. Lori dared to answer, “Dame, he’s one of Gabriel’s actual friends! He knows Gabriel.”

“I know Gabriel,” not that anyone believed her.

“A five minute conversation at one of Emilio’s office parties doesn’t count.” Lori stated flatly, then quickly, “Not that—well, you probably don’t understand since he’s your friend, but everyone is curious about Gabriel! We just see the image he presents, you know? You actually know him.”

Damia just chuckled, amused that no one ever believed her. But that was the point. That was always the point. “You’re right, he does know Gabriel better than me,” she smiled up at him, leaning into the hold, holding back a question of whether or not Gabriel was a screamer.

Another time.

Another game.

“But seriously – how long have you two been together?” Lori returned to that.

 

[cleopat]

The conversation at hand allowed an image to cross Tessa’s mind of Xandros bound and gagged before her. Heat flushed her cheeks before she pushed the thought away as quickly as it came. That was not something she should be thinking about.

“Thank you so much, Tye. This has given us much to discuss.” She offered her hand to Tyr for a friendly parting handshake. “It’s been a pleasure talking to you.” It hasn’t, and she will be happy to finally leave this place.

But first, she waited for him to take her hand, and the moment their skin touched, Tessa allowed her power to charge forth as she asked her question, “Have Senators Orzen or Veltose come to you about any tattoos?”

She wouldn’t let go of his hand until he fully answered her question, but her voice remained steady and calm. “Have you had any contact with them at all?”

~~~

Dimitri was hardly surprised over the questions about his appearance. The scars were noticeable, and people always wondered how he got them. It always stayed a mystery for most, though every now and then, he told a tale to some person he was trying to pick up for a fun evening.

It always worked.

He did chuckle at their obsession with the fact he was friends with Gabriel. Oh, if only they knew the whole story. “I want to go ahead and let everyone know questions about my friendship with Gabriel are off limits.” Out of respect and safety. Couldn’t let some secret accidentally get loose.

“Oh, how long have we been together now, darling?” He smirked at Damia. A date for a wedding indicated they should’ve been together for some decent length of time. He pretended to think about the question for a second, before finally answering, “I believe it’s been around two months now, right?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Tyr took the hand to shake, of course, and felt himself relax as Tess asked some question about other clients. Well, not clients. He shook his head, “If they have, they didn’t use their real names.” Not an unusual enough thing for Tyr to deal with. “I don’t know them. Don’t care much about politics.”

Xandros did wonder if it was a lie. If Tyr was able to resist the influence. He didn’t know how well it worked.

Or if Tyr would recognize what happened when Tessa let go. “We’ll be in touch,” Xandros said, moving an arm around Tessa to get out of there without any delay.

Sadly, it wasn’t enough.

Sadly, his fear that Tyr would recognize it was also very, very right.

“HEY!” His voice boomed, “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

Xandros quickly pushed Tessa ahead of him, “Keep going,” he turned around to face Tyr, grinning, “What the fuck do you mean? We’re leaving.”

“After pushing me for info? No, no, no, what the fuck are you up to, are you wearing a wire?”

“Man, you didn’t even know anything anyways, what’s it matter?”

Xandros didn’t know Tyr’s powers. He didn’t know how big a fuck-up this was for them, but he wasn’t surprised when Tyr’s arm shifted to a sword. ‘Shapeshifting.’ Not a surprise at all in this line of work, nor was it a surprise when Tyr lunged for him.

He caught the arm.

“It’s the principal of the matter.”

Tyr’s other arm became a sword.

~***~

Ashleia pouted at the restriction, but managed a, “Fiiiine,” as the restriction was given. “I suppose you wouldn’t still be friends if you were dropping his deepest secrets before random people all the time.”

“Like whether or not Gabriel’s a screamer,” Damia said it too softly for the others to hear – but loud enough for Dimi, given his proximity. Yes, that was what she wanted, more than the scar story. The scar story could be another game.

The others still saw her say something though. “Hm?” Lori hummed.

“Oh, I was just musing about our time to myself,” she clarified, “Two months is about right, though,” she agreed.

“So, you must actually be a nerd though,” Lori teased, “Do you and Dame do a lot of gaming together?” ah yes, the personal questions were really beginning now, and Dame could imagine how it would go as they ate and drank. Still, it would be entertaining to see him deal with it. Especially as they asked questions to find out how he fit into her life.

She was morbidly curious if he did.

If he’d even answer honestly.

 

[cleopat]

There was always that small chance that someone recognized when they had been influenced by Tessa’s power. Very few did, but someone like Tyr? No, she wasn’t surprised he recognized and yelled after them.

Tessa was about to make a run for it, leaving Xandros behind to deal with Tyr, but she saw the arm shift in the corner of her eye. She turned to get a better look, and Tyr’s other arm shapeshifted into a sword as well.

Fuck, this can’t be good.

And she didn’t know if Xandros could deal with him by himself.

Without hesitation, Tessa reached into Tyr’s feelings. Anger, naturally. She took that anger and molded it into a different emotion. Peace. Calm. Completely void of any excessive emotion that would prompt a further attack against them.

~~~

Dimitri snorted into his drink as he took a sip - great timing from Damia and her outrageous question. He would not answer that, at least not in front of all of those people he didn’t know. He leaned in close to her ear, looking like a lover’s exchange, and whispered, “That question is saved for pillow talk.”

If she truly wanted the answer, then she knew what she had to do.

Dimitri shook his head at Lori’s question. “She tried to get me into gaming, and every now and then I’ll indulge her in her hobby, but I could never get into gaming.” Sounded reasonable enough, and he sounded like the good boyfriend who did something he didn’t enjoy because it made Damia happy.

“I'm afraid the extent of my nerdiness is building computers and writing program codes.” No gaming for him. He had never been good at it, funny enough, so he didn’t tend to pick up the controller too often.

 

[Lucyfer]

Xandros was prepared to deal with the second hand when he felt a shift in strength. “I know what you’re doing,” Tyr fought to hold onto his anger, or at the very least, his willingness to act even without the anger behind it.

Xandros didn’t really care what Tyr knew or didn’t know. As he felt the strength wane, he let go of Tyr’s arm, and threw a punch right into his chest – hard.

Ribs cracked as he went flying back, and Xandros shook his hand off, “Try that shit again, Tyr, and I’ll shut down your business,” Xandros threatened, flexing his fingers as he held his hand up after shaking it out, and then let it drop to his side. “Don’t fucking test me. You know I can.”

“Fuck off,” Tyr shouted back, “Don’t come back here, or send any of the others.” He started to try and get up, but the pain was evidently too much as he fell back.

“I won’t!” he turned towards the curtained exit, giving Tessa a bit of an urgent, ‘why the fuck aren’t you gone’ look, as he strode forward to get out of there himself. He supposed he appreciated whatever she did that had Tyr shouting, but goddamnit, she could have gotten hurt.

Then he’d be in trouble with Evan.

~***~

Damia kept that note in mind, in case she lost the next bet. She didn’t plan to, of course, and she listened to his answer about gaming. Sadly, he wasn’t a gamer. He just built computers. Still critical. She needed a better set-up for her gaming at home, anyways. One of these days she might look into that more.

She preferred the arcades.

“We all have to indulge her,” Ashleia laughed, “but her energy is intoxicating, so it works out in the end,” they still had fun with it in the end. Even if it wasn’t their thing. “So what are your hobbies then, Dimitrios?”

Dame would hold her tongue and enjoy her drink. She didn’t know his hobbies well enough to interject and letting her friends dig was worth a bit of silence. She knew he wasn’t a gamer now. She’d at least learn something he was into.

Theoretically.

And her friends would learn things he liked to try and use later on to better themselves.

 

[cleopat]

Watching Xandros punch Tyr like that was almost hypnotizing. She tensed and prepared for the worst, prepared to manipulate his emotions again, when Tyr started to get back up, but he fell back, defeated from his injuries.

She let out a breath and hurried out of the building, ignoring the look Xandros sent her way. It wasn’t until they got back to Xandros’ van that Tessa took off her mask and took deep, calming breaths to calm down her pounding heart.

“Well that was a waste.” All that for nothing. Tyr didn’t give them any information, even under manipulation. Potentially embarrassing herself in such an establishment for nothing!

“Are you okay?” Tessa didn’t see Xandros get hurt, but that didn’t mean anything. Something could’ve happened in the moment she wasn’t looking. Or maybe his punches hurt his hand.

~~~

“And that energy is what drew me to her in the first place,” Dimitri chuckled before taking another gulp of his drink. The alcohol wasn’t acting fast enough for him and Damia’s prying friends.

This was the real torture of his loss.

He debated how to answer their questions concerning his hobbies. There wasn’t anything wrong with sharing some of his real hobbies, but also maintaining that mysterious vibe for Damia was intoxicating.

Dimitri ultimately decided to answer with hobbies Damia already knew about. “I’m big into racing. Sports cars, motorcycles, the faster the better.” That may give him the exciting danger edge for some of them. “I also gamble quite often. Casinos, horse races,” he shrugged, “anything that promises a big payout.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Xandros chuckled at Tessa's panicked reaction as she took her mask off and tried to regroup. He started up his sedan to pull out of there and get them going, calm, for the most part. Those situations weren't unusual. Nor was the need for violence.

"It wasn't a waste," he reassured, "we got one off our list. Though, guess it's a lesson for both us. If you want to do that again, we should expect that reaction. They're all going to know about tattoos to a great degree." So they'd figure it out.

And they'd react. "Not saying don't do it. If it gets honest answers, that's what we need." There was just an obvious danger to it she had to be aware of. It was a risk.

So was investigating this in the first place.

"I'm alright." He added. "You?" Not that she was physically hurt, but she was probably a bit shaken.

~***~

Dimitri offered nothing Dame didn't already know about. That was disappointing in a way, amusing in another as Lori groaned, "Another thrill seeker!" But it was more pleased than truly annoyed.

"I'm still the better racer," Damia had to add, still smug, "at least from the races we've had so far." Which was true. He hadn't won. That's why he was here.

"You're going to get arrested one day," Ashleia sighed. "That does explain why you two are still together," she said.

"Damia usually gets bored with people in a week or less." Lori added. All the more reason why that swooning excuse would have never worked on them.

"You're definitely her longest relationship," Ashleia chuckled, "good luck keeping her interested."

Damia rolled her eyes at them, even if there were no lies in their words. She did grow bored of most people fast. "Do my friendships mean nothing? Those are relationships and I've loved all of you for years."

"It's not the same," Lori tutted.

"Maybe you'll understand. One day," Ashleia doubted it, obvious enough in her tone. "You've had longer relationships before, right?" To Dimi, of course.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa nodded as Xandros explained to her everything. The mission wasn’t quite a waste, as he assured, but since they didn’t get any information, she wasn’t pleased with how it ended. And if she wanted to use manipulation again, they had to be prepared to fight back.

Or maybe she would just flee and let Xandros fight.

“I’m…I’ll be alright,” she admitted. “I’m not exactly used to being so close to violence before.” She was a bit shaken up at how close to being hurt she was. But Xandros was there, and he helped.

She sighed and relaxed against the seat. “This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I signed up for this job,” she said with a chuckle. “None of my schooling prepared me for this.”

~~~

Dimitri scoffed. “And your cockiness of being the better racer is going to get you in trouble one day.” That he vowed. He will win their next race, now that he understood Damia a little better.

He will win and get that prize he sought.

He wasn’t surprised to hear that Damia got bored with people. She seemed like the type to enjoy some fun and find something new to play with a few days later. They were very similar in that regard.

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll keep her interest in many ways,” he said with a smirk, letting the hidden meaning sink in with his words. “She sure is a firecracker though,” he laughed, giving Damia’s shoulder a quick squeeze.

Had Dimi had longer relationships? Not really. When he was younger, he had actual relationships, but ever since he started working with Gabriel, he had been more satisfied with flings and one night stands. “I’ve had a few long relationships over the years,” he answered easily.

A guy who could stay in a committed relationship would look better. “But I must say, none have caught my attention like Damia here has.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Xandros felt as if he’d been around violence his whole life. He knew that wasn’t true. The sibling squabbles didn’t count, but he’d seen and heard plenty around his neighborhood. Gunshots weren’t unusual, nor were abuses of tattoos.

“What were you expecting?” Xandros asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

He had an idea of what she expected. A lot more talking, probably some coffee fetching, editing or reviewing paperwork – the boring stuff the senator didn’t have time for, but needed done anyways. The stuff that would supposedly take one up into that position, one day, as it would reveal the under-workings, the foundation, that held it all up.

Except this was the real under-working most interns would never see.

Most senators didn’t handle it at this level, but all the same…it was here, outside the red tape, that so much was worked through.

~***~

Dimitri claimed other relationships, and Damia did wonder about them. Was Gabriel on that list? How many were post-Praetorian? She couldn’t imagine many with how he seemed to understand the job, but she was still curious. There was much to be curious about.

Much, until there was no curiosity.

“Everyone knows you have to say that,” Damia teased Dimitri over his last comment. Obviously she had to be the one to stand out when he was talking to his friends. “But I suppose I can bask in the flattery, ridiculously over the top as it is.”

Lori rolled her eyes, “I don’t understand how you’re so jaded, and still so…,” the word was eluding her.

It wouldn’t come, as they were interrupted by the tapping of silverware on glass, and then the speeches that seemed endless about the reason they were all, technically, there. For the couple. Damia listened, of course. She leaned into Dimi, resting her head alongside his arm – tired by it all, bored by it all.

His presence wasn’t so boring, even if he had to do the same thing and be polite. Quiet. Feigning attentiveness.

At least the speeches led into dessert, and music playing. Which would easily lead into the Bride and Groom dancing, and then everyone else being allowed to get up, mingle, dance, and participate in the more entertaining parts of the wedding reception – like garter throwing.

 

[cleopat]

“Oh you know, the boring, tedious work that the senators don’t want to do. Reading and summarizing bills, writing and editing speeches, fetching coffee, stuff like that.” Decidedly boring stuff in comparison to what she just experienced.

But to Tessa, the boring stuff was what she wanted. It was what she liked. The bills, reaching out to see what the people wanted, drafting correspondence. There was a family legacy of dealing with all the boring political paperwork, after all.

“But I guess for Evan, the work he’ll have me do will be a little more dirty.” And decidedly dangerous, which for a split second made her hesitate with continuing her employment with him.

And if she was caught somewhere she shouldn’t be, or doing something illegal, then she risked her entire future, and her family name could only do so much recovery.

But what if she could actually do some real good? Make some actual change? It was those thoughts that called for her to stay, but she would definitely be having a discussion with Evan about a few things, including the man sitting next to her in the car. “And I’m guessing that means we’ll be working together more in the future?”

~~~

Dimitri listened to the wedding speeches, not at all entirely into them as his fingers absentmindedly played with Damia’s hair as she rested her head on his arm. Sometimes he did wonder what it would be like to have such a mundane, normal life. To have a normal job, to get married, and have a normal life with normal kids.

He knew to never expect those things. He gave them up the moment he met Gabe. Quintus had been a fool to try and have that normal life.

Did other Praetorians have a normal life on the side?

Upon a couple of more drinks and dessert being consumed, Dimitri looked around at everyone letting loose and finally having fun, no doubt most of them under the effect of alcohol. “I believe you promised me a dance?” he said to Damia, holding out a hand for her to take. “Don’t back out on me now.”

 

[Lucyfer]

It was exactly what Xandros expected. Tessa expected to be in that boring, secretarial role, not…this. It didn’t quite sound like she preferred it, even though she hoped it would lead to a positive outcome. That wasn’t something he could say would happen for certain. Even he had his doubts. “Probably,” he agreed, “unless you decide to quit,” he shrugged.

He expected it.

He didn’t know how much of this a girl like her could take, when she’d rather be in a safe office, sipping tea and reading bills. “Evan actually does all the boring stuff himself. He says it’s important he read the entire bills, since almost no one else does. They just get the summaries from their secretaries, and he doesn’t think that’s sufficient. Coffee eh – no one gets it right.”

No one except his husband, of course, who did not work in the office but occasionally came by with a cup.

“I’m going to do some research on the other names before we head out to see anyone else. Check my contacts. I can send you the list if you want to look it over it yourself.” Maybe she could find something.

Maybe not.

~***~

Damia half-expected she’d have to drag Dimitri to the dance floor, even if he did seem to be enjoying the music. It was just hard to imagine him dancing to, well, anything. So, she was pleasantly surprised that he extended the offer after she’d finished her dessert.

She laughed outright at the idea she’d back out, and took his hand as she rose. Especially given the song was not some slow, boring one he could just hold her to.

He met Marmalade down in old Moulin Rouge
Struttin' her stuff on the street​

True, the music hadn’t yet turned towards clubbing music, though that was certainly on the agenda knowing Gina, and the rate at which alcohol was going down, but Damia would dance to anything. And this? It was still an upbeat song to get people onto the floor, and she could dance to this quite well. Hopefully Dimi would be more than just a boring stripper pole of a dance partner, though.

She said, "Hello, hey Joe, you wanna give it a go?"​

“Try to keep up, Dimi~,” her hand left his to reach for his tie and pull on him that way. Oh, she’d give him the chance to lead…but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to steal it a few times.

 

[cleopat]

Would Tessa quit? She didn’t know, but it certainly seemed that the factors were stacked against her. The dangerous information-gathering missions, the known thief and killer sitting next to her…Every logical voice in her head screamed at her to take her parent’s advice and to work for another senator, one that had an experienced background.

She chewed on her bottom lip, crossing her arms over her chest as she thought in silence for a moment. “I am definitely going to have a conversation with Evan.” But she didn’t know if that would lead to her quitting.

She ultimately hoped she didn’t, partly to not appear like a quitter to her parents when she was doing well to get her life back on track, and partly because she was curious as to where things would lead.

Damn Evan for preferring the boring tasks to himself.

But for now, she would at least help with the current mission until she reached her final decision. “Okay, yeah, I can look over it.” Maybe she could do some research. Maybe by some minuscule chance, she would recognize a name.

~~~

Dimitri didn’t lose himself to the music like other people did. Even with alcohol, he was hyper-aware of how he appeared to other people, and dancing like a fool wasn’t on the agenda. He briefly squeezed Damia’s hand before the both started moving to the rhythm.

He moved closer all too willingly when she pulled on his tie. With their closer proximity, Dimitri placed one hand on Damia’s waist, fingers splayed out as he sought the warmth of her bare skin.

“Something tells me you will always out dance me, no matter how much alcohol is involved,” he laughed. Despite the image of a brooding and aloof man, he could allow himself to let go and forget who he was.

Forget he was a contract killer who could be assigned to murder the very woman dancing in front of him.

 

[Lucyfer]

Xandros nodded. "I'll send the list to you," he was amused with her continued thought that she needed to talk to Evan. "Should I drop you off at your home, or at the office, then?"

He knew both places now, likely much to her displeasure - though she knew where he lived. Not that it meant much for her.

Not that he couldn't pick up at a moment's notice, either. He'd done it before when police thought they'd finally figured him out. A small slip -- but he covered it well in the quick move. He could do it again.

Especially now that his resources were better.

"I'm sure he's willing to chat more. I can even leave you alone so I'm not there to influence anything you," or Evan, "will say." She could also brief Evan on the one lead that dried up, before they pursued others.

~***~

Damia had no doubts that she could out-dance Dimitrios anytime, any day. It was a reason she'd never challenge him to that. It just wouldn't be fun. Not that right now was about the competition (although it was, just a bit). "We'll just have to see about that!" she teased about the alcohol, but of course, she would continue to drink.

And continue to encourage Dimitri to drink.

She didn't usually drink to excess. Tipsy was about as far as she ever drank, because after that, the sensation was...bad. Like drowning. Everything was dulled, her thinking and reception of sensation was slowed, and she hated it. Yet, there was a point before that she enjoyed, where the influence of the alcohol sang along with the touch of the music.

Finding that perfect spot and holding it was the trick.

But she found it. And she helped Lori catch the bridal bouquet with a suggestion of where to stand, and watched in amusement when the garter was thrown. The other games of the bridal party became far more entertaining with the energy of the alcohol bubbling, but she was always back to dancing soon after, and letting the beat move her - in her opinion, quite literally, at times.

All good things had to end, though. The party only lasted till 2am before everyone was being kicked out. Damia, of course, stuck close to Dimi as the farewells and well-wishes were being given in parting ways, and would keep hold of his arm on the way out.

"Do you need a cab?" she couldn't stop the amusement in her voice. She definitely needed a cab.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa thought for a second, tempted to tell him to take her home, but it would give her a peace of mind to just go ahead and talk to Evan about everything and make a decision of what to do after that.

“Go ahead and drop me off at his office,” she decided. And she was grateful that he offered to give them privacy, so she could say what she wanted without fear of Xandros’ overhearing and reacting.

It’s not that she wouldn’t say anything that wasn’t true, but she didn’t want to be mean. She wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt and see if Evan would clear anything up for her.

“And I’ll be sure to tell him what we learned, or rather didn’t learn, today, and see if he learned anything else while we were gone.” Assuming she did continue under Evan’s employment. Assuming she’d want to continue working alongside Xandros, knowing his background.

~~~

Dimitri drank as the night went on.

He allowed alcohol to pass his lips at every opportunity and when encouraged by his fake date. His size helped with not immediately getting drunk, and his speed tattoo helped with metabolizing the alcohol in his system to an extent.

So by the end of the night, he wasn’t completely drunk, but he was definitely inebriated and unable to make huge decisions. Just enough to have fun and allow his brooding exterior to take a rest.

As he and Damia stumbled out of the wedding reception, Dimitri had wrapped one arm securely around her, the feel of her bare skin on his fingers enticing him to touch more.”I don’t need a cab,” he scoffed before taking a short stumble over his own feet. “Okay, maybe I do.”

He would hate himself in the morning for allowing him to get to such a state.

“And what about you?” His other arm wrapped around her as well. “We could save money and get a cab together.” Yeah, totally for saving money.

 

[Lucyfer]

"Alright," Xandros updated his course a bit to get Tessa to the office. She didn't say it directly, but it was clear she didn't want him there so he wouldn't follow along. He would wait for Evan to give him the go ahead to send her any information. Just in case she did choose to throw up her arms and quit.

It wouldn't surprise him in the least.

He didn't say that, of course. He just got her to the office and drove up to the front so she could get out without him having to park.

He couldn't stop himself entirely from a comment though. "See you around, kitten~" that was probably going to come up with Evan as some sort of harassment.

Oh well.

~***~

Damia kept a hold on the Prince when he stumbled, but giggled at it all the same. He tried, and he failed. A cab would be necessary. She fumbled for her phone in her bag. "Mmmm I'll call you one."

He mentioned both of them taking a cab to save money. Which would mean going to the same place, as his other arm wrapped around her. She hummed, as if considering it.

Not that he'd have what he hoped for. There were couches and floors.

"It might not save you money when I eat all your food for breakfast." And ran off so she wasn't late to her cover job. She didn't get Monday off for being "mugged", after all.

She'd have to wake up so early to get from Dimitri's house back to hers, to get ready. The thought almost made her whine. "I have work in the morning." A complaint as much as an unchangeable fact.

She had to continue the lie.

 

[cleopat]

Xandros had to use that damnable nickname again. Tessa flustered and huffed as she got out of the car, not even saying goodbye to him. Maybe she wouldn’t see him around, maybe she would.

But if they were going to work together, that damned nickname had to go.

Tessa made her way into the building and up to Evan’s office. When she got to his door, she knocked and entered when prompted. “I think we need to talk,” she told Evan before he had a chance to say anything.

She sat down in a chair right in front of his desk, and crossed her arms over her chest. “You know about Xandros being a gang leader, one who has targeted those who run in the same circles as my family. How can you trust him to not backstab you the first moment he gets?” Maybe it wasn’t fair for Xandros, as he hadn’t done anything yet, but it still weighed heavily on her mind.

“He has killed people, and yet you employed him…why?”

~~~

Dimitri scoffed as Damia claimed she would just eat all his food. “Good luck finding food in my kitchen.” He wasn’t a huge fan of cooking, so most of his meals consisted of takeout or something that could be fixed in just a few minutes.

“You can call in late,” he easily suggested, resting his head in the crook of her neck. Enjoying her scent. “Or just not go in. I’m sure they can survive without you for one day.” Dimitri already knew he would at least come in late to work that next morning. It was already so early, and his hangover would take some time getting over.

They can suck it if they weren’t happy with him.

“So, what do you say?” he asked, his voice muffled as he spoke into her neck.

 

[Lucyfer]

Evan was a little surprised to see Tessa back so soon. Especially in such a mood of needing to talk. He couldn’t even ask what it was about before she was sitting, and spilling it all. He listened, of course. Nothing she said was a surprise, nor was he exactly surprised this mission led to her finding out about Xandros.

He let her finish.

“Tessa,” he was calm, “Do you know how many people Velrose has killed?” He would give a beat, to let the question have a moment, before he continued, “Do you know how many people Orzen has stolen from?” Another moment, another beat, before he continued, “You certainly know that Velrose is the main reason the bill relating to safety regulations in the harvesting of pine trees, as he believed the economy would crash if we slowed down the pace by which they were harvested to get the ink needed for so many tattoos from their resin. He was vocal about how safe it was with the current regulations, that we did not need to bloat the rules any further with laws that wouldn’t even be followed.”

Evan’s tone was calm and even.

“Because of the support he garnered, the bill died. Because of the support he garnered, hundreds have died, as there are no equipment maintenance standards up to date with current technology, nor safety regulations regarding what is necessary to protect a worker at various heights that they may encounter on the job.”

A beat. “Senator Orzen has torn school funding to shreds, and made it difficult to obtain food for our poorer communities. He has also supported every bill to raise our pay.”

Evan leaned back, “I work with thieves and murderers every day, Tessa. Xandros is the only one honest about it, and he’s personal about it, which is a welcome relief from the impersonal killers and thieves I deal with every day.”

~***~

Dimitri leaned in closer, but the promise of food in the morning was gone. No breakfast. No hangover food. True, she’d get to see his place, which she was very curious about. Was he a minimalist? A maximist? Was he far more interesting than he let on, and not just a brooder in IT? Sure, he’d shown some of that possibility with the dancing and the laughter tonight, but she didn’t know.

But no food?

She was already hungry for terrible, greasy, fried food. How would she survive the morning without food?

Damia patted his head, “You’re not very persuasive, Dimi,” she answered with a giggle, “no food? No breakfast? No greasy, terrible, guilty pleasure drunk food? Hard pass,” she giggled again, “I’mma get a cab and grab the worst food I can get on the way home. And a rootbeer float,” definitely a rootbeer float, “and then have alllll the food when I wake up~,” to fix the inevitable hangover.

It would fail.

It would be a delicious fail.

“Do you not want corn nuggets? Waffles and fried chicken? Nachos with all the toppings, and fried cheesecake?” She wasn’t sure if she was inviting him to the terrible food or not.