Véronique Rousselle

♛

Rose stares blankly at a ceiling that she doesn't recognize, watching the ceiling fan overhead as she tries to figure out what occurred last night. Her eyes shifted around the room she woke up in, her gaze examining each piece of furniture and decor that most certainly wasn't hers. She stares at the ceiling fan again, trying to figure out why she's here. She blinked once, her hands touching her body that ached, touching the sensitive spots on her figure, but it didn't feel all too painful. A quiet sigh left her lips, glad she hadn't stabbed or shot this time. The scars on her body were proof of the woman's odd magnetism to such things, and she could recall every single story of how she got them. Most of the stories start with her getting into a feud with someone, while the rare beginnings are with her doing something stupid.

Rose shifted in the bed, pulling the covers up her shoulders as she blinked again. The sensation was recognizable, yet her mind was too much in a daze to instantly piece it together. One of the clues was that the room reeked of such acquainted odor. The second clue was when her eyes went to the floor adorned in scattered clothing, taking notice of her clothes...and someone else's. As for the third hint, a subtle movement was felt next to her, making her tilt her head in that direction to figure out who it was. A stranger. Someone she had forgotten the name of; even so, her appearance was unmistakable as it was the woman she met at the bar yesterday. By the woman's scent and sheer beauty, the stranger was a nymph, except that she had encountered many before, so it didn't help narrow down who the woman was. Rose squinted her eyelid, trying to get a better look at her to recall her name.

Amy? No, she was her last fling from two months ago.

Susan?? That can't be right. She was the waitress at that one restaurant three weeks ago.

Beatrice??? That can't be right, as Beatrice was the chick at that one club. Though she was close to getting it - she knew the woman's name started with a B and ended with...something.

Not wanting the woman to wake up and have an awkward moment where the one-night stand prolongs their stay after forgetting their name, Rose leaves voluntarily and swiftly grabs the clothes on the floor like she's been through this situation many times before, which she has. She dresses hastily but ensures silence, not wanting to awaken the person in the bed. It was a talent she mastered over the years of her misadventures. Rose slipped on her black button-up shirt, leaving the top three buttons undone, partially exposing her chest, and rolling up her sleeves to her elbows to expose her lower arms. The next step was putting on her tightly fitted dress pants while maintaining balance and not falling on the floor to awaken the slumbering nymph. The last time she did that, Rose had to excuse herself and hurried out without putting her shoes on after receiving a puzzled stare from her former partner.

Lastly, it was her black leather dress shoes once she pulled up her dark grey dress socks. Rose tied up the loosened strings, not wanting to trip as she rushed out of the nymph's home. Her operation was going smoothly, and she felt relieved they'll would be no interaction as she'd be gone by then. Only to freeze when she heard more movement behind her. Rose ceased breathing, becoming still like a statue while her heart raced frantically in her chest. She peeks over her shoulder, staring behind her and towards the stranger in the bed, who is becoming more active as she steadily wakes up.

Shit.

An imaginary countdown timer started in Rose's head, counting down the time to when the woman would fully wake up and notice what was occurring. Rose couldn't leave yet, as she was missing many things still: her phone, coat, watch, and car keys. She frantically scanned the room, locating each item's location to snatch it and dash before the timer hit zero. Rose found her watch on the end table, which she grabbed like it was the last watch on Earth, and attached it to her left wrist. Her next important thing was her cell phone, which she noticed was waiting for her on the vanity table. Rose crept over in silent yet hurried steps, with the rustling sound of the bed getting louder. She shoves her device in her pocket so harshly that it could've caused a tear in her back pocket. The last thing she needed was her coat, but when she found it, her face paled. Her jacket was on the other side of the room...on the table close to the nymph's side of the bed.

She has two options:
1. Ditch the coat and buy (or steal) a new one that looks similar.
2. Risk it for the biscuit and grab it before the nymph fully gets up.

The first option sounds better, but something inside her told her to take the coat. The longer she stares at it, the more something inside her...hurts. The clothing was a gift from someone she was no longer speaking with - it bothered her immensely. Her teeth lightly bit her bottom lips, shifting between the nymph and the coat. As the imaginary timer counted down till the woman in the bed stirred, Rose was stuck in a situation that could've been easily solved if she thought. The sound of heavy footsteps came as she rushed over to the coat, tucking it carefully under her arm like it was a fragile object. For Rose, it was. Instead of leaving the door like any sane person, she climbed out the window, which was easy for her, considering she'd done this many times throughout high school and college. When her feet touched the ground, she floored it to her car parked on the street and then jumped into the driver's seat. She starts the engine of her Royse Royce Wraith. The coat is pearlescent black that changes to a blood-red color depending on the angle you're looking at, dark-tinted windows to grant her privacy, black and red rims, and sports tires.

Rose carefully placed the coat on the seat beside her, taking a moment to stare at it with longing. She still recalls the day she was gifted the jacket, making her murderous heart melt every time.

It was a rainy day, the raindrops pouring down hard, pelting the Earth below. Rose sat across from her and smoked a cigarette as the two watched the rain together, taking shelter under the umbrella of an outdoor seating table outside a cafe. With the table umbrella getting hit pretty hard by the downpour. There was nothing but awkward silence between them, no words exchanged as they kept their gaze ahead as the car waited patiently for them to finish or for the other to make the next move. Rose was offered her coat when she got up to leave, which she hesitantly took and threw over her shoulders to protect herself from the rain. The scent of her on the coat made her heart pound and her cheeks flush slightly, something that never happened before compared to her previous lovers.

That was her first time experiencing...love.

She always believed that a selfish, cold, and reserved woman like her didn't deserve such a thing. Now. It was over as Rose chickened out when she asked her a serious question - she left her in the dust. It was over...and it hurt her so damn much. She reminds herself that she deserves a better partner than her, that she can move on and find someone so much better and more available emotionally. The guilt is there, but Rose pretends it doesn't affect her. She admits her cowardice, yet she won't say it so openly to save face. Her mind kept drifting back to when she lost everything. That disappointed look on her former lover's face bothered her still. Out of all the hurt faces she's seen - that one messed with her the most. Rose never felt remorse when she ended things with her exes, as she considers them nothing more than a fling. Not even their heartbroken tears could've swayed her mind into staying with them.

I guess this is what they call karma, and it's most certainly a bitch.

Rose pried her eyes away from the jacket to stare at her smart radio. She puts in the coordinates of her home in the GPS of her touchscreen radio, hooks up her phone to the Bluetooth of her car, and plays music to clear her head. It was on shuffle as she drove. With a heavy, Rose leans into her black and red seat, her fingers slightly gripping the red steering wheel as those peculiar emotions kept coming back to mess with her. She played with a strand of her wine-red hair, twisting between her index and thumb as she was in a daze as she drove. Now and then, her eyes turn to the radio's screen, waiting for a text message from her to appear.

♛

Mentions: Jérémie and Guillemette [dir.]

The ride home was unfortunately uneventful, a sense of dread crushing her already miserable soul. As she parked her car in the garage, her eyes took notice of her brother's vehicle, a green Lamborghini, waiting to be taken for a drive. Rose internally cringed, not because the green color is horrible to the eyes. Green or yellow cars are the worst, but combining them to make a puke yellow color is even more. Oh, no. She's more bothered that her annoying older brother was here. Sure, he lives here too, yet it doesn't mean she's got to like the man for sharing the same holding. Her face shifted into one of stoicism, not wanting the pest of a brother to spot her misery so easily. Knowing him, he probably has a 7th Sense of detecting it. She swears that her brother absorbs it to fuel him for the day - the damned brat.

When she entered the manor through the garage door, she was greeted by all six of her dogs, petting the various canines who welcomed their beloved owner. A small smile formed at the dogs' eagerness, even feeling herself chuckling a little when Star, her Caanan Dog female, stood up on her hindleg to attempt to hug her. Rose's hands instantly went to smother the dog's face in pets, even kissing Star on the head to show affection to her beloved beast. Their little tails wagging, their excited whimpers, and their tap dancing skills to express their joy made all those negative feelings Rose was experiencing fade away.

"Oh, Rosey-Rose!"

A familiar voice called out to her, making the attitudes of both Rose and the six dogs diminish immensely. She puts on her so-called 'bitch-resting' face - even her dogs matched her annoyed energy as they turned to the direction where her older brother's voice was coming from. With a grunt and a shake of her head, Rose responds coldly, "So much for a warm greeting. I thought I could finally catch a break," She scoffs, shaking her head, "Apparently not." She raised a brow when a man around her height stepped out of one of the many rooms, a smile on his face, exposing his pearly whites and unusually long canines. His frosty blue eyes locked on her red ones, the slits in his eyes examining her closely.

He spoke once more, pushing his jet black hair back as his bangs got in the way of his eyes, "Darling, sister," He purposely dragged the word sister to mock her and huskily chuckled as she approached her with his arms outstretched. "Did you miss your precious big brother? I most certainly missed you," He commented in heavy sarcasm, tilting his head a little. In response to his words, Rose casually gave him the middle finger while her other hand went to pet Rookie on the head, touching his fuzzy ears as she focused on a different kind of bitch in the room. Her nuisance of a brother.

"Brother," She resisted the urge to groan, "still a prick, I see? You hadn't changed a bit, even when you left for college. Still an insufferable brat," Her icy tone hit the man hard, yet he wasn't offended, only placing a hand over his chest, feigning heartbreak at Rose's harsh words. His smile grew wider while his reptilian eyes glowed in amusement. "Ouch, ouch, ouch~. You're such a skillful welcomer, Rose. I didn't even get a single hug from you," He drops his arms to his side, shifting his weight to his left leg. A boisterous laugh left him, "You truly know how to make someone feel at home...if a home is located in the deepest pits of Hell, She-Devil." He smirks, tilting his head slightly to the left as he shamelessly mocked her, attempting to sully Rose's mood further by taunting her until she snapped.

Her jaw clenched immensely, with her teeth pressing together so hard to the point they might chip. "Why don't you return to your sewers with your fellow roaches, brother? I'm certain they missed you more than us," Rose snapped back, her dogs growling in her brother's direction. Her older brother chuckles, clapping his hands theoretically, "Bravo~! You're getting better with your insults. Tell me, did any of your, let's see, thousands of ex-lovers teach you how to slander? If so, please share who they are. I want to thank them for making you less of a disappointment." His insults were making her fist clench in anger, and the intensity of her dogs' growls was getting stronger.

Seeing her building anger, he throws his hands up to show that he surrenders, "Now, now. There's no need to be hostile here, sister. I'm only pulling your strings," There's a bit of fear in his speech, but he puts on a brave facade. "Someone woke on the wrong side of the bed, but whose bed, I wonder. Right, sister?" Rose narrowed her eyelids, holding back the strong urge to strangle the man here and now. As the familiar presence of their mother steadily approached, the two siblings' attitudes switched immensely. Jérémie's attitude flipped to a more welcoming one, and he formed a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Rose's anger disappeared, and her tensed body relaxed with her dogs doing the same thing. He hugged her as their mother entered the room before saying with a false sense of kindness, "Darling, little sister! I missed you so!"

Rose hugged him back, yet added a bit of force to her hug to cause him discomfort. Jérémie grunts, squeezing her hard in return to also make her uncomfortable. "Tone your fakeness down, brother. You sound stupid as shit," She whispered in his ear, making it seem they were lovingly embracing when they entered their mother's view. "I'm trying, but touching you is making me want to hurl," He hissed back, the two of them having a hug off. When their mother drew near, they pulled away, quickly shooting each other a death glare, and smiled. "I long for you too, brother. I do miss our interactions so dearly." Rose had to resist the urge to laugh upon saying that, but that didn't stop the corner of her lip from twitching. Pretending to be nice to Jérémie was painstaking; nonetheless, if it's to make their mother happy, then so be it. Rose will endure such torture for her darling mother's sake.

Their mother warmly smiled, cupping their cheeks with coarse hands, "Glad to see my children are getting along so well. It warms my century-old heart," She leans forward, kissing her children on the foreheads before letting go and entering the kitchen to make them something to eat. With their mother's back turned, Rose glared at her brother and mouthed, "Fuck you," to him, and Jérémie mouthed back with a smirk, "Eat shit," which made Rose huff. The siblings parted ways, Jérémie following after their mother and Rose heading into her bedroom to change into clothes for work with her dogs following behind her.

Maria Keranz

Luke Addler

He hoisted himself off the bed, his bare feet making thumping footsteps against the cold wood floor. He made his way over to the dresser, changing from his night wear to a plain shirt and jeans. His black shirt wrinkled against his light-toned skin, making him smoothing out as his perfectionist brain poked at him. He sighed and turned back to his bed where he neatly arranged the blankets before heading to the kitchen.

The kitchen was placed on the far wall of the dorm, a small archaeay separating the beds and the kitchen. Luke made his way to the stove, turning it on and grabbing a pan which he set on on the left burner. He got out some tomato and onion, grabbing a cutting board and knife. He placed the tomato down first on the wooden cutting board, taking the knife and dicing it with skill. Then he repeated it with the onion. He left the tomato for later, and took the diced onion, puting in the pan with avocado oil so it would cook down. Next, taking eggs out from the small fridge, he cracked them open in a glass bowl and mixed them until the egg yolk and white were well together.

He then turned on the right burner, puting yet another pan down and a slice of butter so nothing would stick. As the pan warmed, he grabbed his dried herbs from the cabinet, and put in a few sprinkles of his mix into the eggs, he often used these herbs for eggs. He poured the eggs into the hot pan, and turned the heat down a little, letting the cook slow so they would stay creamy, as the cooked, he put the eggs and onion it so they would be apart of the eggs, adding to the flavor.

"Breakfast is ready Emery!" He called out, wondering if Emery was still asleep or if he was even there. Luke didn't take the time to look. He took down two plays and arranged the eggs onto them as neatly as possible. The smell of the eggs were irresistible, and they looked of something that would come from an expensive restaurant.

He laid the plates on the small table, and opened the fridge to poor two small glasses of juice. The juice had carrots, pineapple, and carrots, creating a sweet flavor, and a very orange liquid. He placed the glasses there along with some silverware, moving the plates slightly to make it look like perfection. He then sat down, grabbing his fork and taking a bite of the steaming eggs. Delicious as usual.

Aster Morningstar

Witch | 20 | UNB | Mentions : Eustance [indirectly] , Velvari [indirectly], Emery [ directly - via text ]

The sounds of birds chirping caused the young witch to stir. He was comfortable where he was, and he gave a soft groan of displeasure as he forced himself to wake up. And he took in his surroundings - he wasn't in his own room, this room was quite lavish and expensive. And the discarded clothing on the floor, only gave a rather suggestive hint as to what went on that previous night. Yet, he could see what he was wearing neatly folded in a chair, and he was quite sure that his "partner" from last was still asleep. Yet, he was startled when he felt a strong pair of arms wrap around his waist - and pull them closer to themself, and then keeping an arm wrapped around them brush the hair away from his neck. The person softly planting light kisses on the exposed neck of Aster, and then proceeding to nibble on his ear in a gentle, yet teasing manner. Before resting their chin on his shoulder and then proceeding to speak to him, "Up so soon, little birdie." The person spoke in a sultry tone, tracing their thin fingers up Aster's spine - eliciting a unconscious shiver from that male. He could feel the others teeth grazing the sensitive skin of his neck, and he had to suck in a quick breath as the person bite into his neck. And then he could the soft whistle as the partner blew on the bite mark on his neck.

"Hey, what was that for?" Aster huffed, the heat rising to his cheeks, and he turns to face the person, yet finds them tantalizingly close. Pale lips with a dark vermillion hue, brush against his, the owner quirking them into a little smirk - and pale lilac eyes look at him with lust and teasing.

The person moving closer until they were atop Aster - their hands extending until they cup Aster's face in adoration, and rubbing their thumb against his lips - a look a desire as they smudged the remaining lipstick on his lips before giving an answer, "Because, little stormbringer - your body is a holy temple to worship, were you not blessed by the gods? Then shouldn't this lowly mortal, worship you? " Aster couldn't speak, as his breath was stolen by this stranger - metaphorically and quite literally, as he was silenced before he could answer by a kiss and if he hadn't melted before then he was beginning to. He had unconsciously given his partner the advantage - because he was distracted, his partner had softly pressed themselves against him as they trailed kisses down his neck.

Aster found himself fondling the silver-ish blonde locks of hair that belonged to his partner. And Aster paused in this kisses, earning a look of concern from his partner - who then gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm ruining the mood, aren't I? " he says lowly, his voice sounding close to breaking from embarrassment. And he covered his face, and he could feel some tears soaking into his hands .

"Sh.Sh.Sh." Came the simple reply as his hands were gently removed from his face and his body gently raised up. The hybrid began kissing his knuckles softly and rubbing soft circles on them, "No, you're not. It just means your heart belongs to another, and I am just honored to have served as a distraction. " they spoke softly and placed a light kiss on Aster's forehead before just holding him. " I hope for your sake, that the one who you love gets their act together, because clearly you love them dearly." And there was a gentle stroke of his hair and he felt like a child being soothed but he didn't try and fight the comfort.

" I do, he's just so . . dense. " Aster said frustrated and he wrinkled his nose in annoyance - yet, their was a fond but tired smile on his face as he said it. That gained a snort from the hybrid, who raised his chin in a seductive manner.

"Mmm, maybe he's just unsure - but certainly when he sees that someone has touched what once belong to him, then maybe he'll feel spurred to some action. Because if I were him, I'd be very jealous at the thought of someone else pleasuring you." And they pull Aster closer until they're barely apart, their voice was hot and heavy against Aster's ear, " jealousy is a dangerous motivator: Maybe you just need to spark something in him that he didn't know was there. Because he possibly thinks that he wouldn't feel hurt at seeing you with another, but he definitely would." And Aster could feel them graze their sharp teeth against the soft and exposed skin of his neck, giving a soft lick to the skin - the coolness gaining a shiver from the male as he let himself relax.

"Oh, and how would you know?" Aster said rather breathlessly as the hybrid had began to nibble on his neck more -the hair brushing against his skin, and he felt himself being laid back down on the bed for more comfort. And then he felt a sharp bit, he let out a soft groan of pleasure and didn't realize how his nails dug into the back of the hybrid's skin. Earning him a sultry chuckle, and for his partner to take his legs and place them on his shoulder - earning a soft shocked squeak at the sudden shift in position. The soft sheets underneath him ruffling at the friction - and his partner leaned forward while stroking his thigh with a soft expression.

" How do I know? Because, what person wouldn't be curious about the way you'd look underneath them or atop them. You're very stunning - and I quite would like to help you make that dense friend of yours realize how special you are to him. But you're probably ready to go away, aren't you?" They said with wisdom and a hint of a lilt in their voice, and Aster gave a soft hum.

"I should get going." Aster replied honestly, "I have a meeting today, and I don't need anyone questioning where I was if I'm late. But I'd still like your number in case you'd be up for this again."

"Well, good to know I'm an option at least, " his partner said, letting Aster get up and get his clothing from the chair. And Aster had to blush at the teasing wolf-whistle he received. He had wore a cropped black tee with a beige super cropped top with trumpet sleeves- and then some rather form fitting black leather pants and some black platforms.

He had finished putting on the lace undergarments and then out on the leather pants on and was buttoning them up. And that's when he heard the movement behind him. " Are you sure there's anything I could do to convince you to stay a couple more hours? Because those pants are part of the reason I had to get your number." The hybrid had said teasingly, wrapping their arms around the exposed waist of Aster - letting their hands settle on his hips.

"Cecil, " Aster had gasped taken aback by the statement, "you are a scamp." And he had erupted into a fit of giggle, "my pants?"

Cecil simply shrugged, "What can I say. I appreciate someone with a nice ass and healthy thighs - and you have both." And they began putting their own clothes on, " Also, did you need me to drop you off at your residence? I don't think you should be getting a taxi or driving service at this hour - too many creeps. And I would not be polite if I didn't at least offer."

" If it's not a big deal, I would greatly appreciate it. " Aster had said thankfully as he gathered up his purse, keys, phone and glasses.

" No problem cutie, you can make yourself some coffee or grab a bite out my fridge if you're feeling hungry while I finish getting ready and find my car keys. " Cecil said with a smile and ruffled Aster's hair rather fondly.

It didn't take long for Cecil to get ready, and Aster had found a cherry danish in the fridge and was finishing it up and licking the frosting off his fingers when he caught Cecil staring at him and he blinked. " Did I do something wrong?" Aster asked confused, only to earn a chuckle from Cecil.

"You're too cute for your own good is all."

And Aster just had to settle for that answer. He was pretty sure there was more to what Cecil said, however his brain was too sleepy to even think of asking what he meant. He was only concerned with getting back home - hopefully, he wouldn't have to tell Eustance where he had been last night. Even though he didn't have to tell him if asked, he just felt obligated to at least be honest with him, sigh.

─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ───

Roughly About Thirty Minutes Later

They had arrived at the luxury apartments that Aster stayed at. And pulling the care to a stop Cecil said, "Your stop is here - my strombringer, and I hope you get home safe." And Aster had to smile before slightly opening the door, and pausing. Did he want to risk it? Was it foolish to do what he wanted for once? He was trying to move on, and this may be a good chance to try and do so. And so he turned around, and kissed Cecil on the lips. With a certainty to it, and it left them both breathless and Cecil went in for another kiss and the two looked at each other shyly afterwards.

"That was my goodbye kiss, and a thank you for being so sweet." And he place a final peck on Cecil's cheek, " call me. " and then he got out the car and made it into the lobby of his building due to his keycard.
After swiping the card - the elevator came to life and he pressed the button for his floor. While he was waiting he got out his phone and began texting Emery, his college best friend and overall bestie.

To Emery : Oh my dear stars, I don't know how you found them, but Cecil is a godsend. They are such a sweetheart! And not to mention I had a rather good night with them as well. Thanks for suggesting them for my date, I had a good time and I might be able to move forward a bit. Also, looking forward to introducing you to the band. Are you excited to be joining such a stellar group of individuals? Jk, I know you're gonna love them.

He gave a soft smile - and then a yawn, and he swiped the keycard again. A slight beep could be heard as he opened the door to the apartment. And he silently took off his boots, it seemed Stace wasn't awake and he didn't want to disturb his roommate - not get questioned as to why he was coming in so late like a little kid sneaking in after curfew. And so he silently closed the door, a slight click ringing through the place as he locked it behind him. And he using his stealth slunk past his friend's room and spared a momentary glance before moving on to his room. And he took off his clothes and sighed in relief, and then he made his way to his restroom and he had to do a double take at in the mirror at the sheer amount of markings that lined his body. From bite marks and hickies lining his neck, collarbone, and shoulder to the slight nail marks on his back and markings along his waist and thighs.

"Goddamn it, how the fuck am I supposed to hide these." He hissed as he gave annoyed groan, and defeated - slunk into his shower to freshen up for the day as he didn't want to be stinky when meeting the band. He would deal with his situation a bit later. He really didn't care at the moment what he wore, and so he threw on a pair of shorts that were quite a bit too short for him, and then an oversized graphic tee that dipped at his shoulder. And finally a pair of cow house shoes - he didn't give a damn how ridiculous they may have looked, they were comfortable as hell. And he found a stray scrunchie and while putting his hair up he walked to the kitchen. And he opened the fridge and got eggs out along with some spices and then things to make a homemade pancake mix.

He grabbed a bowl and mixed flour, eggs, cocoa powder, milk, and added a pinch of vanilla and salt. Afterwards some chocolate chips and then melted butter and finally a mix of brown and white sugar. After making the batter he set the griddle up and began making the chocolate pancakes. And after the pancakes were done he set them in the oven to keep warm and got a skillet for the eggs. He cracked some eggs and added paparika, oregano, salt and pepper with a bit of sharp cheddar cheese. And after it cooked for a good few minutes he got a plate out and got himself a serving of pancakes and scrambled egg. He then added whipped cream and cut strawberries to his pancakes and was satisfied with the outcome. By now he could hear Stace bumping around and he wondered what the morning would bring. And he set up his seat at the counter and uttering a simple spell, the dishes began cleaning and putting themselves away and soon the kitchen was clean as usual. He didn't feel like manually cleaning at the moment - he was truly exhausted when he used spells for cleaning.

And to ignore this fact - he sat down in silence and munched on the food he had made. And gave a soft groan of delight as he ate. Maybe he had just been terribly hungry.