#obviously not technically sound in the slightest and i dont care

[draven]

from the moment you sit down, you Know this is going to be a Bad Talk with your lawyer. its never good for your lawyer to need to have a bad talk with you, esp when ur facing criminal charges. but today is worse than that bcos there is something withering abt the vibes being created in this office rn. kinda makes you wanna shrivel up and disappear.

luckily for you, almost every person who has had the talk youre about to have with Lucian Roth has done exactly that! no worries, just give him a little bit of time to sort you out.

i drew this as a test of a new style & i was rly amused at how anime love interest he looks. so it got me thinking abt why he might be looking at u like this. so i wrote a thing. it is not romantic, naturally.

PS this is not the usual cadence or grammar id write with i literally just did this for fun just enjoy my Bad Lawyer Imagines

MORE UNDER THE CUT COS I GOT CARRIED AWAAAAY

just as a heads up this is a horror oc this is a Horror drabble. nothing wild happens in this but jjjjsyk!

lucian roth. you spent thousands to hire him because hes worth the price; cos he says hes never lost a case. and you believe him bcos u heard of the high profile cases he Did win. publicly. hes not exactly a household name, but any true crime fan would know him because of the part he played in certain high-profile, controversial cases. hes also not bad to look at, if youre into that sorta thing.

this whole time working with mr. roth you have been feeling paranoid about letting him down somehow or slipping up and ruining his reputation. he said took ur case on as a Favor and he never lords it over your head. as a result youve been doing The Most to make sure this goes well. and it has been going well! you think. maybe? but a lot of the people who have sat where youre sitting rn were thinking the same thing before the ensuing conversation changed their lives. permanently. before today, youd have thought smth like: "he knows the exact thing to say to calm me down!" so youre expexting a lil joke here. a lil reassuring quip there. but hes just staring at you pleasantly.

in a deadpan voice that does not match his smile in the slightest he informs you that he doesnt appreciate being embarrassed in the courtroom by "little surprises" from his clients. you have no idea what hes referring to- you certainly didnt do anything surprising. in fact, your day in the courtroom had ended in YALLS FAVOR so umm. he must be joking, but his unusually sharp gaze that his smile was attempting to mask froze ur funny bone. youre pretty sure if you laughed he would backhand you. he never struck you as the type to do smth like that before this moment, but like bob dylan famously said: the vibes, they are a-changing.

when pressed further he elaborates in that toneless, absent way & the message is clear if not surprising. your courtroom attire, he tells you. you think about it. its the kinda cheapy but decent suit you keep in the back of the closet, the one you save for special occasions. he tells you it was an absolute disgrace to be seen with. tacky, even. its embarrassing. he was so SO clear about proper courtroom attire. your socks are even a distracting color, and not in a charming way. he's a VERY well-known lawyer. he doesnt have time for people who clearly lack conviction.

is he having a hissy fit or are you imagining it? cos his expression hasnt changed.

despite how weird this is you are Very sure this is not a joke or an attempt to make you laugh. even tho you are tempted to. even tho u hear a quick breath from a pair of nostrils behind u- a snicker from his secretary who apparently slipped in the office behind u. usually hed kick her out if he was gonna say smth sensitive like this you thought. like this is a Legal Breakup shouldnt this be private? but he didnt seem to mind her there this time. an audience to embarrass you in front of because apparently you have no shame when its in the Courtroom to Defend your Life. cos of your ugly ass suit, you guess. you know it doesnt fit perfect but damn.

it's mesmerizing, this very huge dramatic moment hes creating without moving a muscle. and its paralyzing too, youre not sure what to say about something so randomly illogical from a man who has been Completely Logical up until now. you dont dare to challenge him. he dismisses you with a twitch of his index finger, indicating the door behind you which is now being pushed open by the secretary. she doesnt seem to care about anything happening here one way or the other. like this happens all the time. but she doesnt meet your gaze and she might even have snuck an irritated look back at the lawyer himself.

if she had looked, thatd be brave. that felt brave to you. you cant even look at him as you leave cos youre too nervous, which might be why youll have a hard time recognizing him next time you see him again. which you will, but as he promises you on your way out, "it wont be in a courtroom."

maybe hes just encouraging you. like in the "ha- well dont end up in trouble with the law again and we wont see each other!" and looking back you mightve tried to convince yourself of that. you cant Really tell right, i mean not with that dead tone of voice. but nah. you realize much later that lucian roth says only exactly what he means, and he chisels it in stone.

buuut, you keep telling yourself, stone gets fucked up over time, and given enough of it and some weathering... well hopefully something else will distract him from the reprehensible crime of wearing a tacky pair of socks. and he can take his lil rock and chisel and fuck off away from you. creep.

he was right tho, you think as you get in your car, license plate number making you feel exposed. you are going to see him again. you know it because of the feeling of Wrongness you got when you got booked it the fuck out of his fancy office, past his fancy car, and away from his shallow, conceited ass. the Wrongness came from knowing he had all of your personal information- and now you arent so sure if you trust him. you really would have to completely uproot and disappear to ensure that he couldnt possibly see you again.

its a dumb gut reaction, you know. it was just one red flag and it was an emotional situation. thats what you chop it up to.

the next time you see him is a few years later. and youre removed enough now that eh its whatever he was just some narcissist rich guy with some kind of image he thinks he has to uphold. exorbitantly rich people are fucking weird. now, youre older and wiser now so seeing him again wouldnt ruin your life even tho you deffo didnt wanna feel the way you felt when you were near him on that last day ever again. not like youd run into a pseudo-famous guy just in passing on the street, but anxiety be like: Lets be Unreasonable! so you let the worry about seeing him slide by cos youre just being a Lil dramatic.

so maybe youre curious what hes up to, but you weren't gonna open the tabloid until you saw he was not being featured in this trashy gossip column for winning a high-profile case or for having cillian murphy-like cheekbones to die for.

he is a straight up fugitive my friend, Trashy Tabloid informs you. you look at the picture and he looks like normal to you. but its a mugshot, well look at that. probably up to some rich people shit. money laundering. you dont know what that is but hes rich so. could be it. your eyes rove over the page. youre pretty chill about this actually, you think oh- SERIAL KILLER. it just says that right on that page in the - ohh its the Local tabloid thats sick yeah very comforting. youre not really sure what to do. youre mortified.

he told you he would see you outside the courtroom. hes COMING.

Oh my god stop you look like a freako sweating all over the gossip magazine. why in the world, while running from the police, would this man seek you out over a pair of socks?

your case was settled years ago. life has been normal aside from the legal hiccup. youve got a job and a little apartment. its cool. chill and a little boring but. better than being in jail, no thanks to lucian roth. or-er- you dont wanna read further cos you KNOW youll freak yourself out. but you notice you still havent put it down and now youre shaking. must be a heavy magazine.

ohhhh my god ok see here it says the serial killer is named ALEXANDER RICHTER oh wait "-having assumed an identity as a high-profile defender... Lucian Roth"

okay yeah fuck.

is it appropriate to panic in the self checkout line for a second over the tabloids of all things? over this absolutely wild UNREAL terror?

you decide no. because it IS unreal. if he was coming after you youd have some kind of inkling. and also: it was Socks. okay?

oh fuck, youre scared as your bagging up your groceries. stupid brain.

god. maybe you should've listened to the true crime episodes about him. you avoided them because of that fucking creepy interaction thats been haunting you like a cockroach you lost sight of. you dont know where it is and youre not like REALLY gonna lose it but you might also just lose it cos ahh fuck stay away from me! but now you dont know your enemy. cos you didnt pay any attention to him. were you supposed to? would someone else have been on high alert like you are rn???

lol. ok seriously though, you pull out your car keys as you speedwalk through the crosswalk without checking both ways. yours is a life of danger, you think sarcastically.

after a long moment of this irrational panic, you HAVE to laugh. its a quick one, but you do. the tension relieves.

you get in your car

.

thanks for reading!

#original character #my ocs #my art #oc drabbles #my writing #obviously not technically sound in the slightest and i dont care #dont read if you dont like horror genre ok

[sonicgetsrawed]

Dont Fret My Dear, Ill Keep You Safe

Requested by anon! Var gets roofied and Hugo prevents anything from happening! That being said there is a slight warning possibly? For the usage of well the roofie and while nothing bad happens it is discussed as a possibility of have happening. That being said Enjoy! 

One second, all it took was one second to turn this wonderful evening into an absolute shit show. He was grateful that Nuru had offered them a night to themselves, staying at their campsite with Yong while he took Varian out for the night. He supposed technically it was their first date. They’d been together for a while now, but it was hard to find time alone when they were constantly traveling. He had been looking forward to it, and it had been everything he could have ever wanted, until that sick bastard made his appearance. He had flirted with Varian persistently, never letting up in his advances despite the fact that Varian had repeatedly told him he wasn’t interested, despite that he was very obviously uncomfortable, despite that he had made it clear numerous times that he was taken and Hugo was right there. He seemed to finally get it when Hugo resorted to threatening to cut up the man into pieces so small they’d never be able to piece him back together again. Maybe he shouldn’t have, maybe if he didn’t Varian wouldn’t have had to suffer the consequences.

Once they were certain he was gone, it didn’t take long for them to fall back into the comfort of each other’s company as they drank at the tavern. He should’ve stayed more alert, he should’ve paid more attention. All it took was one second, one second in which their eyes closed as their lips locked together, one second was enough for that creep to slip something into Varian’s drink. He knew what it was, he knew it, as soon as Varian started giggling like a maniac. Sure Varian was typically a happy drunk, but it had been excessive and he hadn’t even had that much to drink yet. He had been selfish, he ignored the signs of the drug, all because he didn’t want the night to be over, he certainly didn’t want it to end like this. So he waited until the next effect hit. He was all too familiar with the signs of the drug, he’d used it, not for any of its more sinister purposes, but it worked like a charm when he stole from other’s. He knew the signs like the back of his hand.

Varian’s eyes were half lidded, glossed over, and seemed unable to focus on anything. He drooped forward in his seat, leaning heavily on Hugo. “I don’t feel very good.”

His cheeks were flushed pink from the alcohol, but Hugo knew it wasn’t the reason for his sudden sickness. He quickly paid their tab, sliding out of his seat. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Varian didn’t protest, didn’t say anything, just gave a small nod as Hugo wrapped his arm around him, keeping him as close as possible as they exited the tavern. He knew it was the purpose of the drug to make the victim as complacent as possible, it still made him sick to his stomach. What if he hadn’t been here? What if he had to leave Varian for just a moment? What would’ve happened then? He didn’t want to think about it, with the way that he looked at Varian he already had a pretty good guess. He hated that he put them in this situation. He felt Varian slump further against him. He was already more or less carrying Varian, his steps slow and unsteady. Just how much did that bastard slip him?

Hugo tightened his grip around him at the sound of footsteps approaching from behind, his other hand slipping into his pocket to grip one of his vials. It wouldn’t be nearly as effective as the bombs, but it would give them enough time to get away. He turned slowly, careful not to jostle Varian too much, the slightest movement and the boy would probably fall over. Of course the bastard had followed them. “Hey! I’m not letting you reap the benefits of my hard work.”

Hugo was shaking with rage, his hand clutching the vial so tightly he thought it might break, Varian of course oblivious to it all, he wasn’t even sure he was aware of anything going on. “You sick fuck, I am not going to rape my boyfriend!”

The man scoffed, he fucking scoffed, as if what Hugo was implying was absolutely ridiculous. “That little slut is anything but innocent. He’s been throwing himself around all night. He just needed something to loosen him up. He wants it.”

He let his anger take control, letting go of Varian and storming towards the man. “You take that back! You don’t know anything! Just because your giant ego can’t handle rejection doesn’t mean you can rape someone!”

“Stop saying that word!”

“Fucking make me!” Hugo sneered, leaning forward on the balls of his feet ready to strike, a loud thud gaining his attention. His eyes went wide as he spotted Varian crumpled in the dirt road, the effects of the drug finally knocking him out. He had been so caught up in his anger that he put Varian’s safety in jeopardy again. He needed to get Varian out of there first and foremost. He tossed the vial to the ground, right in front of the bastard’s feet, the smoke spreading instantly. Hugo scooped Varian up as the man sputtered and coughed as the smoke filled his lungs. He ran a few doors down, he learned to never enter the first available door, it made one all too easy to find. He swung the door open, closing it just as quickly behind him before taking a deep breath. Varian was limp against him, his limbs hanging uselessly, his head the same. Hugo tried to adjust his position to support him better, it was impossible to do so when he was carrying him bridal style.

“You need a room for the night?” Hugo jumped at the sound of the woman’s voice, turning to face the reception desk. She wasn’t even looking up, her face buried in a book.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks.” Nuru would kill him for spending the money, but it was the safest route. He didn’t want to lead that sicko back to their campsite, at least at the inn they’d have a lock and Yong and Nuru would be safe. With some difficulty he handed over some money and took the offered key, struggling again when he came to the door. His arms were shaking by the time he got them safely inside. Varian wasn’t particularly heavy, but he wasn’t that strong either. He set Varian down as gently as possible, thankful the room was stocked with water. He filled a glass for Varian before dipping a cloth in it and placing it on his forehead. He’d have a hell of a headache whenever he woke up. “I’m sorry, babe, I should’ve been keeping a better eye out for you. I’ll do better next time.”

He couldn’t do better, he couldn’t be better, not when Donella still expected him to betray them. But he didn’t have to, did he? He could stay with the group, never return to her. He could do it, he should do it. This was where he belonged, with Varian. He loved him, holy shit, he loved him. He was in too deep, there was no going back now. He placed a kiss to Varian’s cheek, it was as far as he’d go when he was like this. He prepared himself for a long night. He needed to make sure Varian would wake up and get him properly hydrated when he did.

He waited two hours, two excruciating hours, before Varian started to stir. He groaned, moving to sit up. “Hey, take your time. Take it slow.” He helped him into a sitting position, Varian cradling his head in his hands.

“I feel like death. How much did I drink?” Varian asked, gladly taking the water from Hugo’s hand and taking small sips from it.

He was at war with himself. Did he tell him what almost happened? Did Varian not know how close they were to disaster? Was it right to keep it from him? “How much do you remember?”

Varian stiffened, his hand shaking slightly around the glass. His eyes were wide, fear lacing them. “I- what happened, Hugo? Please tell me it was a dream. Did- did he-“

Hugo took the glass, placing it on the bedside table before pulling Varian into a hug. “No, no I didn’t let him lay a finger on you. He just slipped something in your drink, but no one touched you, okay? You’re okay.”

Varian nodded. “Thank you. I’m glad you were here.” Something about the words sent a feeling of guilt through him. He caused this to happen, he didn’t pay close enough attention. He was supposed to protect them from this kind of stuff, he was supposed to be the street smart one.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve done better.” Hugo pulled away from Varian, keeping his eyes downcast. He didn’t want to see the disappointment that was sure to be there.

“How?” Varian asked. Hugo’s head snapped up, his confusion matching Varian’s.

“What?”

“How could you have done better? You kept me safe. What more could you have possibly done?” Varian seemed to be genuinely curious, gently lifting Hugo’s chin so he was looking at him again.

Hugo was panicking, why was he panicking? He should know the answer to Varian’s question. He’d heard Donella say those words so many times. What could he have done differently? What could he have done better? If he didn’t answer, if he didn’t know, what punishment awaited him? “I should’ve- I could’ve-“

Varian’s look softened, something sad lingering behind his eyes. “Nothing. The answer is nothing.”

He didn’t understand, he didn’t get it. Varian still suffered, how could there be nothing he should’ve done differently? He should be angry with him, disappointed in him, instead Varian looked at him with nothing but love. Hugo smiles then, reminded of why he was willing to leave his old life behind for him. He expected nothing but love in return. And he could give that, he wanted to give that. Varian closed the distance between them, pulling Hugo as close as possible, his lips feeling heavenly on his. And maybe Varian was right, the answer had to be nothing, because there was nothing he wanted to change about his time spent with Varian.

#tangled the series #varian #hugo #varigo #varian and the seven kingdoms #varian/hugo

[angelcorebabyowo]

Name: Slow dancing in the dark

Chapters:1/1

Summary: Sometimes you just have to slow dance with your friend on a balcony because there's a Masquerade party going on downstairs and both of your dates left you high and dry. Sometimes you and that friend fall in love in the process, who knows. 

Paring:Fitzroy/Argo

Word count:1,578

--------------------

"Well Fitz, care for a dance?" Argo asks, interrupting the awkward silence and stretching an arm out for Fitzroy to take. His mask, one of the ones that would only cover the area near the eyes and was more for decoration than anything, was next to him on the railing and looked as if one bust of wind would send it over the edge in a heartbeat.

"Ask properly now." Fitzroy teases and crosses his arms looking at Agro, a smile playing on his lips before whipping his eyes with the coat of his crimson suit despite not even crying. His own mask, one that covered the full top half of this face only leaving room for the eyes, was discarded on one of the few chairs that were seated against the balcony. 

"Well sir Fitzroy Maplecort," Argo started with a bow making sure to keep his arm outstretched and a wide smile, he even laughed softly before getting the full sentence out. Fitzroy's breath hitched slightly. Sure Ago had already asked him to dance but something about how it was going on this time; now that it was more in proper formatting, it felt more special somehow. He couldn't focus on anything other than the man in front of him and the soft music blasting from the downstairs speakers and even he knew what would come next.  "Seeing as we've both been left to dry, would you care for this dance?"

"I don't know," Fitzroy whispers in a tone that would only be described as longing, despite what he said though, he gently took Argo's hand and bowed before standing up straight. Despite the quiet tone, his voice was also filled with the sound of a laugh that couldn't quite come out yet, then again he mostly always sounded like that whenever in the company of the other. "But...If you insist, it'll be rude for me to decline" 

Argo grinned and stood up straight before rubbing Fitzroy's knuckles with his thumb for a second before getting himself in position, one hand on the other's waist and one keeping their hands interlocked. Argo takes this as lone of the rare chances to pick fun at the way Fitzroy was taking at the moment: "Incredibly rude, I do say."

Fitzroy doesn't comment on that but does roll his eyes playfully. "Do you even know what you're doing?" Fitzroy smiles, amused while resting his arm lazily on Argo's shoulder, the height difference wasn't too significant but ever since his recent growth the whole thing was still somewhat awkward.

"Not in the slightest," Argo smiles back shifting on his feet tying to figure out the correct footing. He's danced before of course, but that was in the past with wild movements that seemed unplanned and planned at the same time. That was the complete opposite of what was going on now.

"Then don't you think I should lead?" Fitzroy asks right as the song downstairs shifted to a more appropriate song for something like this.  He was going to comment on the timing before Argo cut him off. 

"Nah, I got this!" Argo quickly states and starts the dance,  his movements a little wobbly but at least accurate to what he was originally intended to be. Fitzroy was beyond thankful for that at least. "I swear!"

Fitzroy laughs softly, more of a chuckle, and follows his lead. Now having to go oven slower then he was used to, which in his defense, wasn't all fast. He was self taught in this department, surprisingly,  one of the things not taught at knight school was the whole ballroom dancing thing. You'd think it would be a thing but no, it was not. "If you step on my feet I will shock you without a second thought" he says after a few close calls. 

Argo smiles mischievously,  sticking his tounge out, before gently stepping on the others feet,  "Whoops." He was laughing now, and completely stopped moving as the pair got closer to the edge and he didn't feel like explaining that to people. 

"Ow! Why you little-" Fitzroy cuts himself off by just how much he was laughing. His cheeks were flushed a lighter shade of red already and worth this it seemed to only grow darker. He quickly, and at a very low voltage, shocked Argo more so to prove his point then anything. It also got him a tad seeing as their hands were still intertwined so he winced slightly. 

"That hurt!" Argo whined with a playful pout, clearly not being truly affected at all. He was still laughing and was leaning on the railing again,  still not letting go of Fitzroy's hand. While he could've looked over the edge, or at the sky and stars he continued to look over at Fitzroy with a smile on his face. 

"That's what you get!" He smiles before pulling his hand away and leaning next to him but opting to look up at the sky instead, squinting as if looking for something as he did. He was calmed down enough to not fall over after all. 

"Kwss it bewwer?" Argo jokes reverting to baby talk something he knows Fitzroy found somewhat annoying, while still looking over at said half-elf.  He just wanted to hear them laugh again, just  to hear it. Wanted to be the person to cause it. 

Fitzroy snorts and pushes him playfully, having the other stumble slightly. His blush was starting to come back but at the tip of his ears. "You're revolting!" his words dissolved into laughter that then dissolved into just stifled giggles.  

"Just for you" Argo could feel his heart pounding in his chest, hearing it in his ears as if trying to escape its prison. This really wasn't how the day, well technically night, was meant to go but he wouldn't trade it for the world. "Now, are we going to get back to this dance or are we goin'  be waitin'?" 

"Nah, I vote we just kinda sit around." Fitzroy says before doing the exact opposite, taking Argo's hand and placing his hand on the other's hip. 

"Flip a coin?" Argo pouts.

"Nope, I'm leaning because I dont trust you to fuck it up again " fitzroy says leasung the dance, the song was different but this time it was one he recognized. He didn't know the name of it obviously but he does know it well enough to softly along. 

"I am beyond heartbroken." Argo jokes with a breathy sigh but allows Fitzroy to lead, quickly catching on and just as quickly being able to do it without nearly tripping. 

It was quiet again aside from Fitzroy's soft humming and the even softer music downstairs. It was awkward but instead welcomed like warm open arms on a cold day. The pair stayed like that for a second, just dancing but then the song ended and Fitzroy went silent again but Argo was too busy listening to the heartbeat in his ears and his own thoughts swimming to realize that it was over.

That was until Argo felt his arm get lifted up and a small kiss being placed on his knuckles, quickly jumped in surprise while getting pulled from his thoughts. It was soft and maybe that was the reason he noticed it, the way his hair stood up on end. The pounding of his heart only got louder and he warned more painful. 

"It was a good night, don't you think?" Fitzroy asks, now leaning on the railing but keeping their hands interlocked. 

"Didn't go according to plan but...yeah it was nice. " Argo agrees while leaning next to him while running his thumb over the others knuckle, it was a comforting feeling. He liked the feeling of it in honesty.

"We should start heading back to our room,  it's getting pretty late." 

"Do we have to head back right now? Can't we wait a few more minutes?'

"Yeah...I guess we can, but don't come crying to me in the morning if you don't want to go to class." Fitzroy looked over at him with a small smile, the tiredness in his voice was clear but that was the only indicator that he was tired. In the moon light it seemed as if his eyes sparkled and Argo had to stop himself from reaching out and holding the others face, his hand was enough after all.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Argo whispers now looking off at the horizon trying to find another place to look at then staring his friend in the eyes.

"Oh yes you would." Fitzroy accuses and gently squeezes the others hand on accident, it felt so natural he didnt even realize he was still holding it. When he realized he looked down at it and then back at the sky, leaning on the opposite hand and not even bothering to let go yet.

Argo laughs and shakes his head "yeah, I will most definitely doing it in the morning. "

"Don't you dare!" Fitzroy challenges.

"Watch me!" They both laughed at that before scooting closer to one another.

They'd have a lot to talk about in the morning, that was a given, but in this moment they just stood there going from wild laughter to slipping into yet another comfortable silence. Not moving until people started to leave the building, and even then they where the last ones out of there. Still not letting go of each others hands.

#maplekeene #taz argo #taz fitzroy #sir fitzroy maplecourt #taz graduation #the adventure zone: graduation #writting #slow dancing #open ending #but not actually #please rate #crosspost #originally on ao3 #on amino

[titsthedamnseason]

for the au mashup, blackstairs 15: criminal au & 48: fake dating. possibly, i’m pretending we’re on a date even though you were sitting alone so the cops don’t think i’m the one that just robbed that store ;)

i mean technically this ask game was supposed to be me telling you how i would write the stuff but dont worry i like this so i gotchu

– – –

Julian sighed and put his phone back down on the table, debating whether to stay or not. Helen had just cancelled on him in favor of accompanying her wife Aline to visit her mother in the hospital, furiously apologizing and promising to reschedule dinner soon. Julian really couldn’t be mad, but now he was sitting alone at the fanciest restaurant in town, and it was sort of depressing. 

Just as he was readying to leave, deciding that no dinner was worth all the pitying looks being sent his way, resolving to stopping at some cheap fast food place on his way home, a loud commotion began at the door.

“There you are!” exclaimed the tall blonde that had just come through the entryway, making a huge commotion in the formerly quiet restaurant. Everyone was staring at her but she didn’t seem to notice, or care if she did. 

Julian had just decided to stay just a while longer, to see how the situation played out, but immediately regretted that decision when it became apparently clear that she was on her way to his table. 

As she approached, she started saying, “I am so sorry! There’s this huge commotion down the street, I think some sort of robbery, they weren’t letting anyone through. Teach me to make a first impression.” She grumbled the last part under her breath as she sat down across from Julian, still loud enough for the people at the neighboring tables could hear her. “Anyway, I’m Emma, Cristina’s friend …”

She was holding her hand out for him to shake and after a moments hesitation, Julian took it, picking up the clue in her eyes. He chuckled. “No worries. I’m Julian, obviously.” He rolled his eyes playfully. “Nice to finally meet you.” 

She flashed him a brilliant smile and picked up a menu. “You’re good at this,” she said through her teeth. “Thanks for playing along.”

She was dressed appropriately for the setting, a nice black cocktail dress, heels, a full face of makeup, immaculate red lipstick and all, and Julian was just about to ask who she was hiding from, if it wasn’t too invasive. Maybe an ex, he thought, but just as he opened his mouth to inquire, two cops walked into the restaurant, announcing a lockdown for questioning. 

The store two doors down was robbed, they said. They needed to know who had been seated and when. the restaurant was exclusively reservations, and hard to get reservations at that, so there weren’t many people coming and going. A silence fell over the room, some people throwing glances at Emma, clearly debating whether or not to speak up.

It suddenly became abruptly clear to Julian that Emma, the near stranger sitting across from him, was very likely the one that committed the robbery, and he was the only one who knew it. Everyone else would assume they’d had plans to meet all along from the way he’d been acting, and if not, they’d assume that he had been assisting her the whole time. He was suddenly at a loss for what to do, the Right Thing, or the Other Right Thing?

He decided to wing it. To stand and say something, at least. 

She didn’t give them the chance.

“I just got here,” she said, standing up. “We had a reservation for a date, our friend set us up, but I was running late and got stopped outside the scene. If you need to question me …”

The officers laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart! We know it wasn’t you. The criminal was spotted in an all black jumpsuit and a mask, there’s no way you could have gotten dolled up so fast.” He was shaking his head. 

“Plus, a woman committing a robbery? And one at this scale? Ha!” The two cops were still chuckling as they turned to ask the host some questions, and the incident blew over without more than a few disgusted looks thrown their way.

“Great,” sighed Emma, sitting back down. “Sexist cops, just what I needed tonight. And you know, I would have said something if––” She stopped abruptly. “Forget it,” she grumbled.

“Rough night?” asked Julian, the slightest hint of a smile on his face. The tension he’d felt toward the cops had dissipated, at least for the moment, knowing Emma was right to leave it alone for now. The last thing he needed was for one of them to make the officers mad, make them start asking more questions …

“You have no idea,” she responded, shaking her head and hiding her smile behind the menu. “Have you ever ordered the chicken marsala? It sounds good …”

send me two tropes + a ship and i’ll tell you how i would combine them in a story.

#i LOVE this prompt aksjdahb #my writing #blackstairs #tda #tda fic #emma carstairs #julian blackthorn #asks #emmxblackthorn