Kai Just Stared At Her For A Beat, Unimpressed, Before Letting Out A Short, Gravelly Laugh. Damn, She

Brooke placed her book down as she heard the knock on the door. It was late, even for her. Working as an escort meant she had many callers at all kinds of ungodly hours, but 4 a.m. was unusual, which meant it could only be one person: Max.

Walking to the door, Brooke looked through the peephole to confirm her suspicions. She caught a glimpse of his steel-blue eyes fixed upon the door as if he could see through it. Max never telephoned or sent messages before arriving. They had an unspoken agreement that he could come whenever his need to unwind consumed him. Tonight, the need was evidently strong. Pulling the door open, she noticed the scratch on his cheek and blood on his tie. "Christ, what happened to you?" She asked as she stepped aside to let him in.

Open Starter

Max Tudor - 31, bisexual, enforcer

Open to mutuals and non-mutuals

Connection Ideas - Ex; friend/FWB; affair; escort; hookup; fellow criminal; rival gang member; cop/lawyer

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The distinctive sound of Max’s Chelsea boots against the hardwood floor signalled his presence before knocking on the apartment door. The late hour didn’t matter to him. As a veteran criminal, he split his time between orchestrating robberies and enforcing the will of his bosses. Therefore, he rarely kept office hours. It wasn’t the first time he’d visited them at such an ungodly time, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last either. 

After three sharp knocks, Max waited. If they looked through the peephole, they’d see him standing firmly in his three-piece suit and overcoat, eyes fixated on the door. Max never texted or called before coming over. They had an understanding he could arrive whenever he needed to unwind. Tonight, such a principle stood stronger than ever, considering the bruising on his knuckles, the scratch on his cheek and the specks of blood on his tie. 

Kai watched her leave the set with a smirk, half-amused, half-pushing down his own reaction to the tension between them. He leaned back slightly, eyes following her movements, but he made no move to approach. She’d made herself clear, hadn’t she? He knew exactly what she meant when she said she wasn’t playing games, but the challenge of keeping his hands to himself was something else entirely.

He followed her retreat with a cool smile, stepping away from the set but not leaving her too far behind. He wasn’t going to make things harder for her, not right away anyway.

When she returned to the dressing area and poured herself a drink, he let the silence stretch for a beat, just long enough to make it uncomfortable. "You’re going to have to calm down eventually," Kai’s voice was low, smooth as ever, as he leaned against the doorframe, watching her. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, knowing she felt the heat from him too.

"This set’s about chemistry, right? You want me to act like I don’t already know exactly how to push all your buttons?" He pushed off the doorframe, taking slow, deliberate steps toward her, the hint of something more dangerous simmering in his tone.

"i swear.. if you do anything to mess this up.. kai, i'm serious this is important to me." she gave him a bemused tilt of her head as she smoothed her hair and ruffled the ends that had been curled. there was a coordinator on the set to put kai and pia in their first positions which had to be with pia practically in his lap.

of course any position she was going to end up in was going to remind her of the nights prior where they spent hours making eachother feel incredible. even slipping into his lap and trying to muster up some chemistry like they hadn't already met she could already hear his moans replaying in her head on a loop.

after a few minutes she was a bit stuck, because she couldn't continue anymore. "can i take five? sorry." luckily the photographer was quite understanding and pia wondered back to her dressing area to drink some water. already in a jug for her with ice and lemon she poured herself one filled to the brin as she felt like her body was on fire.

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CLOSED starter || ft. @littledaydreamers​

Five years later, here he was finally outside those dull grey concrete walls he’d grown to call home. Luckily, he’d managed to get out on good behaviour. Ivan couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like for those that had to spend a lifetime behind bars. But alas, even seeing the inside of a cell hadn’t stopped him from making his way straight back to the bratva. They were his family, from a young age he’d been raised them, they had taught him everything he knew and forged him to be the most brutal of all their enforcers. After linking up with his chosen family, Ivan’s next port of call was his lover.. He wondered if they had kept their promise. When the man had initially been captured, he had one phone call, and that one phone call was to them.. His lover had promised that they would wait, that they wouldn’t love again until he returned to them. Ivan knew there would be hell to pay if the promise had been broken. Making his way to the home which he knew to belong to the other, the Russian popped the collar of his leather jacket, licking his lips as he made an attempt at composing himself before knocking. Though, before he had chance to even walk up the driveway, he saw someone leave through the front door, placing a kiss to the lips of his significant other as the left. Fire burned behind the azure hues of the man as his hands balled into fists. “And here I thought promises were not so difficult to keep.” The man spoke out, the Russian twang to his accent evident through the anger in his words as well as the raised volume at which he spoke.

It had been five years. Five long years. She wasn’t even the one that had received the prison sentence, but it felt like it. After all, she’d lost the person she loved. Her life felt like it had been paused as she waited for him to return, yet somehow she had to carry on. Natalie had promised Ivan that she would wait for him, and she had meant it, but five years was a long time. She hadn’t meant for anything to happen. It was just two friends going for a few drinks or well, that’s all it was meant to be. The next thing she knew, she woke up in bed next to him. Natalie wanted to regret it but she didn’t. She’d been faithful and waited for nearly four years. She felt bad for cheating on Ivan, yet at the same time it didn’t seem fair that she had to wait five whole years for a man that continuedly picked a dangerous life style over her. Nothing would change when he got released, if he even got released. And so she had chosen herself for once. She owed it to herself to see where things went with Lucas. Yet, somehow, she couldn’t help the shock and the wave of emotions hit her as she heard Ivan’s voice. Gently pushing Lucas aside, she looked down the driveway, not quite believing her own ears. She looked at Ivan, mouth agape, not really knowing what to say. Natalie turned back to Lucas and told him to get back into the house. She could already hear the venom in Ivan’s voice and the last thing she wanted was him hurting Lucas. “Five years Ivan, it’s been five years.” 

Kai’s smirk faltered the second he saw the shift in her expression. He hadn’t expected that. He’d meant to rile her up, to keep their game going, not—whatever this was. Not her shutting down, withdrawing, like he’d just snuffed out the fire between them with a careless flick of his wrist.

His jaw tensed, watching her clutch her jacket, the way her lips pressed together like she was trying to hold back more than just words.

“Pia—” His voice came out rougher than he intended, but she was already looking away, already dismissing him, already convincing herself that this was over. And that—God, that didn’t sit right with him.

Before she could take a step, he reached for her wrist again, this time gentler, more deliberate. “That’s not what I meant.” A sigh left him, low and sharp, like he hated having to say this out loud. “You think I don’t—” He stopped himself, exhaling through his nose. His grip tightened just slightly, not enough to keep her there if she really wanted to go, but enough to make her listen.

“I don’t want her, you've got to know that” he admitted, quieter now, but no less intense. “We've been playing these games all night. I don’t get jealous. I don’t—” He ran a hand through his hair, looking away for half a second before locking his gaze back onto hers, something raw flickering beneath the frustration. “But then you make an appearance here in this shitty little club where you clearly stand out, and suddenly, I’m throwing punches in bars and watching every move you make like a fucking idiot.”

His tongue darted out to wet his lips as his grip on her wrist loosened, fingers dragging down her arm before dropping away completely. His expression hardened again, but not before she caught the ghost of something else—something vulnerable, something unguarded.

“So yeah. Go back inside if that's what you want. Go find someone else to dance with.” He tilted his head slightly, dark eyes scanning her face like he memorised it. “But don’t stand here and act like it's not you that I want to take home with me tonight. That’s bullshit, and we both know it.”

of course he was going to twist it to his advantage. couldn't just outwardly admit that he was envious about the fact that she was close to another male, and that she let him kiss her as well. the fact was pia was a pretty confident person, she knew she was fortunate to be graced with good looks and she was content in herself and her own skin, however kai definitely made that waver.

the fact was, his comment didn't make her want to go out there and kiss someone else just to see if he was bluffing, oh no, it made her feel withdrawn instead. he'd officially put a stop to their little game in one fleeting sentence and he didn't even realise it. now she felt dejected and not to mention that she was even more furious with him than she was earlier, which she didn't think was possible.

"oh okay.. fine, have it your way.. you hit him because he was an asshole, right.. cos he was dancing with me, because you didn't seem to know him so that's not a very credible answer. but i am done, kai.. made it clear that i'm not exactly desireable anymore, so i'll save myself embarassment and quit while i'm ahead, hmm?"

she curved her jacket over her arm, her nostrils flaring with clear irritation as she looked away from him for a moment, lips pursed.

"have fun with your peppy little date over there."

A gentle voice cut through the darkness, but Robbie was too distressed to hear the man's words. He clutched his head in his trembling hands, sobbing as he rocked back and forth. "They're dead. They're all dead." He whispered, his voice a broken echo.

The soft glow of a lamp illuminated the space, casting a warm and comforting light. Robbie felt the bed dip as the male took a seat next to him, trying to calm him. With the man's soothing words and gentle touch, Robbie finally met his gaze. "They're all dead. I watched them die, one by one." He repeated, his voice strangled.

thomas barrow made a habit of being a self-centered man, he wouldn't deny it. he had learnt, from a young age, that if there was no one else to look out for him then he could only trust himself. his reasons for volunteering as a medic had been, in part, selfish ones. his medical training had spared him active military service for the first few months of the war, and he had believed, as everyone else had, that the whole thing would blow over quickly. he would have left the army with newfound status and a possible change in profession. that was the plan at least... how naive that young man had been.

the war had changed him, changed everything — the footman turned medic, now managing the makeshift convalescent home that had taken over downton, working alongside members of the very family that he used to serve. he was no longer at the front, but thomas had seen firsthand the horrors that these men had returned from. he knew the destruction, the death, the pain and suffering, the desperation. he felt a duty of care; underneath that egocentric, individualistic mindset, thomas barrow cared about the poor souls. if he could ease their plight in any way, he was glad to.

a shout drew the lance corporal's attention — night terrors were becoming increasingly more common in the soldiers that passed through his care... depression, shell shock, post-traumatic stress disorder, was it truly any wonder when they had been through hell and back?

❝ hey now, easy there. you're alright, sir. ❞ he started, coming to the soldier's bedside as he jolted awake. speaking in gentle, hushed tones, a hand rested on the man's good shoulder, thumb rubbing in soothing circles as thomas tried to meet his gaze. in the soft lamplight, sharp grey hues searched the soldier's own slightly vacant stare, as the medic continued — with a string of comforting words and a grounding touch, he tried to bring the other out of whatever nightmare plagued his mind.

❝ you're alright, just breath for me, nice and slowly, sir, that's it. you're safe. ❞

"Well, you sure know how to make a girl blush. You don't look so bad yourself, handsome."

@littledaydreamers liked this for a lyric starter or two

"I'm not sentimental, but there's somethin' 'bout the way you look tonight, mm, makes me wanna take a picture. make a movie with you that we'd have to hide."

Enemies to "I found you while hurt and had to take care of you and in your vulnerable state I saw a side of you I've never seen before" to lovers

“we just broke up and i honestly can’t stand being with you right now but i was trying to leave and apparently we got snowed in so i guess we’re stuck together” au

Plot 67:  Reservations & Revelations