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#Bandit spotted the paparazzi
empressofmankind · 1 month
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Me: "Let's do some quick thumbnails to explore---?"
My brain: "No."
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msotherworldly · 4 years
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The Monarch Challenge
You have spent many a hungry night gazing up at the beautiful castle. You have grown accustomed to not only nobles, but everyday citizens, scoffing at you. You are nothing, a dredge who lives in the city’s sewers, but that hasn’t stopped you from dreaming. True, even if you become an artist, you’ll probably still be hungry...but at least it’s something.
If you can survive long enough to impress the right people, you might even find yourself climbing towards the life you (and those who scoffed at you) have dreamed of. Every day, that shiny throne looks that much more attainable...
Rules:
-Create a “beggar” Sim of any gender or personality. Set them up in a hovel and use a cheat to remove all of your household’s money.
-Create a monarch. Cheat the “King” or “Queen” to the top of the politician career, and give them Level 5 Celebrity. Create a Club for the King. Invite 4 nobles to join, leaving one space open.
-Create 6+ noble families, with at least 6 adults (Young to Elder) in each. Use cheats to bring them to the top of their careers (they may only be in the Politician or Business Careers) and raise their household funds. For an added challenge, bring them to Celebrity Levels 3 and 4.
-Create the 6+ manors/keeps and the castle (use cheats for funds)
-Resume play with beggar Sim. Earn $500 simoleons by selling collectibles, wild plants, fish (or stolen items if you have the Kleptomaniac Trait). You may not take a career until you have $500 in the bank.
-Join the Painter Career & Purchase an easel.
-Save enough money to create a one room home with the basics (plumbing, fridge, bed)
-Introduce self to 5 nobles after reaching Level 6 of the Painter Career.
-Befriend 5 nobles.
-Sell 5 paintings to a noble.
-Master the Painting Skill & complete the Painter Extraordinaire Aspiration.
-Complete the Fabulously Wealthy Aspiration.
-Reach the top of the Painting Career.
-Build your own manor.
-Join the Politician Career.
-Master the Charisma Skill & complete the Friend of the World Aspiration; befriend all of the nobles.
-Become Best Friends with the King or Queen & join their Club (their inner circle).
-Complete the Mansion Baron Aspiration.
-Reach the top of the Politician Career, and then ask King or Queen to step down as leader of the club. Congratulations! You are now the new monarch!
Required Expansions & Game Packs:
-Get Together
-Get Famous
Recommended Expansions & Game Packs:
-Vampires
-Realm of Magic
Recommended Mods:
-Any Mods which add Medieval clothes or Build & Buy options.
Tips:
-Your Medieval world may be as in depth as you want. You may add merchants, monks, guards, bandits—the only limit is your imagination!
-Ordinary citizens should be created; they will visit your studio, and townies in modern clothes could be immersion breaking (randomly spawned may occasionally still appear, but they can be edited on the spot if they bother you).
-You may use cheats on those households to which your beggar sim doesn’t belong. Take as much time as you like in crafting your noble houses, the castle, and the villagers of your community.
-Simpler townies (farmers, traders, barkeeps, etc) may be brought to Level 1 Celebrity, while more successful townies (artists, priests, wealthy merchants, etc) may be brought to Level 2. This will increase your beggar’s sense of isolation in the beginning, and make even average villagers difficult to approach.
-Until you are allowed to build a home, your sim will need to sleep on benches, eat fruit picked from plants (hunger may be a constant companion in the winter) and use bushes to relieve your bladder need.
-If you have Seasons installed, beware! Your Sim will not have shelter to begin with! You may tweak the settings to avoid freezing to death, or leave them on for an added challenge.
-A more detailed world will be easier to navigate (if your beggar is cold, you may visit a pub or a blacksmith’s shop).
-Once you are able to build a manor, you will be able to purchase a Piano, Organ, or Violin. The improvement of these skills will not progress your challenge, but instruments can be used to fill your fun need—after all, Medieval Sims didn’t have video games.
-Though it’s not listed as a requirement, you will need to raise your celebrity level in order to interact with the nobles you hope to impress. The monarch will only associate with the most notable citizenry! The World Famous Celebrity Aspiration could be completed if you so choose, but it’s required interactions may be immersion breaking (so will the paparazzi’s, but they are less likely to enter homes and can be locked out of venues where you wish to mingle with your fellow nobles).
*Any recommended mods, expansions, and game packs are not necessary to complete the challenge, but are encouraged if you want to add flavour to your play through.
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Top 20 Magnus/Alec fandom favourites - the results are in!
Thank you to everyone who submitted fics and voted in all the rounds of the poll - and, of course, thank you to everyone for following us! 
We’re very excited to announce the results of the second round of voting. As we explained before, we want to showcase as many authors as possible, so only one fic (the one with the most votes) has gone into the top 20 for each author. The list of all nominations will be posted soon.
The list is in order of author pseud from A - Z. Happy reading!
The Language of Flowers by astudyinfic (PG13 | 8/8 | 19,099)
Following the loss of his brother, florist Alec Lightwood wants to do something to remember him by. Enter tattoo artist Magnus Bane who brings beauty and love into his life. What starts as a one-time thing blooms into an expression of love for all the important people in Alec's life.
Paparazzi by Alxsteele (Not Rated | 31/31 | 219,060)
Magnus Bane is a pop star best known for his break up songs and wicked dance sequences. Alec Lightwood is an actor best known for being the object of Magnus' songs.
When Alec’s new tv show gets picked up, a series of events throws Magnus back into his life, bringing up a mess of memories and confusion. Forced to spend more and more time together, will they ever figure their feelings out?
Good Our Whole Lives by beatperfume (Explicit | 9/9 | 34,833)
They say that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, and it’s just as true for the Downworld as the mundane one.
But this is the first time Magnus has ever heard of a nephilim hustling his crowd.
Reconstruction by bumblebeesknees (Explicit | 3/3 | 80,115)
It takes months for Valentine to find the Mirror, and longer still to defeat him. Afterward, Alec has another first that he shares with Magnus: the strange and tentative transition from being not together to back together.
He’s not handling it as well as he’d like.
Appassionato by chonideno (PG | 35,866 | 2/2)
Alec plays the piano every day, with great talent. One night, a note slips under his door: it's a request from an anonymous neighbor. Before he knows it, Alec picks up the habit of leaving his window open so his neighbor can listen to him. Requests keep coming. Slowly, two strangers start a conversation without words and let the music do the work for them.
Eyes On Me by clockworkswan (Mature | 5/5 | 102,076)
When a new same-sex dancing rule gets people talking, Magnus Bane decides to take the jump from Latin to Ballroom in order to prove that change is a good thing. Looking for a new challenge, he’s determined to win the Ballroom Championships and be crowned victorious in the first same-sex partnership.
Now all he needs are the right shoes, the right music, and the right partner.
~
Alec is well on his way to securing another victory for his parents’ prestigious dance school, yet a new face, and surprising feelings, might change that. When Magnus turns up, he sweeps more than dancing traditions off their feet.
As the competition rounds heat up, and dreams hang in the balance, can the pair prove themselves to a worldwide audience of fellow dreamers, critics and cynics?
Deeper Than the Truth by insieme (Mature | 149,820 | 15/15)
Alec Lightwood is a world-famous author, though the world knows him only under his pseud: Gideon Archer. Magnus Bane is a fashion designer who just happens to be a big fan of Gideon's work.
One Show Only by KouriArashi (Explicit | 7/7 | 29,410)
It's hard to stay in the closet when the guy you had a one-night stand with two nights ago turns out to be your new partner ... but Alec will be damned if he isn't going to give it a try.
Love Is A Gamble by la_muerta (Explicit | 20/20 | 44.768)
Upholding law and order in gold-mining town Nephilim Falls, population 1,700 souls, is the responsibility of Sheriff Alec Lightwood. As it is, Alec already has his hands full with the saloons and whorehouses making tempers rise and the men rowdy when the day's mining goes badly, and the constant threat of bandits in the hills. The last thing he needs is some no-count gambler setting up a gambling hall in his town. And what kind of name is 'Magnus Bane', anyway?
pillow talk by lacheses (Mature | 5/5 | 26,592)
Alec Lightwood falls in love, one nap at a time.
And the Oscar goes to... by Lecrit (Explicit | 1/1 | 21,494)
Working for Magnus isn’t easy. Magnus is out of control and Alec has to yell more often than not to get him to listen to him. He hates everything formal because it means he has to watch his mouth. Most importantly, Magnus is an incorrigible flirt.
Which would be alright if Alec wasn’t utterly, irremediably, unfathomably in love with him.
Based on this prompt: "AU where Magnus is an Oscar winning actor and Alec, his PA, is in love with him."
Set Me In Motion by lemonoclefox (Mature | 20/20 | 132,055)
“Is that your way of asking me to cook for you sometime?” Alec says. “'Cause I will.” The moment the words escape his mouth, Alec finds himself slightly panicking. Because he does not talk like that, ever―in a way that might even be considered flirting―and he still doesn’t understand what it is about Magnus that brings stuff like that out of him. More importantly, he has a boyfriend. Magnus, however, just looks mildly surprised as their eyes meet. “My, my. Master chef, good family name, and charming?” Magnus tilts his head ever so slightly. “Careful, Mr. Lightwood,” he says in a low, teasing voice, mouth curving up in a smile. “You’re gonna make me swoon.” ---
One night, Magnus spots a handsome stranger in the elevator of his apartment building – which wouldn’t be a big deal if said stranger didn’t turn out to be dating Magnus’s neighbor. The stranger soon becomes Alec, and their paths end up crossing more than once. A tentative friendship develops as they slowly get to know each other, and they both find that it’s effortless in a way neither of them has ever known. It's only when other kinds of feelings start getting involved that things become a bit more complicated.
A Horse That Loves You by Lemur710 (PG13 | 1/1 | 5,563)
Magnus rushes into battle to rescue Jace—and comes to terms with what it means to love a shadowhunter with a parabatai.
Days of Dark by magnusragnor, ohprongs (Mature | 9/9 | 97,115)
Alec clutches the worn out comic book in his hands, his eyes sweeping over Captain America’s stance on the cover. He still remembers how excited Max had been when he’d gotten it, going on and on about how Captain America helped people, how he just wanted to stop the bullies - how he was a hero.
Staring down at the star on Cap’s shield, Alec pushes away all his anger and grief, focussing on the single most ridiculous idea he’s ever had. He can hear Hodge's voice, clear as day:
“With great power, comes great responsibility.”
(or, the the amazing spider-man ish au)
Fools Rush In by Maleciseverything (Mature | 4/4 | 85,198)
Alec, Jace, and Simon go to Vegas for Jace's bachelor party and things get a little bit ridiculous.
Alec wakes up the next morning and...wait a minute, who's that in his bed?
Five Times Magnus Isn’t a Good Boyfriend And One Time He Is by notcrypticbutcoy (PG13 | 1/1 | 7,112)
Being a high profile celebrity makes it difficult for Magnus to find enough time for his personal life. Alec's feeling lonely after spending yet another night alone.
Or, in which Magnus is spending too much time at work, Alec confides in Chairman Meow, and Magnus tries to make everything better.
Adventure XXL by RedOrchid (Explicit | 9/9 | 26,858)
Tune in for a breathtaking adventure—Reality TV like you’ve never seen it before. Join us on an exhilarating ride where contestants are both pitted against each other to complete challenges and forced to find ways to cooperate—as we determine who has the intelligence, strength, creativity and charm to make it to the top.
Six teams. One game.
This is Adventure XXL.
(Aka Jace signs himself and Alec up for a stupid reality show. Once Alec’s there, he meets fellow contestant Magnus, and suddenly the stupid show doesn’t feel quite so stupid anymore)
pro bono by sarcasticfluentry (Explicit | 1/1 | 7,195)
After the Clave drops the charges against Isabelle and declares her free, Magnus decides he doesn't want Alec's bow and quiver after all. He gets something even better.
The first time by theonetruenorth (Explicit | 1/1 | 1,623)
“Alexander, my darling,” Magnus whispered, leaning over Alec once more to tenderly stroke his thumb over Alec’s lips, red and sensitive from kissing. “You take my breath away.”
veni vidi amavi by WendigoBaby (PG | 1/1 | 5,663)
Alec still looks so young, bright-eyed and with morning scruff covering his face; there are no grey hairs on his head, no wrinkles embedded in his skin, except for little crow’s feet around his eyes that came from smiling. The golden band around Alec’s right ring finger catches the light as he cuts the tomatoes, quick and efficient.
It’s an unspoken rule that warlocks rarely marry. Usually, it’s the fear of commitment with mortals - the promise of heartbreak after they pass lingering like a ghost over your shoulder or people not wanting to spend the entirety of their lives devoted to one soul. But Alec has always had a tendency to surprise Magnus.
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gimmetheheadcanons · 6 years
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Public/Relations 3/?
A/N: It’s long. It soooo drags. But at least it’s here. TW: Mention of death/suicide.
3. Three
They walked in silence. The young actress in front of him, huddled up in his arms as he directed her through an obstacle course made up of swaying guests. As they entered the final leg of the night, a desperate DJ stepped up his efforts, blasting music appealing to waning legs one last time.
After finally having delivered them both to the privacy of the concierge’s front desk (and with minimal interference from any loiters in the venue’s large lobby), Klaus impatiently ushered the valet to return to him his black Aston Martin Vanquish. Fast. There was the grave matter of a shaking woman in want of whisking away; and naturally, ever the leading man at a moment’s notice, Niklaus Mikaelson was dying to be of assistance.
It felt odd. That unearned intimacy between them.
Bonnie Bennett, so small and exposed; and Klaus, determined to keep peeling at the layers until she appeared without a thread of cover.
Yet the sudden way their sniping subsided made him wonder if maybe – perhaps – there could be a second chance at a more favourable first impression. 
Almost instantly embarrassed by the ridiculous notion of him being required to make any sort of adjustment or impression, Klaus cast the sappy thought aside.
This was Elijah’s doing.
Or any of the others.
Those damned detractors and the low regard with which they held him.
Klaus had always found spite to be an excellent motivator, except thanks to the champagne lending a hand in fuzzing up his thoughts, he couldn’t quite work out what on earth it was he was trying to prove on this exact night.  On any ordinary day, no matter how inebriated, he’d always have enough nous left to barricade against any dangerous ideas a weak heart may have. Meet the forces gathering at the base of skull, head on, and cut them down without mercy. Stop himself from doing silly trite things such as slipping away from his own celebration for the sake of impressing a girl.
A girl.  
Yet Klaus could do little to deny it; something had changed upon observing the overwhelming pain on Bonnie Bennett’s face. The quick, cruel death of that airy little laugh he quite liked. Those blazing eyes worryingly wet and weepy. That firestorm which had so quickly excited him, suddenly snuffed out. All put together, such a pathetic picture had the power to pull at his chest, instantly inspiring an untried impulse
He actually wanted to help this girl.
Get her far enough away from here so he could once again poke and prod until this frightful cocoon burst and the Bonnie Bennett emerged, hopefully ready to take a second stab at that magical, made for syndication, sitcom banter he unashamedly sought after.
Make their own laugh track to muffle the sobering realities of unscripted life.  
Klaus frowned a little as their carriage finally approach.
But then what? Where would they go? And more importantly, would she stay with him? Or without any polite notice, just up and go. Cut her losses, just as his dear brother had.
The clock ran out. The moment for deliberation gone as Klaus was confronted by the bane of his daily existence – flashes of white light in the distance brewing up a terrible storm of tabloid scandal.  
Of course the parasites would’ve congregated to catch a glimpse of his court. Klaus groaned inwardly, feeling disappointed twice over – once for momentarily forgetting this detail and then for remembering.
The paparazzi, or more accurately those unable to deceive their way to legitimate press status or forcibly gain access to his guest list, had set up their own party across the street. Careful to adhere to the minimum distance required to avoid any altercations and additional days in court (and Heaven knows how Klaus enjoyed those); three men and a woman took a flurry of hurried photos of their favourite meal ticket.
Klaus rolled his eyes, imagining the gleeful eyes cowardly hidden behind monstrously oversized contraptions, hideously glued to where a human face ought to have been. On his own, each snap of him was worth a decent sum but whenever a beautiful woman was involved the rate tripled.
He was certain the bidding for any pictures taken tonight would be especially high.
Klaus turned to his right. Bonnie, still in a state of quiet distress, thankfully hadn’t noticed the vampires. Best to keep it as such by disappearing quickly.
Unfortunate for them both however, was that this latest unfortunate development meant Klaus’s plans were in drastic need of amending. He couldn’t very well risk a high-speed pursuit with a valued asset of the Disney corporation in the passenger seat.
Oh won’t you think of the children Niklaus!
Klaus let escape a small but grim laugh at his favourite past-time, pulling out from the depth of his memory a rather unkind impression of stuffy, proper, pain in the arse Elijah.
But with none of the awkwardness of having to admit defeat to a flesh and bone version of his brother, Klaus was free to heed the words of caution offered by his figment.
“No bother.” He called out, finally having made up his mind to return inside and thus throwing back the keys to the man who’d just delivered them to him. Klaus casually waved his hand over the car, attempting to deflect any questions with a masterful performance of his usual indifference. “I have no need for this now. Take it back.”
“And once again, need I remind you – be gentle.”
He received a swift nod from a quaking man familiar with the implied consequences. To Klaus that terrified trembling was just a perk he got to enjoy after all the diligent work he put in to consistently educating his fellow man, wherever he went. He watched as the valet and car disappeared at once, then turned to deal with the wrath of a woman he knew to be unlearned and unafraid.
“Why?” Bonnie shouted angrily at the apparent act of betrayal. Klaus withdrew slightly so as to avoid any possibility of being struck in the face.  
Still composed but only barely – Bonnie spared him.    
Cautious not to indulge the oglers and sadly unsure how long Bonnie’s self-restrained would last, Klaus carefully positioned himself with his back to the cameras before answering in a low whisper.
“Why should we be the ones to abscond into the night like bandits? I swear to you love, nothing but merriment awaits – should you choose return with me.” Klaus said ensuring his voice was soft and sweet enough to assuage her fears, offering up the sincere and practical solution of support against Parker.
One word from her and the buffoon should find himself flung out on his arse, free to model on this very curb for the long-lensed vermin he so adored.  
“I won’t leave your side Bonnie.”
But Bonnie perceptive eyes signalled to him she saw through to his core. The man they all sensed him to be. She saw through this obvious glitch in his programming, all the way through to the selfish curiosity under the surface inspiring such chivalry.  
“No.”  She answered predictably, inviting a sad smile from him.
Yes, there was a story here, Klaus could admit that whilst focussing in on the beautifully pained face before him. A story he desperately hoped to know. Meanwhile, was it so hard to believe that his instinct to protect her ran just as deep as his desire to distract himself from the foul mood his bothersome brother had left him in?
“Then perhaps I can offer you an alternative solution. One more agreeable to you.”
And for the second time that night, Klaus Mikaelson took hold of Bonnie Bennett’s hand in a bid to lead her to a safer haven.
-----
When they finally arrived at their new much more discreet location, a private penthouse located within the same building, Klaus couldn’t help but show off a little. After all, leading a life of luxury meant he had the luxury to do so.
The noticeably awe-struck young woman in his company drank in the immaculate interior of the space. He followed the music of Bonnie’s heels connecting with the limestone tiles. As she took lead, soft yellow lights fixed high above were coming to life to greet her and celebrate her bravery. She didn’t have to travel too far from him to explore, her eyes doing most of the work, scanning the entire open space all the way to high glass walls revealing a fully furnished outdoor seating area and a sky pool in the distance.
“Make yourself at home.” Klaus called out, pointing towards the richly black Edelman leather sofas as he made a beeline to the built-in butler bar. He was about to pour two glasses of something comforting for them, when it dawned on him mixing drink and despair may appear slightly predacious to his watchful guest. Instead, Klaus returned to Bonnie’s side holding a less sinful (and therefore much less fun) bottle of mineral water which she politely accepted.
“Thanks.”
A genuine warm smile spread across his face at the tiny one he spotted her lips were failing to fight back.
“I usually keep this space for the after party. A handful of noteworthy individuals, for light debate followed by much needed debauchery. However…seeing how deeply loathed I am by everyone and their mum at this point in time– a fact my dear brother reminded me of a couple hours ago – I’d rather put it to better use tonight.”
Again, Bonnie thanked him, causing his chest to swell up like a balloon.
Klaus knew the automatic, monosyllabic, society taught reply shouldn’t have warranted such a reaction from him; yet there was a potent power in being able to receive Bonnie Bennet’s praise. Perhaps he could set himself a new challenge and keep a tally of exactly how much gratitude he could gross over the course of the night.
“To harbouring fugitives.” Klaus said raising his own bottle of water for a toast.  
Bonnie resisted to clink plastic, choosing instead to roll her eyes at the bon mot.
“I’m not a fugitive.”
Klaus shrugged his shoulders, the glint in his eyes still very much intent on teasing her at the cost of the night’s takings.  
He glugged down his drink partly in bid to appear unconcerned about the way she left him hanging and partly to try and rehydrate enough so he could have his wits about him before attempt to engage with Bonnie once more. She stood with her own bottle unopened, stealing subtle glances just as he was.
Once his thirst had been managed, Klaus lazily swiped at his wet mouth, his left hand unable to mop up each rebellious drop he let carelessly slid down his chin and onto the naked flesh peeking out from the top of his loosened-up shirt.
“Well…” He said sensing Bonnie’s discomfort at the intentional combination of silence, staring and so-close-together-standing.  
“Now that I have obliged you so, will you –  at the very least –  grace me with an explanation as to why we have been banished from my own party.”
Bonnie hesitated for a moment before turning her face away and answering in a low voice.
“I don’t need to see him.”
Klaus’s jaw tensed at the distance she insisted on putting between them. Screwing back on the lid, he disposed of his bottle by frustratingly flinging it onto a nearby armchair, where it landed with a soft thud.
“That much I gathered.”
She appeared unable to get comfortable with him, her body still on high alert as she slowly began pacing the room whilst aiming to maintain the guise of leisurely browsing the full stocked bookshelves.
It was frustrating. The hold that idiot Parker seemed to have over this woman. A woman, Klaus, in the short span of time they’d become acquainted, assumed was fearless.    
“Rest assured, there is no tail in need of shaking here.” Klaus promised again urging her to take a seat on any of the numerous chairs in the room.
Bonnie however denied him once more, continuing to evade him by staying constantly on the move.
A little heavier handed and a little more in character, Klaus proceeded to press harder.
“As an objective third party observer, I find the only thing pursuing you at this moment is your personal demons regarding Mr. Parker.”
She appeared to tense at his direct reference to her co-star, halting in a stride long enough for Klaus to close the gap between them. Good, he thought, pleased with the result of the harsher tactic he chose to employ. Perhaps now she would be more open to his assistance, whilst he was still gracious enough to be offering it.
“Demons,” Klaus continued in a slow purposeful drawl, inching nearer and nearer until able to see the specific shades of brown – from dark to light – of each individual hair strand on the back of Bonnie’s head. Klaus observed the beginnings of a couple of soft curls marching out of time, at odds with the rest of her perfectly placed and professionally straightened locks; and he wondered, how many more would join their marvellous little mutiny by morning.
With her back to her, Klaus had to guess what was going on inside Bonnie’s head. Instead his mind was preoccupied with the way her thin shoulders rose and fell as she breathed in and out more deeply. Charmed by the rhythm, Klaus’s own breath followed hers – his nose taking in the scent of sweet feminine fragrance on her skin. It was warm and comforting, like rich berries in a summer fruit crumble drowned in smooth vanilla custard. Meant for consumption during the blackest of winters, to heat the soul and stain the corners of your mouth a bloody red.
She turned to face him, without any warning and almost startled him.
Almost.
“These demons. I’d be glad to exorcise them for you if you could just make them more corporeal, love.”
The sequence continued on whilst she was facing him – that up then down, in then out – until Klaus interrupted it by gently resting his hands atop Bonnie’s shoulders, commanding them to steady.
She didn’t gasp for him.
His disappointed eyes watched her doubtful ones, unable to win them over; her silence just about to start reminding Klaus that his patience was a finite resource in need of constant replenishing.
“Details Bonnie.” He said, following up with a more insistent growl he knew he would come to regret. “I demand them.”
Klaus found his planned interrogation aborted quite suddenly. However, not by any hostility of Bonnie’s but by the gentle interruption of beeping coming from somewhere on her person. It was the sound of an incoming text message, she chose to immediately answer.
Phone in hand and pushing past him, her shoulders savagely cut across his chest like a rugby player’s.
After a silent second, Bonnie let out a furious scream.  
Shaking with rage, her livid eyes were glued to the screen.
Intrigued, Klaus approached her to peer over her shoulder pryingly. Unfortunately, he was unable to catch the communication in its entirety when Bonnie once again shrieked.
“Argh! Damn it Alaric! Thanks for the heads up asshole.” She cursed upon having fully read the script herself, angrily smashing down her water on the marble counter in front of her. Not having noticed him walk up behind her, Bonnie bumped flat into his chest as she turned around.
“How about a little personal space?” She said her tone acerbic as she lashed out at him for the sins of another.
Hardly offended Klaus obliged, cordially stepping out of the way but not before mockingly putting both hands up and throwing her a wink.
Bonnie ignored him, angrily pressing away at the keyboard on her phone screen.  
Alaric Saltzman, Klaus knew the man as well as he did every agent who tried their luck at claiming him as a prize. For a time, Klaus toyed with the idea of striking up an alliance with the man, before quickly recognising that Saltzman’s body of work, in all its underwhelming mediocrity wouldn’t have been well-suited to Klaus’s needs.
Not in the long run anyway.
Klaus wickedly grinned, thinking back to wholesome redheaded he freed from a potential life sentence as the second Mrs. Saltzman; realising that for a short while, there was a need the agent – or to put more accurately the agent’s fiancée – did satisfy.  
His indulgence and mischief however had cost him in a way. Word got round and no agent in this town since managed to last beyond a couple of weeks managing Klaus. Each finding him too – what was it that Josh said – “mega intense and scary like a medieval torture expert guy”.
It was a gratifying sacrifice, if undertaken solely to punish Saltzman for his insolence. For the crime of daring to believe he and Klaus could be equals, the actor extracted his revenge most viciously. Taking from the man the love of his life, compelling her to lose herself in a moment of weakness, debasing her and discarding her. Still, it took just that on time of mixing pleasure and business for Klaus to see how quickly most fled from him.
Afraid of joining the pile of bodies he left in his wake.
Young Joshua must’ve been a glutton for punishment when he signed on with Klaus. Since the Saltzman affair, the pitiful boy had the pleasure of pulling double duty on all of the actor’s booking needs. Naturally, he did this collaborating with the patient people at William Morris Endeavour.
Done sending her text, Klaus wondered if Bonnie’s displeasure meant she could someday be persuaded to leave that dullard agent of hers and join him at the rival agency. Except, he quickly realised, that would require her to start viewing him in a much different light.
She must’ve been distracted enough by the unpleasant news she received, it slipped her mind to hold him to account for his earlier pushy behaviour. This would’ve been an ideal time to cease testing the patience of his guest, yet wholly undeterred and his impulsive nature getting the best of him, Klaus continued.
“Still waiting love.”
“Look Klaus,” Bonnie said finally snapping at him; the woman before him, far away from the timid, torn up creature he needed to coax into that lift. “Thank you for the rescue but you can return to your party. Okay? I’ll be out when I’m ready.”
This Bonnie, the one prone to turn on her heel and storm away from him, required a far more delicate touch. “Perhaps I can make arrangements to have you returned to your place of residence?” Klaus offered in a plea to appear reasonable.
But Bonnie didn’t need a moment to muse over his suggestion. Shaking her head immediately but looking somewhat despondent about having to do so, she replied weakly.
“No. I can’t. Not after tonight.”
With another piece of the puzzle in his possession yet somehow saddened by what it held, Klaus wavered a little.  
“Then I have a suggestion you may find either entirely pleasing or wholly preposterous.”
“Stay here.”
It was out there now. That dangerously weak heart of his finally successful in its intended coup; and Klaus’s deepest desire for company – a secret no more.  
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Klaus replied fully committed to this idiocy now.  
Bonnie took another look at the grand apartment he’d just made available to her. “I guess this is okay.”
Catching herself venturing into a territory occupied by the far more ill-mannered, Bonnie tried again –  a little more enthusiastic this time. “Good even. I mean – it’s good. Thank you, Klaus.”
Another Bonnie Bennett thank you for Klaus’s book. The idle angel on his shoulder sure had an unusually amount to brag about tonight.
“Well, not so fast.” Klaus added, reminding Bonnie there were terms attached to his offer. “I cannot vouch for what kind of pay there is in television but there are a few items here that’ll fetch a pretty penny online. Morbidity of fame I suppose.”
Deciphering his meaning with narrowed eyes, Bonnie finally conceded.
“Fine stay if you must.”
“Just don’t bother me okay?”
Klaus clapped his hands together jubilantly. “Now we’re finally seeing eye to eye, I’d like to revisit my earlier queries.”
He walked over to the largest sofa and sat, his hand outstretched hovering over the space next him where he’d visualised she should be. “Come sit with me.”
Bonnie let out an ironic laugh at the proposal. “You gotta be kidding me!”
“You’re not gonna trick me into some ridiculous Dr. Phil situation Klaus.” She promised with a resolute look on her face.
Klaus lazily stretched his arms out above him and yawned, before satisfyingly settling his back against the soft cushions further. He then cast a relaxed smile in Bonnie’s direction, hoping to entice her to come do the same. Her day must’ve started as early as his, if not earlier.
“Come now, you’ve been standing in those heels for long enough love.”
“No way. No matter how comfortable the couch, I refuse to share it with you.” Bonnie repeated.
Frustrated, Klaus grabbed the soft white throw pillows, snatching them out from under him and busily began rearranging them. Without looking at her he muttered under his breath what he knew could only be received as a menacing attempt at intimidation.  
“I’ll be sure to send Kai Parker your most affectionate greetings when I go then.”
Once again, Klaus made sure to use his full name for effect.
Dissatisfied with the thought of missing her reaction, Klaus put away his angry pout and turned to face Bonnie, adding with a sneer. “I so did enjoy him in this summer’s must-see superhero flick. Really remarkable how far he’s come from his humble beginnings as a teenage witch.”
Bonnie did not blink. It looked as though she’d been inoculated to his mean mouth after the first incident. Klaus was about to try something different to get that reaction he craved when she cut him off.
“Why are you doing this?” She demanded, completely throwing him.  
“Why are you fucking with me?”
Not sure how to reply to such a straightforward question, Klaus hid behind a mocking gasp of shock and opted to childishly mutter about her use of foul language instead. Unfortunately, the aggravated actress firmly stayed on topic.
“All night in fact! Do you even see what you’re like?”
All of a sudden, Klaus had been stunned into silence by her more measured tone and the crashing waves of righteous rage radiating from her threatening to batter his unprotected body.
This was nothing like he’d ever dealt with before. Similar words from his siblings often fell short because of their own failings being so laughably apparent to him. No, blasted Jiminy Crickets would seldom manage to escape without being mercilessly crushed by his fist.  
Yet here was Bonnie and having a bloody good go!
And it was different, he noted. Her inquires into his very character held no pretence of a search for higher moral reasoning. She didn’t care to teach him anything or even win for that matter. She just plain and simple wanted to know.
Demanded to know.
Why was he, Klaus Mikaelson, fucking with her?  
It was a brilliantly phrased little question, simple in every way and yet something told Klaus he was in no way capable of delivering the complexity of its answer.
With no response coming her way any time soon, Bonnie groaned, wearily throwing her arms up in the air.
Her annoyance flared up once more when Klaus made the mistake of smiling. Her eyes flashed widely in disbelief at the action.
“Why are you grinning like a villain? Have you really nothing better to do?”
Ready to incur another deadly glare, Klaus was surprised to see her face soften.  
“Come on man, why all this,” She whined in response to this uncharacteristic quietness she had to endure from him. “I don’t even know you.”
The plainly said statement, a desperate final attempt at trying appeal to his better nature. There are protocols in civilised societies, she beseeched him The pools of hazel staring back at him called for the decency to mind one’s own bloody business.  
Except, that’s where Bonnie Bennett had gone wrong.
Klaus Mikaelson, more beast than man, was hardly civilised.
“Oh don’t be daft.” He laughed for a second time, crossing his arms under his head casually, further propping up the pillows. “Of course, you know me. Everyone does.”
“Great.” Bonnie said, her face clearly regretting her efforts to try and reach him. Klaus frowned a little at how easily she gave up. “So where’d your babysitter go? The big brother?”
Her casual mentioning of Elijah replicated the same discomfort Kai Parker’s did. Klaus shifted awkwardly in his seat and Bonnie noticed.
“Oh wow. You’re all of a sudden bored of twenty questions when it’s your turn?” Bonnie said with a sneer ugly on her pretty face.  
Determined not to lose to her, Klaus answered frankly. “He should be where he prefers to be. Back in his hotel room in a deep untroubled slumber. Miles away from here. From me.” He said bitterly.
His earnest confession as to the reason for his aloneness had an unexpected outcome.
A sudden crash and the empty space next to him became occupied.
Bonnie let out a tired sigh, appearing exhausted by everything leading up to the moment to collapsed down next to him. It was odd having her choose to not only sit, but then to do so closely.
As her thigh pressed against Klaus’s, he turned his head slightly to get a better look at the profile of her face. Her heavily lashed eyelids were shut as she inhaled deeply, sinking further into the comforting cool leather. Using just the tip of her toes, she flicked off her right shoe followed by the left. Her perfectly pedicured and painted toes then giving a little victory wiggle.
“It’s a nice couch.” She hummed, her still lids shut.
“It is.” Klaus chuckled.
“So jerk brother huh?” Bonnie asked, her eyes opening to look around the room as if she had misplaced something.
Up close, Klaus noticed slightly dry flakes of darkly stained skin peeling off insides of her lips, revealing a fleshy pink in contrast to the impeccable matte coat of chestnut brown from earlier this evening.
Without being asked, Klaus found himself on his feet and heading to the counter, returning with her discarded bottle in his hand. Again, she thanked him when he opened it for her and Klaus counted that as being five now in his favour.
“Jerk brother.” He concurred taking his seat once more.
“And what of your handler? Your agent, Saltzman was it?”
Bonnie’s mood soured at the mention of the man. “Urgh, just found out he ditched me to deliver his twins.”
Klaus was surprised at her answer.
Why the old bugger sure bounced back rather marvellously! So, it was two sets of tiny feet, and not his own cold ones that kept Alaric Saltzman away this evening. But why instead of being elated for her mentor, was Bonnie Bennett clearly furious? Surely there had to be some greater transgression than this? Or was she a far pettier person than Klaus had realised.
“What a monster.” He said mockingly.
Bonnie snorted. “Yeah well, he could’ve drop a warning he was going to be leaving me with one.”
“Poppycock! I’ve been a perfect gentleman.”
When Bonnie allowed herself to giggle at his exaggerated exasperation for even a second, Klaus noted how his ears, coming through the other side of a severe joyless drought, were beginning to grow fond of the sunny sound.
“Like hell you have.” She said slipping on a brief smile, comfortable enough to lazily slap the side of his thigh with the back of her hand without really looking at him. The impression left by her touch tingled for a moment thrilling him. Then the smile, just as easily slipped from her face leaving nothing but a pool of quiet bitterness in her eyes.
“I didn’t mean you.” Bonnie added in a low whisper, unblinking eyes gazing into the distance.
Klaus inhaled deeply, the solemn air between them thick and heavy.
Alaric Saltzman’s failings finally revealed.
A heads up.  
“Kai Parker.” He said without even the faintest hint of a sneer. She hadn’t anticipated on him being at the party. Alaric must’ve withheld that information from her.  
“Yep.”
Klaus shook his head sadly, trying on for size the part of a supportive friend. “He seems like such a prince too. Making the rounds at children’s wards in his silly tights and cape.”
“Well what do you want me to say? That Disney money got him playing you all 24/7 okay?” Bonnie retorted, straightening up.
Klaus knew he’d gone wrong, his attempts at sincerity rang false.
“Okay.” He said yielding to her and hoping she’d return to that almost tranquil state of earlier, teasing him with a touch or two.
But it wasn’t to be. As if only just slowly waking from a hazy dream and suddenly aware of her surroundings, Bonnie Bennett’s guard came up in full force.
“Are you friends with him?”
It was Klaus’s turn to jolt awake.
“Excuse me?”
“I said are you friends with him?” She demanded more sternly.
Klaus’s chuckles were dismissive. “Why? Did he pass along a lovely little handwritten note asking us to be mates love?”
Bonnie shot up.
On her feet and at a distance, she repeated herself.  
“I mean it Klaus. I need to know.”
“Are you friends?”
“No.” He said but by the time he answered they’d returned to their earlier roles. “Bloody hell. I said no didn’t!”  
To his horror, Bonnie would not abide.
In one swift motion, Klaus rose also. Back to facing off with Bonnie, but now with a much greater height advantage than the barefoot actress.
“We hardly travel similar circles. Just the overcrowded ones in need of a good cull if you ask me.”
Sensing she needed more than that Klaus decided to spell out for her exactly how he felt about the Kai Parkers of the world.
“I never thought of him as anything but a self-centred, man-child with mediocre flair for the arts yet an unmatched need for constant attention.”
He was met with raised eyebrows from the young woman.
“Don’t look at me like that!” He insisted growing increasingly irritated she would continue to question him. “I mean it love.  Believe me, we have nothing in common. He’s a hack. A Buzzfeed quiz favourite, constantly clamouring for followers across his social media like a harlot.”
Finally, Bonnie grinned a little. “Hashtag blessed.” She quipped in a voice much too heavy to be actually humorous.
Finally, Klaus watched as she settled back into her seat and convinced he did enough to ease her her doubts about him, followed.
“Well, I guess you know better than anyone not to believe what you read in the papers.” Bonnie observed, her head turning to face him. Her nose may as well have be touching his cheek but Klaus was too troubled by the mystery she still hid from him to take any joy in his triumph.  
“On the contrary love, when it comes to me, I must urge you – believe every word.” He said completely unironically.
“Even Carol Lockwood?”
“I – sorry – I didn’t meant to – ” Bonnie stammered her face utterly changed by the dark weight behind those words. Her mouth slammed shut; Klaus’s grim look, a judge’s gavel coming down on hard on such the feeble defence her lips were aspiring to form.  
“I don’t know why I said that.”
The choppy waves threatening to form above Klaus’s brows instantly settled, the flood of emotion never quite reaching the shores of his eyes. Gripped by the eerie stillness of a drowning victim, he sat unresponsive.  
There was hardly any point to it. The pens dripped in poison had done their job, effectively killing this conversation as it had the one with Elijah.
“The topic exhausts me.” A whisper of life left in him confessed.
Klaus shifted in his seat slightly ready to resist any and all of Bonnie’s resuscitation attempts. He expected a taste of his own medicine; bracing himself for a barrage of prying questions meant to unsettle.
Bonnie, far kinder and empathetic he thought the descendants of Adam could ever be, simply decided to nod.
“I understand.”
Understanding. His heart ached a little at the prospect of such a thing – he was the keeper of far less publicised ghost stories. Ones good souls would greatly struggle with.
“How could you possibly love.”
Gallons of redness spilling over the sides and onto the tiles, setting Klaus up to lose his footing and fall when he found her. A bathtub transformed into an overfilled wine glass. His mother, always such a careless drinker, had decidedly drained herself. The shirt he wore that day suddenly a bib, soaking up the mess she left for him as Klaus lost consciousness on the floor.
Last thought on his mind?
She finally did it.
Escaped them all to other side.  
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pinkvilla · 5 years
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Are Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan TRYING to avoid being clicked by the paparazzi? Read on
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Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan’s crackling chemistry became a talking point when they starred in Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath. Post the success of the film, there were reports that the two are seeing each other. There is no official confirmation about the same yet. Going by the reports, Sushant and Sara have often been spotted outside each other’s houses. According to Bombay Times, there was an instance in their recent outings, both Sara and Sushant begged the paps to delete their photos from their devices.
Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput and Bhumi Pednekar’s Sonchiriya lands in legal trouble; read to know why
Sushant recently celebrated his 33rd birthday and Sara reportedly made it a point to attend the party. According to sources, Sara cut short her Dehradun trip and attended his birthday party. A source told a leading daily, “She dropped by his apartment at night with a cake, and they went on for dinner together after that. Sushant then dropped Sara home, and they snuck in some quality time together.” Are they dating each other? This only time will tell. On the other hand, Sara has openly said that she wants to date Kartik Aaryan.
On the work front, Sushant will next be seen in Abhishek Chaubey's Sonchiriya. He is paired alongside Bhumi Pednekar in the movie which will see him play the role of a bandit. The movie releases this February. Stay tuned in for more such updates!
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