@gravefed Selena & Otis Stoneage Industries

tag drop

otis didn't consider himself a classy man by any means, or one who had their indulgences. but every now and then otis found their way to the ballet, usually a cheap nosebleed ticket, but anything that could get them there. and then he'd spend some time hanging around after ward, saying words of thanks and kindness to the ballerinas, trying to seem like he was there for the whole company, not for a single ballerina. but then again, otis was very good at lying or faking it.

today was no different, the nutcracker is a classic and he talks it up to being a holiday tradition for him (his parents never found the ballet interesting and he only went once as a kid), as he waits outside, eyes looking for the blonde. he doesn't know why he does this, it's not like she'll ever give them the time of day. but still they can't help it, a single rose in hand.

but then she's walking forward, smiling at him, as beautiful as ever. "oh, actually." they can't believe she recognizes him - was he being creepy? "yea, i come every now and then but uh, actually i wanted to talk to you." they nod, hand holding out the rose. "you were exceptionally beautiful tonight, the company is lucky to have you."

who: @tendrflesh ( otis )

where: new york ballet company

the show went well, dominika felt like she was completely on point the whole way through. which reassured her that she still had several years left performing before she'd be forced to retire. by then, perhaps, she'll have enough money to do nothing for the rest of her life or climbed her way to the top of burning gods. as per usual, she changed into comfortable pair of leggings, shirt, sweater, and sneakers. out in public she doesn't normally dress down but after performing it's essential to be comfortable and let her muscles rest as much as possible. while she enjoys meeting fans of the show, she's fully used to not being the center of attention and certainly didn't waste her time expecting it. that only led to disappointment. that's why when she noticed a familiar face stood out from the crowd, she assumed he was waiting to see the prima or the premier and while she didn't know him well she approached anyways. a quiet one, with a shy smile but still an edge to him. perhaps a sadness? she wasn't sure.

"if you're waiting to meet them you ought to push your way up there, there's only a couple nutcracker performances left and then you'll have to wait a few months before you get another chance." dominika adjusted her bag over her shoulder and nodded to the small crowd that was forming. saying performances were almost done aloud gave her a sense of relief. no more ten hour practices and more room for other activities, until they started up again for the spring premiere. "i think i've seen you here before, no?" russian accent thick with her tiredness.

*     ◟    :    〔   margaret qualley  ,      demi-woman   +   she/they    〕   taylor ryan ,      some say you’re a  twenty - five  lost soul among the neon lights.      known for being both  perceptive  and  evasive,  one can’t help but think of  i’m your man  by mitski  when you walk by.    are you still a    empress   /     principal ballerina  at   the snake den   /  nya ballet,     even with your reputation as the the opulent?     i think we’ll be seeing more of you and  skin glittering under the moonlight, doe eyes looking up at you, ribbons flowing in the wind, diamond rings over gloved hands.   although we can’t help but think of juliet capulet (romeo & juliet), daisy buchanan (the great gatsby), ophelia (hamlet), sansa stark (game of thrones).    whenever we see you down these rainy streets. ’

BASICS

NAME: taylor isabella ryan (originally kowalski) NICKNAMES: none JOB: nyc principal ballerina, empress in the snake den BIRTHDAY: april 19th ZODIAC: aries sun SEXUALITY: pansexual  GENDER: demi-woman, she/they RELIGION: non practicing catholic THREE POSITIVE TRAITS: perceptive, inviting, demanding THREE NEGATIVE TRAITS: evasive, vain, needy ENNEAGRAM: 7w8 MYERS-BRIGGS: enfj AESTHETIC:  skin glittering under the moonlight, doe eyes looking up at you, ribbons flowing in the wind, diamond rings over gloved hands CHARACTER INSPO:  juliet capulet (romeo & juliet), daisy buchanan (the great gatsby), ophelia (hamlet), sansa stark (game of thrones) LIKES: DISLIKES:

pinterest | playlist

WANTED CONNECTIONS

serious ex (or ex fiance?)

frenemies

someone she has charmed for her own needs

a mentor of some sort

flings/fwbs

current connections

ex-husband: bash owens (they were young and dumb)

casual fling: bash owens

siblings: raven & donovan kowalski

FAST FACTS

youngest sister of donovan and raven

is the only sibling that 'made it'

was eventually adopted by a very rich family who gave taylor everything they could ever want

distances herself from her past/siblings to keep up with her 'princess' persona she adopted

though given everything, she always wanted more, is also resentful of her parents and the life they easily lead

is a bit of a romantic at heart (or as romantic as she could)

lawful evil

has her own rules she follow, at the expense of others

on the prowl for more power hence the snake den

studied art for a while

was a dancer in her youth, now principal ballerina for nycb

considers herself classy & above others because of her money

father worked in government, mother was a philanthropist though she could have whatever she wanted, taylor still resents them...

self-obsessed and joined snake den, just because she should and seems to have a vendetta against everyone

more to come...

@murdcrofcrows otis & raven otis's apartment

part of them wondered if they should both head out, part ways for the evening. but then where would otis go? raven? maybe it seemed better to be here, at least here there were no expectations and they could both just...be. laid out on his couch, otis fiddles with the rubix cube that is always on his person. "raven." they state plainly, looking over at them, "are we boring if we stay in on a friday night? or does that make us better than everyone else?"

it was something of 'staff bonding' though tennessee would prefer a higher class place, she knew it was important for morale or something like that to show up where her co-workers and subordinates were. so here she was, sitting in a bowling alley, listening intently (or at least pretending to) while the girl next to her droned on and on about whatever was plaguing her life. essie wanted to shake her and say wake the fuck up, but that felt unprofessional, so instead she nodded along.

that was until suddenly their was a buzzing and she looked just as a bowling ball came soaring by, landing between her and the other. the girl shrieked and essie made no move as she looked up to see the culprit behind the ball come rushing forward. "did you just through that...anita right?" she pointed to the ball and then back to her. "you know it's supposed to go that way right?" she points to the lane in front of them. and though she's playing it cool - it's honestly the best excuse to get out of that boring conversation. so she pushes away from the girl without a word and toward anita. "i'm not expert bowler, but i can give you a pointer or two if you'd like."

open starter — any muse !

location : some random ass bowling alley

blend   in   ,   blend   in   ,   blend   in   —   that's   the   task   here   !   &   when   your   co   -   workers   ask   you   to   come   out   for   a   drink   ,   as   the   new   girl   ,   you   say   YES   .   .   .   nevermind   if   you   short   circuit   while   staring   into   oblivion   as   they   ask  you if you have any plans  .   .   .   it's   all   apart   of   the   charade   .   it's   what   weasels   do   best   right   ?   W   E   A   S   E   L   into   any & all situations . gain their trust . . . or whatever you call it . never bowled before , never even held the ball — but she's observant enough to understand ; to pick up what the others are doing with little effort . until it's her turn . okay . . . don't panic , you got this . is this how the fingers go ? okay , feels good . . . now knock down the pins . cranking her arm back , anita looks straight at the bowling pins ahead ; only to let it go . . . but it wasn't going where she anticipated . every single eye watched as the fifteen pound bowling ball flew threw the air . mouths slightly ajar , irises following where it was going to land . it was all in slow motion but it missed whoever it was going to hit by a H A I R — caving in the surface that it connected with instead . " HOLY . . . SHIT ! i . am . such a CLUTZ — i'm so sorry ! " first & last time bowling .

@murdcrofcrows taylor & silas the slow down cafe

"si," taylor begins with a soft sigh in her voice as she steps into line with him. "if i was a better person, i'd love to open a cafe where you match a coffee or tea with someone's favorite book." tucked under their arm is a worn edition of emma. "what would you say your favorite drink and book is? we'll start with your combo and build out from there." she teases with a small nudge, biting on her tongue. though it's obvious that this would be a life that would bore taylor to no end, it's fun to imagine what being good and wholesome could lead to from time to time.

"like i said, wholesome and innocent. if we were better people." she teases with another nudge, eyebrows raising to urge him along. they listen intently, going so far to rest their head on his shoulder as the line moves and she takes in what he says. "breve? you're sooo fancy aren't ya." they continue on, now straightening up to glance at the menu. "breve and sherlock holmes, honestly sounds like a perfect combo. we'll add it to our menu list." she pretends to make note of it. the copy of emma is still tightly held under their arm and they shrug. "not sure if absolute favorite, but it's up there. i think it'd pair well with..." they pause, looking around. "a honey olive oil latte. a bit out there, but could be your sleeper favorite." not like it was her favorite, but it sounded nice. "so i assume you're getting a breve now? peppermint kind of day?"

"hmm?" silas looked up from the copy of the prince he'd read many times before. he nodded along with taylor's idea, making a thoughtful hum to the concept. "same kind of concept as el anhelo, then. except instead of human or replicant matching and drugs - it's drinks and books. not bad, i think it would sell." his mouth opened to offer his idea on the arcade and gaming bar but decided against it. went on to listen to her next question which was half a whopper. "my favorite drink has always been a breve, sometimes with a bit of peppermint mixed in because it wakes you up." now onto the hard part. his two fingers drummed on the table a while. "i don't know what my favorite now is, but as a young tot i was a big fan of animal farm but i also liked to read sherlock holmes to saint." he shrugged. the public library had always been a safe place for him and a wonder. probably the only government institution he'd ever been fond of. "that one yours?" he asked and nodded his head to the book under her arm.

Lakeith Stanfield

growing up in all her privilege, meant taylor could do what she wanted with her life. and ballet was where it lead (well part of it). it wasn't just a livelihood for her though, it was intense and insane at times, but for taylor it was just pure fun. a great way to pass time.

"hmm?" she looks up from her stretch toward dominika, flashing her a smile. "oh certainly, it's nice to have some time back." performance weeks were notoriously long, intense evenings and early mornings. taylor liked it enough, but was looking forward to some time off. "a spa day? well you know i certainly can't say no to that." she switches to the other side. "and maybe a few nights out? we deserve that at least." she adds with a wink before moving back to standing, wiping their hands against their body. "any hopes for the spring season? i'd love for a new contemporary piece to be debuted if i'm honest."

who: @tendrflesh ( taylor )

where: nyc ballet company

there was an excitement for her knowing that they were in their last week of performances for the winter season. it meant a solid six weeks off before they all had to start practicing for the spring performances. however, that also meant that in the interim there would be try outs for new principals and always a chance she would get a call suggesting she step down from her position. dominika didn't feel her retirement was close, yet.

she pushed herself forward to grab the tip of her slipper, holding the stretch and resting her head againt her arm. "are you excited for a break, милый?" she asked taylor, wondering if she would enjoy the time off as much as she was going to. "do not mistake me, i love to dance but it is nice to do some pampering. we should have a spa day next week. start it off right." not practicing eight hours everyday only to perform later was going to free up time for dominika to participate in some of her other favorite activities. some pampering would definitely set the tone for all of that, as well.

Angela Sarafyan as Clementine Pennyfeather Westworld ⪼ 1.07: Trompe L’Oeil