a z u l a
these violent delights have violent ends.
vera diaz
T
Freedom was just within her reach, so close she could taste it on her tongue. Once she graduated, she could finally breathe. The weight of the world would lessen once she had her degree and secured her dream job. Once she graduated her parents would finally have to be proud of her, there would be no denying her worth with a Harvard Law degree. Only two more years of working herself into the ground and Vera would be able to live outside the gilded cage of expectations her parents had confined her in.
Until that day came, her shameful little vices would have to get her through. Vera had never been a big partier in high school. Sure, they were a great place to gather dirt on your enemies and watch people make fools of themselves, but that's exactly what she was afraid of. Vera had never, ever gotten truly drunk in public until college. The uptight class representative would never let alcohol loosen her inhibitions in front of her classmates, that was just asking for disaster.
And yet, as the semester ramped up Vera had found solace in the haze of partying. The last several months had been tumultuous for her to say the very least, and she had started to question if this was really who she was, or just a pretty picture she'd painted to please her parents.
That was how she’d found herself taking shots outside of the museum with Abe to soothe her anxiety before the party the Laurier's were throwing. Social events had always set her on edge, even though she’d mastered social warfare by the time she was 15 it didn’t come naturally to her the way it did to someone as charismatic as Abe.
Abe had just shoved the flask back into his pocket when both of their phones chimed in unison. Quirking an eyebrow, Vera exchanged a glance with her dealer before checking the notification.
“Oh shit.” Abe wasn’t alone in the sentiment, Vera was quickly picking her jaw off the floor as she looked up from the Tumblr page. The anonymous blog had posted about someone named Dionysus last week, but Vera had shrugged it off as nonsense. This time was different, the self-proclaimed delphiprophet had posted a picture inside the museum, amongst the overflowing party crowd.
What a lovely party one of our resident goddesses has thrown. Perhaps she shouldn’t have invited Aphrodite, considering she might drink the entire champagne tower by herself. Maybe she’ll be inebriated enough to give us a glimpse of the real Aphrodite behind the carefully crafted mask.
Silence hung heavy in the air between them, neither one daring to speak the dread building in their stomachs. Laughter somewhere nearby pulled them from their stupor, reminding them of the party inside, and the trap that lay within.
"Don't talk to me inside."
Vera gave Abe a firm look before setting her shoulders and striding up the steps into the lion’s den."Love you too V!"
Abe called from behind her, she didn’t even need to turn to know there was a cheeky grin on his obnoxious face.The weight of a thousand eyes landed on her as she stepped through the threshold, a crowd who had certainly just seen the same post she had. Vera knew that she wasn’t Aphrodite or Dionysus, but that didn’t mean everyone else did. She met each stare with a silent threat in her eyes, venom dripping from her tongue as she prepared to strike the first person stupid enough to approach her.
Fortunately for everyone, they chose to mind their own business and a familiar voice pulled Vera from her vicious mood.
"You look like a goddess."
Vera gushed over Evelyn’s dress, the tension immediately releasing from her shoulders as her friend approached. In a world full of fake friends, Evelyn was the only real friend worth keeping.Before they could begin to catch up, a chorus of chimes erupted throughout the crowd, sending nerves exploding throughout Vera’s entire body. Fingers clenched tightly around her phone as she opened the newest post from thedelphiprophet, threatening to slip from her hands as she spotted the picture of two silhouettes that looked disturbingly like herself and Abe outside only a few moments ago. It was far enough away that had she not known it was her, she wouldn’t have recognized herself beneath the mask.
Dionysus has already begun spreading his hedonism tonight. Who would believe our perfect maiden Athena would associate with a heathen like him? Then again, who else would supply her Adderall? Stay tuned to see what the rest of our beloved Olympians get up to tonight.
The breath caught in Vera’s chest as she frantically looked around the crowd, thankful to find no eyes on her but unable to find Abe in the crowd. If he was Dionysus, then that meant the first post had also been about him. But who was Aphrodite? Out of the three people who had been posted about she knew two of them, and she had a sinking feeling this wasn’t random.
"Are you okay?"
Evelyn’s voice cut through her panic, enough to rip her attention from her phone and settle her face into a well-practiced mask."I’m fine. It just seems a little too early in the year for all this drama."
Vera painted a smile onto her face, squeezing Evelyn’s hand and aiming for the bar."This isn’t a party unless we have a glass of champagne in our hands."
Vera tugged her through the crowd, desperate for more liquid courage to get her through the evening.It was going to be a long night.
coded by xayah.ღ
Last edited: