The First Age

He was talking about champagne. Visha barely felt the effects; she never did, but she accepted the escape of an explanation wordlessly as he joined her at the next sink. She watched his reflection in turn, and her stomach fluttered for how flawless they looked side by side. Like something out of a fashion zine. It gave her some small delight even as she felt the hooks of reality begin to tighten their hold.

She took the towel offered and dabbed her mouth. But she really felt like squishing it into her face and screaming in frustration. She was overwhelmed with the unfairness. Because he was perfect, and beautiful, and he’d followed her like an actual prince in an actual fairytale. Weren’t such stories supposed to have a HAPPY ending? Though she supposed that in such a story, she would not be the princess at all, but the monster heroes like Seven were sent to kill.

Visha offered her inner wrist with the hint of a smile. Her gaze was intense on the moment, on his fingers, on his expression; memorising it all, though she was mindful he did not attempt to peel the glove from her arm first.

"Does it have a story?" she wanted to know, speaking of the owl bracelet. Though however he answered did not matter so much as the gift itself, and she was only trying to prolong the moment.

"I would love to. With you, in case it's not obvious. But I can't."

Sage smiled. "Everyone has secrets. Steal a candy bar when you are six. Or murdering your best friend. Doesn't much matter what it is. We all have them." Nox glared at him from behind Oriena's head and Sage smirked. "Your secrets are safe with me." He met the dark brown gaze. "Your sister would have my hide." The light in Nox's eyes went far away, lost in his own mind with thoughts of his sister most likely or his own perceived failures.

"You can blame your cousin for the virility of the performance. Sorry I didn't catch it." The apology was necessary. While not his fault, he hadn't been watching Sterling's accounts for Nox's information. He was now. And with the Atharim knowing about Kallisti he was about to send out a hell of a lot more queries too. It was Nox's way. And he was all in protector mode already -- after the show anyway. Right now he was being a great host.

Nox agreed with Sage, but he didn't like the idea that his friend was putting it out in the universe that he killed his best friend. Not that anyone at this table didn't know that, except maybe Dimitri. Sage would have told Aiden. And gods would hope the rockstar had sense enough to keep that shit to himself. Oriena could have all sorts of details, that not withstanding. Raffe knew, no telling what anyone else did. It wasn't like he went around talking about it. Except it was one of many failures that plagued his dreams.

But it was the news that Sterling was the source of the show bringing in the Atharim and others. Kallisti would make a pretty penny tonight, but at what cost. Loss of their freedom? Having to watch their backs all the time. And because a teenager thought it was fun to share and connect shit they knew nothing about. Sage apologized for not catching it. "Not your fault. I'm the idiot that went out fighting." The mention of the club stirred the darker feelings and his longing for Raffe grew again. Nox's thumb caressed the back of Oriena's neck where it crossed over his mechanical one. The warmth of another person, a touch to clear his head, something to focus on other than the deep seeded need to fix things with Raffe.

His mind churned with ideas and thoughts and his body ached and strained against the darkness. The fury of fight, and the fervor of procreation and the hunger for flesh boiled inside. Nox growled under his breath and stood up. Too close to people he cared about. He pulled at the pain of his failures. Anything to overpower the fucking horde's wants.

Sage watched with his curiosity. He smiled softly and gestured at Aiden. "Aiden's doing some research for his book on Irish gods of old, I was wondering if I could give him what you got -- ya know the old records. Things that no one should see but I have." Sage tapped his left forearm out of habit.

Nox smirked. His friend was distracting him. "By all means let him have it, whatever else he might need. Just not the personal records of those who might hunt us. Monsters, gods, no addresses or contact information. I'm not going to be one who outs anyone snakes or gods or otherwise."

Sage chuckled. "That might be payment enough for the next few deeds. You need to visit Ana and Christian, and not just for sex in the basement. Really visit. They miss us."

It wasn't like he didn't visit everyday. Granted he didn't go in, only refreshed the warding on his way to the precinct -- all part of his usual routine. Nox put his hand on Oriena's shoulder. "I'll think about it. We, and by we, I mean I have a lot of work around here to do."

Nox bit his friends farewell with the same greeting he gave them. He gave Ori a soft smile and knew that she'd be left to her own devices now that the show was over. He would have to find something else to occupy her time so she didn't wage all out war on the Atharim. She was fueled by a rage he understood, but feared she'd act on too willfully and put all of them at risk. He'd made some stupid mistakes -- the first was holing up in Kallisti in the first place. Not that he had expected to find a home here. But he did and he intended to protect it.

His mind rolled with all the things he wanted to do -- needed to do. He made more appearances before the night was over and slipped into the back where he could take the edge off of being always on. His shoulders tensed, his body ached and his stomach roared in hunger. Fighting the horde was hard. And as fatigued as he was, it made giving into any urge a disaster.

Nox polished off the rest of the protein bars Juls had given him, and waited for closing before he snuck out the side in jeans and a hoodie to find real sustenance, and then maybe some sleep. But food first.

[[ ooc: Juls and the girls are more than happy to have a conversation with Danika and Ilesha. And Nox will have promised to stop by the lab if Danika wanted. Sage has all the info Aiden wants, but we can definitely meet up to talk again soon. Nox is a bit preoccupied lol ]]

[[ Nox is continuing in Kintsugi ]]