The First Age

Nox had listened to Elyse's breathing most of the night. His head was full of things he had to do. Of things that he should have done before shit hit the fan. He didn't sleep at all, and when too many sleepless hours had passed Nox pulled himself from underneath Elyse's sleeping form. Nox was at a loss of how to leave Elyse a note, he didn't want her to think he'd left. But he hoped she'd understand he couldn't leave his wallet with her to leave the message and she didn't have one. Hopefully Sage would help fix that up soon.

Nox pulled his jeans and t-shirt on from the day before and resigned himself to getting his things from the hotel later that morning, along with picking up the puppy from the vet and then if he was lucky dropping off the book to Aria's so-called friend to pay off her debt.

Dorian had given them free reign of the house to which Nox took full advantage of once he got downstairs to the first floor. He glanced at time and started a pot of coffee - a large pot. He was drained, but it was still 4am. Right on time for his nightmares to have woken him up anyway.

The pot was nearly finished when Christian walked in bleary eyed in a pair of pajamas. He smiled as he poured a cup of coffee for himself and sipped at it before he turned to Nox with a smile. "Is this normal?"

Nox nodded. "Yep. I'd go for a run, but this is all the clothes I got for the moment."


"I'd offer some of Cruz's but you don't look like you'd want to wear slacks and a button down. I doubt Cruz owns anything but... and sadly I don't think you'd fit into mine."

Nox grinned as he finished his cup of coffee. "That's alright. I'll get a workout in just not a run."


"Dorian doesn't have anything set up in this house for any amount of training. Everything is still very much as we found it. Ana will have everything fixed up here. But I'm afraid I'll be doing all the work." Christian sighed.

"I can help. Me and my sister converted a warehouse into living quarters. I built an entire sound proof room, tiled the bathroom and installed a claw foot bathtub all by myself. Aria's boyfriend did the painting."
The memory that Lucas' painting was gone made Nox frown. So much lost in such a short period of time.

Christian took Nox's cup and poured him another cup of coffee and nodded for him to follow him. "The basement is relatively unfinished. You could turn it into whatever you need. I'm sure Dorian wouldn't mind. As long as there was adequate space to spar in he'll be more than happy."

Nox grinned. "A man after my own heart."
Nox followed Christian downstairs to the unfinished basement. It was pretty much just a storage space full of crap inside of cinder block walls and supports holding up the three story structure above it. There was amble room to create a sparring ring, one like he had in the warehouse as well as a few extra rooms down the way for other things. But it was dusty and filled with boxes of things Nox didn't think any rich person would truly want. He opened the first box to find piles of old ragged clothes and a bunch of moths fluttered out of it. "Who the hell owned this place before Dorian?"


Christian laughed. "I'm going to go start breakfast. Dorian will be down to head to work soon. I'll bring you another cup of coffee in a bit. You look like you could use the whole pot."

Nox smiled. "Thanks man."


Well it was one way to get a workout in. Nox started moving boxes and sorting through each thing. Nox put his wallet on a random sweep of everything he owned in his music library. The music floated from a wispy ballet to techno then into some old school Methos before he was actually dancing with a piece from Swan Lake. It was actually the same song that had started playing when Nox switched the playlist when he first met Dane. It was full of memories and Nox got lost in the actual forms of the dance. He forgot about what he was doing and fell into the music and lost himself dancing around what he'd already cleared in the basement.

Elyse's sleep was dreamless, which came as a surprise. When she was as tired as she was the night before, she usually fell into the wolf dream. Perhaps the wolves themselves were preventing her from doing it now when she was too tired.

Elyse awoke slowly and this time wasn't surprised that Nox had gone. He had told her of his nightmares. Elyse frowned, hoping she could help him through it sometime.

She put on a pair of jeans as opposed to the shorts she was wearing before, but kept the tank top on. It wasn't too revealing that it would be indecent and quickly checked the time. It was weird using a clock instead of her wallet when she woke up.

Elyse went down the stairs quietly and entered the kitchen. There she saw Christian pouring a cup of coffee.

"Good morning,"
she said.

"Good morning," Christian responded with a smile. "Nox is downstairs in the basement if you are looking for him. I was just getting him a cup of coffee before I started breakfast. Would you like to bring it down to him."

"No problem,"
she said, accepting the cup. "I could use one too."


Christian just smiled and poured her a cup as well. She thanked him and headed downstairs. Nox was in the middle of an elegant dance when she came down. The room looked like it was used for storage, but Nox had moved some things judging by the way the dust was on some of the boxes but not others. Apparently the music had distracted him though.

Elyse watched quietly, admiring the elegance with which he moved. It also seemed like dance was a good outlet for him and she didn't want to interrupt. She sat down on the floor and waited for him to notice her or finish. She couldn't interrupt.

When he was ready she spoke. "Good morning. Christian asked me to bring down your coffee."
She stood and brought it to him, giving him a quick kiss. "You dance very eloquently. It was really neat to watch."


Elyse wondered if he applied that sort of eloquence to his combat. She had known a girl who had done something of the sort. She had been good at everything she set her mind too and her martial arts had the same grace her ballet dancing did.

Going through the motions was almost as cathartic as hitting things - probably better since hitting things was violence and right now Nox didn't need violence. It was a beautiful dance when he'd seen his mother preform it form him. He didn't feel he did it any justice and in jeans and t-shirt it was even less so. But it felt good to move - to remember his mother's teaching even if he was a little rusty. More likely a lot rusty.

Nox heard Elyse come down the stairs. She watched him dance and he was more than willing to let her watch. At least he knew exactly what he was doing this time, the last time he'd shown a girl he could dance he had ended up doing a fan dance to which Aria giggled over for hours especially when she told him it was meant for the girl. Not that Nox minded doing the opposite part. His mother had taught him them all for the best reason ever - to be able to show a girl exactly how it was done. The closeness and the outfits were a perfect excuse for Nox to actually get into ballet in the first place. Though he had to admit he enjoyed dancing more than impressing some girl.

When the song ended Nox wanted to move into the next song that played, but he could smell the coffee and needed it very much. Elyse stood up and kissed him softly before handing him the cup. She said he had danced eloquently - such a big word for such crap but he'd accept the compliment with a smile. "It's more fun to actually do."


Nox pulled Elyse against his body careful not to spill either of their coffees. The current song was something that belonged in a club with all the thumping of the bass, but Nox used the count and pulled Elyse into a waltz with him. It was faster than say a traditional waltz just because the beat was faster, but he could slow it down if she didn't catch on.


Edited by Nox, Sep 20 2016, 12:56 PM.

Elyse let out a giggle when Nox pulled her to him and started waltzing. Elyse wasn't really a dancer, but she knew the basics, so she was soon able to get into the movements.

As they moved she placed her cup on one of the stacks of boxes so she could focus on the dance and not spilling the coffee. She smiled as they moved, and as she had not put in her contacts, her golden eyes gleamed in the light of the basement.

She let Nox lead. He was more comfortable with the dance and it was traditional for the male to lead, and she was content to follow. The stress of the night before was vanishing, even though she knew she would miss her parents.

The dance was fast, so she could feel her heart rate going up slowly. She was getting a slight work out which helped for waking up. As the song came to a close, she wrapped Nox in a hug.

"That was really fun."
she said releasing the hug, but still holding on to Nox. She leaned up and kissed him again, holding it a little longer this time.

Nox hummed into the lasting kiss. The lingering fear of commitment pierced his mind before he pushed it away. It wasn't time to be afraid for the future, right now was all that mattered. He could be dead in a day, a year, he didn't know. Right now is what mattered.

And right now his stomach was rumbling. He had lost his last meal when Ascendancy had been attacked. There was a waiting message when Nox shut the music off from his wallet. "Three new high end wallets will be delivered today - specially equipped and untrackable." Nox grinned happily. "It's good to know a hacker. We'll have wallets by the end of the day."


Nox put his arm around Elyse. "Let's go see what Christian is cooking."


Up stairs in the kitchen Nox and Elyse found Christian and Dorian chatting over a cup of coffee. Nox finished the last of his cup, put one of the cups in the dishwasher and poured him self another cup with both Dorian and Christian watching him.

Dorian chuckled. "He makes himself right at home doesn't he?"


Christian nodded. "You said he could."

Nox grinned. "You want a hand?"


Christian shook his head and pulled two plates out of the oven. "All done." He slide them across the island in the center of the kitchen. "Figured you might be hungry."

Nox pulled up a stool and sat down to eat. "I am."


They chatted a little bit about what Nox would be doing. It surmounted to mostly going to class with Cruz, or out with his friends when he wasn't at the house. Today Cruz was remanded to the house under the pretense he was still contagious. Tomorrow he could go to class. He seemed to have understood, or so Dorian had claimed. Christian had also mentioned Ana needing to see an interior designer and ordering the items needed to renovate the house. Nox offered to help. Christian said he'd pass it along to the lady of the house.

By the time Nox had finished his plate - and a second Dorian had left for work and Ana had taken up his stool in the kitchen. Unlike Christian she was ready for the morning. Her dark hair all done up in a high ponytail. She still wore dangly earrings and bright red lipstick. But she was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a loose fighting button down shirt over a rather low cut t-shirt. She was definitely ready to work the day away. Nox couldn't help but stare.

He realized what he was doing and stood up and took his and Elyse's plate to the dishwasher before he turned back to them. "I'm going to go set that early warning system up, then we can head out Elyse. I got someone I want you to meet."

Elyse followed him back upstairs and felt under dressed when she saw Ana dressed and ready to go for the day. It didn't bother her too much however and she took a seat next to Nox and began to eat.

She ate one plate, chatting quietly with those at the kitchen island. Christian was a very good cook and Elyse complimented him on it. Unlike Nox, Elyse only ate one plate and was done. She sipped at a glass of orange juice while Nox finished.

Nox's gaze towards Ana did not go unnoticed, but Elyse wasn't the jealous type - at least at this point. As Nox took their plates away, Elyse and Ana met gazes and gave each other a knowing look and a slight rolling of the eyes. Men!

Elyse stood and moved behind Nox, hugging him from behind. "Go outside and play with your toys. And meeting someone sounds like fun."


She kissed him on the side of the face and whispered in his ear. "I'll wait for you in the shower - then we can go."

Nox nearly choked on his coffee as Elyse whispered in his ear. He pulled her close and whispered back "Oh how I would love that. But I got a lot to do and you'll just distract me."
Nox pushed Elyse away from him with a grin. "Go shower. I'll be up shortly to grab my things."


She smirked. "Later then. I'll go shower."
Elyse pulled him down to kiss him before she strolled out of the kitchen like she was trying to lure him after.

She had already distracted him and the girl was insatiable. He might end up regretting this. Ana rolled her eyes at him and he couldn't help but grin back as he headed out the back door. Laying the lines was the easy part. Every few feet Nox added the sound weave in its new collapsible state. It wasn't perfect and Nox accidentally walked across once and had to start the last few over again. The concussive force had knocked him on his ass. It was a good distraction. Nox made sure to put it far enough away from the most usable areas of the property but not near the fence line either.

Once he was finished Nox walked the line of glowing air again to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Cruz could see it, but no one else could. They'd have to figure out some means of showing them but maybe he could convince everyone to stay inside. But for now it would let them know if anything crossed the path - even a fucking squirrel, but hey at least they'd know.

Nox went back inside and took the stairs two at a time to find Cruz who was sitting at the desk in his study. "Check the weaves outside every couple of hours. Strengthen them if they are fading. Just like I taught you yesterday."


Cruz looked up from his book. "Alright. My first real test huh?"

Nox grinned. "Not a test. You got this."
Nox nodded then turned and shut the door behind him as he went into his own room. The book he had for Aria he decided to deliver that first instead of getting Nova. He didn't want the man grumping over the puppy. Nox pulled on his sneakers and waited for Elyse to finish getting ready. He didn't want to walk into the bathroom - he could. He wanted to, but he knew where that would lead and he really didn't want to smell like sex or wear dirty clothes after a shower. He'd been doing that much to often the past few days.

When she was ready they headed for the metro.

Continued in Aria's Friend


Edited by Nox, Sep 21 2016, 10:09 AM.

((Continued from here))

Elyse let Nox lead the way. It was nice to be out. Spring was coming and the chill was going away. The sun was bright in the sky. "So, do you want food first or do we have other things to do bbefore. If you couldn't tell - I've already met your friend."


She smiled at him, still thinking that Manix was who Nox had wanted him to meet, but as she thought about it, it made no sense. Nox hadn't introduced them or made any indication that he had meant for her to meet Manix.

"No you wanted me to meet someone else didn't you?"
She added quickly. She grinned. "It's up to you - what do we do first?





Edited by Elyse, Sep 23 2016, 10:59 AM.

Nox walked a good ways before he was finally calmed down enough to actually speak without sounding excited. It wasn't exactly what he'd hoped for, the healing. It scared him more than anything. Aria was so close to collapsing - Dane was in the area again. There had to be a way to save them both, or he'd lose Aria too.

Elyse broke the silence and Nox grinned at her. "He's not my friend and definitely not who I wanted you to meet. I wanted to get that out of the way so we can take as long as we need getting things situated."


"We can eat and walk. I know this little cafe with a great sandwich."
They could hop the metro and get there faster but Nox was enjoying the warmer air and actually the walk. "But first I have to clear out of the hotel I was staying in."


Nox didn't own much. Not anymore. Not that he ever had. He lived out of two bags for most of his life. He'd started increasing that when he'd moved into the warehouse with Aurora and then Aria. Now he was back to living in two bags with brand new things purchased. His life was in two bags. Nox sighed as he opened the room to the hotel. "Welcome to my former humble abode."
This was almost exactly like the place he'd been staying when he first got to Moscow - funny how time seems to send you back to the place you started - over and over again.

Nox grabbed the backpack and the duffle bag of gear and smiled at Elyse. "Food now."
Healing always made him hungry - no matter how little it was. Manix had mentioned it drawing spirit from the healed. He supposed it made sense. Was rapid healing after all, healing makes you tired in general.

The cafe was a bit of a walk and that only made the hunger worse. By the time they had gotten to it they were almost all the way to the Red Light District where he was going anyway - Nova awaited.

Nox walked up to the counter and ordered a grilled vegetarian sandwich and a water. The girl winked at him remember him and his order with a smile. "Do you ever get anything different?"

Nox just smiled back. "When I find something I like I stick to it."
Nox waited for Elyse to order before he took a seat to wait on their food.

(( anyone is welcome to jump in ))


Edited by Nox, Sep 23 2016, 12:04 PM.

Elyse smiled as she walked, still wondering who she was going to meet. At the hotel, she saw how little Nox had. This didn't bother her. She had always lived a modest life and now it was even more so. Her entire life was in a bag too.

The cafe was a quaint little cafe. They were getting closer to the Red Light District. More things that made her wonder. Who would they be meeting there. Nox ordered a vegetarian sandwich. Something about being a wolfkin didn't make that sound appetizing so she ordered a roast beef sandwich with some cheese and sat down in front of Nox.

"So,"
she said smiling. "Who are we meeting. The suspense is killing me!"
Her eyes glinted, unfortunately hidden behind the hazel contacts.