12-23-2023, 12:01 AM
The showers brought some things into perspective. The horde raged in his body. Their instinct pushing at every facet of his being. He fought against them. He knew he had no out -- not tonight. The fight had rolled him hard. Ori was not a toy or a game, she was a friend. And his boss.
Doubt crept in. But Ori was a fickle beast, if she was there. He didn't expect her to be but he didn't want to keep her waiting either. They had made arrangements for the night. He still couldn't believe that he'd done what he'd done or who with it went against his rules. He didn't have many, but he had a few.
Nox slipped back into the chain mail shirt and leather pants with a quick cleaning with the power. They'd be at least clean if not perfect. The make up from before was gone, though he did apply some eyeliner, that made up for the lack of the rest after the shower. Ori could live with his lack of show now. She might say something -- she might not.
The horde roared in his ears with each heart beat. It wasn't done with him. A girl usually waited for him. It had expectations. Ori wasn't waiting around for him, but he did find her at the bar sipping at a drink in her typical state. A crocket smile slipped on his lips as he leaned against the bar next to her. "I half expected you to be gone."
He leaned close. "Some place safe? You thought about it?"
Oriena rolled her eyes and said nothing. She wasn't going to play his games. He chuckled and rolled his eyes in return. "Fine then." He took Oriena softly by the elbow. He couldn't take her to Kallisti and he wasn't about to take her a safe place if she wasn't going to play ball either. But there were places he could go. He used to stay in them regularly, it was where he had hooked up with Elyse the first time. And there was a kitchen. His stomach rumbled.
There was a town car waiting outside. Normally he'd walk, but Ori wasn't a walker, not in her state, nor in heels -- that wasn't fair.
Nox opened the door for Oriena and helped her inside. He slid in next to her, his hand on her thigh while he made a few texts so he could have food waiting when they got where they were going. He tucked the wallet into the safe pocket he had in the mail shirt. And put the rest of his attention on her. It wasn't romance he offered. It wasn't even because he felt sorry for himself. He let the horde have what they wanted and whatever Ori would let him take in the backseat of a car. His attention was only on her, his mind only on pleasing and taking. Things would be different once they got where they were going.
She ignored Nox outright when he leaned on the bar next to her. Almaz provided distraction, but it was all surface amusement. Between the drugs and the alcohol she skirted the edges of oblivion, and woe betide any other fool who might have intruded upon her in such a mood. Despite their earlier teasing she hadn’t expected him to actually seek her out after his fight. Nox could burn his entire world to ash on the turn of a spontaneous moment, but given time to think something through she considered him far too chivalrous to fuck himself over on purpose. Apparently she was wrong.
Ori scoffed at the idea of a “safe” place and didn’t even bother to look at him, let alone answer the question. But the guidance of a touch on her arm led her nonetheless without retaliation. Her eyes flashed chaos. It might have meant a million different things.
The car was unexpected, and unnecessary, though she didn’t complain, only laughed darkly as he actually opened the door for her. She didn’t ask where they were going, if anywhere. Wouldn’t be the first time she’d fucked someone in a backseat. More, she was curious how far he’d actually take it. Nox was soft, for all the darkness nibbling his edges, and if she teased him into the deeper shadows of his nature it was in no real anticipation that he'd actually follow. When his attention turned to her, she did not stop him. If she was surprised it was quickly drowned in something heated. Ori had waited for him to make the move, but once he did she was voracious in turn. It tasted like forbidden fruit and tomorrow's regret.
His hands wandered the horde was hungry for flesh, it took more effort than usual to keep his mouth from tender bits that could cause permanent damage. Fingers dug into flesh. He lost track of who was who.
The car stopped and the driver cleared his throat.
Nox paid him as he slipped out the car. The motel was one of those rent by the week places, and he'd been renting a room there for weeks now. Sleeping during the daylight hours when he couldn't catch a wink at Kallisti. He'd fallen back to old habits without a tether keeping him in one place.
There was a bag waiting on the door knob. It could have walked off except everyone sorta knew not to mess with him here. There were a few thugs who liked to make trouble. Since setting up security around Kallisti he'd picked a few enemies and made a few friends.
The horde smelled the steak in the styrafoam package and Nox's stomach rumbled.
Nox pulled his key from his pocket and slide it into the latch and pushed the door open.
It was probably the cleanest room in the joint. He'd spent several hours using the power cleaning it. It had been gross. Now it at least was presentable. Didn't look like anyone stayed here any more than his room at Kallisti. And he didn't even keep anything here but a single change of clothes just in case.
The queen size bed was neatly made, the cleaning lady had been in.
He held up his hand to the car driver to wait as he turned to look at Oriena. "You look amazing. And you feel amazing. But I can't. I want to but I can't. The car can take you home. Or you can come in and eat."
The plug to the tv hung over the dresser it was perched on. Nox pulled the table away from the wall and offered Ori the comfortable chair. "I need to feed 2 out of 3 hungers. One was fed in the ring. If I feed the second with you I break about a thousand of my rules. You're fried. And I'm me. You can do better."
[[with Oriena]]
Doubt crept in. But Ori was a fickle beast, if she was there. He didn't expect her to be but he didn't want to keep her waiting either. They had made arrangements for the night. He still couldn't believe that he'd done what he'd done or who with it went against his rules. He didn't have many, but he had a few.
Nox slipped back into the chain mail shirt and leather pants with a quick cleaning with the power. They'd be at least clean if not perfect. The make up from before was gone, though he did apply some eyeliner, that made up for the lack of the rest after the shower. Ori could live with his lack of show now. She might say something -- she might not.
The horde roared in his ears with each heart beat. It wasn't done with him. A girl usually waited for him. It had expectations. Ori wasn't waiting around for him, but he did find her at the bar sipping at a drink in her typical state. A crocket smile slipped on his lips as he leaned against the bar next to her. "I half expected you to be gone."
He leaned close. "Some place safe? You thought about it?"
Oriena rolled her eyes and said nothing. She wasn't going to play his games. He chuckled and rolled his eyes in return. "Fine then." He took Oriena softly by the elbow. He couldn't take her to Kallisti and he wasn't about to take her a safe place if she wasn't going to play ball either. But there were places he could go. He used to stay in them regularly, it was where he had hooked up with Elyse the first time. And there was a kitchen. His stomach rumbled.
There was a town car waiting outside. Normally he'd walk, but Ori wasn't a walker, not in her state, nor in heels -- that wasn't fair.
Nox opened the door for Oriena and helped her inside. He slid in next to her, his hand on her thigh while he made a few texts so he could have food waiting when they got where they were going. He tucked the wallet into the safe pocket he had in the mail shirt. And put the rest of his attention on her. It wasn't romance he offered. It wasn't even because he felt sorry for himself. He let the horde have what they wanted and whatever Ori would let him take in the backseat of a car. His attention was only on her, his mind only on pleasing and taking. Things would be different once they got where they were going.
She ignored Nox outright when he leaned on the bar next to her. Almaz provided distraction, but it was all surface amusement. Between the drugs and the alcohol she skirted the edges of oblivion, and woe betide any other fool who might have intruded upon her in such a mood. Despite their earlier teasing she hadn’t expected him to actually seek her out after his fight. Nox could burn his entire world to ash on the turn of a spontaneous moment, but given time to think something through she considered him far too chivalrous to fuck himself over on purpose. Apparently she was wrong.
Ori scoffed at the idea of a “safe” place and didn’t even bother to look at him, let alone answer the question. But the guidance of a touch on her arm led her nonetheless without retaliation. Her eyes flashed chaos. It might have meant a million different things.
The car was unexpected, and unnecessary, though she didn’t complain, only laughed darkly as he actually opened the door for her. She didn’t ask where they were going, if anywhere. Wouldn’t be the first time she’d fucked someone in a backseat. More, she was curious how far he’d actually take it. Nox was soft, for all the darkness nibbling his edges, and if she teased him into the deeper shadows of his nature it was in no real anticipation that he'd actually follow. When his attention turned to her, she did not stop him. If she was surprised it was quickly drowned in something heated. Ori had waited for him to make the move, but once he did she was voracious in turn. It tasted like forbidden fruit and tomorrow's regret.
His hands wandered the horde was hungry for flesh, it took more effort than usual to keep his mouth from tender bits that could cause permanent damage. Fingers dug into flesh. He lost track of who was who.
The car stopped and the driver cleared his throat.
Nox paid him as he slipped out the car. The motel was one of those rent by the week places, and he'd been renting a room there for weeks now. Sleeping during the daylight hours when he couldn't catch a wink at Kallisti. He'd fallen back to old habits without a tether keeping him in one place.
There was a bag waiting on the door knob. It could have walked off except everyone sorta knew not to mess with him here. There were a few thugs who liked to make trouble. Since setting up security around Kallisti he'd picked a few enemies and made a few friends.
The horde smelled the steak in the styrafoam package and Nox's stomach rumbled.
Nox pulled his key from his pocket and slide it into the latch and pushed the door open.
It was probably the cleanest room in the joint. He'd spent several hours using the power cleaning it. It had been gross. Now it at least was presentable. Didn't look like anyone stayed here any more than his room at Kallisti. And he didn't even keep anything here but a single change of clothes just in case.
The queen size bed was neatly made, the cleaning lady had been in.
He held up his hand to the car driver to wait as he turned to look at Oriena. "You look amazing. And you feel amazing. But I can't. I want to but I can't. The car can take you home. Or you can come in and eat."
The plug to the tv hung over the dresser it was perched on. Nox pulled the table away from the wall and offered Ori the comfortable chair. "I need to feed 2 out of 3 hungers. One was fed in the ring. If I feed the second with you I break about a thousand of my rules. You're fried. And I'm me. You can do better."
[[with Oriena]]
![[Image: nox_sig.gif]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nox_sig.gif)