House Party

[Oriena]

Nox had routines, and Oriena left him to them. Since he wasn’t going to misinterpret her sticking around she didn’t feel any great urge to vacate her spot on the broken bed, arm cushioned beneath her head, unconcerned by her nakedness. She let her breathing slow, and her body recover into satiated soreness. Her eyes travelled to where he squeezed her arm, as brief as an irritated flick of a cat’s tail, but apparently Nox knew better than to make a big deal. Though obviously he couldn’t keep his mouth entirely shut.

She shrugged. It’s not like she hated Jaxen. But all she actually said was, “I don’t share.”

Hospitality was Nox’s usual thing, and Ori had stopped being annoyed at it. Sometimes she ignored him entirely, and other times she accepted the fuss with an eyeroll. On this occasion she only smirked and stretched, then sat up herself. “Taking a shower,” she said as she moved past him. The stink of smoke still lingered, on them both, though it wasn’t an invitation. As she hit the water, she called back over her shoulder. “What was with all the weird fucking masks?”