Astral Dreams

[Thalia]

NPC: Carmen

Duckling. Seriously? The endearment did not exactly appease, though it was the pretty little head that really irked her. “Not some girl. My girl,” she corrected. The tone of that was not harsh, just protective in a no nonsense sort of way. He missed the point. His fight for a quiet life might make hers more difficult down the line, though she supposed she did not have to worry about returned custom right now. The furrow of her brow had little to do with the young man in front of her then.

“Quit the pity train, kid, and rein the attitude while you’re at it. We all have our issues, and most of us aren’t channelers able to solve them just like that.” Her fingers clicked, brows raised. If he knew who she was he’d probably know the rumours that circulated of the club’s idiosyncrasies. For the brief time Ori had shown interest in the place recently, she had fuelled effort into the recruitment of those like her. It didn’t always make steering the ship the easiest endeavour for Carmen. Or hadn’t. Like most things Oriena touched, something burned sooner or later.

“Though in my experience, it ultimately causes more problems than it solves.” She rolled her eyes but chose not to elaborate. He might be inclined to spill the shittiness of his life to a stranger but she was uninterested in returning the favour. Not that she’d missed the part about Atharim. Frustration teemed in the spaces between his words, and beneath the brusqueness of Carmen’s manner she was not uncaring.

“Sensitive little thing aren’t you.” A sharp smirk lifted her painted lips. She’d only spoken her mind. The chastisement was done, and her attention moved on. “The odd little sparrow at the bar, yes? I saw you both out there.” Her hand gestured he lead the way. “A drink is an acceptable apology, I suppose.” 

[Nox]

Nox smirked at her comments. He found it oddly comforting she cared so deeply for her employees - specially in an establishment like that, but then again it shouldn't surprise him. The places his father had taken him as a boy, the girls were always well looked after. Was just a girl on the street necessarily - his father had standards. The memory made Nox sneer though he didn't like the memories he wished he could have left them forgotten.

"It's not always a picnic, that's for sure." Nox said as he lead the way back to Thalia. A little sparrow. Now he wasn't sure if he wanted to share the thought, but the small bird did have a small resemblance to how Thalia acted. Nox pulled a few credits out of his pocket and placed it on the bar in front of Thalia. "Whatever they want on me." I said to the bar tender who was there in front of them at the promise of the cold hard cash instead of the electronic means most people used. Nox didn't like to use it, he'd been trained not to leave a trail behind him in paper or foot prints. He was doing a lousy job of that recently, but it was time to pick up those old habits again.

Nox turned and looked out into the crowd beyond the bar and leaned against it while they waited for the drinks. He'd gone with his standard beer in a bottle. Though he'd refrain from popping the top, he'd done enough showing off with the power. Though with it still in his grasp he played the lights around the whole bar this time. It was amusing seeing the gasp from some and the complete ignoring from the rest of them. Nox shouted over the music. "Thalia, Carmen. Carmen, Thalia." He smiled at the red head. "I'm Nox." Hopefully that would keep her from calling him kid again. That was one thing that was surely to set him off a dark path with darker memories.

[Thalia]

NPC: Carmen

He cut the smart words at least, though something in his reply suggested the nonchalance was little more than a rug draped over a mountain of shit. Channelers were a world of trouble in Carmen’s experience, and he sounded like the kind of stray Oriena was inclined to bring home -- and just as quickly lose interest in. It was Carmen who picked up the pieces following those rash decisions. A strange family indeed, but one she’d never thought she’d trade until the shit with Kas and Raffe. That night she’d thought the boy had been going to die. And now that Ori was gone -- fuck knew where -- she just couldn’t risk opening the doors. Not with the big painted target the idiot woman had left. Too much had spiralled beyond Carmen’s control.

Her wallet buzzed safe assurances from Amaya as she followed the stranger to the bar. A beam from the woman welcomed her into this strange little circle, though Carmen chose only to nod in response. It didn’t seem to phase the warmth of her greeting. “Still have all your limbs?” she laughed, addressing the kid who introduced himself as Nox. The tone was fond and joking as she leaned towards the barman to place her order.

Carmen rarely drank. Truthfully she’d likely not be here at all but for Amaya’s distressed call. The atmosphere made her faintly nostalgic, but mostly it reared frustration to the fore. “Sergei’s work?” the woman called Thalia interrupted. Carmen’s attention shifted from the shifting play of lights along the bar, glancing down briefly at the artwork draping her arms. The young woman did not look the sort for tattoos, but then Carmen was not one to judge. She shrugged.

“Some of it.” She turned to Nox. The promise of a drink had not exactly been the reason she’d stuck around. “What you said before. You’re in trouble?”

[Nox]

Nox grinned at Thalia's ribbing. "Might have a little beard burn." Nox rubbed his chin sarcastically he hadn't gotten that close, but... it didn't really matter he thought to himself.

It appeared that Thalia recognized some of the tattoo art on Carmen. The name was familiar, though in Moscow there were probably tons of people with that name, but the coincidence was high. Lucas' partner had been Sergei, and two tatoo parlor guys named Sergei was probably not likely - though highly possible if you looked at the probability of things. This many people and all. But Nox didn't say anything, he didn't want to talk about how he knew Lucas, and the tattoo wasn't something he was proud of. Especially not now knowing what his father had done to him. Nox wasn't ashamed of being Atharim, but he was ashamed to be his father's son...

Carmen asked if he was in trouble. Nox smirked. "If you want to call being on the run from a vigilante cult who thinks all men and women like me should die, sure I'm in trouble. Or maybe the fact that some illegal crime lord, I mean lady, is probably looking to kill me right now. Oh, wait." Nox rolled his eyes, "Can't forget that the Ascendancy probably wants me dead too. Though I don't know why, he never did like me much. Can't blame him I guess, I represent everything he hates, except maybe the power we have in common." An American Ahtarim, why not hate the kid who was nothing but in awe of the man the first time he meant him. The second and third - yeah, Nox just didn't pander to men who showed no respect back.

Nox shrugged. "Nothing to worry about really, just need to stay low and in the shadows. Shouldn't be too hard with this many people." Though the middle of no where was probably better, but Nox wasn't sure he could do that alone. Not without his sister. "I am sorry if I hurt your reputation or business. But I really don't want to get hauled into the station because of some hot head." Again, staying out of it was probably the better result, but it was easier to stop and humiliate a guy than it was to explain himself to another. The charges he had against him could very easily be resurrected with a bad cop wanting him dead.

[Thalia]

NPC: Carmen

She listened, stone-face, to the tirade of his problems. It was a long list, particularly for someone so very young. Sarcasm drained deep, but it was edged with something that felt tired. How long had he been running? She glanced at Thalia, whose eyes had widened to saucers at the outpour. “Sure. Nothing to worry about, Nox.”

Carmen studied the boy’s face. The apology made an impression of something salvageable amidst the attitude, and she never turned down the offer of sincerity. As such she nodded, and rewarded honesty with her own. “Forget it about it. We’re not open right now anyway, and I’m sure Vadim will have forgotten what happened by morning. But I appreciate the sorry all the same.”

Her arms folded, brows narrowed in contemplation. The confession tugged at her, though she doubted there was much she could offer to truly help him. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

[Nox]

Nox sipped at his beer that had arrived with the rest of their drinks with a smile. He didn't mean to worry Thalia, but it wasn't anything anyone could do anything about most specifically him. He was glad that Carmen had accepted his apology. "It really is nothing to worry about, I just need to stay low, find someplace dark to hide and make a few pennies so I don't starve."

Nox laughed. "Well the one thing I need is a job, but you aren't open right now. Though I don't know why you'd close Kallisti." Though the idea of working at a place like Kallisti had never really crossed his mind before that moment. It fit with what he'd wanted - dark and quiet - mostly - no one would think to look there for him. Though he wasn't much of a bartender, or even a bouncer - too scrawny or so everyone said, dancing he was fond of but it wasn't that sort of dancing but he could.... Though really Carmen said it wasn't open, so no need to find him a job there.

[Thalia]

NPC: Carmen

Carmen sighed. The frustration was evident. “Complicated, really. The owner did some things she thought might paint a target on us and then fucked off to god knows where.” Her brow arched, and though she didn’t name them, it was clear by her manner she was talking about the Atharim. I’m the security, Ori had said that night, alight with whatever chaos she had reaped only to trail it back to Kallisit’s door. Nothing had come of it, thank goodness, but since then Kas had ripped Raffe’s throat bloody -- right in the middle of a busy night. It was the moment Carmen realised how much the club had come to balance on a knife edge. Oriena had collected channelers like strays and encouraged those gifts without also encouraging discipline and control. It was a powder keg. “I won’t endanger my staff or my customers.”

It bothered her, that decision. The club was her life's blood, it's people her family. Even now she kept tabs on those she knew to be vulnerable. Nox wasn't one of hers but it made no difference. "If you need somewhere to lay low I have rooms upstairs. That's the best I can offer."

[Nox]

Nox understood complicated. His life was complicated. Though he had a strange feeling that something should register with what was going on there. He'd only been to Kallisti the once. Bas however had been several times, knew the place well. But it didn't really matter to Nox. "I'm sure it beats the shoddy motels I've been staying in. I do have a pup though, he's not a nusance, but he's the last thing I have of my sister so I'd have to say no if that's a problem."

But Nox was sure he could help with Kallisi if security was a problem. [color=#007bb]"But as an added incentive."[/color] Nox knew it was cocky of him but it was what it was, "I know the Atharim. I know men like me. I know when a woman like me does her thing. I can't see it, but I know it's happening. I was raised to make sure people stayed safe. I can't say I'm a great person to have around with the Atharim after me, but I do know that I won't let them hurt anyone under my protection without killing me first."

Nox grinned playfully. "And my mother taught me to dance, so I can be more than muscle." The idea had a certain appeal. And there was the whole new facet of his person that he had no fucking idea about. What his father had repressed was coming out in leaps and bounds. Nox wasn't sure if he would have grabbed the man earlier, or if that was new. Nox didn't think it was new - he had always enjoyed pushing someone's buttons.

[Thalia]

NPC: Carmen

The prospect of a mutt did not fill Carmen with enthusiasm. She frowned. Memories of Kasun surfaced, though it really wasn’t the same thing. And the strange man had disappeared with Ori anyway. Still, dog hair and slobber were not really her thing. Despite her reservations she nodded, prepared to at least give the situation a chance. Nox said it was well behaved, at least. 

Offer extended and accepted, she was ready to leave the kid and his friend to the rest of their night. Her fingers curled around her wallet to provide a contact, but he spoke before she’d even pulled it from her pocket. The cockiness of his grin was not a surprise, but the words were. She had not told him about Kallisti’s problems because she had expected him to fix them. Rather frustration welled and sought an outlet. She’d barely gone into detail.

Her head tilted, and she smirked amused, about to wave off the need for incentive as unnecessary. But she heard him out instead, at least a little curious. Honestly it surprised her that she even considered it. She was quiet a moment amidst the loud thump of the music. Parsing through his actions, weighting the trouble he might bring alongside the value of such an offer. Eventually she nodded. “A trial period. I’ll consider it. Come find me tomorrow.”  

[Nox]

A trial period. Nox was unsure what that meant. But he nodded anyway. "I'll be by tomorrow then." Nox was still unsure what the trial period was for. For Nova staying with them, or for the prospect of working at Kallisti. Though it wasn't open so how the fuck was that going to work. But Nox didn't need to worry about it. He'd be by in the morning sometime.

Nox finished his beer and looked out at the thriving dance floor. He sat the botlle down and smiled. "Another round?" He held his hand out to Thalia and nodded to the dance floor. He smiled at Carmen, "Would you like to join us? I promise I'll be have myself." He wouldn't lay an unwanted hand, and he's try had not to let his knight in shining armor kick in and protect her. He'd already learned that she didn't like that. And he really didn't want to piss Carmen off before he even figured out what was going on.