New Players In The Pattern

[Sage]

Sage grinned Aiden as he pushed down his pants. He rolled his eyes a little and picked up their fallen clothes as he started for the door to his room. He didn't want to worry Aiden, but then what did he have to worry about, he didn't know Cruz or Nox. Sage shrugged. "I don't know what's going on." Sage threw the clothes in the lounge chair in his room and then turned around and grabbed his laptop. He wished he could use a whatever of air like Nox occasionally did to do the manual labor instead of walking, but he wasn't so naturally inclined it seemed. It sucked to be the only one who was mostly normal sometimes. "There's a lot of speculation coming from the abrupt ending to the gala, and the fleeing of people in mass hysteria. I could hack the feeds. I've done it before, but if I do, I might get caught and as much as I'd like to find out if Cruz and Nox are alright I can't. I just got my freedom back, I don't want to lose it now."

Hacking the Kremlin had been stupid the first time. His judgement impaired by the failing equipment. His pending death? That was his only explanation for breaking his own code. Sage grinned at Aiden. "They'll be home soon and hopefully Nox can help you get that under control." Sage licked his lips at the prospect. "But I'm sure he'll be a little too wasted tonight. So we have a movie to finish and we'll leave the door open and maybe we'll behave." Not that it had stopped them from having sex in the middle of the dojo. Sage wondered where else might be taboo in Dorian's house. He wondered if Ana and Christian nad lude moments or were they all hidden secrets all the time.

[Aiden Finnegan]

Aiden followed closely behind Sage, Jack Daniels in hand. He took a moment to admire Sage’s backside as the man grabbed the clothing and unceremoniously dumped it into the bedroom. A smile spread on his lips as he remembered what they had been doing just a few moments before the fire.

                “Yeah, and now that I’ve found a kindred spirit in you, I’d rather you not lose your freedom either. There was a Gala tonight? I thought I read something about that on the way into Moscow… There was so much to catch up on, though, that I only skimmed through it… Something the Ascended was holding? Lord, what if it was the Atharim?” Aiden shivered at the thought. He still didn’t really understand anything about them, aside from the fact that they killed Channelers and ‘Monsters’ alike. It was hard to take them any more serious than the Boogey Man, in Aiden’s eyes; he had never had an encounter with one and he had only heard of them until recently. Seeing the guns in this mansion helped to cement that threat in Aiden’s mind if only slightly. Perhaps tomorrow morning he would talk at length about them with Sage and Nox, preferably over breakfast.

                “Oh, I didn’t really think Nox would help me tonight. It’s getting late… I’m a night owl, so if he was able to, I’d be more than willing. I am sure I’d be the least of his concerns, though, especially if there’s trouble at this party… I’d say let’s go investigate if you’re worried, but I don’t think either one of us could do much if there really is a problem. My fairy fire protected me during that VR session… But I wouldn’t bet on it happening a second time. Too risky…” Aiden said as he jumped onto Sage’s bed, the dogs close behind at his heels. The canines hopped up onto the mattress and gleefully licked at Aiden’s face. He started giggling and began to scratch behind the ears of both pups.

                “Speaking of drunk…” Aiden reached over to the side of the bed, where he had set the Jack on the floor. With a rush, he sat up from his position on his stomach and took a long, deep gulp of the stuff. His cheeks warmed as the thick, dark amber liquid made its way into his stomach. He held the bottle out to Sage and cocked an eyebrow, “You okay? I’m sure you’re worried about your friend… We can talk about it if you want. I’ve got two ears and an open mind.”He gave the other man a goofy grin and wiggled the bottle at him.

[Sage]

At the mention of the Atharim Sage sighed. "It's Nox. And it's the Ascendancy. It's likely the Atharim. But Nox is a hero so no matter what it was he would have stayed to help and sent Cruz home." Sage shrugged. "Nox can take care of himself."

Sage looked at the hot guy stretched out on his bed with his drink in hand and the dogs piled high. "Nova." He didn't say it too sharply but Nova looked at him with his blue eyes and cocked his head. "Mine. Go find Nox."

The dog looked at Sage, stood up and then walked a few feet over to where Sage usually slept, turned around and curled up on his pillow and grunted with releif. Sage growled. "Looks like I'm sharing with you." He grinned. Sage climbed on the bed and curled up next to Aiden. "You think the fire can stay away if I'm this close?"

[Aiden Finnegan]

Aiden listened intently. It was apparent that Sage had a wide range of feelings concerning Nox. That was both comforting and disconcerting. Nox apparently carried a reputation and he was starting to sound larger than life. Aiden was never one to kiss ass, but it was apparent that he should try to get on this mysterious man’s good side. Note taken.

                Nox quickly became an afterthought as Sage chased away Nova, the man then slinking down onto the bed next to Aiden. Sage snuggled up and Aiden instinctively put his arm around the man, pulling him in tight. A single flame sprouted overhead, casting a healthy glow over the room; it was suspended about halfway between their heads and the ceiling.

                Aiden looked up and gave a half sigh. Turning to Sage he said, “I think as long as the pants stay on, we’ll be okay,” the sigh turning to a giggle and another sip of Jack. “Well, if it’s them, then I think the fairy fire is the least of our concerns. But, let the rest of the world deal with that. We’ve got tonight and each other. That’s more than enough.”

                Lasher got up from his spot next to Aiden and circled back to follow Nova. Sitting on the opposite pillow, Lasher put both of his paws out in front of him and rested his head upon them while gazing at Nova.

                The flame danced a little before winking out. As soon as the fairy fire left, a light gust of wind swept through the room. An unseen hand patted Sage’s bottom. Aiden was somehow aware of this. It had happened before, but not in an… intimate manner. He blushed furiously, “Oh shit… sorry… There’s uh… something else that’s funny about me… besides the fire…”

[Sage]

The pants staying on was already a problem, but Sage didn't say anything. But then something smacked him in the ass. Aiden apologized and Sage couldn't help but rolling his eyes. It wasn't the first time that he'd been abused by the power. But it was the first time it had a sexual overtone to it before.

Sage couldn't help but shake his head and press a kiss to whatever skin was closest to his lips. "You are too cute." Sage called up the rest of their movie with a thought and it started playing. He smiled as he settled into Aiden's arms. It might be nice to have someone he could curl up with on a regular basis. And he had money - not that Sage needed it, but between the two of them they could go anywhere. Do anything. Sage wondered about the possibilities as the movie started going again.

Aiden had managed to distract him, but the movie wasn't going to. Sage tried not to let the tension of the unknown get to him. His friends were potentially in danger and the only thing he cared about was not getting caught.

[Aiden Finnegan]

Aiden exhaled gently and smiled back at Sage. Not that he thought Sage would mind, but they had both agreed to behave. He thought back on the last few times it had happened. They were never good. He tried to pay attention to the movie, but it hadn’t gotten to the good part yet. That cute dude and the old guy still hadn’t discovered the hidden drums of dormant zombies…

                “The last time that happened… every time that has happened before, the ‘unseen hands’, I mean… They’ve always responded in a more ‘binding’ manner. I’ve been jumped a few times in the last year or two; mostly when I was stumbling home drunk from a bar,” Aiden spoke softly, still looking at the tv, “Every single time my attacker was bound hand and foot, stretched out, just floating in the air. It’s the same with the fire, I can’t control it. One time I tried to loosen the bonds, but nothing would happen… So, I just left them all there.”

                The men in the movie found the “hazardous waste” barrels, one broke and a barrage of green smoke erupted from the cannister. The men fell backward, coughing and screaming, as a zombie crawled out of the broken metal shell.

                Aiden turned to Sage, “That’s the first time the ‘hands’ have ever acted… positively,” a wolfish grin overtaking his face, “Looks like you’re having a positive effect on me, Sage.”

                A wash of tension was showing across Sage’s face, Aiden just noticing for the first time. His brow furrowed and he pulled Sage in tighter, “Hey. You okay?”

[Sage]

Aiden talked and Sage was trying to watch the movie but he was failing miserably. He listened to Aiden speak about the weaves he'd done and smirked when he said it was positive. He pressed a kiss to Aiden's cheek and chuckled. "The weaves fade after a while if they aren't permanent structures like the walls outside. Nox and Cruz have to refresh the traps every day, sometimes every few hours depending on who strong it was." Sage was comfortable and trying to keep his tension from rising but Aiden did notice and asked.

Sage shrugged. "Just worried, there hasn't been anything out of the Kremlin in a while. But no deaths reported so I don't know. But would you tell the media if someone died at your fundraiser gala." Sage curled back up with Aiden. "It's too bad you can't distract me again." He looked up at Aiden and grinned. "I liked your methods of distraction."

[Nox]

Cruz tapped Nox on the leg when they finally arrived at his home. Nox wasn't alseep, no he couldn't close his eyes, just numb. It had started out a great night. A little flirting with Sage, a kiss before he left, and then he saw Jay. Got to dance with a pretty woman, and then everything fell to hell and back. The Ascendancy cut his dance short. The ijiraq showed up and tried to kill the Ascendancy again. And then more came and then Nox truly knew what hell felt like. He thought being boiled alive was hell feeling the power ripping through his body had been worse. And then the shield. He'd only been trying to help and he was protecting the innocent - doing his fucking job.

Nox growled as he walked into the house and set the alarm behind him. Sage should get the trigger that the house was locked up tight. The only one of the house should be Dorian now. Wherever the fuck he was. They had to find him, but Nox was too tired to do it now. But he couldn't sleep. Cruz had waved to him as he went up stairs mumbling something about calling Rachel. He had a girlfriend - good for him. Nox thought to himself as he brewed a pot of coffee.

Tugging the coat from his arms Nox set the tux down on the counter and loosen the tie. He had to get out of the monkey suit, but first he needed coffee. It was going to be a long night.

Coffee cup in hand and his coat flung over his shoulder by the crook of his finger Nox headed into the basement. The lights were dimmed but not off which meant Sage hadn't gone to bed yet. The smell of burnt cloth made the basement reek and Nox wondered what the hacker had burned down in the basement. No one let him cook, unless it was programmable cause he burnt water on a regular basis. Mostly because he never paid any mind to the real world.

Nox found the offending smell coming from the burnt couch as he stepped on to the basement floor. Nox wasn't sure he wanted to know what had happened here.

As he walked he unbutton the tux shirt and untucked the ends from his pants. He had to get into decent clothes and it wasn't like Sage hadn't been staring at his naked body a few days ago... Nothing his friend hadn't seen before and Sage had wanted more... though tonight was pushing Nox's limits already.

"Awww come on little brother. You know you'd have a good time." Nox growled. "Stay out of my head tonight!" Nox sat down on the his bed and pulled off the shoes. The door to Sage's room was open, he had to know he was home. Maybe he was asleep and they could do a rain check. He'd suggested he could take off the tux. Which sounded great in theory at the time... now not so much. Nox just wanted to drink the coffee and do some yoga... he needed to stay out of his head.

[Aiden Finnegan]

Aiden took a mental note on the ‘weaves’ and their dissipation. That was very helpful to know. Sage acted ignorant of the whole magic business, but he just showed how wrong he was about that. What other nuggets were stowed away in that brain? Perhaps Aiden didn’t need Nox. Perhaps he only needed Sage.


                “I know you can’t use your usual methods… But there isn’t any independent news coverage or gossip columns like TMZ or something? One of those trashier sites… They might have picked up a rumor if there were any?” Aiden asked inquisitively. He used to haunt those websites and tv shows, anything that spoke of celebrities and their personal lives. Aiden used to have a need to know what the rest of the world thought of him. He still cared what they thought, but he didn’t need to know the truth of their thoughts anymore.

                At the mention of ‘distractions,’ Aiden’s cheeks heated and a single orb of fairy fire sprang into existence. It was becoming a ‘tell,’ revealing his own emotions and how his body was reacting. With a giggle, he went on, “You sure you don’t know any way I might learn how to control this stuff? Nox doesn’t tell you how he does what he does? It would help if I knew whether I had to do something physical or mental…”

                A huff escaped Aiden’s lips and he sat up. He didn’t ever really mind the fire; not until now. It was interfering with his personal life now. Aiden hated when things meddled in his affairs. The loneliness was coming back to him. It was a self-imposed seclusion, but he hadn’t realized how much he missed people. Sage made him feel good. How did Aiden go on so long like this?

                Thinking back on his glory days, touring with Blarney Stoned… It was almost like a dream now. Everything seemed so simple back then. The fans, the music, the partying. Aiden was king back then. Memories rushed back and in his mind, he was on stage, guitar in hand and microphone in front of him; crowds thundering ahead, screaming his name.

                Aiden’s hands moved almost on their own accord, playing at the air guitar. Sage probably thought he was a dork for doing so, but Aiden just felt the moment, the memories. It was so real…

                The fairy fire overhead streaked down into Aiden’s hands and took the form of his old guitar.

                Aiden yelled in surprise at the heat and his eyes ripped open, seeing what the fire was doing. Within seconds, it shattered into a few dying sparks before leaving nothing but empty air in Aiden’s hands.

                He just stared at Sage.

                “Wha-!?”

[Sage]

Sage sighed. "I have a program running that's scanning every viable news source all the time. It's not as good as my old one, but it'll get there as I make tweaks to it. Sage seriously missed his server and the cold room. Maybe he could convert this room... Or Nox could dig a new one. Sage sighed. "It's no communicado right now. Like ordered shut up and the people who fled aren't talking yet. I'm sure there will be news at some point, leaks and stuff. But right now - nothing." Which didn't surprise Sage.

Sage chuckled at the desperation in Aiden's voice concerning his fairy fire and he shook his head. "I'm sure Nox has yammered on about it. I don't always listen to what he says." To busy wishing his mouth was doing other things. Sage thought but he hoped he hadn't said it outloud. He really liked Aiden and Aiden was emotionally available where as Nox was not. He was still that kid on the hunt. He'd always be that kid.

But relief flood Sage as he felt the security system lock down. Nova had lifted his head when he heard Nox coming down the stairs. Sage could smell the fresh cup of coffee he was bringing with him. Sage would have frowned but Aiden was already celebrating with his air guitar that turned into a flaming guitar. "Holy fuck!" Sage grinned at Aiden...