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Post by starrea on Nov 25, 2020 0:21:27 GMT
The knife was back at Lennox’s throat; it had never left. She was standing on the front stoop of Xander’s house, her hands wrapped the arm that kept her trapped against Roman’s front. She trembled against him, but his hand was still, so still, against her neck. Xander was there, in front of them, reaching out for her but he couldn’t reach her. His mouth was moving but no words reached Lennox; all she could hear was the rapid beating of her heart and the short, panicky breaths she couldn’t control. For a long moment, nothing happened. They stayed like that, frozen in the moment – but the moment abruptly ended. The only warning Lennox had didn’t come from the man with the knife to her neck. There was no change in him that could have given away what he was about to do – no change in his slow, calm breathing or the steady way he held the knife. No, the only clue Lennox had was from watching Xander’s expression crumble to panic and she knew what was going to happen next – and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
In one swift, confident motion, the blade slide across her throat and out spilled a waterfall of red. Lennox’s hands flew to her neck, trying to frantically hold herself together, as if she could somehow push all her blood back inside of her. She tilted, collapsing to the ground. There was so much blood; it flowed from around her fingers, unable to be stopped.
The cut hadn’t just opened her neck up to the world – it had opened a pathway to her lungs, too. The blood explored the new avenue, burning a trail down her throat and into her lungs. Her lungs heaved, rejecting the intrusion but powerless to stop it as more and more blood followed. She coughed, spraying blood out of her mouth and all over the ground. Her body ached for air but she couldn’t breathe anymore, couldn’t get any air despite gasping for it. She tipped onto her side, surrounded by a halo of red. As the world started to fade, her eyes frantically searched for Xander but he wasn’t there anymore.
And then the world went dark.
A scream was stuck in Lennox’s throat as she jerked away, her hands flying to her throat. Her fingers searched for the slice left behind by the knife but there wasn’t any, just the almost-healed cut from her near-death encounter over a week ago. She choked down air too fast and her lungs heaved, unappreciative of the sudden assault of air and spit, and she broke out into a violent coughing fit. It took Lennox several seconds until her lungs calmed and she was able to stop, replacing her coughs with slow, shaky breaths.
Despite living in the same house as Xander, Lennox had hardly seen him for the past week. When they did speak, it was never about anything important, never about what had happened or the drugs or whatever reckless retribution Xander was planning. There was an awkwardness between them and neither of them seemed inclined to acknowledge it. She had taken up residence in one of the spare rooms, too embarrassed and too scared to bother him with her now-daily night terrors. After the incident, Lennox’s paranoia was at an all-time high. Her mind played tricks on her, convincing her that Roman was hiding behind every corner and lurking in every shadow, waiting for the perfect opportunity to finish what he had started. She isolated in the sanctuary of the room, spending her days immersed in a near-constant state of paralyzing anxiety. Xander made himself equally as scarce, kept busy with whatever information Brogan had gifted him with.
When she wasn’t worrying about Roman’s inevitable retribution, she spent her time obsessing over interpreting signs from the Universe – or lack thereof. The Universe was unmercifully quiet, unswayed by Lennox’s pleads and prayers. The Universe was a ruthless and unforgiving entity, and every choice Lennox seemed to be making lately were inherently wrong. As the days passed without any sort of divine guidance, Lennox’s desperation spiraled closer and closer towards complete hysteria.
Several minutes passed before Lennox finally stopped shaking. Exhaustion weighed her down, but she knew that going back to sleep would be useless. Sleep seemed to only make her more tired these days. Even though there was a bed in the room, Lennox still opted to sleep on the floor and had dragged all of the blankets off of the bed to create a nest for herself in one of the corners. Based on the hazy light shining through the window, it was still early – just around sunrise. Despite being drenched in sweat, Lennox wrapped one of the blankets around herself, cocooning herself in its warmth and she leaned back against the wall, her eyes drifting out the window to watch the world slowly wake up to first rays of morning light.
Crack! Something hit the window and Lennox flinched back, slamming her elbow into the wall. For a second, she didn’t move; she kept her eyes glued on the window, waiting for something to move. When nothing did, she slowly crawled forward and grabbed the windowsill, peering down at the ground. There, laying motionless on the ground, was a bird. It was obvious the bird was dead – its neck was bent at a grotesque angle and one wing was stretched out and rested in an unnatural position.
The Universe finally granted her a sign; the dead bird was an irrefutable sign of impending death, and it was directed solely towards her.
Lennox pushed herself away from the windowsill, a scream ripping out of her throat.
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Post by Val on Nov 28, 2020 2:43:55 GMT
Xander woke to the same reoccurring thought that had popped into his mind every morning for the past week: Lennox. With a groan, he rolled over and pulled his pillow over his head to hide from the early morning rays, willing the persistent sun to sink back below the horizon and allow him just a few more minutes of unconscious bliss. Despite his wishes, the room quickly filled with light and he could no longer ignore the start of a new day. Yanking the pillow off his head, he threw it across the room where it landed amongst the growing mess that was his bedroom. He rubbed at his eyes groggily and finally rolled out of bed, stumbling toward the dresser that housed his clothes.
After yanking on a pair of pants, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and paused, leaning forward to inspect his healing face. Fortunately, the bruises caused by Roman’s merciless fists had faded into a dull yellow that was barely visible against his dark skin. Unfortunately, he was beginning to notice the long-lasting effects of getting your face beaten in repeatedly. A permanent scar marred the symmetry of his lips, and another had carved a notch right across his eyebrow. Most notable, perhaps, was the slight crookedness of his nose, which had been broken several times over. Though he used to be proud of the battle scars, he was growing more resentful over the fact that he was still the underdog. By now, he deserved to be the one handing out beatings.
With a shake of his head, he pulled on a shirt and shrugged his trusty jacket on, which was always equipped to get him through whatever craziness the day had in store. He tried to push his hair out of his face, but the thick curls fell right back into his eyes, obstructing his vision. The unruly length was yet another reminder of his mother’s absence, who had always been the one to cut his hair. Rummaging through one of his drawers, he found a head band that she had once gifted him and tied it around his forehead, effectively lifting the locks out of his eyeline.
Xander had just cinched the fabric into place when a familiar scream tore through his house. Without hesitation, he rushed out of his bedroom and sprinted down the hallway, footsteps thudding against the hardwood as he approached Lennox’s bedroom. He turned the knob and threw his body weight at the door, causing it to fly open and bang loudly against the wall. He frantically scanned the room for an intruder, only to find Lennox cowering in her sad makeshift bed in the corner of the room.
With no visible threat in sight, Xander allowed his intensity to die down and studied Lennox. He was aware that she’d been struggling ever since the incident with Roman, though he had no idea how deep that trauma went. The event had undoubtedly damaged him, but Xander dealt with stress in a far different manner than Lennox did. Narcotics cured the problem of sleep, sending him into a dreamless slumber every night without fail. During the daytime, he worked hard to keep himself busy every moment, afraid to fall into the pit of despair that he knew was waiting for him if he slowed down for even a second too long. If he kept moving, the world would keep moving, too.
“Are you okay?” he asked, meandering slowly into the bedroom. He lowered himself to the ground beside her nest, sitting cross-legged, and awkwardly averted his gaze. Admittedly, he had no idea how to move past the walls that had risen between them. She’d denied the offer to sleep in his room several days ago, and his ego had been too hurt to ask again. He was worried about her, but he didn’t know how to express that he cared and wanted to help, out of fear that she’d only become more closed off. Their relationship- or even friendship at this point- was turning out to be quite difficult to maintain.
“We should…do something today,” he suggested, hoping to provide her with a distraction. He left the offer open ended, wanting Lennox to make the decision. His eyes flickered up to meet hers, anticipating another rejection based on the anxiety that was etched across her face. Xander had already planned to spend the day staking out the main person of interest in his mother’s death, but he was willing to put off the revenge plot for the sake of reigniting their connection and rebuilding the trust between them.
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Post by starrea on Nov 29, 2020 0:28:07 GMT
The door slammed open and Lennox's body, coiled and primed with the fight-or-flight response, jumped back so violently that her head collided with the wall hard enough that she saw stars. She groaned, reaching a hand up to rub the sore spot and by the time she opened her eyes, Xander was sitting on the ground in front of her. All it took was one second for all of her conviction to crumble; it didn’t matter that Lennox had been mad at Xander for his drug use or that he had all but abandoned her to deal with the fallout of her near-death experience alone. He was here now. Wordlessly, Lennox crawled over to him and into his lap, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face in his neck. The relief was instantaneous; warmth rolled through Lennox’s fingertips, up her arms, and then dissipating through the rest of her body. Tension that locked her muscles up for over a week now finally released and the paranoia that had terrorized her subsided. Tears welled up in her eyes as hysteria built as Lennox’s stability wavered, ready to break beneath the weight of her struggles.
The red-hot embarrassment of seeing Xander be embarrassed of her seared through her hysteria, quieting her almost instantly. She remembered how embarrassed her older sister had been of their mother – and then her older sister left. “My mother taught me about the Universe,” The words tumbled out of Lennox, directionless as she revisited memories that helped explain her oddities, “My mom was… gifted. She was really connected with the earth and the energies around us. When I was little, I had this dog – well, it was sort of a wild dog that just followed us around and I fed it. He was this really big, black shaggy mutt and I named him Dollar because my sister’s name was Penny and I thought it was hilarious. Anyway, he must have gotten a farmer’s chickens or something, because we found him one night dumped on the side of the road with his throat cut. I was devastated, I couldn’t stop crying. But that night, my mom carried Dollar out into the woods with me, and she set him beneath this tree… and all the sudden, all these butterflies appeared, and they flew down and landed on him. They were everywhere; all over the trees and the leaves and then us and they were so beautiful, they were this bright yellow color. And my mom told me that when a yellow butterfly connects with the deceased, it means that they have eternal happiness,” Lennox paused, her words thick with grief, “And I never saw another yellow butterfly after that day – except for one other time. When I found my mom after she died, there was a yellow butterfly on her shoulder. I think… I think that was her way of telling me that it was alright, that she was happy, and I didn’t need to be sad.” The memory ended, but the feelings of grief lingered.
“I know you think that I’m crazy, but this is all I have left of her. But it doesn’t make sense like it used to and I feel like it’s slipping away… and I’m scared,” Lennox tried to hide the way her voice cracked, trying to sound stronger than she felt, “I don’t want to die. It isn’t fair, I am trying so hard to be faithful and do what I’m supposed to do… but everything I do is wrong. And it doesn’t matter, because the Universe marked me for death anyway and he’s going to come back and kill me.” The confession felt like a betrayal of her faith and to everything her mother had taught her, but Lennox didn’t know what to do – hadn’t known what to do for a long time now. It was unfair that she had been so faithfully dedicated to her deity, only to condemned regardless of what she did. For the first time since she had started undergoing supernatural change and getting sick, Lennox was finally angry with her faith.
“It’s probably nothing,” Lennox tried to say casually, only because she wasn’t in the mood for Xander to debase her entire faith, “But do you think I could sleep in your room again, with you? Just in case?” She was so tired and so ready for a change that she decided that if he let her, she wanted to sleep in Xander’s bed – with him. Silence hung in the air between him, seconds ticking by as Lennox mulled over his question. She finally leaned back so that she could look Xander in the face as she spoke to him, wariness etched in her features, “What if he finds me?” As much as her caution warned her leaving the safety of the room, Lennox was going to lose her mind if she spent another day or two in here. And more than that - she was tired of being scared.
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Post by Val on Dec 4, 2020 5:18:48 GMT
The words had barely left Xander’s mouth when Lennox appeared in his lap, curling into him as though the tension between them had been nothing but a figment of his imagination. Perplexed but grateful for the change, he wrapped his arms around her body and held her close, willing to be whatever she needed him to be. He tucked her head under his chin, feeling her relax under the inexplicable spell of their connection. He mentally kicked himself for not trying harder over the past week. She had clearly been suffering, but he’d been too confused, too stubborn, too focused on his other problems to fix what was right in front of him. If he truly was her cure, then the least he could do was provide her with that fix of comfort. He knew all about the fix, but he wouldn’t dare mention the similarities of their dependencies.
Listening with uncharacteristic patience, he stroked his fingers through her hair and tried to keep an open mind. Though he would never be able to relate to her fixation with the Universe, he understood loss. Closing his eyes, he imagined the yellow butterfly that she described, picturing it floating over his mother’s head like a halo. But the image only lasted a second before melting into a grotesque picture of what Sahara’s body must look like, decaying in the ground where Brogan had buried her. His eyes shot back open, dark and haunted. If someone had killed his dog like that, he would’ve gotten revenge. An eye for an eye. That was the way his world worked, the only way that things seemed fair to him. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to gain retribution, he usually ended up losing both eyes. He was infinitely tired of losing.
“I don’t think you’re crazy-“ he argued, giving her a gentle squeeze, but she continued before he could elaborate. His jaw locked, molars grinding as he resisted the urge to cut her off. Hearing her speak about death like that drove him nuts; he might not believe in her signs, but he still didn’t like to speak things into existence. If all she thought about was death, she was going to destroy herself before Roman ever got the chance.
Xander sighed as she tried to brush things off and finally looked down at her, nudging her face up to her could see into her eyes, “Lennox, he’s not going to come back for you.” If anything, the man would be coming after him for stabbing his lover. “He’s one of the busiest men in the kingdom. We are just a blip on his radar, I promise. Brogan and I are handling it,” he added. Even if Lennox didn’t like the idea of their scheming, it was better than sitting around doing nothing to take precautions.
As right as it felt to have her back in his arms again, her request to sleep in his bed took him by surprise. With him, with him? His eyebrows lifted fractionally, but he quickly tried to play it cool, offering a boyish smile, “Of course you can,” he assured her, “You’re always welcome,” he added sincerely, trying not to sound over eager at the idea of having Lennox share his bed. Most importantly, he would feel at ease having her close at night, knowing she was safe.
Sensing her stress about leaving the house, he maintained an easygoing demeanor to lighten the mood, “I think we need to get out of this house,” he pointed out, “We can go into town, grab some food, maybe people watch,” he suggested, thinking that a casual day out might help them return to some sense of normalcy. If anything, being around large groups of people would make them safer. If it was Roman she was afraid of, the only place he knew where to find them was the very house they were sitting in.
Unfurling from their position on the floor, he took Lennox’s hands and lifted her to her feet, “What do you say?” he asked, trying to provide a balance of persistence and accommodation in an effort to save her from this damned room. Now that they were on seemingly good terms, he wondered if it would truly last, or if they’d fall back into the same confusing patterns when he inevitably disappointed her.
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Post by starrea on Dec 5, 2020 0:42:14 GMT
Now that Lennox was in Xander's arm, she felt foolish for denying herself of his protection and comfort for the last week. Now that the choke hold her paranoia had held her in was slipping, it was obvious that her suffering was of her own doing. Stark had often criticized her unconscious habits of self destruction and she had come to rely on him to keep her centered - but Stark was gone, and apparently, she still couldn't even recognize when she was hurting herself. Maybe it wasn't that the Universe was untrustworthy, maybe it her that was untrustworthy. Heat flared up and she was sure her cheeks were burning red with embarrassment; Xander's assurances that he didn't think she was crazy were touching, but clearly false. She buried her face into his neck, refusing to look up at him, until she felt the heat drain from her face.
When Lennox finally did look up at Xander, she could find nothing but sincerity in both his face and his words, but she wasn't as optimistic. It was by a stroke of luck that Lennox had stayed grounded with reality when Roman had grabbed her, but she had felt his energy the moment he put his hands on her. His energy had hit her like a tsunami, washing her away with the amount of need to kill her. She could tell it wasn't personal, he didn't hate her, but there was no hesitation, no compromise or second guessing. His heart beat was strong and steady and his hand hadn't wavered for a second; he truly believed in whatever reason he had to kill her. That kind of conviction didn't just fade away. Her thoughts started to spiral down into depths of paranoia when Xander unwittingly saved her from herself again with his allowance of her sharing his bed. The relief only further cemented the ugly truth that she was self destructive and untrustworthy.
As Xander helped her to her feet, Lennox banished any remaining anxieties from her thoughts. She had been too stupid to see the solution to all of her problems was literally standing right in front of her. It was so easy to put all of her truth and faith into Xander, to allow him to guide her through decisions she was obviously ill-equipped to handle. Stark had told her time and time again that she wasn't smart enough to save herself, that only he could do that. Well, Stark was gone but Xander was here and it was undeniable that she needed him to survive but maybe she needed more from him. He deserved her faith and commitment for all he had done for her, and he was still standing by her even though she had gone and acted like a lunatic. She had been scared that she wouldn't be able to live through the grief of losing someone else, someone as important as Stark had been, but she needed to stop being afraid. Xander was here, and she put her faith in him that he would keep her safe.
Lennox's devotion was the key to her salvation, and the stress that had been weighing her down evaporated. As she looked up at Xander, her eyes drifted down to his lips and she remembered the kiss they had shared down in the bunker and she wondered if would kiss her again. Instead, she found herself nodding along to whatever he was saying - she didn't really feel like going out, not after staying isolated for nearly a week, but her commitment ran deep. If he thought it would be good for her, then there was no doubt in her mind that it was right thing to do. She reluctantly stepped away from Xander, walking over to the small bag of clothes she had gathered earlier in the week. Most of them were dirty by now, but Lennox pulled out a clean pair of jeans.
"Turn around, I'm changing," Lennox declared, waiting until a second or two after Xander gave her privacy before she slipped the sweatpants off and pulled the jeans on. Lennox didn't think anything of changing a few feet away from Xander, her behaviors and lack of social boundaries shaped by the instability of her childhood and behaviors of her mother growing up. It was another reason why Lennox had such a hard time maintaining any sort of relationship over a span of time. "Do you have a shirt I can borrow? Mine are all dirty," She asked, even though there was a shirt she had only worn for one day and it wouldn't really matter if she wore it again, but she really wanted an excuse to wear something of Xander's. Now that she had decided to devote herself to him, she was anxious for some sort of sign that he was still interested in her.
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Post by Val on Dec 14, 2020 6:25:56 GMT
Xander offered an encouraging smile as he felt Lennox start to give in and agree to venturing outside. He was already planning the day out in his head- what restaurant he would take her to, where they would sit, and what they would eat. If anyone was equipped to plan a date in the bustling port city, it was Xander. He knew the streets like the back of his hand, and he had enough money and notoriety to get exactly what he wanted. Although he lived with a target on his back as the son of a drug lord, the title did have its perks.
Lennox’s announcement caught him off guard, and he quickly spun around to face the opposite wall, shoving his hands into his pockets in a show of nonchalance. The rustling of clothes as she changed stirred up undeniable curiosity, but he kept his eyes focused straight ahead, rocking back and forth on his heels to keep himself busy. He couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t just ask him to step outside, and he wondered if it was an intentional test or if she simply was comfortable enough around him not to care. Either way, Xander didn’t dare push his luck by commenting on it.
“Uh,” he resisted the urge to glanced back at her, unsure if she was still indecent, “Yeah. I’ll be right back,” he told her, not thinking twice about why she would want to wear his ill-fitting clothes. While he was usually an incessantly difficult person to deal with, Xander was eager to please Lennox after everything that had happened between them. In that moment, she could’ve asked him to sew her an entire outfit and he would’ve figure out a way to accomplish the task.
Side stepping toward the door, he slipped out into the hall and navigated the corridors of his house with the swiftness of someone who had clearly lived there his whole life. Upon reaching his bedroom, he yanked open a bottom drawer that housed much of the clothing he’d grown out of, hoping to find something that wouldn’t swallow her whole. Rummaging through the messy piles, he found a simple black shirt that would’ve been three quarter sleeves on him but would surely bunch at Lennox’s wrists. His decision to choose long sleeves was a conscious one; he didn’t want anyone brushing up against Lennox and causing her to spiral over a stranger’s unbalanced energy.
With the shirt clutched in his fist, he returned to the spare bedroom to find the door still ajar. Fortunately, Lennox was still wearing her sleep shirt and he was spared the guilt of sneaking an uninvited look at her. Still, he paused for a second in the hall to observe her silently as she waited, feeling a familiar urge well up inside of him. Instead of dwelling on the feelings that Lennox was invoking in him, Xander did what he always did- act. Closing the distance between them, he approached Lennox from behind and curled a hand around her waist, turning her to face him. Their eyes met for a brief moment before he dipped his head and caught her lips with his. The kiss was soft and tentative, more of a question than a demand as he attempted to reignite the affection between them. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that things would be solved over a kiss, but he hoped that they could pick back up where they started now that Lennox was opening up to him again. Kissing her felt inherently right, and he needed to prove that he still wanted her, crazy or not.
With the slightest taste of Lennox still lingering on his lips, he pulled away slowly. He tried to be subtle in the way that he gauged her reaction, striving to maintain the air of nonchalance despite his thrumming heartbeat. Pushing the shirt into her hands, the corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile, “Will this work?” he asked, the double meaning in his question very intentional. His hand fell away from her waist, but he remained close, reluctant to turn away and lose the connection until she instructed him to do so.
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Post by starrea on Dec 19, 2020 5:14:07 GMT
The heat of validation warmed Lennox as Xander darted out to fetch her one of his shirts. Despite acting crazy and being woefully inept at caring for herself, it was a relief to see that he still wanted her. A stab of anger ripped through her followed by the sting of shame as she thought about all of the time she had wasted this past week, time she could have spent with Xander. She was a stupid girl who didn’t know how lucky she had it – but now she did, and she wasn’t going to spend another second being ungrateful.
While he was gone, Lennox busied herself with de-tangling her thick, unruly curls. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back, a mess of disorderly curls and knots that Lennox hadn't bothered to unknot for the last few days. The origins of her thick, dark hair were a mystery, surely not from her mother’s side of the family. Her mother had straight, strawberry blonde hair and much to her dismay, so had Penny. The stark contrast between the pale strawberry blonde and dark brunette hair was enough to make Lennox look like a stranger next to her mother and sister despite the similar large, striking eyes, and the round face with pale complexion and freckles she shared with them. While her older sister had envied her thick hair, it was always a nuisance to Lennox. Thick, unmanageable hair didn’t fare well with the on-and-off homeless lifestyle and sometimes, when the knots got too thick and too matted, there was nothing she could do besides cut them out. After years of periodically hacking off uneven portions of her hair, it was unintentionally layered, which only added to chaos of the tangles.
Her hair couldn’t be tamed, but it could be managed. Armed with the old wooden hairbrush that had been gifted by her mother, Lennox started ripping through knots. It was the only hairbrush that had withstood the testament of time, strong enough to survive the constant warfare against her tangled knots and it did not fail her now. Within a matter of minutes, the tangled mass of curls unfurled into waves that rolled down her back. She would have spent more time trying to fix her hair, but her eyes wandered back to the window and she stilled. Brush still in hand, she cautiously wandered over to the window, reaching out to delicately touch the cool glass. Anxiously, she glanced down at the ground to where the dead bird lay. It was in the exact same position as before, its head grotesquely bent and its beady black eye staring up at her. She gulped; this was an omen.
Lennox was so consumed with all the possibilities of an omen of death that she hadn’t heard Xander re-enter the room. Her reaction was pure instinct; Lennox’s heart plummeted as she felt a hand wrap around her waist and she almost choked on the shock that she wasn’t alone. It wasn’t until her eyes locked with Xander that relief replaced the sense of danger, and she immediately melted into his embrace. She abandoned all thoughts of the omen of death, devoting her undivided attention to the man in front of her.
Somehow, despite practically humming with desire for him to kiss her, Lennox was still surprised when he finally did lean down and claim her with a kiss. Butterflies replaced the apprehension in the pit of her stomach, and she reached up, gently cupping Xander’s face with her hands as she leaned into the kiss. The kiss was short, and even though it lacked intensity, Lennox was left breathless and dazed when he finally pulled away. She was falling for him hard and fast and there wasn't a single thing she could do about it.
Xander’s question snapped Lennox out of the trance she had been in and she nodded, trying to appear more casual than she felt. Instead of asking him to turn around this time, Lennox grabbed the shirt from him and spun around, quickly stripping off her sleep shirt. Without a baggy shirt to hide beneath, it was easy to see how unhealthy Lennox was; she was all sharp edges where there should have been curves, and the faintest outline of her ribs were starting to be visible. Lennox tossed her shirt to the floor, pulling Xander’s on over her head. The shirt hung loose on her, and the sleeves went almost to her fingertips. With a flip of her hair, she spun back around to face Xander.
“Ready to go?” She asked, ready to leave the room she had turned into her own prison cell for the past week.
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Post by Val on Jan 3, 2021 5:06:38 GMT
Before Xander could avert his eyes, Lennox had discarded her shirt and granted him a snapshot of what laid beneath her baggy clothing. His eyes followed the flowing waves of hair over her shoulders and he felt the urge to run his fingers along the rather distinct line of her spine all the way down to her waist. As someone who struggled to put on weight no matter how much he ate, Xander could empathize with her boney frame, though he did wonder if it was contributing to her bouts of illness. Fortunately, his plans for the day included some hardy food from his favorite restaurant that would surely get her appetite back on track.
Xander’s eyes snapped dutifully back to attention as she spoke, “Ready.” He reached for her hand, but paused, taking a moment to stroke his fingers through the ends of her freshly brushed hair, “This is nice,” he complimented, “But I like the curls too, you know,” he smirked, wondering if she felt the same fondness toward his unruly curls as he did hers. With that, he locked their fingers and led Lennox out of the room and back into the world.
By the time they reached the bustling city that surrounded the Jade Coast Port, Xander had looped an arm securely around Lennox’s waist, keeping her close as though one wrong brush with a stranger would ruin their day. The main street was busy and lined with vendors selling various goods, hagglers yelling their prices, beggars vying for handouts, and children darting in and out of alleyways. Although the chaos could be stressful for some, Xander found comfort in the chaos. He knew the city like the back of his hand, and he was unflappable in the face of its inhabitants. He spared a glance down at Lennox as they walked, wondering if she was more accustomed to crowds or solitude. There was so much more to learn about her, and he intended on seeking out every last detail.
Once they’d ventured through the shopping district and the harbor was in sight, the crowds seemed to die down. Most of the passersby were sailors, traveling merchants, or the occasional pirate, making for many interesting characters from all walks of life. It was one of Xander’s favorite places to be, and that was made clear by the many looks of recognition he drew. His line of work made him well known amongst the barkeeps that fed and watered the citizens and travelers alike. Most of the time, drunks and junkies were one in the same, making partnership between the two businesses quite lucrative.
Xander approached one of the well-established taverns that he most frequented, pausing at the front where a burly man stood by the door. The man, who went by Huck and smelled of ale, lifted his eyes and smirked at the sight of Xander, “Desmereux,” he greeted, using his mother’s infamous surname. His eyes shifted briefly toward Lennox, taking in the new addition with interest, “Your buddies are inside. Been lookin’ for you.”
Unfazed by the comment, Xander shrugged, “Been busy,” he muttered. By buddies, he meant customers, and Xander had no time to deal with that today. Clearly itching to get on with their date, he craned his neck to get a good look at the open-air deck that overlooked the harbor, where his favorite table remained empty in the far corner, “I’ll be taking my seat if you don’t mind.”
The barkeep raised a brow suggestively, as though he knew what “busy” meant, “Sure, sure. Enjoy. M’lady,” he nodded to Lennox before turning and disappearing into the bar.
With the distraction out of the way, Xander offered Lennox a reassuring smile and guided her straight toward the table. He ushered her into the corner seat and sat across from her, finally relaxing once he landed in the chair. The table had a seamless view of the water and the ships below, and the salty sea air wafted in pleasantly with the cool breeze. “What would you like?” he asked, studying Lennox with a slight tilt of his head, “They have amazing stews and even better ale. I can order for you, if you’d like,” he offered, already feeling his stomach grumble at the idea of downing some hot food. After a moment’s pause and realizing he was being unnecessarily hasty, he backtracked, “This is…okay, right?” he checked, gesturing around himself as though to make sure he hadn’t overwhelmed her reemergence into the outside world.
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Post by Elvander on Jan 4, 2021 20:53:19 GMT
Evolet had been spending more and more time away from the castle. As her father frequented the whore Camilla, he had less and less time for her. And since her ruling on Wolfgang's sentence several months ago, she had felt more forlorn than ever. His lies still hurt, still cut deep. And she'd lost her dearest friends. Grief followed the princess like a dark cloud. People of her court treated her like crystal glass, like a small fracture would shatter her into a million pieces. And so she had turned her mind to other pursuits- the hunt for magic, deep primal knowledge, and illicit substances. She had heard that this was the place to go if she wanted to indulge in such pleasures. It was the first time she'd come to purchase something, and despite herself, she felt skittish about it. Undecided if she was still going to go through with it. But she'd entered the pub anyway, wearing a plain black riding dress and a velvet cloak. Her fiery hair was tied back in a braid, but there was no mistaking her high cheekbones and milky skin as anything but highborn. People in the pub did not bother her- despite her beauty, there was a cold air about her that invited no conversation. Nevertheless, she'd paid the barkeep to alert her if the vendor of the drugs ever arrived, and the coin it had cost her paid off when he nodded towards Xander and Lennox. Evolet ordered another ale and sipped, watching as the couple entered. They looked to be only a couple of years younger than herself. She stared at Xander, trying to decide if she was going to approach him or not.
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Post by starrea on Jan 7, 2021 20:03:47 GMT
Until Xander, all Lennox knew was the bad kind of love. The kind of love that was uncertain, and took and took until she had nothing left to give. It was a hard kind of love, one that required so much work. This love - or whatever it was - was different. All of the bad moments had been solely Lennox's fault. Her mysterious bouts of sickness and spiritual changes only further clouded rational thought and her mistakes and lapses of judgment, although made with the best intentions, were still embarrassing. Xander didn't seem to care; he continually welcomed her back into his life, unbothered by her erratic behavior. His love was warm and kind, never pushing for more, never draining her. His love was easy and she felt so stupid for all of the times she had chosen to make it hard. As the pieces fell into place, Lennox vowed to do whatever it took to keep Xander looking at her like that, like she mattered.
Objectively, the moment wasn't significant or grand. It wasn't a fireworks moment. In fact, it was one of those moments that Xander would probably forget about entirely in ten or fifteen minutes - but not Lennox. When he reached out to run his fingers through his hair, Lennox's stomach erupted in butterflies and heat rushed to her cheeks as she immersed herself in his approval. His touch brought her to life and all of the worries and fears of the previous week melted off of her, leaving her feeling light enough to walk on air. Everything about Xander was becoming instinctual, completely beyond Lennox's ability to rationally decide to not engage with him. He was like her air and even if she decided to hold her breath for as long as she could, her body would eventually cave beneath the need to breathe. Except now, she didn't want to hold her breath. She wanted him to run through her veins, through her heart, until there was a piece of him in every piece of her.
Xander had already interlocked their fingers and was pulling her out into the world by the time Lennox could put together a coherent 'thank you'. The quiet and isolation around Xander's house was nothing more than illusion and after a short walk, they were thrown into the hustle and bustle of city life. City life had never used to bother Lennox. As a child, she found living in the city far more entertaining and fascinating than living in the middle of the woods, but they had never stayed long. Now, though, the sight of so many people made Lennox stiff with tension, painfully aware that any one of these strangers had the power to send her spiraling into an episode. The world blurred into background noise around her, insignificant to the overbearing need to keep herself from falling into an episode. It wasn't until the crowd finally started to thin out that Lennox allowed herself to take a breath, allowing herself to really look around for the first time since they had embarked on their adventure. When she realized they were at the docks, her steps almost faltered but she was quick to fix herself, moving on as if she had only stumbled. Out of the all of the places Lennox frequented, she tended to avoid the docks. Not only did it seem to attract an unsavory crowd, but the energy coming off of the sea was just as turbulent as the waves themselves. As the place as comings and goings, the docks were a minefield of sorts; one misstep could result in disastrous misfortune. It didn't matter. Lennox's new faith was Xander, and he had brought her here and as long as she stayed with him, she would be safe.
Lennox could smell the ale before they had even approached the man. She shifted uncomfortably under his shameless staring, curling herself deeper into Xander's embrace. As a girl who lived on the streets, Lennox was all too familiar with men who drank ale and stared at her like that, like they were hungry. She didn't even question the strange name the man had called Xander, too shy and too eager to get out of his presence. She let out a breath of relief when he finally turned and lead them into the bar, keeping close to Xander as he lead her to their table. It wasn't until they were seated that Lennox finally felt safe, and she took the opportunity to look around. Their table was tucked away in a back corner of the restaurant, far enough away from the commotion that they had some privacy. Her eyes swept over the patrons of the bar, passing over almost everyone until she caught sight of the girl sitting at the bar who was almost staring a hole through Xander.
A hot, burning jealousy flared through Lennox as she stared at the girl. She was taller than Lennox and so pale that it looked like she had never seen the sun. Her features were sharp and cold, and Lennox imagined that she sported that resting bitch face at least ninety-nine percent of the time. Possessively, Lennox reached across the table for Xander's hand and interlocked their fingers before turning most of her attention back to him, but carefully keeping the stranger in her peripheries. It took her a moment to remember what Xander had said, almost having missed it entirely in her jealously-fueled staring contest with the girl with red hair. "Of course, I've just never been here before. I never came down to the docks much," Lennox answered, pushing the menu towards him and nodding, "Order whatever you think is best. I'm not picky." She paused again, struggling to verbalize her next question. His lifestyle was so different than hers and she hadn't realized just how many luxuries came with being rich. "So this is your table? Do you own it?" The question sounded dumb but it was genuine. She had never experienced the lifestyle that money offered and the concept of being wealthy enough to have a personal table at a restaurant was wild. Even though Xander had her full attention, Lennox was sure to keep the stranger at the edges of vision, smoldering with jealousy as she stared them down.
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Post by Val on Jan 19, 2021 22:50:47 GMT
Xander was accustomed to having eyes on him, especially at a place like this. He’d learned to ignore the burning feeling of being stared at by addicts who eyed him like buzzards, and he would’ve missed the red-haired girl altogether if he had not followed Lennox’s gaze. Following her line of sight, he met the eyes of a striking young woman across the room. Her features were sharp, and her eyes were even sharper, pinning him with a boldness that could only belong to a highborn girl. A sense of familiarity stirred within him, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint where he knew the girl from. He didn’t often associate with uppity highborn ladies- who often looked down upon him in disgust- but it was important in his line of work to be aware of the haves and the have nots.
After only a few brief seconds of eye contact, the grip of Lennox’s hand brought his attention snapping back to her. He gave her fingers a squeeze and studied her from across the table, pleased that she appeared to be readjusting well. Xander was aware that the docks weren’t the safest location to bring her, but he wanted to give her a taste of his day-to-day lifestyle. He’d never been one for showing off, but now that he had someone to impress, he inevitably felt the need to spoil her. Her question earned a soft chuckle out of him, “You could say that,” he mused, thinking about the deal he’d struck with the barkeep. Although it was all under the guise of a mutually beneficial business opportunity, Xander had simply wanted a way to secure his favorite seat at his favorite restaurant. “Let’s just say that if someone had been sitting here, they would’ve been kindly asked to move.”
Satisfied with Lennox’s permission to order for them, he tugged her hand across the table and dipped his head to press a quick kiss to her knuckles, “I’ll order,” he agreed, “Be right back.” Xander rose from the table and kept his focus straight ahead, purposely avoiding prying eyes as he made his way to the bar. The alluring smell of beef stew was wafting through the air and left his mouth watering by the time he leaned over the bar and slapped a hand against the wood to gain the attention of the bartender, “Two ales, two stews. And don’t skimp on the meat,” he added, pointing a finger at the young man taking orders.
With the order placed, Xander finally turned his attention to the mysterious young woman who’d been eyeing him from across the bar. He’d made a point of positioning himself only one seat away from her and now turned to study her up close. His suspicions were immediately confirmed; she was high class, and he’d definitely seen her before, though he had yet to pinpoint where. Standing beside each other, it was easy to see that they were from completely different worlds, though both of their lives were undoubtedly dictated by wealth and influence. Nevertheless, Xander had a good sense of troubled souls, and whoever this girl was, she’d come here looking for more than ale. Seemingly oblivious to her standoffishness, he met her gaze and arched a brow, the movement drawing attention to a still healing gash from Roman’s merciless fists, “Do I know you?”
As he spoke, the bartender placed two full glasses of ale in front of him. Xander reached for one and took a sip, glancing discreetly back toward Lennox to check on her. He subtly lifted a finger, as though to indicate he would return to her momentarily, but he made no move to invite her up to the bar. Instead, he turned back to the red-haired girl to await her response, “Anyway, you’ve got my attention. I assume you weren’t staring because of my devilish good looks. What is it you want from me?” he questioned, urging the conversation along before Lennox became incensed over his divided attention.
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Post by Elvander on Jan 25, 2021 23:31:01 GMT
Evolet could always tell when women were jealous of her. It was a familiar sensation- as a princess not lacking in looks or brains or money or suitors, envy had followed her her whole life, tainting friendships and relationships of all kinds. Evolet had turned herself off from that after Wolfgang. She wasn't as naïve as she'd once been, and she was determined to notice every little to tip her off to the motives of others. But Lennox had nothing to fear from Evolet- Xander wasn't her type, and she only wanted him for his elite stash of pills and potions. She was mulling over whether to approach or not when Xander solved the problem for her. She remained silent while he ordered, and a light smile touched her lips if he asked if he knew her. "Perhaps you do. You can call me Ev. What matters more is that I know you," she leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice, "If I were here for your looks, I think I'd be in for a duel," she nodded in Lennox's direction, a slight bit of mischief lighting up her cold eyes. "But alas I am no swordsman. I'm hoping to purchase some of your... illicit goods. It seems perhaps, that this is a bad time. You seem to be here for pleasure, not for business." Evolet straightened up and took a sip of her drink, running a delicate finger around the rim of her glass as she set it down. Xander seemed in total control of the bar, and she admired that. He was beneath her status, but power came in many forms and the lower class grappled for whatever scraps they could salvage. In a way, Evolet felt he had more power than her, especially in this setting, in this moment.
"Would you prefer if we met up after your dinner?"
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Post by starrea on Feb 14, 2021 1:34:50 GMT
It wasn't hard to impress Lennox, but Xander was leaving her starstruck. It was hard to believe that growing up, only a handful of miles had separated them. Xander had grown up in a luxurious mansion, while Lennox had often slept in tents. Restaurants saved tables for Xander, but frequently chased Lennox off from rummaging through the trash, looking for leftovers. But it wasn't the luxuries that left her breathless; Xander was somebody, and she had always been nobody. Her life had demanded anonymity; good things never happened to the girls that made men look twice. And even though she had spent the majority of her life trying to fade into the background, she couldn't ignore the subtle jealousy over the ease at which some people seemed to deemed important. Xander was one of those people - conversations had stopped and people had looked up as they walked in, and even now, after they had sat down, she could still feel the lingering looks of other bar patrons. When she was with Xander, she was a somebody too.
Before she could protest, Xander was already up and walking towards the bar, towards the strange girl. She hadn't eaten in this particular establishment before, but she was fairly certain that a waiter would have eventually come over to take their order - but what did she know? She was hardly a connoisseur of restaurants. Lennox didn't take her eyes off of Xander, following him all the way to the bar. She wasn't the only one watching him. The girl sitting at the bar had her attention locked onto Xander too, and it bothered Lennox to see someone else - someone that Xander could be potentially attracted to - give him such obvious attention. Paranoia and jealousy stirred uncomfortably, but she forced herself to stay still. But the more she watched, the worse she felt. It was obvious that Evolet was a somebody, too. While Lennox blended into the shadows, Evolet stuck out. Even though she seemed to attract the attention of every man in this entire establishment, she didn't mind any of them. She had her sights set on Xander, and she wanted something from him.
It took all of seven seconds for jealousy to eat away Lennox's good mood. At first, Xander had just gone up to order - but now, he was directly facing the girl and obviously talking to her. The drum of small talk from other bar patrons made it impossible to hear what they were talking about, but the countless possibilities crashed straight through her thin veil of self control. Unable to sit there and watch another girl make a move on Xander, she pushed herself to her feet and nearly tripped in her hurry to put herself at Xander's side.
"...Would you prefer if we met up after your dinner?"
In the wild, some animals evolved a way to advertise to potential predators that it was unwise to attack or eat them; a technique called aposematism. This survival technique was usually employed by insects and reptiles, but the girl with a serious case of resting bitch face seemed to be making good use of it. Strictly speaking, she wasn't ugly - unfortunately. She was tall and pale, with sharp, unremarkable features, except for her hair. Her hair was unusually red, drawing looks from those nearby. Despite her beauty, no one seemed interested in approaching her - even those who undoubtedly donated their last few functioning brain cells to the bottom of whatever bottle of alcohol they had. Drunk men were no strangers to rejection, but even alcohol couldn't overcome the staunch don't-come-near-me, frigid, holier-than-thou, bitch attitude rolling off of her.
Lennox looped her arm through Xander's, snugly interlocking their fingers together in an obvious show of affection and giving the other girl an icy glare. She wasn't intimated by the height difference between them; Evolet might be taller, but Lennox was scrappy and she knew how to fight dirty. Anyways, Evolet was the spitting image of helpless nobility and she doubted the other girl could take a punch. And Lennox was definitely itching to punch her for just breathing too close to her man.
"You didn't tell me we were meeting someone else for lunch," Lennox drawled, but it was obvious through her tone that she disapproved of that idea, "There are only two chairs at our table, so sorry," She continued, obviously not the least bit sorry to get rid of the other girl who had a piece of Xander's attention.
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Post by Val on Feb 27, 2021 16:03:14 GMT
There was something strange about being approached by a person like Evolet. Over the years, Xander had grown accustomed to dealing with bottom barrel customers. The troubled kids, dirt poor folk, and general lowly deviants of society came to him for their fix. Now that his mother was no longer running the show, the seasoned distributers of their empire started to drop like flies. They had been loyal to Sahara and, without her leadership, many disbanded to pursue personal pursuits. The remaining members of the ring belonged to either Xander or his lifelong rival, Amara. With that divide came the distinct separation of customers, in which Amara maintained all the high paying customers, and Xander was left to grovel with the underdogs. It never bothered him before, but Xander could see that his sphere of influence was shrinking, leaving him vulnerable to being cut out completely. The longer Xander studied the girl, the more he got the feeling that she wasn’t just upper class- she was nobility. And he needed her.
Xander smiled politely in response to her humor and took a sip of ale. As rough around the edges as he was, good manners had been instilled in him specifically for moments like these. By the time she explained her reason for being there, his eyes were alight with interest. It wouldn’t be the first time that a highborn lady decided to dip her toes into the world of so-called illicit goods. Everyone had their reasons, but it wasn’t Xander’s place to know why. It was simply his job to provide.
“I see,” he mused, but before he could continue, he sensed Lennox’s approach from his peripheral. There was no obvious indication of how he felt in response to her uninvited approach. In fact, he remained carefully neutral, accepting her possessive grip of his hand while his attention remained trained on Evolet. Giving Lennox’s hand a squeeze, he swung his arm over her shoulders, though it wasn’t clear whether the move was a sign of affection or a way of restraining her with a straight jacket like grip using her own arm, “Lennox, this is Ev,” he introduced the two young women casually, as though he were oblivious to his girl’s bristling disapproval.
“We were just discussing business,” he continued, well aware of Lennox’s disapproval of his lifestyle, but making no effort to hide his dealings from her. Xander met Evolet’s eyes, the look a clear indication that he would be happy to provide her with whatever she wanted, “Listen, Ev. Lennox and I have a wonderful afternoon planned, but let’s meet tonight to discuss what you are looking for.” He glanced over her shoulder, nodding to the greasy barkeep, “Meet us at The Cavern at dusk. My friend will point you in the right direction. Oh, and don’t let the atmosphere fool you. It is a well-established business,” he assured her. In fact, hidden beneath the dark, seedy bar resided an impressive operation that catered to some of the kingdom’s most elite degenerates.
“Until then,” Xander dipped his head respectfully, “It was a pleasure to meet you.”
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Post by Elvander on Mar 14, 2021 0:16:28 GMT
Evolet waited with anticipation, glad that he didn't seem to be picking up on her nervous she felt beneath her veneer of icy confidence. In fact, the light in his eyes told her that he was... excited? to be working with her. As Lennox approached, Evolet shifted her pale blue gaze to her and smiled politely, amused at the girl's jealous interruption, but not unwelcome to it. "It's nice to meet you, Lennox. I apologize for interrupting your afternoon," she watched the way their fingers interlocked, the way Xander moved his arm around her shoulders. A slight pinch in her heart reminded her that she wasn't made of stone. "I hope you two enjoy your day, and I will take you up on your appointment offer." She finished her drink and stood, placing a few gold coins from her silk drawstring purse on the bar. It was more than enough to cover her drinks, and whatever Xander and Lennox desired. She smiled at the barkeep, "Whatever my friends want. And if they don't spend it all, you keep the change." She turned her gaze back to the couple, and nodded back at Xander before exiting the bar, her body humming with excitement and nerves.
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