Path of the Vampire forum

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

<Strix> After she'd left the party, a bit irritated with Ric's behaviour. The other man had been getting irritated with her every time she talked about sex with anyone else. In turn, it irritated her. She didn't usually like possessiveness on behalf of men, though that sort of idea was slowly beginning to appeal to her... sort of. Instead, she turned her frustration to productivity and sought out her maligned sibling instead. Nix had been talking crap at the party earlier, calling him an asshole, when she'd realized she'd never even met him and he was the grandsire and sire of some of her closet friends. She asked around, getting the phone numbers required, though she could have just weaselled her way into his mind and requested a meeting. That seemed particularly intimate for a person that may not want anything to do with her. She pulled out her phone, then, after having walked back to the apartment where she'd been staying, and contemplated a phone call vs a text. A call seemed more personal. She dialled the number, then stuck a set of earbuds in and let the call ring.


<Jesse Fforde> The sewers had become Jesse's home over the past few days. The very first thing he'd signed up for after being adopted into Andras was a killing spree; he'd picked Paladins. He'd send Ichabod out searching for them; he bypassed the footsoldiers and went straight for the head of the snake, if that's what the Paladins were. He assumes, anyway, that they are of a more significant rank than the footsoldiers. The endeavour hasn't been without its sacrifices, of course. At least three bullet holes in his gut, one in his arm, and a couple of deep gashes in the thigh of his left leg. With a hiss, he realises he ought to take a break, and he uses the vibrating phone in his pocket as an excuse. It's a number he doesn't recognise. Once upon a time he wouldn't have answered, as he wouldn't have had the vocal ability to do so. Now that he has that specific ability back, however, he swipes the screen (smearing it with blood) and brings the device to his ear. "Hello, Jesse's morgue and chop shop. How can I help?" he utters, voice a husky, and yet strong enough. Sometimes, answering in such a way seems to deter the scourge that are telemarketers.


<Strix> Strix had a voice that was best suited for phone sex. Consequently, she wasn't too intimidated by the huskiness of the other man's voice. "Hey. This is Phoebe. Strix." She didn't say anything more, giving Jesse the opportunity to hang up on her if he wanted to. If he even knew who she was. She wasn't sure how disconnected he was to Nix or her blossoming family. She tapped her fingers against her knee, looking around the apartment to make sure one or more of her roommates weren't home. While she didn't think this phone call would be a problem, she didn't want to overstep her boundaries with her roomies and discomfort them in reaching out to Jesse. She chewed on her lip, hoping for more than silence-- or a dial tone-- on the other end.


<Jesse Fforde> There is silence, for a long beat or two. Silence is Jesse's boon buddy, his general fall-back. He takes his time answering people more often than not, simply because that's how he's accustomed to functioning. Strix. He repeats the name over and over in his head. Phoebe means nothing to him, but Strix? Where has he heard that before? And then he recalls a recent conversation with Axel. The pieces fall together; Strix must be Altaire. "Interesting," he says, finally. "What can I do for you?" he asks. He does remember, the first time Pheonix and kicked him from Altaire, letting them all know that he was around if they needed him. No one ever did - he had just assumed Phoenix had spread enough poison that they'd all kept their distance. But, the notion still stands, regardless.


<Strix> "I don't know. I just wanted to meet you. See if you were really half as bad as Nix says." She paused, licking her lips. "I'm starting to think she's a little full of **** when it comes to judging others." She scratched along the side of her neck, uncomfortable with admitting she didn't have blinders on when it came to her sire and her childhood friend. But the party tonight, how Nix treated Paige after finding out she'd joined Andras, basically demanding that Strix was Altaire even though she'd never asked about it. "You may not have much of a connection with her, or us, but uh... I think it'd be nice to have a relationship with you. As a 'sibling' or whatever." She knit her brows, settling more into the couch and crossing one leg over another, ankle to knee.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse leans against the dank wall of the sewer system. Again, silence. Just for a long couple of beats as he absorbs what the other woman has said. Of course he has is wary. Jesse has major trust issues. He doesn't trust easily, or often. But he doesn't see any harm in meeting Strix. He, too, is curious. He'd already met Pyper, and would have to admit that he's quite fond of the girl, even with all her eccentricities. Who's to say Strix'll be any different? It doesn't surprise him, that Phoenix has been ****-talking him. Probably has something to do with Axel - apparently their break-up is all Jesse's fault. He clears his throat. "Sure. When and where?"


<Strix> "Any time. I'm at Axel's place, actually, at Veil Towers?" She cringed a little. "He's letting me crash her for a bit til I save up for my own place. And I'm not heading to the club, where I work, for another five or six hours." That seemed to be a pretty decent amount of information. He could come to Axel's, he could find her at the club, though he'd probably have to pay for a lap dance if he actually wanted to talk, and that would be a little awkward for a first interaction. "Look, I don't mean to freak you out. Nix and Paige just talked about you a little at the party tonight and it piqued my interest. Paige really likes you, and I really like Paige, and I just... thought we should have a chance to be friends." Usually she'd have been pursuing any potential male like a cat in heat, but she was trying to approach this thing differently this time. Mostly because she didn't want to **** Jesse, surprisingly.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse snorts. Amusing, that they may have even passed each other in the lobby. May have spent half an elevator ride together. Veil Towers. Jesse knows Axel has a place there - it's where Jesse himself is, if he's not at Larch Court or at the Eyrie. It's where Grey has made herself at home, and thus where Jesse makes his home, too. "Veil Towers works," he says. "I have a place there, too. Apartment 702. Meet there? Wouldn't want to get blood all over Axel's carpet..." he says, even as he glances down to see the blood pooling next to his foot. Yeah, those gashing were ******* deep.


<Strix> "My blood or yours?" She grinned, unafraid of a little scuffle, but preferring not to piss her roommate off any more than she already does on a regular basis. "Yeah, I'll head on up. No big." She glanced down at her 'party clothes,' for the first time in her life wondering if her wardrobe was too revealing or overtly sexual for meeting someone platonically. In the end, she decided to stick with the micro-shorts and crop top, because it was warm outside and Strix wasn't generally one to give a **** what others thought of her. She clicked the screen of her phone and hung up before Jesse could say anything else, dumping her phone in her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. Within moments, she had found herself at Jesse's doorstep and knocked, waiting to see if he'd open to her.


<Jesse Fforde> Again, Jesse scoffs. Typical, really, of any family or bloodline group he finds himself entwined with. Violence is a given. He realises, as the woman hangs up, that he hasn't said where he is. She says she'll head on up, but Jesse isn't near home. With a sigh, he pushes the phone back into his pocket, and himself away from the wall. He glances left, and then right - he narrows his eyes. There's an exit nearby. One that will bring him up into Swansdale, thankfully only a few blocks from Veil. He sticks to the shadows as he limps home. It's got to be at least ten minutes after Strix had hung up on him that the elevator dings and he finds himself exiting into the seventh floor corridor; when he sees the woman at his door, and what she's dressed in, he hardly blinks. He's used to Leah,


<Jesse Fforde> dressing that way. Or well, was. He doesn't know where Leah's got to, these days. He himself is dressed in jeans and a shirt that used to be white, but is now covered in all kinds of blood. His own, and that of the Paladins he's been slaughtering. He pulls the keys from his pocket. "Strix, I take it?" he asks as he slips the key into the lock.
<Strix> "Yeah. You can call me Phoebe, if you want. That's my 'real name'. Or whatever." She shrugged, tucking her fingers into the front pocket of her jean shorts, a hip cocked out. She looked him over, in a way that wasn't sexually charged, but more interested in exactly who and what this man was-- besides covered in blood. She was used to Axel coming home drenched in blood, and she could see where he took his cues from. "What've you been killing?" she asked casually, waiting for the lock to recede and for her to be welcomed inside. People were usually pretty paranoid about just letting someone in, so she'd really expected them to be talking inside the hallway, or at Axel's, or on any other neutral ground just in case he decided she was too much like Nix to befriend.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse arches a brow. Phoebe. Strix. Join them together, and you almost, almost get 'Phoenix'. He wonders whether it's a coincidence, or whether it's on purpose. It's not a question that he asks. The door opens, and all the lights are out inside. Which means that Grey isn't home. Probably at work. He smirks to himself, imagining what might go down if Grey were to come home and find him there with this scantily-clad redhead. He almost wants it to happen. He likes it when Grey gets fiery. He steps inside and flicks on the light; he holds the door open wide and stands aside, gesturing for Strix to come inside.


<Strix> She slid sideways and brushed past him, glancing around the apartment with a small smile. It was very similar to Axel's apartment in layout, though the design varied a little bit. "Nice place," she commented, pulling her hair to one side over her shoulder and glancing around. She did feel a little under-dressed. She should really go shopping for some more appropriate fashion choices, but who was she kidding? She's a stripper. Strippers weren't demure. "So, uh. Thanks for meeting me. I know Nix isn't super welcoming and we probably wouldn't have met otherwise." She made this comment without malice, simply factually. Nix was as she was, who she is, and it wasn't a big deal, really. She'd known the woman for years and her stubborn pride had never changed.


<Jesse Fforde> The apartment is indeed nice. It's one of the ones that's always had a feminine touch. Mainly whites and marbles. A fireplace on the far side of the room, which is, at this moment, cold and dark. "It's fine," Jesse says, closing the door behind him and wandering over to one of the stools at the kitchen bench. A kitchen they no longer use. Ever. He might offer the couch, but he's not sure Grey'd appreciate the blood stains. "We could have. I got the invite to the party - didn't think my presence would be conducive to a good time, though. Besides - I've been killing Paladins. Part of a killing spree, competition, thing. For Andras," he says. "Truth is, I never seem to last in Altaire very long. Could be my own fault," he shrugs. It doesn't really concern Jesse too much.


<Strix> "Andras? That's the bloodline Paige has joined, with you." She smiled at mention of Paige, quite fond of her friend and her feisty disposition. Paige had been one of the first to really welcome her when she'd been turned and her appreciation and admiration of the other woman hadn't changed. "I doubt it's entirely your fault. From what I've heard, Nix is only interested in you if she can change you first." Again, she spoke in a way that was completely without judgement for her sire-- neutral, really. Nix's decisions and behaviors were her own and Strix made no effort to forgive or excuse them. Instead, she followed Jesse over to the stools and gestured to one, asking for permission to sit. Usually, she'd have just grabbed and done as she pleased, but she felt an obligation to be respectful.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse gestures to the stool and nods. Of course she can sit down, he didn't think it had to be said. Again, Jesse arches a brow. He folds his hands in between his knees. He's beginning to wonder whether any of Phoenix's childer actually have anything good to say about her. First Pyper (though she hasn't said much, only little bits and pieces) and now Strix. He did think, in the beginning, that he was just a tool to Phoenix. Something for her to use when she felt the need. "Hmm," he murmurs. "She does like to surround herself with sycophants. I don't know. She confuses me. I don't know whether she wants me back simply because she wants more... power, in her bloodline. Or whether she actually gives a ****. Yes, Andras is the bloodline Paige joined with me - I have people there I KNOW give a ****. There's no confusion," he shrugs.


<Strix> She slid onto the stool, smoothing her shorts down and crossing her legs at the knee. The fact that she was showing off a considerable expanse of leg usually didn't make her uncomfortable, but she was actively trying to make a good impression-- something she'd legitimately never tried nor considered before. "She said that was... Micah's? Yeah. Micah's bloodline. I don't know anyone named Micah, but if Paige is happy, I'm happy for her, you know? Nix wasn't quite as happy for her." She licked her lips, a bit nervous now. She was getting the impression that she was saying too much about her sire. "I felt bad. Paige was trying to share good news and it seemed like Nix was personally attacking her over it. But you're her family too, and she has every right to follow you." Again, she fidgeted, averting her eyes. "I think Nix wants a relationship with you. She's never talked about you to me before tonight, but I just get this feeling that it's not about using you... at least, not completely. I think it's weird for her, and maybe sad for her, that she doesn't have a relationship with you. Honestly, it probably pisses her off because it distances her from Axel, as well." She knew that Axel had broken things off with her, and felt that Nix probably blamed the rift with Jesse for a large part of it. "Is it okay if I ask, what happened between you two?"


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse rubs at the stubble along his jaw. He glances away from Strix, around the apartment. He sighs - he should have figured, that this might be what happens. That the conversation would only be about Phoenix. There's that distrust again. Is Strix here just to plumb him for his own feelings toward his sire? To run back to her and report on it? He's aware that Phoenix likes to keep an eye on him. Uncomfortably aware of the fact that she even goes so far to search his memories so that she knows when he sires new progeny. He falls into silence as he considers the question, finally turning a penetrating gaze back to Strix. "It's complicated," he says. "It's not just one thing, but several. And it's as you said - I get the feeling she won't ever be happy with me unless I change to suit her purposes. And I won't," he explains.


<Strix> Strix nodded, again, perceptive enough to notice the discomfort Jesse had toward their line of conversation. She hid a sigh, confused at how else to approach him. She had heard of him mostly from Nix, so that's where she started to talk to him. Now, she changed the subject, perhaps abruptly. "Axel talks most fondly of you. I guess that's also why I wanted to meet you. Because if he likes you so much, you can't hardly be the devil himself." Well, maybe he could be. She got the feeling Axel didn't have a problem with the devil. "So whatever went down between you and my sire, no offense, it's probably small and stupid petty **** that she doesn't want to let go, and neither do you." She rubbed her hands on her legs, palms suddenly sweaty. "Sorry. I know that's not what everyone wants to hear, but that's how I see it. But since I don't want my first impressions of you to be colored by the shitty opinions of my sire and the doting praise of my--- of Axel, why don't you tell me about yourself? What are your hobbies? What do you like to do?"


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse's head cants to the side sharply, wondering what it is that Strix had been about to say about Axel. He lets the subject about Phoenix drop - he could have explained that she always seemed to be demanding things from him, and that's hardly how he wants any relationship to be. But he doesn't. He just laughs - he remembers a conversation he'd had with Zoey, about his hobbies. What was it that he had said? "Drawing. *******. Killing. That's about it," he says with a broad smirk. "What's Axel, huh? Your...? What was that you were going to say?" he prods, teasingly.


<Strix> "My roommate. I get his couch when he's not home." She smiled sheepishly, choosing to say nothing more. "I'm with you on ******* and killing, but I have the artistic ability of an army ant." She shrugged, brushing her fingers through her own hair. "I work as a stripper at Silk's. And also do some other **** behind the scenes. It's a great job, and I make good tips. Not to mention I get to schmooze rich bozos for lap dances..." she smirked and tilted her head, her Jessica Rabbit impression sliding into place seamlessly. "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way." She shouldn't have been surprised that they shared some hobbies. Everyone in Harper Rock loved ******* and killing in some capacity.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse nods. He laughs under his breath. The first time he'd heard of Strix, was from Axel. When her name and '****-buddy' came up in the same sentence. He clears his throat with a cough and takes a breath that he does not need. "I work at Masterpiece Tattoos. For Micah. Inking people's skin for money," he says. And then adds, thoughtfully: "I don't think I'd make a good stripper. I can be coordinated in other ways, but dancing? Forget about it," he says.


<Strix> "You do tattoos? Badass... if I knew what I wanted, I'd have you do me." She coughed, making a face at the way she said that. He'd know what she meant, though. It wasn't a come-on. "You don't really have to be coordinated to be a stripper. Big ***, big tits, and the willingness to grind yourself on a greasy **** for money, that's all you need. It also doesn't hurt if you can climb up a pole using only the muscles in your thighs." She flexed her legs for emphasis, unaware that Axel had spoken of her to his sire nor discussed exactly what her position was in regards to him. She wasn't likely to expose herself unless Axel gave her permission to talk about the exact details of their living arrangement. He was private, and rightfully so. "I have a small tattoo, but it's in a pretty sensitive place, and I want something I can show off. Something feminine, but badass, you know?"


<Jesse Fforde> "Well, that counts me out then. I do not have tits, nor do I particularly want to grind up against greasy cocks. I prefer my ink and paint. And causing other people pain for their own gain," he says with a grin. "Something feminine. Like what? Flowers? A kitty cat? What kind of stuff are you into?" he asks. There is a desk over in the corner - it's a smaller workplace than the one he has at the Eyrie, or at Larch Court, but it's there anyway. A few different drawings pinned up on a corkboard, on the wall. He gestures toward it. "I probably have a folder over there, somewhere, if you want to have a gander," he says.

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--


<Strix> She lifted a shoulder, pulling the strap of her tank top aside to gesture to the placement of her theoretical artwork. She basically wanted something along the upper sleeve, which would creep toward her collarbone and sternum on the right side. "I was thinking something like a classic pin-up, maybe of myself, or my beloved idol, Jessica Rabbit." She winked, grinning a little bit. She had a bit of a resemblance to the character. "And then maybe some roses, or shading, or... yeah. You know. Just a nice big piece that's really colorful and classic. Does that make sense?" She glanced over at the folder and the workstation, as if her explanation would magically make a drawing appear.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse doesn't laugh. He's already drawing the design in his mind, and when his bright blues linger on Strix's skin, in the exact place she indicates, it's got nothing to do with checking her out. In a way, he's only assessing his canvas; the size of it, and the placement. The smoothness of the skin, and how it might differ from other canvases. And when he's working - or considering work - he becomes serious. More serious than usual. "I can do that. Easy," he says, gaze finally drifting from the shoulder and back to Strix's face.


<Strix> "Yeah? That'd be sick. I can pay, obviously. Saige gave me some money and I've been earning a lot at the club, and hacking after hours." She beamed, having positively lit up. "Could you like... hide a name in the design? I don't want it to be obvious, but I'd like to have it on me. For reasons." She was getting more and more excited about it, having sat up straighter, spoken more animatedly, with glittering green eyes that were joyful and exuberant.


<Jesse Fforde> The woman lights up with excitement and Jesse has to keep himself from laughing. "I'll give you a family discount," he says with a wink. "I can definitely strive to a hide a name in it," he says. It shouldn't be too hard. But now he's curious, of course. "What name?" he asks. It's not as if he's prying. It's a detail that he'll need to know, in order to hide the damned thing. The impression Jesse has got, thus far, is that Strix isn't particularly the kind of woman to have romantic notions. But maybe he's wrong. It's not the first thing that he'll admit, that he's learned not to judge on first impressions.


<Strix> She's never been the type to have romantic notions, no. That was changing, but she wasn't willing to admit to it just yet. "Tjaden, is the name. T-j-a-d-e-n. It can be hidden anywhere, I just don't want it to be obvious, but it's really important to me." She smiled sheepishly, hoping he didn't ask any more questions. For sentimentality's sake, she wanted the name on her skin, as a part of her, forever. "It's not gonna like, heal and disappear, is it? I mean, I don't have many scars on me and I've been shot and stabbed and ripped apart by a ton of people. My skin's not going to reject the ink, is it?"


<Jesse Fforde> "No," Jesse says, and then hesitates. "I mean, the ink is rejected sometimes by human skin. It just depends on the person. If you have a tattoo already, I doubt it's going to be a problem," he says. And then he shrugs his shoulders, re-arranging himself on the stool. He winces only slightly as he'd forgotten about his wounds. "Mine don't. When I tattoo myself - and those who I have tattooed, over time - I haven't encountered any problems. I suppose again it depends on you - your body, your path, your specific... abilities. We'll have to wait and see," he says. He pulls a notebook over toward him, the pen rolling with it. He writes the name down, as she had spelled it out. "Who's Tjaden? If you don't mind me asking..."


<Strix> She cringed. She visibly and forcibly cringed, retreating away from her excitement and exuberance and into a shallow shell. "I don't even know if I'm willing to talk about it. Tjaden is very personal to me, and something I keep very private about myself. No one knows, not even Nix, and she's one of my oldest friends. He's something I keep close to my heart and I don't know if I'm ready to tell people, yet," she admitted, her voice soft and semi-vulnerable, a complete change from how she usually presents herself. Yet if she wanted the tattoo, she had to be at least somewhat honest about him. "He's family."


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse watches the woman carefully, those bright blue eyes of his not once leaving her face, bouncing from her eyes to her lips, her cheek, and back again. He can tell, just by the way her expression falls, that she's not lying. Whatever it is, is highly personal. Of course, he can't help but jump to his own conclusions, but he doesn't push the subject. Family. He just nods. "Not a problem. Should be easy; give me a couple of nights to work on it," he says. Next to the name that he has written down, his writing neat and almost like print, he writes a couple of other notes, just so he remembers exactly what it is that Strix wants.


<Strix> "Awesome. Thank you." She smiled, once again settling into her social skills with ease, relaxed, poised, unconcerned now that she was certain the issue wouldn't be pressed. She rubbed her palm against her thigh again, glancing around the apartment. "So, yeah. It's really cool that you do tattoos. Were you hunting earlier, too? I only ask because you're all bloody and wounded and you kind of stink a little."


<Jesse Fforde> "I was," Jesse says. He thought he had answered that question - but perhaps it had been lost amongst the rest of the conversation. "Paladins. In the sewers. That would account for the stink," he says. He'll go shower and clean up soon, but after his guest leaves. "Andras have a competition running at the moment. A killing spree. We pick our foe of choice and bring back a certain amount of mementos, to prove how many we've killed. There's some kind of prize at the end but," he shrugs, "I think the majority of us are in it just for the fun of it," he explains. Himself included.


<Strix> "Jesus, that sounds awesome." She perked up, interested in competition, and killing, and... the togetherness of it all. Altaire never did anything like that, just the occasional party. "They do that a lot? Competitions and stuff?" She looked him over, checking out the Paladin blood. She hadn't yet been able to kill one, though not for lack of trying. Hell, she had trouble just dispatching the hunters.


<Jesse Fforde> "I'm not sure how often they do, but often enough. Things like fight nights, too - we test our strength against each other. Unarmed. Just a bit of fun," he says. "There's also the occasional ordinary get-together. Sitting around and chatting or whatever. So far it's been good," he says with a smile and a particular glint to his eye. So far he'd had no reason to regret the choice that he had made - not that he'd really hesitated in making it. "How'd Paige... is she okay, after the party? She doesn't regret it, does she?" he asks out of mere concern for Paige, rather than for his own interests.


<Strix> "My GOD. That sounds so cool... Nix won't even let Paige and I fight each other." She made a face, a little pissed off about it. Strix got off on pain, but more than that was always striving to improve herself and get stronger. She liked fighting, and she liked that she kept fighting even after she was inuured. "She was okay. I took care of her, and I think she's really happy and proud to be a part of Andras. Nix won't strip her position in Altaire, not if I have anything to say about it." Not that she had any position in Altaire to say anything about it, but still. She was protective of Paige.


<Jesse Fforde> "Mmm," Jesse says. He is waiting for the day that Phoenix makes them all choose, just like she made him do. The only Altaire she's ever forced to choose which, he supposes, is where the majority of their problems stem from. But, rather than mention anything about it, he chooses instead to keep the conversation clear of Pheonix. "That's good. It seems like Paige has a few fans," he says with a grin. "I'm happy she's got a few other people looking out for her."


<Strix> "I care about her very much. She fought with me the first night I met everyone. She's taught me a lot, and made me a better person for it, and introduced me to some of the people I love the most in this world. I admire her, and I think she's a wonderful person." She was being completely honest. Paige was spunky and violent and rapey and beautiful, and she was stronger for it. Smarter for it, really, because she knew what to expect from her opponents, thanks to Paige. "If Nix ever kicked me out, I'd want to be where she is."


<Jesse Fforde> "If Phoenix ever kicks you out, you let me know," Jesse says with not an ounce of hesitation. If Strix wants to be where Paige is, Jesse is the one who has the power to make it happen - he doesn't know whether she means just physically, or whether she's referring to the different groups that Paige herself belong to. Fforde. Andras. Jesse's in charge of the one, and has very close ties to those in charge of the other. He's not about trying to poach Phoenix's childer out from underneath her, however, and so says nothing more - only waits for the assurance that, should such a thing come to pass, that Strix might seek him out.


<Strix> "I will. There's just some stuff, you know? That might piss her off. And it seems like the people that piss her off don't last long, even if we've been friends for years." She scratched at her scalp, a bit uncomfortable with the prospect. But in reality, even when given permission to do some of the things she's done, she knew Nix would never tolerate her in Altaire if she knew. "Paige and Axel are some of my only real friends. I'd want to be with them."


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse leans back. He stretches his leg out in front of him - his jeans are all torn up, and through the gashes he can see the wounds on his legs. The blood has already coagulated; the wounds still weep a little bit, but at least they're not gushing blood. Regardless of how deep they are, he can already feel them healing. They won't last long. "Well I'd hoped that she'd changed," Jesse says. "We'll hope that never comes to pass, for your sake," he says, raising his gaze to Strix. "I am curious, though. What have you done that might piss her off?" he asks. He's not afraid to ask the blunt questions - all she can do is tell him that she'd prefer not to say, just like she already has tonight.


<Strix> "Thanks," she mumbled, curling her fingers against her thigh as he asked the inevitable, what she'd done. What was she supposed to say? "Just some stuff. Disobeyed some orders, fought when I wasn't supposed to, picked some fights and kind of got the ball rolling on some **** that could end up making her really upset with me." It was the truth, at least. She only met Axel because she picked a fight with him.


<Jesse Fforde> The dirty details are lacking. Fair enough, Jesse supposes. They don't know each other well enough just yet to be sharing every detail of their lives with one another. Jesse scoffs, inwardly. Orders? There it is, then, the reason why he and Phoenix don't get along. She could try and order him around, but it would never go down quite so well. Sure, yes, he obeyed orders given to him by Velveteen and Micah, but that's because they were head of Tytonidae. Not because they were head of Andras. If it's personal ****? No way would he obey orders, if he doesn't think they're good ones. "Fought when you weren't supposed to? Is Altaire some kind of peace corps now?" he asks, a little incredulous.


<Strix> "Apparently. She wouldn't let Paige and I spar, or Ric and I to abuse each other while we were *******. Anything that left a discernible wound wasn't allowed, even in the interest of learning." She shook her head, still pissed off and irritated over the demand. It wasn't as if they were fighting out of anger or hostility. She wanted to learn, and you could only learn when you practiced. And Strix didn't like to practice with water balloons. The lowest she'd allow was fighting with her fists. "I just... it makes me so mad. That I'm an adult and I can't do something that helps me get stronger. I'm not breaking our secrecy agreement or exposing myself, I'm trying to better myself and get stronger."


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse shrugs. "So just do it," he says. "I'd help you out but she might murder me," he says. "It'll give her another reason to come try stab my eyes out again," he adds with a smirk. "I'm sure Paige'll be amenable - she's not subtle, as far as violence goes," he says, fondly recalling their own mini raid on a house of gangster drug dealers. They'd fuelled each other's desire for slaughter. And then they'd burned the place to the ground. One of his better memories, really.


<Strix> "Your eyes? ****." She had one of her own eyes taken by Ric, back when they were *******. She touched the eye, it having regrown a slightly lighter shade than its mate. "She is. We like to spar, we like to do other stuff too. I just don't know what she's going to do to me if I start fighting again. Plus there's a lot of other, more personal stuff going on that's just gonna make her hate me. We have a history, we've been friends for like eight years, but... some things are too much, you know?"


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse laughs and nods. He probably deserved it, at the time. Even he hates who he'd been, back then - the way he'd acted. It was ******* pathetic. But now he knows how to avoid that fate again. Procreate. Create new baby vampires, that's how he keeps his head above the ground; that's how he keeps that deep, black depression at bay. The desire to die. He shudders, and pushes the memory aside. "I don't, really. Can't claim any friendships that have lasted that long," he says. "And I've always said that honesty is best," he says, and then laughs again. "Maybe that's why some friendships haven't lasted. Hadn't found anyone who appreciated blunt honesty."


<Strix> "Yeah, well. Honesty is best, but I'm not going to go knock on her door and confess my sins. She'll find out when it's not gonna **** up other peoples' lives." She smiled, though, because she appreciated his values and the importance he placed on his family and honesty. She wouldn't ever deny what she'd done, if bluntly asked, but she also knew the value of discretion. For others' sake.


<Jesse Fforde> "Right," Jesse says. He can see where she's coming from. No point in going in and causing trouble where trouble isn't needed. "So long as you're happy in yourself, I suppose, you will do what you think is best," he says. He's not really the kind of person people should come to for advice. A couple of people had already learned firsthand that he's not exactly a coddler. He won't pretend to sympathise if he feels no sympathy. It's a trait people have to learn to accept with him, or they can kindly **** off, as far as he's concerned.


<Strix> "I'm really happy right now. I know you don't know how, or why, or what, but I am." She smiled, leaning forward to look at him with her hands on her knees. "Hey, thanks for meeting me, you know? I'm glad I got to. You're not as big of an *** as Nix says."


<Jesse Fforde> "Sure, no problem," he says, and then hesitates. "Don't be spreading rumours that I'm a good guy now, though, right? It'll ruin my reputation," he says with a smirk. He knows the reasons why Phoenix would call him an asshole and he's not going to defend himself against them. Nor is he going to rant about how much of a ***** she can be, and that's she's the one calling the kettle black. Or whatever that saying is. Truth is, Jesse doesn't really care what she says about him - so far, it seems that most seek him out to find out the truth for themselves. And that's good enough.


<Strix> "Hey, if you spread rumors that I'm a slut, I'll keep your good guy persona to myself," she winked, easy going and carefree as long as they weren't talking at Tjaden or Axel. Anything else was fair game. "I'm glad I met you. I really am."


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse laughs. He'd been a slut too, once upon a time. Once upon a time, he'd have had other things on his mind with this scantily-clad redhead all to himself in his apartment. Even if he'd been seeing someone else, the urge would have been there. Would probably have been followed through. But not now. Grey seems to have changed all that. And, with Grey came a happiness that Jesse cannot place. One that he can't remember having felt before. Perhaps that's why he's not so much of an asshole anymore. A lot of things had changed. A lot of things Phoenix knew nothing about. Still. "Sounds like a deal. I'll hold you to that," he says with a wink. "I'm glad you met me, too," he says, that grin broadening. He's not good with sentiment - would prefer to turn it into a bit of fun than into a deep and meaningful.


<Strix> "Good." She held out her hand to cement the deal with a small wink of playfulness. "You should be. I'm fuckin' awesome, by the way. As you will see in due time. Maybe we can have a party sometime. Not an Altaire thing, just a party."


<Jesse Fforde> A party. Where they would perhaps invite everyone they knew, rather than just a single group. Jesse likes that idea. He encloses Strix's clean hand in his grotty one. He squeezes, just enough. Not too loose, not too tight. A firm handshake. "Sounds like a plan, Jessica Rabbit. I'm sure you're as awesome as you say you are," he says. "We'll hire out a place. We'll bring the house down," he says. The more he thinks about it, the more the idea appeals to him.


<Strix> "Yes! If there's one thing I'm good at, it's party." She grinned and clapped her hands, bounding off of the stool.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse does no bounding. He just watches, amused. "An abandoned warehouse, maybe. We can hire a stage. A band. Get some laser lights from somewhere. Or, no... just some drums, and some fire. Lots of fire. That'll be our lighting," he says.


<Strix> "Yeees! Like a rave!" She clapped her hands and bounced on her heels, the cogs turning in her mind.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse's nose screwed up. "I said a band. Not a DJ. So long as the music is decent..." he says. He prefers the real stuff. Heavy metal. Guitars. None of that electronic ********. One would have found him in an underground grunge club rather than high on E in the middle of a field somewhere.


<Strix> "Okay, okay. A band. But good music. And hot guitarists. I looove a man with an instrument." She grinned and nodded, accepting his musical discretion. "And we're inviting everyone. I'd love to meet more of the Ffordes and the Andras people, and all of that."


<Jesse Fforde> "Yes, sure. I'm sure they'll be keen," he says. An open invite. Anyone and everyone. I'm sure if it's in an open enough location, they'd get a few strays wandering in, too. "Sadly, you've met most the Ffordes already. The only other one who's around that you might not have met is Grey. The rest have sort of... disappeared," he says with a shrug. He has a feeling he'd single-handedly driven Felicity away again. But there's nothing that he could have done. She had disappeared and he had moved on.


<Strix> "Great. That's super cool. Anyway, I gotta go home," her senses with tingling and she was pretty sure Axel was in the building. If anything, she could beat him home. "Hey, you text or call anytime, okay? Even if you just wanna hit up the town and kill ****, or spar or whatever." She grinned, picking up her purse from where she'd set it on the floor. "And text me plans, yeah? For this party. Whenever you want."


<Jesse Fforde> "I'll text you about tattoo, first. Let you know when the design is ready," he says, giving a salute as she lets herself out. He would no doubt get himself cleaned up - or wait for Grey to get home and see if she would do it for him. "I'll see you around!"


<Strix> "See you soon." She called over her shoulder, basically racing out the door to try to beat Axel home and clean up a little bit.