Hot Young Things. (Invite Only)

[Kaspar]

(( Kaspar Outfit:
http://www.p o l y v o r e.com/m/set?.embedder ... =194435545 ))

I crush you beneath my feet, stomp of boots to those beneath.

Kaspar hummed to himself, sticking his hands deep into the pockets of his leather jacket as he stalked through the streets, letting words form into lyrics within his mind. He’d had a tune a stuck in his head all week but no lyrics that would fit it, he’d instead focused on writing down the chords, on creating the musical element, making time to jam with the band. Sometimes words just wouldn’t fit, couldn’t and he had to let it go. It wasn’t right, he’d find the right one; perhaps it was supposed to be instrumental, some kind of melodic break in the middle of an album.

You crawl, you reach, but you are so far, so far beneath.

The lights and noise from the club, busy on a Friday night, assaulted his senses as he got closer. It was already getting full, some early starters loitering around the front looking tipsy and demolishing a smoke. Some people just didn’t no how to pace themselves, they were the ones who would be passed out on the couches, or wrecking up the toilets by one in the morning. He had no patience for them, degrading themselves so fantastically so quickly. This is why he rarely got messed up in a club, at a house party yeah maybe or a rave in some unknown place, dark with only splashes of crazy lights that had you reaching out to strangers and holding on just to stay steady. It felt like trying to breathe underwater, those dark, hot spaces and when the lights flashed you finally got to come up for air.

Clawing from the Earth, aiming for the sky but you will never reach me.

As per usual there was a decent line, this place had so many pubs, clubs and bars yet come the weekend they all seemed to be full. How was that even possible? Who cared, it gave him plenty of choice, and work to boot. This one was particularly popular, good location far enough from the slums and yet not too close to the mansions. The equalizer, a real meeting place for everyone from every corner. He dug that, diversity amongst his distractions. Speaking of distractions, his eyes picked a certain new favourite distraction amongst the crowd. One Jameson Dade was loitering close to the building, skulking partially in the shadow as a man pressed a tiny bag into his hand. What a surprise, Jay was scoring.

Pathetic now, just stay below, yeah you will never reach me.

Most people would miss the interaction. It was quick, smooth and they’d both done it a million times over, that much was obvious. Hel was briefly disappointed that the current object of his attentions was facing forward, he would’ve found it funny to sneak up on the guy. He pulled his hands free as he reached the line, lifting them to push back the hood that hid his features from view. Practiced fingers made quick work of smoothing and re-messing up his hair to give it a bit of volume, the perfect bedhead, ready for viewing. He was heading towards Jay and the anonymous dealer when his phone began to ring, the man slipping it out to check who was calling with an irritated huff.

I crush you beneath my feet, I crush you so you will never be.

Indigo, this ought to be good. “Well hello, beautiful… Wait, she’s what?” He rubbed at his face, sighing deeply. “Ok, ok calm down. Yeah, I’m at the club. Meet me? Adley? That name again, fine, alright yes him too. We’ll work this out, beautiful, just come to me.” He hung up after having received her agreement, looking again to pursue Jay. The man was finished with his shady transactions it seemed, and Kaspar was eager to reach him before the contents of the bag were emptied into his tongue, or worse somehow made its way into his arm. His stride picked up in pace, nearly barreling into the slighter man, capturing him up into arms that were stronger than they first appeared. He drawed him into his side, locking him there with an arm about his neck, tugging Jay bodily towards the club. “Nope, we are going inside first you little fiend, we are expecting company now. Have you met Indigo?” He paused before adding, “Or someone named Adley?”

[Jameson Dade]

"You know, you're not without charm. I could probably set you up as an assistant if you want, so you have a chance to really rub elbows with people, get a few events under your belt." Of course 'events' referred to exclusive parties, charities, and banquets; the social fodder of the terminally famous and excessively wealthy. That wasn't Jameson's scene, and Chase was well aware of that. So the human wasn't too surprised when, instead of a verbal answer, he got an expression. An expression that said '**** you'. Jay had attempted a suit at one point, to appease Chase's curiosity. 'You'll clean up nicely!' The man had said. Chase was always attempting to 'help', Jameson like that. Jamie was more than happy to take his money, and chat with him, but changing wasn’t really in the cards. You could no more change the basic nature of fire than you could use clay to burn down a forest. Things were just what they were.

"I just think you might enjoy getting to know a higher class of peop-"

"You can let me out here." Jameson said, interrupting the other man. They were in front of a club. Jameson was seated right across from Chase, and they were in the back of a limousine, being driven to one of those 'events', Chase had been talking about. Of course, the reality of the situation was that Jameson wasn't dressed for all of that, and he would have stuck out like a sore thumb anyway. No surprise Chase looked a little relieved when the vampire asked to get out. Jay got it. Chase felt obligated to try and make Jameson's life better. He felt like it was his responsibility. And maybe it would get him one step closer to the immortality he craved. But at the end of the day, he knew that Jameson was too big of a project to ever really fix, and keeping him close in public, was asking to be embarrassed.

The car came to a stop, and Jameson fiddled with the handle until it opened. He stood in the wedge shaped area created by door and car, peering inside for a moment. "Thanks for the ride. Stop being a snobby *****, it's not cute." He said, showing more teeth than was necessary. The look he got in return was very similar to the expression Jameson had worn just a moment before '**** you'. And then both of them laughed, and then the door was slammed. The car pulled away.

Jameson gave a shake of his head and made his way towards the most important part of the club, dark alley along the side. He wore a pair of red suspenders which were broad, and stark against his plain white shirt. His jeans were fitted, and didn't need any help staying up. In fact, they were so tight, he'd decided not to wear anything underneath, for fear of unpleasant bunching against parts that really didn't need bunching. But that was 'the look' according to the lady who had sold Chase the outfit. And then Chase had given the outfit to him, insisting that he would look good in it. At least they had come with boots, polished tan leather that was light enough to contrast the deep, navy denim. His jeans were fold tucked into the boots, which hadn't been laced up, and had been left open. 'That's not how you wear them', Chase had said. Jameson didn't like to be uncomfortable.

So he was going to score some smack and go home, where he could curl up with Bucket and sleep for a few days. At least, that was the plan as he tucked a baggie into his back pocket. The next thing he knew, he was being touched, gripped and nudged towards the club itself. What the fu—oh. It was the Morningstar. Hel. Kaspar. Whatever name one wanted to call the guy by. Jameson was taken off guard enough that he didn't put up any real resistance. What? Indigo? The color? Adley? Oh. He knew somebody by that name. A few of them. One was a girl who used to do NA with him, the other was a vampire, and friend. The two of them hung out and Adley got blood out of the deal, Jameson got bitten. Fair trade off, if you asked him. "Sure." He answered as they neared the front of the club.

There was a line, but Jameson didn't do lines. "We meeting someone?" He guessed at as he turned the tables, and shifted enough to loop an arm around Kas, his grip tightening hard enough to keep them flush side against side. Noted. It looked a little ridiculous. Like they were entering into a three legged race together, but Jameson really didn't care what he or anyone around him looked like. He felt naked without his MC cuts. ******* Chase and his ******* outfits. He tugged them right along to the front. There were some people who weren't too pleased about it, but they were just background noise. Most people were, vampire or human, or whatever else there was in the world. They didn't matter to Jameson.

"Do me and my friend here a solid and let us in?" He asked of the bouncer at the door. The man looked like he was about ready to tell them to **** off, so Jay lifted a hand. Eyes too small for the head they were in squinted at his fingers. The bouncer was bald and obviously felt that being touched by some random junkie was just about as bad as getting HIV. Jay stroked over the guy's cheek. In that second, there was a transference of energy. Chemical. Magical. Jay couldn't have said what it was, but immediately the guy just. Sagged where he stood, holding his clip board, looking ******* high out of his head. So Jameson just went right inside while the guy was distracted, dragging Kas right along with him.

[Indigo]

Once her fingers set down the phone in her hand Indigo’s hands went to her forehead and brushed back the plethora of caramel curls that had been reduced to a cloud thanks to earlier. Softly she stepped back through the hallway. Her indigo eyes fixed on the cloud of black and white silk floating over the monochrome floor like a cat finding its way back to it’s chosen sweet spot to rest. Her hands moved first palms down on the bed and crawled forward. The shape beneath the smooth silk stirred with her movements.

“Adley?” She purred out his name softly. How much more could she really ask out of him before it became too much? “You awake?” She figured he should be getting a little put out with her string of bad luck that kept threatening to pull her down with the next kink thrown into the mix. “I need to ask a favor…” If that had not become a pattern statement for her it was sounding like it could be. “Marina is missing. I got the car back but the guy I called that saw her last asked me to head to the club where we were before the accident. I rather not go alone if at all possible. He is cool. It’s those I don’t know that has me a little less than comfortable heading out.”

Inching her body back she slowly pulled the silk bedding with her that inch by inch revealed the dark Adonis resting beneath it. Her hand reached down and gave the foot attached to the body that had yet to move a playful tap.

“I will drive if you want to sleep.”

Indigo announced as an option while her bare body slid into what was within reach. She cared less what she looked like and left the makeup behind. Marina had left to get take-out and supplies. When she failed to return she figured the woman found Kaspar or whoever else she may have made contact with and was sleeping off another party. The woman was infamous for hitting them 24/7. When the police called asking for someone to move the vehicle parked in a limited term space it set all sorts of other possibilities into the mix of where Marina could be.

Fifteen minutes later and as much time discussing with the beauty of a man next to her just what could have possibly happened to the girl who was in the middle of a disappearing act the jeep slowed to park outside the club. She watched him waiting to hook her eyes on his and swim in the hope they seemed to generously provide up until that moment.

“Did I tell you how awesome you have been?” Indigo smiled as much as she could under the circumstances. He was impossible at resisting the lift of at least one corner of her mouth. The guy was a blessing of all sorts and he was going to know it. “Seriously…”

With that her hand pulled the door handle and she slid out of the seat and closed the door behind her. In a short amount of time she went from feeling lost, scared for her life and aching. Now she was stepping back to the scene of the crime and she was already feeling stronger while physically her body was still trying to catch up.

Indigo ignored the side glances of the bodies coming and going as she waited by the doors for Adley to meet up with her. A bouncer nodded for her to step in and she repeated the dip of her head back to the direction she came from. A cool stare settled on her face and she dipped her head away to face Adley. As soon as he was closer she would make her way in. Hopefully once inside she would find Kaspar and a worse for wear but alive and kicking Marina in his care.

[Adley Reed]

Of course after the wounds had been cleaned up and the majority of the scent of blood had been erased by disinfectant, Adley had calmed. And he’d realised that he really liked this house – and this girl who owned it. Human as she was, and entirely oblivious to vampirekind – but he would prefer that she want to keep his company, rather than have her laugh him out of her home. So he kept the secret. And his eccentricities fell into line, things that were probably noticed but which weren’t quite commented on yet.

He slept during the day, for one – he told her the truth in regards to that one. He’d already led a nocturnal life before he’d been turned, and not much had changed; most of the more gruesome crimes happened at night time, so that was when he worked. And it exhausted him, running around the city all night, so he needed his sleep – lots of it. And he couldn’t sleep unless in pitch blackness. “Ever since I was a child…” he said, as if it was some cute quirk he had grown up with. That was where the lies started.

If she noticed that he never ate, she never said anything.

If she noticed that he never touched her, she never said anything.

Whether or not she slept in the same bed when he did, Adley wasn’t aware – maybe they time-shared. He had it during the day, she had it half the night. Maybe in the middle, sometimes, they’d cross over. Thus far, they hadn’t ended up accidentally spooning. He hadn’t accidentally killed her with his touch without realizing. Which was a boon. Maybe she thought he was some kind of weirdo with personal space issues; maybe it was something she respected.

Truth was, Adley had become a squatter in this house that wasn’t his. Soon enough he spent more time there than he did in his own apartment. It was something he wouldn’t admit to anyone, ever, but he didn’t like being alone. Although he and Zaleski could still speak to each other, things weren’t the same. They didn’t spend as much time together as they could – how much had he seen her recently, anyway? And then Indigo had come along, and without really knowing what he was doing or why, Adley had stuck. And she wasn’t getting rid of him. He didn’t pay rent. He figured he could do her as many favours as she wanted.

Besides, it boosted his ego to think that he could act as a glorified bodyguard. He didn’t need to be told he was awesome. That was something he already knew.

It hadn’t taken him long to dress – smart casual, with his slacks and plain tee and matching jacket, all fitting snugly against his body. The camera was still looped across his chest – an item he rarely went anywhere without. In the Jeep, he hadn’t offered Indigo the suggestion that her friend had become a snack for some creature of the night, her body now swimming with the fishes in the thawing river. Instead, he offered the tamer suggestions – trying to boost Indigo’s mood with a little hope. He didn’t know this Marina. For all he knew, she could be careless about her friends’ concern. She could be inside, waiting for Indigo. For Indigo’s sake, Adley sure hoped so.

He stepped up onto the curb beside Indigo, his shoulders squared. He had no tricks up his sleeve to get them through the door any quicker, but of course the bouncer recognized the beauty of the pair together, the way they seemed to glow with an Amazonian regality. They were ushered inside, and Adley’s fingers found the small of Indigo’s back, making sure that his fingertips never dare brushed the bareness of her skin. He reassured her of his presence, searching the crowd for the same thing she was – even though he had no idea what he was looking for.

[Kaspar]

((Song playing as they enter the club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkWF2WkWd7g ))

Hel’s fond laughter rippled forth as Jay’s arm locked boldly around his waist, securing the men together so tightly you’d need a crowbar to pry them apart. He liked that about the scrawny troublemaker, that intense and frequent contact he encouraged. Kaspar thought he was going to fight it, to lash out but he noticed too quickly exactly who had taken him away, too squirrely to surprise. Jameson was looking good tonight, better, it seemed someone might’ve forced him into making a vague effort and it reminded Kaspar of his promise to take the man shopping. His brows shot up at Jay’s response to his question, yeah he knew an Adley. Surely it wasn’t a common enough name for there to be more than one in this town. He wanted to ask more, perhaps too curious about the man that Indigo had spent a large amount of time with since her accident. He didn’t get the chance.

The bouncer loomed before them, and before Hel could do his normal nod to get in, Jay was up to his shenanigans.

He never could do things the easy way. Jameson made some strangely hypnotizing motion with his hand, looking like he was about to pull a karate chop move on the bouncer, some praying mantis ******** or other before instead stroking the large man’s cheek. Odd, the way the man slumped as if hit by a potent drug. Hel made a mental note to ask about it later, letting himself be dragged further into the club. It was loud inside and the song playing made his lips twitch up into a slow spreading grin, not the usual club track but a song he loved and it seemed appropriate. He lowered his head, so close that his lips brushed the curl of Jay’s ear as he spoke. “We are meeting a beautiful woman, and this… Adley man. She’s human, so play nice, would you?” Kaspar dropped a lingering kiss behind his ear, “Oh, and the bouncer? He knows me, next time just let me go first, I can get us into most places without Jedi mind tricks or whatever you pulled, weirdo.”

He took a step back, tugging Jay’s arm free of his waist and pushing him forward, pressing his taller frame into him, chest to back, one arm wrapping loosely around his waist, the other pressing at his shoulder to lead him. “First things first, we look for her vapid friend, I was one of the last people to spend time with her before she went missing and I feel somewhat responsible for at least pretending to look. My guess? She’s got herself killed, and we won’t find her again. Her name is Marina, if you’ve heard it around, not the worst lay I’ve had but she was no Jameson Dade. Party girl with little left in her brain that isn’t tainted by vanity. Indigo though, she’s…” He sighed against the man’s neck, nuzzling his face in, “Something else. I think you’ll like her, Jameson.”He tried not to get distracted by the music, by the urge to tug his skinny acquaintance into the crowd and writhe along to the beat with the crush of bodies. A quick circulation, a few questions asked of familiar faces and nothing. No one had seen Marina, no one appeared particularly bothered either.

Shame.

At least it meant he was off the hook as far as the responsibility of looking for her here at the club, he’d tell Indigo he made a valiant effort, tell her not to give up looking but to reconsider her hope of finding the girl. She’d be upset no doubt, but he’d try to keep her calm, let her know he’d keep her safe and keep looking for her friend until they got answers. Too easy. He knew she’d seek the comfort of open, waiting arms. “Mmm, Jay? What on Earth are you planning on dropping into that system of yours tonight? I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of THAT into mine.” Hel murmured just loud enough for him to hear, steering the man once more towards the front of the club, hand reaching passed him to point at the delicious caramel that had just breezed in the door. Indigo. It seemed like the crowds parted to let her through, heads turning to get a glimpse of the utterly natural beauty and the man with her. Beautiful too, enough to have Kaspar thinking on what it would be like to tug that ridiculously plump lip between his teeth.

Damn.

This night was about to get a hell of a lot more interesting.

[Jameson Dade]

Cool breath on his ear, close enough that Jameson got the tingles of anticipation which came with knowing a certain fanged someone's lips are near your neck. Maybe that was a sensation unique to those who lived in Harper Rock, or maybe it was some kind of leftover instinct from days when men had slept under the stars, before cities had existed, when the most advanced technology was the sharpest spear head. Jameson couldn't recall having felt it prior to being turned, but his memories were fuzzy at the best of times. Usually he recalled emotions and impressions more clearly than details and events. "If it's the Adley I know, he's a beautiful man." Which meant they should make quite the imposing pair, easy to spot in a crowd. Modern day Paris and Helen. Or something. Was this what it was like to be Kaspar? Go to a nice club. Meet up with attractive friends. Do attractive things? Jameson wasn't confident that he would fit in exactly, but he was more than happy to make a valiant effort.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a brush of lips against his skin. His hand moved under Hel's leather jacket to squeeze against a side reassuringly. "They just. Let you in places? Just like that?" He asked. And then he chuckled, because that was nothing at all like his experience of the world. Yeah. He was a little bit out of his depth for sure. "Alright, but if anyone gives you like. Free things for being pretty, I'm keeping them." He decided. That was a thing wasn't it? He knew there were jokes about cops who would choose not to write a ticket for a bombshell blonde, or women who shamelessly used their good looks to get stuff. Jay was pretty sure Iit worked the same way for guys like Kas.

There were just some people in the world who were natural born leaders, who immediately got attention and love no matter where they went or what they did. These were the people who were popular in high school, the jocks and cheerleaders, who parted crowds with their foot steps and got whatever they wanted. Being cool and being beautiful were commodities as good as education, and wealth. Kas was one of those people. Not a cheerleader or jock per se, but he was cool, and people wanted him to like them. The alphas of the pack. The single shining stars in a solar system full of satellites that could only ever reflect their brilliance, or planets who relied on them to sustain life. Of course, Adley was like that too. If it was the same Adley. Could the world take two people burning so brightly?

Or would there be catastrophe?

Some sick part of Jameson wanted to watch it play out, the part of him that craved destruction, and that wanted to be a casual observer during the apocalypse. He smiled. Okay. So maybe pretty people had their own problems too.

Besides. In high school, Jameson hadn't been part of all of that. He hadn't been a jock or a geek, or even a stoner. Not really. He hadn't seen the inside of a classroom enough to have a clique. And then Max had been the only person in his world who had mattered. They had dropped out together. Gotten high together. Broken all the rules together. The only thing they hadn't shared was death.

There was a body against his own, a chest tucked to his back. Jay leaned into it easily. For someone who hadn't had many friends most of his life, Jameson was very 'ride or die' with the ones he did have. His head tipped back and he brushed his lips against a jaw lazily. Warm. Comfortable. He didn't have the energy for the music that was playing, but he could have swayed like that for a while, two human shapes hiding a couple of monsters behind their silhouettes.

"No." He wasn't going to promise he would play nice. He didn't make promises that he couldn't keep in the very immediate future. Fewer disappointed people that way. "Does she know her friend is probably drained and dead somewhere?" Aka: Does she know about vampires? Even if it wasn't the supernatural that got you in Harper Rock, it was the criminal element. Life expectancy once you got across the city border and into town was pretty bleak. Oh well, he was happy to play along. It wasn't the first time he had wandered through a crowd, asking if anyone had seen someone in particular. But all he really had was a name. He split away from Kas to help comb the dance floor, but there were no biters and Jay's heart wasn't in it anyway.

By the time he and Hel got back together, and Jay was pressed close, his head turned down to lay against a shoulder, the topic had moved right along. "You'll have to wait and find out. Call it a surprise." He said as he was nudged towards the front of the club, just cooperative enough to keep them moving whilst making it very clear that he was more comfortable with the idea of sprawling on Kas. And that was when they found Indigo and Adley. Well that confirmed at least one thing. Jameson broke away from Kas for the second time that evening so he could approach, a hand drawn up so he could lay a hand against Adley's shoulder. Fingers moved through the air and gripped just tight enough to be friendly. Don't worry bro, I won't blow your bloodsucky cover. He leaned closer to Indigo, until he could capture her gaze with his own.

"You know, he said you were beautiful, but he was selling you short." BAM ice broken. He let his free arm curl around her, dragging her into a greeting hug. He really was surrounded by pretty people. "I'm Jameson, but you can call me Jay, and I'm going to call you Indie, like the best kind of film and music." He decided when he was still close enough that he could speak against her ear. Then he drew back and gestured towards Hel. Paris and Helen indeed. Troy was going to be burning any time soon. Or maybe it was Harper Rock.

"Adley, looking good as always. Tell me, Indie, does he just roll out of bed looking like that?" Assuming they were dating or something. Jameson liked to do that. Make assumptions. There were too many people in the world who were afraid of being wrong or looking 'stupid', but Jay was fine with both of those things. Besides. Putting people on the spot was divine comedy.

[Indigo]

The scent of the club hit her hard as she moved through the doors. The strong reminder of excessive cologne and second hand alcohol fumes sent a chill up her spine. The weight of the body that hand slid down her back returned but was banished with the subtle pressure of Adley’s hand at the small of her back. The pinch of her bottom lip between her teeth kept it from being one of those events that consumed her mind and body to the point she stopped in her tracks. Instead she moved forward, making her way through the sea of bodies as it parted slowly.

Faces. There was so many to take inventory of on her search for one in particular. The brush of a random shoulder and the subtle sounds of approval as she passed by went without the usual smile or nod to signal notice. Indigo was used to being surrounded by strange eyes combing over her as she moved around in places like she was currently in. She didn’t give the world around her a second thought until the other night. Now each and every body within reach of her became a possible threat.

Indigo did the only thing she could while the search was coming up empty for the statuesque blonde Marina. She glanced back to find those brilliant pools of reassurance on the man behind her and felt the flood of a temporary calm find its way through her. Beneath the mix of shifting hues of lights and the pulsing vibration of the club beats beneath her feet she was tempted to do what she would have had they not been there for another purpose. She was sure he could move to the rhythm provided and so much of her wanted to find out...at another time. Her eyes locked on the glowing rocker standing tall while leading another dark and handsome version of a male worth taking notice of. Was he another of Marina’s recent finds who had information? The position of the two men nearly melting into their joint effort of contact made a statement.

“There he is.” Indigo reached back to take Adley’s hand but missed the window of time it was behind her back. The disappointment was instant yet brief as her attention returned to the two approaching them. “Kaspar!”

The reach of the hand that found Adley’s shoulder in greeting took her focus with it. Obviously these three eyefulls knew each other and rather well at that. Glancing to Kaspar hoping to get a word in she found her attention pulled suddenly to the newest face that was focusing on her. As soon as he spoke Indigo was feeling the pull of his hand bringing her closer to him. Close enough that everything else faded as she felt his words against the curl of her ear. Each one released moved the reckless strands of hair as he spoke of what he would call her. If charm could be bottled and sold it was wise to invest in the three she was in the company of.

“Jay.” Her arm wrapped lightly around the waist that found hers and her hand pawed at his chest. It felt like it she had held him far more often than at that moment. “You can call me Indie anytime.” She winked nearly forgetting why she was there to begin with or what happened during her last visit.

Feeling the separation of their contact she glanced back to Kaspar and gave a wink before shifting her attention to Adley. Just as she did the man was the center of the small groups attention. Of course he was looking good. She had seen enough to know there was so much goodness in that body that it needed to be confirmed with a slow nod as Jameson continued to point it out. And there it was. The question she had the answer to. Instead of delivering it she was more than happy to be as welcoming as Jay’s hug was.

“Only one way to find out. Kaspar brings you back to the house and you find out for yourself? Mmm, yes, he is worth checking out” Her brow lifted just enough to hook the invite as a solid one and the smile appearing at her lips to say it was genuine. She looked at all three.“Nothing wrong with that is there? The more the merrier, right?”

Of course there wasn’t. Not in Indigo’s mind. She was one of those that believed in an open mind and heart. If it was real it was not going to want to hold you down, tie you up or suffocate you until you wanted to kill it. It would inspire you to be free and she chose the dynamics of her ideal relationships in that very same way. As far as she was concerned it was all good.

“Any sign of her?” Indigo stepped in and lifted up on her toes and kissed Kas on the cheek. Her hand found his chest just as it had Jameson's.

[Adley Reed]

The music swarmed around Adley; a peripheral distraction. It was loud – loud enough to get into one’s bones, to make one want to dance, to grind against another hot body, and to laugh while doing so. And yet, they had come to the club with a purpose, and Adley knew by the way that Indigo glanced back at him that she was remembering the night of the attack, of the car crash. It was reasonable that her reaction to the place would be less than enthusiastic. Did they think that her Marina would have come back here? If it was a popular watering hole, maybe so.

It wasn’t long before Indigo pointed out her friend. At first, Adley wondered whether Jameson had given Indigo some kind of alias – that he was Kaspar. But it was only a momentary assumption before Adley caught sight of the other – tall in a way that could look scrawny, but that kind of exterior could be deceptive. He had eyes that were sharp and hair that belied a devil-may-care attitude. A man who looked as if he were in complete control of himself and his actions; a man not unlike Adley himself, who looked right at home in any situation. As if he owned the place. Hell, Adley surmised – he looked just like Jameson’s type.

Adley’s assessment of the stranger was interrupted by Jameson’s greeting. Gleaming, perfect white teeth were offered in a greeting smile – teeth that Jameson would be quite familiar with. In classic Jameson fashion, he took Indigo up in his arms as if he’d known her all his life; and Adley watched with a strange kind of fondness. These were two people he had grown to care for in a very short period of time, and Jameson could hold Indigo in a way that Adley could not. At first he couldn’t pinpoint the feeling – but after a few long seconds he recognised the relief. It soothed his varying frustrations.

At the compliment, Adley stood up a little straight, if at all possible. The smile broadened into something mischievous, a knowing, confident gleam to his green eyes. Indigo suggested they all go back to her place; Adley had no qualms with Jameson joining them. In fact, he was curious to know what Jameson’s reaction would be to the veritable palace, and the bed big enough to fit a comfortable orgy. And yet, there was still that unknown factor.

”Jameson is well practiced in checking me out,” he said with a wink, before he turned a curiously arched brow at Kaspar, eyes again giving the man a once over. Kaspar was acquainted with Indigo, though Adley did not know how well they knew each other; he seemed to know Jameson intimately. Adley, too, had a claim on the both of them. Would this stranger have a problem with that? He looked the sort. They would have to wait and see – a question had been asked which Kaspar had the answer to. It was probably more important than any pissing contest that may or may not occur.

[Kaspar]

It didn’t take the four long to reach each other, his name on Indigo’s lips and her eyes seeking him out, only to be interrupted by his companion’s antics. Jameson’s reaction to Indigo was something of a relief for Kaspar, the man liked shiny, beautiful things just as much as he did. Perhaps more. Jay was drawn to the shining young beauties like a moth to the flame, he was eager to be burned up in their brightness and use it to enhance his own. He’d been unable to resist approaching Kaspar the night they had met, to turn him down when he’d told him to meet him again. Looking at Adley only further confirmed this. Oh yeah, they knew each other alright, the way the man looked at both Jameson and Indigo was comfortable, confident.

Funny, it was probably quite similar to how Hel looked himself right about now. Something about this guy felt like he was catching a glimpse of his reflection in a pond, distorted, not quite him but there were similarities. Thank god he wasn’t, his reflection these days was full of horrors he refused to think on, instead focusing on the discussion at hand. A smirk had curled his lips up on one side, watching Jameson at work, unsure if the man was overly confident or just didn’t give a **** what people thought. Probably the latter.

Adley rolling out of bed? Now that was an interesting thought, and the handsome man in question looked rather pleased with himself at the response to it. Indie, it was cute and it was going to stick, was talking about them all coming back to her place. Three men and the little lady, now that would be a party. He began to wonder if Adley was human, something about the way the lights flashed on him at times made look unearthly and pale. He wanted to get closer and find out but chose to practice patience instead, letting his eyes roam over the finely formed man. Head to toe, up and down as he spoke to the little group, acknowledging Jay as an ongoing acquaintance.

What exactly was their relationship? Drug bender buddies? Friendship? Something more intimate? Kaspar looked between each of them, making little connections in his head, that familiar sensation building within him, that niggling idea that had been hovering at the edge of his mind since he had met Jameson. Indie had brought it closer to the surface, another piece of the puzzle that fit within the world he was building for himself, he wondered if Adley would complete it or if he belonged in a different box altogether.

His eyes on him kept Kaspar in the moment, those beautiful pale eyes, a brow raised artfully over them. ****. Was that a challenge? He didn’t know quite how to approach this Adley, did he treat him as an ally, an almost equal? He wasn’t concerned about loosing the attention of the other two, he hadn’t even begun to try. Hel put the issue aside as his favourite little caramel pressed herself into his personal space. Ah, so warm, so soft. He collected her up in his arms with ease, palm pressing at the small of her back to keep her close as he bowed his head to accept her kiss, leaving one of his own at the side of her neck. Possessive? Possibly, once people showed themselves worthy of being a part of his world he would worship them with affection, he would protect them as if they were his.

He kept his head lowered, close to hers to make it easier to speak without raising his voice too much above the din of the crowd, the thumping music. “I’m sorry, beautiful, Jay and I looked. No one has heard from her, or seen her. I… I will keep trying, you know that I will but I want you to steel yourself for the possibilities. Alright? I’ll be here to keep you safe, but I don’t know what I can do for Marina. Forgive me, Indigo, I cannot lie to shield you. It would hurt more, and I don’t want to hurt you.” Yes, let her seek his comfort, his love and praise. His free hand lifted to take her chin, tilting her head so he could get a better look at that gorgeous face staring at him hoping he had all the answers.

He had none, but he felt a fierce protectiveness for this delicate creature. His hand moved, tilting her head, thumb slipping over that plump lower lip. “Swelling has gone down, that’s good, and your bruising is fading. You are recovering well, Indie child, we boys will get you back into shape. The more the merrier, as the saying goes.” He slid that hand along her jaw, letting it slide down to cup the side of her neck as his lips found her cheekbone, teasing a kiss over the place a bruise had so cruelly blossomed, barely visible now. Reluctantly he withdrew from her, now was not the time to get lost in that smooth skin. Over her head he peered at Adley and Jameson, brows raised as he sought their agreement. “Isn’t that right, gentlemen? She’ll be safe with us.”

He turned her in his embrace so that she was tucked against his left side, stepping forward to capture Jay around the shoulders against his right, and finally addressing Adley. It was time for the two to meet, time to weigh his worth and take his measure. “Kaspar, or Hel if you prefer, and you must be the Adley our sweet Indigo here has been spending so much time with. A knight in a glistening gold jeep, hm? It’s a pleasure to meet you, after all we seem to have the same taste in companions. Perhaps the four of us could have a drink? Settle some nerves.” His brushed up and down Indigo’s back in a soothing stroke, a small frown creasing his brow. “It’s been a long week, and I think we could all use a bit of friendly company.”

[Jameson Dade]

There was something very familiar about Indie. Being close to her was like being trapped in a moment of calm. Maybe it was because Adley was there, and Kaspar was there that Jameson felt so at home with her. She looked delicate, but not fragile. And maybe that was part of it too; he saw a kindred soul in her. Give me an opportunity and I'll make a mistake. And take me as I am. But maybe all of that was just delusion, or projection, because Jameson wasn't the sort of person who looked at a new person in the group as an invader. There were some people who might have been threatened, but that wasn't him. He just accepted. Blindly. Attentively. It took a special kind of person to rub Jameson the wrong way. Oh yes, there were some people he just looked at and thought *****, but they were usually of the variety who had been handed everything in life. Jealousy maybe. But there again was that kindred spirit thing, because Indie seemed more than happy to take him at face value. Sister, came the thought unbidden into his mind. Maybe. We'll see. She's not my sister unless she steals my bike at least once.

The moment passed, and it stuck. An ancient mosquito caught in amber. She was the maybe sister.

Rather than retreat back to Hel immediately, he twisted to face the same direction as Adley and Indie. The view of Hel set against the background of a club was nice. Someone should have snapped a picture. Passed it around. Guaranteed the attendance at the club would spike in less than a week. Wait a second. Orgy? "Well I think we know where the night is going to end then." He replied as an arm slid across Indigo's back. And then a glance sidelong towards Adley at his comment, and a smile. Sometimes that was all you needed to get your point across. Well. That and the casual drag of a gaze down to Adley's ***. Yes he had looked in the past as well. Touched. Never gone beyond that point though. Jay didn't mind letting someone know they were attractive. Even if they didn't particularly think he was. Even if nothing came of it. People didn't stop being hot just because they didn't like you that way. That was something a lot of people either didn't get, or didn't want to believe. Jameson had enough **** to deal with, without dealing with repressed horniness as well.

Fingers curled against Indie's opposite side. The more the merrier. She said. Oh yes. They were going to get along just fine. Like pancakes and syrup. Sticky and sweet and filling. Or. Something like that. But the conversation moved right along, onto the topic of Indie's friend, the one who had gone missing and was probably dead. Jameson wanted to tug the woman aside, sit her down on his lap, and have a good long chat with her about the reality of the situation. He could be blunt when he needed to be. But a hand on the back and fingers gently dragging along the spine generally helped to dull the pain of loss. He just didn't see the point of keeping her in the dark about everything. A person who didn't know about the dangers around every corner was likely to step right into them. Sure, she had protectors. Like Adley. Maybe Kas. Definitely Jameson now. But there was a saying about an ounce of prevention and...you get the drift.

But it wasn't his call. He'd just met Indie, and he wasn't about to go spoiling anything for Hel or Adley with her. Jameson could smell tension. He glanced between Adley and Hel. It was like two male lions sniffing each other out. Jay resisted the urge to grab each of them by the back of the head and shove their faces together. Now kiss. Hopefully he was just reading into the situation. It wouldn't have been the first time, and he had been thinking just a few moments ago that they were too similar to get along really well. But who even made those rules? Psychologists? A bunch of quacks, the lot of them. Television tropes? Well now that had some merit.

They were moving. Kas hugged Indie, which forced Jay's arm to slide away, not that he minded. Everyone got their time. And then they were close. Kisses, like some kind of European greeting, or a measure of comfort between two very close friends. Jay wanted to shove against them like some kind of interloper and kiss the both of them on a cheek, but he didn't. He couldn't be a complete weirdo. They looked cute together. ****. He really was completely surrounded. And while they were getting comfortable for a moment, Jameson slid to press against Adley's side. He wasn't really part of the conversation about the friend. He suspected Adley wasn't either, so he was fine with being an observer to the whole thing while Hel and Indie chatted about it, his cheek coming to rest against the Necuratist's shoulder, an arm loosely, affectionately winding around a middle.

At least until things progressed another few steps.

"Like you even have to say anything." He said. Call them Fort Knox. There was one thing tugging at his mind though. The urge to protect was great. Fantastic. Certainly the type of thing that the alpha boys were going to think of, but Jameson wasn't an alpha personality. To him, empowerment was a greater weapon than offering to be a living shield for someone. Give a girl a gun and she could take care of herself. An ounce of prevention is wo...again, you get the point. He would bring it up later, rather than just spill the beans on Indie. Maybe Kas and Adley had some reason for keeping her in the proverbial dark. Jay just wasn't like that, he didn't roll with a crew like that, he didn't think in those terms.

Jay slid away from Adley to press against Hel's side, beckoned there almost. He felt a little like some kind of slut for physical contact. Must touch all the people. Must press against each of them in turn. He liked physical affection, would do it as much as possible unless told otherwise. "I'll get the drinks if someone else picks us out a secluded little seat to tuck ourselves into. Preferably a little dark so I can touch on all of this perfection without getting odd looks." He said, gesturing to everyone in their little group. "So pass your orders my way." He said before his hand dropped to give Hel's backside a little squeeze through those leather pants. He then dragged himself out from under an arm, hand lifting to drag his length of dark hair out of his face, putting himself between the group and the bar.