ATH Not-So-Temporary Thread

[Lady Mimicry]

"Perhaps you're right." Ban leaned against Dorian's shoulder, her arm encircling his own. They hadn't know each other long, but she couldn't deny that she'd grown fond of him.

"I'm glad I have you and Lisa."
***
"Justus," he replied, "Who are you? Why are you here?" He'd anticipated drugs and discovered restraints and a kid. Boy, Trigger was a pervert. Apparently, he bedroom antics with Zero couldn't completely satiate her.

"This must be her sex dungeon..."  

[Felixitous]

Dorian blushed. He liked her, too, but would never admit it. He was too shy for that sort of thing. He placed his hand over hers in a gentlemanly fashion and smiled. "I'm, uh, glad I have you both, too."



The boy jumped out from behind the slab and shook his head furiously. "No, no, it's nothing like that!" he shouted. He was dressed as a jester, with one pantleg checkered, the other striped, half of his shirt polka dotted, the other striped, too. Half of his face was covered by a white mask with a great gaping black hole for an eye, and the other was half of the cutest face Justus had ever seen.

"I'm Dietrich," he said. As he stepped closer, Justus noticed a coin slot of sorts on his chest. "Trigger saved me," Dietrich went on. "I was a doll. I was going to be destroyed, but she bought me and took me here, where she gave me life, and skin, too!" He reached up and touched Justus' face, and sure enough, he had skin, and it was rather soft. But then he pulled away and sighed. "I was the first thing she had ever done like this, though. That's why I have this coin slot. She couldn't figure out how to make me self-perpetuating, so I have to be powered by this." He looked around for a second, then turned sharply back to Justus. "Hey, wait, what are you doing down here? You shouldn't be here!"  

[Lady Mimicry]

"Well," Justus said, "that's for me to know," he stepped towards Dietrich and placed a finger against his lips, "and you to never know."

"Have fun down here, kid." Grinning, Justus ascended the staircase, but didn't bother closing the trapdoor. Maybe he'd want out or something? Quietly, he slipped into the hallway again. Trigger he had successfully avoided...if only he could leave before his parents found him.  

[Felixitous]

Aramis, of course, was waiting right outside the door.

"And what was it you were doing?" he asked, stern, but quiet, so as not to wake anyone up. He knew what he'd been doing, of course. He'd watched Trigger grow up. But he wanted to give him the chance to own up to it, just in case.



At some point, while Dorian and Ban were busy pretending not to like one another, Lucy sat up and yawned. He slipped past them and out the door, off once again into the night--well, early morning, but where he was going, the time of day was completely irrelevant.  

[Lady Mimicry]

"Gabe and Adair are waiting, dad," he said, "I'd love to chat, but I can't." Justus had completely avoided his accusations purposefully.

"You should ask Trigger why she's got a sex robot in her floor..." Saluting Aramis, he quickened his pace down the hallway. The door just beyond his reach.
***
Outside, Gabe was leaning against the building and watched Lucy leave. Curiosity set in. So, he'd follow him. Discreetly, of course. Unlike Adair and Justus, Gabe knew how to sneak around.  

[Felixitous]

Aramis grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled him back. "I know about Dietrich. So where are you three off to, huh?" He half wanted to hit him, but he couldn't. He sighed and looked at him. "I worry about you guys, okay?"



Lucy made his way to a club. He'd figured out he was being followed, but he didn't really care. He wasn't doing anything wrong. Well, for the most part, anyway. He made his way through the crowd and drew some glowsticks from his pocket, joining in what appeared to be a rave. He was good, too.  

[Lady Mimicry]

Justus paused. "Dad, there's nothing to worry about, okay?" I've only discovered the joys of sex, Gabriel and Saber started a gang, and Adair's developing his skills as a thief. Perfectly safe. He slipped away from Aramis and brushed his shoulder's off. "We'll visit tonight, I promise."
***
Gabriel watched Lucy, surprisingly impressed with his dancing. Eying his phone, he saw that Saber needed him for...something. s**t. Snapping the phone closed, Gabe disappeared into the crowd, hoping to sneak a dance or two in with Lucy. Hell, he probably wouldn't care whether it was him or not.
***
Saber, meanwhile, was having trouble of his own. Three idiots were surrounding him. It would've been easier with Gabriel, but regardless, he'd kick all of their asses. Drawing his knife, he stabbed the first guy, then dodged the other. Too easy.  

[Felixitous]

Aramis watched him walk away. He knew from too many years of dealing with Trigger that pulling him back again would only make things worse. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair; if anyone else had been awake at that early hour, they would've caught a rare glimpse of the deep scar that ran down his face. He sighed and went back to his room. He needed to tell Froot Loop.



Lucy didn't notice Gabe at all. He was in the arms of--well, someone, and he really didn't care to know who. They kissed, mouths open, and something was pushed in, a small tablet. He laughed and swallowed it. Might as well. Might be fun. By the time Gabe wormed his way toward him, he was already lost to a world of too many colors and kisses that tasted like candy. ((I am implying here that Lucy is like HELLO and started making out with Gabe, lol.))



Saber's trouble didn't last long. As the two remaining attackers starting coming toward him, a girl came flying out of nowhere, a somewhat familiar mallet in hand. The men were squashed, simple as that, and the girl ran off before Saber could get a look at her face.  

[Lady Mimicry]

Once Justus was free, he quickly spotted Saber and jogged over. "Saber," he twisted a dread-lock between his fingers and chuckled, "you look confused."

"I'd say." He kicked one of the guys over and shrugged. Well, whoever the hell had helped him out, he appreciated the assistance. Could've done it himself, but nonetheless.

"Hey, Justus, you wanna grab a drink? Have no ******** clue where Gabe's at."

"Nah, I have a previous engagement." Waving, Justus returned home. He knew there'd be several men and women waiting for him.

Gabriel returned Lucy's candy kisses eagerly, hands trailed down his chest, squeezing his hips. His hips ground against Lucy's to the beat of the music.  

[Felixitous]

It took a bit for Lucy's clarity to return. As it did, he slowed a bit to take in what was going on around him and made a face as he noticed he was in Gabe's arms. Instead of pulling away, though, his arms wound their way around his neck, pushing the soft red hair away from his ear.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Lucy said quietly, though that close, it was easy to hear, even with the loud beat pounding away around them. He knew it was Gabe--someone he, by all rights, could not stand--but oh god, he felt good. If he didn't watch it, he might start responding to him a little too much.

At that point, though, a soft murmur had started to go through the crowd, and it was very clear what they were saying. Lucy looked around as they starting chanting his name, and he sighed and let Gabe go. "You're not getting out of this," he said as he pulled himself nimbly up on the stage of sorts. A cheer went up as he raised his arms, a triumphant smile on his face. He seemed rather popular. He dragged a girl up with him, who looked like she might faint from excitement. A show was about to begin.  

[Lady Mimicry]

Gabriel shuddered and shoved his hands into his pockets. A swell of unearned jealous crept up his spine, but he pushed that away. Lucy could dance with whomever he pleased. Dammit, he didn't have to like it though. Sifting through the ocean of bodies, Gabe exited the club and welcomed the chill of the air against his heated skin.

From the corner of his eye, Gabe noticed a guy, from another gang, watching him. Perfect. He grinned and cracked his knuckles, then his neck. The man disappeared and Gabe followed, sauntering after him. He'd enjoy cracking a few skulls. It was his second favorite thing.  

[Felixitous]

Lucy finished his dancing, the girl laying breathless on the floor, and went back to find Gabe. He frowned when he didn't see him. He liked lecturing him. It gave him a hobby. So, naturally, he turned down the offers the swarmed around him and quickly made it out the door, just in time to see the shaven head (lolwut) disappear around the corner.

The city alleys weren't a pretty thing during the night, though, so he reached in a small box near the entrance to the club and withdrew a baseball bat. It was to be noted that the bat had nails protruding from around the tip so it looked less like a bat and more like a spiked club. He smiled and plucked a bit of scalp off the end and followed after.  

[Lady Mimicry]

Unfortunately, by the time Lucy reached Gabe, he was lighting his cigarette. Several bodies were littered across the ground, their blood pooling together.

Gabe's left eye was swollen, already black and blue. His lip was split too, the blood splattered across his face matched his hair nicely. He very casually eyed Lucy and grinned. He'd missed the party.

"Didn't realize you could dance, b***h."  

[Felixitous]

Lucy walked over and shoved him. "Didn't realize you could get your a** beat so nicely. C'mere." He grabbed him and looked at his eye, rolling his own. "Jesus, you idiot. Get home and fix your face." When Gabe didn't move, he frowned and grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him home. For being so deathly skinny, he was strong.

The entire way, he griped and complained that, if it weren't for his better judgement, he would have left him there and saved himself the trouble, because Gabe would get himself into something he couldn't get out of and Lucy wouldn't be there to drag him home, and Gabe would die, and he'd never have to do this again.

Then, as they neared home, he dropped him and looked at him. "What were you doing following me, anyway? And worse, taking advantage of me while I was blazed out of my mind?"  

[Lady Mimicry]

Gabe looked disgruntled and shrugged. "I didn't take advantage of you," he said, "at least I'm not a stranger, some creep that could've hurt you."

Shoving his hands into his pockets again, Gabriel started in the opposite direction. He'd return home, but not to where Lucy thought was home. To Justus and Adair. His parents didn't need to see him, bruised and bloodied.

"Thanks, Lucy, but I don't need your s**t. Or dad's right now."