On The Prowl (styx and sloanes and EchoMonroe)

[styx and sloanes]

━━━ ♛ ISAAK VOLKOV
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.Knitting his brows together lightly as the male fished something out of his bag, Isaak was a bit surprised that Monroe was actually willing to share those memories with him. Isaak didn't see him as the sharing type, but he still grinned as he looked down at pictures of a younger version on the male. Isaak held up one of the pictures of a much-younger Monroe, comparing the picture with the guy in front of him. "You certainly looked much happier," Isaak stated firmly as he set the picture down and looked over at Monroe as he spoke about his past in the circus.

It was obvious that those were times that Monroe would want to go back to. Isaak let a small sigh cross his lips, feeling almost sorry for the male. It must have been truly difficult to have something that he cherished so much be taken away from him. "But it's better to have those times as memories, rather than never having had them at all," That was mainly Isaak's attempt to uplift the other's spirits, as he got up and grabbed both their plates before placing them in the sink for him to wash later on.

After having Monroe ready himself to leave, the two of them walked outside. "Take care of yourself." Isaak almost demanded with a sincere smile across his lips before walking away, towards his workplace. Isaak mainly made it seem like a farewell because he wasn't really sure if Monroe would be willing to take Isaak up on his offer. Furthermore, if that was the case, he probably wouldn't show up at the shelter for weeks.


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Isaak spent the entirety of his shift in an upbeat mood, much like his usual self. Except his mind consisted of circus acts and, well, Monroe. It was rare for Isaak to meet someone that genuinely intrigued and interested him in a way that he wanted to get to know them even more. But here he was, hoping that Monroe shows up at the shelter, just so he could get to hear more things about the male. Isaak had even spent his lunch break on his laptop, researching circuses and the several acts that Monroe had said he was capable of doing. It was fascinating, to say the least. Isaak had also found something that might actually intrigue Monroe himself, which gave Isaak more reason to hope that he decides to show his face at the shelter.

It was close to midnight, which meant the shelter's registry for the night would be closing up soon. Every time the door swings open, Isaak's eyes shoot towards whoever is walking in, and every time he's slightly more disappointed. "Would you like me to help you with that?" Isaak offered with a wide smile across his lips as a guy was having trouble fixing his bed sheets. Isaak was met with a a couple of slurred phrases which weren't coherent enough for him to understand, but he did understand the male's body language as he stopped attempting to fix the bed and took a step away. "Have a good night." Once done with that, Isaak glanced around just to see if anyone else needed help as most were making their way to their beds, while others were leaving after having eaten a decent meal.




EchoMonroe
hope it's alright that I kinda time skipped
I'm willing to change it up, really ~

 

[EchoMonroe]

☽ I can be your heavenly or I can be your hell
I can say a prayer for you or I can cast a spell ✬

After Monroe left Isaak's apartment his day steadily started to go to s**t. It started off small with someone stealing his cigarettes which was more of an annoyance than anything but it gradually snowballed out of control which is how he found himself curled into a ball in a shitty motel room after some dude beat the crap out of him. He'd paid for the night and even extra to let him tie Monroe to the bed. He'd started to get rough in a way Monroe didn't like and when he voiced that the man punched him in the face. It was all a bit of a blur after that. Monroe finally came back to himself laying on the stained bedspread staring at the john's back. The clock on the bedside table told him it was eleven forty five. He carefully pulled himself from the bed and slowly made his way to the bathroom to inspect the damage. It was bad to put it lightly. His right cheek was already a nasty shade of purple, his bottom lip was swollen and bleeding, his nose was bleeding, there were dark bruises around his throat from where he'd been choked the list continued. I look like a crime scene...I can't do this. He took a shower and scrubbed himself raw. He felt gross. He stepped out of the shower thankfully now free of blood though the bruises were still there. Parts of his skin were red from how hard he'd been scrubbing at his skin. I can't do this anymore. He quickly redressed and made his way out of the room after snatching the money left on the dresser. He wasn't sure how he'd managed to make it to the shelter with less than a minute before they closed. He spotted Isaak and slowly made his way up to the other keeping his eyes firmly locked onto the floor. He cleared his throat to make his presence known before speaking. "I could use some help," he said roughly. He almost couldn't recognize his own voice, it sounded like he'd been screaming (which he had been) but it also sounded soft and weak. Weak. Just the thought was nearly enough to make him bolt, the idea of anyone seeing him in this state set him on edge but he managed to stand his ground.

✬ I push you to the darkness just to pull you to the light
Cause I can take away your breath or I can bring you back to life ☾

(OOC:Oh it's fine really. I don't mind the time skip)

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styx and sloanes

 

[styx and sloanes]

━━━ ♛ ISAAK VOLKOV
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.Isaak let out a slight sigh as he glanced down at his watch. With only a few minutes until midnight, it seemed like Monroe had found another bed for the night. The thought alone made Isaak question if he should even be bothering to help someone in that kind of situation. However, it wasn't like Isaak to turn his back on someone whom he thought needed help. Despite that, he still wasn't even sure if Monroe even wanted his help, so it wouldn't make much of a difference what Isaak wanted to do.

The dyed-blonde was packing up the food that was left over from dinner, seeing as not as many people showed up as they usually did. Isaak could never tell if that was a good or bad thing. It would be good if it meant they found a better place to eat and sleep at, but most of the time it would be the bad version: they would be passed out in some alley or street and unable to make it to the shelter.

Hearing the voice from behind him, Isaak plastered a smile on his face as he turned around. "Ah, of course. How can I-" He paused shortly when he noticed that it was Monroe. Isaak was only a moment away from being happy, if he hadn't noticed the bruising on the side of the male's neck. Taking a step closer, he reached out his hand to lift Monroe's face just so he can see his bruised neck properly. That was when he saw the rest of his face. Isaak felt sick to his stomach. It only took a few moments for his worry for the male's well-being to turn into absolute rage. "What the <********> happened to you?" Isaak questioned through gritted teeth, trying his best to keep his voice down.

"Sit." Isaak demanded as he pointed towards the eating area, his tone showing off exactly how enraged he was. He, then, rummaged through the freezer and got out one of the gel ice packs, which were bought due to the amount of fights that used to happen within the shelter. Isaak handed it to the male without a word before going to heat up food for the male: beef chili. Isaak walked back to the male, placing the bowl of food in front of him and taking a seat opposite to him. "How bad is it?" His tone was much softer now, knowing that being angry wasn't exactly going to help Monroe. Isaak still couldn't keep his eyes off the bruises, however, which looked awfully painful. He wondered if the rest of him was also covered in the same pattern of bruises.




EchoMonroe
poor monroe :c

 

[EchoMonroe]

☽ I can be your heavenly or I can be your hell
I can say a prayer for you or I can cast a spell ✬

Now Monroe was not usually a jumpy person but when he felt Isaak's hand on his face he flinched. Seeing the anger in the other's eyes didn't help. He jerked back at the other's tone and was ready to run out the door when he was being ordered to sit. He wasn't exactly in the position to tell the other no so he did as instructed. He graciously accepted the ice pack and pressed it to the side of his face. He felt numb if he were being honest. It almost didn't seem real. He knew it was because he had disassociated during the whole assault, that's also why he couldn't remember what happened clearly. He'd learned a long time ago how to simply turn off his mind when he was in those situations. He momentarily thought back to the first time he'd had to do it. All he remembered about the incident was his coach's hand on his thigh when he was maybe seven then he woke up in the hospital feeling like hell. Luckily he was pulled out of his thoughts by a bowl of food being placed in front of him. He stared at it, he wasn't hungry. He actually felt like he might lose what little was in his stomach. He shut his eyes tight when he heard Isaak speak. "Someone not in my line of work would be filing charges," he answered ",as it is I would just be laughed out of the precinct. They all look at a pro filing a sexual assault charge as a joke...I can't do this anymore." He tried to ignore the way his voice wavered, tried to pretend he wasn't on the verge of a breakdown. "I'll survive," he added with a sigh ",but I don't wanna do this anymore...I need some help."

✬ I push you to the darkness just to pull you to the light
Cause I can take away your breath or I can bring you back to life ☾

(OOC: I know. I feel bad about how much I make him suffer sometimes)

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styx and sloanes

 

[styx and sloanes]

━━━ ♛ ISAAK VOLKOV
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Seeing Monroe is such a vulnerable state made Isaak want to help him even more. Hell, he wanted to protect the male from anything and everything. It was silly, really, seeing as Isaak couldn't even begin to imagine what he was signing himself up for, but he almost didn't care. Seeing how frightened Monroe was from just Isaak being angry showed off just how bad the situation really was. Isaak wasn't even angry at the male, not entirely. His anger was mainly towards whoever had caused all those bruises. But part of Isaak had also wanted to lecture Monroe about how he should have stayed with Isaak longer if this was what he was going back to. However, Isaak couldn't get himself to say that. Not when he knew exactly how hard it was to ask someone, especially a stranger, for help. Especially since Monroe has probably been on his own for so many years, that counting on someone else was foreign to him.

Isaak kept his eyes fixated on the male, listening to him as he spoke, worry written all over his face. However, the anger that he had managed to suppress only a few minutes ago was coming back when Monroe spoke about how the police wouldn't take his accusation seriously just because he was a prostitute. Isaak tried his best not to say anything, hence having his right leg bobbing under the table. He felt restless, like he wanted to actively do something to help the male. But mostly, he just wanted to lash out verbally, which probably wouldn't be the best thing in this situation, so he kept his mouth shut.

Despite Monroe having made his second declaration of seeking help, Isaak couldn't get himself to say or do anything aside from staring at the male's bruised face for a few moments longer. "Yeah, of course, I- uh-" Isaak stuttered out once he was out of his thoughts, before sighing. 'This isn't the time to be weak,' Isaak scolded himself. This was about Monroe and how he needed help. Isaak took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly in an attempt to calm his nerves.

Pulling out a folded print-out from his pocket, he unfolded it and slid it over to the male. "I found a circus three towns over," He stated firmly as he glanced down on the printed flyer of the circus. "I called them, and despite them not really needing an extra act, they said they would give you a chance," Isaak explained, avoiding to mention the fact that he had to convince their manager for a good ten minutes, without even knowing if Monroe was any good. "They said if they deemed you good enough, at best you'd be in a double act," Isaak wasn't sure if that would be a good or bad thing for the male, but he figured it was better than the alternative. "I just thought you might wanna be working somewhere you might actually enjoy" That was mainly why Isaak hasn't even spoken to Sarah, who was the one in charge of finding jobs for those who needed it.




EchoMonroe
ah. I know what you mean. though for me, it's kind of a guilty pleasure to make my characters suffer ;u;

 

[EchoMonroe]

☽ I can be your heavenly or I can be your hell
I can say a prayer for you or I can cast a spell ✬

Monroe stared at the flyer for a long moment before he looked back up at Isaak. It'd been a long time since someone had actually listened to him, actually cared about what he wanted. "You're something else you know that," he said with a small smile ",give me sometime to think it over." It was a start. At least it was something he'd enjoy but the idea of being with a troupe that wasn't his own felt almost blasphemous. He'd was gonna have to get in contact with some of the others from his old cirque and ask for opinions. In the meantime he did realize he couldn't keep living on the street and he wasn't going to stay at the shelter full time. Most of the others who slept there were pretty untrustworthy. He'd already had money stolen from him a few times at the place and wasn't too keen on having it happen again. "I need somewhere to stay," he said after a moment ",I don't come here often because every time I do my money goes missing. God, what am I gonna do now?" He dropped his face into his hands and almost immediately jerked them away. He hadn't realized how badly his face actually hurt.

✬ I push you to the darkness just to pull you to the light
Cause I can take away your breath or I can bring you back to life ☾

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styx and sloanes

 

[styx and sloanes]

━━━ ♛ ISAAK VOLKOV
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Isaak furrowed his brows lightly at Monroe's statement, having been somewhat confused by what the male meant. However, he pushed it aside and nodded when the other said that he would think about it. Isaak didn't know what there to think about, but he guessed that it could be due to the circus being so far from here. That made Isaak think that the male might actually have something keeping him here. Come to think of it, Isaak doesn't really know much about the male in front of him, except what Monroe had decided to tell him in the past two days, which wasn't even much.

The dyed-blond wasn't surprised at the reason why Monroe didn't like staying over at the shelter. Even at a place like this, there were some people who were better off than others. And those same people often find their belongings going missing. There's only so much that the shelter's management can do to keep that from happening. "Don't be silly, you're staying with me." Isaak stated matter-of-fact as he glanced down at his watch. He usually leaves by half past midnight, after everyone goes to sleep, which was only a few minutes away.

"I'll just get my things, I'll meet you outside," Isaak instructed before going off to the back room where the staff and volunteers keep their things. Just as Isaak was about to leave the room after grabbing his bag, he was met by Sarah, one of the staff. 'Did you assign a bed for him?' She questioned as she seemed to be looking for something in her locker. "Ah, no. He's not staying, actually. He just came to thank me for helping him the other day," Isaak lied with a slight nervous chuckle, keeping his gaze away. He was such a bad liar, it was almost too obvious.

'You know, there's a reason why this place was made. We help people like him.. Here.' Hearing a slight suspicion in her tone, Isaak glanced up at her with his usual upbeat smile. "I tried to get him to stay, but apparently he has somewhere else to stay at," Isaak shrugged lightly, having it not be a complete lie. After saying their goodbyes, Isaak made his way outside. "Sorry to keep you waiting," He smiled lightly at the male before starting to walk towards his apartment.

Isaak didn't necessarily want to hide the fact that he was taking Monroe home with him, he just knew how bad it would seem for him. He wasn't supposed to be showing favoritism. Not to mention that if anyone did know about what Monroe does (or did) for a living, they would instantly assume that Isaak was taking him back to his place for that reason. He surely did not want people to think that of him. He didn't want anyone to assume that he was using Monroe's need for a decent bed and food to his advantage.




EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

☽ I can be your heavenly or I can be your hell
I can say a prayer for you or I can cast a spell ✬

Monroe was a bit shocked to hear Isaak's solution. The other male never ceased to perplex him. He was more than willing to go out of his way to help him for no reason. He was going to argue and say Isaak couldn't simply take him in but he never got the chance. He watched as Isaak turned and walked away and briefly caught a glimpse of another employee. They gave Monroe a quick once over and frowned so Monroe returned the favor by flipping who ever it was off before walking out. He sparked up a cigarette and began to think things over when something dawned on him. He hadn't run far when he left his ex, in fact he was nearly certain that where Isaak had so graciously found him a job was where that monster currently resided and he cringed at the thought. Look, you loved the cirque but it may be time for a different path. I could try to get my GED. He sighed and finished his cigarette right around the time Isaak emerged from inside the shelter. He didn't say anything for a moment just followed along beside him. "I think I wanna go back to school," he announced with a sigh ",I've always regretted dropping out to an extent. When I was younger I used to tell my granny I wanted to go to school for journalism. Still do if I'm being honest." He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck in a self conscious motion. "Uhm I know I haven't exactly been the most forth coming," he continued ",but I do appreciate what you've done for me...are doing for me I should say. I don't trust people easily but uh...thanks." Monroe was aware that was far from the most eloquent way he could have stated his thanks but he wasn't very used to saying it. "So how on earth did a nice guy like you wind up working at the shelter," he asked. He decided if they were going to be living together they should know a bit about each other.

✬ I push you to the darkness just to pull you to the light
Cause I can take away your breath or I can bring you back to life ☾

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styx and sloanes

 

[styx and sloanes]

━━━ ♛ ISAAK VOLKOV
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"Oh?" Isaak let out as he heard the male's declaration, before continuing to hear him out. It seemed like the male had actually thought a lot about it, which made Isaak smile a bit. Journalism. He wouldn't have guessed it, but he could definitely see Monroe do it. Isaak was sure that the male would have a unique perspective on things, and many people would want to know about the way he sees things. Isaak, for one, surely wanted that. "If it's what you want, then I think you will definitely make it through," Isaak stated firmly, being a true believer in the fact that if you work hard enough, you will surely get what you want.

Isaak just nodded at Monroe's attempt at gratitude. It felt both weird and good to hear that. Weird, because Isaak simply wasn't used to it. Good, because it was nice to know that his efforts were appreciated. Hearing the male's question, Isaak almost scoffed at being called a nice guy. Almost. Being called things like nice, kind and a good guy didn't sit well with the male. Mainly because he simply wasn't. Despite dedicating most of his waking hours helping others, he wasn't doing it for other people, not entirely at least.

"Back when I lived with my parents, my dad often came home hammered and there were times where my mum would just lock him out of the house," Isaak could still remember the awful smell that came from every word that his old man spoke. "I'd often sneak out after my mum had gone to sleep and take him to a shelter so he wouldn't sleep on the streets in that state," Shrugging lightly at the thought of helping such a useless man, Isaak still always felt sorry for him, however. "I still remember many people feeling sorry for him, because his family was basically kicking him out of his own house every other night,"

Isaak has never really opened up about his parents to anyone before, but as soon as he had opened his mouth about it, he found it a bit hard to stop. "It wasn't like I could oppose my mother though, not when I'd have to hear her cry herself to sleep so often because of him," His tone was filled with spite and hatred, but he was quick to shake those thoughts off. "I guess I just wanted to help out other people in bad situations, like people had helped us back then." Isaak spoke as he unlocked the door to his apartment before walking in.




EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

☽ I can be your heavenly or I can be your hell
I can say a prayer for you or I can cast a spell ✬

Monroe followed Isaak into the apartment before responding. He couldn't imagine the male in front of him coming from such a broken sounding home, it just didn't fit. He didn't doubt that Isaak was telling him the truth as he didn't strike Monroe as a liar but it was still a shock to try and wrap his head around. He knew he should try and say something kind or comforting to the other. "So you had parents huh," is what wound up leaving his mouth instead ",must be different. Mine died when I was still pretty young, my grandmother mostly raised me and she did her best but...yeah." His grandmother was somewhat of a touchy subject. He loved her immensely but she'd grown up in a different time and it showed. When she was a child there were things you didn't talk about, you just acted like they never happened. He still remember when he'd tried to kill himself right before he left. He'd been in the hospital for months and his grandmother had just told everyone he was sick. Well I guess she wasn't wrong. "Part of me gets it though," he said after a moment ",the drinking, it helps make it to where you don't care. It's a vice just like drugs or sex, something to numb the pain of living."

✬ I push you to the darkness just to pull you to the light
Cause I can take away your breath or I can bring you back to life ☾

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styx and sloanes

 

[styx and sloanes]

━━━ ♛ ISAAK VOLKOV
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Once settled inside, Isaak glanced towards the male as he spoke, his gaze lowered momentarily as Monroe spoke about his own parents. "I'm sorry to hear that," He spoke genuinely. Despite his parents putting him through a lot of crap, being the type of person that he was, Isaak probably wouldn't have made it this far if he didn't have them. So, he couldn't even begin to understand how hard it must have been for the male to go through all those years on his own.

As they fell into a small silence, Isaak was reminded about the fact that he hasn't seen his mother for almost a week. It was just so hard to face her when she was still pretty mad at him, for several reasons. His father, on the other hand, Isaak hasn't spoken to him or even seen him for a couple of months now. It were times like these when Isaak really wished that he had a sibling.

Isaak was brought out of his thoughts at Monroe's voice, making him look up at the male. Isaak staid silent for a few moments, his mind trying to wrap itself around the words that were just uttered. It sounded awfully familiar, and Isaak despised that. "It helps?" Isaak scoffed, letting a slight bitter laugh escape his lips. "What's the point in numbing the pain to the point that you're even living anymore? You're just in a constant being of absent mindedness," Just like before, Isaak had opened his mouth and it seemed like his mind started to let lose on its own. "Wouldn't it be better to just end it all?" Isaak's tone was harsh, but he paused as soon as the words left his mouth. His eyes slightly widened as he was shocked by his own words.

"Th- That's not what I meant," Isaak let out only a moment after. It was just that Monroe had sounded awfully familiar to his father just then, which truly angered the male. Isaak turned his back to the male, feeling unable to look him in the eyes. Or perhaps, not wanting the other to look at him. Isaak felt ashamed more than anything. He felt like crawling into a corner and crying till his heart was content. "You've had a rough day, you should probably get some rest," Isaak suggested after a moment, needing this to be over and done with. He had no right, and he knew that. He had no right to judge. He had no right to assume that he knew what he was talking about.




EchoMonroe

 

[EchoMonroe]

☽ I can be your heavenly or I can be your hell
I can say a prayer for you or I can cast a spell ✬

Admittedly not much shocked Monroe anymore but he was a bit surprised to hear Isaak's rather bitter retort. He merely glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow as the other seemed to try and fix the situation. Monroe laughed a bit and shook his head. "Tried that," he admitted with a chuckle ",didn't stick." He wasn't exactly ashamed of his attempt at his own life actually it had bothered his grandmother how openly he talked about it. She'd always found the jokes in bad taste but he'd always seen it as his way of coping. "Depression is a b***h and a half," he said ",and it's always accompanied by anxiety, both illnesses that prey on every insecurity you have. When you're in the thick of it sometimes it's best when you can't feel anything." He'd been like that for a while, doing what ever he could to distract from the feeling of loneliness and despair. He'd drank, smoked, snorted and ******** all he could just so he didn't have to feel. In the end it had gotten him no where. He stretched and popped his back before making his way over to the couch. "I'm not making an excuse just so you know," he added ",your dad should have reached out and tried to get help, he should have been there for his family and it's his own damn fault he wasn't, I'm just saying I understand. Been there, done that and all it got me was a psycho ex and some nasty scars."

✬ I push you to the darkness just to pull you to the light
Cause I can take away your breath or I can bring you back to life ☾

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styx and sloanes