doe eyes

for better or for worse, it doesn't look like max is getting rid of anyone anytime soon. it feels worse than it does better. especially now that his stomach is willing to betray his feelings, growling insistently as the scent of microwaved leftovers wafts into the room. it's not exactly a five-star dinner, but that's nothing he has experience with anyway. he rarely even eats at home, most of his meals at the bar or from places nearby. the fact that nova has found anything workable at all is probably less to do with him, and more to do with others that have come by. he's trying to resent them, but his nose is just as much a betrayer as his stomach. sniffing, he tries to pull his tears back into his body. he isn't going to be weak here. weaker than he is. "if you're going to stick around anyways," his voice is curt, on the verge of wobbling; "would you at least help me sit up?"

#— ☆ int. maddox #maddox: house call

Nova's almost startled when Max speaks to her in something beyond short, sharp profanities. Progress, she assumes? Or maybe just the hunger pangs. Either way, she'll take what she can get at this point. She figured this would be her eating in silence for the next fifteen minutes, and then leaving. At least she can find some peace in Max eating something. "Yeah, sure." She places her own plate down, crossing back over to the bed. It takes her a moment of awkwardly trying the best way to place her hands that won't aggravate any injuries, and also won't leave Max snapping at her as much as possible. But she finally settles gentle hands against him to help maneuver to something of a sitting position. Nova holds out the plate without being asked to keep him from having to turn his body.

nostrils flaring, ed watches with eagle-sharp eyes as nova takes off down the way. count to thirty. ugh, that's too much work. he probably could do it, but it would take longer than thirty seconds. instead, he waits until her scent starts to stale in the air before he drops down onto all fours, stretches into something more aerodynamic, and takes off like a cheetah in her wake. he can't maintain speeds like this for long, but it gives him a good boost—and with her bouncing around like that, he needs to close distance quick.

Nova's eyes flash their usual tinge of blue as she tries to find the best path to take. Ed is fast, but thankfully not very bright. Hopefully he'll trip and fall over some branch she's able to take smoothly. That will at least maintain some of the distance she's been able to create. Even if Ed is quick to close in on her, she can hear every sound of his footfalls behind her, growing more sharp and distinct the closer he gets. Nova decides to take a sharp turn, gracefully done as she heads left. Hopefully Ed won't be so graceful.

"Definitely, I enjoy the freedom," she said, smile bright again as she remembered her making her first real meal when she got out of the research facility and how freeing it felt to her. "Yeah, of course, did you, um, did you want to go have lunch? I'm not used to eating on my own still and would like the company"

"Oh, sure!" There's a hint of surprise to her voice. She usually doesn't have an easy time with making friends, as skittish as she can be around... well, everyone. But, there's something about her that's a little more calming than the average person she meets in Sol City. "I'm Nova," She extends her hand in an offered greeting. Something more formal than what they've had up to now.

What did she do? "They would just give us food to eat, we didn't question where it came from," was all she replied with, unsure of how else to answer. She knew there may have been follow up questions, and she found herself unable to answer those as well. "Oh, well thank you for helping, if it means anything"

"Oh," Nova said, a little taken aback at the idea. She knew some places could be very authoritarian in their management style. Maybe she came from that kind of settlement. "Well, this must be a nice change of pace, then. Getting to make your own food, and stuff." Nova liked to think so at least. "Well, thank you. I try and remember that it's not all a waste, so I appreciate it."

max doesn't say anything else. you're kind of an asshole, you know that? he does know that, thank you very much! and would appreciate it if she would just let it work! why do people have to care? the one time in his life he doesn't want them to, it's like they all crawl out of the woodwork like cockroaches. only, he can't step on them. anything he spits just seems to come flying back at him. hot and angry, max stews with a hard gaze on the wall. he can hear nova in the kitchen as promised, the thought even traitorous enough to make his stomach growl. that just makes him angrier. can't we just give up and die already? his attacker should have finished the job. maybe he won't be thanking them after all. he tries to roll over and face the other way, but pain quickly makes him reconsider. the claws and teeth that had dug through his back had done more than just tear off his tail, and lasting damage hinders his mobility. it feels like his legs start shaking no matter what. it's with angry tears that he settles back where he began, another nail among the many already stuck in his coffin. great, this shit again.

#— ☆ int. maddox #maddox: house call #suicide tw #suicidal thoughts tw

Nova knows she's pushing the envelope a little bit. Leaving like he wanted would be easier, and feel less defiant in a way. She would have heard it six ways to Sunday if she had been so blatantly rude and disobedient at home. It was different with Max, though. He was the one always telling her she needed a backbone. It was just unfortunate that he was on the receiving end of her apparent backbone. He doesn't ever seem to stir from the bedroom, even as Nova glances back over her shoulder at him every few minutes. She's not sure why she keeps checking that he's still in his bed, maybe it's a fear he'll disappear without a set of eyes glued to him somehow. Or maybe it's just the hope that he'll find it in himself to make his way into the kitchen and join her. It doesn't take her all that long to finish. It's nothing extravagant since all that reside in Max's house are leftovers and the scraps of food that could be turned into a meal. Nova dares to carry both plates back into the bedroom, dropping his on the nearest flat surface possible. "It's not much, but if you want it, it's there," She states simply, finding somewhere to settle herself.

"i won't," he says, tongue between his teeth again. it's more to convince himself than it is to convince her—he doesn't care about whatever she can do. he cares about the collar around his neck shocking him into seizures. shifting his weight from foot to foot, he answers, "until i get bored. can you start running now?"

This is a bad idea. But at least she can try and get some distance between them, and hopefully Ed would get distracted by something he could bite, and leave her alone. "Fine, just try and count to thirty at least." Nova's eyes flash as she looks to her left, and tries to discern any immediate dangers. As soon as the coast as clear, she takes off, running as fast as she can. Her eyes jump from left to right hoping to catch sight of a good place to hide.

"Oh," she said, genuinely taking all the information she could in, knowing it'd be useful if someone asked her about it later on. "I never knew that, that's really interesting," she nodded, "Do you like it? You make it sound like it's not something you enjoy doing"

"What did you do for food before?" If there's a way out of wandering into the wastelands for food, she was all for it. Though it seemed unlikely they'd ever move past hunting everything. "it's okay. I do most of the tracking and trapping. I don't really like to hunt." Most of the things that were safe to eat were at least not the sweetest most soft animals. It gave it much more of a "me or them" feeling that Nova could stomach.

surelenore

What Moonscar was once for, what it once was, may have been in ruins. She had had no choice but to either let it morph into something else entirely, or to abandon it... and she could not abandon it. Kill what was left of the good days? Kill what was left of her friend who still deserves a name since she plays such an important part in Lenore's backstory wtf may? Kill what was left of herself? She couldn't bring herself to do that -- she'd sooner let it be a shell than she would lay it to rest. Wasn't that the story of her life? But that was what had made Nova such an important part of her life. She was the only line left to the way it once was, to the way it was meant to be. She had Moonscar's blood running through her veins -- the last one left, save for herself -- and that made Lenore's status as her great-great-great-whatever-aunt feel much less distant than it should have. "Max is the boy with the tail and horns, correct?" So many names, such little time! "Oh, I'm sure he's not avoiding you. And if he is, get a lock of his hair for me and I'll take care of it." While presented as a joke, she would totally go a step further and use him as the next sacrifice if he were being a coward and avoiding Nova for... some reason. "But you know Sol City -- there's always something. "Well, I can't say I have many interesting stories to share since we last spoke. You cannot begin to imagine how many people crave some philosophizing around the holidays."

#— ☆ int. lenore #lenore: blood is thicker than water #this is bad and i cannot apologize cause i'm sleepy

Nova never understood why her Father was so desperate to keep her away from this life. She never understood most things that he did, and she had learned to give up on them a long time ago. The biggest thing that came out of getting out from under her Father's thumb was finding community in Lenore. Family, even, though the concept still dumbfounded her. Growing up, Nova never really felt a desire to talk about life. It always managed to stir up an argument. Lenore listened, though. She seemed to care what Nova had to say, and retain those things. Even if it was far beyond the scope of anything she'd care about in day to day life. "Yes, that's Max." Who was totally off the grid as far as Nova could tell. He had not responded to a single message or tracked her down at an inopportune time. Clearly, in Nova's mind, he had to be gravely ill or had moved settlements and didn't tell her. Either way, she'd do her best to wait until he came to her. "You don't need to do that. He always ends up tracking me down for something stupid eventually." They weren't the hang out ever day, joined at the hip kind of pair. "No, I can imagine. People get existential when things start to end. Makes sense that they're looking for answers to all the world's problems."

a shadow passes over the dim light in his bedroom and defeat finds him again. what's even the point? he should know by now that he's never going to get what he wants. his tail thrashes—no, it doesn't. he still feels it sometimes, but it doesn't. nothing moves, except bile up into his throat. forcing it back down, he clamps his jaws shut tight and shivers. lucky to be alive, people have been saying. what an insult. to be alive, clearly, is to suffer. "do whatever the fuck you want," he snaps, all venom and hate. "just don't expect me to be grateful. i didn't ask for your fucking charity." nobody is doing it for him. if they were doing it for him, they would dig him a nice grave and then dump him in it. he's finished with this horrible stint on earth. message received loud and clear. there are, in fact, people who want him gone more than he ever could! his only other dying wish is to thank his would-be killer. thank him for waking him up to the reality he should have been dead a long time ago, that is. who is he to tangle with fate? max doesn't even look at her.

#— ☆ int. maddox #maddox: house call

"I don't expect you to be grateful," Nova does her best to remain visibly unfazed by his vitriolic tone. Mainly because she refuses to believe it's anything more than an angry grief that he's carrying. It was evident that whatever had happened to Max was horrific. She would unpack her own feelings around that later, when she was alone. He didn't need to console her with the state he was in. She shuffled to standing. "And seeing a friend isn't charity work. But, think what you want, Max." He always did, with or without Nova's permission. She braces herself for what she's going to do next, which is entirely out of character for her. Mostly because she has to prove a point. She's going to have to attempt to be... mean. Crossing her arms over her chest, Nova stares down at him where he's clearly avoiding her gaze. "You're kind of an asshole, you know that?" That felt pretty mean to Nova. "But, unfortunately, you befriended me, and you always say I'm too nice for my own good. So I'm going to go dig around your kitchen and make food. You can throw it away or you can throw it at me, I don't really care. Just lay off. I'm here to hang out, not therapize you." Nova huffs, and exits his bedroom if only so he doesn't see her shake like a leaf after being so harsh. It felt wrong to say stuff like that to him, but she wasn't really sure what else she was supposed to do. No one had prepared her for this in childhood.

his tongue peeks out of his mouth, eyes locked onto the skinny shape making its way down the trunk of the tree. it's a real challenge for him not to pounce on her the moment she stepped foot on the ground, but other than the heavy rise and fall of his chest, ed remains perfectly still. "faster, too," he says confident, tongue swiping along his lower lip. he has to keep reminding himself he can't use his teeth. he really wants to use his teeth. "okay, you go and i'll catch you."

"Well, I guess we'll see." It was probably him, but why give him that satisfaction? If he was really was superior, then he'd find out for himself when he caught her. "But, Ed, if you try and hurt me I will have to get ugly with you." Whatever that meant. Nova barely knew how to defend herself, especially from someone like Ed. But, maybe if he thought she knew how, that would be enough. "How long is my head start?"

"Right," she said with an awkward laugh, not wanting to burst the other's bubble as to where she was from and how Sol City was a walking heaven compared to her original 'home'. "What's a hunter-trapper?"

Nova's a little surprised at the question. Was that not a common job outside of Sol City? How did they eat where she was from if it wasn't? Still, she passes it off as a difference in culture, and jumps into her usual explanation, doing her best to keep it from sounding like anything nefarious. "It's part of the food collection process in the city. We track down the animals that are safe to eat, and bring them back to the city to be processed for food. It's not glamorous, but it's a living."

the only thing he had made sure to get up to do was unlock the door. not because he wants anyone to see him, but so that they see how little he actually fucking cares. if it didn't seem to be the personal mission of some people to keep him alive, he would have sworn off his medication and burnt himself out from the inside the morning after the incident. or would he have? maybe he just lacks the nerve to do anything at all. maybe that's his real problem. he's had a lot of time to think about his problems and none of it has come to any joyous conclusions. he just wants it all to go away. hadn't he wished that a million times? look where it had gotten him—disfigured. mutilated. probably fired, too. as if the world couldn't help but add insult to injury. nobody would possibly want him now, scarred up and disgusting as he is. it's hard to keep anger just pointed at himself. hearing another voice calling out to him just makes him want to explode. he doesn't have the energy for that, though. "go the fuck away!"

#— ☆ int. maddox #maddox: house call #suicide tw #suicidal thoughts tw

Admittedly, Nova jumps at how harsh his tone is. She takes a few more timid steps into his apartment, trying her hardest not to let the floor so much as squeak under her footfalls until she finally finds him. And he looks like hell. Beaten and bruised, he looks like he's been attacked. It takes everything Nova has to not react to the sight of him, even though her insides churn. Not because of how he looks but because of what might have happened to him. For one of the first times in her life, she understands the instinct of violence. This is her friend who has been hurt, he's as good as part of her herd, and she wants someone to pay for what's happened. But those feelings of sadness and anger will do Max no good. She's not even sure her presence will help with anything, but she'll be damned if she doesn't try to at least offer her support. "No." It's a simple refusal, but still bold by Nova's standards. "I know you'd like me too, but I'd rather spend some time with my friend." She's going to do her best to frame it without pity or kid gloves. That would probably just make matters worse. "I... think I'll make us food, and maybe we can catch up a little bit, and if you still want me to go away after that, I will." At least she'll know he had taken care of himself a little bit if she forces her presence on him.

"i like the chasing," he says, bordering on a whine. it's completely out of the question that he stops completely. maybe if she was human, he wouldn't have to in the first place! or at least less... her... somehow, that doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon. "fine, you can get down," he agrees, stepping back away from the tree. it's hard to talk when his tongue feels so big in his mouth, but that's what excitement gets him. "i'll even give you a head start, if you want."

One of these days, Ed would probably kill her. But, at least it wouldn't be today, so that was some sort of silver lining. Still, she studies him before she even dares to try and shimmy back down the tree, nose twitching and ears perking to make sure he's not just waiting for his chance to pounce before she descends the tree. "I do want a head start, actually, that seems fair. You're bigger than me." Not necessarily faster, though it was likely.

#— ☆ int. maddox #maddox: house call

@buriedwithit (max)

Nova could smell something was off within a mile of Max's place. She hadn't even intended to stop, really. She hadn't heard from him in a while, but it wasn't like it was uncommon for him to disconnect once in a while, that was just... max. But, she knew it was different this time. There was a distinct blood smell that set Nova on edge. She couldn't very well just leave with that scent hanging in the air. What if something happened? "Max," She kept her voice fairly soft as she approached, nose twitching a bit as she tried to scope out his scent and make sure he was alone. "Max, it's Nova." A few soft raps on the door before she dared to test the handle. "I hadn't heard from you for a while, so I thought I'd check in." She figured mentioning she had sensed danger wasn't ideal. Pushing the door open, she dares to poke her head through scanning for any sign of immediate danger. "You're home." It wasn't a question as much as it was an observation. He had to know hiding from her wasn't really a possibility given her abilities.

"Kind of," she quietly said, hoping the other didn't ask her more about it - her having not thought of a good excuse as to cover up where she had actually been and what they had done to not only her but other mutants. "Are you sure?"

"That's cool. I've never left Sol City before— well, you know, for more than just working out in the wastes." Nova waves her away again, hoping she'll drop it. "Really. It's okay. The least of my problems is a grumpy vendor. Besides, he can't mess with me too much, he knows I'm on the hunter-trapper team."