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@sikebentlix
quentin scrunched his eyebrows, deliberating what exactly the other meant by ‘not the worst’. “um — thank you ? i think ? i don’t really… i don’t get out much. meeting people isn’t something i do a lot, especially people who wanna… y’know do that with me.” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. it was weird to talk about this, it wasn’t exactly what came up in conversation with his friends. q’s mouth dropped open slightly at the demon’s words, quickly shaking his head in denial. “no, no… that’s not what i meant –” he started only to be repositioned against the hardness of the wall. “dunno my… kinks.” he finished, a little disoriented because of what had just happened. the human quickly realized that the other’s hands were at his waist while his own were just awkwardly hanging there — quentin completely clueless on what to do with them. he quickly decided to slide them over the demon’s shoulders, trying to dissipate the already prominent awkwardness that he was one hundred percent sure was his own fault. Quentin’s heart was beating at about a million miles an hour, which he hoped didn’t show, nerves causing him to chew shyly on his own lip. “uh… yeah, bed’s nice. unless you have another recommendation.” he responded, not knowing where else would be a good option.
“i know that you don’t get out much, love. it’s rather obvious. but there are plenty of people that want to fuck you, that much i know. just look at you --- you’re art.” it wasn’t common for a to compliment those that had summoned him. actually, he rarely complimented anyone, unless he was attempting to get something he wanted ( which he always ended up getting, regardless of how hard he tried; a perk of his position ). the corners of his mouth curved upwards as he pulled the reaction he had been hoping for out of the human, a wicked smirk now lingering on his lips as he studied over the other male. he was able to hear q’s heart beating, as well, but he decided not to comment on it. the last thing he needed was for the other to have a heart attack before they even started what he was there for. “that’s better. look at you, already getting the hang of it,” he cooed as q wrapped his arms around his shoulders, tongue darting out to run along his lower lip. he was clearly teasing him, not feeling awkward in the slightest. like he had already said, he had dealt with worse cases. humans with breath that smelled like garlic, with craters in their faces and with hair that hadn’t been washed in a few days. they weren’t his proudest moments, but he did his job. and that’s all it was, really --- a job. “the bed will work. we’ll move there in a few minutes, yeah ? once you’ve relaxed a bit.” with that, he leaned forward, closing the small distance that was between them and pressing his lips to the others. for a demon, his touch was surprisingly gentle. he knew that he needed to take his time with this one, and he didn’t mind it. part of the fun came from the chase, from warming up and getting the other to relax, and figuring out what he was into would be well worth the time it took to get the male to relax.
quentin was startled when he heard the sudden voice behind him, causing the human to spin on his heels ( and almost topple over in the process ) to see the demon he’d summoned. “um… yes ?” he answered, although the hesitance he felt showed in his voice. “i mean… of course… you’re a demon… but i’m kinda in a little bit of a pickle with this whole twenty-two year old virgin thing.” quentin justified, being forward in way he usually wasn’t. “plus,” he started, taking careful steps over to the demon, “you don’t seem that bad to me.” the taunt was mainly in response to the other’s own banter, but quentin also wanted to treat this like a learning experience. flirting was very important in every day life. “might like pain as well. who knows, really ? hoping i’ll find out that sort of stuff tonight.” quentin added, trying to give the other a wink ( it probably looked more like an eye twitch, honestly. he was hopeless. ), and failing. The lighting in his loft was truly horrible for checking people out, but from this close he could see the other’s piercing green eyes and soft, curly hair. He stood about three or four inches taller than q himself, giving quentin a good height to look upon the other’s plush lips. q definitely wasn’t disappointed.
asmodeus failed to stifle a laugh as he watched the human in front of him; he was clumsy, not graceful in the slightest, and that was always amusing to the demon. besides, being the demon of lust didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun with humans every now and then, right ? he enjoyed knowing that he had the power to scare someone, if he truly wanted to ( though none of the other demons thought so ). “right, of course. twenty-two year old virgin. s’hard to believe. you’re not the worst case i’ve seen.” he shrugged his shoulders, green eyes lingering on the smaller male as he took a few steps closer to him. there was a temptation to laugh as the other flirted, but, this time, he managed to hold it back. he couldn’t fault someone for trying, and he was having fun. it was a win-win situation. “don’t get too ahead of yourself, love. just because they call me the demon of lust doesn’t mean i’m going to cater to your pain kink ?” a was teasing him, again. and he didn’t give the awkward boy much time to think before he was moving towards him. each of his movements were quick, not human-like in the slightest, and he easily grasped onto the male’s waist, spinning him around so that a would be able to press him against the wall. now, there were only a few inches between them, and a was able to really get a glimpse at the male who had summoned him. his eyelashes were long, thick, and his eyes were a deep brown --- not to mention, his face still looked as though god had spent hours alone crafting it. “and where do you want this to happen ? i’d assume the bed, but perhaps you’re a closeted freak. and i’m not one to judge.”
being a virgin was taxing, especially at age twenty-two. it wasn’t like quentin hadn’t TRIED to lose it, because he had. oh, he had. the problem was that quentin wasn’t exactly suave nor were there a bountiful amount of guys just waiting to have sex with him ( mainly because quentin didn’t leave his flat all that much except to go to school and work ). so, summoning a demon was obviously the next step. they would be experienced, which was a plus, and probably attractive, because y’know, lust. q had all the necessary supplies, a creepy old book with the necessary chant, an outrageous amount of candles, and himself clad in all black for dramatic effect. q breathed deeply, closing his eyes and gathering his thoughts before opening the book to the bookmarked page and reading out a chant that sounded like complete rubbish to him, but probably meant something meaningful in whatever language this was. once his chant was over, q opened his eyes, looking around to see if the ritual had worked.
being the demon of lust could sometimes be exhausting. there was so much asmodeus had to do, and his job was, truthfully, never done. over the centuries he had been alive ( which had all started to blur together, really, he wasn’t even sure what year it was in the human world any longer ) he had been summoned countless times, for various things. most of the time, it was helping to take someone’s virginity, and that was something that sometimes he had a problem with. which came as a shock to almost everyone. but some virgins were awkward-looking, not appealing in the slightest, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why no one had wanted to have sex with them. so, when another lost soul decided to summon him, he was prepared for the worst. what he hadn’t been expecting to find once he was in the boy’s flat was a human that looked like god had spent far too much time making perfect. asmodeus wasn’t one to get flustered, though, so instead, he remained where he had appeared, behind the boy, leaning back against the nearest wall and crossing his arms over his chest. he was dressed in dark skinny jeans and a simple white tee; never anything special, but it didn’t matter. his looks, and aura, made up for it. “behind you,” he finally spoke, almost taunting the other male. “weren’t you ever taught that demons are bad ? could get yourself hurt, love.”
xzander thought about that question for a moment, mostly for dramatic effect, before answering rather monotonously: ❝ no. i don’t care about anything. sorry to ruin your hope for the human race, or whatever. ❞ again, he wasn’t sorry. the only thing he had cared about was his sister, but she was dead along with whatever had remained of the old xzander, the one who had actually wanted to be a good person, or whatever. by now xzander was thoroughly annoyed with bentlix, glaring at bentlix’s feet for a few more seconds before directing his gaze to the other’s actual face for one of the first times of the night. he noticed the broken lip and the hint of a black eye, but chose not to say anything. it was none of his business. someone had probably gotten annoyed at the halloway boy but wasn’t as patient as xzander. ❝ listen, i thought you were supposed to be fuckin’ polite or whatever ? didn’t your mommy ever tell you not to put your shoes up on other people’s seats ? s’not sanitary, buddy. ❞ he informed the other, narrowing his eyes before looking off to the side again. ❝ dunno why i’m telling you this but i won’t even make it to thirty. m’supposed to die at twenty-eight, so i guess that’s a little less than seven years. not like it matters. ❞ he said, leaning back in his seat. he’d come to terms with his demise a long time ago. he sort of felt bad for the other, though. seemed like he hadn’t gotten use to the idea yet. pitiful. ❝ i’ve given up on positivity, halloway. what i should do is just off myself right now to prove a point. ❞
it wasn’t often that bentlix got annoyed --- really, he considered himself to be rather chill. but sitting in the diner, staring towards some stranger who had a sarcastic comment to make following everything he said, he found himself getting annoyed. he wasn’t sure what to do about that, either; he wasn’t used to feeling this way towards anyone but his father, or some of the other adults in halloway. ❝ look, i know you’ve got a reputation to keep up, or you just like being a piece of shit to prove a point, but could you try and have an actual conversation with me ? not everything needs to be an argument. ❞ somehow, he managed to keep his tone calm, and after he had spoken, his gaze fell back to the table. which meant he missed the other glancing towards him, which might have been a good thing --- he didn’t want to see his expression when he noticed how fucked up bentlix already was. ❝ well, you’re sitting there, so i don’t think my shoes can do much worse to the seat, hm ? ❞ it was a shitty comeback, but at least he had one. to him, it was better than staying silent and taking his feet off the seat --- now, he wanted to leave them there to prove a point. his eyes made their way back to the other male as he spoke, corners of his mouth angling downwards to form a bit of a pout. ❝ don’t say that ? life is shitty, but there’s no reason to off yourself. maybe... there’s a way to beat death. we don’t have to die when they tell us we do, y’know ? ❞
❝ maybe i would stop if you stopped acting like one ? and you have no idea what i have to do or act like. ❞ x shot back, looking thoroughly uninterested in what the other had to say as he stared down at the table. ❝ don’t care what you look like. i wouldn’t have said it if you hadn’t warranted it. ❞ he added, drawing patterns on the cheap plastic table of the booth. ❝ sorry, i meant you should maybe stop wasting your breath. i’m more than happy to eat in complete silence. ❞ he back-peddled, glaring at bentlix’s feet as the appeared next to x on the booth. xzander muttered something along the lines of ‘ i can’t believe this, ’ as he waited for the other to find his common sense for the first time in his life and get his fuckin’ feet off the booth. when that moment never came, xzander rolled his eyes once more, shoving them as far away as he could with minimum effort. the menu had been a helpful prop, but xzander was more than capable of ignoring the other without it. he decided to look at his own hand, noticing he probably shouldn’t be eating with the inevitable cat stuff all over him from his earlier trip to his usual alley. ❝ yeah, well when you’re gonna die in ten years it’s a bit hard to stay positive, isn’t it ? but if being positive would have kept me from meeting you, maybe i should try it out sometime. ❞ xzander wasn’t really sure why he’d let himself slip up about his death date, but decided it shouldn’t matter. wasn’t like it would make a difference — not one that he cared about anyway.
bentlix rolled his eyes as the other spoke, realizing that a lot of his comebacks had the same message: he didn’t know him, and he never would. he almost shot back with an ‘ i don’t care ’ but... that would have been a lie. ❝ is there anything that you do care about ? family, food, reputation ? you’ve gotta care about something. or, at least... once upon a time, you did. ❞ his eyes lingered on the stranger as he seemed to notice that his feet were beside him. of course he had expected it to irritate him; everything that bentlix did seemed to piss him off. and now, he just wanted to see how much he could get away with. his feet moved about three inches on the seat when they were pushed, though he didn’t bother to put them down on the ground again, folding his hands in his lap and glancing around the diner momentarily. he didn’t much appreciate the idea of eating in silence, but he had done it before, and he figured that it couldn’t be too bad. at least to everyone else, it looked like he had company -- a friend. his head immediately snapped back to look at the other at the mention of a death date; more specifically, ten years. ❝ you’re going to die in ten years ? wait, no -- i know that’s what you just said. but i am, too ? i’ll hardly make it to thirty before i’m dead. ❞ he never really told people when he was going to die, because he liked to pretend that it wasn’t real. if he didn’t say it, it wouldn’t happen. but he allowed for a moment of silence to let his words sink in, more for him than the other, before he realized that he needed to continue their argument. ❝ but, i mean... i manage to stay positive. and i’m going to die in the same amount of time. so, it’s possible. ❞
xzander really wanted to roll his eyes again, but decided against it. he was wasting far too much energy on this kid. ❝ listen, i’m not sure if anyone’s been this honest with you, but life is not fair all of the time. crazy, i know. sometimes just because you’re willing to give does not mean that someone else is also willing. not everyone is going to give you a chance. the quicker you learn that the better, especially if you’re going to be around here more. fairness is a term that’s as archaic and outdated as the royal family itself, kid. ❞ x replied, looking thoroughly unamused as he talked to the other. he considered this his charity for the year, teaching the halloway boy about the real facts of life and what life actually entailed. maybe they didn’t teach common sense in halloway. ❝ good for you ? listen, i know you’re trying to prove some sort of point to me about how not all halloway residents are the same, but your time is really being wasted on me. sorry to disappoint. ❞ x wasn’t sorry, he almost never was ( or never admitted he was ). he didn’t know why god had felt the need to have them look at each other in the eyes, but it was just one more thing to add to the list of why fate, predetermination, predestination, absolutely sucked. ❝ there is really no need for ‘ good fun ‘, i promise. i’m not fun. it’s yet another thing that you’re wasting on me. ❞ his eyes narrowed as he internally dared the other to smile again. it was irritating that the other felt the need to express happiness — what did he have in this moment to be happy for ? irritating strangers ? was this a type of kink the other had ? xzander decided not to dignify bentlix’s suggestion with a response, putting his menu back up to block his view of the other.
❝ can you stop talking to me like i’m an idiot ? please ? i know you aren’t the nicest person, i got that, but you don’t have to talk down to others. i get that life isn’t fair all the time, i fucking know that. don’t i look like i do ? ❞ he wasn’t used to speaking out of line, but he kind of liked it. he didn’t want a stranger to feel like he could walk all over him, and now he was daring him to look at him again ( since that seemed to be such an issue ). he still had a black eye and busted lip from the night before, which couldn’t possibly have gone unnoticed... right ? ❝ i don’t view this as wasting my time. sure, you might not give a shit about what i’m trying to prove, but my plan had been to come here and get something to eat. i’m going to do that, whether you’re here or not. ❞ with that statement, however, his feet moved to rest beside the other male on the booth. it felt good to stretch his legs out, and he wanted to ensure that it would be a little more difficult for him to try and leave. truth be told, bentlix enjoyed the company, rude or not. life got boring when you didn’t have anyone to talk to. he rolled his eyes as the menu went up between them, glancing back down at the one in front of him on the table and chewing on his lesser lip. thankfully, a waitress came to take their orders and menus, bentlix unable to hide his smile as he glanced towards the other. ❝ you do realize you’re basically pouting all the time, right ? you’d think that if you knew how unfair life could be, you’d also know that it helps to be positive. better things happen when you’re positive. ❞
i got on after class to see this was closed and now i am super sad and heartbroken rip but like i’m gonna put a link to my personal under the read more + my skype name so if you wanna talk to me still you can :~) but if not i’ll miss all of you and wish you the best with everything you do x
this is my personal, i should change the url but like i am lazy and unoriginal
and my skype is annarules95 so just lemme know who u are if you add me
x scoffs, rolling his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes, which must’ve broken some sort of record, right ? even when considering x rolling his eyes had become somewhat habitual. xzander just couldn’t get over how naïve the other sounded. it was actually a bit disorienting. ❝ like everyone in halloway gives us a chance ? that’s funny, ha. ❞ he wasn’t actually laughing, obviously, just inserting an air of humor for dramatic emphasis. xzander really couldn’t believe he’d heard bentlix right when he suggested hanging out more than the free meal, which was actual insanity. completely ludicrous. which is why it was confusing when x found himself actually wanting to ( but he’d never tell bentlix that ). ❝ how about i don’t do that and you go back to halloway and make nice with the royals or something. ❞ he suggested, feeling strangely uncomfortable when their gazes met. x wanted to demand that bentlix not look at him for the whole meal, but that would sound really strange, so he opted to look off to the side of the diner — until he heard that word. xzanders head whipped back to center, narrowing his eyes at the person he definitely wasn’t close enough with for him to be calling him babe. ❝ don’t call me that, i’m not your babe and i never will be. ❞ he spat, hands gripping the menu tighter when he heard bentlix’s next statement. ❝ you have a lot of nerve, y’know that, right ? we’re strangers, you don’t even know my fuckin’ name ! ❞
bentlix hardly paid attention to the other rolling his eyes this time. it was sad to say, but in the thirty minutes that they had known each other, he had already gotten used to that concept: the stranger rolling his eyes. he wanted to tell him to be careful, they might get stuck that way, but he decided against it. he didn’t want to make a fool out of himself, or piss the other off any more than he already was. ❝ i’m giving you a chance right now? you realize that you sound a bit ridiculous. i mean, so do i... but if i’m giving you a chance, and i’m from halloway, then you can do the same for me. that’s fair. ❞ he could already guess the response that he was going to get. something about how people from halloway weren’t fair, or how life wasn’t fair. some bullshit that he already knew, but didn’t need reiterated. ❝ i can’t stand the royals. they annoy the shit out of me. that’s why i spend most of my time here. ❞ he shrugged his shoulders, the action casual and calm, unlike he had been just mere moments before. but that was because, this time, he wasn’t lying. though, his body tensed once more as he realized that the other was looking at him and their eyes met again. it wasn’t that it made bentlix uncomfortable ( maybe a little ) but the male’s gaze was just so... powerful. that was the only way to describe it, really. ❝ sorry, didn’t expect you to get so defensive. it was all in good fun. ❞ there was a hint of a smile lingering on his lips now, even if he had just promised to try and follow the rules and refrain from smiling. he didn’t know why he was getting so much joy out of this, but he had a thing for watching the other squirm. mainly figuratively, but if he were to start squirming, also literally. ❝ that can easily be changed. you could tell me your name any time you’d like, you just choose not to. so... you’re the only one to blame, hm? maybe you’re the one who should be punished. ❞
xzander snorted in amusement, face hidden behind the menu as he chuckled at the idea put forth by the other. ❝ maybe you guys should give me a reason to believe that. you might vary, but you’re all essentially the same. ❞ he replied casually, looking at the little pictures of food on the menu instead of actually reading it. this guy was far too innocent in demeanor to be making x this frustrated in such a short amount of time. maybe it was because he was still so fuckin’ polite, even after x had tried and tried again to at least make bentlix ambivalent towards him. he’d either failed or bentlix was great at acting one hundred percent positive most of the time, which honestly wasn’t very unbelievable. the halloway resident seemed to have a lot of love he was willing to hand off to anyone who would take it, but x wanted no part in it. ❝ don’t worry, i judge a person by not only their cover, but also a lot more — although it is hard to separate one from their rather unhumble beginnings and roots. ❞ he said pointedly, warily looking over bentlix once more. ❝ well now that you know it’s a criminal offense i hope you’ll find it within your bounds to restrain yourself. ❞ xzander had purposefully ignored the part about smiling himself because yes, that was a farfetched idea.
bentlix considered it a major accomplishment to have made the other laugh, even if it wasn’t over something that he found particularly funny himself. he could already infer that the male he had bumped into wasn’t the most pleasant one, which meant him smiling or laughing was a rare occurrence. ❝ in order for us to do that, you’d have to give us the chance? maybe you can give me the chance. i don’t think i’m like most people from halloway, but... you can give me your opinion in a few weeks. ❞ it wasn’t that he was offering to hang out with him on more than one occasion, but... maybe he was. bentlix didn’t have too many friends, especially not from gerret, and from the way the other was acting, he couldn’t possibly have many friends. somehow, he found the courage to take his eyes away from the menu and look towards the male that was sitting across from him. there was a second where they actually made eye contact, but he didn’t dwell on that too much. he knew that their conversation would be more of a push and pull, and he didn’t expect much of a connection to be made. ❝ i’ll try my best to refrain from smiling, but i make no promises, babe. ❞ there was a pause, as bentlix thought over his next words. before they were even out in the air around them, he knew that they were going to earn him a smack to the face. or worse. ❝ but if i can’t restrain myself, who is going to arrest me? certainly you don’t have any handcuffs that you’d want to use on me. ❞
❝ i’m p e r f e c t l y fine with the fuckin’ clothes i’ve got now. and i don’t need your damn money. ❞ arlox snaps, and the words come out sounding sharp around the edges. he’s annoyed, though. even though he has no right to be. the other boy wasn’t exactly trying to insult him – arlox did need new clothes and he needed money. god, did he need money. he was barely surviving. ❝ i don’t need anyone’s help. i’ve managed to survive for twenty-one years, i’m sure i can handle the last four. ❞ he says the words and then they’re out, sudden and all at once. they seem to shatter over the cold pavement of the ground like shards of glass. the silence sits between them and arlox’s thoughts go on spinning in his head like pandemonium. he doesn’t even k n o w what to think, what to focus on. he’s twenty-one years old and he’s the most bitter he’s ever been. the boy in front of him obviously has a kind heart but for some reason, arlox can’t let down his guard for a couple seconds to even show his respect and appreciation. the reason behind his bitterness is fuckin’ silly – everyone loses someone important in their lives at one point. and he knows he’s luckier than most, knows that there will be children and mothers and lovely souls swallowed up by the concept of destiny before he ever will – hell, his sister was one of those people ( and she was still the kindest person he has ever encountered ). but the thing is — he’s wasted time time being stuck in this never ending cycle of self-loathing and hatred. years ago, his life was pretty much brilliant. he woke up every morning with the sun sitting inside of him. but that’s all changed now. and he doesn’t see himself reverting into his old self – not even for the guy standing in front of him who clearly only has good intentions. ❝ are you afraid of these streets or somethin’? ❞ arlox asks slowly, watching bentlix with a question in his eye — a question nothing like the one he just asked. ❝ right come on, lets go to rico’s. no one will fuck with you if i’m around. ❞ he says, the words slipping out of his lips like jewels before he even has the time to stop them. ❝ and no, this isn’t me being nice. i’m only tagging along because you now owe me a strawberry milkshake. ❞
he should have expected that response from the other boy, and it had been rude for him to even comment on the other’s clothing in the manner that he did. but he really did only have good intentions. his lips had parted to respond, to apologize for even mentioning the clothes that were on his back and their condition, but then there was a mention of death and he could feel his muscles tense. it was common for people to discuss death; everyone knew when it was going to come, and spent more than half of their lives ( however long they were ) discussing it. bentlix was the opposite. he would sit around and discuss it with anyone, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. the thought of his impending doom was enough to drive his anxiety levels up, and he didn’t care much for hearing how someone else was going to go, either. ❝ it was just an offer, that’s all. but i understand. it’s clear that you can take care of yourself, yeah. and your clothes aren’t... bad. i like them, they look good on you. ❞ he could only offer a shrug of his shoulders, then, his eyes studying over the male that was standing in front of him. in the grand scheme of things, perhaps it should have been bentlix taking advice from him on how to dress. no matter what he wore, people always seemed to know that he was from halloway, and they were always quick to put him into a category. not to mention, looking tougher than he actually was would do him well. ❝ no, not really? i just... well, i don’t know them as well as you do. and people aren’t always nice to the ‘kid from halloway’. ❞ that was the nickname that he heard whispered whenever he would walk by, and he never had the guts to say anything about it. not that they were wrong, anyway. his face lifted, however, upon the offer of having some company. ❝ right, ‘course. i’ll buy you whatever you want? a full meal, even. it’s no problem. ❞
“do me a favour, leo… it’ll only take a few minutes, leo…” he’s grumbling to himself, parroting his brother’s words in a bitter hiss as he kneels under the dim glow of a street lamp. “oh, stop being such a brat, leo, you practically live next door…” he is ( kind of ) being a brat, though; hand-delivering a letter is not a big ask, much less when it’s addressed to an apartment some five-hundred yards from his own. still, when one has half a bottle of champagne dancing though their veins, even the most simple of tasks has a strong likelihood of going awry. and so it is, that leonis finds himself here: at the doorway of an unfamiliar building, one arm slotted through the letterbox of its grand, oaken door, contemplating just how the hell his goddamn keys ended up on the other side. his fingers scrape against the wood, a whine of frustration slipping from his lips as he strains to reach the lock. the sound floats down the vacant street, ricocheting against concrete façades and drowning out the dull patter of approaching footsteps. only when a shadow appears in his peripheral vision, does the prince finally notice he’s not alone, and the realisation nearly sends him toppling backwards in alarm. he raises a shaky palm, pressing it to his eyes ( mostly to still the spinning, but also to hide his embarrassment at being caught in such a suspicious predicament ). “please don’t call my mother,” he begins, the words fading into a groan, because that is not what he meant to say, damn it. “the police— i meant the police. i can explain, just… don’t call the police.”
it wasn’t unusual for bentlix to be out at weird hours of the night, despite the talk among some of the older residents of halloway, who constantly warned others to stay inside at night. it was almost like he was begging for death to come and take him sooner, just so he didn’t have to die by his father’s hand. he knew that wasn’t how it worked, of course -- he could always off himself, if he really wanted to, but for some reason, he chose not to. maybe because he thought he could defy the odds and live past the day he was supposed to die. those were the things that crossed his mind as he was walking around, enjoying the cool air against his skin, his eyes scanning over the empty street and the bland buildings that he passed. it wasn’t that they were boring, certainly people from gerret wouldn’t find them boring, but it was just that he had gotten so used to looking at them. nothing was new anymore. until he saw a figure crouched down in front of a door, wiggling around in a strange manner. that was new. it was only when he stepped closer and the person turned around that he noticed who it was; someone that he hadn’t spoken to in quite some time, and truly had no desire to speak to, either. “leonis,” he stated, the other’s name sounding foreign on his tongue. he wasn’t sure how long it had been, nor did he want to dwell too much on that thought. “i’ve got this strange feeling that your mother would be more interested in what you were doing than the police? and... well, it wouldn’t take much for me to reach her.” he wasn’t being serious, but he hoped that leo didn’t know that. he wanted to scare the other into thinking that he was tougher, that he had changed and would be willing to get the prince in trouble without a second thought. “you’ve got one minute. tell me what you were doing.”
&&. the c o r r o d e d heart that beats steadily in her chest decides to grow a conscious ( somehow finding fresh soil amidst the rocky dirt sucked dry by the weeds that have taken root in her love organ ). the foreign feeling amplifies as her coffee hues rise to meet the C O L L I S I O N ‘ S source. her lithe frame had easily been knocked to the ground like a rag doll by the other’s harder, broader frame. pulling herself from her g u i l t y haze, wynter forces herself to think about her overworked father & the thin thread his dream business is balancing on due to his district ( the government screams, “ jump ! ” & everyone responds, “ how high ? ” ). it helps her find the irony in their positions – bentlix, looking P O W E R F U L as he stands there taller than a statue, & wynter, gazing up at the brunet the way a submissive woman would ( society brainwashes women into believing their place is at a man’s feet on their knees ). yet, wynter knows she holds the c o n t r o l in their relationship – a power struggle she secretly has won. she smiles, a demure look as she murmurs, “ i guess your presence was so powerful, i couldn’t help but fall. ” bile builds up in her throat from the overly saccharine words, but wynter forces herself to continue this charade. “ but, i suppose now ya’ owe me one, yeah ? it’s only fair right ? ”
there were a number of replies that bentlix had been expecting when he first collided with the girl, but none of them had been as sweet as the one that he was gifted with. perhaps it was his lucky day, but he knew that, in gerret, everyone was fluent in sarcasm. and that rang true for halloway, in some aspects, because bentlix had learned early on that you could never trust someone’s word. so, unsure of what to say, he allowed a soft laugh to slip past his lips, offering his hand to the girl to help her off of the ground. “that’s a good one, i don’t think i’ve heard it before. but i don’t think that’s exactly true. thanks for stroking my ego, though?” it was a weak response, but bentlix wasn’t used to this sort of attention. he was used to keeping to himself when he was in gerret, and if he ever did have a conversation with someone, it was never pleasant. but, he was also as socially awkward as they came at times, so the only one he could blame was himself. “yeah, of course. whatever you want? i was heading to rico’s diner, actually. for a late dinner. if you wanted to join me, i wouldn’t mind buying you something. a burger or whatever you’d like.”
xzander just rolled his eyes in reply, knowing full and well he was right, the other didn’t need to tell him. why bentlix even began arguing in the first place was a mystery, but x was glad he’d ended it. he shrugged at the halloway boy’s suggestion, picking up a menu even though he knew everything on it. even still, x forced himself to look at the letters and pretend he was reading, for the sake of his own unamused facade. ❝ maybe. doubt it though, i’ve always tried to stay out of the way of you guys. ❞ he replied, looking back at the other from over his menu. xzander had always been quite perceptive and observant, contrary to popular belief that portrayed him as unemotional ( except for annoyance and rage, the only emotions he voluntarily showed ) and oblivious. the other was fidgeting, which was annoying, but also gave x the impression that bentlix was at a state of unease. xzander could do something to placate this, but he didn’t really care so he stayed frigid. ❝ we’re a bad boy, are we ? ❞ he commented, laughing internally at the implication. bentlix was most definitely not a bad boy. it would surprise him if he even swatted at mosquitoes. xzander raised his eyebrows in question as bentlix smiled at him, wondering what he’d done to render such a response. his mouth stayed in a monotonous straight line, but his face held the feeling of confusion. ❝ why are you smiling ? ❞ x asked, although it came out as more of a statement.
❝ you shouldn’t lump us all together? just because i’m from halloway, doesn’t mean i’m like everyone else you’ve met from there. it’s the same as me not lumping you together with everyone else from gerret. everyone is different. ❞ his tone was calm now, because he really didn’t want to argue with the other boy. he also didn’t want to risk getting his face smashed in because he had said something to really piss the stranger off, so... he was still tiptoeing around certain things. he couldn’t help but to roll his eyes, however, as the other male opened his mouth to speak again. no one believed that bentlix was capable of doing anything bad, mainly because he never acted like it. but that wasn’t the truth. if he was given the opportunity, he was sure that he could be bad. he wanted to join the resistance, after all, and that was pretty bad, right? ❝ don’t judge a book by it’s cover, love. sometimes those that appear to be the most innocent are actually the total opposite. ❞ it wasn’t really a lie, either, but he was sure that the other wouldn’t believe him. not for a second. the smile was quick to vanish off of his face, as well, because the male seemed to be puzzled by the action entirely. another strike for bentlix. he let out a frustrated sigh, grabbing onto his own menu and holding it up so that his eyes could skim over the page. he knew what he wanted -- he always got the same thing at rico’s diner. the only thing he changed was whether he got soda or a milkshake to drink. finally, he spoke again, though his eyes remained on the page. ❝ i’m sorry. i didn’t know that it was a crime to smile? you’d look much better with one, you know. ❞