The Golden Rose [[walk in//ignore post count]]

Choose your poison

Vodka	23.2%	[ 22 ]
Rum	15.8%	[ 15 ]
Whiskey	13.7%	[ 13 ]
Tequila	8.4%	[ 8 ]
Beer	5.3%	[ 5 ]
Wine	14.7%	[ 14 ]
Other	18.9%	[ 18 ]
Total Votes:			[ 95 ]

[a really strong box]

I'm a good man. I've done terrible things. But I'm a good man.

Nikolai's eyes lightened and his body sank to the ground, his hand going first, then his knees slowly coming to the floor. He never took his eyes off of Lexi, never once glanced away from her. His hand ran over her face, the shield splintering in a small flash of white light as he touched it."It's..it's you."He said, collapsing through the shield, and embracing Lexi in a tight, warm hug. His bare body wrapped around hers, and he let his face bury into her shoulder.

"I'm..so..sorry. I - I couldn't bring myself to believe that it was truly believe that it was you. I've been so alone, I've been so...I've been so alone."He said, struggling to find the words. His tattooed arm fell to the ground, and so did he. Pulling himself up in a relaxed sitting position, he glanced about the room."Lexi...I don't think we can ever get this place like it was. You and I, that's a good start, but, you and I both know. That it will take a lot more than our love for this place to get it back up to speed. Are you...truly, ready for that?"He asked, glancing over to her, sighing as he leaned back on his muscular arms, still ignoring her question of how he got his youth back.

[Shimmering Cupcake]

ȶhe scars of your ღloveღ
ȶhey leave me breathless
I can't help ȶhinking,
We could have had it αll...

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As if a light bulb went on in his head, Nikolai's face changed significantly. His eyes becoming their normal color, his tense body relaxing as he dropped closer to Lexi's small body. He was in shock, disbelief. She felt the shield shatter at his touch, obviously it wouldn't have helped her if she didn't reach through to him. Her body returning to the tanned color it was as his fingers touched her soft cheek. His voice was small, which was funny coming from this big of a man. Lexi's fear instantly subsided as he crashed through the rest of the shield and pulled her into a warm embrace. Her own arms tried their best to wrap around his large frame, feeling his muscles tense as he held her close. It had been far too long since Lexi had been near Nikolai, and it appeared as though Nikolai was in great need of this affection. Or just even the touch of a human being. His tough, gruff face buried into her shoulder, white hair cascading over his skull as she leaned her cheek onto the top of his head.

Apologies spilled from his lips, stating what Lexi already knew. "It's okay.. Not like I haven't been in a situation like that before," Lexi joked with a little laugh. he pulled away, sitting back onto the ground as the intensity of the situation began to lessen. It allowed for Lexi to look over his body. Take in the changes that had been made. It was strange to see him like this. He wasn't graying, he wasn't gruff. He was clean shaven, and practically her own age in looks. White teeth bit down on the bottom of her lip as she too looked about the room upon Nikolai's comments. It was in shambles. It was also lacking in customers. Chewing on the pink lip Lexi sighed, her head hanging back to stare at the ceiling.

"Unfortunately for us and for the Golden Rose, love for it from us two is all its going to have for now. I lost all contact with the previous people who used to come here when I moved away. Not like I want some of them to come back anyway..." she said, trailing off as she brought the crimson eyes back to Nikolai. He would know the people she was talking about. "But I'm sure we can get it going. Get the word out. I think we're clever enough to figure something out, my dear old friend." Lexi smiled reassuringly, gently nudging Nikolai's leg with her foot and a laugh. She was glad to be back and glad that Nikolai was there. She hadn't expected someone to still be around. Thankfully it was someone she was still on good terms with.

[Brian_The_Elementalist]

((Huh. Well I would have posted this in the OOC thread but apparently its so old that the forums won't let me post in it anymore. Oh well. Anyways I'll probably bring in a new character or two soon enough. Also, just wanted to say that if Lexi had been a trick it would have been Brian or Dark doing it not Flare. If he was to have anything to do with Lexi or the Rose again it would be destruction. But I suppose that's just further proof of how irrational Nikolai is. emotion_awesome ))

[a really strong box]

I'm a good man. I've done terrible things. But I'm a good man.

Nikolai leaned forward, off of his arms and rested his arms on his knees, his head trailing about the room. Inhaling deeply, he glanced over at her."Maybe it's for the best that the old people don't come. Maybe it's time for the Rose to welcome new people under it's roof. I don't know about you, but I'm kind of excited about it."Nikolai said, smiling over to Lexi. His grin was from ear to ear, and his white and perfect teeth stood out against the darkness. He'd rather not address the issue of his newfound appearance at the moment, instead only focusing on more happier things."So...Where's Xayne? I thought you two ran off and got married and had a whole big family, or something like that."He asked, tilting his head quizzically.

[Shimmering Cupcake]

ȶhe scars of your ღloveღ
ȶhey leave me breathless
I can't help ȶhinking,
We could have had it αll...

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Lexi watched as Nikolai took in the room's appearance. Her own eyes followed his about the large bar room, noticing some cracks in the woodwork and the frames quite dull on the decor. The place needed an face-lift, but she didn't want to take away from the old, romantic feel of the Rose. The warm golden lights were her favorite parts of the place, so she was planning on keeping that. But... the gold.. maybe she could change it.. Or just keep it.

Lexi's mind was trailing off, getting away from the main event of the conversation, those of old. Nikolai thankfully brought her back, stating that it might not be good to have those people return. Red eyes snapped back towards the friend that sat across from her, her pink lips pursing slightly. He was right. The idea of having some of them return might not be the best thing for the Rose. It would create drama, problems, and honestly it would probably destroy the place completely. Nodding, although hesitantly, Lexi had to agree. "I know. I wouldn't mind seeing new faces. I mean, it can be exciting. Yet, it can also be nerve wracking. I don't want things to happen like they did before.. A whole repeat of the last life?" Lexi laughed, her head shaking the white hair away from her face. "Yeah we don't need that at all." Lexi readjusted her seat as her mind went back to the start of her bar, remembering the very first time she had met Flare. A shiver went down her spine, pushing the memories away as Nikolai brought newer memories forward.

Her cheeks flushed as Xayne's name was brought into the air, an eerie chill surrounding Lexi. It was as if even his name made him appear around her, wrapping those cold arms around her slender shoulders. Lexi smirked, shaking her head when he mentioned marriage and kids. "Nope. No marriage or kids, just.. he's been really busy is all." Lexi shrugged, not really wanting to talk about Xayne and her relationship.. or lack there of. They had been together, found a place together, yes. But he had kind of been.. gone for some time. Not that she didn't know what he was doing, but she had expected him to be back at least four months ago. She hadn't heard from him yet, but she wasn't about go to and put herself in danger. That was over with, she wasn't like the woman she used to be. Fighting crazed villains wasn't really her favorite past time any longer.

Standing quickly, Lexi held her hand out to Nikolai to help him up from the floor. "Well what about yourself? You honestly haven't been cooped up here the whole time have you? I think you went off and got some plastic surgery or maybe you're stealing people's youths like a witch." A twinkle was in Lexi's eye as she stated this, obviously kidding around with Nikolai. Joking was always a good way to approach a touchy subject. At least, for Lexi it always was.

[a really strong box]

I'm a good man. I've done terrible things. But I'm a good man.

Nikolai shook his head as he almost yanked Lexi back unto the floor as he pulled himself up. Dusting himself off, he smiled down at the woman, opening his unscarred lip to speak."With closure of your past, you rejuvenate yourself. My appearance was a direct result of...issues at the time, so, naturally. When they were gone, so was the...well, the aging. My apologies if it...caused some unsettlement. Or do you like it? I like it, so...that must mean that you like it too."He said, smiling down at the petite woman, his smile now warm and comforting rather than mischievous and...almost evil, like before.

Her mention of the time spent here, brought him to a silence. Glancing about the room, he became deathly silent, and thusforth, the Rose did. He bowed his head, almost in a shameful manner. He had little to say on the topic, as the answer was quite simple...."Yes."He said simply, feeling extremely ashamed of not finding a new place, but the Rose, the Rose was his home, and for the longest time, his life. His home.

It was almost his, as much as he managed it over the years.

[-_D r e w b ii e_-]

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:: Ah yes, may Xayne's legacy be talked about for generations to come lol ;p

Howdy. ::

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[Shimmering Cupcake]

ȶhe scars of your ღloveღ
ȶhey leave me breathless
I can't help ȶhinking,
We could have had it αll...

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Lexi laughed as Nikolai bumbled on about how he enjoyed his new appearance. Yes, she did like it and her nodding would be an indication of that. She hesitated to ask him more about what was closure for him of the past to get him to where he was today. It could bring up some very unpleasant memories. Knowing Nikolai, sometimes those memories didn't go too well with him being around others. More specifically, Lexi didn't want to get involved with having to calm down an emotional Nikolai. That always turned out poorly for the one closest to him in physically.

"Well, I like it. And it's completely fine that you've just been here at the Rose. At least you kept the creaking wood company." Lexi gave a laugh, patting the nearest table. It was true. There was a feeling about the Rose that sometimes it was another person, a living creature itself. It needed loving just as much as anyone else did. It was great that Nikolai had spent his time here, keeping the place company and used to life. Who knows what it would have looked like if no one had stayed in the building. Lexi shivered at the thought, pushing it aside mentally as she poked Nikolai's side playfully.

"Come on, lets get ourselves a celebratory drink!" Lexi smiled, picking up the towel she had been dusting with and headed towards the bar. For cleaning Lexi had to realize it was going to take some time to get the place back to its formal glory. Starting at the bar and working her way forward would be the best thing for her. Besides, for an establishment like this the bar was the most important place. Her hand dropped the towel onto the cherry wood as she picked up a bottle of vodka and a short, rocks glass, filling it half full and setting it in front of an already downturned stool. She smiled over to Nikolai and beckoned him forward. "Soups up!" she called over with a laugh.


[[Oh hey! Are you going to just not post then with Xayne? o:
I wasn't sure what to do with them... ha]]

[-_D r e w b ii e_-]

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:: According to Nikolai, Xayne died in a terrible Dippin' Dots accident lol. I would love to post, but I just don't have the time. ::

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[a really strong box]

I'm a good man. I've done terrible things. But I'm a good man.

Nikolai smiled and ran his hand through his long mohawk, grinning at her words about the Rose being alive. Well, not her....verbal, words. Her, well. Thoughts. He cringed at the thought of still being able to read people's minds, whether he liked it or not. It was an issue that he had never truly thought about, because he had always tuned them out, but with the arrival of another person, he was as uncomfortable as he was in concerts.

He walked over to the bar, leaving a light white footprint wherever he walked, and the footprint glowed for a moment, then disappeared. He smiled at Lexi, enjoying the platonic nature of their companionship. He was not truly looking forward to another relationship for a long time - Sun Gods, Moon Princesses, mortals, he had enough of the opposite sex for a while. Nikolai grasped the shot of Vodka, glancing about the place. He glanced at her towel, shaking his head and downing his drink."I think I can get this place clean in about ten seconds..granted, if you still want that."He said, smiling as he leaned on the bar.

However, the part of Nikolai that was the womanizing part began to look at Lexi in a very different light through the light haze of alcohol. His eyes glanced up and down her body, and every fiber of his being screamed for him not to think like that, but the small powerful part of him continued to do so within his own mind, and through light messages displayed through his own body language.

[ToxicWeaver]

(hello :3)

[Shimmering Cupcake]

ȶhe scars of your ღloveღ
ȶhey leave me breathless
I can't help ȶhinking,
We could have had it αll...

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Lexi poured herself a long island instead, choosing to stay away from the shots. They normally didn't sit well with her, unless she was in the mood. Today, not so much. Later though...maybe. Lexi picked the towel up and tossed it at Nikolai with a smile. "Why would you want that? It would then only make us sit around bored for hours because apparently no one likes visiting these days." Lexi sighed, picking up her drink and sipping some of it through the straw. It was a shame that people weren't intrigued by her establishment. Sure it was a little dusty and not a lot of people were coming in but.. it was always difficult to start a place out. Especially a place that had been closed down for some time.

"If you want to clean it up in a few seconds go ahead, but I think it would be fun to drink and clean and maybe dance along to some tunes." Lexi had a twinkle in her eye at that thought. Dancing, with Nikolai? She laughed under her breath, a vision of him doing a slow waltz coming to her mind. It was very comical. Though he was quite a burly, attractive man, Lexi could never see him doing something like that. He just wasn't the type, and she would never make him, or any man, go through that embarrassment. It just wasn't right.

Lexi took another drink before setting the glass down and picking up another towel, dusting off the bar counter as she looked up to Nikolai. His eyes were wandering down her body and then back up. A tell tale sign of some very...seductive thoughts going through a mind. Biting the inside of her cheek, Lexi chose not to act like she saw it, playing it off as nothing. It probably was nothing, anyways. Not like her and Nikolai had ever been close to being in a sexual relationship, or any sort of relationship other than a close friendship. She just found it.. odd. Not that he wasn't attractive.. Lexi took a glance up with a smile. Definitely attractive.. 'Stop it Lexi! He's a friend..'Lexi pushed the thoughts away. Not the right time. "So, what do you say? Slow clean or clean it fast?" Lexi asked.

[[Ha! Dippin dots, huh? Well that's unfortunate.
@Okami:: helloooo, feel free to post if you like~]]

[a really strong box]

I'm a good man. I've done terrible things. But I'm a good man.

Nikolai could have read her mind - but that wasn't right. He knew he couldn't just invade people's minds without a good reason. He had hoped that Lexi had remembered to not think too hard about him, or how he noted the movement on one side of her cheek. She was biting her inner cheek - he stopped thinking about it. Boozed up Nikolai had less rationale than sober Nikolai (most of the time, at least). He smiled, placing his empty glass down. Turning about, he smiled at Lexi and put one of his hands over her eyes."Close your eyes, droog. It's going to get a little bright in here."He said, putting out his tattooed hand. His tattoo glowed a bright white, a brilliant, vibrant and pulsing white, and the light traveled from his pectoral muscle up to his neck, through his veins. His veins began to glow on his body, and his hand began to grow a large white orb in his hand. He snapped his fingers, and the orb slowly travelled outwards towards the center of the bar.

If Lexi could see, she could see how fast the orb was spinning, before stopping suddenly and releasing a wall of bright, white, cleansing light. In it's wake, the grime, the dust, the cobwebs, and any other dirtiness, evil, or anything that was not pure and happy, was removed and disintegrated by the...Angelic light. Nikolai winced at the word. He hated calling himself that. He hated read stories on the...egh. Internet. About little girl's fantasies with angels, and how they..egh. He could go on for hours about them. He removed his hand from Lexi's eyes, brandishing his arms up in the air to let her view the restored Rose. Every color was vibrant, every fixture was polished, and every table was in pristine condition. Almost like it had opened yesterday. He smiled and leaned over the counter, batting his eyes. He could almost kiss her, solely on the fact that she looked so-

He was sober.

And he was thinking like that. And it worried him very dearly."So uh...ready to flip the open sign?" He said, trying to hide his worry.

[Shimmering Cupcake]

ȶhe scars of your ღloveღ
ȶhey leave me breathless
I can't help ȶhinking,
We could have had it αll...

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As she debated on whether or not she should fill his glass up again, Nikolai turned around and placed a hand over her eyes. With a sigh, Lexi smiled and began to tap her foot on the ground. "Is it really necessary for you to close my eyes for me? I mean, I could easily hide them myself you know. I'm not incapable of keeping myself protected." she said with a laugh, placing a hand upon his large forearm as he hid her eyes. As Nikolai did...whatever he was doing.. Lexi could see the brilliant white streaming through his fingers and she was glad that her eyes had been hidden. No use going blind now that she was going to open the bar back up again. As soon as the light disappeared, Lexi took her fingers and spread Nikolai's fingers apart to peak through the slits at the Rose. He had cleaned it all, and when he had pulled his hand away, Lexi was in awe. It looked almost as new as the first day it had opened.

As Lexi took in the room, she barely noticed the batting eyes of Nikolai as he leaned upon his muscular arms towards Lexi, watching her take it all in. "If I had known you could have made it like this, I would have never debated on cleaning it by hand..." Lexi said in shock as her red eyes finally met the gaze of Nikolai. She smiled wide, her pearly whites peaking out from between her pink, soft lips. Lexi couldn't help but show off just how happy she was that the Rose might become like it used to be. Thriving with customers, new friends, family... The good ol' days, just minus the bad things that made them sour.

Tanned fingers picked up the bottle of vodka, filling Nikolai's glass again and setting it in front of him as she picked up her own drink. "I think that's a wonderful idea. Cheers, to old friends and new, with new adventures yet to come." Her smile hadn't faded, it almost actually seemed like it became wider and brighter. Lexi was a pleased bar owner right about now. Even if the Rose didn't get the same amount of customers right away they would come. She was sure of it. Why wouldn't they? Especially to this classy establishment!