Ҁɩϯy ѳϝ ϛɩȵ - ɩ ϲ α ɾ υ ϛ

How are we doing~?

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[Miss Swifteh]

M A X I M I L L I A N
ESCORT / CHAIN-SMOKER / HUMAN

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬╳ ╳ ╳▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

I DON'T KNOW WHY HE'S WITH ME
I ONLY BROUGHT HIM TROUBLE SINCE THE DAY HE MET ME
IF I WAS HIM BY NOW I WOULD HAVE LEFT ME
I WOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY
BUT NOW I'VE BROKEN AWAY
SOMEHOW INSTEAD HE FORGAVE ME
SAID 'A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT HE'S GOTTA DO'
EVEN IF IT MEANS HE DENIED HIMSELF THE TRUTH
'CAUSE WHEN YOU'RE IN TOO DEEP YOU WAKE UP AND IT'S TOO LATE--
YOU'VE FALLEN IN LOVE IN THE WORST WAY
AND IF YOU DON'T GO NOW THEN YOU'LL STAY
'CAUSE I'LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE NEVER LET YOU BREATHE

'CAUSE IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HEAVEN BABY
IT SURE AS HELL AIN'T ME

Max was starting to venture into the world of 'what if'.
What if he never received that video text? Max figured he'd probably still be in his apartment and Feng would still be out in the forest, a cold corpse. He'd of continued his activities with Sylvester, blissfully ignorant of the pain Feng was suffering.
What if Sylvester hadn't been there when that message came through? He hated to admit it but in the absence of his own rationality Sylvester had become the voice of sanity. He was a foundation for him, a rock. Without the salamander he would have ran to the forest, probably arriving too late to help Feng. He wouldn't have cauterised the wound and Max would have panicked, unable to think clearly and dial for an ambulance. He'd have lost Feng and he would have been all alone.
What if he and Feng hadn't argued that night before? What if he could remember what they spoke about? He could have apologised and removed the awkwardness between them. Instead of traipsing through the forest Feng could have been curled up on a sofa next to him, watching crap tv, laughing at the poor quality of Saol daytime entertainment.
But what if he hadn't gotten so deeply involved with Feng?
What if he hadn't even met the boy?
What if he'd refused to go on a road trip with Sylvester?
If he'd never fallen in love with the salamander?
What if he'd stayed in Ireland and continued with his normal, average life?

The world is made up of 'what if's. Choice after choice presented themselves and it seemed to Max that he often chose the wrong one. After all, he was stood in a hospital waiting for news on the life of an eighteen-year-old boy who he'd duped into loving him. He was caught up in a murder case - several, in fact - and he was going nowhere fast. He was a liar and a cheat, just a conman with a pretty smile and Feng's friends knew it. They were losing faith in him fast; the way Eclair looked at him made that clear enough.
Just what was he doing here? He hated this place - both the physical location and his part in events. It was the waiting that hurt the most. He didn't know what to do or say, how to react or respond. He'd cried already but it had been a brief burst of tears, nothing more. It hadn't helped any. He could sit silently but that didn't do much for him either - he hated listening to the sobbing of others and concerned conversation. He felt like the leftover piece to the puzzle or the extra screw; without purpose. What kind of messed up path had he staggered down to get to this sorry state of being? Just how many 'what if's did he have to go back to find the point where it all went wrong?

But is it really all that bad?
Feng was hurt, that was true enough...but he was alive - for now. He was in the hands of professionals and receiving the treatment he needed if he had a chance of pulling through. When he looked at it from a different perspective, the choices he made seemed more positive. Sylvester had helped him to get to Feng in time and his natural talent for fire allowed him to cease some of the bleeding. Even now, as he leant against the man, he knew that it had been somehow been the right choice to accept his company. He didn't know the details of why Feng entered the forest so he couldn't change that but maybe it was best they weren't together. The gunman had no qualms about shooting Feng so they would have had none in shooting Max either.
Going farther back he couldn't help but crack a small smile. Feng was a difficult boy but he was kind and funny, down to earth and practical. He didn't make judgements and tried his hardest to understand and accommodate Max's stubborn lifestyle. Most men disliked his job and the demands it made on his time and body. If he'd pulled the stunt with Sylvester whilst seeing some of his past lovers he'd have wound up in hospital or thrown out onto the street. In meeting Feng he'd found someone who could put up with all the s**t he went along with.
The boy loved him. Really loved him; the word had meaning, it wasn't just pillow talk. True he was young but he'd already had to get over that hurdle. It was neither his fault or Feng's that their ages were separated by such a large age gap. He could no more change that as he could their racial differences. It was just who they were.
He might hate waiting in a hospital surrounded by people that were fast harbouring a dislike for him but Max couldn't deny that he was relieved Feng even got as far as the hospital in the first place. He'd made some bad choices in life but they'd all led to where he was now, waiting to hear the news of the boy he'd somehow fallen in love with. If the pain of seeing that video and the panic of tending to the boy's side in the forest meant that he would eventually be able to see Feng's smile again then it was all worth it.

And if it meant that even with all the help and hospital care the boy still slipped away then...well, at least he would be surrounded by his friends in a hospital ward and not all alone in the forest.
But I don't want him to go.
I know it's selfish but I want him to survive. Even if it's months of hospital treatment I want him to go through it because anything's better than a grave.

" I'm so selfish..." Max gave an empty laugh, his words soft, almost inaudible. Sylvester shrugged, figuring it was just depression speaking.
" Yeah, sometimes. Everyone is, don't worry about it. We all want the best for ourselves so we do stuff for our own good. It's normal. " He replied, hoping his words would help to soothe whatever demons Max was suffering. He ruffled the man's dark hair, smiling. He leant back slightly to glimpse around the corner and noted the presence of yet another couple of people in the room. Judging from looks alone, they were also there to see Feng.
" Looks like a couple more of Feng's pals have arrived. "
" Oh god... " Max groaned and Sylvester chuckled.
" I don't think the big guy's listening. " He grinned, taking a second glimpse around the corner. The policeman he'd been nervous about seemed to still be sat with the Sylph, not snooping about like he would have thought. Maybe he was just there on a personal errand.
He glanced down at Max and sighed. Maybe it was the 'selfish' comment getting to him but Sylvester was feeling a spark of guilt for dragging the man out into a corridor when it was clear he wanted to be inside that room, waiting for Feng. Dammit Maxie...you're gonna owe me.

" Let's go. I don't like the air out here. " He mumbled, dragging Max back into the waiting room. Sylvester took a seat as far from Seth and Andy as possible, his back to the police officer. He pulled Max down into the seat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders - he could feel a slight tremble as Max glanced towards the emergency room doors. He was more nervous now, impatient. It made a change from the lifeless husk he'd been before - but it remained to be seen if it was an improvement.

[Pugnacious Peace]

ƒζιคιяισ ℒϵϛϵ∂ι

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Hiss

Beep

"Stabilizing."

Eyes opened slightly, glazed and emotionless. His fingers twitched but did nothing more, his body beginning to convulse. He could feel literally nothing but pain, Tears coursing down his cheeks. The surgeon pulled the tools away before he cut the youth on the table, shouting out a code that the victim did not understand. The men around him scattered like cockroaches, running in different directions with only a single purpose in mind: saving the life of a Salamander on the very shore of Death.

The Salamander, however, had different ideas. He was so... tired. Exhausted. His entire body was filled with pain and his mind with fear. Every moment until now blurred together, memories of laughing next to his parents to running away from home bleeding into dancing in the club, eyes watching the hungry men around him. Laying beneath the man he now loved, Max smirking at him as hands groped and grabbed. An image of Andy bled into one of Ankh and then to Miles-

Max. There was Max again. His brain halted and rewound the memories, moving so quickly it was difficult to differentiate one from another.

STOP!

There. There he was, standing in the ally with the cigarette in his mouth, Feng's fingers lifting to light it for him-

"Stabilize him! Move it!"

Feng's body lurched more violently and he let out a loud yelp, the horrors behind his eyes, his worst fears, finally coming to light-

And how surprising it was that his worst fear was Max. More specifically, losing him. The image of Feng was replaced with Sylvester, the man smirking back at Feng, wrapping an arm around Max's shoulders, staring down at the youth with an uncomfortable sneer.

He tried calling out but the gun was placed in his mouth moments before his mind could even formulate words. He was left on his knees in the grass, naked and practically begging as he stared up at his Death, the smirk forming beneath the darkened hood. He trembled violently and closed his eyes, the click of the gun warning him of the next action. He could feel a needle pressed into his neck-

-the surgeon called out another code, screaming at them to get what he needed. Someone had misplaced it, clearly - but how was he to know that the very person controlling Feng's fate, the very being responsible for sending him to this ward, had already been there, had already taken the tool, simply knowing. Irritation bled into unabashed worry as the blond on the table screamed again, a cry heard even through the halls, Seth's eyes widening and Andy standing sharply. Eclair looked up as she made her way back to the waiting room and, recognizing her nephew's voice, she let out a shrill scream of her own, bursting into a new set of tears as she shot forward, kicking off her heels and running barefoot through the halls, only barely stopped by another doctor before she could make it through. "NO!" she cried, crumbling in their arms as the scream died out.

In the operating room, the little machine beeped, beeped, beeped again, before tapering off into a high-pitched continuous whine-

-Feng could see the moon. It was... beautiful. He'd almost forgotten how peaceful it was. He smiled as a few tears fell, mostly out of pain as he sat on his knees, waiting for the trigger to be pulled-

-"Stabilizing!" the man shouted, finding a spare from another operating room. He growled and attempted to resuscitate the youth, frowning as the body refused to move. "Come on, damn it..." He clenched his teeth and tried again-

-his hands trembled and his body shook, lips pressed against the cold metal and his tongue pressed down by it. He attempted to beg for his life with words but the figure holding his fate only grinned darkly, reaching out a hand to press against Feng's cheek. Feng twitched away from it, fearing it to hurt him more before finally ending everything. Feng tried to swallow, but the gun still pressed further to his throat, forcing him to gag.

Cicada's, crickets, frogs. A gentle breeze, the smell of clear creek water and flowers. It was nearly the time for flowering for the rest of the plants. Spring was fast approaching, after all.

He looked up, eyes wide as the figure of his murderer morphed into Max, the gun removed from his mouth. He hadn't realized it but he'd assumed the position of prayer, his hands folded before his chest, his head nearly bowed. Max leaned down to him, making eye contact with him.

"...Feng."-

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep-

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

He stood, relieved as the boy was stabilized. He was fragile, and he highly doubted...

He waited nearly an hour, watching the boy, being forced to stabilize him twice, before sighing and walking to the waiting room.

---

The scream still bother Andy and he shook while sitting in the corner, breathing deeply in fear with every doctor that walked by, waiting for news on Feng. He feared it wouldn't be pretty - that yelp had told him more than he ever wanted to know. He couldn't stop thinking of the boy strapped to the table, arching his back as blood dripped from open wounds, hands reaching out for his friends, but those friends were nowhere in sight.

He'd nearly completely lost faith when a man in white walked in, holding a clipboard. It felt strangely reminiscent of the human hospital several months ago and he hoped - well, prayed, even if he did feel like a hypocrite - that everything would match up, that Feng would be alright.

"The Lesedi- Oh. All of you are for him-"

"Yes. He has a lot of people who love him. How is he? What was that-"

The grim smile silenced the man, his head shaking. Eclair was standing from her corner where she had been huddled since the scream, her head buried in her arms as she hid away from everyone else, too preoccupied with getting the images of the boy she thought of as her son out of her head to care about anything else. Now that news was finally available, she stood next to Andy.

"...what happened?" Eclair asked with a shaking voice and the man looked down, sighing.

"...I'm...I'm sorry." he paused for a moment, his eyes dark as he attempted to word what he said next carefully. A bad place to pause, in hindsight, as Andy nearly hit the floor in shock, his legs weakening and Seth catching him before he did, holding him up. "...He's alive, for now." The man revised and Andy's eyes clearly showed his relief, though the words 'for now' worried him much more than they had in the stabbing's aftermath. "We had - and are still having - difficulty keeping him stabilized." He dumbed down his words a little, aware that humans were standing in the small crowd of friends and family, doing his best to help them understand as well, "There are chemicals in an Elemental's body that are released when they're threatened or they are frightened. It's highest in Salamanders between fifteen and twenty, which of course, your friend fits in that age bracket. However, the chemicals never go above the levels of forty to eighty-two." he paused again, motioning for everyone to sit at one of the bigger tables. As soon as every one was seated, the doctor continued - after all, it was his job to save and help those under extreme stress. They deserved to understand what was happening.

"However, your friend, Fliairio, his levels spiked to nearly one-hundred fifty. It's... staggering. It can cause hallucinations, nightmares, paranoia - and can even send an Elemental into a heart attack or a stroke. Or, as your friend experienced, seizures. I could perform another surgery and try to regulate the chemicals with drugs, try to balance it out, but it's dangerous. It's only a fifty-fifty chance that he'll return to normal."

"Tell me, Doctor." Baby asked, leaning forward and glaring at him. "Is he going to make it?"

Silence. It certainly wasn't comforting - Ankh stared blankly at the man, her hands shaking beneath the table.

"...That's... that's the problem." he sighed again, setting the clipboard on the table behind him, facing the group again, "I highly doubt he'll make it through the week. He'd be lucky to survive the night." He let the news sink in and reactions ranged from shock to despair, Eclair's eyes misting up again and her head finding it's way to Baby's shoulder, even though the bartender hardly knew the woman. Nevertheless Baby wrapped an arm around the woman's body and shushed her, her own tears threatening. Andy threw pride out the door, crumbling for the third time that night, setting his head in his hands as he closed his face, a few drops of saline landing on the table as Seth pat his back comfortingly. The youth that had arrived with Baby cried as well, though he didn't even know the man beyond those doors, but he knew that his 'mother' was fond of him - and at eighteen, even the boy knew that death was unfair at any age, regardless of wrongdoings. Everyone deserved a second chance, didn't they?

The doctor waited for a little while, asking if they needed anything - after an hour of fulfilling demands, the doctor departed and returned to Feng.

Any sat in the chair, lifeless as he attempted to regain composure. Eclair spoke with Baby in the corner-

"-he's like my son," the actress murmured, sniffling and wiping her eyes. "He's far too young for this. I wish it was me."

Baby shook her head and wrapped her arms around the woman, then reaching out an arm for Ankh, who had shuffled closer, in need of feminine comfort. She sat next to the bartender and snuggled into her, closing her eyes as she sniffed.

Seth was eyeing the Salamander next to Max, attempting to remember just where he'd seen him before. He knew he looked familiar, but couldn't place it. But then, his thoughts were so frazzled that to remember who his own mother was would be a miracle. He looked at Andy's catatonic state and his heart ached, stomach flipped. The man wasn't suited very well for tears. He moved closer and set his hand on Andy's thigh, and the brunette looked over and smiled weakly, setting his hand on the man's own, wordless communication. The fingers closed around each other and Seth said nothing at all, Andy following his lead.

After a few moments, Andy made his way to Max, sighing. He was still pissed at the man - but if the redness in the man's eyes had said anything at all, he knew Max felt just as strongly as they did. He needed help just as the rest. He sat next to the man and looked at him, unsure of what to say. 'Are you alright' would be a blatant half-assed attempt at making conversation. None of them were alright - their friend was alone in that room. "...Max." Andy spoke with a softened voice, something Max had never heard before, he was sure, as Andy was either bitching at the man, bitching at Feng, or laughing with Feng. Here his voice was gentle, kind, something one would hear from their family in times of crisis. And in a way, Max was part of the family - he was important to Feng, as all of them - save Seth and Sylvester - were.

Andy set a hand on the man's shoulder carefully, biting his lip and looking down before back up, speaking quietly. "...look, Max. Sorry about... well, about earlier. Just wanted you to know that if you need us, we're here. You're... part of the family too, I guess. Feng loves you just as much as he loves us."

Was it the right thing to say? Maybe, maybe not, but Andy was at a loss for anything else. His brain had let him down this time and he didn't care to revise his words, instead staring at their feet and licking his lips as he waited for a response.

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ooc

Long post is long. I'm sorry. XD Couldn't stop. ;-;

[Miss Swifteh]

M A X I M I L L I A N
ESCORT / CHAIN-SMOKER / HUMAN

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬╳ ╳ ╳▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

I DON'T KNOW WHY HE'S WITH ME
I ONLY BROUGHT HIM TROUBLE SINCE THE DAY HE MET ME
IF I WAS HIM BY NOW I WOULD HAVE LEFT ME
I WOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY
BUT NOW I'VE BROKEN AWAY
SOMEHOW INSTEAD HE FORGAVE ME
SAID 'A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT HE'S GOTTA DO'
EVEN IF IT MEANS HE DENIED HIMSELF THE TRUTH
'CAUSE WHEN YOU'RE IN TOO DEEP YOU WAKE UP AND IT'S TOO LATE--
YOU'VE FALLEN IN LOVE IN THE WORST WAY
AND IF YOU DON'T GO NOW THEN YOU'LL STAY
'CAUSE I'LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE NEVER LET YOU BREATHE

'CAUSE IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HEAVEN BABY
IT SURE AS HELL AIN'T ME

The doctor's words were not reassuring; he was clearly being quite vague, giving them information that neither raised nor dashed their hopes. He chewed the inside of his lip irritably, his gaze intensifying into an angry glare as he stared at the man. Couldn't he be more specific? He was a professional for Jesus' sake!
No, I suppose he can't.
The hospital would do as best it could to keep Feng alive. The rest was up to the boy himself and to a certain extent, chance. Those waiting in the lobby simply had to take what little comfort they could from the doctor's analysis and hope that Feng pulled through.

Sylvester had found a selection of magazines which he piled on the seat beside him, hoarding a bundle of various titles. Max had found a little amusement in watching the salamander acquire them; others in the waiting room not of Feng's party gave the salamander looks of baffled confusion and surprise as he lifted magazines on women's interests, interior design and even a children's activity booklet. It had put a smile on the escort's face at least. He tried to preserve it as Sylvester shoved a bundle into his lap, peering over his shoulder as he flicked through, offering choice comments about the content. He could tell that the salamander was trying to raise his spirits so Max attempted to humour him, trying to keep calm despite the tense atmosphere.
He thought he was putting on a fairly good show until Andy approached him.

Max stared at the Sylph blankly, taken aback by his words. He'd expected a grilling on Sylvester's presence or why Max had been the first to find Feng. In the very least he expected the man to ask for details about Feng, to attempt to understand what had happened.
He certainly hadn't expected an apology.
Max tore his gaze away, eyes downcast, glossing over the magazine that lay open in his lap. He opened his mouth to speak once or twice but he didn't know what to say in reply. A part of him wanted to reject Andy's offer, to declare independence; he didn't know these people well enough to show them his weaker side. But whilst he didn't feel comfortable accepting the offer he was grateful for the sentiment. To be accepted as part of the group was better than being excluded from them and sent away.
" ...Thanks but I'll be fine. " He said diplomatically. After a moment's thought he glanced back up at Andy, realising that he was finally away from Seth. He'd been thinking about the video on his phone, wondering when he should present it to the police but he'd been a little nervous about approaching Seth (seeing as he had been comforting Andy). With the two separated it seemed like a good time to share what was on his phone.
" Excuse me, I've got to...go over here..." He mumbled, rising from his seat. He walked nervously, aware that his shoes clicked loudly on the floor as he crossed the long distance to where the policeman sat.

Sylvester followed Max's path over his shoulder, sneering as he realised the man was approaching Seth. Why did Max have to draw attention to himself? Next thing he knew the policeb*****d would be wanting to speak with him and then it would all go in a very nasty direction...
He looked over at Andy, clearing his throat and leaning forwards conspirationally.
" About earlier, " He said in a low voice, almost a whisper, " If you or your little friends ever present a threat to him again I'll send you all on a nice twee trip to A and E for the duration of your stay at this hospital. " He sat back and smiled, lifting a magazine as his expression took on a look of complete innocence.
" Magazine? "

" It's Seth, isn't it? " Max queried as he stood in front of the man. " Do you have a minute? We need to talk. In private. "

[Pugnacious Peace]

ƒζιคιяισ ℒϵϛϵ∂ι

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Andy nodded softly, knowing when to leave it alone. He raised his hands and moved to let Max through. However, as Sylvester leaned closer he glanced from the corner of his eye and moved to stand - the last thing he wanted to do was fight with someone, not here - until he caught the man's words.

He smirked, his eyes closing calmly and he leaned back, drawing attention to his hips as he shifted. He turned his head easily and looked at the man, an innocent smile of his own forming as his eyes 'softened' in mock-sweetness, though the venom in his words would have been enough to frighten Feng into complete silence for a good week.

"Yeah? I'll keep that in mind. However... I think you'll need to keep in mind that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I'm only one person you need to think about. See that girl over there? She's trained to fire a weapon. That one? That's an Undine. Water trumps fire, correct? As for that man that Max is speaking with... not only is he an Undine as well but he is a police officer. Surely you cannot afford to draw attention to yourself? Unlike the humans, I'm not afraid of a few burns. So go for it - feel like setting fire to a Sylph? Be my ******** guest. It'll be the last thing you do. Understand?" He smiled sweetly and pet Sylvester's head for only a split second before standing up, flipping his hand upward and knocking the magazine from the man's hand. Ankh stared in shock, her jaw dropped.

"You. Have balls." she murmured to her friend, shaking her head and huffing. Eclair snickered, Baby's eyes wide in terror as she looked between the Sylph walking to the vending machine on the other side of the room. Was he running, or-

No. That wasn't running. He bent over at the waist and grabbed the small bag of candy he'd bought, opening it as he walked back, sitting next to the girls, speaking softly and offering words of kindness. Andy only grinned at the girl and popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth and offering some to his friends, who all denied. Andy shrugged and took another piece, flopping back down next to Sylvester, eyes closed as he yawned. He looked over and offered candy to Sylvester, his eyes and tone matching the Salamander's own in his previous offer.

"Chocolate?"

---

Seth had been typing on his phone, recording the thoughts on the case before he forgot them in a place that wouldn't be so easily spotted when Max appeared before him. The man looked up and blinked, moving to give the man room before hearing 'in private'. He nodded and stood, nodding to Andy as the man glanced over at him, waving distractedly as he looked back up at the television.

Seth looked around and made sure nobody was around, dragging Max to the men's restroom. He checked the stalls, nodding when he was absolutely certain nobody was around. He turned, pulling Max in and closing the door, locking it behind him. "Yeah? I'm assuming this has to do with the case?"

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ooc

[Miss Swifteh]

M A X I M I L L I A N
ESCORT / CHAIN-SMOKER / HUMAN

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬╳ ╳ ╳▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

I DON'T KNOW WHY HE'S WITH ME
I ONLY BROUGHT HIM TROUBLE SINCE THE DAY HE MET ME
IF I WAS HIM BY NOW I WOULD HAVE LEFT ME
I WOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY
BUT NOW I'VE BROKEN AWAY
SOMEHOW INSTEAD HE FORGAVE ME
SAID 'A MAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT HE'S GOTTA DO'
EVEN IF IT MEANS HE DENIED HIMSELF THE TRUTH
'CAUSE WHEN YOU'RE IN TOO DEEP YOU WAKE UP AND IT'S TOO LATE--
YOU'VE FALLEN IN LOVE IN THE WORST WAY
AND IF YOU DON'T GO NOW THEN YOU'LL STAY
'CAUSE I'LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE NEVER LET YOU BREATHE

'CAUSE IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HEAVEN BABY
IT SURE AS HELL AIN'T ME

Sylvester sighed as the magazine tumbled from his hand, shifting slightly in his seat - an image of cool. Unfortunately his thoughts were far from rational as he scanned the faces of Feng's apparently quite skilled friends. His eyes spoke volumes; if the salamander was a careful man he would have worked out that Andy's threat was far greater than his own. He might have fire, strength and stature but against all these people at once he would quickly be sudued. Any sane man would realise that but Sylvester had always been a little too close to the edge for comfort. If the challenge arose he would answer it; he'd made a threat and he intended to stick to it regardless of the consequences.
His eyes followed Andy, his head tilting slightly as he watched his every movement. As the chocolate was offered to him Sylvester reached over calmly before quickly swiping the bag from Andy's fingers, much how the magazine was knocked from his own hands. He sat back contentedly, chewing over a piece of chocolate.
" Oh I like you..." He cooed, a sly grin forming on his lips.

Max glanced about himself, a brow raised at Seth's choice of location for a 'private' meeting.
" Nah, I thought we could have a quick shag to release some tension. " He answered, completely deadpan as he met Seth's eyes. With a sigh he leaned back against the wall, nervously playing with his hands. He fidgeted constantly, his hands moving across his waist to fold at his chest, smoothe down his arms, enter his pockets, rest on his hips...he couldn't stand still. He'd managed to pull Seth away from the group but he wasn't too certain if he wanted to go through with showing the man the video clip. He didn't know if he could cope with seeing it again - even hearing the audio was too much, for the visual had been burned into his memory.
But Seth had to see it. He was working on Feng's case and the clip was the only certain evidence of what had happened in the forest.
He brought his phone out of his pocket, fingers shaking as he brought up his messages. Nervously he lowered the phone, meeting the other's gaze again.
" ...You can't show Andy this, nor any of the others. Not yet, anyway...you'll understand when you see it. I received this pretty much-- well, I assume it's pretty much live. It's the only reason I knew Feng was in the forest. " He almost handed the phone over but hesitated again, looking away.
He pressed play and turned the phone so Seth could see it, his face downcast for it's duration. When it had finished he folded his phone back in his pocket, still staring at the floor. Feng's cries still echoed for him, lingering on the air. If Seth wasn't present he'd probably have curled up on the floor alone with his thoughts. Considering howw neauseous those cries made him feel he'd probably have made full use of their location too and let out what little food he had in his stomach. But considering Seth was was present, Max wouldn't allow himself to do anything like that. He'd rather fight a losing fight to keep his composure than break down in front of a policeman.
" So...about that shag? " He laughed, the sound empty and clearly nervous as he hid his eyes behind his hand. His smile wavered and he turned away from Seth.
" Sorry-- I'm just...just...look. " He pulled his hand away from his eyes, fingers smoothing through his hair. " I've lived in Saol for a while now and I know that not every case has a happy ending. Killers don't always get caught, money doesn't always get returned and all manners of bad guys still roam the streets happy as a lark. Saol's the kind of city where the law takes a back seat and justice with it but...I just want to know you'll try. I don't think the police has covered enough angles in this investigation. " His voice cracked slightly and he cleared his throat, closing his eyes.
" Feng's going to hate me for saying this but don't trust a single person in that room. I certainly don't. "

[Pugnacious Peace]

ƒζιคιяισ ℒϵϛϵ∂ι

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Andy stared at the candy as it was flung to the ground, knowing that it was going to happen. After all, that's what he would have done. He glanced up at Sylvester and smirked, shrugging. "Wish I could say the same. I hope you know I'm not going to be the one who cle-"

His expression blanked as a piece of candy was beamed at his head, Ankh standing with her hands on her hips, thin legs moving forward to get closer to the man. "Andy. No fighting. If you want to start some bullshit with this guy here then you can leave. We are here for Feng."

Andy rolled his eyes, "And some seventeen year old Undine is going to lecture me now?"

"That's mature."

Andy grinned and pat the girl's back, sighing as the girl forced him to help her clean. "******** you, Undine."

"And [******** you too, Sylph."

In the corner Baby laughed and Eclair pressed her palm to the side of her head, rolling her eyes and chuckling.

---

In the bathroom, Seth stared at Max as he made the joke, cracking a grim smile. He said nothing as the phone was handed to him and his eyes dropped to the picture, widening briefly before leaning back against the wall, watching the clip with cold, calculating eyes. He picked it apart, watching it twice before sending it to his own phone to use as evidence before handing it back.

He looked back up as Max spoke again and he laughed with him, the sound bouncing about the restroom. "Hey, man. Don't apologize." he listened carefully to Max and smiled weakly, nodding.

"...You have my word, Max." Seth spoke smoothly, looking up at the man. "Yeah, it's true that sometimes killers go free. I'm trying to end that trend. I don't sleep very well knowing that Feng's in danger. I only sleep because if I don't, I won't be awake and alert when s**t hits the fan like it just recently had. I swear to you, Max, I'll find this guy - or girl - and put the sick ******** behind bars. Hell, I'll get him the death sentence if that's what you want, he deserves it for what he's done."

He nodded to Max in understanding, "I don't blame you. Elementals make humans nervous, I've noticed, and I could also tell that you didn't know the humans very well, either. I'm surprised you trust me alone with you enough, thought I suppose it's the uniform talking..." he scratched his neck, jumping at the sound of the fist against the door.

"Hey man, open the ******** up-"

"Occupied." Seth shouted back, huffing in distaste. "a*****e... anyway, anything else?"

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ooc