|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:04 pm
More at ease with him covered, she compared her finger to his hair to denote about how much an inch and a half off was again. "Bad," was her first answer. Although that didn't feel like enough, and she let a frown color her tone. "Aria was . . . I didn't get to know her so well, but she looked out for us. She was our leader. It was like losing a mom and a boss at the same time, Mr. Lex, and it hurt a little because we trusted her. I know Mr. Lance will do a good job, but . . ." Stormy cringed, because she quite literally had lost Aria as a mother thanks to the New Years scenario. Maybe it was best not to talk about that anymore.
"And yeah, those guys are the ones. Apparently they also advocate runics over actual weapons. Something against conversions." The frown remained as she put the scissors aside and started trying to comb Lex's hair first. "S'okay, really, I've been through worse . . . You can always go look up the recordings they've got. It was on the tv in the common room and on everyone's cellphones, too, so it's probably still lying around." And if he watched, he'd get to see people murdering each other, accidentally or otherwise--with herself as the latter, guilty as charged. She had been through worse; it didn't make this any less heavy on her soul, though.
Stormy hummed in thought. "What else . . . Um, there was a Christmas party in a weird place they set up with lots of joy and gingerbread walls and stuff. That'd been fun and kinda weird!"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:01 pm
Lex gave Stormy a sympathetic pat on the knee, making sure to stay upright as she measured out his hair. "I don't think I'd enjoy watching you and your friends running around murdering each other." Lex teased with an air of horror in the background of the picture his words were painting. These Circle people really were awful, weren't they? Revolting against the group that was trying trying to save humanity, murdering a council member, and making trainees relive awful moments in their lives.
He rolled his shoulders, a deeper frown growing on his face. He may have found their methods revolting, but he could see where the Circle was coming from. Deus was far from a shining beacon of hope - they couldn't even have a damned picnic without someone chopping another person's limb off. The leaders were just as messed up, their prerogatives being far from humanity's salvation. He sort of wished he'd been left out of the loop now.
"A Christmas party with gingerbread and JOY, you say? That seems fun." He smarmed with a light chuckle. "And who had a mental breakdown in the middle of this one?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 2:28 pm
Stormy made a noise that was almost a strained laugh. No, no he wouldn't want to watch that at all . . . "No-one did," she informed him as she combed through the other side of his hair, marveling at how nice it looked even when grown out. Oh, the easy life of someone with non-curly hair . . . "There was too much JOY there for anyone to really get into a fight, thank God."
Then she paused. "Um . . . I should let you know that my ex is here while I've got you," she added a little hesitantly. "He's actually in your division, so you might've seen him already: really, really tall with green hair. His name's Jack. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor about him?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:56 pm
Lex let out a small gasp of surprise, an odd smile spreading across his face. "Does it seem odd that I'm actually happy about that?" He chuckled a bit, trying not to let his hair move so much. "Finally, a happy Christmas on Deus."
When she brought up Jack, Lex's whole body scrunched for a few minutes. Tall, green hair... that was the creep that'd been messing with Ami. She, of course, had deflected him perfectly, but still. "Yeah, I know him. Does the favor include violence?" His mirth returned a small amount as he shook the thought of the man. No, he couldn't let some crass jerk mess with his psyche.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 6:12 pm
"Not at all! I'm really glad people could have a little fun for once and not get it all ruined . . ."
At Lex's question, she considered the scissors as she picked them up. The ones she had stuck in Jack's chest in the Tear had been nice and large and sharp, literal weaponry rather than a simple tool. If Lex turned to look at her, he'd be able to see that for a few moments Stormy seriously considered his proposal. After all, she did not like violence herself, but she couldn't deny there was a dark satisfaction in hurting him, even if she told herself that it was only a small part of her that thought so. The kind that cried for vengeance, like a normal human being who had been wronged.
But the frown that appeared on her features as she mulled it over eventually disappeared before she shook her head. "Unless he gives you good reason to, please don't hit him, Mr. Lex," Stormy answered, parting some of his hair to straighten out and cut. "If you know him, then you probably know that he's not . . . openly amicable." That was the est way she thought to put it. "If it isn't too much, though, I was wondering if you could try to be friendly to him? I think all he really needs is a network of people to warm up to, plus you're a higher rank so maybe you'd get more respect. I'd ask Miss Ami to try and be nice too, but I know that's like asking the sun not to rise," she added with a faint smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 7:48 pm
Lex breathed a heavy sigh as she began to cut through his locks, hands barely squeezed into fists. He needed to not hold grudges, he knew that, but this guy that Stormy was talking about...
< Whelp. Doesn't that silly old book you used to read say something about "killing with kindness?" or some trite thing like that? Think of it like this. > Regal squawked from the depths of his mind. For once, the Hunter agreed with his weapon. Yes... the book did say that. It could also mean a coffee b***h, someone to retrieve his books, and maybe even do some medicinal experiments on...
"Well, I suppose I could try. You have to tell me one thing, though." Lex cleared his throat, hands coming to a rest in his lap. "Why in the hell would you date that a**."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:06 pm
She wasn't quite prepared for that question, and the manner in which she tensed could almost be physically felt behind him. No matter what Stormy told others, no matter what she told herself, that part of the past was still an unhealed wound; and it was just slowly festering. "Nobody's perfect," she answered a little defensively as she cut his hair. "It's not a Disney movie, you don't always get it right the first time. Sometimes you might think that's all you'll--"
But, she realized, she was just reacting to far more probing questions she'd posed to herself. The sass (this was sass, right?) was uncalled for, and Stormy exhaled a sigh through her nose. "Apologies, Mr. Lex. It's not something I like talking about," she picked back up in a softer voice. "Can I ask you something, too?" She didn't wait like she normally would, very intent of pushing the conversation away from her sensitive stuff (or at least that sort). "Were you happy before you met Miss Ami?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:35 pm
Lex hadn't meant to scrape a festering wound with the question, and felt pretty sorry about her clenched attitude in general. "Sorry, that wasn't a fair question." He frowned, inwardly shaking his fist at himself. Really, just because he'd seen Jack through an admittedly twisted scope didn't give him the right to pry into Stormy's past.
Her question had him flabbergasted for a few moments. Happy before Ami? "Oh, Stormy..." He chuckled a little darkly, his fingers beginning to drum on his legs. Had he been happy? No, he wasn't. Was he happy now? Only on certain days. Their relationship was necessary, but certainly not a field of flowers with Bambi and Simba playing nice in the background.
"No, I wasn't. I was living in the continual high of sex whenever I wanted it, however I wanted it, with whoever I wanted to have it with. It was euphoric, physically pleasing, relaxing." He sighed deeply, a weak smile ghosting his lips. "I was empty before Ami. My father had left a hole that wasn't filled for a good twelve years, my mother made my image of women far too black and white. Either they were powerful or weak - and I knew how to make them weak."
He momentarily thought he was telling the girl too much, but he kept going . Maybe it was the urge for a deeper friendship with the girl, maybe he just needed to get some things off his chest that he'd been thinking since the whole Excalibur and Friends incident. "I was running from my memories of them, and the shadows, with my actions. But Ami came along, didn't give in to me. She showed me what fighting was, how to have power over yourself - even though she had very little at the time. I learned what it was like to have another person rely on me, and that eventually turned into a mutual need - a love of sorts I guess." He frowned again, brows furrowing. "So no, I wasn't happy. I still have days where I'm not."
There was a pregnant pause, then a small chuckle from the man. "Life's not a Disney movie, is it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:28 pm
Ah, she'd done it again: dug too deep and accidentally uncovered something she probably shouldn't have. But Stormy was morbidly curious to know more about Lex, since up until then she had built up this Adonis-like image in her head: not exactly that he could do no wrong, but that things would simply work out for him regardless of what he did. It was easier that way, after all, for her to communicate with him--or it had been in the beginning. She put people like Ami and Lex on pedestals and called them superiors, people who knew better than she did, and put literal and metaphysical distance so that it couldn't possibly be awkward to be near them or work with them: a person wasn't threatened by a lonely, observing ant.
(Not that that had stopped some from stepping on her anyway.)
But that was old Stormy. And if her last conversation with Gale had taught her anything, it was that while she was not something to be fixed, her perceptions of the world did need some adjustment. So she listened.
Great looks, great personality: the world favored those sorts. Or the world bent to them. Either or. Thus it wasn't a surprise for her to hear sex had been a large part of Lex's life. Of course it was, it simply came with the territory: beautiful people, confident people, all it took was a few words to get what they wanted. Broken homes, finding solace in a mask, and running if it was uncovered. Running, always running . . .
"I knew how to make them weak." She tried very hard not to shudder, tried to remember why it was she had pursued this line of questioning in the first place . . . right. Perception. Adulthood. She wanted to try and be a little ready when her birthday rolled around (as birthdays were very special, moreso when they brought you to the new stage of your life), and thus Stormy took her time formulating a response.
"Thank you for answering," she replied, though she couldn't hide the sad tone evoked from listening to him. The scissors and comb went a little slack in her hands. "I'm sorry about what you've been through, Mr. Lex, I really am . . . And I'm not trying to say what you went through doesn't matter," there was a momentary flair up, a manner that was quiet but more energetic, "because it does, it does. No-one should grow up like that, but it happens, sometimes they're taken, sometimes they leave, sometimes there's just a wrong combination of a lot of little things that lead to one big thing that shouldn't ever happen--"
And now she was ranting. Stormy stopped abruptly and took a deep breath.
"What I mean to say is, um . . . The things that happened in your life, they're what eventually got you here, right? You didn't come from a good place, and Deus isn't really the place to be if you want happiness, but . . ." Her hands came together, the tools in each clacking lightly against each other; she couldn't fiddle like she normally liked to. "But you're here. Miss Ami likes you, obviously. Your other friends like you. And I like you, too--even knowing this stuff. It just makes you human."
(And maybe that was better than pedestals.)
"You aren't a Disney Prince, but that's okay: those don't really exist, and you do."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:07 pm
If anyone deserved to be placed on a pedestal, in Lex's mind, it was this girl standing behind him. Saintly, innocent, and a good counselor. Where did that sort of deep understanding come from? The acceptance that not everything could be perfect?
She was far deeper of a thinker than he, a philosopher even. Or, perhaps, he was still stuck in the shallow minded swamp he'd always been. Exhaling through the nose, he began to chuckle with wet eyes. "If you can call this place an existence. Though, I wouldn't have met Ami if not for Deus, or you, or Eva or Nevada. It's not so bad, I suppose." He resigned with a sigh, faint smile faltering. He didn't cry, he never truly cried.
"Thanks, Stormy." He finished shakily, keeping his head down.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:30 pm
Stormy wasn't sure what answer she was expecting, but it wasn't thanks. Maybe a scoff or a simple nod, accepting that she believed but not necessarily ascribing to it. Not Lex sounding shaky.
"What for?" She tried to keep her tone light, realizing she had gone far too deep for a conversation at a faux hair salon, let alone with someone who probably thought of her as less of a friend and more a young acquaintance-slash-Ami's library slave. She started to smooth Lex's new short hair out with a comb (disguising parts of it as her stroking his hair in subtle attempts to soothe him), attempting to inch her way back into something more casual before she started ranting again.
"You shouldn't be thanking me yet anyway. You haven't even checked the mirror," Stormy added with a little smile as she set the scissors and brush aside, fishing for her own hand mirror and passing it to him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:12 pm
Chuckling the wet eyes away, Lex shook his head when handed the mirror, examining his hair from every angle. "Ah, perfect!" He approved, brushing his hands through it. He appreciated the talk, and the haircut was quite good.
"Thanks for the cut, and the conversation. I'll come to you more often." He nodded, eyes glimmering as he stooped down to peck both her cheeks in affection. "Now, don't go telling anyone what I told you today, alright? Especially not Ami."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 8:20 pm
Stormy would have surely tried to shrug it off and smile had Lex not done the unthinkable and actually kissed her cheeks sdlkfjldaskfjlkjrARJFDGLAKJ--
"T-Tell her what?" she stammered, immediately coloring. "We just talked about stuff she already knows and you got a haircut nobody should be going to me for anything anyway no sir not if it involves pointy things just library stuff." It was a good thing she wasn't holding the scissors, or else she would have been likeable to stab something on accident.
Then the rest of Lex's words actually filtered in, which did nothing to help her self-consciousness, but of which at least a warm smile was given. "Uh, anytime, Mr. Lex! You know where to find me."
Out being Ami's work slave if not picking up Otto's duties now that he had left for Sun. Sigh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
