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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2022 5:50 pm
Quote: The Silent Firework (9) : Fireworks are aplenty this time of year, and there’s always something going off somewhere in the city. Little pops and noises are common, but something about this firework is completely abnormal–it makes absolutely no sound. Instead, light and color splashes across the night sky and leaves a lingering glow behind. No one knows where it came from, but it lit up the sky like a midnight sun, and was gone after about a moment. Anyone who managed to see it in person may find that when they blink, there is a residual glow before them. Strangely, it even seems like there’s a trail of faded, glowing light guiding them somewhere. Maybe you’re led to some special place, or some special person, or–maybe the trail ends before you ever find out where you were supposed to go. Fireworks had been common since the city-wide festival had started. They lit up the sky every evening, but while pretty enough to watch a time or two, they had failed to keep Fafnir's attention after a while. He'd indulged himself, of course, but work was always waiting to be done and he could only spare so much time to idleness.
Tonight's fireworks over the pond in the park had long since ceased as he circled the edge of it. The darkness was welcome, because it gave him cover as he skulked about, looking for any stragglers after the show that he might steal a little easy energy from. Far better than wandering about down town in dirty alleys looking for drunks and criminals, that was for sure. Fafnir could only wish every night he worked was as pleasant as this one.
A sudden light sparked over head and lit everything in pale pink light, flashing so brightly it left him blinking as the senshi glanced upwards. A Firework? I thought they were done... did someone set if off accidentally? That was the only explanation he had for it. He watched as the sparks faded, realizing only belatedly that... he hadn't heard a boom. Not even a crackle or sizzle from it. Just the light, and then... the trail it left behind as it fell.
Standing in the grass, Fafnir stared after it with a strange sense of curiosity and wariness. He couldn't have said why he started after it, following the glow. Had whatever that was fallen around here? Was there even anything left of it? It seemed stupid to try and find it, but still... he needed to see where it had landed.
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:00 pm
Alexander was a half and half on fireworks. He definitely liked the idea of them and the gatherings around them, but big noises overhead? Not a big fan of that part. Still, he had let himself come down to the pond to watch all the same, staying behind as it had cleared out to let the ringing in his ears die down some before heading out. As he was starting to think it was time to go, a bright pink flash illuminated the sky. His jaw tensed as he readied himself for the surprise burst, and stayed tense for a long moment before it relaxed. Where was the noise? Were his ears doing worse than he thought? No, he heard everything else just fine... His eyes looked after the light, following down the trail. Where did that lead to? It was a fireworks trail, but surely it.... lead somewhere. That made sense to him. He started off towards it without hesitation or notice, leaving the path in the effort of a straight line. He hadn't noticed how far he had gone until he realized he had somehow gotten a hunting partner, his eyes flicking over to his fellow on the trail. "Uh.... Weird light too, huh?" Smooth, Alex. Smooth.
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 11:29 am
With no power signature, there was nothing to warn Fafnir before he nearly ran into another man. By his response when he saw the corrupt, he'd also been following the strange trail of light.
Pausing where he was, the corrupt gave this strange a quick look over, noting his features, his clothes, his manner... anything about him that might be important later. Why had this man, and only this man, followed this light? Everyone else had been clearing out and it was a strange coincidence... had that trail just happened to come this way, or had it been some strange magical thing? Was there some reason this man was involved with it? He wasn't even powered... was he an Order operative in plain clothes?
There were an awful lot of questions, and not a lot of obvious answers.
"Yes." He said as he stood there in his horns and robes, feeling wary and uncertain. He rarely interacted with civilians in this form, when he wasn't actively trying to drain them... "You saw some weird firework and decided to follow it, hmm? Doesn't sound like the smartest idea, at night in the park."
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:12 pm
Alexander was, by all regards, a seemingly normal human; minus the height and size, the six-and-a-half foot thing stood out among most humans, but otherwise, normal. Simple sweats and sandals covered the man, nothing descript or identifying on them; nike wasn't exactly uncommon. His smile was genuine though as it turned to Fafnir, his eyes, clearly taking in the horns and robes, never squinted or hardened. It looked as if the stranger was looking at his old friend who he had just caught up with. Perhaps deep down there was something? If it was, it was far, far down. "Oh uh," Alexander said with a blink as he looked around. He spun almost fully, stopping just before losing sight of Fafnir from the corner of his eyes and returned to facing. "I guess I didn't even notice. Guess it's good we ran into one another, so we're not alone."He nodded towards Fafnir's horns, smiling at them. "Those are nice, foam or wood? I have a Diablo cosplay I'm trying to finish, but I can't get the horns to have that kind of texture."
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2022 1:46 pm
Fafnir watched with one eyebrow lifted, unable to really accept that this man was as clueless as he seemed to be. He just hadn't noticed? He must be new to Destiny City if he hadn't yet learned how dangerous it was, at night, in the park. The only place as bad was the downtown alleys, as both chaos and order fought for control.
He tilted his head, barely feeling the weight of the horns that came with his outfit, and shifted a little closer to the man. Eyes half lidded, still studying his face and manner, he shrugged gently, pulling out the first answer that came to mind.
"Ah, sorry, this outfit was a gift. I don't know how it was made." He said as he reached up to pull the headband off, shaking his head to free his long hair and settle it again. He was close now, within arms reach, and he offered the horns out to the other man. "Are you new to Destiny City? I haven't seen you around before, and I rather feel I would have remembered you."
That might or might not have been true, but men Fafnir had to tilt his head back to look up into the eyes of were not all that common, enough to notice. And he was broad. A pleasing sort of shape... but there was still that sense of the unknown and danger for not knowing.
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:49 pm
Alexander kept up that smile as Fafnir shifted closer, gaze dancing between the horns and the face of the man. He gingerly accepted the headband to inspect it, pulling it close in lieu of the light to try and identify it. "Maybe a sanded plastic, I hear some people do that. Maybe I can search the crafter... Would you mind if I took a picture?" He looked back up to Fafnir, raising an eyebrow as his other hand reached for his phone. "I'm relatively new, you could say. I've lived in the city for almost four months or so now, but I had been really busy at work until about now. I'm trying to get out more, you know? Probably wouldn't remember me unless you've been to court lately," he laughed, shrugging to Fafnir. It was the truth, for the most part. Beyond the occasional sighting at his complex's gym, Alexander had been trapped in legal reclusiveness until recently. The way the big man bounced back and forth on his feet slightly as he talked may have given the impression that he had been in that reclusive state for too long for personal comfort. "I'm sorry, I'm Alex, by the way," he said at the last moment, looking to Fafnir apologetically.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2022 9:48 pm
"Ah, no, sorry..." He said, reaching out to catch the man's wrist below the headband he held.
"The outfit is a secret. The maker wouldn't appreciate photos getting out." And his superiors would probably skin him if photos of him started popping up on the internet. Well, photos of him in this outfit, that is, whether or not anyone knew who he was. Or what he was.
Gently, subtly, with a good portion of his concentration, Fafnir began to drain the man's energy, pulling a trickle of it from him and into the hand he held behind himself, a small glowing ball forming. If this man was a senshi, or a knight, he should be able to tell when he was being drained, right? And that should prompt some sort of reaction that would give him some sort of clue...
"I'm... Fafnir." He said. It probably wouldn't hurt anything for the man to have his powered name. There wasn't really anything he could do with it that would put him in any sort of danger, unlike a photo. "You work at the court? Sounds difficult... I can see why you wanted to get out."
Fafnir's manner softened, though there was still a darkness in his eyes as he leaned closer to the other man, his lips an inviting little half smile.
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2022 8:42 pm
Alexander's hand stopped as Fafnir explained the secrecy, returning back to his front without question. "Oh, I understand. Wouldn't want to cause trouble for you or your crafting friend." He nodded with a grin, shrugging lightly. "Give them my complements next you see them though."His eyes flicked down to the grip on his wrist, glancing back up to Fafnir as he gave his name. He'd let it be, it was an honest reaction to defending a friend's secret, of course. "That's a very pretty name."Something tinged in the back of Alexander's mind, far, far away from his consciousness. The dormant soul of a senshi shuddering at the sensation of draining, but far beneath the conscious notice of Alexander. A small yawn escape his mouth, catching the man by surprise. "Oh, sorry. Guess it must be later than I thought." The best a dormant starseed could do to give an impression, even if it wasn't noticed as such. Fafnir had only drained a trickle, and from what he pulled on it seemed like there was a vast amount left; big man, big energy they say. Alexander didn't seem phased by it, beyond the yawn, and just looked at the man as he leaned closer. With a little surprise, but a small little smile of his own, Alexander leaned in reply. "So, do you come to this park often?" Smoooooth.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 4:31 pm
His smile grew a little wider as the taller man leaned in and he tilted his head coyly, letting his lashes veil his blue eyes.
"Often enough." He replied in a warm, velvet murmur. "Its nice... quiet. Lovely. Private."
Slowly, the flow of energy continued, the ball in his palm growing bigger. He was careful not to pull too hard, to quickly, and warn the man that something untoward was happening. He didn't seem to notice otherwise, and the energy Fafnir pulled seemed the same as energy from anyone else. Hard to say if he was secretly white moon from just this... but it was still energy to fill his quota with.
Had it all just been a fluke? Random happenstance that the trail of light had led him straight to his man? Maybe he was letting his imagination have too much rein. Just because magic was real didn't mean every strange occurrence could be attributed to it.
"You're out late tonight... don't you have someone at home waiting for you?" He eased his grip on the man's wrist, though he kept his fingers lightly around it. Lifting his free hand, he turned Alex's over and ran a gloved fingertip over the long creases across his palm, studying them with seeming interest.
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:53 pm
Alexander's voice, a deep rumble by comparison to the velvet of Fafnir's, rolled out a small hum in response. "I guess it is rather nice and quiet here. All this time, I haven't noticed another soul pass by us. Probably wouldn't see someone even if we were here for another hour or so," he said with a wink. Just a little bit of boldness, for the moment. Alexander spun his hand at Fafnir's turning, smiling at the fingertip brushes. There was a roughness to the hands, harsh grooves that played along the lines of his palms, in contrast to the relatively gentle career of lawyer. His thumb on the hand being held at the wrist turned, rubbing small circles along Fafnir's wrist in response. "No one at home, no one to wonder where I've been all night," he said with a small shrug. "I should wonder the same about you though. No one going to call you in concern?"The slow drain was working, whether by the man being oblivious, or just too focused on the topic at hand. He didn't look tired though, or at least he was pushing back the tiredness with a tinge of excitement and the idea he'd need his energy soon. His eyes didn't hint at it at least, as they focused on Fafnir, glinting at him.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 8:05 pm
The corrupt pursed his lips, his eyes glinting at the flirtatiousness. This really was too easy. Some guys really couldn't resist a pretty face, even one dressed as strangely as he was. Nothing suspicious could penetrate a skull like that when the brain was in the pants.
"I would be very impressed if you lasted as long as that." He chuckled, teasing. "No, no one to miss me. I'm quite alone most nights. But, perhaps we could keep each other company tonight? I admit, you've captured my curiosity. My good luck that we happened to run into each other tonight. I might have gone home empty handed."
That was true enough, or most of it anyway. He did not entertain company often, and perhaps it was good luck. The energy he felt growing as he tucked his hand behind him again, the energy ball growing too big to hide, was more than he had expected.
"But how does someone like you end up alone? I find it hard to believe you don't have your pick of partners. Anyone would be lucky to claim some of your time."
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 9:38 pm
"I do aim to impress," he said with a smirk that drooped just a bit lower than it had before. "And I like that we agree in both of us having a spot of good luck tonight."Alexander drew his arms in a little, but slowly to try and draw Fafnir in closer. His eyes kept up their glint, even if dulling a little, as he made the attempt at proximity. He may have begun feeling more tired than he expected, but he wasn't planning to let that spoil anything. What was the point of all that jogging and hiking if you couldn't keep going when it got a little tough? "Guess you could say I have a bad habit of work-life balance. Or used to, at least. Trying to turn over a new leaf, be better about having me time. Or we time, if someone comes along, hm?" He winked at the last bit, the half-question he let linger in the air. "I think there is a bench not far from here, if memory serves. Unless you'd prefer a more comfortable seat like a sofa." A little more boldness, as a treat.
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 12:57 pm
Oh, this one was very bold. And incredibly stupid. Or maybe just thinking with what was in his pants rather than between his ears. Fafnir felt the stirrings of disgust he always felt when he played this little game, tempting someone in with veiled promises before taking what he needed from them. It was too easy, too often. Sometimes, it made him want to scream; Doesn't this seem the slightest bit weird to you? He looked like a cosplayer eternally out of place, and yet they still found him charming enough to trust him when he offered that sweet, red apple.
It used to bother him more than it did now. He used to hate needing to resort to it and disliked lying to people, or pretending to offer something he would never fulfill because the thought of it made his skin crawl. Now? He'd gotten used to the weight of the obligation and sometimes, this truly was the fastest way, which was far more valuable in his life than 'morals'. Get the job done, quick and painless, and move on. He had far more important things to do.
Maybe if the circumstances had been different... He wasn't immune to a good looking man, in the right light. But it was hard to look past the trap he was closing around this one. Fafnir allowed himself to be drawn a little closer as he smiled that same inviting, deceitful smile. He eased his grip till it was only fingers resting on Alex's forearm.
"I think a bench would be a good place to relax and get to know each other a little better." He murmured. "Its such a nice night."
A bench would be a perfect place to leave the passed out man, actually. Better than tucked behind a bush, certainly.
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 9:33 pm
"It is a lovely night," Alex hummed in reply. Looping his arm as he shifted, Alex moved to stand beside Fafnir and offer the crook of his arm in the walk. Careful to not break that point of contact between fingers and his arm. Part of him liked that strange sensation of drowsy but excited he was feeling. He didn't know why it was happening, given the two seemed at odds, but it was interesting. He just hoped it was Fafnir and not having mixed up some medication or something earlier. Deeper, far deeper within his soul, something screamed at him to strike and defend. To crush this creature between their fingers and turn upon the next. But that voice was very buried, and nothing more than a muffle at the back of an already sleepy consciousness. With an odd looking sluggish pep in his step, Alex made the way towards the bench he had mentioned. It was further than he thought initially, or it had just been a slow walk. Was it uphill? Maybe that's why he was getting more tired. Regardless, he was thankful for a seat when they reached the bench, twisting around and dropping into it with a sigh. The bench groaning slightly under his bulk and size. One hand stayed with Fafnir as Alex had spun and sat, leaving fingers gingerly placed against his skin, tender tugs forward with fingertips. The seat next to him was plenty of space, but Alex's lap had been left freely open by coincidence. Surely, coincidence.
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