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Raegan Northland Blue Ridge Clan - Raegan groaned in absolute disbelief at what she had just heard. A manual pencil sharpener? Some poor soul had actually stuck their finger in one and grated themselves? What kind of masochistic curiosity led to that decision? She knew people could be stupid—really stupid—but that was a whole new level. Then again… she had to admit, if she were just a little less rational, an automatic sharpener might have tempted her, too. The whirring sound, the sharp little blades—it was intriguing, okay? Not that she’d actually do it, but she understood the morbid curiosity. Thankfully, she had enough brain cells to resist. Thankfully. "Sounds like something my brother would do," she muttered, her face twisted in amused disgust, shaking her head at the sheer absurdity of it all. She pouted dramatically, reaching out to rest a hand on Axl’s shoulder, her expression solemn—like she had just solved his child’s murder. With the most serious voice she could muster, she nodded. “I promise. They can’t get you now. They won’t ever get to you again,” she assured him, lip jutted out in sympathy before letting out a little chuckle. “But seriously, how are those things still around? Who actually uses them?” She squinted, as though the concept itself physically pained her. Then her lips curled into a little smirk as he spoke. “Oh? You’re proud of me? I made you proud and I’m pretty?” She gasped, placing her hands on her cheeks and batting her lashes dramatically. “What an honor.” The truth was, she enjoyed his company. He was witty—annoyingly so, sometimes—but he always made her laugh, even when he wasn’t trying to. He should have been a comedian or something… though, knowing him, he’d probably hate the idea of dealing with people on a regular basis. Her head tilted slightly as he mentioned the restaurant. Which one? There had been a few over the years, after all. She furrowed her brows, racking her brain, before it finally clicked. Her face lit up. “Ohhh, I remember! That was an awful idea,” she snorted. “A fancy restaurant with two broke-ass teenagers trying to blend in? Yeah, I’m sure we totally fooled everyone. We probably looked horrendous.” She laughed at the memory. Then another one surfaced, and she grinned at him. “You know, you were with me the first time I went to a bar,” she mused. “We snuck in, got caught, and my mother came to pick me up, absolutely furious.” She shook her head at the memory. They had been seventeen—obviously not old enough to be there—and to make matters worse, she had been the one to get called out. Probably had something to do with the way she had been barely able to stand at the time. She shot him a playful look. “You’re welcome, my Lord. Maybe one day, you should show the world your comedic and acting skills,” she teased. The moment he mentioned his father, she gasped in mock horror. “Please. Konig could not care less about the assault on your fingers,” she cackled. “But on the off chance he does care—please don’t tell him.” Her face twisted into a grimace at the mere thought. If it was something Konig gave a damn about, he’d probably pay off a hitman immediately to have her taken out. Not that he would, of course… hopefully. “I’ll help you, though! We’ll find this woman, and we’ll make her pay for her heinous crimes against Axl Jager’s fingers. They will be redeemed,” she declared, rolling her eyes for added effect. She pouted, crossing her arms like a grumpy child. “But I am normal,” she insisted stubbornly. Though, her resolve wavered slightly when he called her deranged. “Sooo, am I just deranged enough to come within a hundred feet of you? Or am I too normal? Because it kinda sounds like an insult,” she mused, tilting her head. She didn’t actually mind—but still. Her lips curled into a smirk when he clarified that he wasn’t about to drag her into his madness. “Good. You couldn’t drag me anywhere, anyway,” she said smugly. She watched him carefully, brows knitting together. She couldn’t imagine life without her family. She had lost her father young, yes, but she had known him. She had been close with him. Her mother—though a bit of a worrier—was still a constant in her life. The idea of growing up without that? Yeah, she couldn’t even fathom it. But she had no doubt that he’d find his own little family someday. She was sure of it. “Well, if I fried you, you couldn’t make me laugh,” she mused lightly, bumping his side with her elbow. “And I love it when you make me laugh.” After a moment, she added, “I’m sure lots of people think you’re funny.” And she meant it. Axl was genuinely amusing. How he managed to have a sense of humor while growing up with Konig as a father, she had no idea. Her head tilted slightly as he mentioned Konig not being around much when he was young. That was… interesting. He hadn’t told her much about his childhood. Their conversations had always been lighthearted—fun, easy. She never wanted to pry, but she was curious. “Where was he?” she asked softly. She couldn’t imagine not having her dad around. She had been a massive daddy’s girl, and she had adored that man. Her eyes widened when Axl mentioned her clan. “You… what?” she blinked. Why did you leave? Why were you there? Who were you with? So. Many. Questions. But she held her tongue. If he wanted to tell her, he would. Instead, she eyed him mischievously, then pointed to a spot on his head with a dramatic gasp. “Wait, is that—? Oh, no. There’s a little grey hair right there…” she trailed off, pretending to squint in deep concentration. “YEEESSSS YOUUUUU DOOOO,” she mimicked in the same ridiculous tone, bursting into laughter. He might have had some dignity, but she? None. Zero. The idea of him getting chased around was hilarious—though, admittedly, it wouldn’t have been nearly as funny if she were the one being hunted. “I couldn’t break a horde of noses,” she pouted. “Not yet, anyway.” She just shook her head when he flopped down dramatically. “Nope! No need for 911. You have me,” she chirped sweetly. Noticing his intrigue, she grinned. “Alright, fine. I’ll throw in some whiskey, just for you.” She just huffed when he doubted her ability to bring people back from the dead. If she could, she wouldn’t waste it on just anyone. No, she’d bring back her dad—just for a hug. Even if it was just for a few minutes. But, unfortunately, necromancy wasn’t exactly her specialty. She shook the thought away quickly. “Oh, nonono. I meant they’re still soft. Not actively fluffy,” she clarified. “But they’ll be perfect for movie night.” She gasped, clutching her chest as though he had personally offended her. “Pennywise?! Like the clown?! Is my forehead that big?!” she whimpered, dramatically wobbling her lip—only to burst into giggles a second later. “No, thank you. I do not want you stripping, so let’s just keep you as you are,” she teased. “I believe you have abs.” With a playful grin, she hummed. “Fine. You can sit on the stool.” Then, after a moment of thought, “How about this time next week? Or Friday?” she suggested. Then, rolling her eyes, “You can’t crash a family gathering if you don’t know where I live.” Raegan’s expression twisted into mock horror. “Me? Try and get you attacked? That wouldn’t be very friendly of me, now would it?” she gasped, all wide-eyed innocence—before a sly grin broke across her lips. She was teasing, of course, but in reality, he was the type of person that stood out. The way he carried himself, the way he spoke—it was the kind of presence that made people notice him. He had that air of importance, something that instantly set him apart from the average bar patron. She hummed in thought, tapping a finger against her chin before nodding. “Fine. You can sit on the stool,” she relented, as though it was some grand compromise. Then, after a moment’s consideration, she tilted her head. “We could do… this time next week?” she suggested. “Or Friday.” She shot him a look when he mentioned crashing her family gathering, rolling her eyes. “You can’t crash something if you don’t even know where I live,” she pointed out. “And besides, why would I be the host? That sounds like way too much responsibility.” She huffed dramatically, as if the mere thought exhausted her. A small chuckle escaped her, but she quickly pursed her lips, expression shifting into something a little more serious. “I don’t think it’d be great if you got killed by my family or the King Clan,” she said dryly. “So, please don’t die.” There was an odd sincerity in her voice—because as much as she joked, she meant it. She had just gotten him back; no way in hell was she going to let anyone take him away again. Not without a fight. And, frankly, if they did get caught, there was a very real chance she’d end up just as dead as him, so… yeah. Not getting caught seemed like a solid plan. She shrugged at his ramblings about the car. “Roof, hood, same shit,” she muttered, waving a dismissive hand. Then, biting her lip slightly, she nodded at his incredibly specific description of his cat. Uh-huh. Windy. Yep. That was… super helpful. “Okay, so no hats then,” she mused lightly. Honestly, it would probably work in her favor. She could get travel sick pretty easily, especially in the heat, so fresh air sounded like a great idea. It was clear from the spark in her eyes that she was excited about it all, regardless. She nodded her thanks as he held the door open for her, a small hum of appreciation slipping past her lips. “I think you’re doing a wonderful job,” she said, amusement dancing in her voice. “Opening doors, buying drinks, walking me to the bus stop… so incredibly gentlemanly.” The teasing lilt in her tone was unmistakable, but she did mean it—sort of. Falling a step behind him, she let out a breath, not even thinking about it. It was a habit. One she had never really questioned. She had to see him, always—especially now that they were alone. Not out of distrust, not at all. It was just… instinct. And yet, despite it all, she was comfortable with him. More than she had been with most. |
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Axl Jager King Clan +++ Axl totally understood her deep rooted what-the-hell-were-they-thinking groan. He had performed the same sound many times as he watched many people do many stupid things. When he sold his convertible, he let the person drive it around the block. When they got out, they immediately grabbed the tailpipe, jerked back, and yelled 'Damn that's hot!' He had stared for a moment before asking what they were looking to gain by doing that. They replied that they wanted to know how hot it got. He wasn't quite sure what to say, but it ended in him not selling the car to them. He had loved that thing, and he was not going to let it get abused at the hands of a moron. He snorted with quiet amusement as she mused that it sounded like something her brother would do. From what he heard of her brother, that was quite accurate. . He looked back at her with a sorrow filled totally unwavering completely convincable gaze, a tremble running through his body. "Thank you." He whispered dramatically, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "I can't tell you how much this means to me." He couldn't hold it in any longer, though, and let out a wheezing laugh. "I have noooo idea. Whoever was gonna get the app got it and whoever didn't isn't gonna, so I dunno why Grammarly is still trying." Those ads had run their race. Plus, it was a silly program altogether. From what he heard, it didn't even help that much. . "Yes and yes. I am quite impressed with your ability to procure a compliment out of thin air." He bit back a grin. "It is an honor I have given to no one else, so hold it close." He hummed solemnly, then chuckled. Honestly, though, he had technically never called anyone else pretty- and meant it- so he wasn't kidding. Most people that hung around him were just fishing for compliments, and he wasn't gonna give them any. He didn't need people around him that weren't real. People who hid their true selves, people who only wanted money... he very much disliked those types of people. . He watched as she thought about it for a moment, then seemed to remember. "It was an awful idea." He agreed. As he said, his ideas were as sparkling as shit. He rolled his eyes. "I'm amazed they served us at all." He snorted. If it were him, he would've taken one look and just booted them. His eyebrow arched as she grinned, head tilted slightly, then his eyes sparkled at the memory. Twas a great one. "I remember hiding in the backroom of the bar so that your mother didn't beat the shit outta me." He snickered. "I also distinctly remember being so tipsy that I tried to walk out the window instead of the door. In my defense, they were both made of glass." It wasn't like he could SEE the handle, no sirree. Otherwise he wouldn't have almost gotten a bloody nose from having a fight with a window and losing. "My comedic and acting skills are only reserved for particular people." He sniffed. Well, mostly her. She was the only person he had a conversation with long enough to joke around. Otherwise it was the sarcastic joke here and there. If you got lucky, a bad pun. . His eyebrows wrinkled slightly. "You're right, but no need to call it out." He whined. If he DID ever tell Konig that story he'd LIKELY get a wine glass thrown at him for being an idiot, coward, weak, etc. "I wasn't going to tell him." He snorted, shaking his head. "Believe me, I'd be much worse off than you." Another scar, for sure. It was funny how the 5'11 Konig thought it was a great idea to throw glass at Axl. Definitely made him feel loved. "Good. She shall face the justice that is us, be condemned for her horrendous acts of violence, and dealt with accordingly." He stated. She deserved years of trauma for what she did to him. "Well, as long as she's still alive. She seemed preeeetty high when she assaulted my fingers. Dangerously so." He wrinkled his nose. . "You are NOT normal. No normal human being can have a conversation with me for more than a minute without being damn near traumatized for life. Hell, we were just talking about a random lady who said she liked the way my FINGERS BENT. If a NORMAL person heard that they'd be MORE than a little concerned." He pointed out with a huff. "You're just deranged enough to come within a hundred feet of me, and it kind of was an insult. You're the only person either stupid enough, crazy enough, or something enough to spend any amount of time with me that isn't work related." He mused. Yeah, he needed to find some friends. Maybe he could play poker. That was usually fun. Or Blackjack. "I could but I wouldn't. Won't. Will not." He corrected, making a face. . "Oh, so you're just using me for shits and giggles, huh?" He asked with an incredulous, slightly injured look, though he had a teasing twinkle in his golden gaze. "Well at least there's that." That seemed to restore his good mood. It didn't matter if she WAS using him, as long as she 'loved' it. "Eh. You have no idea what I'm like outside of this bar." He smiled faintly. He wasn't really meaning this bar in general, but ... outside of their normal visits. He wasn't the carefree teen he had been when they did know each other. . At her question, he paused a moment, thinking. "Uh... looking for my mother?" His nose wrinkled slightly. "Long story short, she ran away from him, out of Germany, flew to the US, and took up residence in one of the least well known states. Where she met who I would be honored to call my dad, Otto. I was born shortly before that, I think, and Sienna was born 3 years after." Yeah, it had been nice. Living in the woods, not being bothered by anyone, just existing, only being loved, never feeling pain or seeing the bad ways of the world. If only it had lasted. After a moment, he looked a bit sheepish. "Yeah... Raina, my mother, and Otto, not my biological father but I will refer to him as that, were both of Blue Ridge Clan. Konig and Raina met in Germany, and sliiiightly similar to our circumstances, they forged a ... weird friendship. One that shouldn't have happened. Raina fell in love, Konig really didn't, she became pregnant, she ran away, I was born, she met Otto, Sierra was born, we lived happily ever after until Konig found us when I was 11, and he murdered my whole family." He flashed a smile, though there was a hard glint under his eyes now. Revenge was soon to come. Very soon. "I was asleep when it happened, whatever he did anyway. The next thing I knew, the house was on fire. After getting burned almost beyond repair, I went outside, found Raina and Konig, he shot her, and carted me away to who the hell knows where. After I recovered, we went to Texas, and walla, I met you." The least depressing part of the whole story. He could only really talk about it because he was numb to that pain now. He had spent years as it being a raw wound, now it was just an ugly scar. After a moment of thought, he pulled his sleeve up slightly on his right arm. Starting just above the wrist, the skin was marred and disfigured in an ugly red scarring way. Terrible burn wounds, where the skin looked like it had melted halfway and frozen there. "That would be why I always wear long sleeves/jackets, if you were wondering." He offered with a rather humorless chuckle. . His eyes rolled as she dramatically pointed to his head and claimed she saw a grey hair. "I dunno, being around you is pretty stressful. I might have to believe it." He teased. Honestly, he was half surprised he DIDN'T have a couple grey hairs after what he'd been through. . Axl snorted in amusement at her next words, shaking his head. "You are weird." He stated, though his tone suggested it was a compliment. . "But YOU are the one that CAUSED this." He pointed out, looking pleased when she promised whiskey. "Much obliged. I will suffer standing and or sitting on a stool now, no complaints, but I still may pass out when seeing whatever torture you pick for me." He was not exactly looking forward to that, and hoped the consequences of his actions wouldn't be too deadly. "Okay then. Aaaat least perfect for movie night was a phrase you included in that confusing sentence." He snorted. . His face twisted into something akin to trying to hold back amusement at her loud gasp. "I wasn't talking about your forehead, madam." He whispered, then grinned. "I was NEVER going to strip, for God's sake. What part about that sentence is so hard to understand?" He demanded. Dear LORD. "Good! My mission is completed with only minor casualties, then." He huffed. Yeesh. He didn't know it was so hard to say something. . "Delightful, and let me check my mental schedule. Hmmmmm." He hummed thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes and staring into space. After a moment, he glanced back. "Yupp, I can do that." He replied cheerfully. "Thursday would work better." The race was the Thursday after, so it wouldn't interfere. Plus he didn't have to go to work on Friday next week, so it'd be nice doing Thursday and sleeping in the next day in his comfortable bed. "I can figure out where you live. Quite easily, in fact." He scoffed, then paused. "That came out wrong. Really wrong. So wrong. I take it back." No family gatherings would be crashed. "You don't HAVE to be but you were bragging about your fluffy carpet." He huffed right back. "If you want me to host, just say the word. I'd be HAPPY to." He knew she wouldn't want that, though, so his voice was slightly sarcastic. He had the feeling she wouldn't enjoy being in his house. Plus, it'd be too bland for her liking. . His eyes narrowed at her and he huffed quietly. "Nooooo, it wouldn't." He drawled sarcastically. He did not need to be attacked at the moment, thankyouverymuch. That could wait till he took over Jager Industries. . "I'll try not to." He promised drily. He never tried to die, but he didn't really try not to either, so that was a valid promise. There had been some, what Konig called, close calls. Why the monster wanted him alive, he couldn't say. . He chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "No hats. That would be a bad idea." He agreed. He never wore hats, so he didnt have to worry about it. He would never do anything to mess up his perfect hair. Hair that looked very specifically like he messed it up on purpose but in a way that made it look good. . "I'm glad I'm succeeded as the gentleman you know I'm not." Axl joked quietly, eyes flicking around constantly. Now that they were outside and moving he was obviously on high alert. He pushed away the slight buzzing feeling and the lingering emotions, focusing only on her, the environment, and breathing. That's what he always did. He didn't slow down or fall back as she fell behind him slightly, again doing anything he could to make everything her decision. It was the best way he could think to make sure nothing ever went wrong. He could never overstep if she made all the decisions. He kept an eye on her as he breathed shallowly, hating the city fumes. Even on the outskirts it still smelled like rat piss and smog. His eyes scanned the streets as he walked, whole posture rather rigid. He never looked the MOST approachable, but this made it ten times worse. He would be the person that people who needed directions avoided asking just to walk a mile further to find a different one. His steps were slow yet deliberate, per usual, and his whole demeanor was just quieter and more attentive. |
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Raegan Northland Blue Ridge Clan - Raegan nodded, sticking her bottom lip out at him. “We’ll find them—the Grammarly masters—I promise. We’ll bring them down, one by one,” she mused after a moment, clearly amused by the whole thing. When he started laughing, she could only grin at him. There had been a week or two, when they first met up again, where he just didn’t laugh or smile… she supposed she hadn’t helped, knowing she looked like she was planning on running the first chance she got. But she was more than glad she hadn’t. She’d missed her friend, and she was clearly happy to have him back, even if it wasn’t the same as before. It’d never be the same—she knew that—but she still felt like she was getting back something she’d desperately missed when he did come back. “Ooohhh, I know,” she mused. “I don’t even know who their target audience is. College kids? Uni kids? I’d like to think they’d have the common knowledge to, like… spell properly by then,” she huffed. A hand hit her chest with a small thump, and she nodded eagerly. “Oh, don’t you worry, Jager. I’ll write it down somewhere. The exact date and time that Axl told me he was proud, impressed, and that I’m pretty,” she mused, then gave him a rather pointed look. “And it’s going straight to my head, by the way. I can already feel my ego inflating,” she added. It wasn’t a bad thing. Someone like her could definitely use a little ego boost. Axl, however, didn’t seem to need any ego inflation—he’d happily agreed that he was, in fact, very sexy, much to her displeasure. Her cheeks puffed out as she shook her head. “Your awful ideas are the stem of some of my best memories, you know,” she mused. It was true. While getting screamed at by her mother for wandering into a club she definitely wasn’t old enough to get into was not fun, the lead-up to it had been—and spending time with him definitely had been. She cocked her head when he mentioned he’d run into a door. “Oh, I don’t remember that—but I can certainly imagine it happening,” she cackled, clearly amused by the whole thing. She then shook her head, her grin widening. “And yes—she would have caused you a hell of a lot of damage. Not only did you sneak her precious little girl into a bar, but you were King Clan—and even more so, you’re a Jager,” she chuckled. Nope. That definitely wouldn’t have gone over too well… like, at all. She then felt a happy little grin cross her face. “Well, I’m glad I’m one of those people. You really make these nights worth waking up tired for,” she mused. She pouted at him after a few seconds, though. “Worse off than you? For denying the humanity of his heir’s awfully bent fingers? Never,” she mused. She knew the man was… not the nicest. Not from personal experience, of course, just from hearing things from people here and there. She couldn’t imagine him being the nicest to his son, either. She held her fist into the air after a moment, a small chuckle escaping her. “Justice shall prevail. No more finger assaults shall happen under our watchful eye,” she chanted solemnly, then a small chuckle escaped her. “High? I’m not surprised. The amount of guts it takes to walk up to you alone is a lot—but to say anything about your fingers? Yeah, you’d have to be pretty out of it,” she noted, her nose wrinkling slightly. She dealt with… far too many people under the influence on a daily basis. Yeah, not fun. “I am very normal! And I am very concerned! Did you not hear my speech about justice? How we’re going to make her pay for your assault? I personally think you need a hell of a lot of money off her for your counseling,” she huffed, as though very offended. She pinched her brows together and looked down her nose at him a little. “Don’t insult me! Like you said, I’m the only person that’ll come near you if it’s not work-related. You’d be upset if you lost me,” she decided with a slight shake of the head, although amusement was dancing clearly in her eyes. She just grumbled at his last comment, muttering something completely unintelligible under her breath. A small smile formed on her lips, and she nodded softly. “Just for shits and giggles. You make me smile, and I don’t get to smile an awful lot—not properly, anyway,” she noted. It was true enough—she loved her job, but she always had to smile while telling someone the most heartbreaking news. That was not easy. Or while a patient on hospice told a joke—she couldn’t really laugh at it. It was an awkward, pitiful smile—just to keep them happy. “You’re also, like, the best free therapist ever,” she added, her cheeks bubbling back up into a grin. “And I mean ever. Like I said, I feel a hell of a lot better after talking to you,” she chuckled. Her brow raised after a moment, and she did look very curious. “Outside this bar? I imagine a grumpy businessman who doesn’t know how to socialize,” she cackled. She settled down quietly as he began to talk and just… sat there in near silence. She felt awful for him—she couldn’t imagine him being so young and losing the family he’d known his whole life. His sister. His father. His mother. The whole lot of them. She fiddled with her hands quietly, her face twisting into a horrified expression. She knew Konig wasn’t the best guy, but… he’d killed a family. He’d killed his child’s family. He’d killed a little girl, and the woman who had seen him as a friend of sorts. A whole family. It made her feel so… sick. Her eyes widened as he pulled up his sleeve, and for just a moment, that sickness turned into pure anger for him. God, she couldn’t begin to imagine what that must have been like for him. He’d seen his mother get shot. His father—Konig—did that. Her eyes traced the lines the scarring had formed, and she looked back up at him, furrowing her brows. “I’m so sorry, Axl,” she whispered quietly. “You didn’t deserve that—none of you did,” she added, not sure what else to say. What were you meant to say when you found out your friend’s family had been murdered? That he’d had such a good life—full of love and care—and then… it had been ripped away? She looked so thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head. She hesitated, thoughtful, before shaking her head. “I didn’t live over there until I was about… thirteen? Not long before I met you,” she murmured. She glanced down at his arm again, brows knitting together. Without thinking, she reached out, fingers ghosting lightly over the scarring before gently pulling his sleeve back down. She had a feeling it was a sensitive thing for him—something he hid—and she wanted him to know it didn’t change a damn thing about how she saw him. It took a moment for a smile to tug at Raegan’s lips again, though the faint wrinkle in her nose as her thoughts were lingering, curling in the back of her mind like smoke that refused to dissipate. Still, she tried to shake them off, inhaling deeply before exhaling through her nose, pushing away the sick feeling in her stomach. “Please, I’m anything but stressful,” she finally hummed, her voice lighter now, playful even. She tilted her head at him, an impish gleam in her eye. “If anything, I think you’ve started looking younger since we’ve been coming out here.” “I’m not gonna take responsibility for anything. You should know that by now.” Her lips curled into an innocent-looking smile, though there was nothing truly innocent about it—not when she had very clear intentions of making his life difficult, at least in this particular instance. She then rolled her eyes, her fingers flicking in a dismissive motion. “Please, it’s only gonna be torture if you refuse to put it on. Then I’ll force you into it myself, and that WILL be torture.” Her grin widened, a wicked little thing, though it was softened by the sheer amusement dancing in her eyes. “But don’t worry, I’ll have alcohol ready and waiting for you. That way, you can drown your sorrows while looking stunning in whatever I have planned.” Her brows twisted slightly, her expression morphing into one of exaggerated offense. “I don’t understand. How dare you compare me with a scary clown dude—” She paused abruptly, her head tilting slightly as a thought struck her. Her lips curled into a grin. “Oh! We should definitely add that to our movie night list.” She barely gave him a chance to respond before she continued, her lips pressing together in a thoughtful pout. “Hard to understand? Were we not just talking about how stupid people are?” She tapped her chin as if she were deep in thought before giving him an exaggerated shrug. “Maybe I am just one of those dumb people, because all I hear is that you want to strip in the middle of the bar,” she mused, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation. “Mission achieved.” She gave a satisfied nod before her grin turned teasing again. “And I don’t know whyyy you have to make me believe that you have abs.” She let out a small laugh, her amusement genuine. His confirmation of their plans made her nod eagerly. “Thursday it is!” But then he made that offhanded comment—casual, but enough to send a little shiver down her spine. “You can… figure out where I live… easily?” Her voice had lost some of its usual lightness, instead turning a little wary. Her eyes flashed wide for a moment, and she immediately decided she did not like that. Oh, she knew who he was—what he was—but it was still unnerving to be reminded of what he was capable of. “No… don’t do that,” she said quickly, her voice a little quieter now. “It would involve stalking me.” She shuddered at the thought before shaking her head. “I’ll just send you my address.” Yes. That was the better, safer option. The tension she hadn’t realized had formed in her shoulders eased when the topic shifted, and she eagerly latched onto something more comfortable. “I’m very proud of it!” she chirped, her grin returning full force at the mention of her carpet. “It was one of the first big purchases I made with my adult money. It is a great carpet.” She lifted her chin slightly in a playful show of pride before smirking at him. “And I will be hosting us. At least if we’re at mine, people can hear me scream.” She paused for a beat, then added, “Not that I think you’d do anything. Hopefully. But on the off chance you do try to finish what you started… well, I like to have a backup plan.” Her brows pinched together again as she considered something else. “If you died, my evenings would be incredibly boring,” she huffed dramatically. “And I would be very sad, and your company would go under, and you would be the end of the Jäger line. We can’t let that happen!” She threw her hands up slightly for emphasis before letting them drop back to her sides with a small chuckle. Raegan’s gaze flickered toward him again, her expression shifting into something softer, something almost thoughtful. “You’ve always been a gentle man to some extent,” she mused after a beat. It wasn’t a stretch, not when it came to her. He had always been cautious around her, always made sure to keep a comfortable distance, never overstepped. He was careful, measured, and while he wasn’t what she’d call traditionally gentle, she did know he had it in him. Or, at least, she knew he was trying. She walked quietly beside him, her movements a little too loose, a little too relaxed. The bus stop wasn’t terribly far—maybe a mile or so—but it felt far when she was admittedly struggling to walk in a straight line. The alcohol made everything feel slightly off-kilter, not quite spinning, but certainly tilted. Her eyes flicked toward him, and she studied him for a moment before huffing out a heavy breath. “Why do you look so tense?” she complained after a moment, her voice dipping into something almost whiny. “You’re with me. You’re not meant to be tense.” |
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Axl Jager King Clan +++ Axl tried so hard to force his face back into a solemn look but the grin prevailed, staying firmly planted on his maw. "Never thought I'd get to talk about making the Grammarly people pay for the pain they've caused thousands of people, but here we are. Life is great." He joked, chuckling. Why not. It was a completely normal thing. Toootally normal. "I have the same questions. College kids are some of the only people that actually use it, and they SHOULD know how to spell." He snorted. Adults should know how to spell, too. And if it was a child getting Grammarly, they needed to get their keisters off of electronics and learn how to run a mile first. "You underestimating how rare of an occurance this is." He sniffed, eyes twinkling with gentle amusement. A comment she'd make later on, however sarcastic, was deeply true. Although no one saw it, if someone observed him with one of the foster dogs, they would 100 percent believe that he was gentle. Something that seemed rather unbelievable was true, deep deep down. "Your ego needs a little inflating." He grinned. "You're the least arrogant person I have ever met in my entire life. You need a little bit of pride in their somewhere." He didn't have that problem, but she sure did. "I will progressively work on inflating your ego. It'll just take a couple weeks to think up some more genuine compliments." He teased. "I'm quite glad to hear that." At least his horrendous ideas were good for something. Usually all they did was get him, or them, in trouble. It was true for him, too. He couldn't recall a single good memory after his 11th year that wasn't with her. What he did remember was being 14 or so and meeting her for the first time. Feeling so thankful she was helping him after he got attacked. A little embarrassed, but back then, he didn't care as much. He remembered grinning like a doofus and crcking sucky jokes the entire time. After that? He had spent every second he could with her. He practically hadn't spent a millisecond awake at his actual house- not when Konig was there, anyway. He would take any excuse to be with his one friend- his best friend, easily. He remembered having a couple guys he would go drive with in highschool, but he would ditch them in a heartbeat if she called him for something. He had done that multiple times, too. They just weren't as important. "Mmmm, yes. I almost got you hurt, how dare I, even though it was like 43 percent your idea, I dare be stolen and taken to King Clan, and good God, now I'm an insufferable Jager." He chuckled. Those two last things made a lot of people hate him without even knowing who the hell he was. Konig had made a lot of enemies, and everyone just assumed the guy's son was the same. Rather insulting, if you asked him. His smile brightened at her last sentence. "I wouldn't like to hear anything else." He mused. The least he could do is at least make these late nights worth it. He woke up tired every day, so he didn't really mind, but he knew it had to be taxing for her. "I still simply cannot believe no one but you understood the depth of this issue." He huffed. "I'm sure people's fingers are getting assaulted ALL over the globe." Honestly, it had PROBABLY happened to someone else. And if it did, they were thoroughly traumatized. "I should start a support group for people who's fingers have been verbally attacked." He commented, grinning. "Oh yeah, she must've been on Cloud 9. Or above it. Maybe in space somewhere. Pluto." His eyes crinkled slightly as he narrowed them as if thinking. "Hey- it doesn't take THAT much bravery to walk up to me. I am TOTALLY approachable." He feigned offense. "Look at this face. Sweetest thing you've ever seen." Flashing a smile, he grinned again. "Yeah that proves your not normal. That right there- that did it." He wrinkled his nose. "You're right, I would be upset if I lost you, but you stiiiill are a bit crazy." He smirked. "I am not the easiest person to be around, if you haven't noticed." People usually noticed about five minutes into the conversation, so she was special. "Well I will continue doing whatever I can to make you laugh. Properly." He puffed out his chest and mock saluted. "Honorary class clown at your service, m'lady." In school, he would be the moron that was sending paper airplane messages, so that title worked just fine. So would Professional Doofus. He liked that one, too. "Really?" He brightened like a glowstick that you had snapped and shook. "That's awesome to hear. I love being helpful, and my only goal is to make you feel better." Which meant he was totally accomplishing his goal. "Though, hearing that, it seems like I should start charging..." He mused, eyes glittering mischeviously. "I am NOT grumpy." He scoffed. "I am ANTISOCIAL. There is a massive difference." He sniffed. Massive. Axl tilted his head and stuttered her expression, from horror to disgust to anger. Those emotions didn't look good on her. He snorted quietly as she said she was sorry. "I didn't tell you for pity, believe me. Don't apologise or look all melty and sympathetic- I've experienced enough of that. I told you because I thought you deserved to know. Maybe it would explain some of my weird behaviors." He shrugged. Truth was, he hadn't told anyone that- ever. Except for the therapist Konig forced him to go to when he was 12. That ended horribly, and he had sworn never to tell anyone again- that didn't work very well. "I know, but life is as life is. At least now you know why I hate Konig so much." He wrinkled his nose, not letting the true depths of his feelings show. She would not be happy if he did. Especially now, when he was close, so close to taking revenge. His eyes flitted down as she gently tugged his sleeve back down, but he didn't comment, already moving on. "Ha! That's funny." His face broke into a grin almost immediately. "You are VERY stressful." He stated, smirking. "Aw, how sweet. I don't feel as geriatric and depressed anymore, so thanks." Sarcasm tinged his voice, but amusement twinkled in his golden gaze. "No, it'll be torture either way. But I do kinda want to see you try and force me to do anything." He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the thought. "Stunning? I'll be drowning out my sorrows, but I don't think I'll be looking stunning." His eyebrows crinkled as he drew them together, looking skeptical. Stunning didn't seem the right word to describe him in whatever monstrosity she was gonna put him in. He wrinkled his nose and decided not to elaborate, then chuckled quietly. "I'd watch It again- but are you sure you want to be having nightmares about Georgie for the night?" He teased, smirking. "He's not scary, though- it can only be scary if it can be true, and that can't. As far as my knowledge reaches, I can confidently say there are no clowns that live in sewers and have more teeth than a shark." Still, it COULD exist. Somewhere. Jaws would be a little more scary, only because it COULD happen, but logically? It wouldn't. Sharks hated the taste of human. He hadn't ever been scared of a movie. Or ... well, anything, after he turned 16 or so. "I do NOT want to STRIP in the MIDDLE OF A BAR." Axl whimpered dramatically, dropping his face into his hands. "What is WRONG with your BRAIN." he groaned. For goodness sake, he hadn't said ANYTHING about that. "Because it's true?" He offered. "I do have delightful abs and everyone needs to believe it." He sniffed. The people that usually worked in the gym with him did. Still, he wasn't the type of guy that needed to look like he was made of nothing but muscle- in his opinion, that was a little gross. All he needed was enough muscle to do what he wanted to do. Ride bike, snowmobile, ski, waterboard, stuff like that. He needed to be able to throw haybales and lift heavy stuff. Past that, he didn't want anything else. "No- no no no nope nuh uh nada didn't say anything and I can't won't happen no need to let your mind latch onto that single sentence aaaaand she has latched onto that singe sentence." He pinched the bridge of his nose. Stupid, stupid stupid stupid. "I won't, I didn't, I don't want to, and you can do that. Great idea. Stupendous. Fantastic. Magical. Texts. Nice thinking." He made a face. Good god- he could not keep it together. HIs eyebrows raised. "I am very glad you are proud of your carpet." Amusement laced his tone. "Oh, ouch." A look flitted across his face, something like sadness, before it fixed on indignant. "The only reason you'd ever scream was if my singing was so bad you were being physically hurt by it." He huffed. "And I would NEVER. There is no way I COULD while wearing a FLUFFY PINK UNICORN ONESIE, okay?" No, he could physically not do that. That would be horrid. For many reasons. "I'll TRY not to die, then, as I said before- and I'm already going to be the end of the Jager line." He snorted. He was sure there were other Jagers out there, but this particular line would be gone. Not quickly forgotten, though. "To some extent." He repeated drily, footsteps completely silent. He was gentle with animals. That counted. Even if he didn't really love cats. Those sadistic little beasts were his least favorite animal, by far, but he'd never say that aloud or act like it. He kept glancing at her as he saw her steps weren't exactly... steady. Still, he resisted the urge to reach out and help, as he had a feeling she wouldn't like that very much. He had let his gaze flicker away again when she spoke. "...uh.. I'm... not?" He offered, mentally forcing his shoulders to relax. Liar. ".... We're outside? I have to pay attention." He shrugged. He had been taught by life that bad things always happened when you ween't expecting them- so he just always expected them. They were slowly approaching the bus stop, and thankfully, his mind was clearing. No thanks to the air. Ew. "Well I do enjoy being with you, and I'm not tense because I'm unhappy." He commented, gaze snapping to a car that flew by way too fast before he returned it to the sidewalk ahead. |
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Raegan Northland Blue Ridge Clan - A slow grin tugged at her lips, amusement dancing in her gaze as she nodded in firm agreement. “At least half the world is suffering irreversible mental damage because of them. We, as the selfless saints we are, must put an end to this madness,” she declared, voice brimming with mock solemnity. Never in her life had she expected to be discussing the horrors of Grammarly as if it were some great evil empire, yet here they were. Life had a funny way of turning out. She let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking her head. “Exactly! People should know how to spell! And if they really can’t, they should be using, I don’t know, literally anything else. Even Microsoft Word. Hell, even autocorrect does a better job than that godforsaken app.” Her face scrunched up as if the mere thought of it was physically painful. The ads alone were enough to send her into a spiral. She let out a dramatic gasp, shaking her head so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. “I am not!” she huffed, immediately yanking out her phone and tapping furiously at the screen. “Look. It’s in my calendar. Marked. Saved. A new national holiday—‘The Day A Jager Gave Me A Compliment.’” She smirked as she held the phone up for him to see. “My kids, my grandkids, their kids will all celebrate Jager Compliment Day. They’ll sing songs about this moment.” She snickered, eyes twinkling with mischief before she tilted her head at him, expression skeptical. “Mmmhmm. Sure. Take your time, but just know, if the next compliment isn’t a solid one, I will be taking you to court.” Her tone was light, teasing, but there was a smug little glint in her eye that suggested she was totally serious. She hummed thoughtfully at his next comment before nodding in agreement. “Actually, yeah. For a while, your insane ideas were, like, the only fun I had,” she admitted, rolling her eyes but grinning all the same. He had a real talent for getting them into trouble—her job was just to make sure they made it out in one piece. Most of the time. “You were always coming up with the worst ideas, and I was always dumb enough to follow along.” A pause. “No, actually, I take that back. I wasn’t dumb—I was brave.” She puffed up her chest in mock pride before narrowing her eyes at him. “Forty-three percent? Are you joking? More like ninety percent your idea and ten percent me trying to make sure we didn’t end up dead!” She gave him an indignant look, nose scrunching. “And don’t even try to say otherwise. If I wasn’t there, you’d have been arrested years ago.” Her lips quirked into a smirk. “Still, if it helps, you are the least insufferable Jager I know.” She let out a long-suffering sigh, shaking her head. “Of course I’m the only one who gets it. Who else would sit here and listen to the tragic tale of your verbally assaulted fingers?” She held her own hand up in front of her, studying it for a moment before huffing. “Besides, I get it. Once, someone told me my fingers were ‘dainty.’ I still have no idea what that means, but I’m certain all hand-related comments should just stop.” She shuddered. Compliments or not, it was weird. Her gaze flicked up toward the sky, humming in thought. “Pluto, huh? That actually sounds nice. Maybe I’ll take a vacation there.” Her eyes flicked back to him, scanning his face, and then— “Yeah… super sweet.” Her lip curled in mock disgust before she exaggeratedly gagged. She let out a deep, exaggerated sigh, rubbing at her temples like he was causing her actual pain. “Fine. Fine. I’m weird. But so are you.” Her eyes flicked toward him, expression knowing. “And don’t try to deny it. You’re weird in, like, a charmingly insufferable way. My way is at least cute.” She gave him a pointed look. Still, despite all of that, she adored being here with him. He had this way of making things light, of making her laugh even when she was dead tired and should have definitely gone to sleep hours ago. It had always been like that. It always would be. Even if earlier had been rough—seeing him cry, watching him try to shove it all back down—he was still him. And she was still her. She brightened when he did, his energy contagious. “See? That’s why I like class clowns,” she teased, eyes crinkling with amusement. “And, yes, really! Mission achieved. You have officially made Raegan feel better. You’re the first person in history to do it—congratulations.” She mock-applauded before grinning. “But nooo, don’t start charging me. If you do, I’ll regress, and we’ll lose all of this progress. Do you really want that on your conscience?” Her brows furrowed, like she was deeply concerned about this very real, very serious problem. Then— “Oh, no. You are getting old. Old and grumpy.” A snicker slipped out before she could stop it. Her teasing faded into something softer as she met his gaze. “I don’t pity you,” she said, voice quiet but firm. “Look at you. You’re not someone to pity.” She felt for him, for what had happened, for the boy he used to be, but pity? No. Never. He was stronger than that. Still, her expression darkened slightly. “But I will be killing that man. Just so you’re aware.” She shot him a small, innocent smile, like she wasn’t threatening cold-blooded murder. She let out an offended gasp when he called her stressful. “I am not stressful. You are stressful. You make me want to run away and never leave all at once, and it’s infuriating,” she huffed, throwing him a mock glare. Her gaze turned thoughtful as they walked, and then— “Oh, you want to see me force you into something?” She smirked. “Axl, I will pin you to the ground and put the suit on you myself. Don’t test me.” Her tone was playful, but her eyes glittered with something undeniably dangerous. “Or, I could just get you drunk enough that you pass out, and you wake up already in the outfit I have planned. Wouldn’t that be fun?” She beamed. “It’s hardly torture. If it makes me happy, then how bad could it really be? Plus, let’s be honest—you’d look way better as a unicorn than whatever scary wolf thing you’re trying to be.” She waved a dismissive hand before grinning. A long, theatrical sigh escaped her as she slumped slightly. “Actually… maybe not. Last time I watched it, all I dreamed about for two weeks was that damn yellow jacket Georgie wore. Geooorgieee,” she mumbled, mimicking that god-awful clown’s voice with unsettling accuracy. Still, that had been the old version, which, according to horror veterans, was much scarier. Maybe the newer one would be tolerable. Her brother swore up and down that it was only half as scary—something about bad animation making some of the scenes more funny than terrifying. She glanced at Axl after a moment, eyes widening dramatically. “Axl, hun, we exist. Sewer clowns? They are real. And they are waiting.” Her voice dropped into something eerily serious, and she gave him a slow, firm nod, absolutely unwavering in her stance on the matter. She gasped, throwing her hands up as if personally offended. “YES, YOU CLEARLY DO!” she huffed, her voice raising in exasperation. That man had been dead set on stripping in the middle of that bar. She was convinced at least a few elderly women in the back would’ve had a great time with it. She groaned dramatically, tilting her nose up at him in faux disgust. “MY brain? What about yours?!” she yelped. “I have abs, and you don’t see me trying to strip, do you? Or trying to take any clothes off for that matter.” She narrowed her eyes at him, obviously knowing he wasn’t actually about to strip, but that didn’t stop her from dragging him for it. Her brow quirked at his rambling, watching with mild amusement before letting out a soft breath. “Look, if you wanna stalk me that bad, go for it. Just thought, y’know, texting would be easier…” She trailed off, amusement creeping into her tone as she fought back a giggle. Then, after a pause, she smirked. “Relax. I know you’re not following me. You’re way too big to hide, babe.” She chirped it so casually, grinning as if she hadn’t just insulted his entire ability to be stealthy. She practically beamed at his comment about her carpet. Damn right, she was proud of it. It was immaculate. She had one of those little robotic vacuums that ran around all day while she was at work. She’d even named it—Jeffery. She loved Jeffery like a child. “What can I say? It’s a great carpet,” she said proudly, chin lifting slightly. Then, noticing his pitiful look, she let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Nooo, I’m sorryyyy,” she whined dramatically before perking up. “But if you do hurt me, my carpet would get stained, and nobody wants that.” Her gaze flicked to him, head tilting slightly. “Well… if you wanna keep your life, then I suggest you sing well and play well,” she teased, shooting him a pointed look before her expression morphed into something offended. “HEY! It’s going to be white with a pink mane. Get. It. Right.” She scoffed, looking him over with an expression akin to someone gazing upon the scuff of their boots. And then, just as casually, she rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I’m sure you’ll knock up some poor, unsuspecting sex worker eventually. And just like that, the Jager line continues.” A smug little grin tugged at her lips. “Ooooh, I’ll be Auntie Raegan! I’ll buy the kid a matching unicorn onesie just for you.” She snickered at the thought, clearly very pleased with herself. She huffed when he repeated her words, crossing her arms. “Can you not take a compliment?” she complained. “Fine! You’re the most gentlemanly gentleman in the entire world. So much so that I should just hire you as my doorman. So gentlemanly. So proper.” She trailed off, a wicked little glint in her eye, like she was actually considering it. Her fingers tightened around her bag as she tried to walk in a somewhat straight line. She wasn’t exactly stumbling, but she definitely wasn’t walking as she normally might. “Uh-huh. Sure. You are,” she huffed, clearly not letting it go. Her gaze flicked around for a moment before rolling her eyes. “Okay, then what are you being so alert for?” she asked, eyes narrowing slightly. There was nothing around. Nothing that she could see, anyway. When the bus stop finally came into view, she broke away from him, wobbling slightly as she made a beeline for the seats. The second she sat down, she let out a very satisfied sigh, slumping dramatically. “Okay, now relax. I’ll be gone in, like… ten minutes. You can go back to being your usual tightly wound self after that.” She waved a dismissive hand before leaning back, clearly unbothered. Yeah. He was just gonna have to deal with it. |
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Axl Jager King Clan +++ "Selfless saints. Exactly what I was thinking." Sarcasm dripped so thick from his tone that it was almost palpable. He, for one, was anything but selfless ... or a saint. In any way shape or form. "I will help put an end to this madness, as you say, though. Grammarly deserves to fall under the crushing weight of our something! Words are not flowing eloquently right now!" He cheered, grinning. Honestly, something should be done about those cruel horrible people. How could they create such an abomonation and think that they wouldn't be prosecuted? They deserved hours of no internet service because of it. "If children haven't learned how to spell by college, they shouldn't get accepted into a job, but if they HAD to get a job at McDonalds or something- at least have somebody else write the frigging essay. Grammarly is more than cheating, is annoying past sanity, and really isn't helpful. At all." He sniffed. He 100% had a personal grudge against Grammarly. He raised his eyebrows and looked incredulously at her screen. "I lied. You're overestimating it. I really do not want your grandchildren singing songs about me." He made a face. That sounded terrible. Then again, being remembered as the jerk that gave one person a compliment and it was such a big deal that they put it in their calendar was better than being remembered as the sob that had their whole family killed by their father. He'd take it. He then assumed a determined expression and mock saluted, holding it as he spoke. "Ma'am, I will not let you down." He stated stoically, then dropped his salute with a slight chuckle. "The next compliment will not only be at least 83.4 percent true, but will also be mind blowing and extravagant. No lack in dramatic flair." He bit back a grin. Now he was actually going to have to think of a good one- not because he couldn't. Becuase there were too many. She was everything he wanted to be, everything he thought was good, she was the sunshine in the dark places and the moon on a black night. No compliment could cover all that, and he already had so many that it would seem sappy as hell, so he had to try to single out one that stood out. Maybe he'd write a poem, seal it in glass, and give it to her. Just to surprise her. Because why not? Axl could never settle for normal. Or boring. "Oof. That's a bit depressing." he eyed her for a moment. "If my stupid insane ideas were the only fun you had, you needed to get a hobby. Desperately. Doing stupid stuff with me is like a last ditch hail mary because your life has gotten so boring your days consist only of eating, sleeping, and laying on the couch staring at the ceiling wondering why you exist." He snorted. If he were her, he would've ditched him as soon as he found a spoon or something to play with. Anything was better than getting nearly arrested, right? "You weren't dumb, I was just overly charming." He flashed his trademark smug smile. "Charismatic, if you will. Hot as the devil himself. Totally irresistable. Enough so that you'd get arrested for me." he teased, looking a bit cheeky. "Braaaave. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Exactly what I think if I look at you." he paused. "Sideways." Another pause. "Maybe squinting..." Another pause. "And upside down?" Axl finally grinned. "We never ended up DEAD, and we were never gonna. We LIKELY could've wormed our way out of situations." He huffed. They were never even close to dead, thankyouverymuch. "Yes, I would've been arrested long ago, but not dead." He protested, then wrinkled his nose. "I'm the only Jager you know. Not a good compliment." He pointed out. She hadn't ever talked to Konig, so they didn't count. Aaaaand everyone else was dead. "I'm sure some super obsessed maniac would pay good money to listen to me talk, regardless of the topic." He huffed. It was probably true, too. A bit terrifying, yes, but still. Leverage. His eyebrows scrunched together slightly as he glanced at her hand, then seemed to ponder it for a moment. "Yeh.... no. All hand related comments should stop. I'd almost understand if they referenced, like, you in general, but just your fingers? Nope." Fingers could not be an adjective. Like dainty or somethin' stupid. That was just weird. "I'd vacation there any day. No people." Sounded great- sign him up. He was probably one of the most introverted peple ever in a very hidden way. He could be totally fine talking to millions of people but he would hate every one of them every second of it. And there would be subtle hints- fingers twitching, a single bead of sweat that usually clung to his temple for dear life, jaw tensing, etc. Konig always noticed and ridiculed him for it, but he couldn't help it. He felt like crawling into the earth and disappearing. Axl threw her an overly offended look as she gagged, putting on his best puppy eye expression. He looked more like the dog from the Last Wish, but still. "You're trying to say I'm not sweet looking?" he asked with a pitiful voice. He made a face. "Everyone is weird in their own way. We're just outside that scale." No... there was 1-10, and she was at 56, and he was at infinity. Or 1,000,000,0000,000,000,000,000 if you were feeling ncie. "Well at LEAST you put the word charming in there. That means it's not ALL BAD." He retorted. "And you're weird in a hang-around-the-biggest-idiot-in-Dallas way." He snorted. "And the insufferable is... optional? No, that's not right." Honestly, words just never worded with him and he was sick of English. "When the class clowns aren't rude jerks, I like them too." He shook his head. He had met some people with NOOOO filter in a bad way. The most offensive stuff ever flew from their trap and they did nothing to stop it. "The first? I don't think so. I'm not exactly the best at making people feel better. Usually after talking to me people just see the world in a different way." And usually that different way was glancing over their shoulder when they turned corners. "hrmmmm... No." He finally sighed. "Guess it'll stay free." He couldn't bear to lose all of his very hard earned progress. He gasped as she spoke, eyes widening and hand flying to his heart. "I what?" He squeaked. "I am not old or grumpy! Maybe grumpy but definitely not old!" He exclaimed, though his voice again never rose above it's usual volume. Something he had programmed in long ago. Not even with other people would Axl raise his voice- unless someone really did something stupid. He watched her carefully as she firmly stated that she did not pity her, believing her the slightest bit. Expressions usually didn't lie, and she was like an open book when it came to those, and she wouldn't lie anyway. The next thing that came out of her mouth truly surprised him, causing him to let out a bark of laughter. "I get first shot." That would be his truthful answer, and the next one came quickly. "I never thought I'd hear you say anything even almost sort of like that. Plus, uh, you don't have much time. May not have mentioned but he's dying. Little detail. Apologies." It's not like Konig would spread his guts over Dallas if they knew he said that. Totally fine. His expression faltered for a moment before he shoved it back into place. "I still think you're more stressful." He huffed quietly. Well of course you make her want to run away you DIMWIT. You damn near killed her! He thought to himself, mentally kicking himself. His eyebrows twitched up as he glanced at her- 5'6 her- and then himself- 6'4 himself- and the 10 inch difference- and the everything else- then finally gave her a stare. "I feel like I should believe you but I can't bring my mind to do it." He squinted, like that would help. "My sense of danger says I should believe you, but my abs are telling me I shouldn't." He added, letting out a strangled cough that was OBVIOUSLY covering a very amused laugh. "You could never get me drunk enough that I passed out." he huffed. "Believe me." That had happened many times BEFORE the incident, but only once after, and he had vowed never to let it happen again. "I'm only DOING it because it makes you happy, and I much prefer scary wolf thing." He sniffed in offense. Fluffy unicorn did not equal Axl Jager and would never equal Axl Jager. He blinked as she mimicked Pennywise's voice with creepy accuracy. "Good night- did you practice doing that? You could scare the living bejeezus out of someone." He really didn't care, but any normal human would. He then rolled his eyes at her comment. "That sounds like a nickname a tired 40 year old mother would give to a 9 year old girl o a playdate with her daughter. 'Beth, hun, please don't play on that! you could get hurt!'" He let his voice shoot up about 7 octives. His eyebrows then scrunched together. "I hate to say that your argument is valid, but I'm not sold." He was a bit more stubborn than that. "NO I CLEARLY DON'T." He retorted, looking highly offended and hurt by this ongoing accusation. "Mine? I'm not the one accusing you of wanting to strip in the middle of a bar!" He huffed, then narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "I have decided NOT to believe you have great abs." He sniffed, turning his face away in disgust. How dare she. He had been having a completely delightful and normal conversation before she came swooping in and RUINED IT ALL. "Texting is obviously not easier than stalking." He mumbled sulkily, glaring at her as she giggled. He hadn't meant it like that and then he had rambled trying to fix it and now he felt stupid. "I- whaaaat???? I am as stealthy as stealthy can be! I could hide anywhere!" His jaw dropped open, then he realized he couldn't plead his case without making it worse. "ARRRRGGGHHHHH." Instead, he just groaned and grumbled. Because if you can't speak- sound effects! "Nooooo, nobody wants your obviously precious carpet to get stained. That would be terrible. Nevermind the fact you'd be hurt." He huffed. He was PRETTY sure carpet WOULDN'T matter at that point, but what did he know. He didn't even have carpet. "I will sing and play delightfully. As long as the songs you pick aren't completely insane or something I've never heard before." He couldn't learn a song in a week- or well enough that he'd be comfortable showing it to another human being. That being said, he knew a LOT of songs, so it didn't really matter. "Ay- I'm sorry. White with pink mane. My apologies." He looked away with a shameful expression. How dare he. "Agh- please, stop." A full body shudder ran through him as he put his hands over his ears. "Laaaaadeeeedaaaa can't hear youuuuu." He didn't NOT need to think about that. "That would never happen. How terrible do you think I am?" It was almost offensive. He didn't just go gallavanting off having sex with every random person he saw. Yeesh. "Oh dear lord no. Just don't." She had to make it worse. He assumed a kingly look. "Much obliged, m'lady. I appreciate that compliment so much more." He sniffed. It was admittedly better, but also fake, so that kinda sucked. He glanced around again before looking back at her slightly stumbling form. He wanted to help, but he knew it would make it worse, and it was internally killing him. "Something could happen. We could suddenly get jumped, there could be a serial killer looking for another victim, Konig could be around the corner, etc. At least I'M prepared." He huffed. All VERY unlikely, but that DIDN'T MATTER. IF they did happen, he would prevent injury. He stopped as she sat down, leaning against the post. "I'm veeerry relaxed, if you can't tell." Axl stated in a deadpan manner, attempting not to scan the area as he tried to get the annoying buzzing to go away. His gaze always softened slightly as it landed on her before sharpening as he glanced away again. |
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Raegan nodded along, brows furrowing like she was actually plotting revenge for whatever injustices these people had committed. Tsk. Grammarly. Who even came up with that? What kind of person needed something like that? Like Axl said—if you couldn’t handle basic spelling by college, or understand the difference between British and American English, maybe just go work as a cleaner. Not McDonald's. She loved McDonald's. They didn’t deserve employees that awful. She pressed a hand to her heart, nodding seriously. “Your words are eloquent! Grammarly must crumble beneath the sheer weight of our combined intellect!” she declared, laughing at her own ridiculousness. Honestly, between the two of them, they weren’t exactly idiots. That, unfortunately, made it exhausting to deal with people who couldn’t grasp basic things. What do you mean you have to Google the difference between ‘angel’ and ‘angle’? How do you not just know? Ugh. People were actually painful sometimes. She’d tried Grammarly back in school—thought maybe it’d help with essay structure or whatever—but nope. It was garbage. Made her writing worse. Didn’t even help the people who actually needed it. Scam. Total scam. Yeah, she’d happily see it burn. She glanced at her phone, pouting a little when he decided she was overestimating the compliment. As if she was going to let that slide. He clearly didn’t realize she was about to make sure this moment lived on forever. If she had grandkids one day, she’d absolutely be telling them about the terrifying man who once tried to kill their grandmother and then followed it up with the most unremarkable compliment in existence—one she adored so much she wrote it on her calendar and made it a yearly event. He’d have no choice but to keep up the tradition. “I’m not overestimating anything,” she shot back, completely unbothered. “You complimented me. That’s a big deal. So now we celebrate.” She tried (and failed) to suppress a yawn, blinking a little sluggishly. God, they needed to start leaving earlier. These meetings were fun, but her sleep schedule was absolutely wrecked. She raised a brow as he promised plenty of dramatic flair for the next ‘big compliment day.’ He didn’t look like the type to be dramatic, but he was weirdly expressive. Talked with his hands, made all sorts of random sounds when he spoke—yeah, she could totally see it. “Good,” she hummed. “I want theatrics. Fireworks. Horses. A parade, maybe.” A pause. “Actually, forget the fireworks. And the horses. Just get me some flowers and a card.” She grinned, already deciding she’d have to return the favor. She liked plenty about him, sure, but she didn’t really see Axl anymore—just the kid she’d grown up with, the one she used to run wild with. Complimenting that person felt... weird. She’d figure something out, though. Her jaw dropped. Depressing?! He actually called her depressing?! She had literally just said he was the most fun she’d ever had, and now she was depressing? The betrayal. She rolled her eyes, feigning offense. “Alright then,” she huffed. “Hanging out with you was my last desperate attempt to escape the soul-crushing cycle of food, sleep, work.” She shot him a look. He might not have considered her his best friend, but he was definitely hers. She would’ve done just about anything to get out and cause chaos with him. And now he was calling that depressing? Unbelievable. “How dare you,” she gasped dramatically. “You just insulted both me and my best friend. And since we were basically an extension of each other—that means you were depressing too.” She held her hand out like she was making some official decree, nodding firmly as if that settled it. It did, actually. She wrinkled her nose when he kept going, scoffing. “Axl, I think you should stop before I agree with you and it turns into a whole thing.” He couldn’t complain about her making fun of him just to turn around and claim he was as hot as the devil himself. Ugh. Just the thought made her wrinkle her nose again. “I think I just pitied you.” She shot him a slow, smug smile. “You clearly didn’t have many friends.” They didn’t even go to the same school, but every time she called, he showed up. If he had friends, he obviously didn’t like them much. She narrowed her eyes as he accused her of not looking brave. Excuse you? She squared her shoulders, hands on her hips. “I’m extremely brave. Super brave. Braver than you,” she countered smugly. Not being scared of things didn’t make someone brave—facing the things that scared you did. And Raegan? She did that all the time. Walking home alone at night? Terrifying. Dealing with late shifts? A nightmare. The city streets? Awful. Strangers? Worse. And yet, she still did it all. Even this—sitting here with him—terrified her more than she’d ever admit. Her fingers fidgeted absently, a quiet breath escaping her. He really had scared her. Still kind of did. How she could sit here with him now, she had no idea. But then he spoke again, pulling her back into the moment, and she found herself chuckling. That was why. He didn’t make things heavy. Kept their conversations light, playful. It was all banter, and banter didn’t hurt when you knew who it was coming from. And, honestly? He was funny as hell. “If you start charging me to talk to you, Jager, we’re gonna have some serious issues,” she warned, grinning. “Buuuut, if you were ever broke, I do think you could make a decent living just yapping at people for hours.” She laughed, glancing down as she stretched out her fingers. Ugh. Hands. Why did people act like they could be nice? They were just weirdly long toes. Wiggly long toes. Disgusting. She physically shivered, then turned a horrified look on Axl as if it was his fault. “Maybe we should be the first to go to Pluto,” she mused, shaking off the cursed thought. “You’re gonna be rich soon, right? I could totally see you building a rocket just to leave.” She cackled at the mental image—Axl Jager, storming off to space because humans sucked and his fingers were still traumatized from their last incident. She snorted when he attempted... whatever that weird expression was supposed to be. “You’re adorable,” she teased, giggling. “Cutest thing I’ve seen all day. You should show Konig that face—he’d love it.” She patted his back with mock sympathy, sighing. “Stick to your whole big, scary, don’t come near me thing. Not everyone can be as effortlessly adorable as me.” She grinned, nudging him. She just watched him as he spoke. He said the weirdest things sometimes. Made no sense at all. But she just cocked her head, a slow pout forming. “I love your brain,” she slurred, then immediately snapped back to attention, looking offended. “So I call you charming, and all I get is optional insufferable? Wow. Wow.” She gasped. “Axl, you have to stop calling me depressing, insufferable—whatever else! I don’t deserve this.” She cackled, shaking her head. Then she studied him, brows furrowing. “I mean it, Jager. You actually make me feel... better.” She waved a hand vaguely. “It means a lot, okay?” Her voice was softer, but only for a second before she grinned. “I do see the world differently after talking to you—but never in a bad way.” Then, her expression turned mournful. “I hate to break it to you, but... you’re getting old.” She made a show of scanning his hairline, eyes narrowing. “So many grey hairs.” She patted his shoulder solemnly. “And so grumpy. But it’s okay. I still love you.” She beamed, as if that was supposed to be reassuring. Her eyes lit up at the sound of his laugh. It always made her feel good when she could get that out of him. She had a pretty... I dunno, messed-up sense of humor, but if he found it funny, then whatever. As he kept going, claiming he’d get the first shot of his father, she tried to open her mouth, but he kept talking. Her eyes widened and her head snapped back at him. “Wait, Axl, what?” she asked quickly. “Why—how—” She paused, gathering her thoughts. “That’s why you’re taking over?” she asked slowly. She shook her head. “No, don’t tell me, I’m not in a good headspace for this very critical information,” she breathed out, holding her hand up to stop him. “Your abs are—huh?” She huffed. “All I heard was that your sense of danger’s going off. That’s a win in my books, forget what your abs say,” she mused. She sighed softly. “Well, whatever happens, just know I’m doing everything in my power to get that suit on you. I’ll make my year,” she chirped, looking way too pleased with herself. She already had a very vivid idea of what she was getting him, and he was going to hate it, and she loved that. “Alright, no getting you drunk. I’ll just get you loads of little gifts to make up for it,” she mused, then gently poked his side. “I don’t get why you’re so against it. It’ll only be me there... Oh, and my camera, but that’s just to capture the moment Axl Jager puts on a unicorn suit,” she cackled. She looked up at him after a moment, grinning. “No, no, my mom used to do it. Freaked me out when I was younger. Especially when she did it in my cupboard,” she winced at the memory. “I love her, but she’s the reason I slept with the lights on until I was like... 11? Way too old to be doing that. Anyway.” As he mimicked her, she laughed. “That was brilliant. You’re gonna be a great 40-year-old mum one day,” she added with a grin. Raegan’s eyes widened just a little. “Whoa! Calm down. You’re the one threatening to shed clothing, not me,” she teased. She looked a little offended that he didn’t believe she had abs, then let out a long, slow breath. “And that’s okay. But I’m not taking off my jacket to prove it,” she shot him a playful look. “If I actually had abs, I’d definitely be showing them off in tight tops everywhere. Thank God I don’t, or I’d be a total pain about it.” Raegan’s eyes lit up as he scrambled to fix his statement. “Okay, okay, I get it,” she mused lightly. “I’ll just pretend to be surprised when I find you hiding under my bed or something,” she grinned. The idea of this huge 6’4” guy trying to hide was too much. He’d definitely try to hide behind a lamp post or something. As he groaned, she giggled. “As long as I don’t know I’m being stalked, it won’t hurt. Just stay well hidden. Oh, and I shower at eight, so steer clear of the bathroom around then,” she continued, making a bit of a show out of it. “Hey, your carpet’s a reflection of yourself. If you’re spilling blood, lay a tarp or something first. I don’t care if I get hurt, but my carpet’s white and that shit stains,” she sighed dramatically, like the idea of him hurting her hadn’t crossed her mind a million times by now. She tapped her chin, brows pinched together. “I think you’re awful. Worst excuse for a man I’ve ever met. These poor women,” she puffed out a breath, shaking her head dramatically. She flashed a smile so he knew she was messing around. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop now. I’m far too empathetic for this,” she mused. Raegan’s eyes furrowed slightly, then she rolled her eyes. “We’re not getting jumped. If it was gonna happen, it would’ve already,” she muttered. “We’re fine. You’re fine. I’m fine.” She lowered her voice to a whisper, then grinned. “Shh, Axl. It’s fine. Konig’s dying, and I bet the two of us can handle any serial killer,” she hummed. “Besides, I wanna see how big that wolf in you’s gotten,” she bumped his side again. Honestly, she didn’t want to see that, and she’d probably pass out if she did, but she didn’t think anything like that was actually going to happen. She glanced up as the bus started to approach. “Yes, yes, you’re very relaxed,” she hummed while rummaging through her bag for her pass. “But next time I see you, I don’t want to see a coiled spring,” she paused and glanced at him. “And send me the dates for all this stuff we somehow planned in one evening,” she mused lightly. The bus pulled up, and she stood with a soft breath before patting his chest in a friendly manner. “I’ll see you... at some point?” she hummed lightly. At this point, she’d usually give her friends a big hug and a peck on the cheek, but she refrained for fairly obvious reasons. She waved him off after a moment, then climbed onto the bus, found a seat, and settled in. |
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Axl Jager King Clan +++ "Grammarly shall reign no more." He confirmed in a solemn tone. He arched a brow, looking completely unconvinced. "You totally are. And I'll try to do it more often so you don't have a heart attack every time it happens." He stated drily. Guess he had to put that on his mental checklist as well. Find good compliments without making it seem like he totally adored her in every way shape and form which was totally true but shouldn't be. Mission Impossible: Axl Version. His head tilted slightly as he studied her yawn- he had gotten used to being tired about 13 years ago, and before that it was more walking-zombie like. Still, his insomnia meant he never slept anyway, so it didn't REALLY occur to him that normal people needed sleep. He made yet another mental note to make sure to plan whatever they did next earlier. He didn't need her health declining because of him. No sirree. He was avoiding that. Honestly, Axl probably had like a multiple personality syndrome or some shit like that, because he acted like a completely different person around her. He actually had a sense of humor- lucky her- and he was dramatic about everything. He couldn't afford not to be. Not being dramatic could be too serious then they came upon situations like the breakdown a few minutes earlier and NO one wanted that. "...flowers and a card. I can probably do that. Maybe you will agree that my handwriting is delightful, unlike Konig's." He sniffed. "I don't write like my hand is a block of stone. My cursive is top notch." Actually, he had spent way too many hours practicing that- usually letters to his dead family but DETAILS DETAILS, and his cursive was loopy and beautiful and rather serene and TOTALLY not fitting for him. He could wield a sword, for God's sake, but his handwriting- immaculate. He huffed quietly, shaking his head. "You know that's not what I meant. I just... me? You could have had any other best friend, or just friend, or whatever, and you ended up choosing me. It doesn't make sense." Logically, even less so. He got her into trouble, he was from a different clan, he wasn't all that great of a person, he was totally traumatized and acted weirdly because of it... why not someone normal? He wasn't complaining or anything- he'd give the world to go back and relive those years. They were the best time of his life. She had been the only thing that mattered to him. No, Scratch that. She WAS the only thing that mattered to him in this world. "I was not depressing." He grumbled. "Fine, I take it back. You made delightful life choices and I have you to thank for not getting arrested. Many times." He snorted. Technically, he would have been in prison more than once if not for her. On that note, if he had never met her, he'd STILL be in prison. She helped his mental health considerably. "You'd agree with me? That I was indeed overly charming?" He brightened jokingly. "Hey- no pity. And I had friends. None of them would've gotten me out of jail, however." he grumbled. None of them would've given a rats ass. Or even notice he was gone. Yeah, they couldn't REALLY be considered friends. In any case, she was 500 times better. Axl grinned in a lopsided manner at her as she complained about being brave. Very brave. Braver than him, in fact. He couldn't really argue- it was damn true. She was here, whereas if he was in her situation, he'd likely be dead. Soooo... yeah, she was way braver than him. He didn't comment, seeing no use in teasing her further. "I won't, don't worry. You have my word. Completely free." He raised his hands in a surrendering position, chuckling. "Hey- I don't yap. I say completely serious things that are important for the entirety of mankind to exist." He sniffed, a serious tone in his voice... yet his eyes gave away his joke. "I will 100% build a rocket to go to Pluto." He replied cheerfully. "However that would take a long time. 9-12 years, to be exact, depending on what I build." He mused. "I don't know if it is just me, but I don't want to go to Pluto and come back and suddenly be 40 something years old." That seemed not very smart. Especially when he was very close to watching Konig die. That would be fun. Axl gasped in mock offense at her teasing tone. "I can tell you're being not serious. I AM adorable and you HAVE TO BELIEVE IT." He huffed, then wrinkled his nose. "I'd be burned at the stake. Sounds like a bad idea to me." Honestly, that probably wasn't too far off. A bit of a scary thought. He had seen Konig burn people to death before- not his family, but others. It wasn't a pretty sight. "It's not fair." He complained. "I guess I'll resort to being big scary and don't come near me." He sighed dramatically, putting his chin in his hand in disappointment. How sad it was to be told he wasn't adorable. His eyebrow arched as she stared at him for a moment before saying I love your brain. "Uh... that's... normal? Thanks?" He wrinkled his nose. He didn't have a programmed response for that particular sentence. No one had ever complimented his brain before in such a.... uh... blunt manner? "I apologized for calling you depressing, and I wasn't calling YOU insufferable. I just meant my insufferableness could be turned on and off. Like a light switch." He paused for a long moment. "I just haven't found the light switch." A sheepish smile followed his words. It was stuck on insufferable. And he was sure if he did find it, the switch would be stuck. Glued or taped or some shit like that. He studied her for a long moment as she spoke, eyes calculating her emotions like they so often did. Just in a deeper more observant way. He felt like he had to do a deep scan to try and figure out those words. He may not understand it, but he was one of the few people that accepted that he didn't understand everything. "Well I'm glad to be of service." He smiled slightly, then his eyes widened. "Noooo. Don't tell me." His hand clutched at his chest as he recoiled back. "No. No. I knew this day would come. Oh the horror." He groaned. That part of his personality had not changed since he met her. Dramatic as always. "Oh. Well. That makes it all better." He looked at her in a somehow sarcastic way, huffing quietly. "I'm old and grumpy and geriatric but it's all fine." He made a face as her brain short circuted, then waved his hand. "Sort of. Yeah. And no problem. I'm sure you'll know as much as everyone else soon." He replied. Still, he had dropped too many bombs on her tonight. "I'll do that and just accept my fate. To wear the white unicorn onesie with the pink mane." He stated, making sure to get the details super duper correct. She could not complain if he copied her words perfectly. "Which is the only reason why I am accepting my fate. Let me point that out. It is only for your good." He snorted. No way would he suffer for a lesser cause... but making her year was just about the most important thing in his life, so a loss of dignity and a pitiful photo seemed like a small price to pay. "If the kinds of little gifts you are thinking about are little cheery ornaments or something weird like that, please don't." His nose wrinkled slightly. He had no need for trinkets of any sorts. His house was empty and bare and would also be, apart from the couple things he needed. "I'm pretty sure you can guess why." He said drily, giving her a flat look as she cackled. She was subjecting him to torture and totally enjoying it. Sadistic of her. . "WHY. WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT." Axl demanded, faux horror flitting across his expression. "You poor child! And how the HELL did she fit in your cupboard? I don't blame you. I'd still be having nightmares." He shuddered dramatically. Granted, Otto had horrified the living daylights outta him when he was 3 at Halloween, but they still hadn't done it over and over and over. Yeesh. "... I'm not quite sure what you meant by that, but... thanks?" He gave her a quizzical glance, looking mildly amused. Ah yes. He was so looking forward to that. . "I was not- did not- grrr." He fell silent with a grumble, lost as to how to defend himself. He playfully mocked her speaking back before rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I can imagine. It would be impossible to be around you." He snorted, voice sarcastic. He couldn't imagine, actually. Her and being arrogant or boasting about anything just didn't go together. . "You are NOT going to find me hiding under your bed." He huffed. "Even I know that's weird. And I have little to no moral compass." He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation as she kept speaking. That was the last thing he needed to know in his lifetime. He decided not to comment to save his own sanity, though he did want to stress how so very stealthy he was. . "Uh... if you don't have carpet, anywhere, does that mean you just... don't exist?" He wrinkled his nose with a snort. "You got a WHITE carpet? How is it not stained already? You're a witch!" He exclaimed incredulously. He despised the color white. So cold, so easily stained, so BRIGHT. Why would ANYONE get white carpet? It just didn't make sense. . "Oh my gosh." Axl didn't even know how they had gotten down this path. He was so utterly lost on how to leave it, too. What was he even supposed to do? He was in more mental pain by the second. "Please do." He mumbled weakly, looking rather relieved. That was a topic he was okay with never discussing again. With anyone. Ever. . "... you don't know that." He grumbled, then glared at her playfully. "You're VERY HELPFUL." He huffed lowly. "Noooo, I am chalking that down as a bad idea. If a serial killer does come, I'll deal with it in a more humane way." The mere thought made him sick to the stomach. As mentioned before, he had barely fully shifted since the incident, and when he had, it had been locked in his own bedroom because he was too terrified to let it happen anywhere else. So... yeah. Not a good idea. . "I am no coiled spring. I am the image of looseness." He sniffed, actively pressuring his muscles into loosening up so he could seem like he was almost kind of telling the truth. "Affirmative." Another thing to go on his mental checklist. Send her dates, prepare for pain, talk to Konig, etc. "Likely next Friday, as that is when we planned my torture session." He pointed out. He nodded to her as she waved, then as the bus started moving, watched for half a second before turning and disappearing back into the shadows. Even after all these years, he was still good at disappearing. . The walk back was short and boring, since his strides were long but nothing was happening. He arrived at the bar maybe 15 minutes later, and since his head felt completely clear, he decided to go straight home. Or... well, straight wherever he was going. He didn't feel like home. He put the key in the ignition of his bike and turned it on, letting it warm up for a couple minutes before moving out in the dark of night. . After driving for almost 2 hours through a bunch of back country roads, he went to his house and put his bike in the garage, then entered. It was 4 am or so, just enough time to get his usual amount of sleep before having to wake up. However, since he felt like he needed to unwind a little, he got a language app and started learning. . Axl scheduled the text to send the next morning, since he didn't want to wake her up tonight. Per usual, it was well organized. Dates and titles of the two things they had planned and when, as well as the 5 minute video attached to the end of him, with a perfect accent, learning the first ropes of Italian. --- (Should we timeskip to Friday to keep them in touch?) |
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Raegan Northland Blue Ridge Clan - Raegan found herself resting tiredly on the bus, pinching herself every time her head started to dip forward. It wasn’t a long ride, but it was long enough for her to fall asleep and miss her stop if she wasn’t careful. She liked these evenings out—really, she did—but she always regretted them the next morning when she woke up exhausted and mildly hungover. She’d learned the hard way not to schedule anything important the morning after. The last thing she needed was to mess up a name in front of some high-profile client and end up on someone’s hit list. But tomorrow? Tomorrow was one of her rare, glorious days off. Her gaze wandered lazily to the tree line outside, following it until the warm glow of her little village came into view. At the first sign of home, she pressed the bell, then climbed off the bus with a quiet sigh of relief. Her house wasn’t the biggest one on the street, but it was hers—a brick cottage with a thatched roof that looked like something out of a storybook. The inside, though, was more modern, though still cozy in a way that made it feel lived-in. White carpet, exposed brick walls, a little fireplace stacked with pictures and trinkets, and a TV mounted in the corner across from a dark grey couch that took up half the living room. The kitchen bled into the space behind it, keeping everything open and warm. She’d always loved this house as a kid, so when the old owners moved into something bigger, she couldn’t help but jump at the chance to take it. No rent. No mortgage. Just hers. She stepped inside, shivering as an unexpected draft snuck past her and into the room. She huffed, quickly lighting the fire before changing into something more comfortable and curling up in the corner of the couch. But sleep didn’t come easily. Something just felt off. After a few minutes of debating with herself, she grabbed her phone and sent off a quick message. Home! Just like she’d promised. When she woke the next morning, it was to a handful of new messages and a few links he’d sent for her calendar—plus a video of some guy speaking Italian like he’d been born doing it. Her brows furrowed as she stared at it, brain still trying to boot up. What the hell had she agreed to? Right. Movie night. And something about a kid he was sponsoring to ride. That actually did sound fun. She didn’t think she’d ever been to a proper showground before—not like the one he’d mentioned, anyway. What sounded even more fun, though, was getting him into the unicorn onesie she’d promised him. She was probably the only person in the world who could talk him into something like that. And if he actually went through with it? She’d be the sole owner of the only photo of Axl Jäger in a unicorn suit. If he ever thought about screwing her over again, she could totally send it to König… well, maybe not. She didn’t hate Axl that much. She played the video a few times, trying to figure out what she was looking at, but her mind just—blank. Completely empty. Thinking too hard about it just made her head throb. He said he'd learn Italian because apparently she'd called it sexy. She hadn't actually expected him to do it, and she certainly hadn't expected him to actually film himseld doing it. Thank you? she texted back, still squinting at the screen. - Friday rolled around fast—and she was ready. Drinks? Check. Snacks? Check. An overpriced bottle of whiskey as a peace offering for whatever nonsense she was about to subject Axl to? Check. She had sweets, chips, popcorn, an array of sodas, and two pre-ordered pizzas set to arrive just after he did. The living room looked like she was preparing for a massive girls’ night—blankets and pillows everywhere, a giant snack basket in the middle of the coffee table. The real prizes, though—the whiskey and the unicorn onesie—were strategically placed in the kitchen, right where he’d see them first. She made sure Jeffrey the hoover was tucked away on his charger, then changed into something comfortable before heading outside. As promised, she wandered over to the gates of the little estate to meet him. Or, well, to escort him the 100 meters to her front door so he didn’t get jumped by an overprotective granny. It was a very real possibility. She sat on the side of the road, arms wrapped around herself as she waited. He’d been here plenty of times when they were younger, but it was still easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it. Their home didn’t exactly scream pack of werewolves, but she liked that about it. She liked having a place that was hers, somewhere she could pour her heart into. And tonight? She got to share it with someone who, despite everything, still mattered. It was strange. Because no matter how much she told herself this was fine, a small, uneasy feeling still clawed at the back of her mind. She wished she could say she trusted Axl the way she used to. That he was still her best friend. But she wasn’t sure they could ever be the way they were before. He’d had all of her trust—her loyalty—and something in him had decided it wasn’t worth keeping. The thought made her stomach twist. But then headlights flickered in the distance, and she quickly pushed those feelings aside. She didn’t need to trust him entirely. She just needed him to make her feel better. And that was exactly what he did. They could laugh. They could joke. She felt… mostly safe. He knew she didn’t trust him like before, and he didn’t push it. He was careful with her. And really, if he’d wanted to hurt her, he would have done it last week—when she was alone, walking to the bus stop, not now, in the heart of her pack’s home. Nothing would happen. Tonight was about getting her best friend back. They’d sit, eat junk, talk absolute rubbish, and, with any luck, watch a couple of good movies. And—most importantly—she’d finally get to see Axl in the unicorn onesie she’d been waiting to put him in for days. It’d be fine. She stood up as she saw a familiar looking bike heading towards her, a big grin painting its way across her face as she waited for it to come to a halt infront of her. |
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Axl Jager King Clan +++ The next Friday, Axl had been awake since ... Thursday, hiking. He had gone out to the tip of the Rocky Mountains Thursday morning, had arrived Thursday afternoon, and had hiked all night. He was just getting back to his vehicle now- he took the bike, since it would keep him awake on the way home. This was exactly the refreshing thing he needed before facing the horrors he was going to face in the afternoon, and he had practically begged Konig for these three days off. This was a busy week, especially since he was prepping to take over, but he had wanted to go while the weather was nice... and it had been perfect. Not too hot, not too cold, cloudy enough he wasn't blinded, yet still sunny and warm. . He saw the small parking lot he had parked in approaching. His legs quite honestly felt like jelly, but despite his fatigue, he was quite pleased and regenerated. Everything felt fresh; like he could get a new start on life, right here, right now, and it wouldn't be so shitty. He reached his bike and turned it on to warm up before resting, eyes closed and head tilted towards the sun. . A few minutes later, Axl hopped on and drove off. His journey began again. It took approximately 7 hours, so he was back at maybe 2 pm. Once at his house, he set an alarm, flopped on the couch, and passed out in some much needed rest. His alarm just BARELY woke him, but he remembered why it was set and immediately rolled off the couch with a quiet groan, turning it off. Axl proceeded to go about the quick process of getting ready, starting by taking a shower before putting on jeans and a soft dark brown flannel shirt. Something that could go under the, cue shudder, unicorn onesie. His phone had apparently missed dinging when a message was delivered, so he checked it quickly. Ah, a confused 'thank you' from Raegan. You told me to send you a short video of me practicing, remember? I'm only obeying your command. After sending the text, he shook his head so his hair fell in a normal ish manner, grabbed his leather jacket, put his helmet back on, and was off again- this time with a backpack. Ain't no better way to arrive than bearing gifts. . Axl, being the weird brained super soldier he was, was wide awake and not the least bit tired as he spotted a shape in the distance that looked faintly like Raegan. He drew closer before finally letting his bike roll to a stop and flipping up the viser of his helmet. "I come bearing gifts. Or a gift and a sacrificial offering, take your pick." He bumped the kickstand down and got off, shutting off the bike before dropping the keys in his pocket and wrenching off the helmet. Underneath, his still wet hair was now a feral disaster. He never had perfect hair, rather it always looked like he had purposefully styled it to be messy... but right now it was just chaos. "I'm so glad you could escort me to your home so that I don't get attacked." He flashed an easy going smile, keeping his backpack on for the time being and trying not to think about the torture awaiting him. |
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Hot and Dry
