|
Post by tessa on Jun 1, 2010 0:33:21 GMT -5
[/i][/b] Xara stiffened and turned slowly around to face the owner of the voice. It was a shorter, black haired woman with piercing, flirty blue eyes. She returned the woman's wave hesitantly. "C'mere a moment. I don't bite. Often."[/b] Xara's expression shifted from curiosity to complete concern. Uh... this woman was totally hitting on her. She was sure. But instead of being rude she walked up to the table: and found the best present for her new friend (that she likely lost already), Max. She caressed it softly with the tips of her fingers, turning the charm over and over in her hands. The heavy black stone felt smooth and cold in her hands, the shape of the hunting wolf carved with great skill and detail. She loved it. "Like that one do you?"Asked the woman. Xara nodded slowly. "how much?"The woman crossed her arms and nibbled the bottom of her lip thoughtfully. "Normally? $45."[/b] Ouch. "But for you,"[/b] Xara's head shot up, "I'd say... $25. Aye?"[/b] Xara nodded enthusiastically. "Aye!" Stupid. The woman smiled broadly. "Well then sweetheart you got yourself a deal."[/b]" She plucked the necklace from the rack and wrote it out, then handed it to Xara who exchanged it for twenty five dollars exactly. "You have yourself a fantastic day. Don't forget to drop by!"[/b]" Xara waved goodbye and ignored the wink the woman gave her and hustled down the street, making better time once the crowd thinned, and then became almost acceptable once she reached the university grounds an hour later. She checked the directory. Why? She had no idea where Max was or how to get a hold of him. Though it was a small university. She looked around for a friendly looking person, "Excuse me?" They turned about. "Do you know where Max is?""Who is Max?" "You know... tall, dark haired... sweet..." she blushed, and the man smiled. "Oh... uh I think I know...that way." he gestured and Xara thanked him and followed his directions. After minutes of searching she gave up, and hollered. "Max? Where are you."[/blockquote][/size][/ul]
|
|
|
Post by max on Jun 1, 2010 6:17:39 GMT -5
At the precise moment that Xara was securing her bargain, Max was struggling to find the right words to explain the difference between two different personality disorders and their relation to drug use. Research has shown a correlation between drug use and the occurrence of both disorders in people under the age of 25 (Chambers, 2007), although a controversial study by Genevieve & O’Hara (2010) disputes these claims. Max paused. “Alright, so these guys are all for the legalisation of marijuana,” he commented to himself, scanning through the Social Welfare and Drugs book on his desk. The book shut as he turned his head to glance at the screen. “Goddamn!” he scowled. He played with his watch, irritated and dizzy from reading his own words a hundred times.
A loud noise near the door made Max jump. He turned in his chair, glaring at the door. He had moved into this dormitory just two days ago upon realising he had run out of money. He desperately needed a job, and this place was much cheaper than having his own apartment. After all, he still had some savings left; it wouldn’t, however, be long before that also ran out. At least he had paid for the semester. Max refused to ask his parents for help. It wasn’t that they wouldn’t give him the help; it was more that he had wanted to strike out on his own, do something by himself. The new dormitory was much smaller, but he didn’t share with anyone upon his own request. Max was the kind of guy who needed private time, especially to do assignments or read. It consisted of a bed, a desk, a fridge, his own bathroom, a book cabinet, a closet for his clothing and a heap of as-yet unpacked boxes. In short, it was a total mess. Max could barely move for all the boxes; his parents were due to arrive in a weeks’ time to pick up half the stuff. He simply lacked the room anymore, and his television sat on top of the book cabinet rather than in the nice cabinet he had had for it before. The walls were currently bare, because he hadn’t had time to personalise the room. His books lay mostly in boxes, and a pile of music magazines and CDs were scattered about in the book cabinet.
Presently, Max switched his computer off and grabbed a thin, waist-length tan coloured jacket which was lying on top of a box. He slipped it on over a white shirt which was buttoned up over a plain black t-shirt, then dragged a brush through his thick, unruly hair. It was generally straight with a little wave, thankfully, but still a pain in the ass, because he refused to cut it shorter. Beneath his clothes, he still wore a light bandage over his injured arm, which he had cleaned and re-dressed by himself without telling anybody. He finished his general appearance by slipping a black wristband over one wrist and putting a belt on his jeans. Once he had shoved a pair of boots on, he exited the room, putting both hands in the pockets of his jacket and wandering down the hallway.
“Hey, Maxxie, how’s the dorm life comin’?” the guy from the dorm next door grinned. “Just fine,” Max said, trying to sound like he meant it. He gave the guy a half-hearted high-five, then nodded and walked past. “Max, hon, have you done that assignment yet? For Racey’s class?” a girl with blonde hair asked. She gave him a light wink. Max barely knew her, and had no idea how she knew his name, and he hoped his smile looked polite and not stunned. “Um...trying to,” he said. “Still trying to understand the bloody ‘legalise drugs’ thing, I guess...” The girl laughed. She looked like a model, so Max was understandably looking a little awkward. He scratched his face and looked around, trying not to notice her cleavage. “Oh, me too. Oh my god, you said ‘bloody’, that’s so cute! Hey, I have to go.” She waved prettily. Max barely got to say goodbye as she gracefully darted past him to giggle with a group of friends.
“I think she likes you,” one of his friends grinned as he walked around the corner. Daniel was a bit of a computer nerd, but he was a genuine sort. Max’s eyebrow rose as he watched the model go. He shrugged, looking back at Daniel. “Nah, doubt it,” he said, starting forward again. Daniel followed him out of the dorms hall. “You never notice them looking, man, you’re blind. You’ll always be single if you keep that up, man.” Both students paused as a loud voice called Max’s name. Max tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyebrows. Is that...is that Xara? They both started down the stairs towards the entrance part of the University, and Daniel whistled. “Another hot chick calling your name,” he grinned. “You know her?” “Yeah I do,” Max said, his eyes focused on Xara, every muscle tense. “Okay I’m guessing this is none of my business. I’m gonna just...leave you to it then. But I want details later.” Daniel slapped him on the back and spun around, leaping down the stairs two at a time.
Max took the stairs a lot less boisterously, but he hurried down them nonetheless. He slowed down as he reached the bottom, his hands still in the pockets of his jacket, his movements almost cautious. It was indeed Xara. What was she doing here? How had she found him? “Xara,” he said, confused. He stopped in front of her, curious but reluctant to show how happy he was to see her. Just in case she wasn’t here on a social call. “How are you?” He didn’t ask how she had found him. It would probably come across as suspicious sounding and hence rude, which was not his intention. Before he could stop himself, he smiled at her, transforming a serious face into a charming one. “Oh, you found him! Hey Max, hope I was doin’ ya a favour, buddy.” One of Max’s friends, Charles, winked at him and gave Xara a quick acknowledging wave. Max grinned at him, slightly embarrassed but nonetheless amused by what Charles was insinuating; that Xara was an angry girlfriend or something.
[/color] ((OOC: Max actually is only 5’9; he’s not very tall. But I’m sure he’d be very pleased with her saying he was tall, hehehehe. Hope this post is ok! Charles is the guy Xara spoke to, figured I’d turn him into someone Max knew.))
|
|
|
Post by tessa on Jun 1, 2010 21:20:35 GMT -5
[/b] she kept his gaze, though her uncertainty made her feel like she was about a drop from the planet at any moment, that she was going to float away. She cleared her throat with one fist-clenched hand in front of her mouth, and looked around the place awkwardly. She was doing much better and had even put on a bit more weight, though not much. Her hair was a slightly lighter red now from being in the sun so much which boosted it to a slightly lighter shade of rich auburn that looked like something out of a hair coloring bottle. Her skin, though still pale in complexion, was smooth and healthy nonetheless. Her eyes, though, had the biggest change. They were normal sized, but bright and observant, betraying some of her more instinctual intelligence. She used them to examine Max, to judge his body language and try to figure out what it all meant. She had cleared her throat. "I, well, I-uh... I was out shopping, you see, and I was just wandering around and I saw this," she practically shoved the necklace at him, "And thought of you. Because, you know, you like wolves and stuff..." she held her arm out for him to take the necklace, hoping he didn't just leave her hanging. The charm twisted on its thong in front of Max, the sunlight filtered through the windows glinting off the rich dark smooth rock. The wolf itself looked as if it were merely padding through the forest and the carver had taken a snapshot of it just as the wolf looked his way. The fur was carved into it as little scores into the rock, all the muscles sculpted in perfect, fluid movement. Its eyes were gold rings and forever gazing. But never intimidating. Almost...as a protector. Not to be feared. She looked at it once more. It sure did remind her of Max...[/ul][/size][/blockquote]
|
|
|
Post by max on Jun 2, 2010 8:43:20 GMT -5
Max was pleased to see that Xara was a picture of health, as far as he could tell. Rich, thick auburn hair fell over shoulders not weakened by illness or fatigue. Alert green eyes studied him from a less sallow face than he had observed last time. Her cheeks had a blush of health which made him smile again; Xara had evidently recovered quickly from her hypothermia. Max himself looked better as well, although unlike Xara, he had actually lost a bit of weight due to stress and money difficulties.
Man, she looks uncomfortable, Max mused to himself. Her smile didn’t do anything to hide the fact she was clearly uneasy. Max, being sensitive to others’ emotions and feelings, could read people very well. Either she didn’t want to be here, or she was going to deliver bad news. Unfortunately, he couldn’t always accurately predict what a person’s emotions or body language might reflect about what they were thinking. He was no psychic.
Then she said the strangest thing. Max’s eyebrow rose in surprise. She had bought him a gift. He suddenly felt automatically guilty for some reason. In Max’s view, a person didn’t help someone else because they hoped for something in return. He knew he was being silly; he really did have to learn to just accept this sort of thanks, but it made his pure heart uncomfortable.
“Oh you...you didn’t have to Xara,” Max stammered as she pushed something at him. He looked down, unsure what she was thrusting at him. It was a pendant. Max couldn’t tear his eyes away. It was stunning; a carved wolf, almost alive in its energetic sculpting. Weird that she would pick such a gift. Strange, because Max had never shifted in front of her before. Sure, she knew he was a wolfdog, he had told her as such; but how could she have guessed he was black? And the tail...it was generously carved, longer than a normal wolf’s. Just like his own tail. Even the ears were slightly larger. A coincidence, simply the artist’s style, but it was still a marvel that Xara had picked it out.
It was one of the most meaningful presents anybody had ever bought him.
Gently, Max took the offered pendant. The wolf’s eyes seemed to stare at him, and he ran a finger over the rock, awed by the attention to detail. He finally looked up at Xara, wondering if she thought him strange or rude for going so silent suddenly. “I don’t know what to say. I mean, other thank thank you, but that doesn’t really...it doesn’t really seem to be enough to describe. I love it, a bonny gift.” He smiled suddenly, slipping it over his head, a sure sign that he loved it. Maybe some time he would get a proper chain for it. He could even attach it to his dog collar when he went out for his run in animal form; it felt as though he should take it everywhere with him, like a good luck charm. “Where did you find it? I’ve never seen anything like it.” His grateful expression was genuine, and he hoped that she knew he liked it.
“Hey can I buy you a coffee, Xara? I was just heading to the coffee place on the campus...they make great pancakes and sandwiches and the coffee is great, my shout.” It seemed the least he could do for the gift, and perhaps he could learn a little more about her. All week, he had tried not think about how she had wanted him gone from her house so quickly. Tried not to assume that she had something against him, that he had done anything to offend or anger her. And now, she had simply shown up with a gift. A gift with the same thought put into it as a gift one gave their mother. Max fervently hoped Xara wouldn’t disappear again. The girl was a complete mystery to him, but he could tell that she had a good heart.
[/color]
|
|
|
Post by tessa on Jun 3, 2010 1:41:54 GMT -5
[/b] then shook her head. "Of course, Max." she smiled warmly, "I'd love to.
"And, I mean... I am sorry for... for that night when you kind of saved my ass and I kind of... kicked you out on yours. That was a dick move and-- and I really, really wasn't thinking straight. I thought you might have been tired or something and I didn't want to keep you any longer because of how big of a pain in your ass I was and I'm just so, so sorry..."She trailed off and pushed back a lump in her throat, dried the tears that threatened to well in her eyes. That is what happens you make an honest to god apology like that. And it was the most terrifying thing she'd ever done. But she felt better. [/blockquote][/size][/ul]
|
|
|
Post by max on Jun 3, 2010 8:32:53 GMT -5
Success. Xara had accepted the offer to get some coffee, maybe something to eat. Max listened carefully as she apologised to him, his face thoughtful. This was the same girl who he had seen fight for her life. A girl who could probably kick his ass if it came to a physical confrontation between them. Not that Max ever wanted something like that to happen; it was just that she really had some skills hidden under a slightly less confident exterior. His observant gaze didn’t miss the moistness in the corner of her green eyes.
Why is she crying?
Max ignored the people around them. He barely even reacted when someone bumped into him; he merely caught his balance quickly and tried to think of something to say to the distraught Xara. So she had meant to be polite in kicking him out after all. He suddenly felt bad for thinking otherwise, for assuming she might be angry with him.
“Hey don’t sweat it,” he said quickly, stepping aside for someone else who was rushing up the stairs. “I really didn’t think badly of you; I just thought you had to sleep.” He was lying; he had felt insecure about it all week, but the anxious look on his face could probably be taken as confusion. Yet another person’s back hit him, this time in the shoulder. Fuck am I invisible? Max snarled inwardly. “Watch it, kid!” the person snapped back at him. Max’s eyebrows shot up in surprise before narrowing in anger. “I was talking, why don’t you watch where you’re going?” he growled before he could stop his traitorous mouth. Max sometimes let people shove him around, but occasionally, he didn’t tolerate it. His assertiveness was something that would probably improve with age and experience, and he was a little relieved when the guy gave him the finger and left him alone without another word. The last thing Max wanted was a fight in front of Xara. He blushed and shoved his hands back into the pockets of his coat, his expression almost guilty.
“Sorry I just...sorry. Maybe we should get out of the crowds,” he suggested. Max led Xara outside and up some steps past a shaded study area. “Over there is the coffee place,” he informed her a little distractedly. His mind was still processing her apology and the fact he might have made an ass of himself in front of her with the rude guy. It was a warm day, so there were lots of people taking advantage of the nice campus atmosphere. Max hoped the cafe wouldn’t be too busy, or they wouldn’t get a seat.
The coffee place was fairly large, though it looked misleadingly small from the outside. It was furbished in dark browns, blacks and the occasional tan, accentuating the smell of coffee and chocolate which wafted from behind the counter. Stools and tables made of dark wood furnished most of it, though there were a few booths as well. To Max’s relief, there were a few free seats in good spots, though it was bustling with activity.
“I can get a student discount,” said Max as he found them a booth near the window but out of the way of people walking through the cafe. He picked up a menu and handed it to her. “Pick anything you like, as I said, it’s my shout. I’m gonna go for the pancakes I think.” He grinned, then began toying with the wolf pendant. His eyes strayed back up to her. “You really didn’t need to apologise for anything.” His expression grew serious. “It was a weird night. Those guys haven’t...I mean...” Max glanced around. “Do you think we should’ve gone to the cops? What if they hurt someone else? I can’t help thinking that...that we shouldn’t have just left them there to hurt again.” He was clearly uncomfortable, though he held her gaze. “I’m happy to give a statement and leave you out of it. What do you think? I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, but I couldn’t just show up at your door. I mean...I did want to see you again as well. I don’t know many shifters.” His voice wavered slightly, and he glanced down at his menu quickly in case she caught the loneliness in his eyes.
[/color]
|
|
|
Post by tessa on Jun 5, 2010 0:42:33 GMT -5
[/b] she explained simply. Her grin broadened. "I love pancakes. But... do they have tea, too?"Of course they had tea. What a dumb question for someone who works in a coffee shop. Silly girl. She shook her head. "Never mind, I know the answer to that one." then her face darkened for a split moment, "I haven't seen them. I don't go out of the house on my own in the quiet hours of the day though, just in case."She flashed him a grin. "I think-"Her heart almost stopped as a pair of strong, toned arms wrapped themselves around her neck and draped across her shoulders. "Well hello there love," said an oddly familiar voice, "What are you doing here? This your boyfriend? He's cute."Xara gaped in awe as the saleswoman extended her hand towards max and winked suggestively. "The name is Karla Vladislav Daskalov, resident salesperson and the kicker of asses." she turned to Xara. "I know exactly what you are talking about. I saw you both that night, and I followed you home. You are very, very misguided, very lucky and very endangered people at the moment. If you don't mind me suggesting: you should have let them rape you."[/b] Xara closed her mouth with a click. What. The. Fuck. [/blockquote][/size][/ul]
|
|
|
Post by max on Jun 5, 2010 19:56:46 GMT -5
To Max’s relief, Xara seemed amused by his outburst. He wondered for one worried moment whether the guy would return and challenge him, but when he thought about it logically, the guy had been quite a bit older and would probably forget about some kid quickly. “Sure they have tea,” Max said as they walked through the campus grounds. “Don’t all coffee places sell tea as well? I never noticed if yours does or not.” Max frowned at the thought of the coffee at Xara’s work. It was like black sludge in a cup. Not that he would ever tell her that. He had only ever had coffee there once and had no desire to again; if he wanted to see Xara, he would order tea next time.
The conversation turned serious for a short moment. Max hated the thought of Xara being caught unawares, or even himself for that matter; he was now wary of the city at night and rarely walked the streets unless he was in animal form. Not that he had had much time to do so in the past week; he had been stuck inside studying and catching up on assignments while he moved and worked out his finances. Max’s mind drifted a little at the mention of the two men. Maybe he could use his animal form to keep watch on Xara’s street at night. If she didn’t see him, she wouldn’t make assumptions that he was stalking her. Max merely wanted to protect her, but he wasn’t so sure she would see it that way.
Max missed Xara’s grin. His eyes followed the movement of one of the more attractive employees as she came towards them. To his surprise, the woman greeted Xara rather enthusiastically as if she knew her. She was shorter than Xara and even made Max feel a little tall. One eyebrow rose as the woman spoke, and his face reddened slightly at her awkward comment regarding his looks. He began playing with his wallet, devoid of a response. At least until she extended a hand and introduced herself as Karla. “Max,” he said with a nod. He didn’t miss her flirtatious wink, and he quickly looked back down at his wallet again, smiling slightly at her brazen, extroverted manner. His amusement at her kickass attitude didn’t last long.
”I saw you both that night, and I followed you home. You are very, very misguided, very lucky and very endangered people at the moment.”
Max’s eyes shot back up at Karla, his expression a mixture of surprise and instant suspicion. Though she seemed to be talking to Xara, her words were definitely directed at them both. Okay this is getting strange, Max thought, anger rising inside at the suggestion that they allow the men to rape Xara. Memories from the week before flooded into his mind, tearing into the delicate defences he had carefully placed up over the week to block it out. His mind started to play the scenes over and over again, and he shoved his wallet back into his pocket in one, quick, angry movement.
“How dare you!” Max snapped suddenly, rounding on Karla but still standing a few feet away. His previously relaxed posture had changed; both fists were clenched slightly, his muscles tense and his eyes focused on Karla’s. He moved towards Xara protectively. “How dare you suggest that Xara lie there and let them defile her like that. They would have killed her anyway, don’t you fucking understand that?! They had weapons! They weren’t gonna let us go.” His eyes flicked from Xara to Karla. She was either another shifter or something worse. “I think we should be asking why the hell you were following us, and who you are, and why you didn’t bother to help us. Xara was ill, I think it must have been clear to you that she was unable to walk considering I was carrying her.”
After the things that had happened to him since coming to Shelpey Alley, Max’s inherent trust in people was beginning to fade. He glanced around, heart racing, seeking the exit in case he and Xara had to run; it wasn’t too far, but he still felt trapped. A few students turned away quickly, evidently having overheard Max’s outraged shout.
[/color]
|
|
|
Post by tessa on Jun 6, 2010 2:02:06 GMT -5
[/b][/color] she said, twisting her head back to Max with a patient kind of annoyance. "I did not want to risk my ass for a pair of pussy humans like yourselves." she smiled ironically, "But then I saw that you were one of us, and I figured I'd have to take care of my own. Now, you cannot expect those two dick-fucks to not have any kind of mobile means of communication, do you? I lead them away from you two. They only trashed my house and left smeared animal blood all over the place after they water drowned the place and now I can't go back because they will kille me, but hey, it was only my house and only had everything I owned. Look," she turned back to Xara, "What they were going to do to you then wouldn't have been half as bad as what they plan on doing to you now. I mean if your into all of that kinky pain, hand-cuff kind of stuff then that's fine, so long as you don't mind being raped and mutilated later. Take my advice or leave it-- I seriously suggest you take it."~~~ Xara glared at the woman dangerously, her green eyes cold and thoughtful. It seemed as if she were trying to help them, in a round-a-bout kind of way, but she wasn't so sure she was acclimatized well enough to accept the harshness of this woman's manner. She looked at Max as if he could guide her into what exactly she should be thinking about and reacting to this woman. Part of her was appalled. Max was right: how could she had followed them and never helped? What kind of cruelty was that? And in any case, she could be a thug as well, her language sure fit that, that or a trucker. The other part of her actually trusted Karla. And for the same reasons that she was appalled by her. There was no deception in her voice, no underline message, no secrecy. In fact she was so brash and painfully honest that Xara had a hard time believing that Karla was capable of lying. She knew the woman had offended Max and that was never a good thing but... perhaps Karla was just too interesting to let go. Xara blinked once. "I see..."Another reason to trust this woman was because she seemed to be totally against these men. She twiddles her thumbs together for a moment, and nibbled on her bottom lip. "Max... I think she's right."[/ul][/blockquote][/size]
|
|
|
Post by max on Jun 6, 2010 19:43:20 GMT -5
Scowling, Max tried to ignore the fact people had shown an interest in their conversation. Thankfully, he hadn’t said anything about shifters or rapists out loud. He blushed, looking at his feet and trying to cool off his temper. Why had he reacted that way? He had felt fiercely protective towards Xara, that was why; it was in Max’s personality to protect other people, even though a lot of the time he was the one who needed protecting. It was also possible that he had feelings for Xara. Max tried to dismiss the idea as it began to claw into his subconscious, but he uncomfortably admitted that it wasn’t going anywhere soon.
Max’s glare deepened at Karla’s next words. Pussy humans? They were neither human nor pussy, but he remained quiet as the rest of her words began to make more sense. Guilt tore through him. These same men had trashed her house. She had lead them away and now her house had been completely trashed. Max fought not to look away from her in shame at his earlier accusations, but he could feel his face going hot again. Real fear gripped him, competing with the guilt to make him feel even worse. If they planned to keep Xara as some kind of...sex slave...then what would they do to him? Probably kill him on sight or torture him first. Max was glad he hadn’t watched any horror movies for some time, or read any true crime novels.
While Max still didn’t trust Karla completely, he nodded at Xara’s words. Feeling as though he had composed himself at least a little, he turned back to Karla. “I’m sorry about...I’m really sorry. I didn’t realise,” he apologised genuinely. “Thank you. I mean I don’t know how we could thank you enough for leading them away. But...they bloody followed you home?” He lowered his voice with some effort. Being half Scottish and half Sicilian gave him a loud enough voice when he was worked up, though it wasn’t as loud as either of his parents’ voices. People were still sitting around here and he knew how curious the general public could be. “Should we go and talk about this somewhere? I mean, you’re at work aren’t you? Won’t you get busted? Or could you take a break and sit with us or whatever?” Max fidgeted. “I...I mean I wanted to ask, you’re one of us, right? You as much said so before. These guys left animal blood in your place.” More guilt crossed his face. Max would blame himself for some time for what he had thoughtlessly said before. “Did they...did they know that you’re one of us? Did they target you specifically because of it? Or was it a dirty trick, some coincidence?”
It seemed it wasn’t Max’s day for politeness. Yet another person almost walked into them, this time almost tripping over Xara. He cursed, and Max heard him bitching to his girlfriend about people standing in the middle of the tables. “We uh, we really need to sit down somewhere or leave and talk about this,” Max suggested again hopefully. He wasn’t sure Karla was going to take him seriously, so he made the suggestion with less conviction than he would have liked. She looked to be older and obviously thought he and Xara were young idiots. It was just a guess, though her words had made him feel like a fool.
[/color] ((OOC: Max fancies her, haha. Nothing has to come out of it, I just think it makes a nice little background drama. He’ll probably never admit it to her anyway.))
|
|