Adventure Status: Unstable 4 (12)
Date: Saturday Evening

Nox and Alex both spend 4XP

---

So yesterday’s club visit was for the same purpose, but it wasn’t the same vibe. I wandered around the pool house after breakfast wondering what I should wear, something other than basic black that Benji called my signature calling card. Nox had gone in wearing a tattered hoodie and chucks. He didn’t act like he was out of place, if anything he felt perfectly at home with his casual attire.

I flipped through hanger after hanger passing by shirt after shirt. Nothing really called to me. Nothing screamed a pretty boy would love this outfit. And sadly, I wanted to impress him. My dance moves hadn’t scared him away, I wanted to reward that. So, I gave up and went shopping.

Shopping was far more entertaining than flipping through my closet. But in all honesty did I need another pair of jeans and a button up shirt — probably not but at least I would now have a set of clothes that the pretty boy might just love.

I bought a shirt that matched the color of his hair to pair over a t-shirt with a picture of a rooster that says ‘Stop staring at my cock.’ I felt it was highly appropriate given our prior conversations.

I arrived early at the Venatori compound and drove around the desolate road to the building indicated. Everything was a shit hole. Who the fuck would want to live here. The Venatori apparently. Or that they didn’t want to give up on their land. Which was likely the case more so than any other.

The door inside was unlocked and I followed down the hall to the office. I glanced down the side hall and saw a familiar face. He pushed another familiar face against the wall and pressed his face to to the other man’s neck taking a whiff of his scent.

“Awe, come on Damien, I ain’t got a girlfriend. You know you want me.” Jace said. My fucking brother was hitting on my guy. He wasn’t my guy, but what the fuck dude!

I took a step forward but the door between me and the pair opened and I stared as the red tips of my pretty boy, and another nearly identical man pressed up against a wall winding up and punching Jace in the face. I bit back a laugh.

And then shit broke down. Damien Sétanta. Jesus fucking Christ, my mother used him to scare the fuck out of me. You don’t want to be half human. You don’t want to know your father. See him. See how they treat him. You don’t want that. Over and over my whole fucking life.

And then Jace gone and went and said my fucking name and he knew me. Though he could have been angry, he didn’t act it. He laughed, made a joke and was ready to go out. His brother slipped into his room as he did and Nox came out with ear cuffs with tiny little bells on the end. They gave off a tiny little jingle as he walked.

“With bells on,” Nox grinned.

“So we have some truths to say. I never kept it from you.”

“Me either.” Nox agreed.

“I don’t go by that anymore.” I added.

“Hiding from the Venatori. Totally understand. Mine isn’t nearly so logical. I just hate the name. Our mother gave us evil names because we were the son of a Venatori she hated. After I sparked and caught our living room on fire, she sent me to the City. She tried to send Rider but since he shows no outward signs of being Venatori she couldn’t. So she gave him to the Sussuri to raise. Figured they would be at least prepared to raise him should he have magic or something.”

“What’s Rider’s real name then?”

“His real name is Rider, it’s just his middle name. Seth Rider and I’m Damien Nox. We just took our middle names.”

“I can understand that.” I opened the passenger side door and Nox slipped past me, running his hand along my waist. Hmmmm. I tried not to make a sound but I was pretty sure I failed from the soft grin on his lips as he sat down.

“I will miss not dancing with you,” he said as I closed the door.

“We might have to find a different club to go dancing in then.” I said. I could spend a few hours grinding against him. Though I think there were other activities that might be more fun than the dance floor. My bedroom floor was one of them. My bed even better.

He reached across the way and made sure the door was unlocked. He knew it was but he did it anyway. I was being the gentleman and he was playing to the courteous girlfriend. Not that he was anywhere near a girl, sure he had some sweet lips and fine eye lashes any girl would die for. But his shoulders were broad and his hips narrow and I could almost guarantee that his happy trail was the the only hair on his body. He manscaped everything. And I more than wanted to find out what was down below.

I slide into the drivers seat and I started the car. Nox was smirking. “So your brother is Jace?”

I rolled my eyes. “Half brother. He’s such a fucking asshole.”

“He was my roommate in the Academy. I’m glad Rides broke his nose. Seriously hates being mistaken as me by asshats who think I’m an easy lay.”

“Are you?” I smirked.

“An easy lay?” He looked at me with an amused smile.

“Yes, that’s what I’m asking.”

“I told you I don’t put out on the first date.”

“Just the third.” I nodded in agreement. “So, that’s a new rule.”

Nox shrugged. “Not really a rule at all to be honest. I tend to avoid being close to too many people. The whole chaotic magic thing.”

“You went out last night.”

“I figured I’d be around humans which typically don’t have spare magic lingering around. Instead Jace took me to a vampire club that uses Nepenthe to keep their clientele happy and near fucking on the dancefloor so they can feed on the emotions.”

“You mean they don’t have to bite you?” I asked.

“Most vampires require blood to survive, but they can feed off of others emotions. It’s like a sugar high. Great for an immediate fix, but you crash hard afterwards.”

“You’ve been studying vampires a while?” That was not a Venatori thing to do.

“I study them all. Ask questions. Follow up on the answers. Ask more questions. No one really likes my results. But they expect a kill count, not a case solved count.”

“Solved?” I asked. Again not very Venatori like.

“I had this one case where a wolf was terrorizing the city during daylight hours. Turns out she’s weak of will, and during the three days of the full moon she’s unable to turn back. She escaped, and I returned her to her people and they locked her up better.”

“Ah. So you didn’t kill her. You saved her and made an ally.”

“I wouldn’t say an ally. But I didn’t make an enemy.” Nox said with a smile. He changed the subject “Where we going to eat?”

“Fancy place in the Enclave, not too far from Frozen. You’ll like it.”” I hoped he liked it anyway.