Escape (Devlynn)

[ARIANNA "NIXIE" SYMPHONIA]

Nixie Symphonia was in rare form tonight. She was just off all around and not happy in the slightest about a damn thing. She leaned out onto the railing of the catwalk with a scowl, looking down among the happy dancing couples. I love you, dance closer, I can’t wait to get back to the house, to bed, seeing you naked The thoughts flitted into and around her mind and she wished it would just stop! Fuck you all, she thought with a scowl. She missed being able to take someone to her bed, but now the very idea revolted her and she got an image of that happy Angelli face in her mind.

Fuck!

Did she have to have a match? She didn’t want one anymore. She used to want a match because it meant maybe she would fall in love, but did he have to be so nice? Okay…so that sounded really fucked up, but that wasn’t the point. Nixie wasn’t used to people being nice t oher. Her own mother had kicked her out and only took her back when she had discovered her Mark and became a council member. She had never had a boyfriend. And suddenly there was this boy who actually seemed to care about her.

So she had done the cowardly thing. She had snuck out in the morning after they had had some of the best sex she’d ever had and let Marco take care of him in the morning. Which she was still beating herself up about but what was she supposed to say? It wasn’t like they were at his place so she could just slip out and she wasn’t going to wait around to tell him to get out. What could she say? Sorry, you have to go, you’re too nice. Marco had given her a look when she had asked him to do it even.

The same Marco that now—gently—tugged her back away from the railing she was leaning on by the loops of her belt. He felt she was leaning too far over. She scowled at him. She knew he would have tugged her back by her shirt, but Nixie was wearing one of her typical outfits. One of the ones that draper artfully without a back to show off her mark. Usually people knew her without showing it off, but she was out in Nox at the Silver Kisses club. Why was she so far out in Nox? Mostly because she was doing her best to avoid Justin, her match. She scowled. She shouldn’t be hiding away like this. She was a fucking Council Member!

And yet here she was, hiding out in a Nox club, watching couples dance with a scowl and trying to keep their many thoughts out of her head. ”I need another drink” she muttered, leaning slightly back into Marco’s muscular form and sighed. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed slightly. He thought she was being pathetic, she knew that without her telepathy, but she appreciated the support. She didn’t appreciate what he said next. ”I think you’ve had enough, Arianna” he said with a serious look.

She scowled at him. Besides for her mother, Marco was the only one who got away with calling her Arianna. He rarely did, but when he did he was being serious. And lucky for him, Nixie tended to trust his judgement, other wise she would have already stormed off to get another drink rather than just huffing like a child. She trusted him because he actually gave a shit about her and she knew it. He had been her bodyguard for the past four years now, and though the two hadn’t hit it off when they first met, they now were more like siblings. Albeit, Marco was a very protective older brother, but still. He tended to treat her like a pouty little sister, and she treated him like the big brother she barely tolerated. He was also usually her shadow, always with her and usually out of sight unless she needed him.

However, he had already informed her that he wasn’t going away because he didn’t trust her tipsy self up here on the catwalks. She knew from his thoughts that he also worried she might lose control of her temper and stab one of the couples that lined the catwalk. Nixie scoffed at that. She may be temperamental and likely to act up due to her wild emotions, but she was also a known advocate for the races mixing. And with her marks out she had a reputation to watch. She was in Nox for a reason, they usually liked her here. So no, she wasn’t going to do anything…as tempting as it may be.

She still frowned up at Marco anyway. ”You know I love you, but I need to think, okay? I’m not going to jump over the edge and you can watch me from the wall, right there, you can get to me before anything happens and you know it.” She was talking sense, as much as he didn’t like it, so she knew she’d win. So he nodded and moved away from her, heading over to the wall away from her, crossing his arms and watching her. She watched him go over there, making sure he was actually going. Sometimes he pulled a shadow trick and just stayed behind her.

No, but he moved.

She put her hands on the railing of the catwalk that she was standing on. These metal fixtures crisscrossed in between the roof and the dancers below, some with platforms for tables, but the one she was on right now was usually just used as a passageway. She looked down at the couples and scowled. She debated trying again to dance, but Nixie knew it would just tempt her to take them home—Lust was her biggest sin—and she couldn’t do that anymore. She was just glad that the tall heels she had slipped into gave her enough height to lean over. She felt someone approach and scowled slightly, but tried to keep her voice even. ”Sorry, whoever you are, but I’m not fit company tonight.”

Words: 1077
Comments: She's not a happy camper lol
Muse: Epic
Outfit: Here!

[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

Why had she come here tonight? Devlynn found herself asking the question often as she sipped her drink. Typically she came to these places to avoid her troubles, not to be immersed in them. Tonight was one of those nights though.

The scowl on her expression set her bodyguard on high alert, as he was usually accustomed to her mischievous nature. Frequently he touched her arm, questioning whether she wanted to leave. Each time she waved him away. She had gone through the effort of getting dressed up, she would at least get a good buzz before giving up.

Usually she was lucky and couldn’t pick up on those who were matched. Occasionally she would pick up if they had some strong feelings about their match at that particular moment. It wasn’t that she was an informed; rather she occasionally instinctively knew who was matched.

But tonight her matchmaker radar seemed to be on overdrive. It was like Aphrodite herself was determined that Devlynn should quit drinking and get to work. A headache threatened to turn into a migraine with each moment that passed. It was like they were all screaming at her that they were matched. Yes, she was well aware of their status, so they could shut up already.

Her attention was drawn by the presence of a lone match. Strange, most of the matches had their significant other with them tonight and were grinding on the dance floor. Lifting her head she looked toward the catwalk and her gaze found Nixie and her bodyguard. Well now things make sense.

Devlynn watched Nixie and her bodyguard for a moment. To the average watcher they might have looked like an awkward couple in the early stages of their relationship. Dev knew better however; after all, that was her business. Even from a distance she noticed the way their bodies didn’t linger with each contact. It was obvious that they enjoyed some type of relationship, but they certainly weren’t matched.

It was strange how matching completely reshaped your social etiquette. Suddenly the thought of sleeping with a stranger was a revolting thought. Despite her first hand experience dealing with matches, Devlynn had yet to be paired. There was quite a bit of freedom in knowing that she could sleep with someone in the room with no qualms. She felt no envy for those who were matched; in fact she counted herself lucky to not be among their ranks.

They would have made a cute couple though, but she knew Nixie had been matched with someone else. In fact if her memory didn’t deceive her, Nixie had been matched with someone within the Council. Devlynn also knew that Nixie was reluctant to accept the matching, which naturally required intervention from Devlynn. After all, the Council had to set a good example.

Still, that didn’t meant Devlynn was thrilled with her duty. With strangers it was easier to meddle with their lives. As long as the matches came together, her duty was done and she could move on without a thought. In dire circumstances she could even abandon the unhappy pair to be left alone; destined to be ill every time they thought of sleeping with another. But a match within the Council, that required far more of her attention and tact.

Damn Aphrodite, why did she have to meddle? Rising from her stool, Devlynn indicated two drinks to the bartender. With the drinks paid for and in hand, Dev made her ascent to the catwalks. As she climbed the steps she knew her bodyguard would be watching her with mounting apprehension. She felt so need to have her shadowing her every step however. Nixie’s bodyguard was close at hand, and even if he hadn’t been, she was glad to escape for the moment.

Clearly Nixie had heard her approach, but Devlynn was not deterred by her comment. In a cheerful tone, Devlynn addressed her fellow Council member. “Even when someone goes through the trouble of buying you a drink?” Coercion was always easier when liquor was involved.

[ARIANNA "NIXIE" SYMPHONIA]

Nixie was glad she had gotten Marco to step away. Even though he was only like…ten steps away, it was better than nothing. She needed just a little space to herself to think for a moment. She felt like she never got that space to think anymore. Not since she had gotten chosen as a council member. Now she had everyone else’s thoughts in her head. There was never a moment’s peace. But being up here, alone, far above the dancers and with the closest person being Marco who was, as she had said, not that close? It gave her the space in order to think.

Think about what she was going to do.

Fuck.

What was she going to do?

She wasn’t sure. She knew what she wasn’t going to do, and that was actually go and talk to him. She was not going to do that, no way, it wasn’t going to happen. She knew she should, that didn’t mean she would. In fact, Nixie often did the opposite of what she should do just to prove that she could do the opposite of what she should. What could she say, she was stubborn. It was just the way that she was.

Nixie had been alone for so long. Even with Marco, even with her family back in her life, even with her friends—those few she allowed herself to have—she still was alone. Talking to Justin, letting him in, letting him be her match… That meant she wouldn’t be alone anymore. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that loss of her private bubble. Another thing was that she wasn’t sure if she could even let him in past the wall she had created around herself and was that fair to him? No, it wasn’t.

Okay, now that was just an excuse. And that was pathetic. She scowled at herself and tightened her grip on the railing until her knuckles turned white. Fuck she needed another drink. When she was tipsy or drunk she couldn’t focus on other people’s thoughts, and the thoughts of the couples and matches all around her really was not helping her temperament at all. In fact, it was making it worse if that was possible. She scowled out at them. Damn happy people.

Now she was just being pathetic.

She sighed and pushed back off of the railing. Sulking would do her no good. But she knew Marco would have a fit if she had another drink, he didn’t like the slight level of tipsy that she currently was. Usually he didn’t care if she got shit faced, he would just carry her passed out drunk ass home the next morning. But he knew that letting Nixie was trying to keep her calm and laid back image, and if she got drunk now while angry, she’d show her tendency for Wrath…which no one needed to see. It would kill her image. Plus, she was high up on the catwalks, he didn’t want her tipping over the edge. She understood all of this, actually, perfectly. That didn’t mean that she had to like it. And she didn’t. At all.

She sensed someone coming closer. She had put herself in her own lonely bubble after all, having someone else come into it would catch her attention. Especially after her time on her own on the harsh streets of Umbra, she had learned to watch her own back even if she knew Marco wouldn’t let anything happen to her. The fact that this other person even got this close meant Marco knew she wouldn’t be hurt.

A quick check with her telepathy revealed…nothing. Ah, another council member then. They couldn’t use their abilities on each other. It was to make sure everyone kept their own opinions.

She informed whoever it was, Council member or not and especially if they were a council member, that she wasn’t fit company. She heard a voice tell her that she had gotten a drink and nearly smirked a little, Jeez, way to answer her silent prayers. She took a moment to school her face into it’s usual calm mask before lifting her head to study the woman before her. Devlynn Tynan. Aphrodite’s chosen. Nixie took her job as informer seriously, even when it came to her fellow members. No. Especially then. She liked to know things. In that way she had been given the perfect second gift.

She smirked, a familiar cocky expression on her face and tiltd her head as she looked up at the other woman. Even with her heels, Nixie would never be a tall beauty. ”Sorry to dash your hopes and dreams, Devlynn, but I’m straight.” she said, being sure to use her name to show that she knew it, with a cocky attitude to match the look. Even if she was miserable and pissed off on the inside, Nixie had gotten good at projecting an image.

She had been doing it even before she had been Marked after all.

She shook her head and accepted the drink. And then raised it towards Marco with a playful eyebrow raise, and received a scowl from her body guard which only made her laugh as she took a sip. ”He thinks I’ve had too much already” she said, explaining to the other woman even though she didn’t have to. She looked over at Devlynn and tilted her head slightly as she let her hip rest on the railing next to her. She really hoped Devlynn wasn’t here to talk to her about Justin.

Because she could be damn sure Nixie was stubborn enough not to listen.

[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

Finally, someone who had a sense of humor. Devlynn couldn’t help but grin at Nixie’s comment about being straight. Why hadn’t she spent more time with her fellow companion member? She dared to think that they could become friends if Nixie was capable of such wit.

“What a pity. I’m sure every boy in here would have liked to watch us make out.” she said coyly, her smirk neither confirming nor denying the implication of her own sexual preference. It would amuse her to no end if rumors began to circulate about her orientation. But knowing her luck, she would mistakenly be paired with a girl as a result of her joke. Still, it might be worth a few giggles.

After relinquishing the drink to Nixie, Dev lifted her glass in Marco’s direction in unison with her new companion. After taking a sip, she laughed softly at Nixie’s comment. “That is the nature of bodyguards. They restrict the amount of fun we are allowed.” Turning away from Marco Devlynn leaned her forearms on the railings, bringing herself closer to Nixie’s eye level.

Cupping her drink in her hands, she gazed down at the dancers below. It struck her that dancing had to be one of the most lustful acts, which was still socially acceptable for a public setting. Scattered throughout the crowd, couples pressed their hips together matching their rhythmic movements to the music. It didn’t take much imagination to figure out what they would be doing in privacy. No wonder she belonged here, it was a cesspool of sappy emotions and lust.

Taking a sip of her drink, Devlynn tore her gaze away from the love fest and glanced at Nixie. If only her enforcing powers worked on fellow Council members, that would make life so much easier for her. It was comforting to know that practically anyone could be compelled to follow her advice, so long as they didn’t possess a strong opinion about what she suggested. But apparently the Gods felt that the Council members shouldn’t be able to mess with one another. Unfortunate really, but then again, she was pleased to know that Nixie wouldn’t be rooting around in her thoughts.

Then again, it would have been wonderful if she could root through Nixie’s thoughts at the moment. She had a suspicion about what troubled her companion, but there was no way to be certain; aside from asking out right. If Nixie’s reputation as being notoriously stubborn was true, then she would likely only meet resistance. It seemed that the situation called for tact, a skill that Devlynn reluctantly employed. She preferred being a straight shooter, but if necessary she would beat around the bush.

With a mental sigh, Devlynn resigned herself to engaging in some tactical maneuvering. Maybe Nixie would open up if she didn’t feel like she was being forced to. “So what brings you here tonight besides the urge to get tipsy? Dancing or getting lucky?” Her tone was light and said in good humour. Silently she prayed Nixie would surprise her and make this easy, despite her assumption that Justin and Nixie would likely prove to be a difficult match.

Comments: Sorry for the delay, weekends are usually pretty busy for me.
Muse: Broken, hopefully will recover for the next post

[ARIANNA "NIXIE" SYMPHONIA]

Projecting an image. It was something that Nixie was far too good at. Even now, at the club, where she was surrounded by far too many people who were paired off and happily grinding against each other, she was damn good at keeping up her image. The image of being confidant, a bit cocky, and totally sure of herself. Usually she actually felt these things, no one could say that Pride wasn’t one of Nixie’s sins. Today she wasn’t. Today she was pretty damn pissed off at the world and she was damn happy to be that way. Okay no, that was a lie. But she was good at lying to herself too.

Such wonderful skills she had.

She was carefully keeping up her usual image as Devlynn, a fellow council member, approached her. Though she was careful to first warn that she was no fit company tonight with her current state of mind. It was better to warn than to take off someone’s head, specially when she wasn’t sure if the image would hold up tonight. As good as she was, not everyone was perfect all the time. Despite what her mother thought. She shook her head and then Devlynn offered her a drink. She took it but with a sarcastic comment as usual.

She grinned at Devlynn’s comment, amused that someone could play along. That won her points and points were good when it came to Nixie and her odd behavior skills. She wished she could tell whether or not Devlynn was joking or if she really tipped one way or the other on the preference side. Oh well. Shows her for getting too reliant on her Informer abilities. She would just have ot let it slide. ”Oh I’m sure they would appreciate that lovely show” she replied right back with a smirk.

Nixie wondered if she could be able to make out with other people. That didn’t wig her out, just the idea of taking them to bed did. Huh. That was something to look into when she found herself in a better mood. And possibly more tipsy than she was right now. There was a reason some people called alcohol liquid courage after all. Nixie wasn’t usually a huge drinker, it made it harder to keep an eye on the image she projected, but some nights she liked to let loose. Just like everyone else.

She raised her glass at Marco who scowled at her with a grin before explaining why she was doing it to her fellow Council member. That got her a laugh and a comment that amused her…which was good. More points. It was slowly making her mood a little bit less sour because it took her mind off of him. Though she had a feeling that wasn’t Devlynn’s plan. Oh no, she had a feeling the plan was exactly the opposite. Well as long as it didn’t come up…Nixie was happy to play along for now. For now.

She shook her head. ”Seriously, I wonder if they ever had fun as a child. Their goal seems to be making us as boring as they are” she said with a playful roll of her eyes. Marco was one of her closest friends, but even she could admit he was a stick in the mud most of the time. He was always being way too careful with her, trying to limit what she did and all of that lovely bullshit. She could handle herself just fine though, thank you. She had been doing it long before she had ever met Marco. Or found her marks.

Nixie let herself fall to silence and turned back towards the crowd that was below her. She envied their relaxed mingling, their ability to shift from partner to partner or to be content with the one they had. In truth, she had been perfectly content when with Justin, he didn’t push and he seemed to get her, and he had made her laugh which was rare as hell. But when she was alone to think for a moment she realized that scared her. She had let down her guard, and Nixie never let down her guard if she could help it. That wasn’t how she was. The only person Nixie was safe around was herself. She wouldn’t let some boy make her think otherwise.

She had let someone in close before, had let her guard down. He had let his guard down. It was a good thing, a happy thing. She had been happy. And then he had died. So no, she knew better than to let down her guard and chance something happening like that again.

She had come here to escape all of those thoughts and yet, looking out t the happy and mingling crowd, she found herself entirely immersed in it. It sucked. Why couldn’t it all just leave her alone? Why couldn’t she be left in peace!? She had been happy and content. Sure it sucked to know she had a match out there and not know who he was, but that had been better to this…being stuck.

Nixie looked up with an arched brow when Devlynn spoke again and jolted her from her thoughts. Well, she had company which helped her pull away from her horrible thoughts. But she had a feeling that Devlynn was here for a very different reason then just helping her stop thinking about he rmatch that she was avoiding. Oh no, she was very suspiscious of that. Devlynn was Aphrodite’s after all.

She asked why Nixie was there, and Nixie shrugged a shoulder. She was not going to really say why she was here. Oh no, Nixie knew better. She was a stubborn bitch and she would stay that way. ”Just trying to escape Pandora. You?” she said casually. It was true. She was trying to escape Pandora. And Chiaro. Anywhere that Justin could find her, she was going to avoid. Which made her feel like a scared little girl. Which she hated.

[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

It did strike her as strange that almost boy out there fantasized about two girls making out. Maybe it was an unfair generalization, but the assumption didn’t seem entirely unfair. After all, didn’t most men imagine a threesome with two girls, as opposed to the devil’s threesome? Point proven.

“Isn’t that every boy’s fantasy after all?” She smiled in a good natured way, pleased with how the banter had developed between them. The growing number of points was mutual. Devlynn silently acknowledged that Nixie might be someone she would consider spending time with. The fact that she could play along with her antics was a huge mark of compatibility.

And naturally Devlynn would enjoy encouraging Nixie’s impression of her preferences. It was entirely too much fun to keep her guessing all the time. Maybe such games were appropriate for a Council member, but Devlynn had never been good at being mature all the time. Sure, her sense of responsibility demanded that she be professional, but outside of the Council meetings she was quite happy to engage in her childish ways.

Perhaps that was where she differed greatly from her companion. Devlynn felt no need to maintain any particular image in public, preferring to indulge in her spontaneous ways. She had no qualms about stirring up trouble if she was in a mischievous mood. Similarly she felt no shame in sulking when upset or feeling particularly dramatic. In many ways she had yet to outgrow her teenage years, despite being closer to her mid-twenties.

Only her sense of responsibility brought her under any kind of control. It seemed that she had been born with some innate desire to fulfill the obligations placed upon her, regardless of the demands. So when she set upon a task, little could divert her from fulfilling it.

However Nixie was delaying the attack of responsibility by tempting her with thoughts of friendship. She had few people she could relate to in her life; rather she preferred to safely distance herself from anyone who might attempt to abuse her position of power. But even she could not escape the lure of friendship and Nixie certainly appeared to be a kindred spirit. Perhaps her sense of responsibility could be put on hold and Aphrodite’s work delayed.

Her attraction to Nixie only increased as she commented on the bodyguard’s role in their lives. It seemed that they shared the same reluctance. “Sometimes I wonder if it is truly necessary, but I suppose it is nice to have someone we can rely on.” She commented, her expression turning unusually serious for a moment.

She hated to admit it, but it was nice to have someone to rely on, and someone who knew her problems. It made the difficult days easier to bear when she didn’t have to explain why she needed to go let off some steam. The terrible realization struck her that she was describing something terribly close to a match. Making a disgusted face, she pushed the thought away.

It was a strange paradox: Aphrodite’s chosen Council member being terrified of being matched. In fact she had no interest in ever being paired. A string of bad relationships had left Devlynn believing that all men were actually just boys in disguise. She preferred their friendship over their love, although the physical aspect was pleasant. It was easy to have a friendship or a physical relationship, but being emotionally intimate was something she had never been good at.

Devlynn was happy when Nixie’s answer distracted her from delving further into her thoughts. “You know, I originally came here to work, but now I think I’ll take the night off. They don’t seem to need me anyways.” She joked, nodding to the lovesick couples below.

[ARIANNA "NIXIE" SYMPHONIA]

Nixie was planning, originally, on attempting to just plan escape. She was fully aware that it was a cowards way out of things, to run away from Pandora and not answer his texts or tell the doorman to tell him she wasn’t in when he came to the door. She also was fully aware that she didn’t care. She just wanted an escape, there was nothing wrong with that to her. She didn’t want to think about being held down or stuck. She didn’t want to wonder why he was so nice to her when no one was ever nice to her. No one. There was no reason to be nice to someone like her. She was a bitch. Only her sisters were nice to her and that was because they were her sisters. And Marco but he didn’t count.

So there was her reasons for needing to escape. She just needed to get out, away from Pandora, away from her match. And instead it seemed like it was couples night out here. And she couldn’t even play because every time she thought of playing with anyone, even someone not that good looking, it set off her disgust like never before. Ugh.

Which was why she was staying up in the catwalks. She had even sent Marco away from her. But someone approached anyway. Someone who brought her a drink so that got them most of Nixie’s attention at the very least. It was Devlynn, Aphrodite’s chosen Council Member. Which put Nixie a little bit on the cautious side because Aphrodite didn’t seem to like her lately for reason’s unknown. She sipped the drink anyway and laughed at Devlynn’s comment about it being a male fantasy. And shook her head. Men had issues. That was why she had been so good at playing them over the years. ”For some blasted reason. They do realize if girls are kissing each other they’re not interested in men, right?” she said with a sly little smirk.

She did wonder a little at Devlynn’s preference, but it was an absent minded wonder that wouldn’t obsess her thoughts. It was more a curious thing, and Nixie liked to know things. That was why she was an Informer after all. She liked to know things. It made sense, at least they had gotten something right there. But she still was curious enough in her own right to dwell on it, even if she wouldn’t ask.

Nixie shrugged one shouldered when the subject deviated back to body guards, and speaking of which, hers was scowling at her which just made her take another sip of the drink she had been brought to piss him off more. They were like that, they had a very antagonistic relationship. He let her be free a lot, which she needed, but at the same time he was still trying to make her conform to certain things, so that he could do his job of course, and she pulled at the bit when it came to things such as that a lot.

She shrugged again and leaned against the side railing with a hip. ”Most of the time Marco’s just worse than my oldest sister with the worrying, but I get your point. It is nice. That and he saved my life twice now I think since becoming my body guard” she added with a smirk. It wasn’t a secret, so she didn’t care if people knew that Marco had saved her ass. It was a fact. She saved her own ass more times than he saved hers, but no one needed to know that. Her mother had made sure that Nixie’s two years on the streets stayed out of the press as much as possible after all. It wasn’t like Nixie was strong anyway, that wasn’t how she had saved her ass. She was quiet and was very good at Shadow Fading. People thought she saved her own ass they came after her more. She didn’t need that. Especially when she couldn’t fight worth a damn. So she shouldn’t always tease Marco probably, but she knew that he would always save her ass, even if she pissed him off entirely.

Devlynn had asked what she had been doing out in the club, and Nixie found nothing wrong with answering that question. She had just answered it without telling the full and entire truth was all. Nothing wrong with that. Her business was her own or some such bullshit, right? Right. Whatever. She had said what she had said and then there was no taking it back. She asked what her current conversation partner was up to and was slightly wary of the answer. She wondered if it was about her damn match, if it was, drink or not she was so out of here.

She snorted, taking a look out at the crowd when Devlynn commented about not needing to work. It made her happy that Poseidon didn’t require anything special of her. She didn’t have to enforce matches or anything stupid like that. She just had to stay mostly neutral on the council while supporting his ideas, which was that Angelli and Shades should be equal. She had no problems with that, it was what she had believed. Ever since her mother started trying to shove Shade supremacy down her throat. She nodded and shook her head. ”Oh trust me, I’ve noticed. Idiots” she commented off handedly.

[THE MOIRAE]

All it took, was a second; the snip of scissors.

All it took was the failure of a heart.

The 3 sisters clung onto their crimson string, one clutching the blade, poised to cut. It had been too long, since the last death. The souls needed for Hades were long overdue; it was now or never. With one viscous swing, the red string fell in two, limp and lifeless.

A man from the human world below fell a second later, his heart failing in Silver Kisses. His companion screamed, begging for help -- for him to return.

Up above, the sisters pulled out another bloody string.

[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

Devlynn smiled at Nixie’s response. She had a valid point, but that didn’t seem to deter men from fantasizing about girls. It was something that baffled her about the opposite sex. How could one concept be so universally appealing? “One would think. But I guess that doesn’t deter them from hoping.” She responded, laughing softly. Boys were so strange.

As Nixie spoke of Marco, Devlynn’s gaze flicked towards him. She nodded absentmindedly to her comment, pondering what it would be like to have a guard save her life twice. She wondered how Nixie managed to tolerate one bodyguard for so long. Since taking the Council position, Devlynn had changed guards frequently. She would have preferred to avoid having one altogether, but that clearly wasn’t an option. So instead she changed them frequently, reluctant to allow any guard to become a permanent fixture in her life; if that happened it would mean she would have to trust them. No, that couldn’t happen. If she trusted them, it was only too easy to allow herself to become close to them.

In fact her current guard had only been with her a couple of weeks. Despite being reliable and efficient at his job, he had the distinct disadvantage of being male. That thought reminded her that she would have to look into changing to a female guard sometime soon. It seemed all too likely that Aphrodite would enjoy matching her with a male guard in order to mess up her life completely and that just couldn’t happen.

After adding the guard change to her to do list, Devlynn returned her thoughts to the present, specifically Nixie’s comment about the couples. “Not a fan of all the cute couple bullshit?” She teased lightly, with a good natured smirk.

A cry from the dance floor captured Devlynn’s attention a moment later and she searched for the cause of the commotion. The way people formed a ring around the fallen man quickly drew her attention and she watched the scene with a somber expression. Instinctually she straightened to her full height, her shoulders tense with anxiety. The woman’s cries bothered her more then she liked to admit and Devlynn expression become a carefully controlled mask of emptiness. “What a waste.” She commented dully, more to herself then to Nixie.

All her instincts told her to go to the woman and help her, but Devlynn remained rooted in place. She could not move from this spot for fear of losing all poise. Turning her back to the situation, she took a long drink. She had never been good at dealing with loss, regardless of whether she knew the person or not.

Somewhat desperately, she looked at Nixie. “What were we talking about?” Devlynn asked, her voice somewhat strained now. Her easy smiles and playful nature were forced now as she tried to calm the rising panic.

[ARIANNA "NIXIE" SYMPHONIA]

Nixie was faintly amused, well more than faintly amused really, by the conversation she was having with her fellow Council Member. It was amusing, to talk about the idiodicy of boys. Personally, Nixie tended to use that odd sense of thought to her advantage, but she was a very lustful shade after all, it was what she did best. She was totally flabbergasted about the whole, girls kissing is hot thing though. That never made sense to her. And she voiced exactly why to Devlynn when she was thinking about it. Devlynn laughed and Nixie chuckled as well. ”Well they can hope in vain all they want” she commented with an amused shrug.

And then she shook her head, thinking about this further now. ”Personally, I think they’re just hoping for a threesome with two hot chicks” she said, smirking a little. The oddness of men, and discussing said oddness, was always a topic that she could be amused by. She could see into their minds after all, not that she often did when she was playing, so it cut into the mystery. But some things would never make sense to her.

They spoke of body guards then. How they were never really any fun and seemed to want to spoil all of their charge’s fun as well. And that was true. But Nixie had to comment on the fact that Marco had saved her life twice before. Once was her own stupidity, once was truly scary and it plagued her nightmares from time to time. It showed her that some people really did not approve of her polotics and the way that she wanted to bring the two races together. Well they could suck it, because she even had most of the Gods behind her. So it sucked to be them. And she was still alive, still here.

So she couldn’t complain about Marco too much.

Devlynn commented on the couples that were all happily dancing down below her, and she commented back before scowling once more down at the people that were all so happily dancing below them. Fools. She couldn’t stand to see it, it made her think about her own pitiful situation and it made her want to turn away, but to look at what? She was the one who had come out here. It was her own fault that she was aggravated. She could talk to him, end this torture. But that would never happen. Instead she turned a smirk towards Devlynn to answer her. ”That easy to tell?” she asked, faintly amused, but not really. There was a sour note to her question.

Then she shook her head with a scowl. ”Its bullshit. No offense, patron of the love goddess but I think it’s bullshit. Trusting someone else like that…bah” she said with a scowl. There was another reason she wouldn’t talk to Justin. She didn’t want ot have to trust him, or let him in. Letting him fall asleep with her that night was too close to trustin for her taste. And she had done it without thinking. That scared the shit out of her. It wasn’t allowed to happen again. Not if she had any say in it.

And then it was an assault. A cry went out in the dance floor and even though Nixie had shielded herself from the thoughts of others down there, there was no way she could block that out. That being the anguished mental scream that tore through her shields and into her head. Immediately she folded in on herself in pain, trying to shut it out, she grabbed her head, pulling at her hair slightly as she tried to shut it out. ”Shut up, shut up” she mumbled, trying to make it shut up and stop. Because that hurt. The pain at losing her match was poured into that cry and it tore through Nixie, making her feel it and making her feel that pain.

Luckily, one of the perks of Marco having been her body guard so long, he knew what her issues were and what was happening, and had silently slipped off of the catwalks down to the screaming woman, silencing her by knocking her unconscious, and ignored what people thought about that. Immediately she felt relief in the silence and straightened, straightening herself out and trying to ignore the pain she had just gone through.

She let Marco handle what was happening down stairs and took a deep breath, turning to Devlynn as she asked what they were talking about again. ”Sorry…she decided to mentally scream along with verbally…hurt like shit” she said with a small shrug. "I'm honestly not sure though" she said with a small laugh.

Words: 829
Comments: Nada
Muse: In and out, sorry!

[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

Unlike Marco, her own guard had no idea what Devlynn needed in the moments after the man dropped dead. Instead he scanned the crowd, ensuring that no foul play had occurred which might threaten his charge. If he had known anything about her, he might have arrived to sweep her away from the scene and soothe her anxiety with comforting arms.

Suddenly Devlynn was very thankful that she wasn’t an informer as she had no desire to hear the woman’s anguished thoughts. Judging by Nixie’s expression, the mental cry had not been pleasant to endure. “Makes me glad to be an enforcer.” She commented, voicing only a portion of her chain of thought.

Devlynn found herself struggling to keep her own emotions in check, never mind deal with the pain of emotional overload from the woman. She would never admit it, but the loss of the man had bothered her more then she dared acknowledge. It was unnerving how much it had shaken her, especially for someone who was so cynical about love. She had far too much empathy for a stranger when it came to loss.

She longed to be able to brush off his death a shocking event, but the moment continued to linger in her mind. It was likely that all the patrons of the bar would spend the next day or two reliving the grim scene in gossip with their friends. Yet they would recall the moment with detachment and no real emotion investment. Although the loss hadn’t been her own, Devlynn already knew that the moment would haunt her for the coming nights. It bothered her how fragile she felt.

Perhaps it would be better to take a man home tonight. At least that would offer some physical comfort and distraction. Maybe there were advantages to having a male guard even. Taking a deep breath, Devlynn tried to focus her companion and the conversation they had been having. “Is the pain gone now, or should we get out of here?” Devlynn asked, casting a sideways glance at the dance floor.

Gradually her thoughts cleared and snippets of their earlier conversation returned to her. Perhaps Nixie wouldn’t think of her as easily shaken if she could form some kind of rational conversation again. With some normalcy returning to her, it occurred to Devlynn that her behavior might mark her as weak; something she was not prepared to accept in relation to herself. “No offense taken. Sometimes I think Aphrodite had her head up her ass when she choose me as I’m inclined to agree with you about the whole love thing.”

[ARIANNA "NIXIE" SYMPHONIA]

Nixie was so grateful for Marco. If it wasn’t for him she didn’t know how long that dreadful screaming would have gone on echoing in her head. It was painful, that shrieking. And that was why she never let herself get attached to anyone else. She didn’t want to end up like that, painfully mourning the loss of someone she had let into her life like a fool. She didn’t want to have to mourn Justin ending up like everyone else that she let get close to her. Except for Marco and Rai—her baby sister—but that was different. They were more like family.

Not that her father had been exempt from the family rule. He had abandoned her too, before she had even gotten to know him long enough to remember what he looked like. She didn’t even know what race he was.

She finally managed to straighten herself from her position of pain after Marco knocked out the woman who had been in pain and granted her immediate relief. She nodded down to him, both a nod of being grateful and to let him know he was free to try and handle the scene down there, especially now that he had knocked out some woman, she understood he needed to play crowd control. He could explain she needed to be calm, or that the woman should be relieved from her pain. Whichever, it didn’t matter to Nixie. Marco could handle it. She trusted him, a rare privilege.

Devlynn commented that she was glad ot be an enforcer and Nixie smirked ever so slightly at that comment. ”Oh I truly envy you. If it wasn’t interesting sometimes to learn so much about others, I would go mad with all these voices in my head.” she commented with a shrug. She had gotten over the fact that she had voices in her head. It was only the pain shrieks that sometimes snaked through her shields that she couldn’t stand. She shivered a little at the memory of that damn shriek. Yes, this solidified the idea that se did want to keep avoiding Justin. She didn’t want to be that woman, when she lost him.

She lost everyone.

Nixie shook her head, when Devlynn asked about the pain. The music had already restarted down there as if nothing had happened, as the people tried to go back to some sense of normalcy. Were they more comforted than they would have normally been because of the presence of two Council Members here tonight? She wasn’t sure. Did it matter? She turned her attention back to the conversation she was having. It truly was an enjoyable conversation, but she found her mind wandering often.

She found the other woman’s company rather enjoyable actually, she hadn’t thought she would. She just had a lot on her mind and it made her slightly scatter brained. She hated to be so scattered. But that was the way she had been lately. ”I’m fine as long as you are” she commented, remembering to check on her companion as well. For all that Devlynn hadn’t seemed moved, Nixie wanted to make sure that that was truly the case. She could be considerate. It was usually an act, but she tried to keep at least slight sincerity in everything that she said and did.

And then Devlynn spoke again and Nixie blinked, trying to remember where that had come from. And then she remembered. Right. She had commented about love before this had all happened and a woman had died. She had forgotten after the world around them had gotten so chaotic. She applauded the other woman for remembering what they had been speaking about and diving back in as if nothing had happened. Yes, she was beginning to suspect that Devlynn and herself could become very good friends if this was any indication of anything. She liked the way that the other woman thought, even without her ability to tell her how exactly that was. It was nice to get to know someone normally.

She turned her attention to the actual comment and grinned in response. She liked being agreed with, she couldn’t help it. Most people didn’t see it but Nixie could be very arrogant on more than one occasion. She had a bit of an ego. Just a bit of one. Or maybe more than a bit of one. And she used it as she saw fit, though she usually tucked it away. She snorted a bit. ”Hey, I’m sure she had a reason for it. All of us Council members so far seem like a bit misfit-ish. But there is usually a reason in the end” she said, shrugging a bit. Mostly because, personally, Nixie honestly had no idea why she had been chosen either.

[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

Devlynn hadn’t considered how irritating the steady bombardment of thoughts would be. The realization made her all the happier to be an enforcer. “The Council meetings must be a blessing for you since you can’t hear our thoughts. A little bit of peace and quiet.” She said, then she laughed softly as she added an afterthought. “Although there would be many advantages to knowing what the others are thinking at times.”

She hated to admit it, but she didn’t really understand the other Council members. But, she hadn’t exactly taken the time to get to know them either yet. For the most part her understanding of them was strictly on a business level. She attended the Council meetings, acted as she thought Aphrodite would, then went home. Tonight was the first time she had ever engaged with a Council member on a social level, and it was a welcome change.

Still, some understanding of the Council members would be beneficial. Currently she still felt like a fish out of water. Lately she hadn’t been feeling on the ball politically and it bothered her. She would have to make a point of interacting with the Council members and gaining greater insights. Such knowledge could only prove useful to her in the future.

“I am fine now. Although the whole situation was unpleasant.” That was as close as Devlynn would get to admitting that the man’s death had rattled her. She was not in the habit of pointing out her weaknesses, or even acknowledging them for that manner. In a lot of ways Devlynn still clung to the invincibility of being a teenager despite being closer to her mid-twenties. The world was much easier to cope with when you believed it couldn’t maim or kill you.

Devlynn was a big fan of the teenage years, despite it being an awkward time for most. Sure, she had gone through the awkward stage, but those memories didn’t distract her from her enjoyment. There was nothing quite like exploring the limits of new found freedom, or the joys of many first time experiences. And of course people were usually willing to dismiss pranks as youthful enthusiasm or something “they would grow out of”. It was a time Devlynn had enjoyment, and something she was reluctant to let go of.

But being marked had forced her to let go of her teenage years too soon. Suddenly responsibility had struck and people were less likely to let her get away with things. Despite her carefree time being severely reduced, Devlynn refused to allow it to change her entirely.

“Does that mean the Gods are misfits as well then?” She mused, trying to imagine the Gods. The thought was somewhat comical to her. Clearly they had some issues if they were truly like the Council members they had chosen. Maybe the world was doomed after all.

[ARIANNA "NIXIE" SYMPHONIA]

Devlynn mentioned that Council Meetings must be a blessing for her and she smirked automatically, amused by the idea. ”They would be if the Council wasn’t so loud verbally. It’s like trading in one headache for another” she said, laughing slightly. She was enjoying the company of Aphrodite’s Enforcer very much. It was easy to be laid back when you were with a like minded person. It wasn’t like she was with Riv, who she was a bitch with, but it was similar, and it had her relaxing slightly. This was why she had come out in the first place. To relax. And she found herself slowly relaxing. Slightly. Especially now that no one was screaming in her head.

Devlynn added that there would be advantages to her telepathy and Nixie nodded. Sometimes there was. She could hear what people wanted to do to her which gave her an advantage. She knew whether boys were really interested, she knew what Marco thought so she could protect herself. It had its advantages that was true. But sometimes, you could learn hurtful things. Some that she didn’t want to think about at all. She shook her head. She wouldn’t let it slip that sometimes her own gift hurt her. Nixie had a talent for hiding certain things. ”It does have its advantages. Though I expect being an Enforcer has more. I’m jealous” she added with a slightly amused smile for the other woman.

She had turned Devlynn’s question back on her, making sure that the other Council Woman was fine as well. She remembered, belatedly, that Devlynn was Aphrodite’s. That meant it must unsettle her to see love torn like this, if she was close with her chosen goddess that is, not all were. Nixie admittedly wasn’t as close to Poseidon as she should be besides her moodiness. She made a note to work on that later. But Devlynn seemed to be fine in staying a bit longer so Nixie nodded. And agreed that that was unpleasant. ”Agreed. That would be unpleasant in any situation, even if his match wasn’t with him” she said softly. Death wasn’t something that was ever pleasant.

Though the added bonus of the loved one made it worse.

It also made her dwell on her own situation. She didn’t want that to happen to herself. Getting attached enough to someone that she would end up a mess like that woman that Marco had had to knock out and get an ambulance for was not something that appealed to her. Her sisters were a different story of course, one couldn’t help how they felt for family. But when it came to love and matches? She could help that. Even if the Gods disagreed. She’d totally take that up at Aphrodite’s temple later. Or maybe not. Maybe she’d just go to Poseidon’s instead. He was probably used to her bitching after all.

She did snort, amused, when Devlynn offered up the possibility of the Gods being misfits as well. She mused this as she looked out among the crowd. Some were still hugging and obviously shaken up by what they had seen. But others seemed to have gone right back to their partying. It wasn’t from disrespect, Nixie knew that for certain from the little thoughts that flitted through her minds. They were thinking about how life was short and they wanted to live it while they could. Nixie envied them that. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the gods as misfits. It was totally possible, hence the snort at the idea. ”It’s possible. I mean think of the stories and myths about them. They’re just as bad as we are” she said, amused.

She smiled a little as more thoughts flitted through her head, tuning them out as she usually did. But they were happy, trying to enjoy and live their life, making the scene they had just witnessed a lesson to live. She could approve of that. She could approve of Nox. It practically embodied her stance on how they should live. Together. And enjoying it all. She loved this place, and usually it loved her back. Usually at least. She shook her head. ”I think…if I didn’t have to live in Pandora, I’d totally live here. They always seem so happy” she said, looking out onto the crowd. For the first time all night, they didn’t seem like aggravating couples, but happy people.

And then she shook her head, bringing herself back to her senses. No, they were stupid coupled up people who were throwing their happiness in her face. Crap, she had issues if this was the back and forth that went on her head. ”As long as they stop being so lovey-dovey of course” she said, clarifying herself with a shrug and sticking to her original point that love was for fools who wanted to get hurt in the end.

Words: 886
Muse: Good
Comments: Sorry, she kind of mood swings a little? It's an odd post -_-

[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

“I hear you there.” She responded with a bitter laugh in response to Nixie’s comment about the Council being loud. Devlynn didn’t look forward to the Council meetings. She found the whole process dull and unduly repetitive. Half the time they chased each other in circles as they debated the same topic endlessly. It was enough to make her go mad. “Sometimes I wish I could just compel them to all agree on one thing. But I guess that would make it all too easy.”

Nixie’s envy over her ability caused her to reflect for a moment on her talent. It was beneficial to sway others to her way. She had always liked getting her way, which was why the talent seemed to come so naturally to her. In that way the Goddess had gotten something right. With the enforcer ability available at her whim, she could have nearly anything she wanted; as long as the person didn’t have a strong opinion about what she wanted.

“It does have its uses.” She agreed, unable to hide her confident smirk.

Without realizing, Devlynn’s gaze slipped back towards the fallen man. By now his body had been covered with a jacket, hiding his motionless form. She felt her chest tighten, constricting with unexpressed emotions. She looked down, carefully studying her hands.

“I haven’t been this close before when a match has died. Strange that people allow themselves to become so attached. Aphrodite must be cruel to forge such bonds, only to have them broken eventually.” Her comment was spoken softly. The statement seemed ill-suited for her position but it reflected her true feelings. Love, especially matches, scared her senseless.

She couldn’t help but sink into the somber mood that overcame her. It was an unfamiliar emotion to her and difficult to fight off. She was so accustomed to being light hearted and full of mischief.

“It would be interesting to see how messed up exactly. Too bad they never make themselves known.” Her gaze followed Nixie’s to the love sick couples below. It seemed odd that she should have a role to play in enforcing the matches when she resented them so much. “My apologies on behalf of the most I brought together.” She said in a half hearted attempt at a joke.