_-Captain BRM-_
Post Tenebras Lux.
- Feb 1, 2021
- 2,337
- 25,462
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(Ight, I'm skipping ahead.)
Tobias stared at his bubbling drink, a steady hum of voices echoing through the bar.
He half closed his eyes, feeling exhausted from last night. The man on the barstool beside him straightened, and Tobias blinked back a random daydream, glancing at the man, and then double taking when the man met his gaze.
"Ferrin." Tobias acknowledged, the vocal fry unusually aggressive.
Ferrin nodded, his perfectly mused, grey-streaked hair bouncing slightly as it curled around his chin. "How is the LunarWing?" He asked, his deep, crisply accented voice giving him a rather impressive air.
"Oh, she's fine." Tobias smiled, thinking Ferrin would leave the conversation at that, but he positioned himself towards Tobias, an eye brow cocked sarcastically, "Have you heard the news regarding the excitement in the arena involving the second LunarWing today?" He smiled slyly as Tobias nodded. "We have much to learn about the breed."
"Aye, we certainly do."
Tobias jumped, too tired to have realized Roe was standing beside where he sat- though that would explain why Ferrin had kept glancing past him. "How long you been there?"
Roe shrugged.
"Tobias.. you outbidded me last night. I'm impressed." Ferrin continued.
"Oh- well. Yea. Sorry. It was Sol's idea."
Ferrin's expression did not change, though he did look away, rubbing a hand across his facial hair. "No, no. It's business. I just want to know- what purpose do you have in mind for the dragon?"
Tobias glanced at Roe, who he suddenly realized was wearing a tight red dress, her hair perfectly straightened and tied back- an appearance deeply contrasting to her regular look. Well- maybe this was her regular look.
Ferrin cleared his throat, and Tobias nodded quickly, "I'm sorry. I had a long night with Sol. Keep, like, zoning out. Uhm.. yeah, I think she might compete a bit. It's up to her. I won't force her to do anything. But, you know, she'll have to pay her keep."
"Ah." Ferrin stood, pulling a fine tip from his suit pocket and sliding it toward the patient bartender, his dark eyes glinting as he met Tobias' gaze. "Have a good night." He turned his back on them, straightened his suit, his tall, lanky form silhouetted by the warm lights as he strode off towards the brightly lit casino across the way.
Roe slid into the empty seat, and Tobias dropped his gaze, running a hand through his hair, returning to his previous position, staring at the bubbling glass beside him.
"It is strange seeing how famous people converse."
"I'm famous?" Tobias snorted.
"Perhaps I only meant Ferrin." Roe retorted sarcastically.
Tobias gave a breathy, fake laugh, then relaxed, still staring.
"Are you okay?"
Tobias hesitated to respond, closing his eyes. "I'm doing fine. Gosh, I'm exhausted, though."
Tobias opened his eyes as Roe placed her hand on his. He was tempted to pull back- he didn't know why, but then Roe continued on, "Sol will be fine."
Tobias smiled unhappily, "I know."
Suddenly Roe swore, ducking her head. She stood, her hand slipping off his as she apologized, "I must go."
Tobias glanced around, confused, "What's up?"
"I.. am sorry." Roe winced, risking a glance at Tobias, "I need to get back to the lot."
"I'll go back with you." Tobias said quickly, swinging his legs around and pushing his hat down over his hair as he stood.
Roe gave a silent nod, not meeting his gaze as Tobias hesitantly started towards The Maze entrance. She followed briskly behind him. Tobias shoved his hands in his pockets, pacing confidently ahead, dodging a small group of laughing business men, all of whom he recognized, and they acknowledged him familiarly, one even trying to beckon him in to the conversation. Tobias politely waved off the invite as Roe switched to his right side, seeming to hide behind him. Suspicious.
Tobias pushed his thumb against the censor when they reached the door, motioning Roe through, then following quickly behind her.
"Hey." He started. "What's the problem?"
Roe swallowed shaking her head. "It is my problem. There is no reason to share."
"Yeah, I can help you."
"Perhaps. Perhaps that is what every man ever said."
Tobias bit his lip, not sure what she meant by that. "Look, I don't understand." He paused. "What are you hiding from?"
Roe outwardly winced, her pace slowing.
"You can tell me. I can help." He repeated.
"No. No, you cannot." Roe whispered, her heals clicking with every step.
Tobias hated to press the matter. He sighed.
"I have made terrible decisions, August." Roe said quietly. "I am in more debt than you could ever pay off." She was hesitant to say each word, but the matter had been eating at her mind- she needed to talk to someone about it.
Tobias snorted, "Now, that can't be true-"
"But it is." Roe whispered, a hysterical edge to her voice. "You do not understand. And every day it worsens. I thought I would be out of here by now. But everyday it gets pushed back, and every day I fall deeper and deeper..."
She made a sharp turn, and Tobias followed clumsily, forgetting they were going to her lot. "I could pay it off." He spoke confidently.
"No one, can pay this off."
"Try me."
Roe was silent for a moment, stopping beside her lot door and unlocking it before turning back and meeting his gaze, "I have told you.." she shook her head, "it is too much. Why do you not believe me?"
Tobias rolled his eyes, "Don't turn it on me. I'm trying to help you. I believe you. I want to help." He pulled his hat off, dragging a hand through his hair so that it sat naturally.
Roe took a step back, the lot door opening silently behind her. "I will talk to you later, Tobias."
She slipped into the lot, pushing the door closed with a pained look.
Tobias stood before the closed door for a few moments, too tired to do much but blink.
He sighed, turning back down the hallway and starting toward his lot.
Tobias stared at his bubbling drink, a steady hum of voices echoing through the bar.
He half closed his eyes, feeling exhausted from last night. The man on the barstool beside him straightened, and Tobias blinked back a random daydream, glancing at the man, and then double taking when the man met his gaze.
"Ferrin." Tobias acknowledged, the vocal fry unusually aggressive.
Ferrin nodded, his perfectly mused, grey-streaked hair bouncing slightly as it curled around his chin. "How is the LunarWing?" He asked, his deep, crisply accented voice giving him a rather impressive air.
"Oh, she's fine." Tobias smiled, thinking Ferrin would leave the conversation at that, but he positioned himself towards Tobias, an eye brow cocked sarcastically, "Have you heard the news regarding the excitement in the arena involving the second LunarWing today?" He smiled slyly as Tobias nodded. "We have much to learn about the breed."
"Aye, we certainly do."
Tobias jumped, too tired to have realized Roe was standing beside where he sat- though that would explain why Ferrin had kept glancing past him. "How long you been there?"
Roe shrugged.
"Tobias.. you outbidded me last night. I'm impressed." Ferrin continued.
"Oh- well. Yea. Sorry. It was Sol's idea."
Ferrin's expression did not change, though he did look away, rubbing a hand across his facial hair. "No, no. It's business. I just want to know- what purpose do you have in mind for the dragon?"
Tobias glanced at Roe, who he suddenly realized was wearing a tight red dress, her hair perfectly straightened and tied back- an appearance deeply contrasting to her regular look. Well- maybe this was her regular look.
Ferrin cleared his throat, and Tobias nodded quickly, "I'm sorry. I had a long night with Sol. Keep, like, zoning out. Uhm.. yeah, I think she might compete a bit. It's up to her. I won't force her to do anything. But, you know, she'll have to pay her keep."
"Ah." Ferrin stood, pulling a fine tip from his suit pocket and sliding it toward the patient bartender, his dark eyes glinting as he met Tobias' gaze. "Have a good night." He turned his back on them, straightened his suit, his tall, lanky form silhouetted by the warm lights as he strode off towards the brightly lit casino across the way.
Roe slid into the empty seat, and Tobias dropped his gaze, running a hand through his hair, returning to his previous position, staring at the bubbling glass beside him.
"It is strange seeing how famous people converse."
"I'm famous?" Tobias snorted.
"Perhaps I only meant Ferrin." Roe retorted sarcastically.
Tobias gave a breathy, fake laugh, then relaxed, still staring.
"Are you okay?"
Tobias hesitated to respond, closing his eyes. "I'm doing fine. Gosh, I'm exhausted, though."
Tobias opened his eyes as Roe placed her hand on his. He was tempted to pull back- he didn't know why, but then Roe continued on, "Sol will be fine."
Tobias smiled unhappily, "I know."
Suddenly Roe swore, ducking her head. She stood, her hand slipping off his as she apologized, "I must go."
Tobias glanced around, confused, "What's up?"
"I.. am sorry." Roe winced, risking a glance at Tobias, "I need to get back to the lot."
"I'll go back with you." Tobias said quickly, swinging his legs around and pushing his hat down over his hair as he stood.
Roe gave a silent nod, not meeting his gaze as Tobias hesitantly started towards The Maze entrance. She followed briskly behind him. Tobias shoved his hands in his pockets, pacing confidently ahead, dodging a small group of laughing business men, all of whom he recognized, and they acknowledged him familiarly, one even trying to beckon him in to the conversation. Tobias politely waved off the invite as Roe switched to his right side, seeming to hide behind him. Suspicious.
Tobias pushed his thumb against the censor when they reached the door, motioning Roe through, then following quickly behind her.
"Hey." He started. "What's the problem?"
Roe swallowed shaking her head. "It is my problem. There is no reason to share."
"Yeah, I can help you."
"Perhaps. Perhaps that is what every man ever said."
Tobias bit his lip, not sure what she meant by that. "Look, I don't understand." He paused. "What are you hiding from?"
Roe outwardly winced, her pace slowing.
"You can tell me. I can help." He repeated.
"No. No, you cannot." Roe whispered, her heals clicking with every step.
Tobias hated to press the matter. He sighed.
"I have made terrible decisions, August." Roe said quietly. "I am in more debt than you could ever pay off." She was hesitant to say each word, but the matter had been eating at her mind- she needed to talk to someone about it.
Tobias snorted, "Now, that can't be true-"
"But it is." Roe whispered, a hysterical edge to her voice. "You do not understand. And every day it worsens. I thought I would be out of here by now. But everyday it gets pushed back, and every day I fall deeper and deeper..."
She made a sharp turn, and Tobias followed clumsily, forgetting they were going to her lot. "I could pay it off." He spoke confidently.
"No one, can pay this off."
"Try me."
Roe was silent for a moment, stopping beside her lot door and unlocking it before turning back and meeting his gaze, "I have told you.." she shook her head, "it is too much. Why do you not believe me?"
Tobias rolled his eyes, "Don't turn it on me. I'm trying to help you. I believe you. I want to help." He pulled his hat off, dragging a hand through his hair so that it sat naturally.
Roe took a step back, the lot door opening silently behind her. "I will talk to you later, Tobias."
She slipped into the lot, pushing the door closed with a pained look.
Tobias stood before the closed door for a few moments, too tired to do much but blink.
He sighed, turning back down the hallway and starting toward his lot.