[ P ] Problematic

my demons come to play

Rionna was his own personal town of hell. But now he was actively choosing to ignore her presence here. Crossing paths was unlikely, with the social circles they orbited, but that didn't mean he knew every path she walked by heart. It was a full time job ignoring that knowledge. But he had been kept busy, thankfully enough. His latest contract kept him active more than he had anticipated and while he appreciated the distraction the wolf freely gave, he was getting rather tired. But the mans brother was paying handsomely.

He rolled his neck, chasing away last nights exhaustion as he stepped into the fading light. Stretching, tight musculature slowly relaxed, shedding tension like a robe. Lengthy strides were even, no longer favoring his forelimb. He still eyed the shadows a bit closer, took a little more care in covering his tracks after his run in with the soldier. Now he bared the scars of that night, the ones adorning his leg being the lesser.

Ears twitched, the streets quieting as everyone returned home for the evening, presumably to spend time with their families. When their work ended, Odysseus' was beginning. It was about time to catch up with Mutt, he hadn't seen the surly teenager since crashing his date at the bar. He was genuinely curious to know how the boy had progressed, if he had succeed in killing the old man and his niece yet.

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Reflecting on the night in the bar culminated in a dull throb above her temple followed by a sense of unease. Snippets of memory flashed behind her eyes like a movie played by a vintage projector. It was mostly sounds and vague shapes, sometimes accompanied by a sharp odor that made her throat burn, suggesting she had vomited at some point. All efforts to needle information from Mutt ended in vain; her 'brother' was being particularly cagey about the night they spent with his strange, handsome shadow. The details of the man’s face were obscured behind the veil her mind refused to draw back, but those glittering amethyst eyes pierced the veil, unimpeded. They looked at and through her, and she felt her skin crawl, instinctively fluffing up her pretty fur coat as if to create a buffer between her and those eyes that unraveled her.

There was a chill to the air tonight that felt more pervasive than normal, due in part to how the color purple exposed her to the raw realness of the world. She considered returning inside, but neither she nor Cecil were willing to take the first step in mending what they both felt the other had broken, and her home, as a result, felt cold and unwelcoming. Rather than turn in, Eleanor skirted around the manor’s side, the stones underfoot leading her from the gardens out onto the street. The lamps crowned her with a warm amber glow.

Calyx manor sat on a tall hill on the outskirts of Rionna overlooking the city beneath it. Coming upon it was intentional. It was an arduous uphill trek, and she wondered now why Cecil never sold his home for something more urban, considering his age. She might have asked him, if they were speaking.

The sparkling city lights tempted her towards them, dainty paws taking the first steps down the incline, propelled by the notion that her uncle wouldn’t like her to be roaming around so late. However, the shadows began to manifest and move of their own accord, and froze her rebellious act before it could take root. Eleanor started to retreat then abruptly stopped. A flash of amethyst penetrated her fluffed up fur deeper than a freezing rain. It’s him. A name she spent hours analyzing her scattered thoughts to unsuccessfully unearth suddenly surged from the depths of her mind.

”Ody-bob. It's you.”

@Odysseus

my demons come to play

Odysseus wouldn't find Mutt. Instead, he would find the niece, Eleanor. A faint smirk toyed with the corners of his mouth. She was shuffling on anxious paws, seeming to rush back the way she had come, back to the safety of home. But she froze. Amusement softened the hard lines on his face. She didn't strike him as the type to be wandering the streets after dark, unaccompanied. To many things went bump in the night. Hell, he was surprised she lingered in the Drunken Seagull for as long as she had with Mutt. The nervousness that had her hair standing upright gave away her discomfort.

Ody-bob. Its you. A low rumble of laughter parted his jaws, the sound decadent. "Its me." He crooned, considering whether or not he should correct her or let her keep the pet name. "What are you doing out here?" He would inquire, tipping his head slightly to the side in question. Coming closer, he was met with the fresh scent of orange blossoms, her perfume as sweet as it was delicate.

Without Mutt's scowl boring into him, he was able to truly appreciate her tonight. He wasn't left with what he saw at a distance at the bar, or quick glance over Mutts head. She was tall, wrapped in luxury she had likely been afforded all of her life. Her gold pelt all but glittered as it wrapped tightly around her hips and draped down her mile long legs. Her face was young, her features sharp and narrow but no less attractive.

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Run. The instinct telling her to flee grew louder the closer he prowled. Ody-bob slid from the shadows, every movement fluid like a panther stalking towards her. She felt the motion of his eyes across her face as if he was caressing her with the palm of his hand, her skin growing hot in response. It's me, he purred. A cloud blew out the moon, shrouding him in even more darkness, which seemed to ebb and flow with his movements. What are you doing out here? His head cocked to the side, and with it went her better sense, falling to the wayside so this encounter would be ruled only by desire.

"Looking for trouble," she responded in a coy whisper. Her glimmering eyes seemed to glow with unconcealed intent. "And I think I've found it," she teased, brushing past him as if she hadn't been about to retreat back to the manor, the end of her tail teasing his tousled chest fur. Eleanor glanced over her shoulder at him and asked, already knowing the answer, "Are you?"

Oh, how Cecil would hate to see her now. The thought invigorated her and ignited a spiteful rebellion in her heart. How far would she go to mend the broken pieces of herself? What would she do to fill those empty spaces? Tonight, she'd find out.

@Odysseus

Looking for trouble. A dark brow lifted. She didn't strike him as the type that went looking for anything, much less trouble. Her voice was hushed, a murmur that whispered of the dark desires she was letting take hold. And I think I've found it. One side of his mouth would lift, curling in a devilish smirk that he wore so well. On the move, she closed the rest of the distance between them, but she didn't linger, brushing by and letting only her tail flick against his chest. He would let her, purple eyes tracking each movement she made, each subtle sway of her hips.

When she looked over her shoulder at him, a question dangling from her honeyed lips, she would find a wolfish grin inching its way across his face. {"Always."} Was his answer. Trouble might as well have been his middle name, something he had heard since he was a young boy.

Without missing a beat, he would fall into step beside her, guiding her down the dark street with feather light touches, akin to that of a hand place possessively against her lower back. {"This might be more to your liking than the Drunken Seagull."} Despite the rumble in his voice, his tone was light, faintly teasing even as he led them to a quiet bar.

From the outside, it didn't look like much, just another dusty shop that no one frequented. But stepping inside, the air was warm and fragrant, the pleasant hint of spice and booze in the air. Tables were full, everyone enjoying their drinks and food. His head would lift slightly in greeting to a few that turned their way, but they went mostly unnoticed.

Walking a path he knew well, he headed straight for a table that was empty. What she didn't know was the bar owner kept it vacant for him. She was an old friend of sorts that always ensured he had a soft place to land in Rionna.

For all the brutality that followed in his wake, for all the blood that stained his hands, none of it stopped him from pulling out her chair, letting Eleanor sit first before he took his own seat and flagged down a waiter. {"Bourbon."} It was the finest in the mainlands. {"And something sweet for the lady?"} Briefly he looked at Eleanor.

Eleanor rejoiced in the debonair grins her responses won her. It gave her a sense of control in the situation to see what effect she might have on him. Ody-Bob confirmed then what she already suspected. He was trouble. Again, that voice screamed in her mind but was hushed, swept away by his breath next to her ear. The control she prided herself on maintaining was also whisked away. Like a master puppeteer, the scarcest of his touches dictated her every move. She barely registered her surroundings, so lost to the blur his presence inflicted on her senses. Rionna flashed by in a whir of light and thrown shadow.

When at last they came to the bar, Ody held the door for her to enter, which she did without objection. “And what do you know about what's to my liking?” she teased in return. “Who knows? I might surprise you.” After all, she wasn't just the pretty little heiress who'd never known a single day's hardship like everyone assumed she was due to her current fortune. She'd lost as much as she could have in order to gain what she had.

Stepping inside, she immediately noticed that there was less stimulation here compared to the Drunken Seagull. It wasn't ostentatious in the same way the Sussex bar was; it was smaller and more intimate. Patrons ate and chattered, their voices buried beneath the soft lyrics of a quiet quartet, which was punctuated by occasional clanging from within a dutiful kitchen. Eleanor found she missed Ody's heady cologne, lost as it was among the many aromas, and moved closer to his side to immerse herself back in it.

She dipped her head in thanks as he pulled her chair, seating herself with her tail pulled close around her. Her eyes swept the bar with less apprehension than the last time. It felt… normal. It wasn't quite somewhere she would ever dare step foot in alone, but here, with him, she felt confident that no one would bother them. It was the safest she could feel when her intuition told her she was anything but.

The waiter arrived with haste, nodding to acknowledge Ody-Bob's order. Those unwavering amethysts would then turn to her, wondering what flavor she fancied tonight. “Actually,” her eyes never left his, “I'd like something with a little… spice.” Another nod, then they were alone again. Eleanor would tilt her head, features thoughtful, considering him. There was a question she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure she wanted it to be answered. Against her better judgment, not for the first time that night, she asked anyway, “What brought you to Calyx manor? It's a bit out of the way for an aimless stroll.”

Was he looking for Mutt? Or for her?

That persistent voice arose once more, insinuating she already knew. But intuition was never her strong suit, and it was, once again, ignored.

@Odysseus

Guard

A guard notices you and approaches. He is thin but wiry and his yellow eyes seem to see through you. "Stop! You there!" He calls as he approaches you. "Why are you not in the barracks? Who is your suporvisor?"


This event affects only WANTED wolves. To try and persuade him and/or engage in a fight with him, please post in #updates.

my demons come to play

The evening had taken a surprising yet pleasant turn. Without even truly knowing him or his intentions, she let him guide her through the streets of Rionna. She had no clue where they were headed, she just blindly followed. A part of him was disappointed, it too easy. Stepping into the bar though, she would question him. Amusement lingered on his features as he guided her silently to their seats.

Again, she was all too happy to oblige. When the waiter came, her eyes never left his, even as she gave her order. Something with a little spice. "One of your surprises?" He would tease, vocals silky.

She would change the subject, inquiring about what brought him so close to the manor. His answer wasn't one she would like. Thankfully he was spared, Jaws parted to speak a lie when a young soldier approached. Odysseus caught sight of him from his peripherals. Eyes narrowed as the snapped to the wolf who approached with an arrogant swagger. Dark hackles bristled down his spine as the air around him crackled.

The soldier barks questions at the dark wolf, demanding answers. Inky lips lifted, baring teeth that had seen more bloodshed than most. "You know the rules here." Odysseus' voice was low, a dangerous growl. "And if you don't, then you better learn." He warned just as a fellow soldier grabbed his over zealous comrade.

A quick shake of his neck smoothed ruffle furs and while the aggression ebbed from him, the heat lingered in his eyes. "Sorry about that." The interruption may have spared him from coming up with an excuse for his proximity to the manor but now he was certain he would be faced with a different barrage of questions. The waiter would approach with wide eyes, mumbling that T said this round was on the house. Nothing under her roof went unnoticed.

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"Does it surprise you?" Eleanor volleyed the tease back to him in the form of her own question. She was enjoying this game of theirs. Up until now her life was filled by wolves handpicked by her uncle to keep her ensnared in the life he desired her to have. This exchange of flirtations with someone she barely knew, and who she was sure would displease her uncle, excited her.

But what was that about not being bothered?

No sooner had the thought arisen, Eleanor tensed as a guard addressed them - well, not her. For once, she was ignored. His attention was singularly fixated on Ody-Bob. She was prepared to get involved herself, maybe derail the soldier's intentions with a well-timed bribe, only for the matter to resolve itself in mere moments. Once collected by his partner, the pair were sent packing by a baritone warning, confidently dominant.

Ody-Bob had the decency to apologize for the interruption. Eleanor did not immediately respond, taking the moment that their waiter returned with their refreshments to process what had just taken place. A golden ear flicked, disturbed by the violence that remained in his eyes. "Does that happen often?" she questioned him once she found the confidence to.

my demons come to play

He answered her question with a smirk, letting her make her own assumptions. The reality of it though, he knew she was out here to take a walk on the wild side, an act of rebellion before she went back to her dreary life. She didn't sit across from him with the intention of committing herself to him or his lifestyle, she was after a reprieve. Or so he confidently assumed, thinking of her as another cliche noble. But that wouldn't keep him from slipping between her sheets if she let him.

The smirk had long slipped from his lips, the soldiers retreating to their table with angrily whispered words. The aggression would slip away slowly, falling from his shoulders like a cloak. But amethyst hues were brighter, sharper, suddenly full of challenge for another soldier to approach.

Eleanor remained quiet, her eyes fixed anywhere else as the waiter brought their drinks. "Not here." He answered. "The owner here has a simple rule." It was an unspoken rule that patrons new well. "This place is neutral ground for everyone that walks through the door." There were no arrests permitted, no hits could be carried out. Business could be discussed but not carried out. That it made it one of the few places he could let his guard down just a little bit. Here, Odysseus didn't have to sit at the table while constantly scanning the crowd, he didn't have to have eyes in the back of his head. That didn't mean he was completely unaware. The shadowy wolf was forever a predator, always aware.

Sipping from his drink, the alcohol burned a path down his throat, the heat soothing against the warmth of his temper. He blinked. There was no shame in his eyes or embarrassment on his face. He was who he was. He had an image to uphold, he wasn't going to jeopardize that for her. But when he looked at her again, his expression had mostly smoothed, his usual smirk toying with the corners of his mouth.

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