Fantasy ✦✧ 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐰 ✧✦ (𝘴𝘦𝘪 & 𝘯𝘺𝘹)

[nyxievous]

✧ IC thread for sei & nyx's rp ✧

​

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: . oh shit

location: . greenhouse

outfit: . here

actions: . hiding in a ball of vines

Beads of sweat glistened on Julien's furrowed brow as he stepped back to admire his handiwork - a planter, filled with freshly planted nightshade, its vibrant purple blooms swaying in the gentle breeze that flowed through the enchanted greenhouse. Today, Julien had opted for a break from magical shortcuts, finding satisfaction in good old-fashioned manual labor. It helped to have such a distraction on days like this, when his mother’s incessant voice crackled through his mystical communicator.

"Julien, don't forget you're meeting your bodyguards today. Azurion and Solaris—they came with a hefty price tag," his mother's voice echoed with concern through the enchanted device.

Rolling his eyes (and feeling grateful that she couldn’t see it), Julien scoffed, "For the last time, I don't need bodyguards. I'm not some feeble, helpless scholar. I can handle myself, and my knowledge of offensive magic is ample."

“I don’t think you understand the seriousness of the situation, Julien,” his mother persisted. If she were here, he could imagine her with her hands on her hips, staring him down sternly. “My assistant is still recovering from her injuries from the last attempt. Not to mention the numerous threats we’ve received since then.”

“Helen was caught by surprise,” Julien continued as he took off his gloves and untied and retied his ponytail. The humidity of the greenhouse was getting to him. He’ll have to get out for fresher air at some point. “We can just upgrade the enchantments, cast some protective wards, maybe even commission one of those mechanical alarm bots. Besides, I spend all my time at the Academia anyway and this is the safest place I can be. No one would dare attack me here.”

His mother's worries were valid, of course. After the recent attempt on their lives that left her assistant grievously injured and a barrage of threats aimed their way, caution was definitely warranted. But were bodyguards really necessary? Julien felt like that was going overboard.

As the young mage packed up his gardening tools, he continued arguing with his mother on the phone, growing more and more frustrated. Debating with the good Professor Delacroix was a lost cause. No one could change Annalise’s mind, especially not when it came to the concern of her precious children - both Julien and her research at the Academia. Some days he didn’t want to think too hard on which one was more important to her.

“Alright, fine, I won’t turn them away… Yes, I love you too. I’ll talk to you later.”

Julien ended the conversation with a tired sigh. It was way too early in the morning to deal with this. He desperately needed caffeine to process. Idly, he wondered what having a bodyguard would entail in his daily routine. Would they follow him to taverns? The library? The bathroom? He groaned in embarrassment. Gods, his peers were already not big fans of his and now if they see him toting not one, but two bodyguards around campus, he wouldn’t hear the end of it. He could imagine the gossip already. ‘Special treatment for being Professor Delacroix’s kid, must be nice.’ The whispers of privilege and favoritism would only grow louder, following him like a persistent soundtrack. It’s nothing he hadn’t heard already during his tenure at the Academia, but it certainly didn’t get easier with time.

Realizing he was daydreaming and falling asleep on his feet, Julien rubbed at his eyes and stretched his arms until he heard his spine pop with a satisfying crack, before heading towards the greenhouse’s exit. A figure stood outside, casting a shadowed silhouette against the glass panels. Julien furrowed his brow in confusion. Were they one of the bodyguards? It seemed too early for their arrival. He’d already forgotten what time his mother had said they’d arrive (he tuned her out quite often) but he was pretty sure now wasn’t it. Julien waved as he approached, releasing the locked mechanism on his side of the door.

“Ah hello, which one are you? Azurion or Solaris?” Julien asked, his voice filled with a touch of authority. The man was tall, half of his features obscured behind a cowl pulled low, showing only a glimpse of his dark eyes.

The man seemed momentarily taken aback, but Julien pressed on. "You're one of the bodyguards Professor Delacroix hired, right?"

That seemed to jog his memory. “Solaris,” the bodyguard answered with a nod. Julien couldn’t read the expression on his face, which was unnerving. Maybe all the bodyguards were like this.

Unfazed, Julien maintained his cool. "Alright," he responded with a shrug, masking any lingering doubts. "Want some coffee? I was about to brew a fresh batch."

Another nod. Man, this was going to be an excruciating process if all this guy offered was one word responses and head nods for conversation. Julien bit back another disappointed sigh and headed back into the greenhouse.

“We have access to our own coffee station here,” Julien said. He decided to give his new bodyguard a tour at the very least to pass the time while they walked. “This is the greenhouse. I spend most of my time here or in the laboratory which is just next door.” The person’s steps were silent, another unnerving quality Julien noted away in his brain. He looked back to see if the man was following and was greeted by a flat gaze steadily fixated on him.

“How do you enter the laboratory?” asked the bodyguard, which was the most words he’d spoken since they met. A strange question to ask, but perhaps he needed to know…for bodyguarding or something.

“Doors are enchanted, only to be accessed by a select few,” answered Julien.

“And who has access?”

Julien hesitated for a moment, sensing a hidden depth to that question, filled with a sudden sense of apprehension. “Me, the Professor and another researcher.”

“Which researcher?”

Okay, now this was way too many questions. Instead of answering, Julien decided to change the subject, “By the way, when is your partner supposed to arrive? I forgot their name…”

“Solaris.”

A chill ran down Julien’s spine. He halted in his tracks and slowly turned around, red eyes burning with a mix of realization and concern. “I thought your name was Solaris.”

A pregnant pause hung in the air. The man, who Julien was now pretty sure was definitely not the bodyguard he was promised, let out a curse and broke the heavy silence.

“Well, fuck. It was worth a try.”

As if on cue, the temperature in the greenhouse plummeted by a dozen degrees as ice leapt from the man’s fingertips and hurtled towards Julien. He barely dodged, rolling behind a large planter as ice shards pelted his way, catching the tips of his shoes. Julien summoned a wall of vines as a response in a protective barrier as he bid for time. He was cornered, his communication device was lost somewhere, and as the imposter continued their icy assault, wilting away vine after vine, he realized his mother was going to be really mad at him for being so so stupid.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

“No. Absolutely not.”

The woman sitting in front of Alexios raised a brow at his outburst, causing him to flush and duck his head as her gaze pierced into his very soul. “I mean– With all due respect, my lady, I would like to decline this offer.”

Reaper was an intimidating woman. Tall, lean, all sharp edges and muscle, with mousy brown hair cut in a bob with asymmetrical bangs and dark brown eyes that almost seemed black, like staring into the void. Adding to her terrifying aura was the creature curled around her neck, something that looked something like a mix between a fox and a cat but had long spines laying over its back. An eznevat, a creature native to Mysteria and extremely rare. And very deadly. Yet, Reaper had it lounging on her shoulders like it was nothing more than a house cat. Alexios knew she could order that thing to rip his throat out and he would be dead before the command had even fully left her lips. There was a reason that she was the leader of the Sable Cross and there was a reason that no one ever dared to question her judgment.

Tilting her head, Reaper leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table, lacing her fingers together, before leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands. “And why, Azurion, would you want to decline this request? It pays extremely well, and you and Solaris are some of the top guards we can offer. Which the client has asked for, and I intend to deliver on, given the amount she was willing to fork over.”

Alexios’ reply froze in his mouth, his jaw tightening, as he tried to find some sort of valid excuse to convince Reaper to let him sit this one out. It was impossible to think straight when she was staring at him like she was, which he was certain was a fact of which she was well aware. “Well–” he fumbled for his words, trying to ignore his partner at his side hiding a teasing smirk behind her hand while she watched his pitiful attempts at refusing their boss. Alexios sighed, knowing there was likely nothing he could come up with that would deter Reaper, and lying would only bite him in the ass later down the line. “I would like to avoid going to the Academia of Ralinzavi if I can.” He may as well just state the truth.

A hint of mirth flickered in Reaper’s eyes as she peered up at Alexios. “Because of your past experiences there?” she taunted him, clearly taking great pleasure in the way he was fidgeting uncomfortably.

“Yes, my lady.” he admitted begrudgingly. “I believe it will cause obstacles to the completion of this mission.”

“The Academia can do nothing to stop you,” Reaper countered. “We were hired through entirely legal means and we are simply providing the services requested. And considering the Cross has already cleared your record of any…outstanding warrants that might be used against you, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you from treating this like any normal mission.”

Biting back a sigh, Alexios struggled to keep his emotions in check. Going back to the Academia was the absolute last thing he had ever wanted to do. He joined the Cross to get away from that place. And now, here he was, being sent right back. “Lady Reaper, surely there is someone else available that can take this job,” he pleaded. “I’ll take literally anything else–”

“You’ll take this job because it’s the one that’s been assigned to you,” Reaper snapped, her voice inviting no further questions. “I chose you and Solaris for this mission for a reason, Azurion.”

Confusion flickered in Alexios’ gaze. “What?”

Leaning back in her chair again, Reaper’s hand came up to strike the eznevat’s head, the creature butting affectionately into her touch. “I chose you two to take this request specifically because of your past experience with the Academia,” she reiterated. “There’s been word of some…special research going on at the Academia. Something that I’ve taken quite the interest in. The client you’re going to be guarding is directly related to this research. I want you to use the opportunity to find out everything you can about the progress they’ve made. And possibly even bring me back a little souvenir of it. You’re familiar with the Academia, Azurion. That’s why I want you working this case. Your inner knowledge of the place will come in handy.”

Well, with that out in the open, Alexios knew there was no way he was going to be able to persuade Reaper to take him off this job. He deflated, stepping back to stand next to Solaris. “Yes ma’am,” he murmured.

“Good,” Reaper said, swiftly moving on. She grabbed a packet of papers from her desk and handed it over to Solaris. “Here’s the information you’ll need.” A smirk flickered over her lips. “You leave tomorrow, bright and early. Dismissed.”

There was nothing left to do except follow orders. Sullenly, Alexios trailed after Solaris out of Reaper’s office, dragging a hand over his face as soon as the door shut behind him. “I’m pretty sure some god has it out for me.”

“What, just because you’re required to go back to the Academia and face your family?” Solaris snorted, opening the papers and flipping through them. She started to hold them out to Alexios, but he waved her off. He didn’t want to read them right now. Solaris could figure out all the details.

“If I end up seeing any of them, I’m throwing myself off the tallest tower,” he replied dryly, earning a snort from Solaris. “Gods, my sister might arrest me on the spot if she sees me. What’s Reaper gonna do about my special insider knowledge then?”

“I’ll break you out,” Solaris bumped their hip with his, a mischievous grin decorating her face. “Come on, it can’t be that bad. The Academia is a big place. Maybe we won’t even see them while we’re there.”

Unlikely, but Alexios didn’t voice the thought aloud. Saying such things wasn’t going to do him any good. So, he could only part from Solaris for the night to begin packing his belongings so he could return to what had once been his home. He prayed the gods would give him the strength to get through this.

✧✦​

Three days after Reaper had given them the assignment, Alexios and Solaris stood inside the Academia. Getting inside had been a major hassle. Alexios had decided to wear a cowl, trying to hide the fact that he was here for as long as possible. Solaris had handled all the affairs they had to get in order – there was a lot of fucking paperwork for them to be allowed access to the research facilities of the Academia as non-scholars – but eventually it was all done. Alexios was mostly zoned out for the duration of the meetings, trailing lifelessly after Solaris and ducking his head when anyone who seemed even slightly familiar passed them by.

Finally, everything was in order, and Solaris had determined that their ward was out at one of the greenhouses. As they walked, Alexios pulled a pair of gauntlets from where they were tied to his waist, sliding his hands into the snugly fitting gloves. They were enchanted with ancient runes that enhanced the strength of his hits and imbued with fire magic. Since the gauntlets themselves were magic, Alexios was able to use them despite not having magic himself after they had been magically tied to him, thanks to Solaris. He’d plundered the gauntlets during one of their early missions together, taking the rare artifact as a prize. A little spell from Solaris had the gauntlets responding to Alexios’ thoughts alone, allowing him to ‘use’ magic. It wasn’t anything close to wielding real magic, and Alexios knew that. But still, the feeling of being able to command even a tiny bit of magic like this gave him a sense of pride. And of safety. Magical weapons were far more useful against most of the things he and Solaris ended up fighting.

“…rion. Azurion!”

Alexios snapped back to the present, blinking as he looked down at Solaris. They’d made it outside, so he assumed the greenhouse was close by. “What? Something wrong?”

“No, you’ve just been spaced out since we got here,” Solaris drawled, crossing her arms. “You better get in shape otherwise you’re not gonna be much use during this mission.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Alexios brushed her worry aside, playing with the straps on his gauntlets to tighten them a little bit. Solaris rolled their eyes but fell silent, continuing to lead the way. Until she stopped suddenly, her body going tense.

“…Any chance the greenhouse is supposed to be half frozen over this time of year?”

“What?” Alexios asked, still fiddling with his gauntlets, brow creasing in confusion. “That literally defeats the purpose of a greenhouse; why would you–” He finally glanced up, seeing the sight Solaris was commenting on. “Oh.”

Several meters away from them was a large building clearly dedicated to being a greenhouse. The shape of plants could be made out through the pale green glass, sprawling across the entire area. It looked like any normal greenhouse should…except for the frozen condensation lacing some of the walls and the massive, jagged spikes of ice poking out of the ground.

“Yeah, oh.” Solaris lightly smacked his shoulder. “If that’s not how it’s supposed to be, then we’ve got a problem. Probably a ‘someone is trying to kill our client’ problem.”

“I meaaan,” Alexios drawled. “If they die right now, that means we get to go home, right?”

“And have Reaper rip our heads off instead? No thanks, I choose life.” Solaris’ pale orange eyes began to glow, the veins in her body lighting up as fire raced through her. “I mean, at least it’s just an ice mage. No chance it lasts longer than a couple minutes against us.”

Heaving a sigh, Alexios finished fitting his gauntlets on his hands, the runes on them activating to show his magic was keyed and ready to be released. “Alright, alright, I guess we have to actually do our jobs.” He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. “But I’m taking on whoever is flinging that ice around. You can rescue our little damsel in distress client.”

“Why do you get first crack at the guy?!”

“Because I called it first!” Alexios was already sprinting toward the greenhouse, pumping his arms at his sides, breathing falling into a steady rhythm. He saw a flash of orange light go by over his head, almost like a comment, and he shook his head, fighting back a grin as Solaris rematerialized just long enough to open the greenhouse door before she was turning back into an elemental being of pure flame, darting into the building.

It didn’t take Alexios long to get inside either, his gaze sweeping the scene before him. Luckily, it seemed like their client and the attacker were the only people in the building. If there had been anyone else, they had clearly already evacuated. The ice-wielding mage was a burly man, his face covered by the cowl of a cloak, as he used his ice to form barriers around the small ball of vines that Alexios assumed his client was hiding in. The client would be cornered like that, leaving the only exit to be past the angry man throwing deadly icicles. Well, said angry man wouldn’t be there much longer.

Alexios’ gauntlets began to glow as he sprinted forward, flames creeping along his fingers. As he neared the man, Alexios pushed himself off a small box laying nearby to give himself some more power in a downward strike. Before the ice mage knew what was happening, Alexios’ fist connected with his cheek, which cracked under the impact, sending the man stumbling to the side as he grunted in pain and surprise. Landing lightly on his feet, Alexios didn’t give the man time to recover, immediately surging forward with a series of attacks. The man tried to throw a thin sheet of ice between them to stop Alexios, but his burning fists punched right through the pathetic attempt at a shield.

That brief moment still gave the man time to recover though, drawing himself up to his full height, the hood of his cloak falling back and revealing what was clearly a cracked cheekbone where Alexios had hit him, as well as the quickly blistering skin from the flames. “You should get out of here, boy,” he snarled, frost curling across his fingertips. “Maybe you’ll get to walk away in one piece if you do.”

“Yeah, see, personally, I would love to take you up on that offer,” Alexios shrugged. “I don’t wanna be here anymore than you want me to be here. But I am getting paid for this, so I kinda have to do my job.” He brought his fists up, the heat catching the pale blue of his eyes, making them look like they were glowing. “So, do you wanna be the one to go down quietly? Or am I gonna have to knock you down?”

As Alexios continued the assault on the mage, Solaris thinned her body into nothing more but a slim stream of flame as she wormed her way through the holes in the vines, materializing back into her human form at the client’s side once she was through. “Hi!” she said brightly; if the client reacted negatively to her in any way, like trying to throw a punch, Solaris would easily block it and gently push the man’s limbs back to himself. “I take it you’re the client we’re supposed to be guarding from big, dark, and ugly out there.” She stuck a hand out, their palm steaming a little bit and warm to the touch, a friendly, nonchalant smile on their face. “I’m Solaris of the Sable Cross. My partner Azurion is out there dealing with your little friend. It shouldn’t take him too long to finish up. So, no worries, you can just sit back and look pretty.” A wink followed her final words as she turned her back to the client, ensuring she kept him safely behind her while she started working on unfreezing the ice pinning the man in the corner with a slow thaw.

Meanwhile, Alexios and the mage were thoroughly sucked into the dance of a fight. Alexios threw a right hook before ducking under another punch, his body swinging easily into an uppercut that had the man reeling backward. The mage flung a spear of ice at him, but Alexios held his palm up to stop it, only feeling a little prick through the gauntlets before the ice was melting away. He didn’t let up on the man, not missing a single beat to his steps. It was so, so easy to read the body language of the man in front of him; he was practically communicating his moves before he made them directly into Alexios’ head. Alexios’ body was fluid, minute shifts enough to cause the man to miss and falter in a strike, giving Alexios the opportunity to hit him again.

Solaris had been right – he didn’t last long. Alexios got one more good punch to the man’s face, head on, feeling his nose shatter beneath his fist, blood spurting over them both. Lunging forward, Alexios grabbed the man’s arm and hefted him over his shoulder before slamming his body into the ground with a loud thud. Panting from exertion and adrenaline, Alexios carefully looked at the mage to ensure he was down for the count. And it seemed he was; his breaths even, if not a bit wheezy, head lolling to the side. Blood was still gushing out of his nose, but Alexios didn’t particularly care. He glanced up just as Solaris was ridding the greenhouse of the rest of the ice left behind by the mage, her warmth spreading over their entire surroundings. The client was still behind her and she slowly led them back out into the open now that the threat had passed.

Running a hand through his hair to try and get some of the unruly strands out of his face, Alexios planted a foot on the attacker’s chest – rather pointless, since he was soundly unconscious, but it looked cool – as he turned to see Solaris and the client. “So, like, are we supposed to take him to jail ourselves or is someone else going to come and–”

The rest of his words died on his tongue as the client stepped out from behind Solaris. Alexios’ eyes widened considerably, his mouth going dry. This had to be a cruel trick the fates were playing on him. That was the only explanation for his luck to be so far gone that not only was he back in the Academia, but he was supposed to be guarding this specific person. The man standing by Solaris was on the taller side, but not by much, with a thin frame that showed how much of his time was spent doing scholarly things. Long white hair tumbled down his back, nearly the same pale shade as the open-chested shirt he was wearing, and red eyes flickered around as though expecting someone else to try and stab him in the back. He had changed, most certainly, over the years they had been apart, but Alexios would still recognize the face before him anywhere.

“Julien?”

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: ?!?!

location: . greenhouse

outfit: . here

actions: . talking, overthinking

Julien's mind raced, his heart pounding like the beat of war drums as he contemplated his next move. He wasn't sure how long he could keep holding his vines up. He had to come up with some kind of plan that didn't only involve rolling into a ball and panicking. Earlier he had told his mother he knew offensive magic, and that was partially true, but his plants needed warmth to survive and frost was the exact opposite of that. The bright green leaves and stems were wilting away, the life within pulsating weakly under sheets of ice. His breath came out in puffs before him as the tips of his fingers turned blue, his energy draining fast in keeping the vines alive.

Come on…just a little longer… If only he could take a peek at the mage's location, wrap one of his vines around his feet and yank him away, but the awkward angle that he had found himself cornered in offered no solutions. The alternative would be to blindly attack the mage, but Julien wasn’t one for making impulsive decisions.

And then, the icy assault paused. Muffled voices reached his ears. Oh no, had more assassins joined to steal their research and kill him? Julien couldn’t allow that to happen. The fate of their research, the culmination of years of tireless effort, hung in the balance. It was his and his mother’s life’s work and he’d rather die before he let someone else steal it. Okay, maybe blind aggressiveness is the way to go, Julien thought, taking a deep breath as he flexed his hands, focusing on attempting to make his vines move through the thick layer of ice. He refocused his energy, his thoughts converging on a daring plan. As he summoned every ounce of magic within him, he channeled it through his veins and into his outstretched hands. The vines that had served as his shield would now become his weapons, poised to strike at the opportune moment. On the count of three… One… Two…

There was a loud thud and what sounded like the sounds of a fight happening. Julien’s brow furrowed, pausing in his ministrations. There was a voice too, and something in the depths of his memory stirred at the sound, but he had no time to ponder on it, for it was then that a warm and golden-red wisp of a flame slipped through his vines and materialized in front of him, swiftly taking the shape of a figure.

"Ah!" Julien startled, raising his hands to redirect his energy at the attacker, but instead they took his hands gently and explained themselves. Solaris. The real one this time. Her touch ignited a warmth that permeated his frost-bitten body, revitalizing him from within, melting away the layers of ice upon his feet and his wines as the color slowly returned to Julien’s cheeks. “I - okay?” was all he could utter at her insistence to sit back, look pretty, and let the professionals handle everything. He hadn’t realized how cold he had been until Solaris was working her magic and he had stopped shivering, the blood rushing to his legs as he finally stood up from his crouched position on the floor.

Solaris focused her attention on the greenhouse next, melting away the frost on everything. Julien could practically feel the relief emanating from the plants. He ran his fingers through the closest ones, pushing some life back into them. Some of the older buds had been lost, but he could feel some new ones still hanging on for dear life. Good, all was not lost. It was nothing a few days of work at the greenhouse couldn’t fix, something he didn’t mind at all.

The fight seemed to be continuing on somewhere behind them, but Julien didn’t feel the need to go and investigate any time soon. He was perfectly happy to stick beside Solaris - there was something about her that made him trust her. Maybe it was because she was being exceptionally gentle with his plants, which he greatly appreciated. He stuck close to her, working his own magic after she had melted the layers of ice, and together they were making the greenhouse look like it hadn’t been disturbed at all. “Thank you for that,” Julien thanked his new bodyguard with a grateful smile.

When they were finished, Solaris led the way back, supposedly to her partner, and Julien followed, steps slow and hesitant as the other bodyguard called out to them. That voice… he was sure he recognized it somewhere. A nagging sensation tugged at the recesses of his mind, an elusive familiarity that demanded his attention. With trepidation, he stepped out from behind Solaris, his wide eyes surveying the scene before him.

And there, standing before him with the unconscious assassin beneath his boot, was a figure that sent shock-waves through Julien's core. Leadened legs carried him forward as he shoved his hands into his pockets to hide his trembling fingers. The weight of recognition settled upon him, as if destiny had orchestrated this encounter with meticulous precision.

Alexios. The last time he had seen him was more than a decade ago, when he'd said goodbye to him, promising to keep in touch. One of them had not kept that promise. The other was now having a bit of a hard time breathing properly as his heart did somersaults in his chest. Red eyes darted away from blue ones. Surely, this was a prank. An illusion. His former best friend, here at the Academia, standing before him in his greenhouse? There was no way that was him, right? For one, he hadn’t been this tall the last time he had seen him, and two, he didn’t have so many piercings - also what the heck were even those gauntlets he had on his hands?

And yet, even with so many changes, in Julien’s heart, he knew that this person before him was unmistakably Alexios. There were way too many things that Julien wanted to say to him at that moment but he didn’t know where to start. Should he ask why he disappeared or was it more appropriate for a generic greeting - a ‘how have you been, old friend’?

Were they even still friends?

Instead, the white-haired mage cleared his throat, his eyes coming back to meet Alexios's when he called his name.

“Hello, it has been a while, hasn’t it?” He cleared his throat again, trying to swallow down his nervousness. “I wasn't expecting you to be my new bodyguard…Alexios.” His name felt foreign on his tongue, and yet it stirred a familiar comfort in his heart.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

After Solaris had ensured that Julien wasn’t going to throw any magic at her, she started working on carefully unfreezing the greenhouse and the plants inside. Exceptional customer service was part of her charm, going above and beyond to make her clients feel safe and well-cared for. She hadn’t intended to pay much attention to the plants, but when she unfroze a few of them while working on the jagged ice surrounding them so they could move more freely, Julien seemed highly appreciative, following along behind her with his own magic to urge the plants back to life. Solaris had read in his file that his magic allowed him to control plant life. It had the potential to be extremely powerful, but she wasn’t sure how well-versed in the capabilities of his own magic he was yet. Surely, he couldn’t be that strong, otherwise he wouldn’t be needing two guards to protect him from whoever wanted him dead. Or to kidnap him. The file had been a little vague on that point. What it had told her was that Julien Delacroix, the 25-year-old son of Annalise Delacroix, was in danger because of something his mother was doing. And that something was what Reaper wanted them to investigate and bring back to the Cross. Obviously, they weren’t the only people with the same idea. It seemed as though other interested parties had zeroed in on Julien as the best target, since he was the son of the main researcher. So, she and Azurion were going to be fighting off other people looking for the same research they were while also protecting the piece everyone had decided was the most useful in getting said research.

Oh, this was going to be fun. Julien Delacroix was an essential tool, the key to unlocking it all. And he had been handed to them on a silver platter. Now, they just had to ensure that he stayed ignorant of their true goals while also somehow getting him to unwittingly help them. Solaris thrived in these sorts of games, getting the target to trust her so she could get what she wanted. Julien would be no different. Especially since, even after this brief encounter, it was clear that he was little more than a pretty bird locked in his scholarly golden cage. Solaris would bet money on the fact that he had almost no real-world experience if mommy dearest was still hiring bodyguards for him like this.

“No problem!” she replied brightly with an easy smile as Julien thanked her for freeing the greenhouse from the attacker’s icy grasp. “I’m not much one for the cold anyway.” The sounds of the fighting were dying out, so she assumed that Azurion was finishing up on his end as well. “Shall we go and meet my partner? Sounds like he’s got everything handled by now.” When Julien agreed, she led the way back over to where she had last heard the sounds of brawling, pleased to see that Azurion had succeeded in downing his opponent, standing triumphantly over top of him.

What she wasn’t expecting was for both Julien and Azurion to freeze at the sight of each other, clearly recognizing each other’s faces. That was confirmed when Azurion named their client, his face like he had seen a ghost. A frown flickered ever so briefly across Solaris’ face. This might be more complicated than she had been hoping it was going to be.

The universe truly must be out to get Alexios with this sort of luck. Of all the people in all of the Academia of Ralinzavi, the one person that he was here to guard had to be Julien Delacroix. Maybe reading the file on this case when Solaris had offered it to him would have been better. Then he wouldn’t have gone into this blind. But no, instead, Alexios had been too busy sulking about having to go to the Academia at all to take a look at the file, trusting that Solaris would let him know any relevant information that was actually important. The client’s name never mattered to either of them, so of course she wouldn’t have mentioned it. But this time, the name was extremely important and Alexios wished that Solaris had even just mentioned it in passing.

Instead, however, he was left floundering as Julien stared back at him with the same sort of shock etched onto his features. Alexios’ mind screeched to a halt, all coherent thoughts flying from his head as he tried to grapple with this ghost from his past. His sister, his brother, his parents, all of them were people he was expecting to run into at some point during this mission. He had been preparing himself for that. Nothing, however, could have prepared him to be faced with Julien after all this time.

“It’s Azurion,” the words left Alexios’ lips before he could even think too much about it. He’d been poised and ready to be saying that a lot while here at the Academia, but he hadn’t expected to be saying it so soon. And to Julien of all people. What was he even doing here? The last Alexios had seen of him, Annaliese Delacroix had been hauling her family off to gods knew where. He had kept in touch with Julien for a while, but as more time passed and Alexios found himself engaging more and more in less than legal things, he’d stopped answering the letters. At first, he’d told himself it was because he was too busy to answer them. Then, it was because he didn’t want any of his new associates to have any idea that Julien existed. But really, Alexios knew that the actual reason he’d stopped answering Julien was because he didn’t have the heart to lie to him anymore, even over letters. He couldn’t lie to Julien, but he also couldn’t admit to the kind of shit he’d been getting into. Alexios could picture the look of disappointment on Julien’s face if he had opened a letter that said hey, great to hear from ya, how have you been, I’m a star in an illegal underground fighting ring and also I think drugs are cool now! Disappearing on Julien had been easier than trying to write something like that.

At least, it had been at the time. Honestly, Alexios hadn’t thought he was ever going to see Julien in any capacity again. That was part of what made it so easy to vanish on his former friend without a trace, never reaching out to contact him in any way. Now, however, he was going to have to deal with the consequences of that. How long had Julien even been at the Academia? Had he spoken to any of Alexios’ family? What had they told him? Would Illia have told Julien about all the times she had dragged Alexios’ ass out of jail? Would Robyn talk about the time he had found Alexios stoned out of his mind for the first time on highly addictive narcotics? Would his dad mention the screaming matches they had gotten into when Isolfr found out about everything Alexios had been doing, and even continued to do despite the many punishments – both from the law and his own family – that he received? What sort of picture did Julien have of Alexios now?

Stepping back from the unconscious mage underneath him, the gauntlets on Alexios’ hands dimmed until they were no longer glowing with flame as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t answer to that name anymore. So, I’d be grateful if you forgot it.” He had abandoned the name of Alexios when he joined the Cross. It was better that way; allowed him to more easily leave behind the person he had once been. That was the opportunity that Reaper had offered him – the chance to become someone new, to erase the broken and fucked up person that he had once been. It was how near everyone in the Cross felt. They were people seeking a new beginning, an escape from something haunting them. And Reaper provided such things, so long as they pledged their loyalty to her. Alexios had been all too happy to take that deal.

“Well, this is certainly a surprise!” Solaris’ chipper voice cut through the air. “Who would have thought the person we’d be guarding was an old friend of Azurion’s, hm?” Alexio glared at her, noting the mischievous glint in her eyes. He knew he was going to get grilled for answers later about whatever relationship had once existed between him and Julien.

“Not like it matters,” he huffed. “It’s been a long time. We were just kids the last time we knew each other.”

Although Alexios had been hoping to dissuade Solaris’ interest, it seemed as though he only increased it when he saw the corners of her lips turn upward for a moment in a hidden smirk. Gods, why did Reaper have to choose him to come on this mission? It was already a disaster.

“I’m sure we’ll have the time to reminisce later,” Solaris hummed, making Alexios shrink in on himself. He was only delaying the inevitable by not suffering through Solaris’ questions right now. At least later it wouldn’t be in front of Julien. Hopefully. “Now!” she clapped her hands together, spinning back around to face Julien. “Since you’re all safe and sound, allow us to make our proper introductions. First, the proof we are who we say we are.” Turning around, Solaris tugged the shoulder of her shirt down a bit until an intricate cross tattoo on her left shoulder blade was revealed. The symbol of the Sable Cross, marked onto every member, and used on any official messages they sent to clients. She glanced expectantly back at Alexios, who sighed before lifting the front of his shirt, revealing a matching tattoo etched across his muscles on his right abdomen close to his waistline before he dropped the hem back down again.

Shrugging her shirt back over her shoulder and spinning back around, Solaris continued: “My name is Solaris, and my partner is Azurion. We’re here to guard and protect you against, well, situations like you just found yourself in.” Her cheerful grin never left her face, inviting Julien to be at ease now that they were present. “We’re some of the Cross’ top guards, so you can rest assured that no harm will befall you while we’re around. Our job is to keep you safe while also causing minimal disturbance to your daily life. We can be as present or as invisible as you need us to be – if you want us to be mere shadows in the background, we can blend in very easily. Or, if you want to make more of a statement, we can be as bold and imposing as you like. At least one of us will be close by you at all times, even if you don’t see us in the moment. Azurion and I are at your beck and call, and we aim to make you as comfortable as possible, so feel free to ask us to do anything even if it is not strictly something a bodyguard would normally do.” Solaris clapped her hands together, folding them in front of her. “So! Any questions, Mr. Delacroix?”

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: pretty annoyed

outfit: . here

actions: . being petty lol

“It’s Azurion.”

It felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped on Julien’s head. It shouldn’t have been surprising. What else had he been expecting Alexios to do? Give him a hug? Surely not. Yet, it still stung to witness the fortress of walls instantly rising in those pale blue eyes. The initial shock on his face had dissipated into a cool, calm exterior, a face that was supposed to be familiar, yet now held an expression he had never seen before. He told him to forget his name, but how could he? Julien had heard similar things from everyone else around him as well.

“Good riddance, I don’t have to try to keep his ass in line anymore,” Illia had said once and Julien had judged her harshly then, wondering how a sibling could be so cruel. Robyn on the other hand had been kinder, speaking of Alexios with a sadness in his eyes, yet danced around his words, being intentionally vague about why his brother had disappeared despite Julien’s incessant questioning.

“I don’t understand why you’re still hung up over this guy,” Felix had said recently. “It sounds like he got into shady shit and dipped. Are you sure you still want to find him?”

“Yes, I’m sure. You wouldn’t understand why,” Julien had answered, nursing a large jug of mead at Felix’s tavern. His stupid friend had asked him about his childhood, which had opened the floodgates. Stories about his childhood would not be complete without stories of Alexios.

Julien was lurched to the present when Alexios said, “Not like it matters…We were just kids the last time we knew each other.”

The mage’s hands in his pockets formed into a fist, simmering anger brewing just beneath the surface. Felix had been right; he shouldn’t have spent the last few years clinging onto the memories of someone who had effortlessly thrown away their friendship - and was still pushing him away even now. If fate, in the form of his mother’s worrying about his safety, hadn’t intervened, then Alexios wouldn’t even be standing here in front of him.

Meanwhile, the other bodyguard, Solaris, went right down to business, formally introducing themselves and showing off the tattoos of their organization as proof. Despite his annoyance, Julien’s eyes drifted to Alexios’s physique, feeling the back of his neck warming up at the sight of toned muscles and the defined v-shape of his waist. When did he get so fit? It only fueled his irritation further; Alex had no right to grow up to be this attractive. Crossing his arms, Julien directed his gaze elsewhere, the ground receiving his scowl.

“Any questions, Mr. Delacroix?” Solaris asked him finally, after finishing describing the nature of their job.

Oh, Julien had plenty.

Feeling particularly petty, he shifted his focus to Alexios. Taking deliberate steps toward him, he stopped inches away, locking eyes with his purple-haired ‘ex-best friend’. His red eyes radiated irritation, but behind the facade lay the hurt of an unresolved past. At that moment, he lamented the height advantage he’d had when they were teenagers.

"If your aim is to make me comfortable," Julien said defiantly, "Will you answer to 'Alex'? Or is that out of the question as well?" He yearned for a sliver of recognition, a flicker of the old bond that bound them together. Yet, he also feared what revelations might accompany that recognition. There were questions that demanded answers, and Julien was determined to seek them, even if it meant breaking through the barriers that Alexios had erected.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

Of course, Julien wasn’t going to let this go quietly. Why would he? Why would any of this ever go smoothly? Alexios tilted his head up as Julien approached and he crossed his arms, tilting his head as he looked down at Julien with a cocked brow. He really shouldn’t be surprised that Julien was going to harp on him like this. He’d never been able to leave well enough alone. Alexios swallowed as Julien glared up at him, a little stunned by the height he had gained on the other man. Julien had always been tall and wiry, but Alexios had shot up in height when he was around seventeen. That was when his body had really started packing on muscle from all the fights he was in too. His shoulders and chest had broadened out, and though his arms were currently covered by the sleeves of his coat, they’d thickened considerably since they were kids as well. Julien, it seemed, had kept the same thin figure. Looking down at him now, Alexios felt like he could easily snap Julien in half if he wanted to.

No wonder he needed protection.

Alexios bit back a sigh as Julien pressed further about his name, even throwing out an old nickname. Why was he doing this? They weren’t close anymore. It had been eleven years since they had last seen each other, nine since the last letter Alexios had ever sent Julien. After his sudden disappearance, Alexios was surprised Julien even wanted to attempt to establish some kind of connection to the lives they had once had. Wouldn’t it be easier for both of them if he just let it go? Trying to reminisce about their childhoods was only going to bring them both pain.

Despite the many thoughts swirling around Alexios’ head, he managed to keep his face blank, hiding every hint of the storm of emotions he was feeling. He had to treat this as though it was any other case. Julien was just another client of the Cross. It didn’t matter what sort of history they shared together – Alexios had left all of that behind a long time ago. He’d left Julien behind a long time ago. Right now, he had a mission to protect Mr. Delacroix. Not Julien. Don’t be familiar with him. Keep him at a distance, and with any luck, Julien would get the hint and they could get through this without anything too disruptive.

Solaris was going to be another issue entirely though. Alexios could see them hovering behind Julien, curiosity and mischief dancing in her eyes as they bounced between the two men. If he wanted her to back off the questions too, then he was going to have to act like he did with any other client. If he treated Julien any differently, Solaris would pounce on that to tease him relentlessly. Gods, this was going to be such a headache. Alexios bit back a sigh. He just needed to disconnect himself with all emotions regarding Julien. Ignore them all until this mission was over and then they wouldn’t be a problem anymore. He could do that. Right?

There was only a brief pause after Julien’s question before Alexios was able to answer. Biting back the sour taste in his mouth, he brought up his usual smirk, tilting his head to the side as his gaze ran over Julien appraisingly. “No matter how much you look, you aren’t going to find the person you’re seeking,” he drawled. “But if it’s a form of familiarity you want, you can call me ‘Rion.” His smirk widened, teeth flashing as he bent over a little to bring himself closer to Julien’s height. “Although, normally, I prefer to have a few drinks with someone before I let them try calling me that. But if you want to jump straight into intimate nicknames, I’m okay with that too, since you have such a pretty little face.”

The flirtatious compliment came with ease to Alexios’ tongue; he’d said some variation of the same thing to countless people before. It never meant anything to him, but it usually meant something to the other people. Alexios was well aware of his physical charm and he knew damn well how to use it when it benefitted him. With other clients, making it seem like he cared about them, like they were attractive to him, usually meant that they were far more generous with their payments. Or, in cases such as this, where he and Solaris had an underlying mission, it made clients more willing to open up and spill their secrets. It was also fun for both of them. Toying with their clients was a favorite pastime, and many times, Alexios and Solaris had made bets about which of them would be able to bed the client first. It was a game for them, and if a client ended up brokenhearted at the end of it…well, that was their fault for assuming a paid guard was there for more than just a paycheck.

There was no way to tell how Julien was going to take Alexios’ response. From what he remembered, Julien was an easily-embarrassed child who Alexios could make flush with a simple compliment without even trying. He wondered how much of that person remained, if any at all. Or, maybe Julien had grown out of that and would simply be disgusted by Alexios’ attempt at flirting. Or maybe Julien would flirt back? Alexios couldn’t decide which of the three was the lesser evil.

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: (╯︵╰,)

outfit: . here

actions: . avoiding looking at alexios

Julien's face flushed at the compliment, a reaction that he was annoyed to discover hadn't changed over the years. It was a vulnerable response, a glimpse of the young boy who had once blushed at the slightest praise from Alexios. The color to his cheeks came unbidden before he had the chance to mask his emotions and adopt a more composed demeanor to hide his internal turmoil. His heart thumped in his chest as he stood there, trying to process Alexios's response. Part of him had hoped for some sort of recognition, a hint of the boy he once knew, but instead, he was met with a wall of detachment and casual flirtation. It was a stark contrast to the vulnerability he had glimpsed earlier, leaving Julien feeling even more lost in this encounter.

It was clear that he was pushing the boundaries, digging into a past that Alexios had chosen to bury. But something in Julien couldn't let go, couldn't simply accept that they were nothing more than strangers now.

Alexios, true to form, wasn't playing fair. Seeking loopholes, being impulsive, and teasing Julien until he relented - that was all him. At least some things never changed. Except now, instead of Alexios using his boyish charm to lure him into mischief, he was trying to push Julien away. Despite the disappointment simmering beneath the surface, Julien refused to back down. He would not be dismissed so easily.

Feeling both frustration and annoyance, he couldn't resist poking at Alexios’s chest, only to be met with solid muscle. Instantly regretting the touch, he scowled at the other male, resentful of his unfairly chiseled physique. He vowed to lift a heavy bag of soil after this encounter, just to feel better about himself.

He met Alexios's smirk with a determined gaze, "What? You think a charming smile is enough to make me forget everything? Just because you've grown a few inches and changed your hair doesn't mean you're an entirely different person. So, save your sweet talk for someone else, handsome," he spat out, the compliment sounding more like an insult, as if Alex’s stupid, attractive face inches away from him brought him great personal offense.

Azurion, Rion - whatever he wanted to call himself now, to Julien, he would always be Alexios - Alex - Lexi when he wanted to tease. The past couldn’t possibly stay buried. Memories and feelings were spilling already.

"I don't need 'Rion' or any intimate nicknames," Julien continued, his voice hardening as he gazed directly into blue eyes, searching for the answers he sought. "I need honesty. And I can see you’re not ready to give me that.”

He could feel Solaris's eyes on them, and he knew she was watching the exchange closely. A part of Julien wondered if she was the reason for this facade. Perhaps Alexios didn’t want to appear vulnerable in front of a colleague. Julien resigned himself to the fact that he was not going to get through to Alexios today, atleast, not while they had company.

As if the gods could hear his thoughts, more company arrived then in the form of his work friends.

The greenhouse doors yawned open for the third time that morning, revealing Min-Jae and Helen strolling in with warm cups of coffee in their hands, their conversation trailing off when their gazes settled on Julien and the two newcomers. Sensing the need for distance, Julien took several steps back from Alexios as his mother's assistant bounded over first. Helen’s usual exuberance seemed undiminished, and she wasted no time in bombarding Julien with her usual cheerful chatter.

“Julien - oh, are these the new bodyguards? Madam Delacroix gave me their files but I forgot to give them to you - not that you’d ever read through them! Hello, I’m Assistant Helen Daeris, and this is Researcher Min-Jae Chaefir! You must be Azurion and Solaris from the Cross, yes?” Helen said it all in one breath, bright amber eyes glinting behind her glasses, flitting from one bodyguard to the next.

“Helen, why are you back already? You should be resting,” Julien sighed, eyeing the bandages that peeked out from her long-sleeves. The attack had only been a week or so ago and already his mother’s secretary was looking bright eyed and bushy tailed. Julien could only wish for her energy.

“That’s exactly what I said,” Min-Jae chuckled, stepping over to Julien and extending an extra cup of coffee to him. “Here. Your third cup of the day, I presume?”

“Ah, thank you,” Julien said softly, gratefully accepting the much-needed drink. “It’s actually my first cup,” he said, just as Helen gasped, “Is that a dead man on the floor by the peonies?”

Oh. Right. Julien had definitely forgotten about that.

“Yeahhh, sooo, there was an attempt,” Julien started slowly, choosing his words carefully. He wasn’t eager to tell them all that he was the idiot that let the assassin mage into the greenhouse voluntarily. “Thankfully, Al - Azurion and Solaris were here to save the day. The end,” he said, trying to wrap up the explanation as quickly as possible.

“But is he actually dead or unconscious?” Helen asked, keeping her distance, but forming a makeshift stick out of a piece of paper from her files and charming it to fly over, poking said unconscious assassin’s bloodied face. “Madam Delacroix won’t be happy if he stinks up the greenhouse,” she muttered to herself, face deadpan.

Concern etched across his face, Min-Jae immediately turned his attention to Julien. “Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze searching for any signs of injuries.

Julien pretended to be busy sipping his coffee, grateful for the momentary reprieve from answering the question. How could he possibly be okay? He had been attacked by an ice mage, saved by his ex-best friend, and then faced with the reality that said ex-best friend wanted nothing to do with him. It was an emotional rollercoaster that left him feeling confused and hurt, but he wasn't ready to share those feelings just yet. So, he focused on the comforting warmth of the coffee in his hands, hoping it would provide some semblance of peace amidst the chaos.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

As expected, the flirtatious switch caused Julien to pause, trying to process what Alexios had said. Admittedly, it was almost a relief to see a familiar reaction from Julien. It meant that Alexios still knew how to read him. That was going to make this easier – right? He wasn’t going to have to guess what reactions Julien might give him; he already knew exactly what to do and say if he wanted to appease Julien, to tick him off, to make him red like he was now. And if he knew how to read Julien, then it was going to be easy for him to know how to act to hide the way his emotions were in complete disarray. It shouldn’t be hard to keep Julien at a distance. After all, it had already been over a decade since they had last seen each other.

Why was he even feeling so mixed up about this? Sure, he and Julien had been close once, but lots of friendships faded with time. After not speaking in so long, why did Alexios care so much about what Julien was thinking? Why did Julien care what he was thinking? Well, he could understand Julien’s anger at Alexios disappearing on him, but Julien wasn’t just angry. He was angry and still trying to reconnect with Alexios. In fact, Julien hadn’t even started with anger. That had only come when Alexios attempted to brush his familiarities aside. It made Alexios’ head spin. This was all too much. He should have never taken this mission, demanded that Reaper find someone else to take it. At this point, Alexios was thinking he would rather face his boss’ wrath than deal with this whole mess.

Julien seemed determined to make this as difficult as possible though, shoving his finger into Alexios’ chest as he scowled and demanded that Alexios stop behaving so differently. Despite the way Julien was yelling at him, however, this was…easier to bear than the pleading looks, begging Alexios to acknowledge him as a friend. Getting yelled at, being berated, those were things that Alexios had suffered through all his life. Julien had always been his safe space though, a place of comfort and companionship. So, even though this anger directed at him wasn’t new, Alexios’ stomach still twisted a little at the fact that it was Julien’s voice rebuking him now. He could ignore that though. Pretend it wasn’t there.

When the white-haired mage attempted to scold him back with the same demeaning sort of compliment Alexios had thrown at him, however, the amused half-smirk that quirked Alexios’ lips was genuine. “I think a charming smile can make people forget a lot of things,” he replied with ease, his character never breaking for a second. Alexios’ hand twitched for a moment, but then he brought it up to Julien’s chin, lightly using two fingers underneath it to tilt his head up. The gauntlet, despite being metal, was warm against Julien’s skin. “I am pleased to know you find me charming and handsome though,” he grinned. “That enough honesty for you? Cause if you want more, a hired mercenary might not be the best place to go looking for it.”

Alexios dropped his hand from Julien’s face, stepping back to create distance between them just as the doors to the greenhouse burst open. Instinctively, Alexios shifted in front of Julien, hands balled into fists. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Solaris tense as well, a few flames flickering along the bottom of her hair. Both mercenaries paused as they actually saw the two newcomers, glancing between each other in an effort to assess the situation.

Which, it seemed, was non-threatening. The smaller, mousy blue-haired woman bounded up to Julien quite quickly before introducing herself. Alexios and Solaris both relaxed, and he made to step further away from Julien and closer to his partner. “Pleasure to meet you!” Solaris chirped, taking over the talking once again, her eyes as bright as Helen’s as her gaze flickered over the woman. Alexios couldn’t help but snicker a little. Already, Solaris was sizing up other people she could play around with. “I’m Solaris, and he’s Azurion.” They tilted their head a little as Julien fussed over Helen, gaze flicking down to the bandages that were visible under her shirt. “Ah, it seems as though Mr. Delacroix isn’t the only one who’s being targeted,” she hummed. “Hopefully, Azurion and I will be able to send a message that any attacks won’t be tolerated though!”

Behind the bright smile on their face, Solaris was noting everything she could about the two new people. So, more people who worked under Annalise Delacroix. Possible tools, possible nuisances, possibly both. The woman, Helen, seemed friendly enough, so trying to work through her to get some information might be their best bet to start with. Befriending her didn’t seem like it would be that hard. The other researcher, Min-Jae, didn’t seem to pay any attention to either Alexios or Solaris, beelining straight for Julien. Ah, Solaris would know that look on his face anywhere. He was infatuated with Julien. That could be useful later down the line.

Helen’s gasp about the body stole everyone’s attention as she poked at it with a floating piece of paper. Alexios tilted his head. Telekinesis? Or something else? He’d figure it out eventually. “Just unconscious,” he shrugged nonchalantly, walking over to the body, kneeling beside it for a moment to heft the man up on his shoulders. Alexios strained a little under the hulking weight, but after he’d adjusted himself, he stood easily. The man’s head lolled to the side, the blood dripping down his face starting to harden and turn a more brownish red. “I broke his nose, but that’s the worst of what I did.” Well, the burns would probably sting when he woke up too. “We only use lethal force as a last resort. The majority of the time, we incapacitate, then hand the perpetrators off to the proper authorities.” A lie, through and through. Lethal force was standard for members of the Cross. Even if Alexios had killed this man, it hardly would have been his first. But, of course, for now, they were trying to be law abiding guards, so they couldn’t be killing people left and right.

“Well, Ms. Daeris,” Alexios turned to her with a roguish smile, entirely unphased by the blood dripping onto his coat. “If you’re quite so worried about him causing a stink in here, do you think you can direct me as to where I could take him? Solaris and I weren’t sure if we called someone to come and take him into custody or if we needed to deliver him ourselves.”

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: (￣、￣〃)

outfit: . here

Helen stopped her poking of the unconscious body with the paper, her attention shifting to the gathered group. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned the paper back into her hand with a casual gesture. “I wasn’t targeted. I was just in the way. If only you were here a week earlier, though,” she said to Solaris with a warm, teasing smile. “Bastard caught me by surprise. Next time I won’t be so forgiving,” she threatened playfully, her tone belying the dangerous glint in her eyes. Julien shivered at the transformation in her expression. Helen could be downright scary at times, a fact he had grown accustomed to over their years of working together. He supposed it took a certain level of mettle to be Annalise Delacroix’s unwavering secretary.

As Alexios began to explain the status of the body on the ground, Julien's gaze was fixed on him, absorbing every word. Alexios had always been one to attract trouble, but to think he had turned that into a profession… Julien's mind churned with questions he wanted to ask, a mix of curiosity and concern. Has he ever been in grave danger? Did he get hurt frequently? Did he bear scars from his fights, hidden beneath his clothes? Julien watched as Alexios effortlessly lifted the unconscious assassin, his movement graceful and efficient. Blood trickled from the assassin's wounds onto Alexios' coat, and Julien's stomach churned at the sight. He had never been comfortable with blood, a weakness he was loath to admit. Fortunately, there wasn't much of it, but the visceral reminder of violence left a lingering unease.

At the question of body disposal, Helen's eyes lit up with an unsettling enthusiasm. “Well, we could keep him and test our -”

Min-Jae's interruption was swift and firm, his voice cutting through with an air of authority. “Calling for the proper authorities is fine, don’t you think, Helen?” His words held a note of caution, a reminder of the necessity for discretion. Julien didn’t think Helen was going to divulge their secrets so easily, but Min-Jae was lead researcher and always a bit of a stickler for keeping their mouths tight-lipped about the research they were doing at the Academia. This was going to be even more complicated now with two bodyguards around Julien all the time. He needed to figure out the best way to handle this without letting Alexios or Solaris know about the details of their research. Gods, he wished his mother didn’t just hire people without talking about it with him first. How was he supposed to figure this out by himself?

Helen pouted for a bit before she snapped into assistant mode. “Right this way, Mr. Azurion. Should I call you Mr. Azurion? And Ms. Solaris? I don’t suppose you two have titles that you prefer? It wasn’t mentioned in your files,” she asked with her usual efficiency and curiosity.

She began to lead the way outside, expecting Alexios to follow. Julien was torn between following too, even though he didn’t need to, and staying back to wait for them to come back after doing whatever they needed to do. In the end, his legs decided to make the decision for him and as he began to take his steps towards the retreating figures, Min-Jae grabbed his hand, halting him in his tracks.

Concern and care radiated from Min-Jae's gaze as he asked, “Julien, are you sure you’re -”

“I’ll be right back. Just have to, ah, make sure it’s all taken care of properly. You know how my mother is,” Julien offered as an explanation. That was a lie. Helen could more than make sure everything would be taken care of. The truth was, Julien just couldn’t let Alexios out of his sight for another minute. What if he just left again? Contracts and obligations be damned, he wouldn’t put it past Alexios to just tear it all up and disappear just to spite him. The purple-haired man was not playing a fair game.The touch of Alexios' gauntleted fingers against his chin still tingled on his skin. His entire face was still warm. Damn you, Alexios.

He gently extricated his hand from Min-Jae's grasp and hastened his steps to catch up. He joined the conversation just as Helen launched into a whirlwind of questions. “So, can anyone hire guards from the Cross? How do you accept and assign them? Like, say, if a rich troll were to ask for your services to guard a bridge instead of him, would you take it? Or is this all top-secret confidential information that only members of the Cross would know? Can I become a member of the Cross?”

The white-haired mage could barely hold in his laughter at Helen’s barrage of questions, his heart feeling a bit lighter for the first time since that morning. As his lips curved into a smile, he teased, "Helen, if joining the Cross means you'll be out there defending troll bridges, I'm not quite sure they're ready for you."

"See, Mr. Azurion, here is a very serious hired mercenary," Julien continued, the amusement in his tone dancing like a hidden flame. The way he addressed Alexios now was different, infused with an unspoken challenge. Julien's gaze shifted momentarily toward Alexios, their eyes locking for a heartbeat before he continued, his words carrying a subtle undercurrent of meaning. "I'm sure he's far too busy with important tasks. Dare I suggest, so busy that he wouldn't even have time to answer letters from his dearest friends, much less bother with simple bridge trolls?"

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

Although Helen’s tone was humorous, there was a glint in her eyes that made Solaris wonder just how much the other woman meant the words. It intrigued her, making her own eyes light up in excitement. Julien had said that this woman was a secretary, but Solaris was wondering just what sort of skills Helen might be hiding underneath her friendly appearance. Of course, if Helen was more trouble than her initial appearance seemed to be, that could cause problems down the line. Other members of the Cross might have bemoaned that. But Solaris had always liked a challenge. If Helen was going to provide some interesting obstacles, who was Solaris to run away from them? Yes, Helen was definitely going to be someone to watch and keep an eye on. And, well, if Solaris’ flirtatious charms led to them falling into bed together a few times along the way, she was certainly not going to complain.

Solaris’ concern that Helen was hiding a more dangerous self was further solidified as she started to mention keeping the body to test on. It made the fire spirit raise a brow as they glanced over at Azurion. He met their eyes for a moment before glancing back down to Helen as Min-Jae cut in before she could say anything else. Solaris pouted a little, extremely interested in what Helen was going to propose. The secrets of their research aside, was she keen on using people she deemed ‘bad’ as test subjects? Most people wouldn’t stoop down to that kind of level and Solaris was pretty sure human testing was illegal without jumping through a bunch of bureaucratic hoops and getting the full consent of every subject. Helen was getting more interesting by the minute.

Alexios’ gaze flickered between Helen and Min-Jae. He was having a few thoughts similar to Solaris – Helen seemed like their best way of squirreling out information and Min-Jae seemed to be the main obstacle to said information. A single look at him and the reactions he’d had to the current situation let Alexios know all he needed to know about the man. Min-Jae was a stickler for the rules, followed them to a tee, and seemed quite willing to enforce those same rules on others with whatever power he wielded. It made Alexios’ skin crawl in disgust. Min-Jae was far too much like how he remembered his sister acting. Being back in the Academia and being forced to put up with someone of that sort of personality was going to be extremely taxing. But he had to hide it for the sake of the mission.

At least he didn’t have to think about Min-Jae for long; Helen was quickly gesturing for him to follow after her with the body. Alexios chuckled at her question as she skipped ahead and he hauled the body after her. “Just Azurion and Solaris is fine,” he brushed the question aside. “We don’t really have titles – just the names we go by.” He wondered how long it would be before Julien told Helen and Min-Jae his real name. Technically, it wasn’t bad if they knew his real name, like it was for some other people who were hiding out in the Cross, but he didn’t want anyone to be calling him that. He had meant it when he told Julien that he had abandoned the name long ago. Most of the memories attached to the name were painful ones that he didn’t want to relive every time he heard someone call for him.

Before they could follow after Helen and Azurion, Solaris was forced to pause as Min-Jae grabbed Julien’s hand and held him back. They politely stood far enough away that it didn’t seem like they were eavesdropping and were only doing their job as a guard, but they still caught the gist of the conversation. Min-Jae worried about Julien, Julien brushing the concern aside, nothing important since she had already clocked the fact that Min-Jae was most definitely in love with Julien. This just showed that it didn’t seem Julien shared the same feelings. Solaris’ gaze flickered between the two men for a moment before she bounded after Julien as he caught up to Helen and Azurion. They came up just in time to catch Helen launching a barrage of questions at Azurion.

The questions coming at Alexios were so rapid-fire it took him a minute to process all of them. He blinked dumbly for a moment, trying to figure out how best to word his answers so that Helen’s image of the Cross remained as a legal one. “Well, anyone can request assistance from the Cross,” he replied, shifting the dead weight of the body on his shoulder. “Whether their request is accepted or not is up to the higher-ups in the organization.” He did know that he could never refer to Reaper. The names of Reaper and her Grim were known as high-profile mercenaries, so Alexios had to be vague on who the boss of the Cross was. “I don’t have a lot of say in what sort of jobs I get handed. I’m given a file and expected to work with it. I’m not exactly a high-ranking member, moreso around the middle of everything,” he chuckled. That was true – Reaper was very selective about who she chose to wield power in the Cross, so there were few who did. Most everyone had the same simple rank of ‘mercenary.’ “So, theoretically, I suppose we could be assigned to guard a troll bridge if it was an accepted request. I don’t know what criteria the bosses use to determine what they accept and what they don’t.”

When Helen asked if she could join the Cross, a genuine snort of laughter escaped Alexios’ lips. An Academia secretary joining the Cross was a hilarious concept. She’d be eaten alive within moments of stepping foot into the base. “Again, theoretically, you could apply, I suppose,” he answered once he had subdued his bubbling amusement. “You have to go through intense training, however, with a senior member.” Alexios had been lucky, or perhaps unlucky, enough to have caught the eye of Grim himself, Reaper’s second in command. The training had been brutal, as Grim didn’t seem to know the meaning of the words holding back. But Alexios had persisted and survived – despite several threats from Grim that failure would mean death – and he was grateful for the training he had received. Grim had turned him into a much better fighter, honed the skills Alexios already possessed to a great degree. He owed his success in the Cross to Grim.

Julien’s voice cut through the din as he joined the group, Solaris close behind him, and it took him all of two seconds to start tossing his thinly-veiled barbs at Alexios with his words. It took everything in Alexios not to roll his eyes, trying his hardest to maintain his mostly-professional demeanor. His gaze slid over to meet Julien’s, cocking a brow at the clear challenge in his words. Gods, was he going to be like this the whole time? If that was true, Alexios was almost tempted to just kidnap Julien himself to find out where the results and data of the research were being kept. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Solaris pressing her lips together, barely hiding a smile as she watched him grow more and more annoyed at Julien’s constant poking. He shot her a glare, but she pretended not to see it.

“You’re correct,” Alexios replied easily, pulling up a lighthearted smile on his face. “I’m very serious about my job. If I wasn’t, you would be liable to get killed or kidnapped! Wouldn’t want that now, would we?” The look hidden in the depths of his eyes met Julien’s unspoken challenge easily. “I am kept quite busy guarding all sorts of people and things though,” he hummed. “I don’t really get any letters though – my friends know they’ll see me as soon as I come back from whatever my current mission is, and my dearest friend is my partner in crime!” He winked pointedly at Solaris, and she blew him a playful kiss, matching his grin. “It is also kind of hard to send letters when I move around so much. So, thankfully, I can say that isn’t an issue for me!” Alexios wondered how many times he was going to have to shut down Julien’s fantasies that they could go back to the friendship they had before. Surely, he’d get the hint soon enough, right?

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: (￣、￣〃)

outfit: . here

Despite not really partaking in the conversation between Helen and Alexios, Julien couldn't help but be curious about the answers as well. This Cross was an organization whose name he’d only heard in passing and didn’t pay much attention to, having no reason for their services until now. It sounded like there was a strict hierarchy within the organization, and Julien couldn't resist wondering where Alexios fit into that structure. Julien wanted to ask how long his ex-friend had been working with the organization to become a mid-rank member as he’d mentioned, but he kept his mouth shut, red eyes only occasionally sliding to sneak glances at the other man before flicking forward once more.

Helen was already engrossed in the conversation, hastily jotting down notes onto a small notebook. Her eyes widened with rapt attention behind her glasses, capturing every word as if it were the most critical piece of information. The laughter that erupted from the purple-haired guard in response to her question about joining the Cross made her frown slightly, as if contemplating a challenge she was more than willing to embrace.

“I suppose I’ll have to submit an application then and make you all eat your words when I get accepted,” she declared, throwing a mock glare in Julien's direction as he teased her. Her retort was swift and playful, and she was more than up for the task. “At least I know I’ll have a better chance at guarding troll bridges than you, Julien,” she quipped back at the young researcher.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no interest in being somebody’s lapdog.” Julien’s response was unexpected, causing Helen's surprise to briefly flicker across her features. She'd always perceived Lady Delacroix's son as a mild-mannered young mage, dedicated to his research and maintaining a low profile. It had taken a considerable amount of time and energy, along with the combined efforts of Julien’s bard friend, Felix, to peel back the layers of the young researcher's outer shell and get to know him on a more personal level. The sass she now heard in his voice, usually so well hidden, was a pleasant revelation, albeit one she hadn't expected to witness so readily in front of these new guards.

Helen's bewilderment deepened when Julien indirectly referenced the purple-haired guard while conversing with her, his remarks adding another layer to the situation. It appeared as though Julien and this guard had some form of history, judging by their interactions alone. Helen strained her memory, but she couldn't recall Lady Delacroix ever mentioning such a connection. Perhaps even her employer was unaware of this link. With a thoughtful gaze, the brown-haired secretary's eyes shifted toward the other bodyguard, curious to know if they shared the same sense of confusion that was currently gnawing at her.

A facade of professionalism and casual indifference was the response from Alexios. A flicker of frustration danced in Julien's eyes as he processed the response. It was clear that his old friend, or rather, the man who had once been his closest confidant, was determined to maintain this newfound distance. Alexios' words were carefully chosen, emphasizing the divide that had grown between them over the years. The terms 'dearest friend' and 'partner in crime,' as the guard looked at someone else and feigned no connection to Julien, left a stinging sensation in the pit of his stomach.

A growing annoyance festered within the white-haired mage. If they had been alone, Julien would have given Alexios a well-deserved smack and a good scolding. Had the other truly forgotten that he wasn’t one to give up so easily? It was Alexios after all, who had taught him that.

“How lucky,” Julien commented dryly. “That your dearest friend is your partner in crime to watch your back.” He harbored no ill will towards the other guard. They hadn’t talked in years, and of course it was expected that Alexios would make other friends. But this pretense that their history meant nothing was what irked him most. He met Alexios’s fake smile with one of his own. The revelation that Alexios got no letters was intriguing however, and Julien filed that thought away for another time.

"Dedicated and fearless guardian that you are, I suppose even family holds no sway over you," Julien mused aloud, his gaze fixed on Alexios. Yet, his thoughts were elsewhere, weaving a plan in the recesses of his mind.

His vine manipulation powers had always been a source of comfort and a means of self-expression for Julien. While they were mainly used for maintaining the greenhouse, Julien had developed a level of control over them that allowed for subtle manipulation. As they walked, he directed a couple of thin, flexible stems from a nearby potted plant towards Alexios' path. Julien kept his focus trained on his ex-friend, waiting for the perfect moment to enact his mischievous plan.

Approaching a marginally uneven stretch of ground, Julien seized his chance. With a skillful flick of his mental command, the vines wound delicately around Alexios' ankle, their grip discreetly snug. It was a nuanced maneuver, one designed not to cause any harm but sufficient to upset the bodyguard’s equilibrium. A split-second stumble, so brief that to an onlooker, it might have seemed like nothing more than a minor slip.

“Ah, do watch your step,” Julien said in mock concern as he continued walking, not bothering to look at Alexios as he talked. "These vines tend to materialize out of thin air around here. Such an inconvenience."

“Are you alright, Azurion? Is the body too heavy?” Helen chimed in with actual concern. “We’re almost at the Academia Security offices. Just a few more steps to go, but we could take a break if you like!”

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

It was honestly difficult to tell if Helen was being serious about attempting to submit an application to join the Cross. Alexios knew that she would never make it in; Reaper was extremely selective about who she allowed to join the guild and thorough checks were done on each person that sought to join. There were some people who were like Helen, who heard of the Cross in passing during one of their legal stints and thought it would be ‘fun’ to see what being a part of such a place would be like. Those people were easily filtered out and swiftly rejected, as they would only become liabilities to the Cross when they discovered the underground work that was also done. Then, there were people like Alexios who were picked up by the Cross like stray dogs, taken in and given a new place to call home. Finally, there were the people who sought out the Cross specifically for their illegal reputation. Reaper was a famed name that drew many people who wanted to work under her and take a piece of the wealth that came with it. She had no shortage of people who were willing to join the Cross, and that allowed her to be selective on its members. Helen would never get close to joining if she was actually being serious.

“Best of luck to you then,” Alexios chuckled as Helen reiterated that she had complete faith in her ability to get into the Sable Cross. His light and encouraging tone belied his true thoughts, letting her live in whatever fantasy she had where mercenary work was something easy that anyone could do. She was right about one thing though: she would most certainly be better at guarding a bridge than Julien would be.

The scathing remark from Julien that followed Helen’s words had Alexios raising a brow, but he didn’t rise to the bait to comment on it. If he did, it would be further evidence that he and Julien had some kind of history together, and he wanted to keep that as quiet as possible. Solaris knowing was one thing, but these other Academia rats? Alexios would hate for word to get out about who he was and that he was here. He did, however, still think that it was terribly amusing for someone like Julien to be making comments about not wanting to be a lapdog when he had always been nothing more than a lapdog to his mother. Annalise had always kept Julien wrapped around her finger and he always did what she wanted. Hell, even now, he was still working for her and was taking on bodyguards that she had bought for him. Alexios was compensated for his work and he had carved out his own standing in the Cross. What did Julien have that his mother hadn’t given to him?

Unlike Azurion, Solaris wasn’t holding out hope that her partner’s identity was going to stay hidden. Julien was very clearly demonstrating that he had no qualms about referencing his past with Azurion, and it was obvious from Azurion’s reactions – both back at home and here – that he wanted to remain as low-profile as possible. He didn’t want anyone else that he may have previously known seeing him here. But if Julien revealed Azurion’s former life here, then it was highly likely that it was going to spread. Helen didn’t seem like the kind of person who would keep such a secret, and she was clearly already catching onto the tension between the two men. Solaris eyed her idly, only giving a slight shrug of her shoulders when Helen glanced her way in clear confusion. They were determined to get Azurion to answer some questions about this whole mess later that night when they could get a chance to be alone. Would Julien willingly reveal anything to the others? It was difficult to tell yet. But clearly, Azurion’s identity getting out here might end up being more of an obstacle in their plan than Solaris had thought it would be.

Alexios could tell that he was grating on Julien’s nerves with the more indifference he displayed, yet the man still wouldn’t give up. “Yep! I’m very lucky to have found a partner I can mesh so well with,” he drawled, barely keeping the annoyance out of his own voice. He wished these other Academia idiots hadn’t shown up when they did so he could be dealing with Julien’s tantrum in private instead of these idle remarks that Helen was growing more and more curious about. Alexios needed to get it through Julien’s skull that they weren’t friends anymore and that he needed to get over that. He should have already gotten over it after the many years they’d spent apart.

But no. Instead, he was going for the low blows. Alexios’ shoulders tensed when Julien mentioned family and it took everything in him not to turn around and swing for the mage’s face. Solaris saw the aggravated tension lining Alexios’ muscles and she hurried to try and quell the situation before it could get any worse. “Well, it’s hard for family to have sway over you when you don’t have any,” she laughed, brushing aside the question with an oddly cheerful tone that was at odds with what she said. “The Cross is our family, and the only one we need. So, there isn’t really anyone else trying to ‘hold sway’ over us.”

In all honesty, Alexios wasn’t sure if what Solaris had said was going to be better or worse. If it was some random client, sure, but Julien knew Alexios’ family here. Solaris wasn’t wrong in saying that Alexios had no family – he was sure he had been disowned when he disappeared and his family would have been happy to be rid of him – but Julien wouldn’t see it that way. Not unless the entire Valtyr family suddenly dropped dead.

As caught up in his stewing thoughts as he was, Alexios wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to the ground in front of him. He only noticed the slithering vines when it was too late, the greenery tugging at his ankles to knock him off balance. With the heavy body on his shoulders, he nearly fell over completely, stumbling a bit as he tried to readjust himself. Alexios sent a sharp glare at Julien; he knew the feel of Julien’s magic anywhere. Even if he hadn’t already realized it, the mage’s taunt would have been enough to clue him in. His icy eyes darkened as he swallowed his anger, having to remind himself over and over that there wasn’t anything he could do to Julien. Not here and now. “Thanks for the warning,” he shot back sarcastically as he hefted the body back to its original position. Alexios’ fingers flexed in his gauntlets, but he kept his head high as he continued stalking forward.

“No, no, I’m alright,” he brushed off Helen’s concern. “A few vines aren’t enough to throw me off.” He had several more biting comments he wanted to throw out, but they were all too personal to Julien specifically.

Thankfully, it didn’t take much longer for them to arrive at the Academia Security offices. Admittedly, there was some hesitance in Alexios’ step as they approached, his gaze flickering around as though he feared his sister was going to jump out from behind a corner at him at any moment. He didn’t know if she’d ended up actually following in their father’s path and becoming a fully-fledged bounty hunter or if she had decided to stick with the more centrally based Academia Security. Either way, he didn’t see any sign of Illia’s pastel hair floating around, and there wasn’t any aggressive chill in the air that always seemed to follow her when she dealt with Alexios, so it seemed as though he was safe for now.

Leaving Solaris with Helen and Julien, Alexios dragged the body into the office, where he was met with immense confusion and quite a lot of scrambling around by the personnel there. It did take him some time to explain who he was, flash the necessary verification of his identity and his legal ability to be here, but eventually, he got everyone calmed down and was able to hand off the body to them. The man had started groaning and shifting about in all the commotion, so Alexios was glad to be rid of him then and to let others deal with him. Rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck, he sauntered back out of the office once he was done, coming back over to stand beside Solaris as he loosely crossed his arms over his chest. “Gods, you Academia people have too much bureaucracy,” he grumbled. “How hard is it to just take a body to a prison cell?”

“If they did that, you would probably be being dragged along to a prison cell with him for showing up with a random unconscious body,” Solaris teased him, causing Alexios to snort and roll his eyes. As he dropped back into his sullen silence, Solaris internally sighed as she realized she was likely going to be the one doing most of the talking on this trip. “Well then, now that that’s all figured out,” she said, never losing her cheerful and friendly tone throughout it all, “we defer to you, Mr. Delacroix. As I explained before, we’re basically just your shadows. Whatever you need to do today, we’ll just tag along and make sure no one else tries to pull a stunt like in the greenhouse.” They would figure out sleeping arrangements later that night when Julien actually went back to wherever he stayed. Solaris and Alexios always worked in shifts so one of them was always awake during the night since that was when most people liked to try and strike. But they would be staying wherever Julien did, no matter what the space may look like. It was all detailed in their contract, after all. None of it should be a surprise to him.

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: (￣、￣〃)

outfit: . here

Julien felt the heat of the glare on the back of his head, but it only amused him further. He continued walking without looking back, a smug satisfaction settling within him. It served Alexios right for his earlier comments, those indifferent remarks specifically aimed at getting Julien to back off. No family? No friends other than the Cross? Just who did Alexios think he was? The man got a fancy new job and suddenly decided he didn't need any of them?

As Alexios went off into the offices to dispose of the body, Helen immediately sidled up next to the white-haired mage. She inquired under her breath, "Julien... are you acquainted with Azurion?"

Red eyes glanced down at her for a brief moment before looking away, quietly watching the door of the security offices through which Alexios had disappeared. "No, I've never met the man in my life," he replied monotonously, his arms crossed around his torso. There was no point in telling Helen the truth. She would only grow more curious and pester him for details about Alexios, which Julien wasn't in the mood to entertain. Besides, the first thing Helen would do would be to tell his mother, and Julien wasn't sure how Annalise would react to the news that Alexios was actually the bodyguard, Azurion, whom she'd hired. Would she terminate the contract? Would she be elated that her son's childhood friend was the one protecting him from danger? Annalise was a hard woman to predict, and Julien preferred to keep his mother in the dark for as long as possible. She would, of course, recognize the boy when they eventually met, but perhaps it was fine to delay it just a little longer...

Helen, however, wasn't convinced. She squinted her eyes up at the mage from behind her glasses and pressed a little more, "Are you sure? You don't seem to like him very much, and you've only just met." She hinted at the possibility of a shared history between the two. Various possibilities swirled in the young secretary's mind. Perhaps they were jilted lovers? From what she'd heard about the mage from Felix, Azurion was certainly Julien's type for when he had time for romantic endeavors, and the tension she sensed between the two made that seem likely. Idly, the secretary wondered how Min-Jae would react to that news if it were true.

"I simply don't like mercenaries, that's all," Julien answered, his gaze sliding towards Solaris, who he was sure was listening in on the conversation. "No offense," he added briefly to them before his attention wandered back to the door as Alexios stepped outside, complaining about bureaucracy. The banter between Solaris and Alexios made Julien look away, feeling a pang of something he decided to ignore. 'Azurion' wanted him to forget the old Alexios, but how could he when all he could see were glimpses of the old Alexios he missed all these years?

Solaris reiterated their guard duties, leaving Julien feeling somewhat uncertain about how to proceed. Typically, by this hour, he would be engrossed in his laboratory work. However, with the recent assassin incident, it appeared he would be spending most of his day tending to the greenhouse. In all honesty, that still seemed preferable to having Alexios and Solaris trailing him into the laboratory, overseeing his highly classified research."Well, I don’t think you two are allowed in the laboratory with me -" Julien began.

Helen stepped in on his behalf, her clipboard materializing in her hands as several sheets of paper fluttered around her, her eyes scanning them quickly. "Right, it seems you're somewhat behind on your tasks for today, Julien, so you'll need to catch up at the greenhouse," she stated, affirming Julien's initial assumption. "As for you two," she redirected her attention to the two guards, now all business. "If Julien does require laboratory access today, I'm afraid neither of you will be permitted inside. We've placed a rather potent countermeasure spell on the laboratory door to deter unauthorized entry, and you both lack the necessary clearance," she added pointedly. "Lady Delacroix's team has taken oaths to safeguard our secrecy, which is why you will have to stand guard outside the laboratory when Julien needs access. Is that perfectly clear?" She waited a moment for confirmation before turning back to Julien, presenting him with a sheet of paper. "I've summarized the key points from the Cross' contract for you. Please read it this time?"

“I’ve read it,” Julien mumbled under his breath. He had, in fact, not read it. Even now, his eyes skimmed over the text, finding it utterly boring to concentrate on. How could he read something as mundane as the terms and conditions of a contract when there were far more interesting things to do? He was smart. He could just figure it out as he went along, couldn’t he?

Helen simply shot him an amused look before directing her cheerful smile at the trio. "Very well, I'm off to contact Lady Delacroix and brief her on today's events. It was a pleasure meeting you both, Azurion and Solaris. I have full faith in your abilities to safeguard Mr. Delacroix!" With a parting wave, she proceeded down the hall, surrounded by floating papers as she tackled her own tasks for the day.

Feeling somewhat chastened, Julien's gaze remained fixed on the contract as he commenced his walk back to the greenhouse. “Do both of you really need to shadow me all day? How many assassins could possibly attack me in the span of a day?” he mused, though it was mostly a rhetorical question. He secretly hoped one of them might suggest that he could be left alone. Unfortunately, one clause in the contract immediately dashed that hope. At least one member of the Cross will accompany the client at all times… stated the contract. Julien felt like he was being babysat. Annoyed, he decided not to read the rest of the contract and stuffed it back into his pockets.

The walk back to the greenhouse felt shorter without Helen throwing curious questions at the mercenaries. Min-Jae wasn’t anywhere nearby and Julien supposed the supervisor had to step into the laboratory for something or other. Which meant that he was alone with his two shadows for however long he worked. Would he even be able to work with them hovering around him all the time? Surely his mother knew that he didn’t like distractions? Yet she had gone and hired them anyway. Julien struggled to suppress a mounting wave of frustration, sensing a headache brewing behind his eyes.

“Alright, I suppose… you two can occupy yourselves as you wish here," he suggested begrudgingly, his crimson eyes surveying the lush expanse of the greenhouse. Realistically, there wasn't much for them to do apart from standing watch. “I’ll be tending to the plants, fixing up the rest that I didn’t get to earlier and that would probably take all of my afternoon.”

The white-haired mage strolled over to a nearby desk, pulling open a drawer and retrieving a notebook, thumbing through its pages as he continued to address the two guards. His gaze briefly flickered in their direction before resuming its study of the notebook. "Doesn't this job get rather boring when you don’t have assassins to fight?" he inquired, making an effort to engage in a conversation that didn't revolve around his jabs at Alexios. If they were to spend the better part of the day together, Julien figured he could muster a modicum of civility.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

As Julien expected, Solaris was keeping an ear turned toward his conversation with Helen. She wasn’t surprised that the other woman had picked up on the tension between Julien and Azurion, given that she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. Solaris was a bit surprised that Julien actually denied knowing Azurion. They had thought he would spill the secret at a moment’s notice, if only to be petty toward Azurion. Maybe Julien just didn’t want to deal with the fallout of questions that were going to come along with admitting such a thing. It made sense, especially given the way Azurion was acting too. It was clear Solaris was going to have to try exceptionally hard to get any information out of her partner about Julien, but they were more than up to the task for it. She knew all of Azurion’s weak spots.

“Oh, no offense taken!” she chirped when Julien claimed not to like mercenaries and that was the reason he was being so cold. It was a feeble lie at best, given that he wasn’t being nearly as cold to her as he was to Azurion. But, if he wanted to cling to that lie for now, who was she to tell him otherwise? “I know there’s a lot of stigmatization that comes with the job, so I’m not surprised you’d have some previous prejudices.”

When Alexios came out of the office, he glanced between the three still outside, feeling the weight of attention on him. He’d been around enough people who talked behind his back in his life to know what it felt like to be the hushed topic of conversation. He shot a glance toward Solaris, but she seemed entirely unbothered. Maybe he was just being paranoid. But he was certain that he wasn’t imagining Helen’s intense gaze at his back.

With the assassin now taken care of, it was back to normal shadowing duties. Both Alexios and Solaris raised a brow when Julien started to say they couldn’t come into this laboratory with him, but at least Helen was hopping in to say that Julien actually needed to go back to the greenhouse. She did reiterate Julien’s point about the laboratory though, claiming that there was no need for them to be inside since there was no way Julien could be in any danger while in there. Alexios’ brow was furrowed as he turned that information over in his mind. Clearly, this laboratory was where the research Reaper was interested in was going to be found, but it seemed they were going to be facing quite the obstacle to getting inside. Not only were they being explicitly instructed to stay outside, but there was a powerful enchantment guarding the place as well.

Already, Alexios’ mind was racing with ways to worm his way into the laboratory. Helen claimed that everyone on the team had taken oaths to guard the secrecy of their work, but how strong were those oaths? In Alexios’ experience, a good many people folded far, far too easily under the right kind of pressure. Money, concern over their safety, concern for the safety of their loved ones, there were a host of ways to make people abandon supposed oaths that they had taken. Maybe he and Solaris could convince Julien that they needed to be with him in the laboratory to guard him if they could prove he wasn’t as safe in there as he thought he was. They’d need to find out who the other members of this team were so they could do some reconnaissance on them and see if any of them would make a worthy target.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye at Solaris, he could see similar thoughts running through her head. They were often on the same page when it came to planning without even having to say a word to each other – it was part of what made them such good partners.

“Well, suppose we’ll have to take your word for it about the laboratory,” Alexios hummed. “Since Lady Delacroix is our employer, if she orders us not to step foot in there, then we’ll abide by that. We can keep the perimeter safe anyway.” If they were on the perimeter and someone still managed to ‘sneak into’ the laboratory and target Julien, then surely, Annalise wouldn’t be able to tell them to stay on the outside and they’d have a chance to poke around on the inside.

Seemingly satisfied with her work, it wasn’t long before Helen was flitting off to talk to Annalise. “It was a great pleasure to meet you as well!” Solaris called after Helen with a wide grin. “We’ll be sure to take great care of him, you can count on that.”

“Real subtle,” Alexios muttered under his breath at them, which earned him a swift elbow to the ribs that had a rush of air escaping from his lips as he grimaced.

And then they were three once again. Julien was quick to begin walking back toward the greenhouse, Alexios and Solaris following closely at his heel. “It’s safer for both of us to be here,” Solaris hummed in answer to Julien’s question, even if he wasn’t really looking for an answer. “You’d be surprised how persistent people can be when they want something. Technically, you only need one of us with you at all times, but until we both get a better feel for the area and your schedule, it’s best for both of us to stay close by.”

Upon reaching the greenhouse, Julien didn’t waste any time getting back to his work, leaving Alexios and Solaris milling behind him. Solaris was quick to skip off toward another part of the greenhouse, still within earshot, but curiously poking around at some of the other plants. She was careful not to touch any of them too much, but she did rub a finger gently over some of the leaves and petals. Alexios stayed near Julien, his azure eyes constantly sweeping the area around them, as though expecting someone to jump out of one of the potted plants. Maybe someone could, for all he knew. The ice mage had gotten this far easily enough.

Since Solaris was busy prancing around the greenhouse, it left Alexios to answer Julien’s questions. He sighed, preferring the awkward silence to awkward conversation. “There’s parts of any job that are boring,” he shrugged. “It’s been a while since we’ve done guarding for a singular person though. Usually, it’s a caravan or something that needs protection from bandits and the like.” Those were decidedly more interesting jobs than watching someone tend to various flowers. He and Solaris had to always be on high alert, since they could be attacked at any time from any angle. It was stressful as all hell, but that was part of what made it so much fun and made the payoff so sweet. Idly, Alexios rubbed the cuffs of his gauntlets. “It’s technically better for everyone the more boring one of these missions is. But if you want to spice things up a little by getting into some danger you need rescuing from, I ain’t one to complain about a little workout.”

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ

outfit: . here

Julien's reaction to Alexios' playful comment was a palpable bristle, his pride wounded by the implication that he might need rescuing. What was he? Some damsel in distress?

“I don’t need rescuing from anything. I’m perfectly capable of handling things myself,” he retorted, the words escaping his lips with a hint of defensiveness. He didn’t deem to throw Alexios a look, his gaze remained fixed on the planters as he walked amongst them, his notebook a shield of detachment. “My mother hired you without consulting me first. Otherwise, I would have been fine dealing with all of this…mess,” he muttered, his hands tenderly brushing away the remnants of icicles from a plant's delicate leaves. He stood over it, breathing life back into it and watched as it perked back up again. Satisfied, he continued his walk, doing the same for the others that he had missed.

The greenhouse needed a bit of upkeep after the fight with the assassin. His stride continued, taking him closer to the aftermath of the scuffle, stopping when his eyes spotted an overturned planter, housing the fragile nightshades he had so meticulously planted. The mage's groan was audible, a mixture of annoyance and disappointment. "Did you have to knock over my freshly planted nightshades?" he muttered, now speaking more to himself than Alexios. There was an air of resignation in his voice as he sighed. He got to work immediately, summoning thick, green vines to help him set the heavy concrete planter upright without lifting a finger himself.

Not wanting his shirt to get dirtied, he shrugged it off next without a second thought, hanging it atop one of the nearby branches of a tree. The heat and humidity of the greenhouse quickly embraced him as he grabbed a shovel and began scooping the spilled dirt back into the planter. He could be in the lab now, working on refining formulas and conducting his experiments, but nope, he was wasting his day scooping dirt. The temperature of the greenhouse, combined with the manual labor was enough to make the lean-muscled man start to sweat already, beads running down his back as his biceps flexed with each movement.

Finally, he threw a glance at Alexios, raising a brow at him. “If you want a workout, you could help me out,” he suggested. Just like old times, he added in his head, biting his tongue so he wouldn’t say them aloud.

“Hey Alex, look what I learned to do today!” an eleven-year-old Julien had asked his best friend, showing off his new abilities. The young mage had been so excited, green sprouts effortlessly emerging from the ground at his command, yet, the violet buds at their ends teasingly refusing to bloom. “I can make flowers now! I’ll make them bloom one day…” He glanced at his friend with all the enthusiasm only a child could muster.

Alexios smiled, but it wasn’t his usual one. He said something to him, a cookie-cutter reaction that Julien didn’t remember anymore. But what he does remember is the wistfulness in his icy eyes - something that a young Julien hadn’t quite yet fully grasped, but could tell something was amiss.

“Should we see how those Venus flytraps we planted are doing?” the young mage decided to ask to distract him instead. “Maybe we can feed them something interesting!”

They had spent many countless days in their youth in gardens and greenhouses similar to this in the Delacroix family estate. Vivid recollections of sun-drenched hours spent amidst the lush gardens with Julien prattling off plant facts and Alexios by his side, his distracted pupil. The other boy mostly caused havoc, but there were times when he helped Julien whenever he asked. The memories from back then came easily to the white-haired mage, but he bit his tongue from saying anything. The boy who had once roamed those gardens with him, the sweet friend of his youth, was now a relic of the past. And yet, Julien still longed to reach out to him.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

Alexios raised a brow when Julien claimed that he didn’t need to be rescued from anything. “Ah, yes, you definitely had the situation under control when Solaris and I first arrived, didn’t you?” he queried innocently. “It certainly seemed as if you knew a way to escape your impending death.” Julien had never been much of a fighter. He’d always been too scrawny, too timid. Whenever the pair had gotten into some kind of trouble, Alexios was always the one who got them out of it. Well, anything that could be solved by his fists. Julien couldn’t win a fight against a toddler, but he could talk circles around anyone. Whenever they were caught by their parents, Julien was the one to try and weasel their punishments down to much less harsher ones. But Alexios had found that most people wanted to solve things with their fists than their words in the world beyond the sheltered Academia, meaning Julien most certainly needed someone experienced to watch his back to ensure he didn’t die doing this research. Left to his own devices, he’d be a sitting duck.

Hanging several paces behind Julien, Alexios’ gaze followed the other man as Julien wandered around the greenhouse touching up the plants. His mere touch was enough to cause the plants to perk up, shaking off the remaining bits of frost that clung to their leaves. The mage seemed intent on ignoring his guard and Alexios found himself desperately searching for where Solaris had run off to. He was certain that she had abandoned them together on purpose under the pretext of ‘checking the perimeter’ or whatever just because she found amusement in watching him squirm. It made him want to tear his hair out. Just how long was this mission supposed to be lasting? It was only the first day and it was already feeling like ages.

Julien’s muttered words broke Alexios out of his sulking, straightening up as the mage muttered something about his plants as he grew vines to righten a fallen planter. He snorted as Julien complained about the mess that he made, as if he had been actively trying to create something to be cleaned up later. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I’ll be sure to keep a careful eye on the plants the next time someone is trying to kill me as I save your ass.” With a huff, he turned his gaze away, going back to his constant sweeping of the greenhouse. At least the more Julien talked, the more Alexios found his feelings turning toward annoyance and irritation at the mage rather than the twisted mess of emotions he had been feeling when he first saw Julien. Anger was easier to deal with than the nostalgic remains of longing for the friendship they had once shared.

His eyes drifted back to Julien as the mage asked for assistance, a quip about manual labor in a greenhouse hardly being much of a workout for him on the tip of his tongue, but the words died as his gaze caught sight of Julien. He’d stripped his shirt off for gods knew what reason as he shoveled the fallen dirt back into the planter. Already, sweat was beading along Julien’s pale skin, dripping down his spine and arms as his muscles flexed. Alexios didn’t remember Julien having that much muscle. His mouth went dry for a moment as he took in the sight, his mind screeching to a halt for a second. Alexios wasn’t a stranger to seeing beautiful people shirtless – in fact, it was something he saw rather often – but his mind was struggling to reconcile the many thoughts racing through his head with the former image he held of his childhood friend.

Had Julien always been that attractive?

The pause lasted for barely half a second before Alexios was smirking, shrugging his coat off and tossing it onto the desk, exposing the high-collared, black tank top he wore underneath it that left his arms and shoulders bare. With his skin bared, some of the tattoos that decorated Alexios’ skin were now visible; thorny branches wrapped around his right forearm up onto his upper arm, a colored flame decorated his left forearm, and a crescent moon hung on his left collarbone. “What happened to being able to handle this ‘mess’ on your own?” he grinned as he reached his arms up, tightening the high ponytail his hair was already pulled into and brushing the bangs falling across his face further back. Rolling his shoulders, Alexios walked over and grabbed a shovel as well, his muscles flexing with each movement. “Though, I will say,” his gaze rather pointedly ran up and down Julien’s body, tongue clicking in approval in a way that allowed the silver piercing there to flash briefly in the light, “I do quite appreciate the show.” Taking the shovel, Alexios began to bury it in the dirt, scooping it up to toss back into the planter. He barely seemed to exert any effort at all and the humidity was barely causing him to break a sweat. Alexios was used to heat, given that his partner was a spirit of pure fire.

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: trying not to think about alexios' abs

outfit: . here

As Alexios shed his coat, nonchalantly discarding it on the nearby desk, Julien's gaze sharpened, but not with irritation. Instead, it became fixated, his focus zeroing in on what had been concealed beneath that simple piece of clothing. Crimson eyes traced the contours of Alexios' sculpted physique, revealed through the snug, black top that clung to his form like a second skin.

What the hell?!

Julien's thoughts scrambled, trying to process the unexpected revelation. He hadn't been prepared for this, for the realization that the Alexios he once knew had been hiding such a chiseled, muscular frame adorned with tattoos. Tattoos had always been cool in Julien's eyes, a relic of their shared youth, when they'd been best friends with dreams as wild as the world they'd yet to explore. But Alexios had evolved, grown, and in that moment, Julien realized he was staring at a man whose journey had led him into territory Julien had never ventured.

As Alexios began to speak, his words were laced with a sensuousness Julien hadn't expected. His gaze, meanwhile, seemed to burn a trail across Julien's body, each sweep of his eyes setting the temperature within the greenhouse ablaze. Julien's ears tingled with a flush of warmth, whether from embarrassment, irritation, or something he was hesitant to acknowledge, he didn't know. And was that... a tongue piercing? Again, what the hell?!

"Show?" Julien's response was a mixture of irritation, fluster, and an attempt to maintain his composure. "It's just bloody hot in here," he muttered under his breath, his deflection not quite convincing even himself. Was Alexios not warm? Julien definitely was.

"Well, it seems you've learned to appreciate a lot more than just a pretty face," added Julien, scoffing and turning away as he gripped the shovel more firmly, plunging it into the dirt with irritation. Maybe if he grounded himself by fixing his attention on shoveling dirt, his brain would forget the image of Alexios' muscular arms and sculpted pecs and so, many freaking tattoos -

Shoveling dirt was definitely not a good enough distraction. The next few hours were going to be excruciating with Alexios' distracting presence...

As Julien continued his work in the greenhouse, the hands of the clock seemed to move in slow motion, each tick and tock resonating within the humid air. His tasks became a mechanical dance, an attempt to keep himself busy from the thoughts that had taken root in his mind. Julien was trapped between the past, with memories of friendship and shared secrets, and the present, where he faced a man who had been a stranger until this morning.

With practiced grace, the white-haired mage tended to the plants. He pruned leaves, watered thirsty flowers, and carefully inspected each row of planters, a routine that allowed him to drift away from the relentless swirl of emotions. The crisp scent of foliage, the cool texture of soil under his fingertips, these were the familiar comforts he clung to amid the newfound emotions that Alexios' reappearance in his life had stirred.

As the greenhouse began to darken with the onset of evening, Julien's gaze was drawn to Alexios once more. The task of preparing to leave the greenhouse and ascend to Julien's room loomed before them, one that filled him with a mixture of dread and uncertainty. The contract had said they had to accompany him at all times but... where the hell were his new guards going to sleep? His room at the Academia definitely was not big enough for both of them. Surely there was a clause in there somewhere that detailed sleeping arrangements for the mercenaries.

By the time it was finally time to leave, Julien felt like he was in a state of silent tension. He could feel Alexios' eyes on him as he pulled on his shirt, wincing as the fabric clung to his damp skin. The mage cleared his throat, breaking the uneasy silence.

"I'm finished for the day and heading up to my room," he declared. "Where will you retire for the night?" he asked, raising a brow.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

If he hadn’t known Julien as well as he did, Alexios might have missed the red tinge to the other man’s ears, but it was completely impossible to miss the way Julien’s eyes were flickering over his body. Alexios didn’t even try to stop the smirk that flickered across his lips at Julien’s flustered response to his words and his body, all too pleased to see the effect he was having on the mage. There was still that tiny little whisper underneath the superficial pride that murmured a question as to why he was so pleased to be able to make Julien act like this, but Alexios shoved it down and chose to ignore it. He liked getting this sort of reaction from anyone, not just Julien. Plus, it reminded Alexios of his place. This surface-level flirting, the comments about Julien’s attractiveness, it was all so shallow. It was how he handled all of his clients. This was comforting, in a way, or so he told himself. At least, it was, so long as he ignored that little voice that kept trying to worm its way through his brain.

“See something you like?” he couldn’t help but tease as Julien’s gaze raked over him, lingering on the tattoos. He knew that Julien had always been fond of them but Alexios wasn’t surprised that the man wasn’t brave enough to get one of his own. Probably something about his mother not liking it or some other stupid reason he would tell himself to pretend that it wasn’t just the fear of something new. Alexios’ first tattoo had been his mark of the Cross, but after that, it hadn’t taken him long to start collecting the others. The piercings had followed soon after as well. Without his family breathing down his neck, he’d taken every chance he could to mark his body in ways that would give all of their straight-laced asses a heart attack.

“Shows can be unintentional, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a show,” Alexios grinned at Julien as the man turned away, trying, and failing miserably, to save some face. His smile only grew more when Julien muttered something about being able to appreciate more than a pretty face. “Oh, I’ve known how to appreciate more than just a pretty face for a looong time,” he drawled, all too happy to let his glee show.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Julien wasn’t willing to play with Alexios for much longer, hurriedly turning back to his work and placing all his focus on shoveling the dirt back into the pot. Content for now with the reactions he’d gotten, Alexios got to work alongside Julien, making quick work of the task placed before him. Once the shoveling was done, he drifted aimlessly around the greenhouse, idly wandering up and down the rows of plants unless Julien gave him something else to do. Every task that was given to Alexios was completed quickly and efficiently, without so much as a peep of complaint. Hard labor was an old friend and something that Alexios could easily handle. Many of his jobs involved some aspect of it, either in the confines of the contract or just extra work that an employer piled on him. Alexios preferred this to sitting around pouring over books anyway. He’d always been a physically active person and he much preferred to do work with his body rather than his mind. It had always made more sense to him.

At some point, Solaris finally came back from her supposed reconnaissance and began drifting around the greenhouse as well. She was kind enough to fill the silence by chatting with Julien about the plants as he tended to them, asking questions about each one and their properties and what he kept them for. Alexios could tell that most of her interest was genuine, and not some kind of front. Solaris was from the desert, so despite the fact that she had been living in the forested mountains where the Cross was based for years, she still was rather interested in seeing such a wide variety of plants all in one place like these were. She was attentive to Julien’s words, offering commentary here and there of her own on occasion. Admittedly, Alexios was grateful she took control of filling the silence that had fallen between the two men.

Finally, the sun began to set, the greenhouse darkening as the sun dipped down behind the horizon. Alexios was surprised that it had taken them this long to get everything done, and admittedly, he was starting to grow a little bored just trudging around the greenhouse over and over again. He supposed he could have gone over to Julien and Solaris and listened to them prattle on and on about plants, but he hadn’t wanted to do that. It was too close to how they had acted as children, with Alexios content to sit around and listen to Julien spewing off all sorts of facts about different flora. He needed to keep himself as distant as possible. That included not engaging in those old habits.

As the trio gathered to leave the greenhouse, Alexios tossed his jacket over one shoulder, not cold enough to put it on, but he made sure to send Julien a little pout at the fact that the man was putting his shirt back on. At the question of where they would be sleeping though…Alexios snorted, while Solaris couldn’t help but sigh. “You never actually read the full contract, did you?” Alexios asked, even though he knew the answer.

“At least one of us will be in the room with you,” Solaris explained. “If it isn’t big enough for all three of us, then one of us will remain outside and figure something else out. Halfway through the night, we’ll probably switch, since it’s easier to work in shifts. Unless you prefer not to deal with any noise we might make in changing shifts, in which case we will trade off nights.”

“You see, most people tend to target a person during their sleep,” Alexios drawled. “It’s when you’re most vulnerable, after all, so it only makes sense. So, of course, we can’t leave you alone overnight. Wouldn’t be doing the best job we could be protecting you otherwise.”

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: still trying not to think about alexios' abs

outfit: . here

Alexios' flirting hadn't been in the script of Julien's expectations for their reunion. Of course, there were many things that Julien hadn't anticipated when it came to Alexios, but this was what frustrated him most of all. There was a part of him, submerged in the depths of emotions he hadn't acknowledged, that relished the attention. The way Alexios appraised him, the playful pout when Julien shrugged on his shirt – it all carried a magnetic appeal. The warmth that spread across his face betrayed a sentiment he wished he could deny.

He wanted to be indifferent, cold, unaffected by his presence, just as Alexios seemed to be unaffected by him. The compliments, though seemingly devoid of substance, carried an undeniable weight, a weight that Julien was reluctant to acknowledge. Julien wished to let Alexios' gestures bounce off him like pebbles against armor. Yet, despite the distance, the passage of time, and the wounds of separation, there remained an undeniable allure.

Even after all of these years, Julien was still charmed by everything Alexios did. And it annoyed him. So much.

The responses to his inquiry about sleeping arrangements all made sense to Julien, but that didn't mean he had to be okay with it. The white-haired mage frowned as he glanced away. "I skimmed the contract," he muttered. And ignored most of it. He hadn't really believed his mother was going to go through with the plan of assigning guards to him. If he had known that this was how it was going to be arranged, he would've attempted to tidy up his room at the very least. The room that was definitely not large enough to fit three people.

In the ensuing moment of silence, Julien grappled with the practicality of the situation. Where would the additional person even find a place to sleep? His bed? The very idea seemed ludicrous.

The mage cleared his throat as he busied himself gathering his materials and prepared to head out. "Right. Of course. If that's how it has to be," he uttered with the tone of a man who really wanted the earth to swallow him whole in that moment.

Gathering up his materials and locking the greenhouse behind him, Julien led the way to his sleeping quarters, passing by few other researchers as they walked through the halls of the Academia. Some curious glances were thrown their way when they recognized the white haired mage flanked by two new faces, but Julien wasn't close enough to his peers or other academics besides Helen and Min-Jae to warrant conversation. He supposed gossip would spread amongst them eventually, but for now he was glad that the evening afforded a modicum of secrecy. His eyes flicked to the man beside him, idly wondering how he felt coming back to the Academia. Julien would've asked if they were on better terms, but he was tired of dealing with the pretenses Alexios seemed adamant on putting up. So, he stayed silent as he led the way.

Being Annalise Delacroix's son, Julien had been afforded the privilege of being assigned to a comfortable, moderately size room... but as soon as he'd seen it, he'd exchanged it for Helen's room instead, which was much, much smaller. The rationale behind that choice had been clear then – he wouldn't be spending much time there, and he didn't want to be handed things on a silver platter just for being Annalise's son. Now, however, the decision loomed regrettable.

The room, scarcely more than a confined space, accommodated a modest desk and a single bed tucked against the wall. A minuscule wardrobe added to the cramped ambiance, and the only burst of personality manifested in a row of small potted plants perched on the lone window sill. Other than that, the room was barely large enough to fit two people, let alone three.

Placing his stack of notebooks onto the desk, Julien shifted his attention to the two guards. "Here we are. I suppose one of you will be in here and the other in the hallway or wherever suits you," he stated, his gaze moving between the two. He continued, "But, just so you know, I'm a light sleeper, and I'd rather not have anyone sleeping in here," he gestured around the compact space, "because, as you can see, the bed is hardly spacious enough for one person, let alone two."

He hoped Solaris would take the first night. Perhaps then they could spend more time talking about the flora in the greenhouse. Their conversation earlier had been pleasant, a much welcome reprieve from him thinking about his feelings on seeing his childhood friend again. But if it was going to be Alexios who'd be spending the night with him then... Julien crossed his arms at the thought, feeling a shiver creeping up his spine, unsure if he really wanted to be alone with the man now that the opportunity arose. It brought a sense of nervousness he didn't want to acknowledge.

"So, how do you decide who stays?" asked the white haired mage, raising his brows at the two mercenaries. "Draw lots? Flip a coin?" he quipped.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

It was so incredibly obvious that Julien was not thrilled about the idea of having to share his room, but he would have been prepared for this if he had actually read the contract he’d been given. Reaper had always made sure their contracts carefully detailed every expectation of the bodyguards and outlined everything they would do in order to keep their client safe. There was a reason that the Cross was so good at guarding people. They took every single precaution and were willing to do anything in order to ensure the safety of their client. If they didn’t, and they lost clients, then their reputation would take a massive hit, and that was something that Reaper would never allow.

“Sorry for springing that on you if you weren’t aware,” Solaris apologized, always one to try and keep things running smoothly no matter what bumps they ran into. “It’s just standard procedure is all. We’ve had many clients be attacked in the middle of the night before, so we must insist on it.”

“Wouldn’t be as shocked if you’d actually paid attention to the contract,” Alexios hummed in a sing-song voice, earning himself a sharp elbow to the ribs from Solaris that had him wincing and bending over slightly, letting out a harsh exhale.

At least Julien wasn’t fighting them on it. For all his discontent at the revelation, he only sullenly gathered up his materials and began leading the way back to his room. It seemed to Alexios as if Julien still hadn’t learned how to really stand up for himself, just begrudgingly going along with what the people around him expected him to do. He’d struggled with that as a kid too, always rolling over. Alexios couldn’t count the number of times when he’d have to voice Julien’s thoughts for him and fight for them to be heard. But he’d always done it gladly and willingly for his friend. Even as Julien had grown though, he seemed to have clung to that bad habit.

For a moment, the fleeting idea of whether or not Julien was actually interested in his mother’s work crossed Alexios’ mind. Annalise was already an overbearing woman, and coupled with Julien’s need to please everyone around him, Alexios could see him getting roped into something like this that he wasn’t actually interested in. That had always been the biggest difference between them, at least in Alexios’ mind. Julien was so desperate to make everyone else around him happy that he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness for it. Alexios, on the other hand, had spent his entire life bucking off other people’s expectations for him and doing whatever the hell he wanted, damn the consequences. It was much better to live that way, he thought, because then he wasn’t constantly miserable and seeking affirmation from others.

He shook those thoughts out of his head as Julien packed up the rest of his belongings and began to lead them back through the Academia. With Alexios and Solaris behind Julien, the trio drew quite a few glances. Admittedly, Alexios kept his head down, trying to avoid being recognized as much as he could. He knew that eventually, he was probably going to have to face someone from his family – his mother was the damned Grand Judge, so of course, she’d be around somewhere – but he wanted to put that off for as long as he could. Seeing Julien was enough of a blast from his past for the first day on the job.

Thankfully, it didn’t take all too long to reach Julien’s room. Once they reached it though, Alexios could see exactly why Julien had been hesitant about this. The room was fucking tiny. It was barely enough for a single person, let alone a second one. Looking at the room, Alexios wanted to bang his head against the wall until he gave himself a concussion. It was like the universe was trying to force him and Julien into the most confined space possible. At least, Julien would probably want Solaris to take the first night with him. Everything between them was too…heated right now, so he assumed that he’d get to spend the night in the hall. Which he was perfectly fine with.

So, when Julien asked how they normally chose who took the shifts, Alexios was prepared to tell him that he got to choose, but before he could get the words out, Solaris was beating him to the punch. “Well, normally we would just ask you if you had a preference as to who started the shifts,” Solaris started, “but if you’re alright with it, Mr. Delacroix, I was going to suggest that Azurion take the first night!” She said it so cheerfully, so brightly, and Alexios knew that this was entirely intentional to force him and Julien together. It was like she was trying to cause problems. Well, knowing her, she might be actively attempting to cause drama.

“And what would warrant you making such a suggestion, Solaris?” Alexios asked through gritted teeth, only making Solaris’ shit-eating grin grow wider.

“I know being back here is a bit odd for you, so I thought you might like to be in here where you can avoid any, ah…” their gaze bounced between the two men mischievously, “awkward encounters this evening. Don’t worry, Mr. Delacroix, we have no intention of joining you in the bed itself. We’re quite accustomed to the floor.”

Alexios was going to kill her. She was absolutely doing this on purpose just to cause more trouble. And throwing him wanting to avoid anyone from his family out there like that was just another barb to get under his skin. She was also totally banking on Julien being too spineless to turn her down. And she was right, which was what was the most annoying thing. Based on what he’d seen of Julien so far, Alexios had no doubt that the white haired mage would just meekly accept it. Why hadn’t he been able to get just a tiny bit of confidence in the years since Alexios had been gone? “Oh, is that so?” he asked, clearly having to force his voice into a somewhat neutral tone. “I don’t think that’s something you need to worry about, Sol, I’m sure I’ll be fine–”

“No, no, it’s no trouble at all!” Solaris waved him off, still grinning as brightly as the fucking sun she’d taken her name from. “Really, I’ll be perfectly fine to sleep outside.” Her attention turned back to Julien. “I’m sure you have no problem with that, right?”

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: tense

outfit: . /

Complicated emotions churned inside Julien's chest at Solaris' insistence that Alexios stay in his room the first night. He wasn't sure what the exchanged glances between the two mercenaries meant but it was quite clear that even Alexios wasn't happy with the arrangement. The tension between them was palpable, and Julien couldn't decipher the unspoken conversation that occurred through their expressions. Though Alexios tried to maintain his neutrality, his subtle attempts at trying to argue back with Solaris said otherwise. It seemed that Alexios would rather face awkward encounters out on the hallway with past acquaintances than spend a couple of hours alone with Julien.

This stirred annoyance in the mage. Would it really be so horrible to spend a few hours alone with him? What was Alexios afraid of anyway? Julien asking too many questions? Reminiscing about the past? Calling him Alexios again? Even though the mage had been feeling apprehensive at the very thought himself just a few seconds ago, seeing Alexios bristle at the suggestion now made him feel quite the opposite.

Pasting a saccharine smile on his face, Julien responded to Solaris, "No problem at all. I only wish I didn't have to inconvenience you." He didn't spare a glance at Alexios as he said, "The academy has changed much but there are still quite a few familiar faces who visit from time to time. So thoughtful of you to be looking out for your partner's delicate feelings, Solaris."

At that moment, a gentle knock echoed through Julien's open door, and a mousy brunette with an earnest smile cautiously peeked her head inside.

"Good evening! Just popping by to check how everyone is getting settled!" Helen chirped, casting a warm grin at the trio gathered in the room. "My room is just a floor up from Julien's, so if there's anything you need at all, do let me know!"

Caught slightly off guard by Helen's unexpected visit, Julien blinked, wondering if his mother had orchestrated this. "Uh, thanks, Helen -"

However, before he could finish, Helen interjected with a proposition that hung in the air. "Actually, I came by to ask you, Julien, if you wanted to switch rooms with me. It's more spacious, so it might be good for you since you'll be sharing?"

Ah, there it was. They had danced around this topic before, most recently when the bodyguard arrangement had been revealed. "No, that's alright, that room is yours -" Julien attempted to protest.

"But it was yours first -"

Cutting through the politeness, Julien interjected firmly, "Thank you, but I've settled here, and I don't fancy the idea of climbing another set of stairs. It would be much more inconvenient now to move." With that said, he started shuffling around the occupants of his room in the cramped space, grabbing some clothes and a towel from his wardrobe. "I need to shower and retire for the night," he said pointedly. Whether she chose to ignore the hint, or didn't really get it, Helen waved him off, seemingly not having finished chatting with the two mercenaries. Or perhaps just one of them. He'd seen her eyes flick over more to Solaris. He wondered if it was because the mercenary was quite striking or if there was something else brewing there that he wasn't aware of. After his day, Julien didn't really have the energy to ponder over what on earth was going on in Helen's head so he let it be.

"Make yourself at home." Julien rolled his eyes and retreated to his ensuite, the sounds of running water soon following in his wake.

The warm cascade of water against his back brought some relief. Gods, he needed a drink. This was usually the time he'd visit Felix and rant about his day, but he didn't want two guards following him and listening in on his conversations with his closest friend, especially when said conversation would most likely revolve around one of his guards themselves. Julien wondered if there was a way to slip their watch for a couple of hours. Surely Alexios would have to sleep at some point, even if he was supposed to be vigilant.

After a lengthy shower filled with brainstorming plans, ranging from the outlandish ('What if I spiked his drink with a sleeping concoction?') to the more plausible ('I'll climb out the window when he's sleeping.'), Julien emerged. He was clad in a loose light green tunic and comfortable pants, more attire than he typically wore to bed. It was a careful choice, crafted with the possibility of slipping out to the tavern if he got the chance; just casual enough not to arise any suspicions...or so the mage thought.

Julien's room had emptied, with Solaris and Helen making their exits. Alexios lingered, a presence Julien deliberately avoided acknowledging. As he methodically put away his clothes, the tension coiled in his spine. Here was the person he had longed to see for so long, and yet, the reunion had been nothing like he'd imagined it would be. He was caught between the desire to deliver a well-deserved smack for Alexios' day-long rudeness and the inclination to instantly forgive and converse like the old friends they used to be.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

Solaris struggled to suppress a laugh as Julien praised her for looking out for Alexios' delicate feelings and her partner shot her a look of murderous rage. "Oh, of course, you know I always have to look out for him since he never looks out for himself," they grinned, nudging Alexios playfully with her elbow. He shrugged her off, the setup for the night clearly ruining any fun he might have had with his usual back-and-forth teasing with Solaris. "But please, no need to fret about my comfort, Mr. Delacroix. A floor inside a warm building is far preferable to some of the other places we've slept before."

It took everything in Alexios to not lash out at Solaris outright as Julien happily went along with her little scheme. As he expected, Julien didn't offer any resistance at all to the idea of Alexios taking the first watch, but he did note that the mage seemed to be willing to let it happen rather than begrudging in any way. Did he want to torment Alexios as much as Solaris did? This was going to be a nightmare if they kept double-teaming him. How bad would it really be if he left Solaris to deal with this whole thing herself? Instead, all he could do was force a smile himself, his fingers flexing as he curled them into his palms. "How very generous of you," he replied, voice straining to keep the wrath out of his tone. "I appreciate being able to avoid any awkward encounters on our first night."

Before anyone else could say anything, there was a knocking at the door and Helen was bouncing into the room. Solaris was immediately perking up, causing Alexios to roll his eyes to the sky. This was so not fair. Solaris might get to run off with her person of interest while Alexios was stuck guarding Julien for the night? It was like she'd planned this all out. He really did think he was going to strangle her after this was all done. He could find a new partner. He didn't need her to be his partner.

While Helen tried to convince Julien to trade rooms with her, Alexios stewed in silence, sulking, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall, propping his heel up against it. His gaze bounced back and forth between the other three people until Julien remained firm that he was not going to switch rooms with Helen before he stalked off to take a shower. Huh. Alexios had almost forgotten about the Academia's amenities and how much nicer they were than literally anywhere else he'd been in the world.

As Julien vanished, Solaris was quick to engage in conversation with Helen, and it wasn't long before the assistant was asking if Solaris had the time to join her for some tea. Which, of course, since Alexios was stuck guarding Julien, she had an abundance of for the moment. The triumphant grin on their face told Alexios everything he needed to know about how the rest of the night was probably going to go for Solaris. It was hard to resist the spirit's charms once she'd reached the point of being expressly invited to the bedroom. Eagerly trotting after Helen, before she closed the door behind her, Solaris glanced back at Alexios with a smirk, mouthing "You owe me!" before she was shutting the door and hurrying after Helen. Alexios didn't even have the time to protest that he didn't owe her yet.

Perhaps it was childish, and more than a bit whorish, but he and Solaris always had a running bet between them to see if either of them could bed the client before the other. It was a fun game they kept between themselves, but it wasn't done maliciously. Both of them had fairly high libidos and were incredibly open to a variety of things, so they always made sure it was as enjoyable for their partners as it was for them. The mercenaries simply enjoyed fighting with each other over who had the most game. They were fairly evenly matched, if Alexios was being honest, but he liked to think he was at least a little ahead of her right now. Though, it was still annoying that they'd only been here for less than a day and Solaris was already closing in on her kill. Still, he didn't owe her anything until they confirmed they'd actually gotten Helen in the bed.

Sighing as Solaris and Helen disappeared, Alexios tried to make himself comfortable, sitting down across from Julien's bed on the floor. He slid his gauntlets off, setting one to the side before picking up the other and beginning to fiddle with it, adjusting the many overlapping parts of it, carefully and meticulously cleaning them off. He was still working on the first one when Julien came back from showering. Alexios' gaze flickered briefly up to the man, raising a brow at what he seemed to be wearing to bed but looked more like something he could also wear for a night out, but didn't comment on it, only remaining focused on his gauntlets. It seemed as though neither of them wanted to acknowledge the other, so Alexios was content to sit there in the silence.

Julien was soon crawling into bed and seemingly going to sleep. Alexios noted that the man was still rather restless though, and his breathing never really evened out to the normal pace of someone who was asleep. Was he waiting for Alexios to go to sleep? He knew that the posted guard didn't sleep through the night, right? Apparently not. Julien really didn't seem to grasp how this whole thing worked.

Still, Alexios found it amusing that Julien was apparently waiting for him to fall asleep. Clearly, that meant Julien was going to be trying to sneak out and go somewhere. The question was, where? And why? Alexios' curiosity was peaked, which meant that now he obviously had to let Julien think that he had succeeded in his plan. So, as soon as he was done cleaning out both of his gauntlets, he set them off to the side before leaning back against the wall, propping one leg up and allowing his head to fall back, shutting his eyes. Unlike Julien, Alexios was well versed in fooling people into thinking he was asleep, so he allowed several minutes to pass before he forced the tension to dissipate from his body, slowing his breathing down.

And now, he waited.

code by valen t.

 

[nyxievous]

Julien Delacroix

in time, even the sharpest thorns can become soft

mood: tense

outfit: . /

Julien's eyes flicked over to Alexios, meeting his gaze as he hovered near his bed. Other than a raised brow, the man made no acknowledgement and went back to his gauntlets. Taking that as a sign that his appearance didn't appear too suspicious to Alexios, Julien crawled into his bed.

Beneath the cozy covers, the mage lay in silent contemplation, his eyes tightly shut, attuned to the ambient sounds of the room. The rhythmic clinking of Alexios cleaning his gauntlets had persisted for what felt like an eternity until, at last, it ceased. Seizing the moment, the white-haired mage cautiously cracked one eye open, peering inquisitively at his companion.

Alexios had settled into a resting position, his head reclined against the wall, and Julien observed the measured cadence of his chest rising and falling. Satisfied that sleep was finally claiming the mercenary, Julien lingered a few moments more, just in case. Alexios hadn't been much of a deep sleeper even as children, and years of mercenary experience would only sharpen his senses. So, Julien lay still as he watched the mercenary fall asleep.

Minutes dragged by. Then came the whisper-soft rustlings as Julien slipped from the bed. Bare feet ghosted across the floor, until he was standing in front of Alexios, close enough to touch. Leaning over, Julien squinted at the other man's face, carefully watching him for the slightest twitch of muscle. An unspoken need prompted him to double-check, ensuring that the mercenary was truly asleep and wasn't orchestrating an artful ruse. When his breathing didn't change and there were no subtle movements from the other, Julien figured it was safe to finally leave.

Years of sneaking out from his mother's house had trained him to be quiet. Julien had full confidence that he would be successful. He opted for the window, unsure still if Solaris lingered outside his door and not wanting to take that chance. The window slid open noiselessly under his hands, and with a flick of his wrist, vines emerged to crawl down the wall. A cautious check confirmed Alexios was still resting with eyes shut, giving Julien the green light, allowing him to nimbly climb down using his vines.

Hah, take that Alexios, the mage thought smugly when he looked up to his open window and didn't see the mercenary's head peeking out after him.

The journey to the nearby tavern was brief, a familiar haunt for Academia's scholars to unwind beneath the veil of night. Julien was so confident that he had evaded his bodyguard that he didn't even look behind his shoulder to check if he was being followed as he made his way. He figured that even if Alexios woke and found him gone, it would still take him a while to track him down. So, everything was going perfectly fine according to Julien's plan.

When he finally reached the tavern, he made a beeline for the counter where his friend was behind the bar, polishing glasses. The tavern exuded a comforting warmth, dimly lit by a scattering of lanterns that cast a soft glow on the polished wooden surfaces. The air carried a mix of various scents—whiffs of ale, hints of spices from the kitchen, and the subtle fragrance of aged wood. Patrons occupied sturdy wooden tables, their hushed conversations interwoven with the lively tunes drifting from a corner where a group of musicians played. Julien didn't pay much attention to others; his focus was on his friend.

A long wooden counter dominated one side of the room, inviting patrons to perch on worn stools. Bottles of various shapes and colors lined the shelves behind, each holding the promise of a unique concoction. The bartender moved with practiced efficiency, exchanging banter with customers as they ordered their preferred drinks. Felix, raised his eyes as Julien approached, his face breaking out into a wide grin.

"Jules!" the dark-haired elf greeted him, leaning over the counter to peck Julien's cheek. "Haven't seen you in a while. Research keeping you on your toes?"

As Julien slid onto a stool and accepted the drink that Felix automatically pushed into his hands, he downed it in one go before he finally answered. "Yes, it's been a busy time, I -" he paused, as his neck prickled with an odd sensation. Perhaps it was paranoia, but he felt like he was being watched. Julien rubbed at his skin, attempting to ignore the feeling. In a quieter voice he continued, "Mother hired mercenaries to watch over me because of that incident." He waited for Felix to fill up his glass again before he downed that too. He was going to need a couple of drinks in his system if he was going to talk about Alexios. "And you won't believe who showed up."

Felix's eyes sparked with curiosity. Leaning his elbows on the counter, the mage was all ears for the gossip. "Let me take a wild guess - a tall, dark, brooding, and exceedingly handsome gentleman?" His gaze subtly shifted to something over Julien's shoulder, but the white-haired mage, lost in thought, missed the Bard's observation as he frowned down at the glass cradled in his hands. Felix only smiled wider in amusement. Unbeknownst to the white-haired mage, he poured a second glass next to Julien's as if he was expecting company.

Julien, engrossed in his own contemplation, responded with a furrowed brow. "Yes - no!" He looked up, agitated, hands gesturing in exasperation. "Alexios," he said, the name slipping from his lips in a hushed, frustrated whisper. "My best friend? Well, ex-best friend now, I guess. He doesn't want anything to do with me. He goes by Azurion now."

Felix nodded as he listened attentively even though his gaze was still not fixed on Julien's face. "Ah, yes, the friend you never shut up about," he said with an amused glint in his eyes. Tired of the bard avoiding eye contact, Julien finally glanced behind his shoulder. "What are you even looking at -" he began.

However, he turned back around abruptly, downing his drink with a thud as the glass met the counter. A flush spread across his cheeks, whether from the alcohol or something else he refused to acknowledge, he wasn't sure.

"Finally noticed, did you?" Felix asked, smirking.

"Nope, I'm ignoring it," Julien replied through gritted teeth, hoping that if he ignored it hard enough it would go away.

code by valen t.

 

[seishin]

Alexios Valtyr

the only reason that i'm here is to wreck havoc

outfit: . here

gauntlets: . here

At the very least, Alexios could give Julien credit for his patience. Keeping his ears intensely attuned to the white-haired mage laying in the bed, he heard the faint shifts in the mattress as Julien struggled to wait him out in an effort to ensure Alexios was actually asleep. That was still more than most other people did though, since anyone else probably would have been trying to bolt by now. It was too bad Julien still wasn’t as skilled as someone who had been training for situations like this for years. No matter how careful and meticulous the mage was, he wouldn’t be escaping from Alexios’ sight.

Finally, Julien began his attempt to escape, sliding out of the bed and padding softly across the floor. Though Alexios was tempted to crack an eye open and check Julien’s positioning, he remained perfectly still, forcing himself to keep breathing in an even rhythm. Which was the smart move, because after a few moments, he felt Julien’s warm breath on his face, clearly checking to see if he was still asleep. It was difficult to keep himself relaxed and still, but he managed to do it until Julien decided it was safe to leave and stepped away. Alexios bit back a sigh of relief, but he grew more anxious to get up and moving the more he heard Julien shuffling around the room.

As Alexios had expected, Julien opted to escape out the window. It had been how he always escaped when he was a child and there had been many times when Alexios had scaled a viney wall to get up to Julien’s room. Although the window was mostly silent as it opened, the rush of cool air on his cheeks was difficult to miss and the sound of plantlife scraping over stone was unmistakable. Julien heaving his body out the window was the next sound Alexios heard before he began climbing down the wall. Even now, Alexios pretended to be asleep, waiting until he was absolutely certain that Julien was gone.

Several minutes of utter silence passed before Alexios dared to open his eyes, looking around the empty room. A smirk danced over his features as he pushed himself up to his feet, sliding his hands back into his gauntlets. He crawled toward the window, standing on one side with his back pressed against the wall. Carefully, he looked out of the corner of his eye to see Julien down on the ground below, staring up at the window as though waiting for him to be stupid enough to fling his head out to look for the mage. Of course, when Alexios didn’t appear in Julien’s field of view, the man was convinced that he had successfully escaped his guard and began galavanting off toward the nearest town. Chuckling to himself at Julien’s naivety, Alexios swung his body out the window, digging his gauntlet into the stone wall to slow his fall as he allowed himself to drop. Near the ground, Alexios pushed off the wall, landing gracefully in a crouch before he stood up and shook his shoulders out. He took his gauntlets off for the time being, running his fingers over the runes etched into them that had the gauntlets shrinking and bending until they formed neat bracelets encircling his wrists.

Julien’s silhouette was just visible to him, and Alexios took off after him, feet thudding softly against the ground. He made sure to stay a good distance behind Julien, but the man seemed to have lost all sense of caution now that he was out of the Academia. It wasn’t hard to tail him the short distance to the town and Julien headed straight for what appeared to be his final destination: a little bar that Alexios had vague memories of seeing when he was younger, but had never actually been inside. There were always too many people from the Academia in there, so even when he had started frequenting bars and taverns, he’d never gone in there. That would’ve been a quick way for him to get caught and tossed into a holding cell for the twentieth time that month.

Still moving like a shadow, Alexios slid into the bar after Julien, hugging the wall for several moments as he took everything in. It didn’t seem like a bad place; it was far nicer than the ones Alexios had often found himself in as a teenager. The atmosphere was warm, comforting, and actually invited people to relax and take a step back from whatever was worrying them. He was much more accustomed to a rowdy place full of people always on the verge of breaking into a fight. As his wandering gaze drifted through the tavern, Alexios decided that, for the moment, there wasn’t any immediate danger. No one here seemed suspicious; it was just a bunch of scholars trying to unwind. And, even better, he didn’t automatically recognize anyone here. So, no one should recognize him.

Alexios shifted his gaze to where Julien had taken a seat at the bar, already knocking back two glasses in under five minutes. He raised a brow as he pushed himself off the wall, drifting forward and into the bartender’s line of sight. It didn’t take long for the bartender, who seemed to be of some kind of elvish heritage, and cut a rather handsome figure, saw him. The elf’s eyes jumped back and forth between Alexios and Julien for a moment before realization dawned in his eyes. Alexios lifted a finger to his lips in a playful shh signal, winking at the bartender. Seemingly complying, he only poured another drink and set it beside Julien, as though waiting for Alexios to approach.

Shifting closer, Alexios was able to make out part of the conversation as Julien spilled his worries out. Of course, said worries were all about Alexios. He was able to catch the way the bartender described him – tall, dark, brooding, and exceedingly handsome – and the way Julien agreed with him before quickly backtracking. Alexios pressed his lips together to suppress a snicker, though he raised a brow as the bartender mentioned that Julien never shut up about him. Was that true? His step stuttered for a second, wondering how often Julien thought of him. Alexios had worked extremely hard to forget everyone from back home, and here Julien had been, wondering and worrying about him a great deal. Many times apparently.

Quickly, Alexios shook off the sudden pang of guilt that flashed through him, straightening up and placing a cocky smirk on his face just before Julien finally turned around and caught sight of him. He sauntered forward, leaning over the bar and picking up the drink that the bartender had poured for him. Alexios tipped the glass to the elf, offering a wink before it tipped it back and took a slow sip. “Now, Mr. Delacroix,” Alexios purred as he set the glass back on the bar, “didn’t we tell you that either myself or Solaris will be at your side at all times? No need to sneak out. I could have brought you to the bar myself~”

code by valen t.