I won't let this build up inside of me.

“So, I’m pretty sure Damon’s in love with you,” she commented, shifting to prop her temple against the ball of her palm, elbow on the roof. She was kidding, mostly; Brooks seemed to be the only person Damon had any drive to be around these days; in fact, he was a little obsessed with him, Garnet thought. More obviously than she was, at least; he tended to hang around Brooks like a lost puppy, which Garnet would find endearing if the man wasn’t such a dick. It wasn’t a judgement she made lightly - Garnet tried not to classify people so quickly, but he’d actively been a prick to her on more than one occasion, now, and as far as she was concerned he had one more chance before the label stuck. “You into that?” She added, breaking into a laugh and dropping from her propped position onto her back.

Garnet took another sip, and he couldn’t hide the grin forming on his face at her expression. Feeling relieved that she didn’t even like it as much. It was better for her, and most certainly proved his point once more that she was truly a light in this dark place. The bottle was back brought to his mouth once more. The liquid content invaded his mouth but Brooks couldn’t hide the surprise at Garnet’s comment; to an extent he actually spit everything back out again, turning over to face her. “What? Really?” Damon was truly a bother for Brooks. There were so many reasons he was trying to avoid him without much result, but looking at it this way he had never thought about before. “I don’t think he is. He’s just… lonely.” He explained with a shrug, once more taking a drag back from the bottle again before settling it down. This time making sure the content went down it’s way and not out again. It was no surprise Garnet believed that on second thought, but there was a reasonable explanation to it though. “I don’t think he has anyone else.” Which was the main reason Brooks actually decided to bear it instead of confronting Damon with the truth. He felt pity towards the man. “Why the conclusion though?” Once more his focus went back to Garnet, not really wanting to waste his time talking about Damon, he added. “So...  you have a special sense of who is in love with who? Tell me more.”

“You’re gonna get yourself executed if you keep that up, man,” she said, nodding towards the stolen wallet. They shouldn’t be taking any chances, not when surrounded by so many Silvers. But she sort of knew what he meant; it was hard not to. To push the limits, to get the adrenaline running through her blood - what was the point in coming here if it was just to play silly carnival games? “And I’m good with just beer ‘n whisky. I don’t fuckin’ trust that weird coloured shit. Don’t even wanna know how they made it that green, looks dangerous. You sure gettin’ shitfaced is a good idea, anyhow? Seems like you’ve been gettin’ yourself in enough trouble with the Silver ladies when you’re sober. Must’ve been a while, for you to sink so low,” she grinned, glancing behind them. The woman with the bright, pale hair was nowhere in sight but Kris was distinctly under the impression that Brooks had been up to something.

He gave a shrug to her warning. Too confident in himself to believe differently. It was much easier when they were two doing that in a team but he found no issue now doing it on his own either. “Don’t worry about it. I’m even better at not getting caught.” He returned to her first comment, listening on further he felt slightly uncomfortable. Unsure what to answer. Yes, he wanted to have fun. But not to the extent that Kris noticed it. Fuck. Why did anyone even watch out for what he was doing? Although he wasn’t sure who she was referring to (granted, it wasn’t only one girl he kissed, and more he just hung out with), he felt slightly ashamed, unsure to give any kind of reaction --- or better not. For now he was actually even out of excuses.

What a ridiculous question.

“You’re a Red.” It was their duty to serve. Romulus, as a member of the High Houses, was entitled to their bowed heads. He was was owed their quick accommodation of his demands. And usually his wishes were granted without issue. Usually. However, this one–

“But you’re not like the others, are you?“ This man who stood solid and without a bowed spine, who insolently challenged with a steady gaze and unwavering eye contact. And Romulus never bothered to sift through the Reds he encountered, all of them blending into one jumbled and unrecognizable mass. Yet this one–brazenly stepping forward to be recognized, Romulus regarded him as he would a strange and peculiar animal. “You want to prove you have a spine. If this isn’t the most bizarre thing I’ve seen today.“

He remained in his position. Standing tall --- although he was quite a bit shorter than the other guy, who was clearly taller than most people he had seen. Not even the stern gaze could intimidate him enough to even blink --- yet look away. “I have no need to prove anything. I’m not going to challenge you.” Powertrip much? Against their abilities he didn’t easily stand a chance, that was clear. Neither was he really wanting to burst with the other into a fight now. 

“Bizarre?” Brooks shrugged, “I call it normal.” It couldn’t be true that all those ignorant fucks really believed Red’s were nothing but working machines, had no mind of their own to think and no mouth to speak out loud.

“Bested,” Gerard said stiffly, resisting the urge to punch this Red in the face for the sole reason that he, Brooks, had brought up this topic. 

Or maybe Gerard had, but Brooks was the one insulting him now, wasn’t he? 

B R O O K S   +   L U C R E T I A 

A squeak of a gasp escaped her as he pulled her closer; her field of vision was entirely occupied by his face, his breath upon her silver skin– her blush had grown so intense that she was sure she might glow should she be put in direct sunlight. Her fingers stilled over his jaw, eyes darting from his lips to his eyes as she trapped her own bottom lip between her teeth. “It depends?” she repeated; on whether she was brave enough to do so or not, she figured– and she wanted to be brave, as he’d said he thought she was. A nervous smile flitting across her flushed face, Lucretia nodded, voice bubbling with laughter, “I think a second kiss wouldn’t be a bad thing.” Was it horribly obvious how desperately she wanted to kiss him again? She could only assume so– but he hadn’t laughed her off yet, and that was a good sign. 

Eyes falling to his lips again, she began to lean forward, heart thrashing between her ribs and breath caught in her throat. She could almost taste the honey and cinnamon as her eyes began to flutter closed– but a voice ringing out, calling her name, from within the crowd startled her away from him. She jumped, the voice a piercing reminder that they were not alone– and that surely, somewhere, one of the Calores needed her for something. “Oh,” she pulled back, hands still on his shoulders, utterly flustered by the interruption, “I-I’m sorry; I have to– that’s me.” Stupid, stupid– he knows it’s you. 

In a gust of braveness, as she stood, she leaned down to place a short but satisfying kiss upon his lips, fingers lingering over his. “I hope I can see you again,” she muttered, breathless, as she pulled away once more, her name ringing out over the din of the crowd once more, pitched and agitated, for she was clearly taking too long. “Goodbye, Dorian.” 

And with that, she turned on her heel and hurried off toward the sound of the voice, offering him a blushing glance once more as she retreated, fingers brushing with thrill over her lips. 

“Mhmm.” He nodded at her explanation, slight disappointment marking his features as he needed to let her get up, his own hands falling away from her hips and being pulled back towards himself. Although he would have rather kept them on her petite figure, caressing her back while they would enjoy another kiss. “It’s fine.” He reassured her. Their lips met again, shortly for the goodbye kiss. Brooks had wished he could drag it out for longer --- but her name was being called once again, this time sounding even more demanding than before. A huff fell from his mouth, but he offered a grin towards Lucretia, watching her leave.

For a few more moments he remained sitting on this spot, his eyes following the girl until she was completely out of his sight. Had they really gone so far out of the crowd? Surprise they heard the shouting. Now alone the moment faded, the effects of the kiss faded and the bliss slowly disappeared into thin air. Not that he wasn’t satisfied, but reality was a big slap into his face. “For fucks sake.” He muttered, hands clenching into fists as he got up, making his way back to the celebration again. Hopefully Lucretia would need to attend duty for longer and stay away at least for tonight. From then on, he would make sure not to cross her path again. The risk was too big. What if she started searching for him? Found out finally that he wasn’t even extinct? Not that he believed she could track his steps back to Naercey, but he surely had screwed up his secret identity tonight even more.

It was a difficult thing to balance. Trying not to get attached to people, trying to have nothing holding him here in any way, shape, or form. But also being unable to fucking help it when he saw someone struggling. Whether it was silently helping someone fix their fighting form or bandaging an injury as best he could so they didn’t do it improperly. Helping a girl through physical therapy because she’d almost been blown to pieces, and he knew too well how fucking hard that was to come back from.

It seemed the more he pushed people away; the more they wormed their way in.

Maybe that’s why his expression lost its edge as he stared at Brooks, at the way he glared at Damon. Nothing about his body language said he was at ease, like most of them were, and his question only confirmed it. Leon’s expression remained neutral as he stood, nodding his head in the opposite direction of the small group near them. “Yeah,” he said, tone lacking its usual punch. “Let’s go.”

Sure, it was always a struggle to chose to help Damon or not. Today he had left him behind and wanted to have fun. Turns out, now that he was seeing him again, the guilt was bigger than ever before towards the man. He had easily left him in the middle of their mutual enemies. All of that for entirely selfish reasons. Nothing else. He felt relief wash over him as Leon agreed, with a sigh he got up from his seat, waiting for the other guy to join him so they could vanish back into the crowds and mix up with the Silver’s. Anything would be better than to stare at Damon any longer and feel the guilt grow. Guilt, that he wasn’t sure if he should be feeling or not.

With those simple words leaving her lips, Laelia ran her hand back and against his forearm before turning herself towards him. “Please tell me I didn’t sneak away from my guard for nothing.” Here she was again with the teasing, fingers trickling up his shirt with a light grasp at the fabric covering his chest. “If you do not kiss me now, you will never get a chance to kiss me again.” Her tongue ran over her lips before pressing together, sighing a few moments later of anticipation. “–and if you fail to impress, I am afraid I might scream for a red assaulting me. Up for that challenge?” She was on the edge of her metaphorical seat with a small amount of sweat building in her clenched fist. She wanted him to take that challenge and prove to her that Reds could just as easily hold their own against Silvers, even the prince.

No reply from him yet, but clear amusement dancing on his featured as he got closer to her, and she did just the right amount of towards him to have the space vanish entirely. Cold fingers ran up his arm, eyes following. There it was. Oh she knew he would be following. She wanted this --- but he needed this. Now so close to her he only noticed the big amount of height difference between them and how much he needed to lower his head to reach her lips. But instead of doing so, he let her finish her little teasing game, talking, touching, whatever she wanted to do to just excite him more for what was coming. Then finally, his arms moved around her lithe waist and he had her easily picked up from the ground. Not bothering to pin her against a wall --- she was so light he could easily hold her. Lifting her face higher to his own, a grin noticeable still on his lips. He drew in one last breath, responding quick. “Well I would very much like to avoid that risk.” The next moment his lips were on hers, pressing fiercely against her mouth, teeth lightly scraping over the soft flesh in demand for her lips parting for easier access.

“Perhaps not.” She responded, her smile matching his. “I really am sorry, although I do think the girls behind you aren’t. Would you like me to find you a spare shirt?”