Lennon Miles

She shook her head at the offer, "No thanks." Having already decided that there had to be better places to get drunk and dance, she went so far as to hold out her now empty glass for the woman to take. "I think I'll find somewhere not run by the wannabe mafia." It was probably a very stupid thing to say. After all, for all she knew the place could be run by the actual mafia. But she was already a bit drunk and the veiled discussion about her past had put her in a fighting mood. She turned to leave.

“I’m Lennon, this is my…” she gestured around vaguely to the rave that was currently in full swing around her, eyes flicking to where Lux was behind the DJ decks with a small smile, before turning back to Maya. “I need a fresh drink anyway, so indulge me and come get one yourself. Surely a free drink is with sticking around a little longer for, no?” 

“That kid?” Ryden snorted about Jules, an amused smirk playing on his lips. “He’s jus’ happy t'survive any nights he works ‘ere. I was kinna surprised to see 'im still behind da bar. He’d arrived just b’fore I left three years ago. Was already talkin’ ‘bout findin’ sumtin’ better as soon as he collected enough cash to move on in his studies or wha’ever. Still ‘ere, tho.” He shrugged. Some people got lucky, some people didn’t. He supposed Jules was one of the latter. “He didn’t say much, to be frank. He’s one o’those who looks the other way.” That deserved a little roll of Ryden’s eyes. If there were types of people he disliked, it would be those who turned a blind eye.

“If ya ask me…” He pushed off his elbows, straightening his spine and feeling it crack somewhere at its base with a satisfying pop. “It ain’t much changed. A place is a place, it don’t do much more than dat. Da people, though…” He trailed off, giving the space a swiping look as he cracked his neck. “It jus’ ain’t da same crowd, ya feel me?” What he was trying to say was that things were better before because the people in Abito had been better. Now a lot had left and a different coterie brought in different vibes.

“Jesus Christ that’s a depressing statement.” Even if it was true, trust of most of them including Lennon when she’d worked here. Any day she got back home in one piece she was on a winning streak. She knew Iggy shared that thought and it terrified her no end. “They’re always still here, this place traps you, like a rat.” Not that the people who worked here were rats, that was a similarity she’d pull more with the patrons if anything. Tapping her death sharp nails against the top of the sticky table she pursed her lips with a narrowed glare as a man got a little too close to them, seeming to be considering coming over before he clocked Ryden and thought better of it. The correct choice. 

She didn’t know why it felt so dirty in here tonight but every corner she found herself giving it a second look, like something might be lurking there, her past maybe. The ghost of a blonde Lennon with her hair quaffed and curled while she played babydoll to men who leered at her, old enough to be her father a lot of the time. It made her feel a cold sweat break out at the nape of her neck which wasn’t a state she favoured, instead downing the rest of her martini in one go with a sour look of hatred on her face directed at everything and everyone in the vicinity. “Come on, I need another drink.” The brunette muttered, flicking her long hair over her shoulder while straightening, shoulders back, this place wasn’t going to get the best of Lennon Miles. Not tonight, not ever. They were here for a job, to protect their friends, they held the cards in this room. 

He didn’t miss the wink she threw at Gary and made a sour face at it, leaning towards her conspiratorially to whisper - which was a difficult thing to do for such a deep voice as Ryden’s. It always seemed to want to vibrate at a dominantly loud frequency. “Don’t be nice t’Gary. We hate Gary. He gunna git fired one day.” No further explanation, no other reasoning. Just a jerk bone in Ryden rearing its ugly head. Though in the case of Gary, it was very much justified, unbeknownst to Lennon. 

“Shiiiit, do I look that desperate? C’mon.” He leaned back again, voice tuning back to a normal level with a purring chuckle as an opening. “I agree tho, the moment ya leave, is gunna go back t’bein’ a dump.” But lowkey it was just the way Ryden liked it even though it annoyed the shit out of him to no end. He was highly uncomfortable in fancy, pristine, expensive places, even though he could more than afford them now. He simply did not feel like he belonged. He was a street dog, through and through - he belonged where most would rather avoid. Funny how his sense of belonging did not at all align with what he actually wanted.

“Pshh. No such thing as too much muscle. Dat’s me second job, by the way. I opened up a fitness club while ya weren’t lookin’.” And that was likely it when it came to updates and news with Ryden. What else he had to share was likely just family related. The other half of it not many, if anyone at all, should be hearing about. Her next joke had him straightening up to throw his head back in a thunderous laughter, loud and overpowering the room, a maniacal outburst of a villain no longer in disguise. He laughed long and hard before it died down, making Ry wipe the bit of gathered moisture at the corner of his eye with the knuckle of his thumb. “Aww, sweet summer child… I’m a family man now. I can’t think that big.” Perhaps the last sentence had come out a little ironic. Because oh if only Lennon knew just how much of New York’s nightlife was supplied through lines Ryden had been paving since he was nineteen… But he supposed he could do raves again for fun. Still an amused smirk on his face, he jutted his chin in the direction of the drink in her hands. “Wha’choo havin’ there?”

The way his words hit her ear made it vibrate slightly thanks to the cadence of his voice, so deep it was like someone had moved the earth under their feet which was quite the opposite to hers which was clipped but altogether far more high pitched. Not shrill, no nothing like that, it was assertive in it’s lighter smoothness. “Well don’t you think that’s a reason I should be nice to Gary before he gets fired? Give him a little something to think about on those dark lonely nights when he has no work to go to.” But she silently took his words to heart, making a mental note to show the man no more kindness because like mentioned she trusted him. If he said someone wasn’t to be liked then the girl would give them a wide berth. In fact for good measure she shot the man a narrow eyed glance that held such coldness it would make weak men quake where they stood. Just so Ryden knew she was listening. 

“Don’t make me answer that question honey, I know I’ve got a sharp edge but I don’t want to be outwardly mean. Hey let’s just say…it’s certainly earthy in here. Could it use a lick of paint? Sure, but if you ply me with enough drinks I might not even notice.” Lifting her glass to her lips as they curled around it in a smirk, draining the remaining liquid as ice cubes clinked against the edge. Him opening a fitness club was news to her but damn is she didn’t love it because nothing was more impressive to her than someone who was driven and innovative, it was after all two things she prized most in herself. Eyebrows raising she raised the now empty glass in a silent toast to the news. “Well shit, you never sit still for too long do you? Family man or not I think you’re thinking pretty big, but hey if you change your mind and fancy thinking bigger you know where to find me. I think some of our patrons would find you a sight for sore eyes when they were tweaking the fuck out, might improve tips.” Enticing attractive people into the space was half the battle, then it felt like somewhere even more aspirational after all. “Whisky on the rocks, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.” Sliding the glass back across the bar towards him with a wink, no longer for Gary clearly. 

She nodded, understanding what it meant to know who came and went from less than legal events. They wanted to know if she was a narc. The idea that she might give narc vibes was probably one of the more offensive things she'd been told since arriving in Ennora. The smart thing to do if this was a check to ensure she wasn't a narc or worse a snitch was to be polite. But Maya had rarely been accused of being smart. "Or I just got out of a long term relationship. Or I recently moved out of my parents' house. Or like five other reasons I might be a recent add to the scene other than I'm a fresh police academy grad," she replied.

“Being in a long term relationship or moving out of your parents house wouldn’t stop you from being able to go out. Unless of course you were kept in the basement.” Crossing her arms across her chest she tipped her head slightly to the side, eyes flicking up and down the blonde. “I didn’t think you were a recent police academy grad, in fact I know you’re not, but how I know that isn’t important right now. I’m simply interested in getting to know you, Maya. Check to see if you're having a nice time." If Mark Cavendish thought he was the only one with the ability to do his research to maintain security in his little empire then the man would be sorely mistaken. 

Abito had a special place in Ryden’s cold, black heart. Not for reasons most would assume, considering what this place was, but for the most wholesome ones the majority wouldn’t guess could be found in a strip club. Where most expected a happy ending of a different kind, Ryden got his happily ever after, and when arrival into a new town meant sleeping in someone’s attic for a couple of months while his accounts were intentionally blocked so he wouldn’t be tempted to use them, the only money he had a wad of unmarked bills he hid in the hollows of Princess’ handlebars, a lowkey job with a helpful, welcoming community meant the difference between freedom and dependence on a past that threatened to swallow him whole. 

Ryden might be a crook, a sleazy dirtbag street rat that somehow made it to some sort of a top, but he knew when to give back to a community that propped him up during a hard time. When Lennon had reached out with a complaint that Abito hadn’t been as safe as when Mars and him were around, the dancers being on the front lines of unwanted attention against the place’s rules and the new generation of Abito security being a bunch of doormats about it, Ryden rolled up his sleeves and cracked his knuckles, promptly manifesting there at an arranged time to scout out the place, show his face a little, bring some security back to fend off any lawless behavior from repeating.

Although he could not really use the back door anymore, having not been employed there for a couple of years and thus losing that specific right, he was recognized right away at the front, an old mate still manning the entrance letting him in with barely any search done. Ryden was a memorable presence most places he went, usually taller than the crowd, skin crawling with ink with no free space left and a scowl that repelled bullshit yet somehow all of that worked in Abito’s favor while he was employed there. During the year of his bouncing and bartending, the place was so clean of cockroach lowlives looking to cause trouble that there was barely anything left for Ryden to do aside from mixing drinks and performing neat little bar tricks that showed off his pyromaniac tendencies in a flashy, cool way. 

The man was gone soon after, moving on to become a business owner himself now that the dust of his previous life had settled, but the name remained, haunting Abito through some older staff’s anecdotes and stories still circulating. Like the one where a particularly pushy patron was made to drink toilet water for five minutes straight until he apologized for making a dancer cry. Ryden kept dunking him in for the extra four and a half minutes just for good measure. Or how he made everyone some hella mean turkey sandwiches in the back on nights that stretched well into the early morning hours because of how upside-down the place had been turned. The comforting pats to all the backs hunched over in the back alley next to the dumpsters, retching their souls out, the bags and valuables he kept safe under the bar because the dressing rooms weren’t always safe for that, the electric installations he’d fixed last minute before show disasters, the pep talks he gave when morale was low, the arms he twisted for having grabby fingers… It was the best of times and it was the worst of times, and for the memory alone Ryden was happy to visit and do it all over again, even just for a night.

Glancing at the person next to him, petite in comparison, Ryden settled himself down on his elbows at one of the standing high tables around the stage, a tall glass of light ale sitting there barely touched. “So far, so good. But da night’s young. Jules said they’re expectin’ a busy one tho. So I guess we’ll see.” He drawled in his thickly accented baritone, lazy as a tiger after a meal, charging up his batteries for any action that might be required of him. He’d stolen one of those little plastic spoons to mix an espresso with from the bar after his chat with the kid handling it and now a prominent canine was working on breaking it apart.

An impossibly tall pair of heels on tonight she was there in a very different capacity, her chin lifted as she stood next to the huge man at the table near to the stage. Appreciative eyes watching as Aley danced, toying with her earring with her left hand as the other rested against the stem of her martini glass. “Young is an understatement, the assholes don’t really show up until after midnight if I remember correctly, then again that’s only assuming Martin still comes to this place. Or is even still alive. One can only hope not.” Tone so sharp it could cut glass which matched the way she’d contoured her face before coming out, cheekbones high with a swipe of highlighter just to add the finishing touch. The face that looked like it had been smacked against a sidewalk and hands like shovels she hated to admit how a shiver went down her spine when she thought of him, hair on her arms raising up in a physical manifestation of disgust she hadn’t been able to shake even after all these years. 

“What did Jules say when you told them we’d be coming by to keep an eye on things? I swear this place has gone to the dogs recently. Or maybe I just didn’t see it when I was working here because I had no choice, it’s bleak, no?” Pulling a face as she looked around, draining her drink in one go. “I’d take all of them to work for Lux and me if they wanted - we pay far better and no one is going to grope them.”

The person in front of her didn't slip past her in the way she was expecting, causing Maya to stop. Perhaps it was a sign of her own paranoia, but the question made her raise an eyebrow. "So far," she replied. The tone of her voice suggested she thought that might not continue to be true, depending on how this conversation went. Maya's eyebrow rose higher when the woman pointed out Maya was new to town. It was a bit more complicated than that. But Maya wasn't interested in inviting more questions. "Because it's like local night or...?" she asked.

A smooth smile on her face she shook her head, unsurprised by the reception she was getting but that never deterred Lennon before. “No no, we don’t have local nights - it’s far better for our brand that it’s not associated with any kind of local community. We’re more of the black sheep of the Ennora family.” If black sheep was code for ‘gathering place for those who enjoyed all things illegal’. “One of my jobs is to know who comes to the events.” She was hardly going to outwardly state she ran them because who knows who might be listening or watching, but it was a soft way to make it known she was part of the organisation. “And I’ve only seen you around a couple of times, but clearly enjoying yourself, which leads to a fair deduction that if you’d lived here longer I’d have seen you here sooner. No?” 

Ryden was hardly tied to any sort of schedule, aside from what he and Mars agreed on regarding their family, when it came to the pub. Usually he came and went whenever he wanted to, his actual job being at the fitness club, unless Mars was struggling to manage shift schedule because being understaffed was not rare for the place. But a quick text message would be an easy way to find out when he was in. The Rusty was also usually a very lively place, no matter the part of the day. But Lennon did bring in the sort of fresh fanciness to it that it didn’t get much of otherwise. Grinning at the sight of her waiting for his arrival at the bar because it brought back some pretty nice memories of when they still worked together in Abito, he walked across the sitting area to reach her.

“Hell, lookin' good there, wanna work for me for a day and cover me for the rest o’the evenin’?” He leaned against the bar top on the other side, slipping his gym bag off to toss it under the bar. He threw a suspicious look over his shoulder at Gary, the bloke currently working the counter, who had a huge grin plastered over his face because Lennon was gorgeous and just had that effect on people. “Been makin’ sum punks happy with yer divine presence, haven’t ya?” He asked her, although he didn’t actually mind. She deserved the attention she got.

“Sup badass boss lady? Got bored reelin' in big money and came t'hang at my humble lil joint?” He grinned wolfishly, obviously joking.

Glancing over at the grinning other man she threw him a wink before resting her chin on the back of her hand as her gaze slid back to the one she was here to see with a shrug. “What can I say, I’m helping your business out by bringing a certain elevation to the place, you’re welcome.” Gesturing over to the gym back with just a flick of her eyes as the grinning barman disappeared into the back room. “Been pumping more iron? You’ve got to be careful, you’ll end up with too much muscle than you know what to do with.” 

“Something like that, you ever thought about throwing the towel in on all this and coming over to the dark side to make five times the amount of money working the raves?” A matching teasing tone in her own voice. 

Lux quickly made his way back to their private space, not that they were ever fully safe here, really. He knew they would be making a fairly swift exit, but he allowed himself to take a moment to steady his heart rate. His ears still ringing from the volume and vibrations that still ran through him. He slid his helmet off, his hair falling out in short, wet ringlets. "They were easy after awhile. Clearly they were partaking." he said with excitement in his eyes. He took the water first, tipping his head back to down the whole cup in one go and tossing it aside before grabbing for the other drink. He grabbed the small towel from inside of his pocket, wiping his forehead and beyond.

Music continued playing, they would likely let the crowd linger for a few more minutes before the bouncers started ushering everyone out. Sometimes he wondered what the strung out kids got up to after. He knew it wasn't nothing from the rumors that ran through town, but they were careful not to join. They threw their own parties, but that was for VIPs. "What are we getting up to now?" he asked, eager to get some alone time with Lennon. They had been working hard gearing up for this particular party having had fewer over the winter, but after tonight they were back in full swing, and now they got to celebrate.

The whole floor pulsed with the bass of the music still playing but it wasn’t live anymore, just something to keep the vibes going while the space was cleared out, always the moment in the party to keep away from because it was the moment most likely to spark unrest among their patrons. “Anything you want, as long as no one else is fucking invited.” As much as she loved the afterparties they would throw at their loft more often than not post rave, tonight she felt like just the two of them would be much more Lennon’s speed. Hopefully Lux would agree but she had a sneaking suspicion he would. “Are you hungry?” Pinching his chin gently between her thumb and forefinger, pressing a soft kiss against his lips as she waited for an answer, they could stop off somewhere to get a bite on the way home if they wanted, or go straight - she didn’t really mind either way. “We should get out of here soon though, incase it gets dicy, or worse someone has the audacity to ask us to fucking do something to help.” 

"No break down?," His eyes already lit up from the substances that were lighting a flame under his skin. Getting to ditch after his set would make him very happy. Spending time sitting in the post set adrenaline with Lennon was better than anything else. After a set he was alive. He could never tell if the feeling came from the adrenaline of being on stage or the lingering electricity buzzing from the drugs, but he never felt down like he did when he was off duty.

His neediness had nothing to do with either. "I'm a simp, what can I say?" He leaned into the kiss, letting her affection calm any nerves that weren't already eradicated from the rush. He pulled back, motioning to the door that led him to backstage, if you could call it that. "You're so sexy, you're lucky I'm not needier." He whined before sliding the sweaty, metallic motorcycle helmet over his face to hide his identity, then slipped out into the humidity of the main room. The bodies creating a heat that was shocking for the temperature outside. Luckily there was a nice draft where the equipment sat. It made the helmet and jacket more bearable. Lux hopped up, the crowd getting rowdy in excitement for another set. The rest of the set is a sweaty blur filled with a lot of dancing, the adrenaline taking over. Lux was hardly there. That's what made it feel so good.

Breaking out into a grin against his lips she cradled his cheeks with both her hands, thumbs gently brushing across them for a few seconds before the two of them broke apart. “I’ll still be sexy when you get back, don’t keep your adoring public waiting.” Pulling his bottom lip between her teeth as she watched him get into his helmet, donning the persona she loved watching so much when he was on stage. Hence why she wandered out behind him after a couple of seconds to watch from a distance as he lost himself in the art with such passion it just made her fall in love with her even more every time. At some point during the set a drink was placed into her hand, whisky, which she sipped on alone shrouded by the shadows to make sure her presence didn’t give away Lux’s identity, disappearing into the back room just as she sensed it was drawing to a close so she could wait for him to return. Obviously making sure she had a drink to greet him with as well, alcoholic but also water because she knew from trying on the helmet (only once, never again) it would be drenched in sweat so he’d need fluids. She had no desire to have him fainting on her later. “Well they fucking loved that.” Lennon grinned as he appeared in the doorway, smirking like the cat who got the cream because…well she had. Him.  

Lux smirked at her unconventional compliment. Her flirting was never lost on him. Lennon had a way of making him feel like the most important man in the universe. He didn't understand it and as much as he knew she loved him, sometimes his brain tried to trick him. It often told him she was only there for his money, for the lifestyle. Logically, he knew this, but the body keeps the score. His past traumas sat just below his skin. He had grown to wear armor, but there was one person who managed to crawl between the chainmail that hung heavily on his torso. Lennon. He didn't care about the ladies downstairs. Just the one running the place, and Lux was utterly smitten with her.

"Edge me," he laughed, mostly joking as he took the baggie from her, examining it as she praised it. When he got like this, he mostly didn't talk. Managing to carry on with fewer words. Most people felt uncomfortable, as this was unlike the usual face he put on, but Lennon saw it often and treated him with care he'd never had before. Luckily, with her gift, the mood wouldn't last much longer. He dipped his pinky in the bag, doing the dance he did too often, and soon enough, he was buzzing with delight. His demeanor loosened, and he stood up as the life returned to his eyes and body. Turning back to Lennon, he grabbed a strand of hair as he stood over her with a doting, but domineering presence, twisting her hair between his fingers as he fawned over her. "Wish me luck out there?" He pursed his lips for his good luck kiss.

Giving him a second to do what he needed to with the drugs she provided she leant forward to press her lips to him temple as he sat back to wait for the high. The room pulsed with the base from the music in the other room but she sighed softly, closing her eyes for a moment. “I’ve already told Silo we’re tapping out after your set, leaving them in charge so we can leave whenever we like. I’ve set everything else in place already.” Running an ‘empire’ like this wouldn’t be possible if Lennon and Lux didn’t have a select few people around them who they trusted and while the circle was only about three people wide it was invaluable to them. Still she rarely relinquished the reigns before about six in the morning and tonight was no different, it was already coming up to five. Breaking into a grin as he got up to stand over her she looked up, tipping her head back to get a better view. “So needy.” The woman teased before giving him the kiss he was requesting, murmuring against his lips. “Then come back to me.” A little ritual they did every time he went on stage - she’d rather die than have anyone else know that though.