nightmare

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D.W. frowned. “It’s a sore subject.”

Lux’s frown mirrored D.W.’s. “Oh -- shit.”

It wasn’t as though Lux had avoided Marlene’s party to be rude. She just could not imagine herself getting on with everyone there, while having to roller-skate. Something she didn’t have the skills for. People and skates? She’d stick to motorcycles. “Hey, blondie,” Lux waved at the girl. See, she wasn’t avoiding her at all. “You busy?”

“You own a fucking bunny?” Lux asked loudly, kicking the shoe of the other girl with her boot to catch her attention.

Marlene watched Lux leave with a smile on her face. There was, she decided as she stamped out the butt of her cigarette in the ashtray on her nightstand, no maybe about it. Marlene would go and find Lux one day, when she was ready to. Hopefully sooner instead of later.

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“Fine.” The tongue Marlene stuck out was mischievous and teasing in return. “Then I’ll just expect to see you when I see you.” She liked the idea of it—that she could count Lucinda Talkalot as a friend and enjoy her company, without feeling compelled by her own chaos to chase after her, or to lock anything down. “And anyway, you know where to find me now.”

Lux decided this cat had overstayed her welcome and gathered the rest of her belongings once she was dressed, that consisted of cigarettes and a lighter and her wand. “And maybe one day,” She said, as she opened the door to Marlene’s bedroom, “you’ll come find me.” She shut the door before another word could be said between them. Lux had come for that, and was somehow leaving with more, a sly smile on her face as she disappeared into the party and into the night.

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Marlene rolled over onto her stomach as she watched Lux prepare to shuffle back into her costume. “Do you plan on getting invited back again or something?” she teased before taking another drag from between her smirking lips.

Lux shook her head, “No expectations here.” She knew it was supposed to be teasing, but made her intentions clear still. 

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Dragons, Marlene mouthed, awestruck for not the first nor the last time by the wonder that was D.W. Widdow. “Well the dragons aren’t here,” she laughed. “But we have a Badger, a Rabbit, a dog—” she ticked each one off on one of her fingers “—a cat, three owls— That might be it, actually.”

“Sounds like you chose the right house,” She rose from the bed finally, searching for where her Catwoman costume had gone off to. “You’ll have to show me them.” She didn’t say when. Right now would serve right, but if it happened later... maybe Lux could be okay with that.

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“Animals?” Marlene smiled; Lux had happened into the right house on Low Street. “We have, like, a million of those here. My house mate runs the club, you know. She does a pretty good job of it, too.”

“I know,” Lux nodded, having been in CoMC club. “She’s supposed to bring in dragons. Still waiting for her to deliver on the promise. Didn’t know she was your housemate. What kinds of animals?” Although finding a reason to stick around, shouldn’t have been high on her agenda.

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“Well—” Marlene shook her head. “It was either that, or be miserable for the rest of my life, and wondering if I missed some sort of sign from the universe to do something else.”

“Hm,” was all Lux commented. Lux didn’t know if there was some greater power out there giving out signs, or if anybody even had a destiny to live. She just didn’t know and, frankly, it might’ve been better off never having the answer. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. But I bet I’ll fall into it.” She went with the tides, always. It was a split second decision that had her in Scotland. “Probably something with animals.” She had wanted to be a vet once upon a time, but planning often got her nowhere.

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“From where I’m sitting I ain’t the only snake sitting here.” Amycus looked up at her listening as she spoke of the world. He didn’t exactly need confirmation that it was a shithole but he appreciated it nonetheless. He felt justified in a way. “What was your favorite place?”

“Uhuh.” Lux inhaled, pinching the cigarette between two fingers as she then exhaled and spoke, “Home’s my favorite. Seattle. And it’s not because it’s home or any of that heartwarming shit about home being where the heart is. It’s just some place I know. I can get Chinese food at 4am. You can’t do that here.”

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“Mudggle invention?” He asked, catching it. He observed it for a moment before flicking it, setting it aflame. “Interesting.” He held his hand over the flame. “I don’t exactly spend much time in the Muggle world.” He said with a shrug. 

“Careful there, you might burn a hole into that reptilian skin of yours,” Lux flicked ashes to the ground. “I’ve gotten all around. And let me tell you -- the world fucking sucks. Here, there, everywhere, but at least I’ve seen it firsthand.”

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“Yeah, I ain’t all bad all the time.” He said with fascination as he watched her closely “What’s that?”

“If you don’t know what a lighter is, I think it’s a safe call to make that you need to fuckin’ get out sometime.” Lux tossed the lighter in the air for him to catch.

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Marlene shrugged as she inhaled the first drag, so deeply her cheeks had sunken in. “Just ‘cause.” She exhaled, blowing the smoke away towards the window, even though it was closed. “No, I mean— It was different when I was going to be on the radio. But then I changed my major, and I thought— I mean, if it wasn’t what I wanted to do the most in the world, it might be for somebody else, right?”

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It didn’t go in one ear and out the next, but Lux also didn’t find herself needing to divulge any deeper. Shallow level information would do for now. She listened, about as intently as she ever had to Marlene, and blew out a cloud of smoke above their heads.

“Aren’t you a couple years up? Brave to change your major now.”

He looked at her for a moment, contemplative. “Yeah, sure.” He pulled a pack from his pocket, lighting one of his own before throwing it to her. 

Lux nodded as a thank you, holding up a cigarette to her lips, before lighting it with the muggle lighter she’d had stashed the back pocket of her jeans. “About the most I’ve ever liked you.”

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“Most things most of the time, but it’s why I was at that party.”

Lux had gone to get laid. Not exactly reasons of the same, but both reasons to be had. “Fair enough,” she whistled lowly. “Want a cig? I’m all out. I guess I’m asking if you have one.”

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“You ever do something cause you know it’ll piss someone off?” He asked curiously. 

“Almost everyday. What, are you wanting to snap?”

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“Guess it’s lucky for me I ain’t got a girl.” He said, brow raised at her. “Hardly call that a squabble.” He huffed. “Besides, popularity is bullshit. I’ve got people that matter.”

“Boy, whatever,” Lux held her hands up in fake defense. “Didn’t seem like anyone who has your back was around, though. I guess you’re taking a hold enemies closer approach.”