Only Human

 — ✧·ﾟ

Cleo had wanted to check on Maddox since it had been mostly radio silence from him the past few weeks, which tended to worry her given all he’d been through. Thankfully he hadn’t turned off his location from when they use to share, so she’d followed the little dot until she found him. Just as she got to him he was on the phone, it appeared to be important. Rather than interrupting she leaned against the wall next to him and waited for him to finish up his conversation. Listening in for what she could hear to try and make out what was actually going on. “Congratulations on the offer!” Letting slight excitement show in her voice, she pulled her old partner in for a hug. “You should be excited, Maddox. This is a good opportunity for you.” Encouraging him to actually be excited about the job being offered. “What job did you get offered exactly, detective or something in special opts?”

🚓

To say he didn't miss Cleo, wouldn't be true, he did. She was one of his best friends and one of the persons who meant a lot in his life. When they were younger, she was his partner but when he became a vampire things were different. It wasn’t like they were bad, but Maddox tended to keep quiet most of the time. He tried his best to keep in contact with Cleo but some days he just felt like he just needed to be alone. “Thanks Cleo,” the vampire grinned feeling the hug, which he had missed more then he thought he would. “I got offered to be a detective, but not with this unit, like they want to transfer me out of Brooklyn to a different department so I’m kind of debating it.” he shrugged, “You know special opts is not for me.”

☆—

While the wedding hadn’t actually happened, the doors that it had opened were amazing to see. It was true not everyone was on board with witches dating other species, but seeing so many intermixed species had warmed Serena’s heart. “My condolences on that event. Although the bright side is you did give a lot of other creatures hope and showed that interspecies relationships with witches aren’t a bad thing.” Trying to explain to him the bright side of things, even though she knew that things were probably pretty awful for him. At the mention of Leo a happy smile came across Serena’s face. “It’s okay to have a slip up Maddox. We all do.” Letting him know that none of them were actually as perfect as they seemed. While yes many did have great control, it didn’t mean they started with it. Even after all of her years of being a vampire she struggled constantly. “Awesome” Passing over a few of the bags while she held onto the others and walked towards her office. “So besides the control issues and wedding drama has anything interesting been happening in your life? Have you even started to move on?”

🚓

Truth was Maddox wasn't ashamed of the relationship he had with Logan, he wasn't ashamed that the wedding didn't happen, but he was sad that he didn't get to marry the women he thought he loved. It was difficult though sometimes to think about it but Serena did make a point about it giving hope to people of different species. He always believed that love shouldn’t be defined simply by the species that you were but merely but the love that you shared with a person. Love was unconditional in many ways. “I guess that’s true, but there’s always going to be people out there that don’t believe in interspecies marriage or relationships, but I do believe that whatever happened with Logan and I taught people to believe in it.” Maddox stated. Has anything interesting happened? Well there was that thing with Xavier, but he wasn’t exactly sure he wanted to discuss that with Serena, he also wasn’t sure he wanted to discuss the fact that his life was rather boring. “You know not really anything major. Other then a promotion that I’m still not sure I should take, but other then that nothing fantastic.”

“I only get naked when I’m off duty.” Though he was sure that if he said never then there was bound to be a moment when he found himself in that exact position as he shook his head at the other with a bit of a grin. “Shit. You’d make a better one than me most days. Not all, ‘cause I have to make sure that I don’t just hand you my job and find myself out on the street. Then I might actually be naked when I’m working,” he added with a rough laugh that sobered up quick enough. “You’d be a better detective starting out than half the guys in that place. I swear, they’re pushing kids through in hopes that one of them will last more than a year on the job before they’re quitting on ‘em.”

🚓

With a raise of his eyebrow at the mention of being naked Maddox let a chuckle come out. Being naked wasn't always a bad thing, but not everyone was comfortable with it and he personally hated chasing after naked people. It was extremely uncomfortable for both people involved. “Thanks for saying that man. I think I’m due for a promotion soon, but I just keep turning it down because I feel like it’s a bad idea. I know I’m not as good as you and all that shit but I keep telling myself that I’ll just fuck something up and lose the title.” he shrugged, “Oh I know it’s honestly really sad if you think about it.”

“He lied to me for the past forty years,” well it was more than that. But he couldn’t share the details of that. “He never told me he got married and in the past several years when I started to get suspicious brushed it off with lies until they revealed it at the potion party,” he shrugged his shoulders. There was no point in him playing it off as it was not bad when it’s obvious it was, yet here he is. “I guess it put things into perspective for me,” he knows it did. He may make it seem like it’s just the lying about the wedding, but it was more than that. It’s all the little things between lying about how he was turned and the potion party. He always put Max first, which was his choice. He acknowledged that. Maybe even overcompensate for losing his children and wife after turning. He did expect Max to make Xavier his first choice. No one would expect that from their son ( he raised Max - he considers him both his younger brother and first child ). But becoming aware of it affected him more than he thought. Did Max think of him at all in certain situations? It made him realize that he should start putting himself first. Max is old enough to not have or need Xavier to clean/fix anything up. Xavier offered a grin back as he ran his thumb across the glass in his hands, “I hear you.” He couldn’t say Maddox is wrong. He took a sip of the blood in his glass, taking a moment before returning his attention on Maddox, “I have to clean up first,” referring to the fact that he has let his hair grow out, “—- but I do want to step out and not be confined in this apartment.”

🚓

Maddox sometimes forgot how old Xavier was but that didn't matter to him. Forty years was a long time to not share something with someone. He himself had exposed himself to Mirana and he had literally nearly tried to attack Lorelai so there was that. But the vampire didn't understand much about relationships with siblings seeing as it was just him and his father all his life, but he could imagine the pain Xavier felt about everything. “I’m sorry man, I don’t know much about having a sibling and everything but I get the reason behind being angry. Being lied to for years is never fun.” Maddox shrugged and placed a hand on the other’s shoulder. “Well let me help you clean up and we can go somewhere that isn’t this apartment. As much as I like this apartment and you,” he added taking a sip of his own glass. “If you want to talk to you’re brother you know I totally support that, but the world is still a good place to be out in, well I mean it’s mostly good anyways.”

***

Xavier chuckled as he made his way into his kitchen, “I’ll keep that in mind.” He grabbed a glas from his cabinet before getting the blood bag from the fridge. He poured a little bit in the glass for himself and left the rest of the blood in the blood bag for Maddox. He brought his glass and the blood bag with him as he headed back to where Maddox was currently slouching. He let out a hum when he heard Maddox question, handing him the blood bag. He is still working on consuming blood with no issues. At least he could say he was doing better than before. 

“I have stepped out occasionally,” albeit for his work and a few non work related things, “but I do plan to, it would be best if I amends things with my brother first.” It felt like that would be the first, and reasonable, step to make before emerging himself to the outside world again. “But I do have to say, being out and about won’t be as fun as our time inside.”

_

🚓

Maddox didn't know what it was like to have siblings, he was an only child. Well at least he thinks he is anyways, his mother was never around growing up because she wasn’t ready for that commitment so for all he knew someone could be running around and actually be related to him without him actually knowing. “What even happened between you two again?” he asked. He had a brief idea of what happened but since the potion party his mind had been a bit blurry other then what happened between him and Lorelai. “Just because I think you should leave this apartment, as wonderful as it is, doesn’t mean we can’t have our fun still,” the brunette let a grin form on his face. “I just think you could use the air, I know we’re like vampires and all that crap but air is good for you once and a while.”

¯_(ツ)_/¯

“I actually never thought it was tough? It’s just how it’s always been for me. Living in one place for most parts of your life is more impressive to me ‘cause I get… this itch to leave after a year or so.” Eliot gestures vaguely as if he was trying to explain that specific feeling of ‘I’ve been here for too long, I should move on’. “I like to think I adapt to new things and places well enough.” He says, “but who knows, I’ve never been outside the country so it might not work elsewhere.” Eliot nods at the confirmation, thinking he should stay out of the topic that makes someone frown like that. “Ah, yeah. She looked, uh… cool.” Probably shouldn’t have said that, but he didn’t know what else to say, really. “Yep, definitely. It’s been a while since I lived anywhere this big and busy.” And the other big cities he’s lived in were similar in some ways, but every city has its own quirks. It will take a while for him to figure that out. “So if you’ve got any tip or advice on Brooklyn, I’m all ears. ‘cause like, I didn’t know how difficult it was to find a room that’s not a total dump here? Things I wish I knew before movin’ here.” 

🚓

'So you probably aren't going to stay here long then? I mean I get why you wanna leave, but I also am curious as to why you wouldn't want to stay. New York can be a great place full of opportunities." Maddox implied, living here all his life he was used to most of the things New York had to offer people, but he was also curious as to why the other wanted to leave. “I’ll be frank with you man,” he paused a little moving some of his hair that had fallen into his eyes, “I’ve never been out of here in my entire life and I’m 35 years old.” he hated that he never explored more or had more opportunities to do so but he had focused on school and his career that he decided against leaving. “Logan is pretty cool once you get to know her,” the vampire wasn’t even sure how to describe his ex-fiancé other then that, he apparently didn’t even know the real her.  “Well I don’t want to be very forward or anything but I have a huge ass apartment and I could use a roommate if you are still looking for one.”

Location: Clan Quarters

Time: Late Evening

Status: Closed ( @notthevampking​ )

Arthur was never one to stay in one place and ,by extension, one clan. Thus, they always avoided going to clan quarters; it’s easier to stay detached and never get too comfy that way. But tonight’s an exception. The paramedic was off shift that night and they just happened to be in Manhattan when that familiar itch for blood hit them. Meh, why the hell not? It wasn’t like anyone else was going to be there this hour and they were right. The quarters was without a soul when Arthur came in and they helped themselves to a glass. “…Ugly. Too much white.” Arthur muttered to themselves before taking a long sip. Then they spotted another vampire walking from the corner of their eye and gulped, caught off guard. He did hear that, did he? “_Shit- _Ah, good evening, Maddox. How is Char-” Arthur bit their tongue before they can finish that equivalent of ‘hey, how are the wife and kids’. Right, they’re not partners anymore. Fuck. “Sorry, sorry. Ignore that, how are you? Yes, how are you?”

🚓

Where: Brooklyn Prescient

“Fuck.” Ryan muttered catching a glace of someone across the way. Of all people it had to be her manager. She’d called off work “sick” today, wanting to finally enjoy a full day off. Getting caught in a lie would be mortifying so she walked over to the first person she saw. “Hey, do you mind doing me like a huge favor? That guy over there can’t know I’m here, do you mind hiding me until he’s gone by?” She threw her best puppy dog eyes in to sweeten the deal, her hands twitching nervously. “He’s the one over there in the grey jacket.”

🚓

Maddox was a little taken back at the request to hide her, he wasn't going to say no of course because it was part of who he was. Not just as a cop but as a person, or when he was a person that was. “Of course,” he replied looking towards the guy. “Did you do something you weren’t supposed to do because I’m totally not sure I can bail you out of this?” the vampire inquired because if it was illegal he knew his ass would be on the line.

who:OPEN

@darkesthourstarters

where:Blush Boutique

If it’s one thing that Nyah hates, it’s the fact that this cast and sling really limited her normal wardrobe. On the flipside, that meant that a lot of shopping was in her future, which is something that she didn’t mind indulging in. Alas, the added challenge of getting in and out of stores, trying on clothing, without her dominant hand for support was slowly starting to get to her. Depending on people, or even asking for help was something that she generally avoided. Her independence is something that she stubbornly held fast too. Which brings us to this moment, where she’s on her third store for the morning, and already huffing in frustration as she searched through a few racks of Blush Boutique’s offerings. “Once I’m healed, I am never getting injured again,” she began airing her grievances aloud. “This is all just too inconvenient for a repeat performance.” Nyah picked up a dolman sleeve top, her face scrunching up in disgust immediately. “Is this what I have to resort to?”  They were one of the recommended styles on the list she was using, and so far she found the picks sorely disappointing. “Listen, fracturing your wrist, one hundred out of five, don’t recommend,” here came her unsolicited advice to anyone that would listen. 

🚓

Maddox was still on the hunt to get something for Lorelai, but he still wasn't exactly sure what to get her. He had decided to take Logan’s advice and get her some clothes but figuring that out was merely impossible. The vampire knew he probably could just ask Lorelai or even Logan what she would like but he decided to just take the color requests from Logan and go with it. He stepped into the unfamiliar store and looked around, puzzled as to what exactly he was thinking going by himself. Maddox watched people running around the shop looking at all the clothes when he heard a voice next to him. “Injuries are always going to come though, you can never not get injured depending on what you do for a living,” he shrugged a little bit, he had been injured more then once in his career as a cop and he knew there was still that possibility of getting injured still. “Ouch, so does that mean you’re stuck with it for like six weeks?”

++

“New Orleans, it’s a good time. Funnily enough I lived on top of a bar down there too.” He chuckled. “Its on the Mississippi River, very old and beautiful, much lower than here, if you’ve seen any movie set in New Orleans, usually thats where the movie is set.” He had loved living in the city, it being exactly as he had pictured it growing up reading Tennessee Williams in the park. “And if it is?” Lucian asked cheekily, a sly smirk on his lips as he did so, knowing full well that the other man was right. “Sounds like as good a reason as any. What do you do that makes you finish up at a ridiculous time like this?”

🚓

Maddox was a bit envious of the other, the fact that he got to visit such a beautiful place. He himself had noted to put that on his list to visit one day. He knew he was a vampire and all and he never understood why he still stayed in New York. Maybe it was because it was where his family was, his friends were and he was simply afraid of change. “That sounds really nice might have to check it out one day,” he noted. “I mean all you have to do is ask.” he would never say no to someone asking to see him shirtless, after all they both were attractive men and knew what each other liked. “I’m a cop, I work the oddest of shifts. Sometimes it’s late sometimes it’s early you just never know.”

—

“You’re telling me that you’d rather work with naked people than with me? I’m hurt. And here I thought we were as close as two people could be with barely knowing or seeing each other anymore.” He feigned being stabbed in the chest as he let out a low chuckle at the same time. “You might be better than half the guys that I work with but you didn’t hear that from me,” he replied with a bit of a shrug, considering that they’d gone through most of this together until circumstances changed and Alex rarely saw the other unless they were both off duty. Even now, he knew that there was plenty being carried out of that building and on their shoulders

— or at least he felt like he could barely keep himself upright after shifts like today.

🚓

"Well I mean if you're going to be the one naked then maybe I might want to work with you," Maddox chuckled a little flirtishly. He had known Alex long enough to know his work ethic but it was always fun to tease the other. “Glad you think I am.” he smiled a little bit at the thought, he knew he was a hard worker and he knew he was capable of a lot of things, but he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t tried. “You think I’d ever make a good detective?”

¯_(ツ)_/¯

“Yeah, my family moved around a lot, never stuck around one place for too long, so I did the same thing when I got on my own. It was pretty cool, ‘cause you get to see all sorts of things, meet all sorts of people.” Eliot admits. He did enjoy the life on the road, going wherever the wheels would take him. “Logan?” He thinks for a second, shoving a fry in his mouth. The name sounds vaguely familiar. “Is that the, uh, blonde lady? Doesn’t she like, work here?” He asks, looking toward the bar. He wonders what Maddox means by ‘complicated’ but it’s obvious that the man doesn’t want to talk about it, so he lets it slide. He understands that– he doesn’t do complicated. “Thanks, man. It’s been pretty fun, living here. Still gettin’ used to big cities, though.” 

🚓

To say Maddox wasn't; impressed by the fact that the man moved around a lot would be an understatement, he was in fact impressed. He himself had wished he had a life like that but it never happened. Maddox always knew his life was planned out for him, since he was born, he grew up knowing that he was going to become a Hunter like his father; well up until he became a vampire of course, and he was going to excel in it. Being a cop just happened to be a part of that. “That’s pretty impressive man, moving can be tough but I guess it teachers you to adapt right?” he stated thinking of the times when he had to adapt to his knew life as a vampire. “Logan would be the one yes,” the vampire frowned thinking about her. They had talked about their relationship and as much as he wanted it to be real he knew it wasn’t. “It’ll take some time to get used to the big city man.”

“Well that is very sweet, Officer? Sorry, I didn’t get your name.” Maybe this guy wasn’t so bad. Connor still had her guard up though, there was something … off. “Brooklyn? Whoa, watch out we got a bad boy on our hands.” She joked. Connor had a few friends from there, she was familiar spectrum of danger in the borough. She hasn’t visited in a while though. “I’m born and raised here in Manhattan. Have you always worked over here?”

_

🚓

"Officer King, Maddox King to be exact." he grinned a little realize he had completely forgotten to even introduce himself to the poor women. He usually would have done it right away but yet he hadn't even thought about it. “Funny thing is I became a cop to prevent myself from being a bad boy, got the looks just not the heart.” he joked playfully. “Sometimes I just like to cruise around the city just to see what’s happening, plus they have a really good pizza place here.”

—

**“I’d trade you but then I’d have to deal with the butt naked idiot in the middle of the night and somehow, my night doesn’t seem as bad,” he added with a bit of a tired smirk before he settled back down into his seat. He rest the back of his head against the booth’s seat as he let out an exhausted sigh from the amount of stress that he had been holding onto even now. There was no relaxing when it came to his work and less so when it came to being off duty when people were a lot less careful with getting too close. “Sleep is overrated anyways.” **He sure as hell didn’t much care for it considering how often he woke up somewhere other than where he had fallen asleep and often full of nightmares, not that he could explain that to the other or anyone. There wasn’t really anyone that could fully understand

— not even those that said that they could. “Or you could get one of those titles put in front of your name and join me. Then I wouldn’t have to do this shit alone and you wouldn’t be manhandling any naked idiots in the park.”

_

🚓

"As much as I love the idea of watching you deal with it, probably better not. Butt naked people are much more fun then really drunk idiots who throw up all over each other." Maddox shook his head at the thought of having to deal with so many drunk people. It happened more often then he wanted it to and he really wished he could just not have to deal with them. “It kind of is.” he agreed, he never slept most days anyways, so even if he had tried it never really mattered. “Yeah but that requires a lot of paperwork and honestly do you think I would be that good of a detective?”

++

“Thanks for that.” Lu said, nodding to a corner where a few other boxes lay for him to dump them. Walking behind the bar, Lucien leant on the bar comfortably, he always felt oddly at east behind a bar, even though the fact that he was bound to this particular one also freaked him out a bit. “I worked bars in the French Quarter during Mardi Gras, body shots got me very good tips so I’m a fan.” He chuckled, running a hand through his hair, tousling it before adding with a cheeky grin, “plus, they’re fun.” Grabbing some whiskey he poured two glasses of whiskey, downing his in a gulp before topping it back up, his eyes looking the other man up and down, checking him out, as he did so. “So what’s the need for the early morning drink?”

🚓

"Any time man," Maddox gave him a soft smile. He was intrigued by him that was for sure. The man had never been out of New York, at least not long enough to experience different things. He had enrolled in the Hunter Academy like his father had wanted him to, he became a cop and then he became a vampire, not much of his life consisted of leaving New York. It was home after all. “That’s pretty impressive actually, I’ve never been to where is the French Quarter again?” he questioned, trying to rack his brain around his lack of geography. “I feel like this is just your attempt to see me shirtless,” he cackled and took the other shot. “Just had a long night at work.”

Mark shrugged at the idea, sure crazy things happened - but he doubted it occurred due to the words of one man. “Possibly, but I doubt anything I say would greatly impact the world - i’m just one small man in a huge world.” he admitted, flashing the other a small smile. “mhm, there not to bad and I mean if you’re feeling extremely courageous you might even dare to dip french fries into the milkshake - it’s a weird idea but it gets some people in a good mood - depends on your taste really.” Mark shrugged at the thought. “I suppose when you get so used to one thing getting to experience the little joys is exciting.” 

🚓

"Once we had someone say it was too quiet and the next thing I knew we were out on call after call and it was insane," Maddox noted, "Also I heard if you ever say that in a firehouse, it'll jinx them, so I suggest never to say it there." he added. He didn't believe in jinxes really but he knew that it was bad to say those things in any field really. “Oh my dear child, I have done that many times. I’ve lived 35 years of my life dipping my French fries into ice cream and I sure wont stop now.”