Too good to be good for me

the smile makes marley feel good. important, even. he likes making people happy in any way that he can. “i used to be a bit of a teacher’s pet back in school – i guess that’s transferring to my adult life. it’s not my fault the teachers were always nice to me!” he giggles a bit before accepting the papers into his arms. he nods his understanding and scans their surroundings, trying to find the best place for the flyers. “oh, um. well, i know that. but you’re, like, the director! it feels weird just to call you phoenix.” maybe that’s just a marley problem. he errs on the side of too-polite. “can i borrow the stapler then, phoenix?” he accentuates the name with a playful smile that’s followed by a crinkle of his nose.

By then, Phoenix was turned back to the telephone post. He was working to staple a few of the flyers onto it in a way that created almost a plaster-like wall paper around the circumference of the post. Hearing Marley, he gives a shake of his head. “Don’t sell yourself short. It is exactly your fault that they and others might like you. It means you have good qualities to you, you’re allowed to be proud of that.” He instructs the omega, giving a quick side glance as he does. “Director or not, we all have to start somewhere. It wasn’t too long ago that I was in your position, you know. And in every instance the directors I felt most comfortable working with were the ones I addressed as a friend, not a boss. We work together to make our productions happen, my shows would be nothing without the talent, yes?” With that, he’s offering the tool over to the smaller boy. “Of course you may, Marley.”

His immediate instinct is to bare his teeth, which he does briefly before he’s rubs at his chest, disgruntled. He’d expected just a warning (or the occasional attack which Nico had become partially accustomed to) but is taken aback by the question. “Nowhere. I just like running. I should be asking you why you’re just standing around like that.”

With a roll of his eyes at the other’s reaction, Phoenix let’s his arm go up so he could motion to the color changing sky above them. “There’s never a time a person should be so busy that they can’t stop and admire the beauty of the world, don’t you think?” He asks it in almost a condescending manner, as if it was something he did that made him better than everyone else. Then again, for Phoenix is wasn’t unusual that the alpha think as much of himself. “But regardless, a runner should be careful of where they’re going. Especially in light of how this town has been recently.”

Upon seeing the other, Isaac had hoped to sneak by quickly. Of course, things never worked quite that well for the younger wolf as Phoenix instantly spotted him – though he didn’t seem to realize who it was. “…Are you sure?” he finally replied, clearly embarrassed from their previous encounter. Even at work, Isaac had found ways to duck out when the other had appeared. Now there was no where to run. Other than down the street. But that would have been weird.

Looking Isaac over, Phoenix offers a bit of a shake of his head to the male. He knew that he was avoiding him, and for some reason the thought of it got under the alpha’s skin. After all, he’d basically put in all efforts to take care of the omega. “I’m positive.” He mutters, offering the papers out to Isaac. “You can’t run from me forever. And you besides, you owe me. Don’t ya think?”

‘‘Last time a stranger asking me that question I regretted my willingness to help almost immediately,’‘ Othello replied with a laugh, playfully smirking at the other male. ‘‘I can definitely help. Where are you heading with all those flyers?’‘ He was on his way to his apartment, frankly he was glad someone was offering him an alternature to ending up drinking red wine by himself while watching friends on netflix.

“Don’t worry, I won’t take advantage of your kindness. Not unless you’d like me to.” Phoenix spoke with an air of teasing to his tone. As old school as the alpha was, he could still be a little bit soft and fun when the time called for it. He gestured down the block they were on before turning back to the younger male. “Just along here, maybe a few blocks further. I hope you don’t mind? I promise to pay you back for your help, if it’s any consolation.”

after rehearsal, it isn’t completely unlike marley to linger about. usually it’s a combination of his love for the stage and a desire not to go home alone but, with tensions running high in the town, this time, it’s simply so that he’s around people while he waits for arik to come pick him up. there’s safety in numbers and all that. so he’s delighted when he happens upon phoenix and he wouldn’t skipped up beside him if his overall demeanor weren’t tending towards somber. “ i have two hands to offer, ” he smiles politely, holding up his palms as though he wouldn’t believe him. “ and i’d be happy to help, sir. ”

Truthfully, Phoenix had taken a liking to the small blond boy that worked out of his theatre. He had worked with plenty of different talent in his day, retched ones, the kind that would throw a diva fit over the littlest of things. But with Marley, he was thankful to say the boy didn’t have that kind of attitude. At least, he hadn’t shown that side of him to Phoenix yet, which was all the same in the director’s book. So, when he took to realizing that it was Marley who he had ordered to lend a and, he couldn’t help the warm smile that crossed his features. “Look at you, quite the over achiever.” He teases, offering out the stack of papers to the boy. “Good, hang onto these. Maybe, if you see fit, you can throw some of them up where we are yourself. And please, we work together, Marley. We can be on a first name basis, don’t you think?”

Arik’s done more walking criss - cross town over the past week than he feels like he’s done in his ENTIRE LIFE previous — that’s dramatic, obviously, but so is he, at least right now.  Between walking Marley back - and - forth to rehearsals and making it back to the studio for his daily classes, Arik’s sort of gotten the trip down Main Street to a science over the past few days.  WHICH IS TO SAY he’s gotten really good at ducking his head down and ignoring anything that might come up along the way.

— — — EXCEPT THE DIRECTOR OF THE LITTLE THEATRE’S DIRECTOR.  He probably ought not to ignore him.

“ They really got you out here POSTIN’ UP SIGNS and everything, huh ? ”  Slowing up, Arik hitches his bag a bit higher on his shoulder, head cocked in Phoenix’s direction — he’s not real sure he’ll ever get past the latent INTIMIDATION anybody with the name director before their name manages to settle on him.  “ Sure — what’re you looking for ? ”

To Phoenix, it didn’t matter how high he moved up in the theatre. Be it director, actor, or anything between, everyone has to pull their equal weight in a profession such as theatre. So yes, there he was, doing a task that some people might deem menial. With a shrug, he offers Arik a friendly smile. “Gotta do what I gotta do, you know? You learn that very quickly in a job like mine.” he says before holding out his stack of papers to the boy. “Think you can hang onto these for me? Hand them to me as I need them? Unfortunately, the one thing I don’t know how to do is juggle, you know?”

Working the morning shift at the dinner was never a fun time for anyone involved. Syke hadn’t fallen asleep till about four in the morning and he’d been up three hours later to work the till at the dinner. Thank god it was all over. Stuffing his hands into his overly large leather jacket pockets, he walked slowly as he smoked. It was cool, almost cold, that afternoon and he couldn’t help but take comfort in the heat from his cigarette. He wasn’t paying much attention to anyone or anything as he walked.  Unaware of the man next to him till he spoke up and said something. “Huh?” Syke mumbled and glanced at the papers in his hands and then around him to see no one else. Sighing, Syke stuck the cigarette between his lips and held out his hands. “Whatta need?” He asked around the smoke. 

Phoenix had to do his best try and hide his detain over the other’s cigarette smoke. However, he couldn’t help but crinkle up his nose in response to the smell of it. Nevertheless, Phoenix needed to get the flyers hung and finished. Otherwise he might as well be putting on a one man show because no one would know about the acting opportunities that he was offering. So, brushing his distaste aside, he forces a small smile. “Just hold these for me? Hand me them as I ask. I need three arms to do everything, but unfortunately only have two.” He explains, thrusting the stack of excess papers into Syke’s hands. “thanks so much.”

riz92: so my arrangement for the night bailed... at least i have this bottle of wine to myself now

nix1121: An entire bottle of wine just for you?

“Not even that talented,” he chirped. Even sober, Isaac wouldn’t have seen the big deal between the lead actor and makeup artist fucking. The bigger issue was Skylar’s shitty attitude. Besides, Isaac had slept with Phoenix. And that was essentially his boss. Still, Isaac could smell the other’s scent and it made drunk him feel a little more guilty. “I always cooperate with your dumb self…” he grumbled. “I just know you don’t want to hang around. I guess that’s my dumb self’s fault.”

“Isaac, enough!” Phoenix all but yelled at the brunet in his passenger seat. He was doing all her could to keep himself from bubbling over with so much anger that he might see red. Isaac was lucky that the alpha cared for him in the way that he did. After all, it wasn’t often that Phoenix would let such behavior slide with the other betas or omegas in his life. Finally, he pulled up outside of Isaac’s building and turned his car off. “Let’s go. Let’s get you in bed before you do anything else stupid.” he mutters, shuffling himself out of the car and over to the passenger side so he could retrieve the beta.

Blake wanted to believe that the older male was sincere about wanting to check in with him to see how he was doing, but after the way the other had treated him, and never even apologized for it, he wouldn’t be surprised if this was just another plot to humiliate him somehow. “Yea, something tragic has happened, your pack is filled with psychopaths, yada, yada, yada, we been knew,” he huffed, folding his arms across his chest. The alpha was so hard to read, Blake genuinely had no idea what to think, but so far he didn’t see a reason to give him the benefit of the doubt just yet.  “Need something from you?” he tilted his head to one side, eyeing the other down suspiciously. “Why? Where you offering anything?”

“Ignis didn’t have anything to do with the attack, Blake. And even if we did, most of our members are unsupportive of that kind of behavior.” Phoenix immediately grew defensive, unable to help it. After all, his pack was essentially a family to him. However, he did say most. Because when it came down to it, Phoenix didn’t think much of the attack. Mostly that the other pack was asking for it. Offering the redhead a shrug, Phoenix nods his head toward the store’s exit. “My apartment, where else? I believe I offered you a warm bath the other day, did I not.”

Isaac crossed his arms over his chest, pouting as he was strapped into the car. “He’s always talking about how much he wants to fuck me. What’s the big deal? Could boost his morale for the show.” Of course, that would be a massive regret the next morning if he actually woke up in Skylar’s bed. The little shit would never let him live it down. “Yeah. You say that, but I bet you’ll peace out on me the moment I fall asleep. So I’m not going to go to sleep.” Petulant? Most definitely. Normal Isaac was playful and sometimes liked to test Phoenix over his dominance, but he was not usually nearly this petulant about things.

“The big deal is that he’s out lead actor, Isaac. And the only talent we got. I don’t need you... just don’t.” Phoenix gives a shake of his head. He couldn’t believe the other male’s level of professionalism right now. Talking about having sex with their Tony? The fact that he would even want to part-take in something so risky, that could potentially ruin their show, was mind boggling. Phoenix’s hands gripped harder at the steering wheel as the other tried his patience. “I won’t go anywhere, Isaac. I just ned you to cooperate with me. Please, just this once.”

Confusion spread across Blake’s features when the alpha wolf showed some empathy towards him. Blake wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box, but it was obvious the other was up to something, because he had never been this nice to him before. “I doubt you can imagine how anyone is feeling, period,” he sneered, cocking a suspicious eyebrow. The boy hadn’t forgotten yet about what happened between them, all the cold words that were said to him for no good reason. “So, why are you really here?” Blake questioned, pursing his lips into a thin line. Sure, he was supposed to be polite to customers, but the beta wolf wore his heart on his sleeve, and he couldn’t just pretend like he wasn’t still incredibly upset about it. “Let me guess; You’re looking for a warm mouth? because that’s all I’m good for?”

It took everything in Phoenix not to roll his eyes at the boy. He had to keep repeating in his head the reason that he had approached Blake at all. And it was to check in on him. To see if he needed anything. Especially in times like these. Despite not seeing issue with what had gone on, Phoenix still liked to have his ducks in a row. And whether he or Blake liked it or not, Blake was now one of his ducks. “Come on, pup. Retract the claws. Something tragic happened. I’m not here to berate you. Just to simply see how you were holding up... and if you needed anything.”

Isaac let out a grunt as the other lifted him up. He began banging his fists against the other’s back in frustration. “I only called you because I didn’t want to sleep alone!” he shouted. “I’ll find someone who won’t make me sleep alone if you just leave me here.” He didn’t care that he was getting stared at. He’d probably barely remember what had occurred in the morning. In the meantime, he was hurt, lonely, and drunk, and not about to make life easy for the Alpha. “Maybe I’ll call that dumbshit kid who thinks he’s the star of the show.”

Once at his car, Phoenix used a hand to open the passenger side door. He dropped Isaac into the seat of it, before leaning in so he could buckle the male’s seatbelt for him. “No.” He hisses at the beta, soon straightening up so he could be eye level with the male, pointing a finger directly at him. “No you will not. I swear to god, Isaac. If you bother that boy while he’s meant to be resting you will never see the light of day. Is that understood?” With that, he’s closing the passenger side door and shuffling over to get into the drivers side so he could start the car and pull away. “Plus you and I both know he shouldn’t see you like this. He shouldn’t.... I won’t leave you alone, tonight. Alright? Just, don’t bother that boy when you’re like this.”

Isaac let out a loud huff at the other’s rejection before settling back onto a bar stool and out of the other man’s grasp. “Nope. Gonna stay here. Someone interesting will come by.” Isaac had never claimed to be an easy man to get along with. He did what he wanted, especially after moving to Vilkas. “Bye bye.”

The clear defiance from the beta made Phoenix stop in his tracks for a moment. If there was one thing he absolutely hated, it was when someone he thought of as inferior to him decided to disobey him. However, Phoenix took a moment to remind himself that the man was intoxicated. And clearly going through some things. So, with a deep sigh, he shook his head. “Yea, sure. And maybe in the mean time the Easter bunny will come and bring you more shit to drink. You’re not staying here, Isaac.” he mutters, grabbing the male by his arm to hoist him out of the seat. “You made me come out to get you. Well, get you I will be doing.” And just like that, the beta was being scooped up into the Alpha’s arms and thrown over his shoulder to carry Isaac to his car.