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Neutral
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Maisey felt her stomach turn, a sort of butterflies when he didn't pull his hand away. She smiled to herself at his initial reply, for her it was unusual for a guy to be so attentive in a conversation and she was thoroughly enjoying it. As she started listening to the story behind his pets' names she could tell there was a hint of sadness around the topic. Instinctively she intertwined her fingers with his, holding his hand juts a bit tighter. Not a death grip or anything crazy, just a supportive hold to let someone know you were there. Quite literally in her case. "It sounds like you've done an amazing job, from not being able to imagine having a dog to now having two gorgeous ones who I'm sure love you a lot" she smiled. She didn't want to bring the mood down too much, for both of their sake but she wanted to acknowledge that she understood what he was getting at. "It sounds like Nyx was really waiting for you, that's such a sweet story! and an amazing outcome for a shelter pup" she spoke encouragingly, her forte was always for helping other people. Never herself, in her opinion her issues didn't matter. Pushing them deep down and ignoring them was the only was she saw fit. If she got all emotional she wouldn't focus on her work well and she refused to let that happen. Becoming a hero and being mentored by the lady who trained her was a life changer, not many people knew but she was headed for a dark path before she found some meaning. Perhaps she would've ended up at Afton's table if she hadn't have sorted her shit out! She noticed how his smile quickly disappeared, she didn't know him well enough to know what it meant though. She offered a gentle squeeze of her hand and said "If you're up for it I'd love to meet them one day!" trying to bring a positive spin to the topic. "They sound great, it would be a shame not to meet them in person" she smiled. She knew she was flirting but she didn't know how he would take it. She rested her free elbow on the table and leaned her head against her hand. Her gaze fixed to his as she waited to see how he would respond. She figured by this point it was clear they both liked each other to some extent and it would be a shame to not at least ask about meeting up again. She wasn't one to take rejection too well, so she hoped it didn't come to that. But the risk was worth it, especially after his deeper meanings around his dogs. She could tell he had a story and she hoped to hear it one day. |
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Lightbringer
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The feeling of an emotion that threatened to drag him down into a more forlorn mood wasn't foreign to Afton, it is nowhere as bad as it used to be. It had started when he entered the foster system, where there were people who truly did want to make a child's or teen's life better and perhaps even try for adoption; but they were overshadowed by the numerous people who would foster a child just for the extra money the government would send, or for other reasons that only they knew. The latter did not often end well for the child, especially when there were other children, the foster parent's children. It just didn't end well.
The topic, even though he never alluded to being adopted, would stir a combination of emotions in him. Some good and some bad; the memory of being given Dream was a bittersweet one. That period marked a new life for him, for he had not really accepted that until that point, and he slowly had started coming out of his shell because of the dog. She just drew out the best in him, coaxed the deeply cautious side out and just slowly triggered a change in his behavior and mindset. But thinking of that day was so close to the memories of the other homes he had had in his childhood, even if they had been a long time apart, it was still associated with the older memories. So it often was a double-edged sword for him emotionally.
At her sentence regarding Nyx, he gave a small nod of his head. Yes, it was a great outcome for a dog in the shelter; which if he wanted to make the analogy, the animal shelter was a close thing to the foster and adoption system for children. The concept was the same, and there could be bad things that happened and it could take a few tries for either of them to find a proper home. Otherwise he didn't speak, not yet.
He tilted his head slightly upon hearing Maisey's proposal about the dogs, then quickly righted the position of his head back. He could tell that she was trying to get the mood back up to a less sad one, which was really his fault for letting his emotions get to him like that, he took a deep breath and then forced a small smile onto his face. His current emotional state was a little bit too low to truly smile, but it was a close approximation to it; he had gotten good at pretending to be feeling differently than he really was, to act like he was happier or more content when in actuality he wasn't
In hindsight that was not a really good trait.
"That sounds great, I'd be up for that. And I have a feeling they'd be glad to meet someone new." He responded, the two dogs were quite friendly when out and about or when he introduce a friend to them. It was when a stranger got into the apartment, they weren't so nice. Which was understandable, most dogs don't like intruders in the territory. |
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Neutral
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Maisey found herself feeling pretty excited by his response. She tried not to show it but she couldn't hide her grin. "Yay! I can't wait to see them in person" she chuckled happily, she still couldn't pin where she might've seen him before. "It sounds crazy I know" she paused "But I feel like I might've run into you before.." she trailed off. "I might be wrong but you seem very familiar" she laughed, she was sure she was just being silly and that he just had a familiar face. It didn't stop her from wondering though, she encountered a lot of people through her 'work' but she wasn't going to openly blurt out that she was The Firebird. That would be beyond stupid! Her gaze shifted from their hands back to his face, a mystery. She didn't expect for him to have any clue where they could've crossed paths. Maybe his work? Maybe the animal shelter? She tried to tune it out and be more in the moment but it was eating away at her. She decided it was just her mind playing tricks on her and to not trust her gut. It was unlike her not to go with gut instincts, they were the types of feelings that kept you alive in the middle of a fight. She did have one crazy thought, always being a romantic she pictured him being her fond sparring partner. If she wasn't in a social setting she would've laughed out loud at that. Ever so hopeful! She had always wanted to have a real conversation with the man that seemed to conveniently find her every other night. But she knew there was no way that would ever happen. They had a level of trust and respect on the streets but a Hero and a Villain could never really be friends. |
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Lightbringer
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Afton had been enjoying the conversation a lot, Maisey was an interesting person to talk to. And they seemed to get along with each other quite well, the quiet gaps in between the talking didn't seem awkward as it usually was when people just started to talk to one another. He had honestly forgot that she was a hero, the hesitance had faded after they got into the talk; as with most interesting conversations, most of the other things got pushed to the back while he spoke to and listened about different things.
The only thing that still stayed in his mind was not to mention any ties to villains in general. That was something that he consciously kept in his memory, to not react when the person he was speaking to brought up the matter of heroes and villains; and to not accidentally allude to anything on his part. By this point in time, he had grown used to it and was no longer in danger of slipping up even when distracted and talking to someone else. But it had been hard the first few months, perhaps the first year actually, that he had started his stint as Venandi.
The revelation that he had temporarily forgotten came descending upon him as conversation partner said that she felt that he was familiar. Even though it was said with a laugh, and the phrasing and tone obviously said that she wasn't putting too much stock into the feeling, it took almost all of his self-control to not react. He forced himself to keep his eyes from looking away or trying to find a different thing to look at, to keep his breathing slow and steady even as his heartbeat sped up and a sharp jab of fear-dread-panic shot through his content emotions like a bolt of lightning. It was like the blood running through his veins was replaced by ice, making his entire body feel cold and even sitting down, his legs felt as if they wouldn't hold his weight if he made an attempt to stand.
Despite the instinct that urged him to stay still, a leftover response to danger that was responsible for often making people freeze as if their feet had grown roots to the ground. A response to predators that told one that they would be safe if they ceased to move, the instinct to stay low and hide and be quiet and still as a statue. Despite the age-old instinct telling him to be still, he placed an elbow on the table and leaned his head against his open palm, relaxing his body language in the process. "Well, I've been told I have a very familiar face." he said brightly, as if he were not feeling emotions that threw a sour taste onto the back of his tongue and threatened to raise the pitch of his voice into the tone that many use when lying or nervous. |
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Neutral
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Maybe if the bar wasn't so loud with so any different sounds then she would've picked up on his heart rate but she was oblivious. She laughed at his comment and nodded. "I'm sure that's not the only thing you've been told about your face" she had to stifle another laugh at her bad wording. "You'll have to forgive my awful flirting, It's not my strongest suit" she beamed. Yes she was a tease at times, especially in their little battles but that was when she was comfortable with someone. When she had built that level of trust that she wasn't embarrassed around someone! She felt her thumb gently brush back and forth on his hand, a form of self soothing that she had been oblivious too until then. When she was aware she stopped, then she felt like the awkward stiffness of her actions would be more strange so she continued. Sometimes her brain really had her working overtime. Her eyes scanned his face before resting on his eyes, she still couldn't shake that familiar feeling but his reply convinced her that she was indeed just being silly. "I probably should've asked earlier" she paused briefly, a smile continuing to tug on her lips. "Are you single?" she asked curiously. She hoped she already knew the answer but she would feel guilty if she didn't ask. He didn't strike her as one of the slimy men that tried to snag a girl in the bar while he had a family back home. But it was always good to check, she had been caught out by guys like that before and it got messy fast! The worst one was when he invited her home and she woke up to a very angry blonde lady screaming insults at her. She knew she deserved it but she also hadn't known he was engaged and had a baby on the way. She cringed at the memory. |
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Lightbringer
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The terrifying, to him, moments passed with the speed that a slug makes its way across a stretch of grass. With the sharp fear rising, the pounding of his pulse and the rushing of his blood in his ears, and the struggle to remain composed, it felt like an eternity. Fear of being found out, of being attacked by someone who he found he really likes, in both personas; after all, despite their odd relationship as hero and villain, he didn't know what the reaction would be as 'civilians'. It was both irrational and logical at the same time, the concerns contrasting each other when paired with the hero's and villain's interactions. But it was there nonetheless, the almost reflexive shot of electrifying terror that forced him to act against his instincts and remain outwardly calm.
Afton would be a filthy liar if he claimed that he didn't feel a surge of relief at the response he was given, the horrible attempt at flirting clearing some of the anxiety from his emotions. He had to make a conscious choice to not sigh in relief at that. Which, now that he thought about it, didn't Firebird have enhanced hearing? She was able to pick up heartbeats when closer to the person in question, or was the Passive ability tempered by the noise of their surroundings?
That was probably it. Otherwise she would have heard his heart rate pick up.
"Oh it's okay, that was definitely not the worst flirt I've ever heard." He said with a laugh that was not faked in the least, instead of mirth dominating the sound, it was a light kind of relief, almost giddy to his ears. He could not figure out how he could alternate between being a great faker, to almost an open book with people; it almost seemed like it changed with people. Strangers, he seemed to have absolutely no problem concealing his emotions from them, presenting a blank slate in the face of any aggression. With those he was more comfortable with, it felt like he had a harder time to do that, he subconsciously allowed more emotions to show.
The thumbing moving in a back and forth motion across his hand wasn't even registered by the dark-haired man until he stopped, something that had somehow slipped under the radar until there was a change. Once the motion started again, he was almost painfully aware of it. Until Maisey asked him a question, which he met with a short nod of the head in confirmation.
"Yeah, I'm single." He said a fraction of a second after he completed the motion, then added onto the statement. Even though he knew it to be a stupid question, but he figured it would not hurt. "are you?
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Neutral
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"Yes, I'm single" she replied straight away, chuckling quietly to herself before she spoke again. "I'm surprised you haven't been snatched up" she teased. She let go of his hand and pulled it gently away, her phone was ringing on silent in her bag but that particular vibration drilled through her ears. She played off that she was just checking the time and silenced the call, there was no one she wanted to talk to right now and it was likely just work related. She was both preoccupied and too tipsy to be fighting off any villains tonight. Sure, she might cop an earful in the morning but it was nothing she couldn't handle. She had been working herself into an early grave and she deserved one night off, at least that was her opinion. Somehow the time had felt both so slow and far too fast since they had started talking. It had only been an hour but to her it felt a lot longer, and not in the please make this conversation end way but more of a in the moment way. "Do you have a curfew?" she smirked through her words, trying to put her more confident mask on. To strangers it usually worked, but her friends saw through it. Which reminded her that they still existed, she cast a glance their direction. They were still there, laughing and drinking everyone except the two budding lovebirds of course. She made eye contact with Ben for a second, quickly breaking it so that she didn't give him any kind of invitation. "I don't have work tomorrow so I can be out late, but I wouldn't want you tired and hungover tomorrow" she added, she didn't know that he hadn't been drinking alcohol. She just assumed everyone in a bar would. |
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Lightbringer
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When Maisey was slightly distracted when she checked her phone, Afton twisted his head around to the table he had formerly been sitting at. To check how they were doing, after all, he did not have enhanced hearing as a power, but he coult just sense that the table was being quiet. And from what he's learned of the people he keeps as company, that when they're quiet, it means that at least one of them is planning something. And considering their respective personalities and somewhat disregard for laws and everything, planning is not a good thing when one was the target of it.
To his immense relief, the five had abandoned their very intense staring. They had gone back to presumably talking amongst each other, although they were showing themselves to be calmer and less rowdy than usual. Then Caleb flicked his darker green eyes over to where he and Maisey were sitting, lingering for a moment in surprise as he met the other man's gaze. Then he broke the brief eye contact and nodded to Zack about something. So that likely meant that they were taking glances over every now and then, a understandable thing to do.
The quick check-in done, he turned back in his chair. At ease now that he had a little proof that they were behaving, though he still knew that all them were going to have a talk about this later. Whether they would all ambush him at the same time or initiate the conversation one at a time, was yet to be same. Both of the options were plausible for the group, and there was a chance that they'd conspire against him and pull something that he absolutely would not expect.
His attention was pulled back to the red-haired woman sitting across him from, a remark about having a curfew that made him smile at her, rolling his eyes in a exaggerated way, in the same playful manner that he often treated his friends to. "Nah, my parents dropped that a long time ago." he snorted in response.
"Ah, I see. Thanks for your consideration! It's okay though, it's not too late for me, and I haven't been drinking alcohol tonight." He explained, glancing at the clock afterwards to make sure that several hours had not passed without his knowing. It had been a quick hour, and he was surprised yet not how the time flew by. |
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Neutral
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Maisey covered her mouth to dampen the genuine laugh that escaped when he responded. Everything was funnier after a few drinks! she shook her head with a grin and ran her hand through her hair. "That's good!" she nodded eagerly. She noticed his glance travel to his original table, she was tempted to look as well but decided not to make it too awkward yet. "Good, I was hoping I could keep hold of you a little longer" she purred, leaning forward in her seat and resting both elbows on the table. "No alcohol? I respect it. I could never" she scoffed slightly, she wished she had that kind of self control! By no means was she an alcoholic but she rarely turned a social drink down and she was known to take it too far at times. It wasn't the reason her and her ex split up, he was a narcissistic prick but it was definitely a factor. That man loved to make her feel less than and blame her. One night she managed to leave without him which was unusual in itself due to his controlling nature. She got too drunk with Rosie and woke up on some guys couch, she never even touched the guy but clearly it wasn't a good look. Rosie had hooked up with him and she happened to just be in the same building. It had caused a massive argument where he pinned her to the wall, the first and last time he had been physically aggressive. Sometimes she wished it had been physical so she had the marks to show. Instead he just tore her down until she was a shell of the fun girl she used to be. It had only been a year since their official break up but she had mentally left the relationship months prior. She felt that memory slip back as she spoke but she didn't let it take over. She was getting better at allowing herself to remember something and not get all emotional. She cleared her throat, distracting herself. "So, Afton" she let his name sit on her tongue briefly. "Other than dogs and not drinking, what do you do for fun?" she asked, glancing down at her hands which where fiddling with a coaster. |
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Lightbringer
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"Funny, I think someone actually said those exact words to me once." Afton chuckled in response to the alcohol comment, shifting in the chair a little bit as an idle movement. That, and his rear end had started to get a little numb from the way he had been sitting. He couldn't remember the circumstances at the moment, it had been a fleeting interaction with someone at work who said that, but the words and sequence of them struck him as familiar. Like it rang a little bell in his memory about a little remark that was funny or just stood out to him.
It was fairly easy to avoid drinking, making sure he had a friend group that actually respected his wishes to avoid alcoholic drinks was a big one at the top of that list. Having peer pressure on you made it harder since people you trust or really want to trust are urging you on, and considered he had had some trouble in the past with saying 'no' to things, it made it hard. At least pretending he had a call to take or needed to go to the bathroom was a good way to leave a situation like that, it wasn't like most people would try to keep him there if he reported that he was feeling sick or really needed to go.
Several people have argued that being surrounded by people drinking would make it harder too, but it really didn't. Not for him at least. He didn't begrudge his friends the freedom to have alcohol, and he didn't feel left out either, not when he or one of them usually got a non-alcoholic thing. He's the type to be content with something like that. Besides, one of them has to the designated driver if it gets down to it; or at least be the responsible one and call an Uber or something.
He had taken a moment to give the area a quick glance, out of habit really, he was not expecting any danger in the establishment. He turned his head back when he heard Maisey inquire about other activities he had, at which point he turned his attention on her again and gave a small hum as he thought for a moment. "Let's see, I like to read and listen to music. A hobby I've picked up somewhat recently is knife-throwing!" he said the last part maybe a little too brightly.
"And I just like to be outside, I used to hike and walk in parks and all that before I moved here; my parents liked to hike a lot and I just picked up the habit. And Dream really enjoyed to be out and about." He finished. Now that he was thinking about it, he would actually like to go out on Sunday to a hiking trail; he got more than enough exercise and enjoyment from parkouring around the city as Venandi and walking to the places he needed to go. But something about navigating the terrain of nature was different, and he enjoyed the steep inclines and declines, the large rocks that were sometimes unearthed by the many feet who trod the path, and the smaller trails leading up and away from the main path to take. "How about you? Any things you like to do?"
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Fall 
Day Weather: 
