worthless, hopeless, sick - [closed, pg-13?]

[Zi]

{ YOU SINK INTO MY CLOTHES, AND }
THIS INVASION MAKES ME FEEL
- - - - - - WORTHLESS, HOPELESS, SICK

Zi Aoyama walked along the streets, feeling empty and a little cautious as she always did. In truth, she was on edge. There was something about this city that didn't feel quite right. It felt creepy... dangerous. Now, Zi wasn't afraid. With years of slavery and being beaten, the risk of getting mugged or someone trying to kill her didn't frighten her, it made her cautious. As she walked she had been taking note of people that might try to attack or rob her, but it was, well, difficult. Every few feet she went, at least in this part of town, men whistled at her and called things like, "Why don't you get yourself over here, sweetie?" It sickened her, and it was throwing off her concentration and her focus.

She was aware of her too small, ripped clothes that she was wearing, the jeans tight against her and the blouse so small it exposed her midriff and more of her chest than she was comfortable with. She wasn't even wearing shoes. But she couldn't help it; ever since Damien had conned her out of her money, Zi had nothing. The suitable clothes she had she wore to work, and everything else she had to deal with. These clothes fit... mostly, and she needed to spend the money on food and her apartment.

She looked around for a moment, unsure of her next turn. She was looking for somewhere to eat, and was a bit lost, considering she was still new here. She reached into her purse, pulling out a map and fumbling with it. Zi stared at it, trying to figure it out, when she heard a crash of broken coming from the building next to her. She jumped slightly, the map slipping out of her hands and falling to the ground. After surveying the place she was standing being, she figured it was some sort of bar, and a drunken person had broken a glass. Nothing that she wasn't used to from years ago. Zi walked over to the map, bending down to pick it up, hair tumbling forward. To herself, she hoped no one would look and whistle or something. She swept it into her hands and stood quickly.

words 372 tagged hendrix.notes oh dear, here we go.template PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[Iƪƪia]

People always had to take all their problems out on him. It was because he was such an easy target, no doubt. Unintentionally, he'd made quite a few enemies in his time, and why not? He was confident, charming, damn good looking... Other guys often felt threatened by him. Well it wasn't his fault that he was so amazing and they just weren't. He just lived his life precisely how he wanted to live and waited for trouble to inevitably find him.

Like that girl. How was he supposed to know that she was already in a relationship? She hadn't said anything, of course, but she was, and her insecure boyfriend decided to seek him out, and apparently he wasn't too happy their late-night escapades. He seemed to think it was all Hendrix's fault, though surely the girl had something to do with it too. Not to mention, if he had been half as good to her as Hendrix was, none of this would have happened in the first place. Probably.

He had come down looking for a fight, but of course, Hendrix gallantly refused. Yes, that's why he refused: he was a gentleman. It had nothing to do with how frightened he was and how he was planning to run for it as soon as no one was looking. Luckily, there had been more than enough people in the bar to restrain him, though their attempts did turn the entire room into a giant bar fight. Stepping back, he watched as fire and lightning collided over the mass of bodies at weird intervals. Turning toward the door, he made to leave, but something stopped him.

No surprises here; it was a girl.

As if it were a reflex, he smiled broadly at her, ambling out to go meet her. In order to seem as nonthreatening as possible, he stopped a few feet away from her, taking the opportunity to give her a good look-over. She was cute, no doubt there. But her outfit; it was like she was just asking for trouble. There were a lot of crazy people out here. Good thing he got to her in time.

"Hello, there. You look a bit lost. Perhaps I could help you?"

Without waiting for a response, he slowly moved closer to her, standing just beside her. He looked back at the Cabaret, nearly forgetting the chaos happening inside of it. Well, that still wouldn't deter him. He placed a hand on her upper back and was already beginning to walk back toward the bar. Maybe he was being a little too forward, but sometimes a little force was just what the situation called for.

"Why don't you come inside for a bit and we can talk. I'll buy you a drink."

[Zi]

{ YOU SINK INTO MY CLOTHES, AND }
THIS INVASION MAKES ME FEEL
- - - - - - WORTHLESS, HOPELESS, SICK

Out of the corner of her eyes, Zi saw someone approaching her. He was smiling widely, something Zi wasn't exactly sure was a good or a bad thing. "Hello, there. You look a bit lost. Perhaps I could help you?" he asked.

She blinked, pausing for a moment, and was about to respond when he stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her back. She tensed instantly, her mind telling her to be careful as he began to lead her into the bar it seemed like he had just left. "Why don't you come inside for a bit and we can talk. I'll buy you a drink," he said.

"I don't drink," she replied instantly. But she was a bad liar, and she knew it. He probably had seen through it too. In truth, Zi did drink; it was a good way to numb feelings and doubts. However, she wasn't so sure about going into a bar with a stranger, and then drinking. But he was still leading her forward, and she stumbled a bit in her confusion, allowing herself to be lead. She walked along side him, and her nervousness spiked as they entered the bar and he didn't seem the least bit put off by her hesitation. "Really, it's not necessary," she mumbled half-heartedly. But really, who was she to say no?

words 225 tagged hendrixnotes no notes! template PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[Iƪƪia]

He felt her tense as he began to lead her into the bar, and he couldn't really blame her. He'd be wary too if some stranger came out, offered him a drink, and shoved him into some strange bar. But that's exactly why they were going to the bar! To loosen her up a bit. Alcohol seemed to have that effect on many people.

Of course, it couldn't affect you if you didn't drink it. He glanced down at her curiously when she spoke up. What kind of person didn't drink? And when you were offered a free drink, you took it anyway even if you really didn't drink. Oh, but that's right. The girl was probably very nervous. She was probably hoping he'd stop dragging her and just leave her alone. As if that was going to happen.

"Everyone drinks! And if they don't, they should. Hey, I'll teach you!"

Still smiling, he half led half pushed her into the bar. It was right about then that he remembered that fight that some moron had started. This was probably not the best place to sit. Turning away, he led her toward one of the short hallways off to the side.

"I insist," He replied to her hesitation, "Ah... Let's go this way."

As they walked down the hall, some of the noise dissipated behind them. Luckily, this place was pretty damn big. Sure, there was the one, main floor, and if you just came here casually, that's all you'd ever see, but there were also a number of smaller bar rooms. Not to mention all the rooms for other drugs, gambling, and... Entertainment. There was much to be seen in the cabaret, and Hendrix knew the place quite well.

The room they entered was, as he had expected, pretty much empty. Aside from the bartender, the only other occupant was some middle-aged man slouched over a table, an empty glass in his hand. It didn't take a genius to see that he was out cold and therefore, wouldn't be a nuisance to them.

"Much better," He stated, glancing sideways at her, "It's like we've got the whole place to ourselves."

Walking toward the bar, he offered her a seat before taking one himself and signalling the bartender to bring them a couple of drinks. Resting his head upon his hand, he smiled at her as he realized he'd been very rude.

"Oh, I'm very sorry. My name is Hendrix. And who might you be?"

He leaned back, slinging one arm over the back of his stool. Now that they weren't strangers anymore, he could afford to be a little more friendly with her.

"So what brings you here, darling? And pray tell why someone as pretty as you was out at night all by herself. It's dangerous to be out after dark, you know. Never know what kind of monster you could run into."

[Zi]

{ YOU SINK INTO MY CLOTHES, AND }
THIS INVASION MAKES ME FEEL
- - - - - - WORTHLESS, HOPELESS, SICK

Well, he hadn't realized that she was lying. That was good, she guessed. Zi wasn't good at lying simply because she felt like she shouldn't. You didn't like to your supervisors if you thought there was a chance they'd find out. If they discovered that you were lying... well, you were in for some severe punishment. But just because he seemed to believe her, it didn't stop him from insisting that everyone drinks. That he'd teach her. Zi raised her eyebrow, confused and a little amused. She didn't know him, or what he was like, so it seemed to her that he was just excessively cheery. She wondered if that was common for people. "Teach me?" she repeated, puzzled. "I think I already know how to drink. I'm guessing it's about the same technique as you'd drink..." She paused, trying to find the word. She'd lived in America for a few years, but some of the words didn't come to mind quickly. She still spoke in an accent. Finally, she thought of it. "Soda."

But it seemed that no matter what she was, he was determined to buy her a drink. Half pushing her into the bar against her slow, hesitant steps, Zi stumbled. When she had recovered her footing, she looked around the bar. It was crowded. Claustrophobic. Immediately Zi was more nervous. She had an... interesting relationship with dark, crowded, loud places. But almost as soon as she had begun to become worried, he directed her toward a hallway. She wasn't exactly sure why he'd do this. Was there a different place he liked to go? Hopefully it'd be less crowded.

And yes, it seemed to be. As he led her on, Zi still walking hesitantly, it became quieter. They came to a room that was mostly empty. There was a bartender at the bar, and some man slumped over a table. She blinked, deciding that this place was better than that crowded room; she wouldn't have to watch out for so many people.

"It's like we've got the whole place to ourselves," he told her.

"Sure," she agreed automatically; she always did that. But in her head she wondered if that supposed to be a good thing? She wasn't sure. The women she knew liked being around people, but the one man she'd known liked being alone with her, too. Zi quickly decided that the preference must be a gender thing.

Finally breaking apart from her, he gestured for a seat, which she took rather awkwardly, and then sat down himself. After making some motion to the bartender, he turned to face her, resting his head on a hand. This struck her as odd; she herself didn't have any habits like that, and neither did the one person she'd known closely. They both were rather still people.

"Oh, I'm very sorry. My name is Hendrix. And who might you be?"

"Zi," she answered. She paused, and then a second later remembered what was considered courteous. "Uh, it's nice to meet you. I-I just moved here." There was another thing she wasn't used to. Talking. About herself, especially. "I was just looking for a place to eat."

"Never know what kind of monster you could run into."

Zi rarely laughed, so at this she gave a wry smile and looked away from him. Oh, he had no idea about monsters. Or that she was one. "Monster?" she repeated, turning back to him. "I don't really worry about that sort of thing." It was ironic, that he was warning a monster about a monster. She wondered how he'd take it if she told him, although she never would. Ha, he wouldn't be so friendly, that was for sure.

words 225 tagged hendrixnotes ah, she's so naive...template PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[Iƪƪia]

Hendrix couldn't help but chuckle at her. Her words, her tone, her entire appearance. She was damn cute, she was. It made him almost feel impatient. He really just wanted to get her out of this place right now. Go back to his place instead... But he couldn't just rush her. Or maybe he could, but he wouldn't. That would be rather rude of him.

The bartender soon brought them two bottles as well as two glasses. Quickly picking up one of the bottles, he twisted the cap off and slid it toward Zi. Yes, she wanted to drink. He was certain of that. No, it wasn't smart to get drunk while only in the company of strangers, especially one like him. Although he might be able to pressure her into it. Subtly, of course.

Cracking open the other bottle and forgoing the glass and taking a long swig, draining half of the bottle in one gulp. Alcohol had no effect on him, which was why he was able to drink it as if it were water. Though he really had no reason to drink at all, other than for the simple fact that it would look strange if he were to go into a bar and not drink anything.

Setting the bottle down on the bar, he began tapping the sides in a rhythmic pattern, trying not to let him impatience show too much.

"Very nice to meet you as well," He said, making sure he put enough emphasis on 'very'.

He glanced over at her again, smiling as she denounced a fear of monsters. Probably because she was one, though that was just fine with him. He doubted a girl like this was really a giant, dangerous dragon, and if she was she wouldn't use that against him. That was one thing he noticed about many mythicals, not just her. They could be in a situation that they could really, very easily get out of if they just changed forms, yet they wouldn't. At first he thought it was because they were paralyzed with fear, though nowadays he thought it might be something else. Some strange feeling that wouldn't allow them to change. Well, whatever it was, he wouldn't question it.

"Well that's good. I'd hate to see something happen to such a sweet girl."

He took the opportunity to sidle just a bit closer to her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face and then resting his hand upon her shoulder. He leaned in closer to her, though hopefully it wasn't close enough to cause her to feel uncomfortable. Any more uncomfortable, that is.

"I feel strangely responsible for your well-being. If you ever run into... Trouble, just let me know. I'll protect you from them."

Though what would protect her from him? She didn't seem to have anyone. The poor thing was all alone in this world. Perfect.

[Zi]

{ YOU SINK INTO MY CLOTHES, AND }
THIS INVASION MAKES ME FEEL
- - - - - - WORTHLESS, HOPELESS, SICK

As Zi spoke, Hendrix chuckled slightly. This puzzled her; she had no idea what he found funny. Of course, Zi had absolutely no sense of humor herself, save a rather ironic one. She didn't understand jokes, she didn't know when to laugh or what was supposed to be funny. Quite honestly, she didn't consider anything amusing. Just ironic. But he was smiling, laughing at her in a way that she didn't think was cruel, so she knew she had to do something. After a second, she forced herself to smile and laugh a little. That's what people were supposed to do, right? Sympathetic laughter. Whatever sympathy was.

Hendrix slid a bottle over to Zi and she took it, her slender fingers curling around the bottle, although she didn't drink. She watched him as he popped open the top and drank about half in one glup. She blinked. Did people usually do that? She took a moment to think back on it. Yes, she could remember all those days underground, the men taking long swigs from their bottles of beer. And then yelling at her. Hitting her. Zi winced reflexively, looking away.

Go away, she commanded her memories, willing a grimace away from her face at the same time. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of alcohol -- something, thankfully, not associated with those memories, because the smell of the factories always overcame the smell of the liquor. After a moment, she turned to him, forcing a smile. "Sorry," she mumbled, not really noticing as she cracked open the bottle and drank. She didn't drink much, and set the bottle back down on the table, curling her fingers around it once more.

Her eyes strayed to his fingers, tapping absently on the table. Another habit. Strange. "Very nice to meet you as well," he said. Zi gave him another small smile, nodding slightly. "Well that's good. I'd hate to see something happen to such a sweet girl."

Sweet? But he doesn't even know me.. she thought, instantly surprised and flattered. He moved a little closer to her, but when he reached towards her, she jumped a little, startled. But she didn't pull away, and watched, heart thumping, as he brushed a strand of hair from her face, and placed his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes followed his hand, and then returned to him. Hendrix leaned even closer, and Zi's breath hitched in her throat. Utterly confused, she was speechless.

"I feel strangely responsible for your well-being. If you ever run into... Trouble, just let me know. I'll protect you from them."

She blinked. "Um," she said in a small voice. "Yeah. Thanks."

words 225 tagged hendrixnotes asorry about the wait... and lack of speaking from Zi. :]template PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[Iƪƪia]

The strange ways in which she reacted to his movements alerted to several facts. One was that she was even more awkward with people than he first thought. The second fact was that she had clearly been hurt before. Be it psychologically or physically or both. Truly good, healthy people didn't flinch at the simplest of motions. He knew she was very weak and vulnerable from the moment he saw her, but he had greatly underestimated just how weak and vulnerable she was.

Acting as though he hadn't noticed her jump, he continued to smile at her, rubbing his thumb over her shoulder. He then leaned in closer still. It was a risky move. Judging by the way she had reacted to him simply touching her shoulder, this could very well cause her to jump back and run for her life. He was simply banking on the fact that she'd be too stunned and frightened to do any of that.

His lips hovering barely an inch from hers, he only continued to smile, giving no indication that he would move any further forward or backward. He had decided that this girl would be different than the others. This wouldn't become one of those "use once and throw away" types of relationships.

"Know what, Zi?" He began, much too cheerfully, "I think we should be friends. Don't you?"

He was confident she'd answer as he wanted her to, especially with him right up in her face like that. Nevertheless, it was only polite to give her the opportunity to decline. Well, not so much an opportunity but... Oh, you know.

Chuckling slightly, he moved back, removing his hand from her shoulder as well. Turning back toward the bar, he picked up his bottle, draining the rest of the contents in another gulp. Setting the empty bottle back on the bar, he slid it toward the center. He waited for another moment or two before deciding to speak again.

"Truthfully, I still don't have many friends here. Acquaintances sure, but not friends," He said, and indeed it was the truth, "I'd like to change that. I can tell that we'll get along just fine, Zi."

He signaled the bartender to bring him over yet another drink as he glanced sideways at Zi, still smiling of course. Yeah, he had her. He definitely had her.

[Zi]

{ YOU SINK INTO MY CLOTHES, AND }
THIS INVASION MAKES ME FEEL
- - - - - - WORTHLESS, HOPELESS, SICK

Zi was so confused. She was breathing quickly, and she could feel her heart hammering in her chest so hard that she thought she must have been shaking. But really, she had no idea what was going on. Why was Hendrix so close to her? She was sure this wasn't the way most people acted. She'd never seen anyone get this close to a person before... except couples. Was that it? Stunned, she considered it for a moment. Was it possible he was doing this because he considered her a possible... she didn't know the term for it. Was it mate? Or maybe that was only used for animals. Either way, that made things very different, if he was interested in her. What should she do? What should she say? Nothing had prepared her for this.

Nothing had prepared her for the shivers running through her as he stroked her shoulder, either. It was a sensation she'd never felt before -- was it fear? pleasure? -- seeing as people never touched her. Was she supposed to feel like this? She knew she might just be reacting to it because her experience with people and any sort of physical contact was so limited. Zi's emotional range was pretty small, limited to mostly basic things like fear. He leaned forward still, closer to her and instinctively she leaned back. What was going on? What should she do? The questions repeated themselves over and over in her mind. Finally, she managed to stammer out, "Wh-what are you doing?"

When he spoke, he seemed too cheerful, so much that she was even more confused. "Friends?" she repeated in a small voice. "Um." She was lost for words besides that, but after a couple seconds he chuckled and leaned back, taking his hand from her shoulder. Although it definitely made her more comfortable, part of her was a little disappointed, although she couldn't imagine why. Seriously, what was going on? Slowly, she just nodded. "Sure. Okay. Whatever you want," she mumbled. "Friends."

words tagged hendrixnotes template PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[ωΘĿƒ]

Underneath that cool, dead exterior vampires were a lot like people. Well, exactly like people. They bent and broke the same way - you just needed a bit more elbow grease to work with that. And they usually gave into the same threats as people too. Some creatures don't mind if you hurt their family or friends. People do, and vampires do. Physical harm is also good...

But really, all it took was a bit of muscle and the bartender was tossed somewhere out of the way, leaving Coyle to fill the position. Which he did admirably, by the way. Could carry a drink with about as much flourish as anything dead - probably better.

He set the bottle down, mimicking the exact motions of the bartender, except instead of leaving when the due time came, Coyle instead propped his head up with one soft, angled forearm and curled his fingers through his hair boredly. Coyle's hair was always a mess. It helped with the image, really. Neat hair implied you actually cared about your appearance - older. More refined. More of a threat.

The messiness of Coyle's hair was a definitively younger trait - as was everything else about him. So sweet; so soft and cherubic as he sat there smiling up at the couple. He'd think wings were in order, but those got tricky and he could never decide on a wing that best fitted his already beautiful form. So he left it as it was... Very well made already. Coyle wore a charcoal gray sweater - very dark against the sickly pale skin that somehow held enough life to still be considered "alive."

He sure as hell wasn't a vampire, if that was what anyone was thinking. But Hendrix would know that with just a look. It'd all make sense with a look. And that's all he needed - one look.

Just something fun that he'd been meaning to do.

"Hmm well..." the silvery voice crooned, "He's very friendly... That's how we met."

[Iƪƪia]

Her nervousness was just so ****ing adorable. She was so sweet, so clueless. Did she have any idea what was on his mind right now? She was clearly inexperienced with men - people in general, really, but she didn't know how to take this kind of attention. This was the point when most girls like her began to wonder if he was acting how he was out of love. Right, love. This was... Slightly different. He didn't mind it when they fell in love with him, though. Actually, he kind of enjoyed that.

He wondered how long it would take for Zi to fall for him. She was different than most other girls, but in the end she still was a girl. It would be an interesting experiment, seeing how quickly he could work. Of course, before he even thought about any of that, he needed to get some of this physical tension out of the way. It wouldn't be long now, before he invited her back to his place... And they got to play out all those dirty, little fantasies playing in his mind right now.

It was then he noticed another voice, from right beside him. A voice that sounded awfully... Familiar...

A minute passed. Then another. And another. Hendrix only sat there, stiffly, as the realization set in, a look of pure horror on his face. Then, very slowly, he managed to turn and face the guy next to him. Not saying a word, he shook his head several times, silently begging him to just leave them alone. He didn't have time to deal with this. Not now; not while he was with someone.

... Oh, ****. Zi.

He quickly looked back toward her, desperately trying to come up with something to say. Was there something to say? How the hell did he explain?

All attempts to speak only resulted in stammering and sentence fragments. Deciding that that wasn't helping his case too much, he stopped, and instead began to organize his thoughts. He had to be careful; had to analyze everything he could say and do before he did it... He had to stop freaking out so much, but the guy was so ****ing frightening.

A hand running through his hair reflexively, he glanced back at him, forcing a small smile.

"Right, um, th-thank you for that."

He looked back at Zi with a nervous laugh, still unsure of what to do next. His natural instincts to run were at odds with his desire to appear civil and well, not seem as though he was trying to run.

Then again... How much could this girl know about civility?

He slid closer to her so that he was able to drape an arm across her shoulders, pulling her even closer to him.

"Well, this has been fun, right? But how about we get out of here, take a walk somewhere... Else."

He tried his best not to sound as if he was pleading with her. She... Probably wouldn't have noticed. Although she might have noticed the ambiguity of his statement. Certainly, it'd be nice if they would go back to his place, although at this moment he didn't really give a **** where they went, just as long as it was away from here.

[Zi]

{ YOU SINK INTO MY CLOTHES, AND }
THIS INVASION MAKES ME FEEL
- - - - - - WORTHLESS, HOPELESS, SICK

Zi noticed the change in bartenders before Hendrix did. Admittedly, it did take a moment; she had been so confused and her nerves had been so shaken that she couldn't think as clearly as she usually did. As clear as a naive person could think, that is. But it wasn't like Zi to not notice someone walking up to her, even if they were bringing a drink. What got her attention was that the bartender was different -- younger, paler (although Zi wasn't one to judge, considering her own skin tone), and he wasn't walking away. Instead, he stood behind Hendrix, propping an elbow onto the table and curling his hair around his fingers. Zi blinked, her eyes shifting to watch him. She wasn't worried about him yet. As of now he didn't seem to pose any threat. She glanced back at Hendrix, unsure of whether she should say something about the intruder.

Then he spoke, a smooth voice that made Hendrix freeze in a second. The guy'd said something about Hendrix being friendly, and that was how they met... it didn't mean much to her. She'd already figured that they knew each other, considering Hendrix was stiff as stone. She wasn't the best at interpreting meanings and emotions. Her eyes traveled from Hendrix to the bartender, waiting. Did Hendrix not remember who the bartender was, even though he recognized his voice? A few minutes passed, and she didn't speak. She had learned patience decades ago.

Finally Hendrix's expression changed. This emotion was one she was familiar with. Complete, undiluted horror. Zi froze in response, leaning away from the bartender, suddenly cautious. If Hendrix was scared of this guy... she should be too.

But there Hendrix was, turning around, shaking his head slowly. What was Zi missing? He looked... pleading, that was it. Wait... there was some secret. Something he didn't want the bartender revealing.

What was it?

Suddenly Hendrix turned back to her, stammering out sentences she didn't understand. "Um," she said, blinking. She looked from Hendrix to the bartender, realizing that Hendrix probably didn't want her speaking to the man he found terrifying. After saying something to the bartender he laughed nervously, sliding closer to Zi.

Zi frowned. What was he doing? She tensed immediately as he draped an arm over her shoulders, confused at the sensation of anyone's arm around her. He pulled her closer to him, and she let him, despite how uncomfortable she was feeling just about now. Was she in danger? Should she try to get away? Was he trying to protect her?

She quickly looked at Hendrix. "Um, right," she said. "I'm, er, tired."

words tagged hendrixnotes template PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION

[ωΘĿƒ]

He waited for the reaction, because that's what he was here for. That taste... It was so faint yet so easily discernible from any other taste he'd ever tasted. The unique flavor was something of a commodity to Coyle - maybe even a valued possession of his. He did seek it out oh so often... just for that fleeting moment of fulfillment. Fear. Lovely wonderful, writhing fear. And Hendrix was so good at it. Such a good little mortal to prey upon.

Sure, they were all fun to poke and prod until they danced for him, but anger was predictable, and pain too short a moment of rapture. Fear lasted - lingered long and cold right in the pit of the stomach where it nestled down and made a blistering, prickly nest. It never left, and like a searing ice it could freeze in a moment.

And it did. Thus the inordinate amount of patience from Coyle as he waited for Hendrix. He let the fear thaw a bit, then watched through liquid crimson eyes as he tried to squirm free.

He didn't expect him to actually squirm free though. Figures of speech were not meant to be taken literally! And now Coyle's fun was running from him, right out the door!

Coyle shifted gears immediately, intent on keeping his fun.

"You bastard..." the articulate voice lowered into a simmering sorrow, perfectly fit for the sudden horror-struck face that accompanied it. "So you're off flirting girls now and you don't have any time for me? I thought you loved me..."

Yes, very thickly layered indeed. Too strong for Coyle's sensitive palette; but this girl he was with seemed to have no taste for subtext. So he must make it absolutely clear that Hendrix was his and would not be leaving with her.

She feared him, trusting Hendrix. What a bad idea... and Coyle would do the right thing and show her that.

"Fine. Use her like you did me... Or does she think you're her 'friend' too?"

The small, slumped form of the beast showed every inch of the dejected, piteous creature he was meant to be. Arms curled around himself as he leaned against the table, he simply watched the two leaving. So small. So alone. Without anything now that Hendrix had gone off without him...

How dare he.

[Iƪƪia]

Almost before she was able to respond, he had pulled her off of the chair and was leading her away from the bar in a matter of seconds. He didn't even risk looking back as they neared the door. However, when she spoke again, he stopped dead, a hand going up to his head as if he was in pain which... Well, he kinda was.

What was this guy's deal?! He wasn't comfortable with humiliating him once? But why?! He had never done anything to him! He didn't deserve any of this. All he wanted to do tonight was to seduce this girl into coming back home with him and then take advantage of her when he had her alone. Was that so much to ask?

He turned back, throwing his hands up with an exasperated "Do you mind?!"

Looking back at Zi, he wrung his hands together behind his back as he tried to decide which issue to address first. There was alway the option to just tell her the truth, though the story was quite long and complex, and it painted him in a very weak light, so that was out of the question. Well, he could also simply flat-out deny anything the guy said. Sure, there were still quite a few problems with that solution, but if she was really as socially inept as she appeared, then it might just work, right?

Well either way, first thing's first.

"I'm not gay," He blurted out the words before he was able to think of a suitable response, "I- I'm not! Really!"

How convincing.

Cursing under his breath, he hung his head and began searching for something more suitable to say, but finding nothing. Well, maybe if they were so eager to mock him right now they also had something useful to tell him.

... Help?

**** it. Just grab her and get out of there.

No! I don't trust the guy. Leave. Find someone else.

But we're so close. Can we find her again later?

He shook his head at the unhelpful advice, sighing.

"It's... It's hard to explain..."

Then, finding another train of thought, he decided to give up on the last one entirely and act as if it never existed in the first place. So instead, he placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, attempting to make his voice sound as sincere as possible.

"Hey c'mon, Zi, we're friends, right? You know I'd never use you! Never!"

In the end, it all sounded very unconvincing. Maybe she wouldn't notice?

Damn it, everything was going so well until he showed up. Now instead of having rough, forced sex with the girl he was forced to explain that he wasn't gay and he wasn't planning on using her, even though he really was.

... Was planning on using her, that was! Not gay... No, of course he wasn't gay. Who would think such a thing and why would they ever think something like that about him? That was just craziness...

[Zi]

{ YOU SINK INTO MY CLOTHES, AND }
THIS INVASION MAKES ME FEEL
- - - - - - WORTHLESS, HOPELESS, SICK

They were almost at the door when the strange bartender called after them, making Hendrix stop dead in his tracks. They both turned around, Hendrix still looking rather anxious and exasperated, Zi very confused and uncomfortable. She wondered why Hendrix just didn't keep walking. She would have been happy to. And it was what Hendrix wanted, right?

But then the bartender's expression changed altogether, eyes widening, mouth curving downward. His voice was low and sorrowful as he spoke, but Zi wasn't one to feel sorry for... anyone she didn't know, really. But she was still a little shocked at the bartenders words.

Wait... It was taking her a while, but she was finally figuring it out. The bartender's surprised because Hendrix is flirting with girls, and that he said he loved him. So... Hendrix is... what's that word?

Hendrix, in the meanwhile, threw his hands into the air. "Do you mind?!" Zi knew he wanted the bartender to stop talking. Was it because he didn't want her to know he was... gay, that was the word. Well... well, what did that mean? If he was gay, then it definitely didn't mean anything... the way she felt when he touched her. It was purely a reaction from the senses. Not anything special. Anything relationship-oriented. That was good, wasn't it? It meant things were a lot less confusing than she had thought.

Oh, but wait. Hendrix said he wasn't gay. Was he lying? Hm, it sounded like it. But then again, she wasn't very good at reading people. She watched him as he hung his head, as if ashamed. So he was lying; he was ashamed of being gay. Zi felt like she needed to say something.

"It's all right," she told him. "I understand... it's nothing to be... ashamed about." Zi wasn't very good at comforting people... oh, well, this was her best shot. "And yeah." She nodded. Now would have been a good time for a smile, but it wasn't something Zi was good at. So she just stood where she was. "We're friends. Didn't we just agree to that?"

Her eyes traveled back to the bartender, who was now slumped over on the table, looking dejected and depressed. She turned back to Hendrix, not quite understanding. "What does he mean, by saying that you used him? What for?" Unlike most girls that would have been suspicious from the bartender's comment, this didn't have much of an affect on Zi. She was used all the time. She didn't mind, really. What was she worth? Nothing. She was worthless. What hope did she have to ever be worth more? None. And she was a monster. A sick monster.

words tagged coylenotes template PANIC! ITS LAUZ @ CAUTION