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| Old Faces, Same Places...; Alix & Open | |
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| Topic Started: Feb 4 2013, 08:50 PM (430 Views) | |
| Augustus | Feb 4 2013, 08:50 PM Post #1 |
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Unregistered
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January 31st. late evening It was raining again; for the fourth night this week the young mutant’s feet splashed down the city streets as though he were trying to purposely drench his own hair. Redstone buildings lined the streets on either side of the young man as he made his way home. Cracks and smalls holes in nearly every one sparking memories of a time before the attacks, before the madness and before the purifiers. Gus’s faded brown hoodie pulled against his frame, the wet cotton feeling as though it weighed twenty pounds. Normally the man would stop for a drink before going home, but there was something about tonight that just didn’t feel right. It was almost as if someone was watching him, another mutant he was sure, due to the unsettling nature of his feelings. He had spent the last twenty minutes weaving in and out of buildings, disappearing into locked doorways and straddling rooftops. It didn’t matter though, he soon realized. Whatever was tracking him wasn’t using any special techniques, nothing other than telepathy anyway. And God knows, in Mutant Town telepaths were a dime-a-dozen. It wasn’t so much that he was being followed that bothered him, no that wasn’t it. It was why; why was he being followed? Augustus had made a life of being alone, that had been all he’d ever known. Even when at the dinner table for the Sunday dinners of his youth he was alone. Sure, there were two other bodies there, but that was it, no conversation to be heard, no exchange of pleasantries, nothing. Just an empty silence and three people who barely knew one another. Those were memories he’d rather not dwell on though, after all, it’s not like he spent his nights crying in corner missing the love of his mommy. He had other things to do, things like getting home and out of the wet jeans that; at this point, were chaffing the inside of his thighs like no one’s business. Whoever was following him would just have to wait for another day, he was getting cold. The warm air of his three floor walk-up felt nice after spending the past hour ducking in and out of wet alleyways. Peeling his soaking-wet shirt form his shivering skin Augustus made his way to the large picture window near the rear of his apartment. A mix of city-light and shadows fell across his slender toned frame leaving trails on the wooden floors. Gus slid out of the stiff dark-wash denim that wrapped his legs and with a quick flip turned on the coffee pot sitting atop his kitchen counter. “We need your help.” The words fell across Gus’s head as a low knock came on his door. He knew that voice, or lack thereof anyway. “Alix” he muttered under his breath. “What are you doing here…” his voice faded under itself as he opened the door. There she was, just like she had always been, silent, beautiful and mysterious. Her light skin stood in stark contrast to the red brick at her back, her dark hair framing her almost angular face and fading into the shadows. “You need my help…” he said softly, remembering for a moment the voice that came across his mind. “Come in.” He said, his still-cold hand wrapping around her wrist, closing the door behind them. “Coffee?” he asked, unsure what to say and remembering he was in his underwear. |
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| Alix | Feb 4 2013, 10:15 PM Post #2 |
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Telepathy, Telekinesis / Empathy
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Despite the fact that at this point, most of the ones living in the brownstone had learned of the fact that Alix was no longer as mute as she ad once been, she still defaulted onto telepathic talk. It was just what she was used to-- The normal means in a world where perhaps it wasn't so normal. But for her-- what was normal was strange and so she'd for now speak with her mind. Especially when nervous. Originally, she'd tried texting Augustus. Gus. He was one of the few who'd not been informed of just what Spiral's brain surgery had done and so she still regulated herself to the normal means of communication. When he hadn't answered texts, She'd checked if he was home an had approached. XFI was one of those sorts of jobs where everyone was almost always on call and-- right now-- there was a case involving a lock that she and the others couldn't quite get into. So that'd meant their current part timer, Gus, who'd been invited onto the team ages ago but was only just now making good on it. She begrudged that a small deal-- well aware of the reasons and the craziness and all the other things. She was also well aware of his thoughts and, admittedly, it made her even more nervous to make this call. All the others she was comfortable with. But they were the people she'd lived with for years. Fought with, cried with; She'd met Gus and while he'd been helpful she didn't quite know much more than the general things about him. So when he opened the door in his underwear, her eyes shot upwards in brief respect. ::I can wait out--:: But then he'd pulled her inside before there'd been particularly a chance to do otherwise and the offer of coffee rung out. She pointedly stared at the wall clock. ::No, thank you.:: Polite, though definitely just a bit on edge. ::I can wait outside if you need to get dressed. It's no big deal. I have an umbrella.:: She offered helpfully, though still avoided eye contact. |
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| Augustus | Feb 4 2013, 11:40 PM Post #3 |
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“I’m not gonna let stand outside in the rain Alix, umbrella or not.” Gus’s voice sharpened in tone. “And I’ll get dressed in a few minutes, that’s the least of my worries.” He watched her nervously fall into herself, like she had so many times before. It was odd thing, to see someone taken aback so much by something as small as the sight of another person’s bare skin. And it wasn’t as though his body was something she hadn’t seen before, given their almost history. His feelings for her had never been a secret to anyone, he had made his crush on her quite clear. And though the embarrassment of that day still stung just a little, looking at her now, standing in his apartment he could feel those feelings welling up again. It was then, lost in own thoughts that ne noticed her shiver just a little. “Here,” he said, pulling a woven throw from his couch and draping it across her shoulders, letting his hand rest on her neck just a second too long. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” he fumbled his words. “I mean, I heard about you and Jamie.” She didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge the things he was doing, or saying. But then, maybe she was. Maybe she was doing all internally, the same way she always did, the way that drove him crazy. “What is it Alix, what do you want. Tell me why you’re here, I’m not a mind reader ya know.” And then he remembered… “And neither are you, not now.” He snapped, running his hand through his dark locks, generating the shield he knew she hated. The one that caused his eyes to glow that faint blue color, the one that kept her out of his mind. “You’re gonna have to talk to me eventually, you didn’t come here without a reason. What do you want?” he lowered his voice and sat beside her. |
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| Alix | Feb 5 2013, 12:19 AM Post #4 |
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Telepathy, Telekinesis / Empathy
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It wasn't so much that it was bare skin-- how many times had she seen Riva in those weird short shorts or Guido in the plethora of joke boxers? But neither of them had been attempting going past friendship, nor was it in a moment where it wasn't out in the wide open of the brownstone. And while she'd never returned the sentiment towards Gus, she knew that he did and knew that the situation wasn't particularly a favorable moment given the past. So she stared at the clock. ::Alright, then, I'll wait here. You can go change in your restroom.:: She pointed towards it, he still refused and she started to explain that it wasn't proper for her to be here like this. That really it was going to reflect negatively on his professionalism with what was technically a coworker. Sure, it was alot more complicated than that-- but at the core of it, that's what this was. A business call. He put a blanket over her shoulders and vaguely she squinted thoughtfully at the clock-- at least, until hHis hand lingered longer than she was comfortable with. Only then did she break away from the wall and stare back at him until, pointedly, she stepped back to force his hand to fall away from her. The awkwardness of underpants was one thing, but as a telepath she knew full well where his thoughts were going. ::Thank you.:: His statement actually hadn't called for a thank you, but she was awkward in these kinds of moments regardless. ::We're very happy. Actually, we're planning a vacation soon. You know, when the world calms down. Somewhere tropical. Drinks with umbrellas. He's been picking themed attire for the both of us. It's very chic; He's got good tastes:: The fondness she held was absolutely impossible to ignore. Still, he went on and through the entire exchange she'd entirely fallen away from her entire purpose of being here. She started up into speaking with her mind before, as she'd always despised, his shield rose up and locked her out of his mind. There was the faintest twitch of a hint of frustration. She'd always hated when people did that to her abilities, especially when it was uncalled for and especially when it was to force her hand into something she wasn't particularly adjusted to yet. Almost, she just left. But instead she sat on the sofa in frustration and barely put the blanket to the side, only to stand again when he sat. "Jamie needed you for a job" Technically, it'd been her case. But at this point, she was full ready to drop this one onto him and involve him to the point that it'd make it clear. "Since I was free, I offered to come over and talk to you about it. They need someone to get into an electronic lock, are you up for it?" As assertive as she might've sounded in wording, her tone fell quiet in the sort of manner that suggested, perhaps, she was still adjusting to the entire idea of a voice. She didn't mean to be so terse or dismissive-- but given the situation with beta, Layla, and Jamie there needed to be a very defined line of what was alright and what wasn't. "Will you at least put pants on now? Please?" She still hadn't actually looked at him for more than a split second, and even then did not drop below his eyes. |
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| Augustus | Feb 5 2013, 02:05 AM Post #5 |
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“Jamie needs me…” Gus was verging on fury. “That’s the route you’re gonna go here. Jamie needs me.” You could at least have the balls to put your name in there somewhere, you’re just as big of a part of XFI as he is.” Augustus pulled a pair of warm track pants from the dryer and taking off his still-damp underwear slipped in the burgundy sweats. “There, ya happy. Pants.” Gus wasn’t sure where to go from here, he would help out XFI, of course he would, and maybe this time he wouldn’t flake out on them in the end. Maybe it wouldn’t be like last time. That however; was a promise he couldn’t make. “I’ll help you. Excuse me; Jamie, I’ll help Jamie.” He scoffed, still upset at the way she worded it, as though whatever was between them warranted complete amnesia of their history. “Just tell me where and when, I’ll be there. Five minutes, five days, a month… whatever.” It was all becoming too much for him though, he was letting his emotions get the best of him. He was letting too much history bleed through and poison his today, and that was something he never did. There was just something about Alix, about the way her light frame moved across the room, almost as if she afraid to be noticed. “What say we try and leave the past behind, you try your best to stay out of my head and I’ll try my best to keep you out. It doesn’t mean I can’t help XFI, it doesn’t mean we can’t be near one another. It just means…” He sighed, and looked away. “Do you ever think about leaving the city? You know, just dropping it all and going to the country or something. I keep finding myself picturing it lately, it’d have to be easier, right, easier than… easier than all of this.” Augustus kept his gaze focused out the window, trying to decide whether or not to drop his mental shield, whether or not to do the very thing he just asked Alix not to. |
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| Alix | Feb 5 2013, 02:44 AM Post #6 |
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Telepathy, Telekinesis / Empathy
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"Jamie is still the leader of the faction and I have to ensure that you understand that this" she pointed between the two of them silently. "You can be upset as you want. But we will never be more than friends. I don't have to be in your thoughts to know what you're thinking and I'm sorry-- I really am-- but this is the way it is." She spoke quietly and softly before shifting her weight to turn around as he changed. He resounded and, barely she turned back around. "Yes, thank you." She smiled appreciatively-- though his tone kept her just barely apprehensive. "The job's tonight, depending. Or tomorrow." She smiled quietly. "I have the information back at the brownstone, if you'd like to look it over." But the whole question of his feelings wasn't over. She couldn't read his thoughts or see his emotions now-- but it was all very clear what all this was about. "This isn't about my abilities or your abilities. I don't have to look into your mind to know that." She stood motionless to watch him carefully as he spoke. "No--" she responded earnestly and quietly, her eyes onto the back of his head as he spoke. "My duties are here, in this place. To help mutants in Mutant town and elsewhere as it arises. To Jamie and XFI and the people we help with their cases." Really? Beyond moments with Jamie she hadn't used her voice this extensively yet. But then-- he'd not really given her a choice to do otherwise. "No matter what happens, I'm not going to leave." No matter how soft and quiet she seemed, or how gentle-- she was as always stubborn beyond the accepted term of things. |
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| Augustus | Feb 5 2013, 03:22 AM Post #7 |
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Unregistered
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“I’m not trying to compromise your relationship with Jamie, I would never do that. And, to be honest, I didn’t think that would something I’d have to even say. I can’t help my emotions, they bubble over sometimes.” He took a step closer to her. “Friends, friends will be fine. I could probably use a few to be honest.” Augustus dropped his shield, the blue glow of his eyes fading away revealing the truth behind them for anyone to see. There are times when the young mutant is better, they come and go though, in waves and seeping motions as ever-changing as the seasons. He would keep his manner about him though, he would try not to snap at the enigma of a girl standing before him, he would try not to let her get to him. “I’ll go with you, just give me a couple minutes. In the meantime maybe Whalton can keep you company,” Augustus said, lifting s small dog that looked like the end of a mop into the air and placing it on the couch beside her. “He’s a Puli, it’s like a mini Komondor, his mind will probably give you less troubles than mine anyway. I’m gonna shower and change, I’ll be right out.” Letting the warm water cascade down his body Gus tried to clear his mind of the troubled thoughts that had been filling them ever since Alix began trailing a few hours ago. Steam quickly filled the air as the suds scrubbed his troubles away. Maybe when he walked out of his room he would see a different version of the girl, or even better, a different version of himself. Quickly drying his body, Augustus slipped into black jeans, black t-shirt and zip jacket. It may be cliché to wear such an outfit to a burglary, but there’s a reason clichés are clichés, it’s because they work, and this was no time for a fashion forward mistake. Pulse walked from his bedroom into the living room, and wouldn’t ya just know it. Not a different Alix, not at all. The same girl, the same almost smile. “Ready?” |
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| Alix | Feb 5 2013, 04:17 AM Post #8 |
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"I know that's not what you're trying. I just-- I had to make sure you understood, you know? I'm sorry-- It's just that things have been pretty chaotic and I can't risk anything." It was an understatement, of course. But then when had she ever been the sort to really be upfront with everything going wrong? She was fantastic with bearing the burdens of things. And now? With Layla, the fact that Jamie had been dead and was now alive, The whole voice and brain surgery, other members being taken, helping Shatterstar learn about emotions and Kyle to get a reign on what Spiral had done-- Really. It was too much. But she made do as she always did and nodded pleasantly without the barest hint of anything wrong, even has he stated he needed to shower. "Of course" She glanced to the dog silently and gave him a brief, small scratch behind the ears before turning her attention in onto herself, instantly reflective under the basis that wandering her thoughts too much at this point would put her-- and her mind-- into the awkward situation of realizing that she was sitting in a coworkers-- friends-- apartment while he showered. While she'd never been the best on knowing what was kosher and what wasn't, she barely made note to make some kind of explanation. Or something. Nervously, she did a quick glance towards an outer wall and searched the minds around them to find out if it was a particularly bad situation. They seemed to be mixed reviews on the matter and she resolved herself to worry alone. He showered and got dressed and she, generally, got lost into thought. Pointedly she continued to avoid her mind wandering towards Augustus' mind and let herself focus inwards onto the link her mind shared with Jamie. He came out and she smiled with easy pleasantness. ::I'll tell them we're coming and find out where they're at.:: She nodded and glanced towards the door. ::I'll let you lead the way:: Now that things were in the clear and she was given back access to her voice, she seemed more relaxed-- even as she stepped out from the door behind him and waited for him to lock it up. ::So-- how've things been? It's been a while--:: Honestly, she'd never been the best at small talk but was, in the very least, making attempts at conversation. |
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| Augustus | Feb 6 2013, 12:19 AM Post #9 |
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“Things are… things are what they are, right? Not so good, but not so bad either I don’t guess.” He smiled, knowing this was her attempt at normal small-talk. Instinctively, Gus reached for her hand, but realized before he made contact and pulled away. It would be like they said, they would be just friends, and nothing more and that would be good enough, for now anyway. It had stopped raining though, for a few minutes anyway. The cold January night air bit at his neck through the door crevice as he reached to turn the handle. “Bitch…” he muttered under his breath, catching a glimpse of that long blonde hair. It was Layla Miller, the girl that knew things as she was always so fond of letting you know. She had been far from his favorite person ever since February of last year, the day she spoke in his ear like a little bird, tell him how imperative it was that he follow her instructions to the letter and not ask why. Normally he would have paid her no more attention than the man in the moon, but she used her ridiculous trickery to convince him otherwise. First telling him how the woman in red soled high heels would exit the limo, walk the up the stairs only to realized she’d left something in the cab. Follow that up with the boy on the bicycle, the girl cashing her puppy and man stealing from the hotdog vendor, well… it seemed pretty convincing at the time. Follow that up however, with him following the moronic hand-drawn map she’d given him only to end falling into a fresh dug hole where he remained until the next morning, when the funeral started. Fun as it must have sounded to Layla, spending the night lying in an open grave was not his idea of an optimal evening. “No, not you, not tonight.” The thought of an evening with Alix being ruined my none other than the butterfly herself was more than Augustus was willing to deal with tonight. “We’re leaving. You…” He said, his eyes beginning to glow a faint blue. “you’re staying here, or anywhere else, just not with me.” Gus felt the twinge in the back of his head, the one he always felt before negating the power of another mutant. “One wrong word and you’ll be spending you night coming up with a new catch-phrase. Something like; I don’t know shit. Or… It’s all a mystery to me. Something to get the point across. |
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| Alix | Feb 6 2013, 09:11 AM Post #10 |
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She was trying with everything she had to not make a comment about his instinctive reach for his hand or the apprehension he might've had about friendship. Perhaps it was just her own nervous perceptions that labeled it as such, but she let it go for now and instead turned towards the door. And then there was Layla. Alix, despite how together she could seem and how calm she might've been in most situations-- or even how she could generally manipulate a situation into going how she wanted without even realizing she was doing it, was never quite at ease around Layla. There was the whole 'going to marry Jamie' thing, the fact that she was so very opposite of everything Alix was, and the simple truth that Layla's mind was a jumble of confusion that she just didn't get. ::Oh-- ah. Hello Layla.:: She smiled and made eye contact with the sort of nervous uncertainty that she always gave Layla. She'd avoided her since she'd accidentally let it spill to Jamie just what sort of things Layla had been saying. Not because she was afraid of Layla-- hardly. But because, really, she didn't like the idea of a confrontation. Gus' response was unexpected, really. She hadn't known they'd met and when she caught on her gaze shifted nervously. That, in turn, meant that Layla might've known that there'd been a time when Augustus had asked her out, and she'd refused. That also meant that, given her arrival timing, that Layla knew the awkward situation that had just transpired moments ago. It instantly put Alix onto edge and sent her gaze level onto the woman silently. ::Oh--:: She spoke up softly. ::You two know each other then? I guess it makes sense-- you both work for Investigations. I just hadn't realized you'd had a history beyond.:: She noted that Augustus negated Layla's powers and quietly, Alix chimed in. ::What good does it do to negate her powers? She already knows stuff. Its just a waste of energy.:: |
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| Butterfly | Feb 8 2013, 02:34 AM Post #11 |
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'Knows Stuff'
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Layla brushed past Gus and strode into the aprtment. He hadn't invited her, but that had never mattered to the girl who knew stuff before, and she wasn't about to start now. Gus made some quip about her powers and catchphrase before Alix pondered what good nullifying her powers would do. She was quite right, for once. Layla's powers weren't the sort of offensive abilities that Gus could just throw around like a rag doll. Once you know stuff, you sort of always know it. That was the rub. "Don't mind him Alix. It's just like a guy to oversell his..." She looked him up and down suggestively. "Powerset." She nearly bounced into the living room. She plopped herself on a counter and let her legs dangle playfully. Alix had pissed her off royally by telling Jamie about her claims of the future and, in doing so, throwing the future off track at a time when she was just getting her bearing back. She glared at Alix, at her stalwart lips. She was going to have fun with this. "We know each other. Gus doesn't like me. Can you imagine that?" She shot them both a too innocent smile. "I guess he's still mad at me for that 'night in the hole' thing. Some people are so touchy." She turned to Alix and went on talking as though Pulse wasn't in the room. "He was really gullible at the time. What the boy wonder here doesn't know is that, if he would have been allowed to roam free that night, his stupid ass would have wounded up back in jail. I couldn't have that. I mean, if Gus here was locked up, who would be left to singlehandedly keep the wifebeater trend alive ?" She hopped down from the counter and paced between them. "But now that the pleasantries are done, let's get down to business, shall we? I was curious what my two favorite people in the world were doing all alone in an apartment room. And I figured that, since everyone finally has their pants on, one of you might be able to answer me." |
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| Augustus | Feb 8 2013, 04:02 AM Post #12 |
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Sigh, she was a pretty girl, sexy almost, until she opened her mouth. Then, she was just a cunt. And damn, if that ain’t something special. “Pay her no mind Alix, she’s just upset because she knows that’s the only hole she’ll ever get anybody inside.” Gus leaned against the window, looking through Layla’s blurred reflection and out into the wet city night. It wasn’t so much their history, that’s not what upset the man so much. It was more about the fact of her keenness for showing up wholly unannounced, as though she was God himself looking to turn the tables. Alix tried her best to keep a semblance of calm between the group, though, to be honest Augustus had no intention of losing himself in his emotions, not for the waste of time known as Layla Miller. No blood would be shed, so voices raised. Quips and insults would be the lifeblood of the next ten minutes, then, he was sure; Layla would begin with her usual set of this is why only you, by course of me, can save the world. Get a life woman. “Whatdya want bitch?” he said, not bothering to focus his eyes on her reflection. |
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| Alix | Feb 17 2013, 05:22 PM Post #13 |
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::Preparing for a case.:: Alix answered pointedly, ignoring all the terrible comentary and general rudeness that was, as always, quick to pour from Layla. She seemingly never would actually get it-- that it wasn't her abilities but her that made people not like her. The exchanges were still awkward. Layla spoke like Gus wasn't in the room, and then Gus spoke to her like Layla wasn't particularly there either. He made lewd comments and, uncomfortably, Alix glanced towards the door with the sort of vague hope that maybe someone else would show up. No one did, of course, and vaguely she turned back to the two of them. ::We shouldn't resort to name calling, or insulting. We are all on the same side, right? Good guys. Detectives. All of that.:: She nodded softly between the two and withheld much more cometary towards just how childish this entire thing was. They were both acting out, apparently, and both had some kind of thing against each other-- one way or another. Layla, as always, was no help to calm the moment and so Alix sighed, and did her best. ::What'd you need Layla?:: She reiterated Augustus' question with a dim level of pleasantness that was, admittedly, something she was trying very hard to maintain. |
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7:31 PM Jul 11