[Noah St Cloud]

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[attr="class","Noahpostname"]noah st. cloud

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[attr="class","Noahpostlyric"]those walls will make sinners[break]
out of such lovely lads[break]

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Only marginally warmer than his wrist, the skin under Felix’s sleeve had a texture that was instantly recognisable. It made Noah cock his head, the pad of a finger experimentally ghosting down a ridge in a way he hoped wasn’t too obvious. How did Felix get them? Could they be self-inflicted? Though, with how the two of them had spent the night, it was very possible he’d received them from previous fights; defensive wounds from stopping a knife aimed at his face or chest.[break][break]

There was nothing Nahlani’s gift could do for healed-over scars and commenting on them without invitation would probably only serve to aggravate, so he stayed quiet for the same reasons he hadn’t asked about Felix’s neck and simply tucked the information away in his slow-growing database. Maybe it would be useful to know about someday. Maybe it wouldn't.[break][break]

In any case, it was a bit of a shame that he’d lent his sweater to be used as a sling, as without it he might have been able to roll Felix’s sleeve back to look at both the scarring and the healing process more closely. As it was, he was restricted to analysing the raised skin by touch and the gift by the glow of his palms, and he was so focused on his work that he actually startled slightly when Felix grabbed at his broken elbow and groaned as he set it into place.[break][break]

Oh. Was that something Noah should have done? He'd thought the healing would simply guide the bone and the popped shoulder back to where they were supposed to be, but he realised he didn’t actually know. It was something he should have clarified with Nahlani, to be sure.[break][break]

Another sound slipped out from Felix (a gasp, yet it wasn’t pained like the last had been) and this time Noah’s stare cut up to his face when it happened. Huh. His lips curled, amused, and he was certain there was a joke or two that could be made about it. But he continued to hold his tongue, reminding himself to focus. Had the power reached Felix's shoulder yet? He couldn’t tell. There was only the warmth and light emitting from him that told him the gift was working at all. Maybe he ought to press pause and ask…[break][break]

Felix swayed a little and Noah once more became conscious of the shadows under his eyes, of how drowsy being healed could make a person. Yet before he could reach out his other hand to steady him, Felix steadied himself with a demand to stop.[break][break]

He broke away. Noah blinked, puzzled as Felix implied discomfort. The other man had seemed alright a moment ago… Had he misread him? Had he done it wrong? Nahlani had never said he was using her gift incorrectly, but then, he’d never really had to heal her, had he? Before he could press for an elaboration, his jumper was being shoved at him while Felix asked a question of his own.[break][break]

“Is it always like that?”[break][break]

Noah raised his gaze from the dark fabric grasped in his fingers to look at Felix quizzically. “I’d say ‘yes’, but with how much you wanted it to be over I’m not so sure. What did it feel like for you?” Taking a step back to give them both some more space, he untied the sleeves of his jumper and put it back on, mostly to free up his hands. “It’s supposed to be nice, like… falling asleep while you’re sunbathing and someone’s putting sunblock on you. I’m always telling Nahlani she should open a spa or something.”[break][break]

He flexed his fingers, his lips falling into a disappointed line. “Does it not feel like that when I do it?” Did he need to consciously will it to feel good and not just heal? Maybe the power at its most ‘basic’ simply felt like bones snapping into place and cuts sewing back up, whereas Nahlani had found ‘hidden settings’ or maybe even had a secondary power he wasn’t tapping into. He glanced towards the door that led to the kitchen, wondering if he ought to call her back in for guidance.

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OOC: Sorry for replying so quickly akwfjnskjefn I've got energy today x3


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[attr="class","Noahdark2PostTag"]Tag: Felix Golding

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[Felix Golding]

rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive

Noah was uncharacteristically silent throughout the healing process, and Felix couldn’t be anything but grateful for that. He seemed surprised when Felix set his own bone, but still didn’t comment. When Felix put a stop to it, Noah looked at him in confusion and asked him what it felt like. Before Felix could find the words, Noah pulled his sweater back on and described what it felt like for him to get healed, putting a little more space between them, which Felix appreciated. ‘falling asleep while you’re sunbathing and someone’s putting sunblock on you’, he clarified, and Felix looked at him blankly. Was that a common experience? Was he supposed to know what that felt like? Felix shook his head, not sure he could put what he’d felt into the right words, other than what he’d already said. There was only one thing he could compare it to, and that wasn’t even that accurate. “It was kind of like… chasing a few percocets with a bottle of vodka and then coming out of the freezing cold and getting into a bath that’s way too hot but you’re too fucked up to get out.” He frowned and shook his head again at how inadequate that description was. “But worse,” he added. He didn’t blame Noah for the uncomfortable pleasure-pain he’d felt, since he’d been the one that had wanted Noah to heal him in the first place, and the result had ultimately been successful. He wasn’t sure if the sensation was due to Noah’s probable inexperience with using the gift or if it was his own fault somehow, but it didn’t really matter to him. The result was the same. “It doesn’t matter, though,” he said, indicating the feeling he’d complained about. “The job got done. I don’t care about the rest.” He tried to roll his shoulder and sighed when found that he couldn’t. So, still dislocated, that was inconvenient. The job got mostly done, then. Was it because he’d stopped Noah before it was finished? Or was it because the gift couldn’t set bones or relocate shoulders in the first place? He let out a string of annoyed curses under his breath. He didn’t feel any pain from it at the moment, which was a very odd feeling when paired with the inability to use his shoulder, but he figured it wouldn’t be painless for long. He could still feel the tingle fading from his body and he had a hunch that the pain would return when the tingle was gone. Meaning he needed to pop it in quickly, if possible. “I better get a cookie after this,” he grumbled bitterly. Grasping his left wrist, he yanked his arm up, bending his now-healed elbow so it was sticking straight up behind his head and his left hand was reaching down his back before releasing his wrist and reaching slowly for his opposite shoulder with his left hand. There should have been a pop, but it never came. He reached up with the other hand and yanked on his elbow a bit, trying to force his shoulder to pop back in again, but he didn’t have the leverage to do it hard enough. His muscles were still relaxed from the “Push on my arm, just behind the elbow,” he said to Noah. “Do it hard. Until I tell you stop.” If Noah wasn’t comfortable helping, for whatever reason, he had other options. He could always brace himself against a wall and use the strength of his legs to force the shoulder into place. Which he would normally do rather than asking for help, but he was trying to get it done as quickly as possible, and he suspected that the warm feeling still pulsing through him was somehow contributing to making him less resistant to help than normal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TAG: Noah St Cloud OOC: LMAOOO don’t apologize for a quick reply wth 😂

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[Noah St Cloud]

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[attr="class","Noahpostname"]noah st. cloud

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Felix’s description of the experience was not at all what Noah expected or could agree with. He could understand how the languid feeling might be comparable to the drowsiness brought on by drink, but the rest of it? The being stuck in a bath that was too hot? He shook his head in wonder. Did the sensation really vary from person to person that much?[break][break]

“Wow. Okay. I have never had a Percocet in my life,” he replied cheerfully. “But that all sounds horrendous. I’m sorry, bud.”[break][break]

Felix was dismissive of it, claiming that he didn’t care as long as he was fixed up, which made Noah’s stare drop to his shoulder. It… still looked dislocated. Felix seemed to realise this at the same time, sighing and muttering curses under his breath before attempting to fix it himself.[break][break]

Watching him struggle with it was admittedly a little funny, though Noah was careful to keep the sweep of amusement off his face. He was right there. Hands free. Had already once offered to pop the shoulder back where it should be. But apparently Felix was too independent (or too stubborn) to simply request help without first trying to do it alone.[break][break]

However, he did give up after a minute or so and Noah snorted when he deemed it necessary to give him instructions. “Gladly,” was all he said, moving into position to do as Felix had asked.[break][break]

The thought crossed his mind to try sneakily brushing his pinkie against Felix’s neck or wrist so he could inject some more healing power into him at the same time. Doing so would likely make the experience a bit more comfortable which would also give him an excuse to use the gift again. But he quickly remembered that comfortable wasn’t the word Felix would use for it, so he shrugged inwardly to himself and pushed the shoulder back into its rightful place without preamble.[break][break]

“There you go,” he cooed, giving Felix a light pat on the back once it was done. “That cookie was well-deserved, champ. Let’s go.”[break][break]

The women were sat at the small kitchen island, illuminated only by a lamp in the corner. Nahlani seemed to be leading much of the conversation as she spoke quietly about her everyday life, while Laurel tentatively nibbled at a cookie as if she didn’t trust her teeth not to fall out again. The two of them looked up as the men entered the room, and Noah addressed them with utmost seriousness: “I hear this is where the goods are kept.”[break][break]

Nahlani rolled her eyes but she was smiling as she pushed the cookie jar across the counter. “Help yourselves.”[break][break]

Noah wasted no time in doing exactly that, pleased to see they were chocolate chip as he thanked Nahlani for making them. Her children, fast asleep upstairs, would no doubt be devastated in the morning to see that several had disappeared overnight (that is, if they were old enough to be able to count. He really didn’t know when kids learned to do that.)[break][break]

With a cookie in his mouth and an inviting lift of his brow he held out the jar to Felix, curious to see if the sweet treats would prompt any notable reactions from him. His earlier comment about getting one was probably the most interest he’d overtly shown in anything all night.[break][break]

“So,” Noah said to Laurel once he’d finished his first cookie and grabbed another from the pot. “I can drop you off at the hideout? They should be able to find you a place to stay.”[break][break]

Nahlani answered for her. “She might stay here for tonight.”[break][break]

Oh? “But I can’t?”[break][break]

Nahlani shot him an incredulous look. “After last time? When the kids saw you and told everyone who would listen and I had to endure a whole week of nosy parents and teachers asking about the ‘strange man’ napping on my couch? No. I am not doing that again.”[break][break]

Noah didn’t argue, only humming his acknowledgement before turning his gaze on Felix. “Guess I’ll just be driving you home, then. I'm ready when you are.”[break][break]

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OOC: then I shall reply even quicker this time lololol. As usual feel free to walk them out, control the NPCs, whatever~


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[attr="class","Noahdark2PostTag"]Tag: Felix Golding

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[Felix Golding]

rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive

Felix sniffed. “Didn’t take you for the straight-laced type,” he said when Noah claimed to have never had a percocet. Noah expressed his apologies for Felix’s “horrendous” experience, proving he had missed the point of what Felix had described, but he wasn’t surprised, since it sounded like Noah had never had a similar experience. It hadn’t been completely terrible, which was exactly the problem. The feeling had been both good and bad, and the worst part of it was that Felix was forced to feel it and didn’t get a say. He just shrugged a little in response, instead of further clarifying, the movement lopsided, with only his good shoulder hitching up. By the time his shoulder was corrected, the pain was back, but it was almost welcome in its familiarity, pain more normal to him than the strange feeling of the healing energy. The pat on the back Noah gave him was more irritating than skin crawling, and Felix had to blame the lingering healing energy for that, despite the fact that it was basically gone from his body. He shot Noah a glare anyway for the condescension he interpreted, but followed him to the kitchen for the promised cookie. The women looked up as they entered the room, and Felix avoided Laurel’s gaze, uncomfortable with being in her presence, especially now that everything was essentially over. He’d seen too much of her life and history when they’d been snooping around her apartment, looking for clues to her whereabouts. He knew too much about her that he would rather not. It was best to pretend she didn’t exist so he could easier put her out of his mind and forget about her and everything he’d seen, the way he always did when he learned too much about a person. He moved forward eagerly when Noah offered the cookie jar to him, and then grimaced; flashes of memory were forced upon him when his hand brushed the side of the cookie jar, the object apparently tied to strong emotions. He forced away the flashes without examining them too closely, not wanting to see into her life, not wanting to know more about her just like he didn’t want to know what he knew about Laurel. He’d seen quite enough already when he’d touched the tv remote earlier and he didn’t need or want to know anymore. He didn’t need more memories stuck in his head. The healer had probably made the cookies for her kids, but he didn’t care and grabbed three of them anyway when he saw that they had chocolate in them, ignoring the look she sent his way. “Mm,” he hummed in appreciation as he bit into one immediately, meeting the healer’s gaze for the first time and nodding in acknowledgement. “These are good.” Worth the discomfort that Noah wielding her gift had caused him, he thought. Her vaguely disgruntled expression smoothed out at the compliment, but she still looked a little put off by his audacity. Noah started talking to the women, something about sleeping arrangements, and Felix tuned them out yet again, glancing around the kitchen in curiosity. As he munched the cookies, he idly noted the escape routes in the room, in the form of the door leading outside, and the door on the opposite wall that seemed to lead into a garage. He eyed the well-worn knife block on the counter beside the stove, and the shadowy darkness of the hallway leading away from the kitchen. When Noah tuned to look at him, he quickly replayed the last few moments of the conversation in his head to make sure he hadn’t missed anything directed at him, but he hadn’t. Noah was just offering him a ride home. He nodded in response. “I’m ready now,” he said after swallowing the last mouthful of cookie. He opened the cookie jar and grabbed one last cookie, for the road, and then glanced briefly at the healer, who was giving him that look again, and offered her a rare demonstration of gratitude. “Thanks for the cookies.” He didn’t say anything else, or spare a glance for Laurel, before he turned on his heel and headed for the door. He expected Noah would say his goodbyes and eventually follow. He’d already finished his last cookie by the time he got to the car and was licking the crumbs from his fingers when Noah joined him. He wiped his hands off on his pants and climbed into the passenger seat. A she did so, the handle of the knife in his front waistband dug into his stomach and reminded him of its existence. “Oh, right.” He pulled it out and offered it, sheathe and all, to Noah. “You’ll want this back, I expect. It came in handy.” That was as close to a ‘thank you’ as Noah would get. It wasn’t a cookie, after all. Once they were on the road, Felix directed Noah back to the neighborhood they had started the night in. “I don’t live far from Laurel. I walked to her place from mine.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TAG: Noah St Cloud OOC: sorry if it's a little sloppy. It didn't get the usual level of editing because I was trying to get it done and posted before my shift was over lol. Let me know if you need more to work with!

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[Noah St Cloud]

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Noah stared, greatly entertained, as Felix took three cookies from the jar and expressed his sincere appreciation for them. He still wasn’t smiling but he obviously enjoyed them, and while Nahlani might have been a little put out by the amount he took, the compliment he gave appeared to smooth over any ruffled feathers. Noah hid his grin by taking another bite of his own remaining cookie. Who knew such a dour-looking person could be such a sweet tooth?[break][break]

Felix accepted the ride home with a nod, saying he was ready, and grabbed a fourth cookie before heading out with a final ‘thanks’ to Nahlani. Noah’s gaze followed his back until it couldn’t anymore, and he heard rather than saw the quiet open and close of the front door.[break][break]

He huffed in amusement, turning back to the women. “Well, if I don’t want him to drive off without me, I should probably get going too.” He exchanged goodbyes with the two of them and gave Nahlani a quick hug as he thanked her once again for everything she did (and hopefully would continue to do for a long time to come). Her gift still sang in his bones but she didn’t comment on its absence in her own, and though he didn’t need it anymore he held onto it for the sake of practice. They both knew it would return to her eventually.[break][break]

Before he left he also made sure to shoot off a few messages to the Blackstorm handler who'd contacted Felix for him, letting them know Laurel was okay and asking them to deal with whatever clear-up and/or misdirection of authorities would be needed after their ‘party’ at the warehouse. As much as he preferred to look after such matters himself… sometimes, he could be lazy. Blackstorm was the worst kind of enabler.[break][break]

He stepped outside to see Felix posted by his car, and caught a glimpse of tongue as he licked the crumbs off his fingers. Noah snorted, shaking his head with a grin as he approached. “That good, huh?” Maybe he ought to make his own batch. See if they compared to Nahlani’s and if they could be used as a bribe somehow.[break][break]

The two of them got in the car and Noah had just finished clicking his seatbelt in when Felix held out his knife.[break][break]

“Oh yeah,” he murmured. He’d almost forgotten Felix had it. He took it without thinking (without gloves) and tucked it into the map pocket behind his seat, then winced. “Guess I’ll be cleaning my car tomorrow.” Though, he supposed he would have had to anyway; Laurel likely got some blood on the backseat, even if it was just a few drips.[break][break]

Once the car was started up and they were on the move, Felix directed him back towards Laurel’s neighbourhood and Noah momentarily assumed he wanted to pick up his own car until he said that he’d walked there.[break][break]

The curiosity within him was fanned once more. It would be interesting to see where Felix lived. Maybe in one of the many East End apartments that didn’t even look like a residential block from the outside, somewhere quiet and private but in a way that sketchy stuff could be done without getting reported. Felix seemed to be that type of person.[break][break]

But Felix didn’t seem the type to invite acquaintances into his home without prompting. And that was probably where Noah would learn the most.[break][break]

He made a turning, silent as he drove and tried to work out some semblance of a plan. How could he get inside? There weren’t many available options to trick him into it – or at least, none that he could think of while healing-influenced-sleep beckoned, threatening that it would tug on his eyelids the moment he didn’t have a road to concentrate on.[break][break]

He yawned just thinking about it. It would be a long drive home.[break][break]

“Hey…” he began. “Do you think I could use your place as a quick rest stop, please? My house is all the way out in West Hook.” He glanced across at him, quirking a brow. “I could make it up to you somehow? Would you like to keep the knife? Or I could get you more cookies?”[break][break]

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OOC: it's all good! love it as always *_* likewise let me know if this isn't enough~


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[attr="class","Noahdark2PostTag"]Tag: Felix Golding

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[Felix Golding]

rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive

Noah asked, so very politely, if he could crash at Felix’s house, offering him things as if in payment. Mentioning getting more cookies as if they were some kind of drug and he had the hookup. Felix almost smirked in response. He managed to catch the expression before it slipped free, but it was a close thing. A knife and cookies? If Noah knew him at all Felix would suspect Noah was attempting to woo him, with offerings like that. But Noah didn’t know him, and Felix couldn’t be wooed, especially by someone like Noah. He was sure the other man had just made a lucky guess. “Tempting… but unnecessary. I have plenty of knives, and cookies aren’t exactly hard to come by.” He sighed, hoping he didn’t regret the next part. “You can stay over, I suppose.” He looked away from the mirrors that he’d been monitoring again and toward the driver’s seat. “I live at Maisy Daunt’s old place,” he added, watching Noah for any sign of recognition. From what he understood, his aunt had been reasonably well known within the organization for her habit of taking in any member who needed her help. Now that she was gone, Felix had changed things up quite a bit, but word hadn’t gotten around to everyone yet, and people still showed up from time to time looking for help. He wondered if Noah and Maisy had ever crossed paths. At first, the thought of the two of them interacting was absurd, but, on second thought, Felix figured Maisy might have liked Noah. She’d always had a bit of a mischievous streak, and she probably would have found Noah funny. Felix hated that thought. “I don’t know if you knew her, or her reputation, but…” he shrugged. “Hm. I think there’s a couple of cots in the storage room. No rooms free.” And he didn’t know if there would be any again, the way things were looking with his current housemates. “But you can set one up in the storage room or wherever. Just try not to knock over the books in there; there’s a lot of them.” They pulled onto his street, near the edge of the district, and Felix directed Noah to the end of the road. “The ugly yellow monstrosity,” he indicated his house, in case Noah wasn’t familiar with it, pointing at it for further clarification. As if it was needed. The hideous thing was pretty hard to miss. There were a few cars in the driveway around back, and he knew some of his housemates needed to leave early in the morning, for work and whatnot. “Park behind the Mustang.” He didn’t know how long Noah would be there in the morning, but it didn’t matter much, because Felix had no morning plans. Or afternoon plans. Or evening plans, for that matter. Not any that required his car, anyway. The closest thing to plans he had was his usual morning run, and that could be put off until the afternoon if necessary. He didn’t like being blocked in, but once the other cars were gone, he could maneuver the Mustang out if he had to. Not that he would have to, but he couldn’t keep his overactive paranoia from forming contingencies in the back of his mind, and he didn’t bother trying. “Everyone should be asleep, so keep it down,” he said as he unlocked the door and let them in. No such luck. As he led Noah through the hallway and towards the stairs, he heard noise in the kitchen and sighed in irritation. The kitchen doors were wide open, so there was no way to sneak past and up the creaky stairs without being seen or heard. “Well, well, well. Where have you been, mister? It’s way past curfew,” Rowan teased with an annoying, shit-eating grin as Felix rounded the corner. “Fuck off,” Felix snapped, scowling at him. “Why are you still awake?” “I noticed you leave earlier, and you didn’t have your dog with you, and you didn’t come back. I was worried. Who’s this? A friend? You never bring friends home.” He turned to Noah, smile widening, and didn’t wait for Felix to answer. “Hi, I’m Rowan. And you are?” “None of your fucking business,” Felix said through clenched teeth, hoping Noah wouldn’t want to stop and chat. He was going to kill Rowan for this. He wanted to push Noah up the stairs and away from his meddling cousin, but was far too aware of how that would look, and knew that he would be teased endlessly for it. If he was religious he would have started praying for a quick and sudden death. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TAG: Noah St Cloud OOC: feel free to interject wherever! I can always backtrack if needed, just trying to move things along a bit. Once again sloppy and unedited in the name of posting before the end of my shift ahaha 😅

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[Noah St Cloud]

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He thought Felix might interpret his request as simply popping in to use the bathroom, so when Felix sighed, telling Noah he could stay over, he had to act quickly to keep the surprise off his face. He smiled gratefully and gave a quiet “thanks”, mindful not to appear too excited despite the new possibilities presented. He would have more time to snoop, more rooms he might be allowed entry into, and he didn’t even have to ‘pay’ anything![break][break]

Still, he couldn’t imagine Felix idly standing by and letting him really rummage through his possessions, so there would be limits as to what he could find out that night. But at the very least he could get the lay of the land. Track down where more interesting stuff could be hidden, discern if any doors and windows could be opened if he wanted to stop by and visit later, when the place was empty.[break][break]

(Though, thinking about it, Felix’s psychometry meant he would definitely be found out at some point. And Felix likely wouldn’t be too pleased when that time came).[break][break]

“I live at Maisy Daunt’s old place,” Felix told him, and Noah gave a nod of his head to acknowledge it. The name was familiar, yet it took him a moment to figure out how. Blackstorm. As usual. He could recall a few instances where he might have pointed a struggling member towards Maisy, and a couple of times when he dropped them off at her place himself. He didn’t really know her but from what he remembered she was a pleasant, older woman. Generous, obviously, since she liked to open her home to strangers. Although (if he remembered correctly), she'd had one of those gifts that he couldn’t borrow – mediumship – which he was always a little doubtful of being real in the first place.[break][break]

Oh. Right. Ironically, wasn’t she dead now too?[break][break]

He didn’t press Felix for information, especially as the other man had moved on to talk about spare cots in a storage room. He didn’t initially love the sound of that (because surely storage was where things were put that didn’t matter to people anymore), but maybe he’d find some old photo albums or documents that would give him a little insight into Felix’s past. And of course Felix wouldn’t invite him to sleep in his bedroom; why go to all the trouble of moving a cot in there? Just to allow a near-stranger to invade his personal space? Expecting anything different would just be greedy, especially since he was already being given more hospitality than he’d anticipated.[break][break]

When they turned into the road Noah recognised ‘the ugly yellow monstrosity’ before Felix pointed it out to him. It confirmed that, yes, he had known the very same Maisy Daunt Felix had spoken of. It still looked the same despite him not having been there for quite some time. Months. Possibly years? Long enough that he couldn’t remember the name of the last person he’d brought there, or whether it had been during the night or day.[break][break]

It was impossible not to note the multiple cars in the driveway and the ‘everyone’ Felix referred to before they stepped inside. With the context of it being Maisy’s old place, Noah guessed there were still a few strays boarding there, but it was odd to imagine Felix as one of them. He seemed like a far more solitary person, someone who liked his space. Was his stay in Maisy’s house temporary? Was he only temporarily in Los Eurosia? Maybe that was why Noah hadn’t seen him (or any records of him) around Blackstorm’s hideout before.[break][break]

Inside the building there were as many books as Felix had promised, and they weren't all necessarily lined neatly on shelves. Noah looked at the stacks curiously as he followed Felix down the hallway, head tilting to read some of the spines, and as a result he nearly bumped into his guide when the man came to an abrupt stop.[break][break]

Another man had called out to them – or rather, to Felix – through open doors leading to a kitchen, asking where he’d been. He was dark-haired and dark-eyed, and there was something vaguely familiar about his face that Noah couldn’t quite put his finger on. Another Blackstorm member, perhaps? A faint resemblance to someone else he knew? Either way, the teasing tone and wide grin he sported made Noah think he’d be able to mirror him well. They’d either get along like a house on fire or they'd notice too many similarities that would eventually make one take a disliking to the other.[break][break]

Felix’s reaction to him was interesting at least. Funny, to see him snap at someone else in that almost defensive way of his. It was impossible to tell whether he genuinely hated the guy or if he just treated everyone like they’d done something to personally offend him, but regardless his response to Rowan introducing himself and asking who Noah was, made Noah beam.[break][break]

He stepped forward, offering his hand. “Please, ‘none of your fucking business’ is my formal title. You can just call me Noah. Less of a mouthful.”[break][break]

He winked, and suddenly the warmth of Nahlani’s healing was drained right out of him while invisible vines wrapped around his arms and struck his chest.[break][break]

The effect was instantaneous. His smile dropped. All plans of messing around to annoy Felix were swept from his mind as he skittered backwards like a cat from a loud noise: with a hiss. “Ow! Fuck – empath!” His back hit a wall, halting his retreat. If he were being honest, the ‘ow’ was probably a bit dramatic of him. A reflex that didn’t come from any pain because it didn’t hurt. It was simply the sudden sensation of more.[break][break]

Rowan’s curiosity had hit him first. An emotion which likely had prompted him to use his gift on Noah in the first place, and had spiked Noah’s own interest to an uncomfortable degree. But there was also Rowan’s lingering amusement that intermingled with his, now sprayed over with a cloud of confusion due to Noah’s reaction and probably from noticing the failure and/or absence of his gift. The muted concern for Felix beneath it all, an ugly growth on the steady softness of care, was also wildly disorienting.[break][break]

And then there was Felix himself piling more onto the onslaught. The bristles of his irritation, far stronger due to his physical proximity. The static of his restlessness, of wanting to leave, heightening Noah’s own desire to get the hell away.[break][break]

Noah was used to experiencing stronger emotions in relation to a certain someone, but that was different. He knew to expect it. He knew that it meant it all meant something. This was just pulling his insides around for no reason.[break][break]

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath as he tried to figure out what was him and what was them. “Okay, hang on, just–” He swallowed, dropping the hand as he reopened his eyes. The smile he gave Rowan was far more strained than before. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting that. If you have control over your gift, I would appreciate it if you would… not use it on me. Please.”[break][break]

“It’s nice to meet you, but, uh, it’s been a long night.” He turned towards Felix, eyes rounded and imploring, and though his fingers lifted they stopped short before they could tug at the other man’s sleeve like he was some impatient child. “Can we go to your room now?”[break][break]

---

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OOC: Woops this be messy and long! Lots of internal monologuing lmaoo let me know if you’d like any details tweaked or the post shortened


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[attr="class","Noahdark2PostTag"]Tag: Felix Golding

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[Felix Golding]

rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive

Felix almost rolled his eyes as Noah introduced himself and offered his hand. He should have known. With a sigh of annoyance, he left Noah’s side. He didn’t go far, though, seeing as how his goal was the coffee pot, which was on the counter just inside the kitchen, only a few steps away. The usual level of exhaustion that he carried was almost too much to fight at the moment, and he desperately needed coffee. He caught a whiff of pungent weed smoke as Rowan drew closer to reach for Noah’s hand. That explained the stupid grins and why he was up so late. His cousin had trouble sleeping some nights, just like him, though for entirely different reasons. It wasn’t unusual to meet him in the kitchen late at night as Rowan scavenged for snacks or leftovers. What was unusual was seeing him there so late—or, early, rather—since Rowan usually went back to bed after a smoke and a snack binge. Before he could question his cousin further, Noah exclaimed as if in pain, and Felix whipped around to see him backpedaling away from Rowan, face devoid of the grin he’d had for so much of the night. Rowan took a few steps back, too, face scrunched in confusion. Oh, right. Maybe he should have warned Noah about his cousin. Oh, well, it served him right for stopping to talk when Felix clearly didn’t want to. He watched in open interest as Noah struggled with the gift he’d just stolen, abandoning the coffee maker to take a few steps closer. Rowan made a noise when he moved, and he shot an annoyed look at his cousin. Rowan looked concerned, the teasing grin wiped away completely. Felix wondered what little bit of emotion he might have picked up from Noah before the other man had stripped his power away, and if it had anything to do with that look. Felix was just glad he and Noah were both wearing all black, meaning any blood that might be on them would be hidden. Rowan was in Blackstorm, too, but he didn’t tend toward dangerous missions or assignments, and he always got judgmental and worried when Felix did, no matter how often Felix told his cousin to mind his own fucking business and stop worrying about him. Rowan was tall and reasonably well-muscled, and looked like he had the potential for physical confrontation, but Felix knew better. Rowan couldn’t fight to save his life. Or anyone else’s, for that matter. Felix could, though, and Rowan knew that, so he had no right to be so concerned when Felix was so much more capable than he was. Noah babbled something about Rowan not using his gift on him, seemingly still struggling with it. Rowan still looked confused, and concerned, after Noah spoke, and Felix didn’t know if his stoned brain was struggling to comprehend or what, but he was running out of patience for this entire interaction. “Power borrower,” he said firmly, pointing at Noah but looking at Rowan like he was an idiot. He watched the realization dawn on his cousin’s face and rolled his eyes. “Ohhh, okay. Sorry, man, my bad.” Rowan said with a sheepish smile. “I’m Rowan, by the way.” Noah finished up his introductions, which was more than Felix would have done, and then requested that they go to his room, and Felix nodded shortly. “Finish the coffee,” he said, pointing a stern finger at Rowan. “We’ll talk later.” “Let’s go,” he muttered as he passed Noah. “Remember! Sound carries!” Rowan called after them with a quiet cackle as they climbed the steps, and Felix flinched at the noise and grit his teeth to avoid cursing loudly at his cousin. He didn’t need to be reminded how very soundproof the house was not, because it didn’t matter, because Noah wasn’t some hookup like his idiot cousin was apparently assuming. He hoped his loud ass cousin didn’t wake up any of his other housemates. Rowan alone was bad enough, but if Riley or Caffery got involved and invested in Felix’s visitor he would probably end up killing someone. Maybe himself. “My meddling cousin.” Felix said quietly in explanation as they reached the second floor. “He can control it, he’s just a nosy fucker.” Especially about anything to do with Felix, and Noah had to do with Felix tonight. He belatedly realized that Noah had asked to go to his room, right in front of Rowan, which was probably the reason for that final comment. He’d never hear the end of that one. “The storage room is there,” he said, gesturing loosely to the room at the end of the hallway. He didn’t stop on his way to the attic stairs, though, or spare Noah a glance. He was eager to check on Hubble, who had been cooped up in his room all night, and a moment later he heard footsteps behind him, indicating that Noah had followed him rather than stopping at the storage room for his cot. Fine. Felix’s fault for not being clearer. Noah could come to his room, briefly, until Felix could him set up somewhere with his cot. He wasn’t precious about his space, so it didn’t feel like an invasion any more than sharing space with Noah all night had. “Don’t try to pet my dog, he doesn’t like people,” Felix said as he unlocked his door at the top of the stairs. Hubble stood on his bed, almost in the same place he’d left him, tail wagging lazily in greeting as he watched Felix walk in. Then he froze when he saw Noah, eyeing him warily. Felix glanced at the dog’s food and water dish, but both were still full. “Need to go out?” he checked anyway, and Hubble didn’t get excited or otherwise indicate that he did, eyes still glued to Noah, so Felix nodded and closed the door behind them for now. He’d never been possessive of his space. Probably because he’d never had the luxury of viewing any space that he occupied as a safe place, a sanctuary. It was all just space to him. The only reason he kept his door locked when he left was so no one bothered Hubble. His cousin and housemates barged into his room all the time, needing something from him, or looking for books, or paper, or something else they would take without asking. He was used to not having privacy, and he didn’t view people being in his room as any form of intimacy. When he’d lived with his uncle, he hadn’t even had a room of his own, he’d slept on the couch. He’d never truly had a space of his own, still didn’t feel like he did, and it didn’t occur to him that he was missing anything. He made a habit of changing clothes in the bathroom, the way he’d always done, and beyond that he was never caught in anything less than long pants and full sleeves. His body was the only thing he guarded. His clothing was his only form of privacy. He had plenty to hide, but nothing that would be revealed just by looking at his dimly-lit room in the glow from the bedside lamp he’d left on in his absence. The stack of books beside his bed, the pictures and magazine pages on his wall (most of which dated all the way back to his teenage years), his desk overflowing with papers and drawings and art supplies. Only so much could be gleaned about who he was from those hints, so having it all on display wasn’t a concern to him. His journal, on the other hand, was like a window into his mind. It was stuffed under his mattress, where he’d always kept it. His journal was the only possession of his that he felt protective over, because it was the only thing he felt was real about him. His journal was the only thing he owned that was too intimate to ever let anyone else see or touch. It was one of the reasons he never kept them when he finished them. His dog and his journal were the only two things that mattered to him, the rest meant almost nothing. If he had to leave suddenly, those were the only two things he would care about. Sure, he might miss a few of his favorite jackets, or the knives he didn’t have on him, but those things could always be replaced. They were just material objects. His dog and his journal were irreplaceable. He sat on the edge of his bed and Hubble walked delicately over to him and lay down with his head on Felix’s knee, still staring warily at Noah. Felix began to pet him, and a small amount of tension left his body. Hubble always helped him relax after a hard day. He could still use a nice hot shower, to scrub off the night, and the feeling of hands on his skin that still lingered, but this was a good start. He followed Hubble’s gaze to Noah, looking up at him from even lower than usual, and wondering what more he could possibly want. “I’ll help you with the cot after I walk my dog,” he said, making a guess as to why Noah had come to his room instead of getting the cot on his own, but not making a move to get up just yet. Or maybe the thought of a cot— one that had seen a lot of use, at that— was distasteful to Noah. Felix once more noted the other man’s expensive clothing, remembering the high-quality fabric of the sweater against his skin, and acknowledged that as a possibility. If that was the case, he was shit out of luck, because the camper cots were all they had to spare. Well, there was Felix’s bed, he supposed. If Noah proved to be a spoiled brat that refused to sleep on a cot, Felix didn’t actually mind offering his bed, if it would get Noah to leave him alone. He didn’t sleep much, anyway. He could nap for a few minutes on the rooftop or something, no big deal, he’d done it plenty of times before. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TAG: Noah St Cloud OOC: oh yes! shorten your post! give me LESS, queen 🙄😂 lmaooo. I had Noah follow Felix to his room, since that’s what Noah seemed to want, but if you want me to change that, or anything else, let me know! Sorry this is a bit of a rambly mess..

✿

[Noah St Cloud]

[nospaces]

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[attr="class","Noahpostname"]noah st. cloud

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[attr="class","Noahpostlyric"]those walls will make sinners[break]
out of such lovely lads[break]

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[attr="class","Noahpostingbox"]
Usually when he borrowed someone’s gift like that – unexpectedly and unintentionally – Noah would give them an explanation. Reassure them that he would give it back. Ask any and all questions about it and build some rapport, especially if he potentially would want to borrow the gift again.[break][break]

But Rowan’s gift was empathy. He was familiar enough with it to be disinterested in learning more and weary enough to withhold the curtesy of explaining his own power. And though Rowan could possibly provide some interesting information about Felix since they lived together, Noah was quite keen to move along.[break][break]

Thankfully Felix did the explaining for him, and after a sound of realisation and an apology from Rowan, Felix headed for the stairs with a cue for Noah to follow. Noah did so without hesitation.[break][break]

He could feel Felix was annoyed by Rowan’s departing call but the words didn’t quite process in Noah’s mind, too busy weighing up the pros and cons of holding onto the empathy for a little longer. On one hand he really ought to get used to the sensations so he wasn’t so floored each time it came into his possession, and obviously it could give him a little more insight into how Felix felt about things.[break][break]

On the other hand, it sucked. The unignorable bigger feelings and the uncomfortable realisation that they belonged to people around him. The loss of self he faced. Even sharing joy could be punishment, with how empty and cold and meaningless everything felt once that happiness was taken from him.[break][break]

He was struck with a sudden desire to talk about it, Felix’s irritation amplifying his own and manifesting as an urge to vent, yet Felix spoke first and quelled it. He explained that Rowan was his nosy cousin. Ah. That could be why Rowan’s face was vaguely familiar.[break][break]

With a muted sigh Noah pushed the gift down and let it return to its rightful owner. He was in unfamiliar place and he was tired. It was better to keep his head clear.[break][break]

At the top of the stairs Noah’s mouth pulled into a sceptical line as he eyed the corridor and the multiple doors lining it. Felix indicated which one led to the storage room, his designated bedroom for the night, and it took Noah just one look to decide to continue on and keep following Felix up another staircase.[break][break]

Surprisingly Felix didn’t protest, but he did warn Noah about… his dog?[break][break]

Noah’s brow lifted. Huh. Well, it was about to get awkward if the pet started snarling at the sight of him or even attacked. Not a good look for multiple reasons, and its existence was bad news for if he ever wanted to snoop around by himself – especially if it had been trained to guard its territory or bark at intruders.[break][break]

The door opened. He braced himself. Movement drew his eye straight to the bed where a little brown thing with floppy ears was stood on top, decidedly not the German Shepard he had been envisioning.[break][break]

Amusement swiftly swallowed up his wariness. He bit back a smile, supposing Felix would be unimpressed by a declaration that any real dog would be big enough to pat without needing to squat down, so he tactfully kept that opinion to himself. Maybe he’d tease him about it later, when saying the wrong thing wouldn’t put him at risk of being kicked out of the house.[break][break]

In any case, the ‘dog’s’ slow-wagging tail stopped the instant it saw its owner was not alone. It stared at Noah tensely and Noah stared back, until he remembered that animals generally didn’t like that. Hoping to put it at ease he looked away to have a quick scan of the room instead while Felix closed the door behind them.[break][break]

The dark-toned colour scheme was familiar, reminding him of his own bedroom, but Felix seemed more inclined towards dark green and purple rather than greys. Pictures and magazine pages were hung on the walls and Noah eyed them with interest. Why choose those pictures? Why those magazines? Where they important to him or did he just like them for aesthetic reasons?[break][break]

Books (like there seemed to be everywhere else in the house) were an unsurprising find. Their place by Felix’s bedside made them a little more important than the others though, and Noah noted the title of one that appeared to have seen the most use. If it was one of Felix’s favourites, maybe he could read it himself later and try to figure out why.[break][break]

A desk covered in drawings and art supplies was a pleasant surprise; he knew from his own hobbies how much time and dedication it took to truly be skilled at something like that, and it made sense for Felix to be a creative type. He did have a bit of a ‘tortured artist’ look to him and with how stoic he looked most of the time Noah imagined art could be a nice outlet to express himself.[break][break]

The only other things Noah took note of was a door (that Noah guessed led to an ensuite bathroom) and supplies for the dog, including full food and water bowls. Clearly, he kept his pet close. Did he not trust his roommates to look after it correctly? Was it for the dog’s sake, as he’d mentioned it didn’t like people?[break][break]

There was sure to be other things in the room that would reveal more about his host. It would be fun to see what was in the drawers, or hidden under the bed, but he couldn’t start digging while Felix was there. And even if he left, his psychometry would make it impossible for Noah to really get stuck in without him finding out. He needed a plan. It would be an interesting challenge to see how much he could snoop without touching anything.[break][break]

Perhaps, if he borrowed telekinesis from someone… Would Felix be able to tell if he used the gift to flip through a sketchbook? He wouldn’t physically be touching it, after all… Yet it would have to be an experiment for another day, as unfortunately asking would likely give him away.[break][break]

Felix moved towards his bed and Noah took a few steps in pursuit, pausing when he remembered the dog’s apparent aversion to people. Felix sat down and the dog came to lay its head on his knee, so clearly it trusted him, and Noah simply watched Felix’s face while he interacted with the canine until he finally lifted his gaze again and found Noah’s. He told him he’d help with the cot after he walked the dog.[break][break]

“Sure,” was all Noah said for a moment. He smiled. “I didn’t think you’d be a dog person.” What kind of person he did think he’d be, at that point, was probably obvious.[break][break]

He broke his gaze away and drifted over to Felix’s desk to look more closely at the various sketches there. He was still telling himself he wouldn’t actually sleep over. He’d seen Felix kill someone after all (ignoring the fact that he had as well) and he didn’t know him enough to trust that he could truly rest safely under his roof. But still, he’d play along, make it seem like he would.[break][break]

“Does the storage room lock from the inside?” That was something he was genuinely curious about. If it did, he would have to assume that every room above the ground floor could be locked as well; not just Felix’s. He looked over his shoulder at him with a lifted brow. “I’m sure you get along fine with whoever else lives here, but I don’t know them from Adam, so.” He shrugged, turning back to the desk.[break][break]

He found a loose leaf of paper, one that was neither drawn nor written on, and after a moment of deliberation he plucked a pen from a pot and leaned down slightly to write his phone number in the corner of it, punctuating it with a winky face.[break][break]

Satisfied, he put the pen down and turned to face Felix fully, posture relaxed as he leant back against the desk a bit and let his head roll to one side. His lips curled into a lazy grin. “Can’t two bros share a bed after a buddy-cop-style rescue mission?” he asked wryly, and let the question hang in the air just long enough to see how Felix would react – a scoff, maybe, or an unimpressed glare – before he huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “I’m kidding. I won’t try to steal that much of your space. But if the storage room doesn’t lock, maybe… I could bring a cot up here?”

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OOC: If any details are wrong lemme know and I’ll change it <3


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[attr="class","Noahdark2PostTag"]Tag: Felix Golding

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[googlefont=Mr Dafoe:400|Roboto:400,400i,700]

[Felix Golding]

rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive

Felix looked up from petting Hubble and let out a sigh that he felt like he’d been holding in for hours. It was good to be back in a familiar space again, with his dog. A place with little to no surprises or unexpected demands. Despite the unwanted company, he was more relaxed than he had been all night. He watched as Noah looked around his room in curiosity and eyed his stack of books. His worn copy of Green was right on top showing off the image of a girl dangling upside down from a pomegranate tree and wielding a knife. He had a print of the cover on his wall, edges curling with age, amidst star charts and magazine pages featuring serene depictions of nature. He’d adored the book as a teenager, and that hadn’t changed as an adult. It offered him a level of escapism while also calling back to a few things he could most definitely relate to. Right under it was his equally worn copy of The Gift of Fear. The rest of the books in the stack were a mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and non-fiction. Books like The Lord of the Rings and Ringworld interspersed with When Violence is the Answer and a couple of dessert cookbooks. There were almost as many books stacked next to his bed as there were on his bookshelf across the room. Noah mentioned that he didn’t think Felix would be a dog person and Felix gave the other man a blank stare, not appreciating what he was implying. “I hate cats.” It didn’t matter whether or not Noah had seen the cat toys in corners and behind stacks of books on their way up, because living with cats didn’t mean he liked them. In fact, living with his aunt’s cats just made him hate them more. They were demanding and obnoxious creatures who made messes because they felt like it and did whatever they wanted despite what he told them. And, okay, Hubble was a pretty independent dog who mostly did what he wanted, too, but at least he was well-mannered and didn’t tear things up for fun. Also, he didn’t walk on the countertops while Felix was trying to cook and give him a bored stare when he tried to shoo him off. Noah moved toward Felix’s desk, examining the drawings and supplies laid out on top of it, and Felix continued to watch him idly. He wondered what Noah thought he was learning about Felix from the array of pens and pencils scattered across the desk, and the random sketches of architecture interspersed with the occasional expressive face of a stranger he’d seen at the coffee shop. That he used cheap supplies and that he drew things he saw rather than things he imagined? What did that say about him? Not much. “It does not,” he replied when asked if the spare room locked from the inside. He had the key and could lock Noah in from the outside, but something told him Noah wouldn’t go for that, so he didn’t bother bringing it up. He scoffed lightly when Noah suggested he got along with the rest of his housemates, but didn’t correct the assumption. Saying he got along with them was a bit optimistic. He tolerated them on a good day. Some more than others. He watched impassively as Noah fished out a blank piece of paper from the messy piles and wrote something on it before turning and leaning against the desk, regarding Felix with something like relaxed amusement. He just barely managed not to physically recoil when Noah lightly suggested they share the bed. He phrased it in the context of a joke, but Felix didn’t doubt he meant it. Felix had never shared a bed with anyone. Not willingly, anyway. The few times he’d hooked up with people when he was younger he had been gone as soon as they were done, no lingering and cuddling and falling asleep for him. Hubble squirmed out from under his suddenly tense hand and hopped down from the bed to sit at his feet and stare at Noah. “Bros,” Felix repeated with an edge of doubt. “Right.” Noah quickly retracted the suggestion, claiming that he was joking, but Noah using his bed made more sense than bringing a cot all the way up to the attic. There was no way Felix would be getting any sleep, anyway, with another person in his room, so lugging a cot up was really more work than it was worth. It was worth offering, and if Noah wasn’t willing to take the accommodations offered, maybe he should just head home instead. “You can have the bed. I don’t sleep much.” He rarely did, and after the night he’d had, he was too on edge, despite the lingering healing energy still filling him with a vaguely warm lassitude that was urging him toward unconsciousness. There was coffee waiting for him downstairs to help fight off the feeling. He was very familiar with sleep avoidance. He wanted to grab the bottle of vodka stowed under his bed, a way to take the edge off the night, but he wouldn’t risk getting drunk with someone in his room. He wanted to shower, too, but was initially reluctant to get naked with only a single flimsy locked door between him and someone who was still basically a stranger. His gut told him that fear was misplaced, that nothing that Noah had done tonight suggested Felix should be wary of him in that way, but it was difficult to convince himself of that, as always. He would force himself to do it, anyway, because it needed done, and he was in control, not his fear. The knife he kept in the bathroom to act as a sort of twisted security blanket helped as well. But first, Hubble needed a walk. It wasn’t urgent, but it needed done before he made his attempt to relax for the night. The dog seemed wary of Noah, but no more than he was the average new person. Hubble, like him, had been exposed to many terrible people in his short life, and seemed to know a truly evil person when he met them. There were no growls and no raised hackles, just his usual watchful gaze. His wary but un-alarmed regard of Noah was a reassurance that Felix hadn’t expected. “I’m going to walk him and get some coffee,” he said as he stood. “Stay or come, I don’t care,” he added, flicking his fingers dismissively. He had no qualms about leaving Noah alone in his room for the short while it would take to walk the dog, if the other man chose to stay behind. If Noah snooped while he was gone, Felix would know, and Noah had to know that, so he assumed that alone would be enough for him to keep his hands to himself and gird his impulses. “Outside,” he said, glancing down at Hubble, who obediently pranced over to the door and sat calmly while Felix buckled on his custom-engraved leather collar and grabbed a leash from the variety hanging on the hooks by the door without looking to see which one he chose. He ended up with a flowery green and blue lead that Riley had given him and snapped it on without hesitation. He could smell coffee as he reached the stairwell; Rowan had finished the coffee he’d started like he’d told him to, thank fuck. He’d grab a mug when he came back in from the short walk. “Wow, that was quick!” Rowan called cheerily, with a hint of mocking, when he passed the kitchen. “I am going to stab you one day,” Felix replied, making Rowan cackle. Felix threatened Rowan with violence at least once a day and had done so since they were teenagers. He hadn’t followed through on it yet, which was the only reason Felix forgave his cousin for not taking the threat seriously. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TAG: Noah St Cloud OOC: sorry for the long wait!

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[Noah St Cloud]

[nospaces]

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[attr="class","Noahpostname"]noah st. cloud

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[attr="class","Noahpostlyric"]those walls will make sinners[break]
out of such lovely lads[break]

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[attr="class","Noahpostingbox"]
OOC: lots of internal yapping ahead lol, sorry it’s kinda messy but it’s possibly the final Noah post for this thread? gonna go to bed now, lmk if you’d rather they continue a bit tho <3[break][break]

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The storage room didn’t lock from the inside and Noah gave a short, low hum as if disappointed by the news. In reality he’d sort of expected it, already deeming it no big loss. Especially since it gave him another excuse to loiter in Felix’s room.[break][break]

Marginally more interesting was the light scoff Felix had given when Noah mentioned his housemates, and Noah wondered whether the reaction was prompted by the suggestion that Felix got along with them or by the implication that Noah could be wary of them. Perhaps it was both. Rowan, for example, despite his gift and strong build seemed pretty harmless with his weed-reddened eyes and lazy smile, and Felix hadn’t addressed him in a particularly affectionate manner.[break][break]

Regardless, Noah’s suggestion to bring the cot upstairs was not acknowledged, with Felix simply offering him the bed while claiming he ‘didn’t sleep much’.[break][break]

It didn’t seem to be a lie; the dark circles beneath his eyes could attest to such a claim. Yet still Noah looked at him sceptically, tempted to argue. Noah didn’t sleep much either, but last time he checked, they were both (mostly) human. Not machines. Did Felix seriously intend to stay up all night after a fight and the equivalent of four sleeping pills? What was he trying to prove? Was it simply so he could keep an eye on Noah?[break][break]

(The first night Seth had stayed over, Noah had been reluctant to sleep too. On high alert for a ‘betrayal’ and restless at the thought of someone in his space. Was this the same?)[break][break]

“Mm, okay.” His limbs and eyelids were suddenly too heavy for him to bother with changing Felix’s mind. He took the spot on the bed where Felix had previously sat, then started to take off his shoes while Felix readied Hubble for a walk. “I’ll… be here.”[break][break]

In a different mood Noah would have been happy to accompany him, keen to spend time with his new acquaintance and try to figure out what was going on in his head. But for the time being, he was content to have a break. He could have another look around the room (albeit without touching anything) and maybe Felix would be grateful for the breather too. He seemed like an introvert.[break][break]

In no time Felix was stepping out the door, with Hubble on a lead that was a little cutesier than Noah might have expected Felix to pick out. He did well not to snicker at it. “Be safe,” he called after him softly, his lips curled in amusement but sounding more genuine than mocking.[break][break]

Once the door closed he flopped back on the bed and pulled out his phone, first to look up and read the blurb of Green (which he was definitely going to read now that he’d spotted a poster of it too), then to look up the non-fiction books next to the bed. Their titles alone were incredibly telling, very much reinforcing the idea that Felix was paranoid about strangers, and it was curious to Noah that his wariness was so strong that he felt the need to research how not to be cheated by others.[break][break]

He remembered the ridges he’d felt along Felix’s arm. The pale scar across his throat. Did they come before or after he'd picked up When Violence is the Answer?[break][break]

In the bullet point summaries of some of the literature, he recognised some ‘manipulative’ tactics he was guilty of using and he pouted at the screen, supposing he might have to keep some habits in check if he didn't want to set off alarm bells in Felix’s head. The books were added to his reading list, in any case.[break][break]

The dessert cookbooks confirmed what Noah already knew; that Felix was a sweet tooth. And though Noah had made plans to look at the rest of Felix’s things a little more closely in his absence…[break][break]

He yawned. Laying back on the bed had been a mistake, even if he hadn’t (and wouldn’t) tuck himself under the duvet. He wanted to know where Felix lived and who lived with him. He wanted to snoop. He wouldn’t fall asleep – he’d sneak out and look around as soon as Felix nodded off. Because Felix would come back and he would be tired enough to fall asleep no matter how much he claimed otherwise, Noah was sure of it.[break][break]

In the meantime he’d just… rest his eyes… for a bit…[break][break]

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The scent of something faintly floral was the first thing his brain processed. It was a bit smoky, too. With maybe a slight edge of bergamot? And then there was something stronger and more distinct that could only be described as a human smell, unique like a fingerprint, neither good nor bad but always oddly appealing to Noah. The ‘someone else’ of it all…[break][break]

His lashes fluttered before his lids finally lifted enough to reveal he’d planted the lower half of his face into a pillow – one that he’d somehow managed to drag down from the headboard and wrap himself around. His arms encircled and clutched it to his torso, with one of his legs hiked up so his thigh could lay over it too; clearly, asleep-Noah had decided that pillow was his and going nowhere.[break][break]

He wasn’t aware of a particular noise having awoken him, but instantly felt that he wasn’t alone. If he had to guess, it was more than likely he’d been roused by simply sensing a presence nearby.[break][break]

A lamp provided enough light to see. Thankfully he’d left it on before drifting off, as otherwise he might have forgotten his surroundings and lunged at any figures he found outlined in the dark. As it were, he lifted his head to squint across to where Felix stood, his dog at his feet with its stare already laser-focused on Noah – intent and accusing for being in its master’s bed (though maybe Noah was projecting that part).[break][break]

“Hey,” he greeted. Confusion touched his voice and the single word came out thicker with sleep than it ought to after a ten-minute nap. His frown deepened. He licked his lips and cleared his throat. Just how long had he been out? Had he actually fallen asleep? God. Resting his eyes never worked, why had he thought it would this time? It always ended with him passing out, especially after using Nahlani’s healing powers…[break][break]

He sat up and dragged his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back. With the pillow no longer smothering him, he could smell coffee.[break][break]

“I should – I’m gonna go,” he mumbled. That sounded right. He nodded to himself. “I had a power nap. Should be good. You can have your space back.”[break][break]

He shifted down to the end of the bed, quickly putting his shoes on before easing up to stand and stretch. As much as he’d hoped to lurk and investigate, he couldn’t risk dropping his guard like that again. He needed out. He needed home.[break][break]

He approached Felix but stopped with about a metre of distance between them. If it were another guy it would be natural for them to briefly clasp hands, or for him to pat them on the back with a grin and a cheery farewell.[break][break]

Instead, Noah only blinked at him. Equal parts intrigued and amused by the challenge he presented.[break][break]

“Thank you,” he said after a moment. “For letting me stay for a while, and for all your help tonight. It probably would’ve been a shitshow without you.” He smiled. “Try to get some sleep, yeah? You deserve some good shut-eye.”[break][break]

He turned away with the thought that, if Rowan was still in the kitchen, maybe he’d quickly get his number before he headed out… Couldn’t hurt to have some form of insurance if Felix ignored the note Noah left behind.

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[attr="class","Noahdark2PostTag"]Tag: Felix Golding

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[Felix Golding]

rebellion is the only thing that keeps you alive

Felix didn’t bat an eye as Noah took off his shoes and slumped over onto his bed. He did pause for a moment in the doorway as Noah called out for him to be safe. It was only for a moment before he continued on, confused and unsure what to make of the sentiment, like every other time he’d heard it. He had killed a man tonight—something he was sure would hit him harder later on when he had the space and privacy to unpack it and analyze it, probably while writing about it—and Noah was telling him to be safe? As if he was in some sort of danger just walking his dog? Granted, they were in a bad neighborhood, and Felix had gotten hurt in the fight, but still. He thought he had proven himself to be capable and competent. So he wasn’t sure whether or not to be offended by Noah’s comment. He turned the words over in his head during the walk, focused almost as much on them as he was on paying attention to his surroundings. He just didn’t know what to make of it. Was Noah being sincere or mocking? He had sounded sincere, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was. And if he was, why did he care? What was the motivation behind saying something like that out loud? The only person who’d ever said that to him was Rowan, when he knew Felix was headed off on a more hands-on mission for Blackstorm. It had always annoyed him, because it wasn’t like he would change anything he did just because Rowan had said to “be safe”. What was the point of saying it? Hearing it from Noah only made it more confusing. By the time they were finished with their walk, almost half an hour had passed. It was slightly longer than their usual walk, because of Felix’s distraction, but not by much. He’d managed to put his confusion behind him, dismissing the incident as something that was pointless to dwell on. When he came back in, he unleashed Hubble and then headed into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, the dog on his heels. Black with a ton of sugar, as always, and a splash of sugar cookie flavored creamer, the flavor of the week. The collection of mugs in the cabinets was extensive, curated for years by Maisy, but he was partial to a big silvery-blue mug with a chip on the handle and a badly-painted brown dog on one side. He was pretty sure Maisy had made it herself in some pottery class or something, but he liked it because of the way the handle fit in his hand and the familiar feeling of his thumb rubbing over the chipped spot. Rowan called it his mug, but Felix didn’t look at it that way, not someone who was prone to materialism. If it was dirty or someone else was using it, he wasn’t bothered, he just got a different one. He got a second mug out, navy blue and speckled with metallic stars, and put it by the coffee maker, in case Noah decided he wanted a cup, too. Rowan was still in the kitchen when he came in, but he was half asleep in a bowl of something, spoon gripped loosely in his hand, and he didn’t even look up when Felix came and went. When he headed back upstairs and to his room, he found Noah hugging his pillow with all of his limbs, fast asleep in the bed. Felix wondered if anyone who slept in the same bed as him would be subjected to the same treatment, or if it was exclusive to pillows. He turned to hang the leash back on its peg as Hubble fixed his gaze on the sleeping man. He almost smiled at Hubble’s actions, amused; the dog was probably very confused, never having seen another person in the bed only he and Felix ever slept in. Noah was blinking awake, despite how quiet Felix had been. Maybe he hadn’t been fully asleep, or maybe he’d sensed he wasn’t alone in the room and that had woken up, like Felix did when he felt someone enter a room he was sleeping in. Noah raised his head, eyes scrunched up, and murmured a greeting before shifting into a sitting position and fussing at his hair. He seemed out of sorts, and Felix wanted to snicker at him, but refrained. He wasn’t feeling much more awake himself, so he got it, but it was still amusing and oddly satisfying to see Noah off-kilter for the first time that night. He mumbled something about leaving, nodding and putting his shoes on, and Felix toed his own off and kicked them toward his closet. He wasn’t disappointed, exactly, just kind of… puzzled? Yes, puzzled. Noah had implied he’d be staying the night and, yeah, it was only a couple hours until sun-up, but— Whatever, he didn’t care. He wanted to be alone again anyway. To shower and decompress. And couldn’t do that with Noah around, so it was fine. Great, even. Felix nodded like Noah had. Yes, good idea, leave. When he turned fully back to the other man, he was just ending a stretch. Hubble continued to stand and stare, still unused to the stranger’s presence. Noah swiftly made his exit after an odd look and a strangely heartfelt thanks for what little Felix had provided. He finished off with a suggestion that Felix get some sleep, that he deserved sleep, and Felix snorted bitterly before trying to cover it up with a gulp of coffee. He was way past deserving sleep. Way past thinking he deserved anything. “Bye,” he said curtly after swallowing his coffee, choosing not to address any of that, and then Noah was gone. Felix would probably crash after he showered, whether he wanted to or not, but it wouldn’t be for very long, he was sure of it. Insomnia was a bitch. Once the bedroom door shut, Hubble jumped up onto the bed and sniffed curiously at where Noah had been laying, familiarizing himself with the stranger’s scent. Felix watched him impassively for a moment, and then his gaze drifted to the note Noah had left. On impulse, Felix snagged the pen Noah had used, wanting to know his intentions, and read the memory it held, annoyed at himself for being curious. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but he didn’t get much. No strong emotions, just a vague impression of something like amusement or mischief. No surprise there. He looked at the number on the paper, but it didn’t take much deliberation for him to decide to leave it untouched. He might need it later, but it wasn’t going in his phone right now. The fatigue was starting to creep up on him, stronger than he’d felt it in a long time, despite the coffee he was gulping. He knew he had the healing energy to blame, since that was the only thing that was different. He set the coffee on his nightstand and lay down. Just for a moment, he told himself, just long enough to rest my eyes. He would just get a few winks, not long enough to dream anything, and then take his shower. He was out like a light before he even realized what was happening, and gasping awake almost five hours later. The longest he’d slept all at once in years. The dream that had woken him lingered in his memory, and without thinking about it too hard, he reached for the note Noah had left and added the number to his contacts. Half asleep, he accidentally pressed ‘done’ before he’d finished typing Noah’s name, leaving his contact as ‘*knife emoji* No’. He huffed to himself as he looked at it. It seemed fitting, so he kept it. His finger hovered over the ‘call’ button for just a moment before he caught himself. Before he woke up all the way and his mind cleared enough for him to realize that was unnecessary. What would he even say? I had a prophetic dream, and you were in it, and… well, he wasn’t going to tell him the details, that was for sure. Not only would it probably weird him out, but it wouldn’t make much sense to him, and it wasn’t like it was important information. It barely made sense to Felix, and he was the one who’d dreamt it. Noah touching him casually, and Felix letting him and not flinching away. That was what stuck in his mind the most. He couldn’t even imagine it at that moment, and could barely believe it was an inevitable future. All the blood just made the moment stranger, but he didn’t bother dwelling on where it had come from, knowing he would find out sooner or later. He’d learned long ago not to think about his dreams too much, because they would happen whether he obsessed over them or not, and obsessing just put him in a bad headspace. This one would be a hard one to forget, though. Not because of the mysterious blood, but because of the casual and unflinching touch. Hubble had draped himself over his lap as soon as he’d awoken, grounding him with his weight and warmth, the way he’d learned to do all on his own. Felix dug his fingers under Hubble’s collar, scratching his neck just the way he liked, as a thank you. Fatigue still pulled at his bones, beckoning him to fall under the waves of sleep once again, but he resisted. He swung his legs to the floor, dislodging Hubble in the process, and reached for the mostly-full cup of coffee by his bedside. It was ice cold, and the creamer and coffee had separated a bit, but he chugged it anyway. The daylight streaming through the windows was unsettling and off-putting, since it had still been dark out when he’d fallen asleep, but he turned his back on the light and hurried into the bathroom to take that shower he’d been thinking about since he got home. Everything else could wait, for now. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TAG: Noah St Cloud OOC: aaaa sorry it’s all over the place, and there’s basically no Felix dialogue, but at least I was finally able to focus enough to get it done! Ahaha. See you in the next thread!

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