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Tweak says, "zits are gross"

from_the_dark (from_the_dark) wrote in haunted_roads,
@ 2008-05-21 16:29:00

Entry tags:

alexis, justine

Week Eight: Thursday
Who: Alexis and Justine
Where: Chroma
When: Thursday Evening

It was completely unacceptable.

Alexis had bidded her time, she was in no hurry to see herself proven right. Truly, she would have been content if Mikkos, for all his pratter to the contrary of her suspicions, had proven himself. Finally. But he seemed determined to do just the opposite. She had trusted that her son would be able to keep the elder away from temptation or at least cast a light of shame that even her dear husband could not ignore. But she had overestimated a father's righteous pride in the welfare of a son. Just as she had underestimated loves allure. Such a pithy emotion would not be the downfall of her family. If Mikkos wished to induldge in his weaknesses, he could do so on his own time and when the reputation of their family did not hang in the balance.

Nikolaos had already been dealt with for his apparent failure. Though Alexis may have wished it otherwise, he would grow stronger for it. It was time he realized that his father was proving everyday that he was unfit. Though she knows he held a respect for his father and even held the man in affection, perhaps Mikkos himself had finally given her the opening she needed to truly make Nikolaos realize the true potential of his birth right.

It was not her doing, in the end. She simply was doing what needed to be done. The first time her husband went to see his once earthbound creature, she could almost forgive it for the sake of curiousity. Almost. The second time? The Aristedes patriarch, Mikkos' father, had made his displeasure more than known, and her son had taken the brunt of it. Even now he dealt with the shame and that, more than anything, was unacceptable.

Obviously, her husband could no longer be trusted. Sad, really. For not the first time did she think and wonder how things may have been if only Morris had lived. Morris could have ruled. He could have brought honor to the Aristedes name. He could have elevated them to such status as they were worthy. Nikolaos was so much like him.

Which was why she was there at Chroma. Mikkos had proven that he could not get beyond the past. So she was going to have to take the future of the family in hand. She walked through the doors of the wine bar that displayed such beautiful pieces of art. Cold. Distant. She wondered if the owner was like such pieces. What could a thing of earth understand of fire and passion? Just maybe she would find out.

Alexis strode through the main area, head tilted as she took in not just sight and sound, but taste as well. It was a rather decadent spread for the senses. It was more than one set of eyes that noticed her passage, and perhaps any other day -- any other place, she might indulge. But there was only one creature tonight that drew her. And that was one Justine Baptiste.

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savageallure
2008-05-21 08:00 pm UTC (link)

Chroma had always been her haven, the one place where she truly felt able to disappear amongst a crowd. She was there to serve a purpose, to run a business and the rest was dealt with by her staff. People surely knew of the reputation her last name carried with it, but the interior of the bar easily distracted them from such prying thoughts. More than anything, it was a place that Justine had built. It was hers completely and it was something that no one could take form her. Now Mikkos had ruined all of that in one fell swoop. Where once she had looked forward to escaping to a night of near anonymity, now she feared that he might at anytime step from the shadows in her office. Perhaps what she truly feared was her ever-weakening reaction to his returns.

Tonight seemed, at the start, no different from any other. Had Justine known just who came in search of her, she surely would have opted simply to stay at the Towers and leave the business to be run by Marlowe for the night. She had no clue though and so she arrived just after opening, dark hair curling loosely around her shoulders, clad in simple black trousers and a pale, sleeveless satin blouse. A black diamond necklace purchased ages ago encircled her slim throat, matching small studs sparkling from behind the satiny strands of her hair. Her heels clicked sharply against the hardwoods as she stopped by the main bar long enough to grab her mail before heading back to her office. There was a moment of noticeable hesitation before she keyed in her code to enter, though no trace of him lingered on the air.

Eventually - and coincidentally not long after Alexis arrived - Justine would emerge to spend some time amongst her patrons. It was necessary, after all, that a business owner take the time to mingle amongst their customer base at some point. She tried to make a point of doing that very thing on a nightly basis, generally spending an hour or two simply milling around. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy looking at the art on display, either, she was always a fan of the shows she hosted. Wanting to be seen, but less in the mood to mingle, she decided instead tonight to take a position behind the bar and serve her populace for the evening. It seemed Alexis would find her without much effort tonight.

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from_the_dark
2008-05-22 08:33 pm UTC (link)

It was only logical for her to be at the bar. She could see a lot from such a vantage point. Those who came and those who went. An interesting clientele. Alexis closed her eyes and listened, felt, and saw all the same in different ways. Her jaw tightened. Every time she thought of Mikkos, of why she was here, it only angered her all over again. How could he have done this to them? What was he thinking? The problem was he hadn't and he wasn't.

She opened her eyes once more and when she did, they easily came upon the dark haired woman checking on a nearby table would not be missed. Alexis knew what Justine looked like. She knew some of the places the woman had tended to frequent and knew she would find her here. So, it was just as well her job was made all the easier and she wouldn't have to go between shadows to find her.

She watched the other woman as she moved behind the bar. Alexis did nothing to flag her and rather patiently waited her turn. She watched and leaned forward, barely taking her eyes off the woman and not caring if she noticed or not. So focused was her attention that she did not immediately note the man who came up next to her, leaning in a little too closely. Only after a moment did Alexis turn her head, a slow blink of icy blue as she refocused on him.

Before the man could even speak, a subtle movement of her lips and a barely audible word. He took a step back, nodded once, and quickly excused himself. "Amateur," she said with disdain.

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savageallure
2008-05-25 11:45 am UTC (link)

Justine preferred, and especially more so as of late, to know precisely who and what had entered the doors of Chroma. She'd always been one quite keen on control, a fact that Mikkos knew and had blown to hell with his two recent visits to her place of business. Her security in place was truly nothing that she would have assumed could stop a demon of his age, of his power, but still she had hoped that he would not attempt a return. She had been wrong once already, now she could only hope that he had had enough of whatever game he played it. For now, her place behind the bar afforded her the best view of the room, of the door through which her patrons entered to file into the lounge of their choice.

It was she who was closest to where Alexis sat, she who would cross the short distance to wait on a woman she could only assume was just like any other customer, their true connection not yet revealed. "Welcome to Chroma," Justine, as always, offered up a polite smile, "What can I get you?"

Had Mikkos not so thoroughly thrown her off her game with his visit to her office only days earlier, the slightly familiar scent this new woman carried might have jogged her memory, might have brought to mind images of another seemingly random stranger who had shown up in Chroma not that long ago. If she had been focused and as together as she would have liked to have been, Alexis' identity might have been rather easy to decipher. As it was, her secret remained quite safe for the moment, unless she saw fit to unveil it.

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from_the_dark
2008-05-30 11:06 am UTC (link)

Alexis was not the type to blunder onto the scene with no sense of finesse or even decorum. Indeed, while she would not have been surprised if Justine could have picked her out from the crowd, even suspected she might...Alexis could see there was no possible recognition on the woman's face. Perhaps her dear husband had seen fit to leave all mention of his family situation, his wife, and also his son, from his old lover. But who could ever lay eyes on Mikkos and then Nikolaos and not know them for who they were.

The blonde woman tilted her head and seemed to clearly access the other woman. There was an air about her. She could sense the age of power there, not unlike she and Mikkos. Not surprising. She sighed lightly, "Well, that is a good question," she spoke aloud, her words were smooth, but held a coolness to them. "Perhaps there is something you might recommend?" She glanced over at the wine selections behind the bar and wondered briefly what sort of clientel she was truly used to serving.

Then Alexis leaned forward, finding herself smiling as she did so. It was the smile of a natural predator that held a hint of amusement. "This place is almost exactly what I had expected from what I'd been told." She looked up and around, her eyes lingering on a couple of pieces of art. "Everything in it's place." Alexis returned her attention to Justine. "You seem like the type of woman who appreciates keeping the things in her life in order."

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savageallure
2008-06-02 08:51 am UTC (link)

Mention of Alexis had yet to come up in either of the visits that had taken place between Mikkos and Justine. Naturally she was aware that there either was, or had been, another woman in his life given Nikolaos' existence, but what role, if any, she continued to play in Mikkos' life hadn't been discussed. Things might have been handled even icier than they already had been, had Justine known the extent of her former fiancee's family. As it was, his return alone had her head far too distracted to pick up the faintly familiar scent that clung to the woman before her - surely a dangerous blunder on her part.

When Alexis inquired as to what she might recommend, Justine cast a glance behind her at the racks of wine bottles, just waiting to be uncorked. The entire collection wasn't on display, obviously, and the bar was fully stocked with various liquors though Chroma's reputation hinged primarily on that impressive wine cellar. "I would suppose that depends on what you are in the mood for....red? White? Sweet? Dry? I'm sure have something to suit your tastes, whatever they might be."

Justine watched her newest patron lean forward a bit, her gaze sweeping over the decorum of the room around her. Though there was nothing outstanding about the conversation the two women were sharing, there was something odd enough about it to give Justine extra cause to be careful of what exactly she said, lest it be turned against her unexpectedly. After all, Chroma had so recently been the site of several surprise visits from a variety of guests. "You could say that," she nodded lightly, "I'm quite a fan of order."

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from_the_dark
2008-06-02 04:32 pm UTC (link)

"Red. Dry."

Alexis waited as the wine was poured, her hands folded in front of her. A few things had already become clear just in the few minutes she had been in the presence of this woman. In the end, however, it did not change what she came here to do. Just unfortunate that perhaps Mikkos had not prepared his former fiancee better than this. But that seemed to be his problem. He did not think or plan at all these days.

"Then you can understand, why I would want to keep certain things in my own life in order," Alexis said to Justine, her voice taking on an edge. While normally she would enjoy playing such games and prolonging the agony, or at least prepping for it before the final feast, in this was something more important than any game. It required a little more directness. "I had thought perhaps that Mikkos could handle coming to the surface world on his own." That was a lie, but it fit the moment. She did not much trust him at all when it came to his past dalliances. Obviously. "But it seems that he cannot let the past alone."

The shadows seemed to draw upon Alexis, an abstract movement that gave subtle shading to her form and features. "Sentimentality is one thing. We cultivate loyalty and passion, but not to be misplaced. I could tolerate much, but putting at risk the honor of my family and the standing of our son is one of the few things I thought even my dear husband incapable of doing of his own free will."

She tilted her head, "I had to meet the woman that would convince him to risk and throw away everything he vowed he would protect." While she appeared unimpressed, her words were carefully selected to deliberately strike a nerve. Indeed. Did it sound like Mikkos was making a habit of breaking vows and promises? Good.

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savageallure
2008-06-03 09:45 am UTC (link)

Alexis put in her request and Justine turned to survey the bottles on hand, fingers brushing over them slightly as she sought out exactly the right one that she had in mind. Lifting the bottle from it's resting place, she moved to take out the cork as she pulled a clean glass from the stemware hanging overhead. She poured a bit and placed it before Alexis, setting the bottle aside to be dealt with once their conversation was over. Her new patron might have been a complete unknown to Justine, but she couldn't help but feel as it their seemingly casual back-and-forth was leading towards a more pointed location.

She'd almost been moved to ask why in the world she would ever care if a stranger's life was in order or not, but the mention of Mikkos stopped her short - that was getting to be a bad habit lately, one that she wished would be done away with. Mentions of him, visits....they were all cruel reminders after going so long without him, moving through the years assuming she'd recovered from the disaster between them. It seemed fate was not so keen on allowing her closure just yet.

Son....husband....Alexis' role was suddenly revealed and though she hid it with that well-perfected grace, though she showed no shock at such a revelation....that little piece of information was as good as a stake to the heart. He truly had moved on....and how difficult it must have been, being wed to this stunning demoness whom surely his family must have loved and adored, surely she was everything they had wanted for him. And, on top of it all, she had given him Nikolaos...a son....the one thing Justine would be forever incapable of anyway. Perhaps she truly should have been happy for him - something told her Alexis was no wilting flower, so perhaps he was getting what he so richly deserved being tied to her.

Though this was something she would have preferred to discuss in private, her office had become too much of a hotspot lately and she had no desire to attract more unwanted attention to it. Besides, the main bar of Chroma was empty at this particular hour and so lowered voices did well enough. "I assure you, I've been 'convincing' him of nothing other than it being wise to cease his visits here. He seems to be disregarding that request, but then that seems to be a theme." Neither of them was truly going to be able to stop Mikkos from doing what he wanted - Justine knew this, she hoped Alexis recognized as much as well.

"I've made it quite clear that I have no desire in being sucked into whatever familial drama all of you are on the surface are partaking in, I'd ask your entire family to steer clear of here, of my family, though it seems to be doing little good. I won't be blamed for that stubborn ass disregard what we've both asked of him, but you married him and so I'm afraid he's yours to deal with." Justine wasn't about to involve herself in this any further and she was going to make it a point to ensure that Mikkos didn't have the opportunity to draw her into this mess anymore. "Will there be anything else?"

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from_the_dark
2008-06-04 02:53 pm UTC (link)

Alexis toyed with the outer rim of her wine glass, but she didn't take her eyes off of Justine. "Have you really?" The question was deliberate, all the while she talked to this woman, she could get a better understanding of who she was as an opponent. "Maybe that's what you tell him. But it might not be what you say." With her eyes, her body language, and her feelings.

"But you are right," Alexis said smoothly. "He is mine to deal with, and I am sure he will come to terms and get over the dalliances of his youth. Because he has more to think of than simply himself." She touched the wine glass to her lips, wetting them briefly before she darted her tongue over them to taste. "Hmm. A good recommendation. I commend you on your tastes."

The demonness stood, "I realize my husband is a stubborn man. It was ever one of his double-edged traits. So if you truly have it in your head that somehow, some way, this could ever be...remember those feelings of caring you may have had for him."

She turned then, tucking her purse beneath her arm. "The wrath of Hell is unforgiving, even to it's princes."

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savageallure
2008-06-05 08:49 am UTC (link)

Whether or not she subconsciously gave off another message or not, Justine would never even consider that possibility. No, as far as she was concerned, she was in perfect control of everything she'd said, everything she'd done during Mikkos' visits. Perhaps the kiss was a bit beyond her, but even she could admit to that moment of weakness - not that she would, of course. "I've made it clear that whatever Mikkos and I had in the past should stay there. I can't be blamed if he refuses to listen." A part of her might have even wanted him too, but such thoughts weren't going to get her anything but a broken heart....or a stake through it from the way Alexis was sizing her up.

Thankfully it seemed both women were content to let this awkward confrontation draw to an early close - there was no need to drag out the back and forth that they had already so easily covered. Mikkos was married, he had a son....Justine was simply a lingering remnant of his past. It was foolish to think that anything that remained could be stoked to life again, that either family would ever let such a thing occur. She simply had to move on, had to accept that that was a chapter of her life best left alone....even when she was confident that no woman, Alexis included, would ever wield the power over Mikkos that she once had. Knowing that no other would ever effect him in such a way might have been an ego boost, but it was no need to endanger the lives of so many when it seemed impossible that anything truly worthwhile would ever happen between them.

As she stood, Justine reached over to remove Alexis' wineglass from the bar, setting it aside to be cleaned out. "Have a good evening," she managed civilly, the tension of late settling into slender shoulders. This had all certainly become a mess quickly.

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