InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I am Lord Voldemort"

Hesper Alekos (shadows_prism) wrote in haunted_roads,
@ 2008-02-08 12:39:00

Entry tags:

hesper, nox

Week One: Thursday
Who: Hesper and Nox
When: Evening
Where: Old Town Towers, E4
What: Hesper has decided to make an appearance at home.

It always felt nice to be home after an away job. She had spent the past few days on a quick assignment Las Vegas. It was a miracle really that she had resisted a few rounds at the card tables, but while the job was quick enough it had been a bit messy. It was always too much fun when they decided to put up a fight. While they never actually stood a chance it was something that invigorated her beyond belief. Still, the job was done and she had collected her payment which was now neatly deposited in her account.

Walking into the apartment complex she and her brother called home, she light up a cigarette. It was a shock to the system after the much nicer Nevada climate. Washington was fucking cold and it was hailing outside. Evil little pieces of ice just falling from the sky. Hesper was pretty sure hail was the most dastardly thing ever created, and she had seen her fair share of things that end of the spectrum. Made her want to hop back on a plane to the warm casinos. Still, she was in the building now at least so there was less to be disgruntled about.

While she could not be bothered to check the time, she figured Nox would be home. He always worried more than usual whenever she was gone more then a few hours. Really it was a little cute how he worried, but really it was ridiculous. Still that was just how Nox was, neurotic and anal. She amused herself on the trip up the stairs figuring out just exactly how he was going to yell at her this time. She should have thought to bring a boy, it was always funnier when she did.

Reaching their apartment she fished around her pockets for her key before unlocking the door and heading in. Closing the door rather loudly, she stood in front of it with her hands on her hips and looking into the apartment. "You home, Nox? Maybe squirreled away with some pretty girl off the street corner or whatever?" she shouted out before heading to the kitchen. "You did go shopping recently, didn't you?"

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in_his_shadow
2008-02-08 06:14 pm UTC (link)

Nox was never with a pretty girl. That wasn't his style at all. Nope. When he wasn't working or spending time with the few friends he had, he was at home... alone. And when he was in the apartment he could typically be observed cooking, cleaning, or just relaxing with a book on the couch... alone. Did I mention ALONE? Granted, the night before he had invited one of their neighbors up for dinner, but that was a rarity. Unless Hesper was home, the two bedroom apartment was quiet, though that didn't make it peaceful.

Extended absences on her part caused a great deal of stress in Nox's life. He had trouble sitting still as a general rule, but the problem became even greater when he was worrying over his sister. He'd pace around their home, looking for something, anything, to keep him busy. As usual, the apartment was spotless, everything in its place. He'd even cleaned her room (as he often did).

Having figured he'd be eating alone tonight, he had begun to cook just twenty minutes prior to hearing keys unlocking the door. The little noise was followed by a much larger one. Hesper's voice bellowed, and he felt his heart lift and expand, the weight that had been dragging it down now gone. She was home again. She was safe. He immediately put down the knife he'd been using to chop up vegetables and walked out of the kitchen, meeting her halfway.

Nox didn't waste a second, he instantly wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, "I really hate you sometimes... you know?" he mumbled as he gave her a firm squeeze, refusing to let her go.

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shadows_prism
2008-02-08 06:36 pm UTC (link)

The apartment always looked like a damn hospital whenever she came back. In fact she was pretty sure that all the cleaning chemicals had gotten to his head a few years ago. Still, it was always nice to come home to have all her laundry done. Plus he would do the stuff that she brought back with her. It was almost like living with a very overprotective maid. Though that was a good idea for Halloween, she could probably bully him into it.

As soon as she saw him coming out of the kitchen she made sure to drop her duffel bag. The massive needy hug was incoming and she prepared herself for being squished against her brother's chest. It was a fearsome position really, being stuck in one of his hugs. Hesper wished he didn't hug so often really. "You don't hate me, now let go before you snap my spine." she whined into the hug, half heartedly trying to push out of it.

"And you better be making me dinner." she added, petulantly. "I'm fucking hungry." She could smell the beginnings of dinner wafting from the kitchen. If he had not been making it for her, then she would just steal his dinner and he could make himself something else.

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in_his_shadow
2008-02-08 06:47 pm UTC (link)

Cleaning was like meditating for Nox. And considering how stressed out he got each time she vanished, he needed to do a LOT of meditating. It was one of the few things that helped him clear his head, and without his brain functioning properly, he couldn't do his other job... the one at the station. Nox still considered looking after his twin to be his first responsibility. All others came second to that one.

"Just because I could snap it, doesn't mean I ever would." He reluctantly released her, but he kept his hands on her shoulders, giving her a good look over, making sure she wasn't injured in any way. "I don't even rough up perps. You know that. Well, not unless it's absolutely necessary." Nox was really a well-oiled machine as far as training was concerned. He knew his weapons inside and out, and physically, he frightened bad guys. But unlike a machine, Nox had a brain and a soul, and he avoided confrontation if at all possible.

"You look thin. Didn't you eat anything while you were gone?" Typical question. They had developed a pattern over the years, and this was a conversation they'd had many times. "You know, if you'd just tell me when you're going to leave, I could give you food to take, some cash... and, you know, it wouldn't KILL you to call me once in a while.

As he walked into the kitchen, motioning for her to follow, he quickly added, "And watch your mouth. That sort of language really isn't necessary." Nox rarely, if ever, used swear words, and he often chastised Hesper for it. Motioning for her to take a seat at the table next to the kitchen area, he went back to preparing the vegetable lasagna. "I figured I'd be putting leftovers in the fridge again. I just don't get you, Hes... why do you feel the need to run off like that? Are you trying to drive me into an early grave?" he asked, gesturing with the large knife in his hand as he added, "You might as well just stab me and get it over with. That would be a lot easier to deal with than the constant worry."

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shadows_prism
2008-02-08 07:08 pm UTC (link)

"You couldn't snap my spine if you tried. I'd kick you in the nuts first." she teased as she got mostly let go. But she had to let him have his time. If she fought against it it would just mean more nagging later. And she was almost convinced that Nox was more of a woman than her given his brilliant ability to nag for what seemed like hours without a break. "And you only don't rough up perps because they'd probably get excited by your pretty face."

Rolling her eyes she sighed heavily. She was never any thinner or fatter than when she left, it had only been four days. But he always seemed to find something to worry about. "I eat well enough when I'm gone. And I don't tell you cause you'd try to lock me in my room, and then I'd have to break the window to get out and you'd whine about losing the fucking safety deposit of whatever."

Following him into the kitchen, she briefly wondered why she did not just get her own place. The she remembered all the cooking and the cleaning and such that she really despised and just resigned herself to the nitpicking. " can't watch my mouth, it's attached to my damn face." she sighed as she plopped into a chair. "We've got beer in the fridge, right?"

And then the whole root of his rant was coming up, like it always did. Folding her arms she slumped in the chair. "I can't just stab you, it'd get rid of the free cooking and cleaning and the like. It'd be like shooting myself in the foot. Now you could just not worry so much and then we'd be good."

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in_his_shadow
2008-02-08 07:25 pm UTC (link)

Nox went red at her joke, flustered by what she was insinuating. "I don't know how many times I need to remind you... but, again, for the record, I am not a homosexual. I know that's where you're going with this little joke of yours, so I'm beating you to the punch." Hesper seemed to think that just because Nox didn't date all that much, and never brought women home for frivolous fun, that he must be gay. "I like women just fine, thank you. I don't see a reason to demonstrate it in lewd displays."

"Again... language... I'll hand you a mirror so you can watch that large mouth of yours." he snapped back at her with a glare. "And it wouldn't be the first time you've broken something in the apartment, I don't see why you'd hesitate over a window. I bought a new lamp for your room the other day, please let this one live for at least a month. It deserves a fighting chance." Though, if she decided to throw it at one of the disgusting men she 'entertained', then he'd be more than happy to replace it.

"Yes, there's beer in the fridge. Help yourself." If she was going to drink, he preferred she do it under his watch. He was as bad as a parent who resigned himself to the idea that his child was going to misbehave, so it was best that such behavior happened inside the home. Besides, Nox enjoyed a drink every now and then. He was a big fan of whiskey, which seemed out of place with his personality.

"Oh, so the only reason you let me live is because of the turndown service? I'll hire you a maid then. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to get chocolates on your pillows." Now that he knew she was safe and sound, he could let loose a bit of the tension he'd been holding on to, and that usually resulted in a rant of sorts. Nox wasn't really one to talk back, not with most people, but Hesper wasn't most people. If they weren't bickering at one another, then something felt off between them. This was how they operated. "You know I'm going to worry. That goes without saying. There was actually a girl who somewhat resembled you at the morgue on Tuesday. Do you have any idea what that felt like for me?" he asked her, the tone of his voice expressing genuine fear.

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shadows_prism
2008-02-08 07:47 pm UTC (link)

"Oh I'm not saying you are a homosexual." she said in an offhand manner. "More like boys think you look pretty, and so they'll like rape you and the like if it weren't for the fact you could break their spine." Really she did wonder how he got people to respect him on the job. Then again their father had been the same way and Hesper had never managed to understand either of them. "Though you know if you like women and all that, you could fuck one every once in a while. It's a wonder you're not a virgin."

Why he seemed to pick on her language she would never understand. She had met plenty of cops in her time outside of her brother and most of them had mouths just as bad as hers. Nox was just the odd man out really, like that perfect little cookie cutter cop from the movies. Well, except the whole demon part. Most of the station probably wouldn't like that much. "The new lamp better not be ugly like the other one. It was just begging to be broken."

Getting up lazily she went over to the fridge and pulled out a beer. Using a ring to open it she took a sip and then returned to her seat. At least Nox was not completely against alcohol like he was completely against everything else fun. The man needed to loosen up at some point, this was not a world to be so uptight, it never helped.

Putting her beer down she leaned over towards him and grinned. "How about this, I'll leave you a note if I decide to go of and get myself killed. Might even leave one for your partner too so that you'll have a shoulder to cry on or whatever." she teased cheerfully. "Bad news for that girl though. Oh well, sucks to be her really."

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in_his_shadow
2008-02-08 08:01 pm UTC (link)

"You didn't say it this time... but you've said it before!" he barked back. He knew that little over-dramatized speech was coming, so he decided to head it off at the pass. No sense in letting her get started. At her comment that he should be out sleeping with random women, he blushed furiously, "My sex life is none of your concern," he said with a big period at the end of the sentence, indicating that the topic was closed for discussion. Nox wasn't dating anyone, and therefore he wasn't having sex with anyone. For him, sex required a real relationship.

"It matches the aesthetic of the apartment. If you don't like it, I'll return it. Don't break it." Nox's taste in decor was clean... almost sterile. He preferred modern with a taste of the classical. He wasn't sure what Hesper liked as far as style was concerned, but she could be messy at times, so he doubted she really cared all that much. Though, judging by her clothes alone, he guessed she was into minimalism. Doing her laundry often made him cringe. No brother should be tortured like that!

Nox finished preparing the lasagna and slid it into the oven. He looked up midway through setting the timer as Hesper mentioned his partner. "Leave Hale alone. He's not interested. And if he was, I'd have to insist nothing ever happen between the two of you. It's one thing to be friends with a co-worker, it's another thing entirely to allow something more to come from such a relationship. If you were to date him, it would cause unnecessary stress for me on the job. I don't need anymore stress at work, thanks."

He rubbed his hand over his face, feeling worn down from all the paperwork he'd been through today, and that was only AFTER spending the night at a crime scene. Motioning for her to go into the living room, he muttered, "Why don't you find a movie or something for us to watch. I might have to go in later, but we can spend some time together before then."

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shadows_prism
2008-02-08 08:37 pm UTC (link)

"Touchy much?" she could not help adding. Really he was far too uptight. It was probably related actually, not that he would listen to her on that. Nox was just like their father, everything had to fit in perfect order. Sex and girls and all that just never seemed to fit into that structure. There had been one girl, that she knew of, but that was ages ago by now.

Aesthetic of the apartment her ass. She never understood his way of decorating. It was always so clean and sterile looking. There was no life to it at all. Not that that was the reason she had broke the last lamp. That was more because he had done something to bother her. It was not like she would be forced to clean it up. Sure it was petulant, but he was an ass for scaring away every bit of fun she brought home.

"I don't date anyone. Haven't 'dated' since I got out of hell." she pointed out to him before taking another drink. No point in 'dating' up here, she did not need it to attempt to find ways of getting to power. Besides, people expected things when you were in a relationship, took out the fun of it all. "And what to you mean, insist? Insisting I don't just makes it seem more appealing over all."

Laughing she got up, beer in hand. Walking over she kissed his cheek. "Aww, already trying to kick me out of your space? So good to be home." she laughed and turned to head out to lounge on the couch. "I want to kick your ass at a video game instead of a movie."

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in_his_shadow
2008-02-11 11:03 am UTC (link)

"Drop it," he said with insistent finality. He was NOT going to get into another discussion about relationships (or the lack of) in his life. He was perfectly happy to go about his day without a woman being involved in it. The last relationship had ended badly, and if Nox was honest with himself, he wasn't over that one. He couldn't move forward until he recovered from the past. Besides, his life was filled to the brim with work and family stuff. There wasn't time for romance.

Nox rolled his eyes at her saying she didn't 'date'. "And there lies the problem. If you'd stop spending your time with these losers in meaningless relationships, then maybe you'd find someone worth your time." Doubtful. Nox hadn't met a man yet who seemed worthy of his sister. She deserved much better than the scum she tried to bring home (only to have Nox toss the men out).

Since forbidding her from seeing his partner wasn't going to work, Nox tried another approach that was much more likely to be successful. "Dating Hale would be like dating me. How's that for a turn off?" Nox and Hale were a LOT alike, and it was part of what made them great work partners, but they had just enough differences to keep them from getting on each others' nerves.

He let a grin slip, along with some of his attitude, when Hesper kissed his cheek. "It's good having you home. Wish you were here more often." Hesper left the room and Nox grabbed himself a beer as well. It would be several hours before he left to check in at the station, so one drink wouldn't do any harm.

Checking the timer on the oven and seeing that he had some time before the lasagna was ready, Nox left the kitchen to join Hesper on the couch. He peeled the cap off the bottle with his bare hands, which might have been impressive to a stranger, though he'd just dismiss it. Nox didn't show off. Ever. "What game you wanna play? I just got Pursuit Force. It's one player only, but we could take turns and see who does a better job."

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shadows_prism
2008-02-12 01:54 am UTC (link)

Laughing she shook her head. "There you go with that funny word, relationship again. The only relationship I've been in for years is being related to you. So technically you approve of all of my relationships." she said cheerfully, wishing she had something to flick at him. That was not entirely true though, not really.

She did have her business relationships, but that was a completely different sort of fish. Nox had no reason to know about that and he never would. If anything it would only put him in harms way, and she could not have that happen. He was the only person she gave a rat's ass about.

And then he went on the Hale thing and she just ached to say 'Well sex isn't really a relationship, soo.' but that would have gotten her nowhere. With a quick bit of thought all she could do was smirk though. "Well then, brother dear, shouldn't you approve of him wholeheartedly then? I mean, you don't think anyone else is good enough, so why not someone just like you?"

Hitting him gently after she kissed him, she rolled her eyes in amusement. "I'm here too much already as it is. But none of the other places have such a cute little maid." she teased as she headed out.

Sprawled out on the couch she looked over at their game systems. Hesper loved video games. It was all the fun of beating the shit out of her brother without actually having to do it. "Hell no, get out one of the fighty games. We still have soul caliber, right?"

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in_his_shadow
2008-02-19 12:12 am UTC (link)

"Relationships are a good thing, Hess. The... stuff... you participate in is shallow, immoral, and degrading to your reputation." He loved her, more than anything, but it horrified him sometimes the way she abused her body by seeing random men and partaking in various substances (some of them illegal) in excess. Why couldn't she have a little more respect for herself?

"That's disgusting... bordering on some sort of twisted incestuous reference. So drop it, yeah?" He felt thoroughly creeped out now. It was bad enough thinking about her being with Hale, but having her say that he should approve of her seeing someone who was just like him? So very wrong.

Nox let Hesper sort through their games, "It's in there somewhere, and we can play it if you want. I'm not picky." He lounged back, stretching his legs out in front of him and his arms above him. "You know whatever you pick... I'm gonna win."

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shadows_prism
2008-02-19 03:06 am UTC (link)

"Now how is it degrading to my reputation if that is my reputation?" she asked, looking at him sarcastically. "and since when did I give a rats ass about morality either?" Shallow she was not going to debate, because it was. But Hesper found nothing wrong with shallow. In fact some people could deal with a lot less depth in their lives. Nox was a prime example of that, really.

Laughing, Hesper shook her head with delight. "You know the one time that I'm not going after something disgusting, it's right where your brain goes." She had meant that since Hale had Nox's values, Nox should approve. But there was little point in arguing. Really she knew she wanted to get in his partner's pants just to mess with her brother's head. She just could not help the temptation.

With a grunt she leaned forward to flip through the games, finding the one she wanted and tossing it into his lap. "You never win." she said confidently. It was true enough, Hesper was just too fond of cheating, no matter what the game.

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in_his_shadow
2008-02-22 03:17 pm UTC (link)

He rolled his eyes at Hesper, "I think you could do with a new reputation," he said in a somewhat annoyed tone. Nox was well aware of his sister's social life, though he tried his best to ignore it. She really wasn't helping him in that department, what with her bringing strange men back to the apartment. He reminded her, often, that he didn't want such men in their home. In truth, if she found a man who treated her right, he might have actually be ok with her having such a guest spend the night. But Hesper didn't seem to want to find a man like that. She seemed to be a magnet for all the wrong types. She attracted trouble.

"Then I have clearly spent too much time around you. Looks like you've finally corrupted me." That, or his job had. Nox saw a lot of disgusting things, the most hideous side of humanity, and it made his skin crawl at times. Hell was horrible, and one could witness disgusting displays there, but he felt humans held just as much potential where evil was concerned. "Just leave Hale alone, alright? I'm begging you."

Nox was good at video games, he really was, but Hesper did tend to win when they faced off. She never played fair. If he started to get the upper hand, she found some way to distract him. She'd even go so far as to swat the controller out of his hand if her perfect winning streak was threatened. If he really cared all that much about beating her, he might have fought harder for victory, but it was the act of playing, not the end result, that mattered most. This was quality sibling time!

They played until he heard the timer on the food. Nox put the game on pause, knowing full well the second he got up to finish their meal, Hesper would likely un-pause the game to kill him off. Didn't matter. He left the couch and returned to the kitchen, pulling the lasagna out of the oven. It didn't take long for him to serve it up on plates along with a small salad he threw together at the last second, and within minutes he returned to the couch to put one of the plates in front of her. "Eat something before your ribs start to show." Nox took a seat beside her and dug into his food.

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