sweetchaos (sweetchaos) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2020-05-19 22:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | #january 2018, knox, knox x max, max |
Who: Knox & Max
Where: O'Reilly household
When: Monday evening, dinner time 01/22
Status:
Max had never felt this good in his whole damn life. He was so full of energy and ideas he felt like he was really making life his bitch these days. There was anger mixed in there too, now that he knew exactly who it was who was out to get him he felt betrayed and frustrated but he didn't feel scared anymore. Let those fuckers come, they couldn't touch him. His family was a mess but he was finding it hard to care. Life was sweet and he felt like he was getting somewhere in trying to sweet talk Aidan's little not-familiar into helping him get some money. With a gift like hers? They could be rich, the possibilities were endless and Aidan was a fool if he didn't take advantage of it.
Max spent the day considering confronting Nic about his involvement in the conspiracy against him and it was interesting to him that Zania seemed neutral in all of this. A relief really, that not everyone he knew was plotting against him, but curious nonetheless. The Castells were pretty close so why was Nic suddenly stepping out of line and going against a family friend? It baffled Max but he decided against visiting them for now, heading straight home from the bar in hopes there'd be a big family dinner. He craved the company of others, the more the merrier - even if people around him didn't generally seem terribly merry lately.
By contrast, Knox did not feel good about much of anything at the moment. It had become painfully obvious that whatever was happening to his family was getting worse. Patrick was practically comatose, Aidan was down with exhaustion, and Knox had just spent all day in bed with Shayna Mae. She’d been sleeping so much and when she was technically awake, she was hardly conscious. He’d given her all the medicine he could think of, and tried to funnel magic into her being, but it was like pouring a tiny trickle of water into a huge well. Frighteningly not enough. It hurt him to see her suffering, even if she wasn’t awake for most of it.
Knox didn’t know all of the details of their condition or what was causing it, but he knew its immediate source: Max. Whatever the bad juju was that had infected him, whatever alien magic was at work, it was leaking out and harming the rest of the family. Knox couldn’t abide by that. He had to protect them, especially Shayna Mae. Max was family too, of course, but something had to be done. Knox had the sense that if this went on the way it was, the rest of them would die, and he couldn’t allow that to happen. So he waited on the porch, a large owl sitting on the railing and watching the forest. Behind him, the house was deathly silent, all its other occupants sleeping, but Max was coming, Knox could feel it. When his keen ears heard the crunch of wheels on the long gravel driveway, he shifted back into his human form, ready for this confrontation that he knew wouldn’t be pleasant.
Max whipped out of the car and jogged up to the house, grinning when he spotted the familiar on the porch. "Knox," he said in greeting, oblivious to what was about to come. The house seemed dark though so a big family dinner was probably out of the picture, disappointing really, but he supposed he could just throw something in the microwave and watch a movie. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, lightly play-punching Knox's arm a few times once he'd walked up to him. "Get bored on your own? Where is everyone?" Leave it to Knox to stand outside in the cold and not be bothered by it, Max often envied him for how at ease with the elements he was but that was a perk of not being human, he supposed.
Knox’s expression stayed hard and blank as he watched Max approach. It made his chest ache a bit -- that buoyant attitude of his would’ve been fantastic if it was natural. Knox just didn’t think it was, anymore. “They’re all sleeping,” he answered the last question. He shifted his bulk to put himself between Max and the front door and put one hand on his shoulder. “We have to talk about something serious, Max,” he said. Knox hadn’t really come up with a plan for this, per se, but he was at least going to try to reason with him first. They would have to see how far that could go, but Knox couldn’t kick him out without trying to make him understand why first.
Max was a little taken aback when Knox said everyone was sleeping. It was early and he felt so energetic, it was hard to understand just how tired everyone else was. His good mood was zapped a bit by what Knox said next and the way he was physically blocking him from entering the house. Max licked his lips slowly and made a displeased face. "I don't wanna deal with serious shit right now," he said. "Is it something we have to talk about out in the cold?" Knox didn't usually need reminding that Max was more fragile physically than the rest of them, he was usually pretty good about knowing when it was too cold - or too hot - tuned into how his family was feeling. Tonight something felt off about that, something more than just his large body blocking the door.
“Yes, it is,” Knox stated, a tiny bit of empathy leaking into his tone. He didn’t want to do this -- the family should all always be together, that was part of his mission -- but it had to be done, for the good of the others. “Something’s wrong. We think you’ve been infected with something bad, from the fog. And I think it’s affecting everyone but me. Shayna Mae can barely open her eyes, and your father’s in a bad way. So I think ... until we figure this out, you should stay somewhere else. At Juniper, maybe. We can pay.” Knox was braced for a bad reaction, but he honestly didn’t know what to expect, especially now. Maybe Max would love the idea of a little getaway with some privacy ... but Knox wasn’t going to hold his breath for that.
Max stared at him for a beat, an incredulous smile slowly curling his lips. "Are you kidding me right now?" he asked. "You ambushed me here to kick me out of my house?" He couldn't really refute what Knox was saying, no matter how much he wanted to. It was weird how tired everyone was except him and he didn't really care but this? This got his hackles up and that little smile disappeared pretty quickly. "You're kicking me out because you think I'm making them sick." He knew who his enemies were but he hadn't guessed in a million years his own family would turn against him too and even if some of it did ring true, it still felt so ridiculous to think about it. How could he be infected with something when he felt really good? He barely even remembered feeling shitty just a few days ago, right now his life was on a right track, he had crazy good plans with Aidan's weird pixie friend or whatever the hell she was, he was going to get some money and get his bike back. None of that felt entirely possible if he couldn't come home. "That's what's going on? Or am I totally misunderstanding you because shit, I hope I am."
“That’s what's going on,” Knox confirmed grimly. He didn’t look happy about it at all, but there wasn’t much else he could think to do. This wasn’t a problem that could be solved by his own magic, and Shayna Mae hadn’t been making much headway with her own before she’d succumbed so much to the illness, or whatever it was. “But only temporarily, and for the good of the family, Max. They’re all affected, and we don’t know how far this might go.” Knox’s worst fear was that it would just get worse and worse until they all faded away and died. He knew that his Max would care about that a great deal and want to keep his family safe. But this Max seemed different in so many ways. Knox clearly remembered what he’d felt when he’d tried to get a magical read on Greer, and it still unsettled him. His brow still furrowed, Knox stared steadily at Max’s face. “You know I have to do my job.”
"And what about me?" Max asked bitterly, a hint of that wry grin back on his lips because he tended to grin when he got angry, a defense mechanism of sorts. "There's fucking fog on the roads and there are people out there who wanna hurt me, and you want me out. So what, you've already packed my stuff? Not letting me in the house?" He was starting to feel like this whole family thing had been bullshit, that he'd always been excluded because he wasn't a witch and now they were finally showing their true colors. On one hand he was hurt and angry but on the other he felt like it didn't matter, he didn't need them, all they ever did was bitch at him to get his life together, fret at him for getting into trouble, patronize him for being a mere human.
Knox knew him well enough to know that smile wasn’t the good kind, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. The comment about people wanting to hurt Max made him frown more deeply, but it was momentarily pushed back when he realized he hadn’t prepared anything for Max to take with him except the cash in his pocket. Knox sometimes forgot how many damn accessories humans needed to maintain themselves -- clothes, toiletries, so much food all the time. He definitely hadn’t packed a bag. Knox licked his teeth and reached backward into the house with his mind, assessing the family members inside where they glowed like points of light in his consciousness. The lights were dim, but maybe a little more exposure wouldn’t make things much worse. “You can come in to pack a bag,” he said. “But then you have to go. I have money to give you for a hotel room for a while. If the family doesn’t get better with the separation, I’ll find you and we can think of other possibilities. ... who wants to hurt you?” It was strange to feel that protective instinct bubble up alongside what he was having to do, but it was definitely there. “I can ward wherever you stay ...”
"But then I have to go," Max echoed, shaking his head. "This is messed up, brother," he muttered, patting Knox's chest firmly as he passed him to go inside. It might help to get the place he'd be staying warded and he probably should be nicer about it if he wanted Knox's help but pride and hurt was making that bit hard and he didn't answer his question as he stalked inside, cursing under his breath. It was messed up and he was sure they were going to find the real reason why everything was so weird and it wouldn't be him. Then they'd be sorry. Max hoped they'd be sorry. He thought about trying to find Aya because he had plans for that girl but he knew by now that she didn't get found unless she wanted to be found and apparently he wasn't welcome in the house for long.
Knox gave Max a few paces worth of space before he turned and followed him into the house. The smarter thing to do would probably be to shut up and just let him be, but he was compelled to get an answer to his question, as well as to make sure Max only did what he was there to do. Knox wasn’t going to let him in Shayna Mae’s room or Aidan’s room or their father’s room. There couldn’t be any goodbyes this time, not for this temporary eviction. Nobody was conscious enough to give them anyway. “I’m sorry Max,” he said to the human’s back. “I don’t enjoy doing this, but if this is coming from you, I can’t do nothing. But who wants to hurt you? Tell me and I can help.” Knox wasn’t positive that he could, or that Max would accept his help, but he had to offer.
"Let them try," Max said darkly as he stalked to his room. He was used to getting by without many of his things by now so he didn't need much and instinct told him to keep it minimalistic. On the other hand he was done with living like a prisoner, he was ready for a little luxury in his life, damn it. That was the whole idea with Aya, getting some money so he could relax, get his bike back, have a little fun. "Nic Castell," he replied as he grabbed his backpack from the closet along with some t-shirts. "Jules Cooper. Neil Wainscott. Carson Durand. You gonna do something about them? I don't think they can touch me but they're planning something." He glanced back at Knox and it felt weird to be so angry at him. Max loved him, they never fought except playfully, Knox had always protected him, this was all wrong and stupid and that just made Max angrier.
Knox hovered in the bedroom doorway, watching Max angry-pack. Most of those names didn’t mean anything to him, but he knew Nic Castell. And he didn’t think the Castells had anything against them, much less Max. He wasn’t even a witch. His brows were knotted together with concern as he committed all the names to memory. It would at least be something to bring up to Shayna Mae when she woke up. If she woke up. But Knox couldn’t think that way, not yet. He was being proactive, even if the family wouldn’t like it, and he hoped it would end up helping the situation. Knox wasn’t sure what he would do if there was another mass die-off in the family. Besides the tragedy of it, the O’Reilly clan was much smaller than it used to be, there weren’t a lot of spares around to carry on the bloodline. “I’ll look into it, I promise,” he told Max for now. “And I can send you with some protections. I just want everybody to be safe.”
"Yeah, that's the least you can do," Max retorted unhappily and he was honestly tempted to say thanks but no thanks and leave in a huff but shit, they could pay for his room and protect him, he was entitled to that much. He would normally not like the idea of spending family money on something as dumb as a hotel since he benefited - or suffered - when the family did but he knew that once Aya did what he needed her to do, he wouldn't have to worry about that money at all. He'd have enough for himself and hell, enough for the family if he deigned to forgive them for this bullshit. "I'll be at Juniper," he muttered. "Unless they don't have a room at such a short fucking notice." He gave Knox a pointed look over his shoulder before turning to his backpack again, zipping it closed. "If not there, then the motel out by Cherries. Tell Aidan's girl to come see me there if you run into her."
Knox was sure that look was meant to inspire guilt in him, but he already felt enough of that, and Max having to try two hotels wasn’t high up on the list of causes. Mild inconvenience was a tiny price to pay to try and ensure his family stayed safe and alive. He was tempted to grab Max by the scruff of the neck and drag him into Shayna Mae’s room or his father’s room to show him how comatose they were, to show him what he might be doing to them. However unintentional it was, it was still happening and he needed to stop it. If Max wasn’t the source, Knox would happily eat crow, but he had to try something. He felt a flash of confusion at ‘Aidan’s girl,’ but then Knox remembered Aya and felt his mouth harden. He definitely wouldn’t be doing that. Knox didn’t trust her in the slightest, and the farther away she stayed from his family, the better. “I’ll find you tonight. Until then ... hang on, let me get you something to take with you.” He turned away from the door to head for where the magical supplies were kept, intent on getting Max a few talismans to keep with him.
It didn't escape Max's attention how Knox dodged his request and he glared at the doorway when he left, wondering if he should go look for her himself. It was more tempting to go see his family, he liked being around people and while he hadn't figured out why that was yet, he knew being around Knox wasn't bringing him that same satisfaction. It probably should have alerted him to the fact something was wrong but it all felt too right for him to even question it. He felt drawn to their rooms, not caring if they were sleeping or not, he just wanted to be near them. He could hear Knox head downstairs and so he wandered out to the hallway, leaning against the door to Aidan's room. Maybe Aya was in there and he could deliver his message himself, it didn't really matter. He opened the door and peeked inside, finding his brother fast asleep and Aya nowhere to be seen. He could have closed the door and left at that but he didn't, just stood there and watched Aidan sleep, listened to his steady breathing. It was so good to be home and now Knox wanted him to leave? His anger twisted inside him, mixed with something else he couldn't identify and didn't bother trying.
Knox tried to be quick about it, but it still took him a few minutes to find what he was looking for. A necklace and a few hex bags that were meant to be generally protective. He was glad that Shayna Mae kept a stock, because she definitely wasn’t in any shape to be doing magic. Knox walked swiftly back toward the stairs and up them. He’d only taken a step toward Max’s room when his awareness told him Max wasn’t in there anymore, and Knox’s head whipped around. He was standing in Aidan’s doorway, and Knox could swear he felt more of Aidan’s energy fading away. It was a minuscule sensation, something he hadn’t been noticing day to day, but now that he was more aware something was happening ... Knox stalked toward Max, his jaw clenching hard, and grabbed him by the back of his clothes to yank him away. “No,” he said sharply.
Being yanked anywhere by Knox was no small thing and Max startled out of his deep thoughts as he stumbled backwards. "Jesus Christ, Knox, what the fuck?" he hissed, straightening his jacket indignantly. It wasn't just the whole getting scolded like a puppy that pissed on the rug, it was that level of distrust that felt so alien coming from Knox. Max didn't remember a time when Knox was genuinely angry with him, Shayna Mae could be frustrated but Knox was always neutral or partially on his side. This felt off and he hated it. "I was looking for the girl," he grumbled. "You really think I'd hurt my own brother?"
“You are hurting him,” Knox snapped. All of this felt foreign to him too, loyalties warring in his mind -- his mission was to protect the family, and Max was family too, but whatever had happened to him had made him dangerous to the others, and majority had to rule. It wasn’t necessarily Max’s fault, but Knox was compelled to do what he had to do. “Not on purpose, but I can feel them fading, and it gets worse when you’re close. I wouldn’t ask you to leave for no reason, Max. But time’s up, the girl can come to you. You gotta go.” He didn’t want to physically remove Max from the house, but he would if he had to. Knox hated it, and he knew Shayna Mae would be upset, but he had to try to put a halt to whatever was happening to them.
"You've lost your fucking mind," Max hissed as he hoisted his backpack up on his shoulder. "Is that what happens with familiars when they get old? You go fucking loco?" He turned on his heel, desperately wanting to have the last word in this and if he was honest with himself, he wanted his last words in this to be far more scathing than what he'd just said. He was angry in a way he'd never been angry with Knox or anyone in his family. Did Shayna Mae know Knox was kicking him out? Did Aidan? Had they all turned against him or would they wonder where he was when they woke up? "I'll be at fucking Juniper," he said and since he was having a hard time finding the right angry words to toss back at Knox as he walked away, he gave him the finger over his shoulder.
The words might have been mild, but they still sucked to hear. Knox didn’t like making any of the family upset with him, and he knew it might take Max a while to forgive him. But he would, he would understand, Knox told himself. As soon as they figured this out and fixed it, they could welcome him back into the fold and it would all be okay. It had to be that way. He was just surprised and sore about it now. Knox didn’t respond, just watched Max walk away. Being flipped the bird made him frown, but he could deal with that too. Knox waited and listened until he heard the front door open and close, then heaved a sigh, his shoulders relaxing some. Gods, he hoped it helped and it hadn’t all been for nothing. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he turned and headed down the hall to check on Shayna Mae again.