St Portwell > San Francisco
The rest of the weekend went by without anything Cass would class as ‘super exciting.’ The normal time spent together- in and out of clothes- and seemingly things were progressing with Father Wolf. So, her trust in the asshole they rescued went up a little bit…
Then came the day of her great return… Or at least, a long drive to collect all her shit before her landlord threw it into the street. It was a trip she’d planned to make about a week prior, but a lot had changed since then. For one, she wasn’t driving alone… Nor was she driving her car! Just like he’d promised, Leon had managed to snag a pickup truck so she’d fit most of her shit into one trip.
It
did take a little getting used to it being an automatic like almost every car in this fucking country.
She’d insisted on driving the first leg- then refused any offers to swap. For Cass, sitting in the passenger seat was way worse than actually driving. It was just so fucking boring! Sure, driving took energy and attention, but it was better. She didn’t even have to worry about getting lost this time with a navigator… It was pretty great! Just them, the road and some incredibly heavy, loud music.
At least, until the awesome guitar solo was interrupted by a loud rumble. Then another one.
”Oh, fuck- Food! I’m fucking hungry!” Cass announced, slapping the wheel with one hand as if it wasn’t obvious. But she hadn’t really noticed… At least, she hadn’t noticed the beginnings of hunger before it became enough that her stomach started protesting. It was around lunch time.
”Dude, is there anywhere nearby y’think we can get something to eat? Fast food, tiny town diner, I don’t care- Just gotta be close before I turn to cannibalism!”Leon could only laugh at Cass’ threat of cannibalism.
”She’s a maaaaaaaan eaaaaater!” Regardless of his joking, it wasn’t a topic he was going to stick on. While she hadn’t seemed to have any lingering issues over the raid they’d been a part of, there was no sense kicking a hornet's nest if she felt like overthinking for more than a second. Best to get along with her joke, and slide into what she was more interested in. Leon had been getting more and more used to Cass with each passing day; her little quirks, and the funny ways she operated in her day to day life.
He enjoyed the chance for someone new. Someone who wasn’t anyone besides a new person in his life. She was a freshly trimmed lawn, or a newly stapled canvas. Free of the taint, despite his honesty and forthcoming nature. It was important for his own psyche that he be able to be open with her like that… So far, she hadn’t disappointed.
He could only do his best to show the same kind of courtesy from his end.
Leon popped the window on his phone to the side, clearing the risque article about a BDSM club in San Fran he wanted to visit, opening the GPS app and adding a search for “upcoming: food”. What he got was a thousand orange popups. All sorts of things, from authentic Mexican to fancy to the absolute pits of places whose arches were yellow and backgrounds were red. He didn’t want to leave her hanging, so finding something and deciding what it was would be in a timely manner was the only goal.
Thankfully, she wasn’t the picky type. Anything she could devour en masse would work, especially now that she was using her Lux more… Her appetite had only increased since he’d started mentoring her in magic properly. Scrolling, a few seconds rolled on into half a minute before he gasped and tapped an option. The hollow electronic voice of the GPS echoed in reply.
”Rerouting… Proceed to left-all-the-way left lane and exit the highway onto North Weed Boulevard in two miles.”Leon immediately cackled like an animal.
”NO! MY PERFECT PLAN RUINED!” he growled, forgetting that the GPS had to announce where they were actually going.
“Fucking robots, man, always ruining surprise dates!” Cass burst into laughter as she changed lanes.
“But holy shit, did it seriously say North Weed Boulevard. No fucking way! Was whoever named it high at the time? Dude, if there ain’t a big fuckin’ marijuana leaf on some sign down this road I’ma be real mad.” She shook her head with a grin.
“They got actual food, right? We ain’t just getting high?””There’s supposed to be a food truck lot. I wanted to go to this one specifically that has infused sweets; hopefully some CBD ass dog cookies too, I can put Mrs. Barksalot to sleep for a few fucking hours and have my head back.”Funny that Lelou had the same natural reaction to cannabis that a normal dog did. Her receptors were incredibly sensitive to cannabinoids, meaning any partaking of the leaf usually meant he was in control for a few hours. It couldn’t be too often, however… So, a treat every week or two wouldn’t hurt.
”But I mean, food truck lot to me just sounds like any other food court… Or as my Dad used to say, a full Terran Buffet.” he laughed.
”I figure we’ll be able to pick our own poisons.””Oh dude, I’m so down. We don’t get that kinda shit back home so much… Ain’t a food court kinda deal more fun outside, anyway?” Cass grinned, turning off where the GPS had instructed her to onto
North Weed Boulevard. ”I’ma buy so much food, fuck, I knew I should’ve packed more snacks… But it’s all good! I’ll quiet down the loudmouth in my stomach, you’ll quiet down your wolf lady, it’ll be a great stop- Oh hey, look!” One hand came off the steering wheel to point at the shitty looking archway into the town, confidently telling all who entered that they were entering Weed.
”Fuck, that’s so fucking- fucking sound! We gotta get a picture.””Well did you want to drive the coast back North? Because if you still did, we’ll miss this place and you should probably stop right now. Unless, I mean… You wanted to spend a few hours in town? I don’t really think there’s much else. A brewery, some hotels… It’s just a small town otherwise.” he reasoned, looking back down at his phone to refresh his memory of other local attractions.
”Not like we’re not sleeping in San Fran tonight, just… Y’know don’t want you missing the chance.” he added, still skirting around the fact that this lot they were headed to was on the other end of town, which they’d scoot right back onto the highway near.
”I got it.” Cass said simply. There was no other explanation - it wasn’t exactly needed as she somewhat dangerously jerked the wheel to the side, sharply pulling over on the side of the road with a screech.
Thankfully the road was pretty quiet… She probably would’ve been a bit more careful about it if it wasn’t. Probably. There was nothing quite like a little thrill…
”There we go! Ain’t any point in beating around the bush… If there ain’t much to do I don’t really wanna hang around staring at buildings or some shit. Unless you wanna, y’know, get down and dirty.” She raised her eyebrows, grinning.
”Oh, no… Saving it for Club Hilltop tonight. I was gonna surprise you with that too, but I figured you’d wanna get yourself ready. Supposed to be an experience, so I figured we’d both fuel up here and get a little sweaty moving furniture at your place, then just get right into that… Not saying we can’t tease one another on the road anyway, better to be pent up now than not in gear later…”He was so nonchalant and candid about it that it was hard to argue with him. Also, because he was already getting out of the vehicle. When they both met behind the truck, Leon instinctively put an arm down for Cass to scramble up.
”You want me to take it? Get it from below, so its my face, then you kind of like… Pointing at the sign from below?” he asked, trying to establish the artistic direction for the shot.
He’d spent enough time around artsy people to have picked up some basics… He wasn’t his sister, nor was he any number of his Artisan cousins, but these sorts of things ran clear in the family.
”Oh dude, sure- You’ve got longer arms too, you can get a better angle.” Cass grinned, taking the offered arm to clamber up onto him like she normally did. At the same time she pulled out her phone, opening up the camera and handing it to him.
”It ain’t gotta be perfect… Or even good, y’know! Just a fun memory… Well, I’ll force it on Trisha at least, but she’ll roll her eyes at it whatever it looks like.” She cackled, getting up properly on his shoulder so that she was taller than him. It let her easily angle herself to point at the sign with
both hands- not even bothering to hold on to him. She trusted her core strength enough- and the speed her legs could wrap around his neck, or he’d catch her, if she fell.
”I’m ready!” Cass’s hands were flung up, and she had an incredibly goofy grin.
She didn’t acknowledge what he said about saving it for tonight… Needed to get the photograph out of the way first.
Leon was able to easily walk and squat into a position where the sign was perfectly in view. Throwing up the horns with his free hand, he stuck his tongue out and matched her energy before snapping a few different angles of the same picture. Then they were off, back toward the truck and hopefully out of the way before they caused too much of a buildup. Thankfully it didn’t look like they were the only tourists with the same idea.
Leon laughed and pointed across the street at someone else up on the sign with a huge bong and another person taking a picture from below.
”That’s fucking awesome… Can you send me the pictures I took? And, uh… I haven’t asked, since I didn’t really want to force you in the spotlight, but… I’d love to post one of them online! For the fans, y’know?”It was hard to remember he was something of an influencer until one walked in on him snapping thirst shots for his OnlyMans. Being a celebrity in this day and age meant you didn’t always have to choose between being a bad influence or a good influence, after all…
But this was the first time he ever suggested involving her in any of the picture taking. His public Instapeg was mostly used for workouts and safe for work content anyway, so he assumed she’d guess that’s where it was going.
Cass didn’t have to think about sending him the photos- they were both in it, after all, it was only fair he had them too! She quickly sent them before she started the truck back up, pulling back onto the road properly.
The question about posting it online was one she had to think a little more about. She wasn’t exactly online shy either, with her own Instapeg filled with all sorts of random shit… and then a private one filled with the more risque photos she took of herself. Then
that was entirely separate from her fandom life online.
There was no way to connect the two, at least. She wasn’t going to log onto some forums and see a bunch of people ranting about how ‘MidnightWolf’ was such an obsessive fan she’d hunted Timberwolf down and forced him to go to Weed with her.
But she would have to deal with the especially rabid fans shittalking her.
Eh. Who gave a fuck? It’d happen eventually if she ever went to a match with him- which she fucking planned to do. Like hell was she gonna miss out on shit like that, or tell him to pretend to not know her cause of other fans.
”Sure, you can post em! Just don’t tag me or any shit like that… I don’t know if I can deal with a sudden influx of people thirsting over me too! Y’know, leave some mystery. I want ‘em all to think ‘who’s that super fit lady with him?’””You read my mind, Babe! You sure you ain’t got Pink Lux too?” Leon laughed, sliding through his phone to post the picture.
It was innocuously tagged with a line from a poem his cousin had written:
To hills and better lands, upon the coast I’m born again.He had a copy-paste soup of tags set up, and only manually delved into them to clear out the ones that didn’t need to be there. Then, it was posted. There was a strange dopamine that Lelou got from the consistent social media attention that Leon didn’t feel in the same way. While having half a million interactions within a few hours was astonishing to him, it didn’t spark joy more or less than worry.
After all, he didn’t know how Maxwell Richoux disappeared… The fame could’ve just as easily been to blame. Who says a magical fan can't be just as obsessive? The internet was a scary place like that… Made the world smaller than ever.
But Lelou? Oh, something primal about all that attention. The crowds, the people at her feet, all channeled through him. They worshipped him as a God of fitness, and a paragon of what Humans could achieve. And they worshipped the Wolf. That was more of a rush once she understood what the internet was than anything else she’d experienced in thousands on thousands of years.
Not since the world had been theirs…
So, instinctively, Leon stared at the hits counter and the comment number climb in real time, almost forgetting that the GPS had to be started again. Eventually, they made it to the lot for the lot. There were dozens of cars parked next to this open air cul-de-sac style roadway, where ten food trucks lined the sidewalks with all manner of colorful lights and paint jobs advertising their goods. There was every region of food one could think of, often with two or more representations. Asian, Central American, Eurocentric foods of all varieties. Even the good down-home barbecue with a pit grilling off to the side of the last food truck on the end.
”Holy shit! Fucking hell, how the fuck doesn’t this exist near this tiny fucking town?!” Cass was simultaneously in a state of excitement and disbelief. Was it well known, or something? How else could it stay profitable? No way there were enough people living in Weed to keep this kind of thing open…
But that wasn’t important right now. What
was important was getting some good grub in her stomach. As soon as she found a spot to park, Cass was out of the truck and taking in the smells. Almost too much when she’d taken to pretty much always background casting a sense enhancement spell… Fuck, there was so much choice.
”Shit, dude, what’re you thinking? You gonna get a ton from one place, or hit up a whole bunch. I’ma have to do the latter… No way I ain’t trying something from like half these trucks. Wait… Wait, am I smelling what I think I am?” Cass exaggeratedly sniffed the air, eyes lighting up.
”Is one of those trucks a chippy?! It smells as close to authentic as you get on this side of the ocean!”They were relatively far from the ocean, but whatever this truck was, it came clear from the coast and into this spot with a haul of fresh white fish every single day. And of course, authentic sides were being dished out as well. The whole truck was themed like an English Pub, and they weren’t
just selling fish and chips on newspapers either. They had the good shit on tap, and pork mince pies, a massive offering of bangers and mash: All manner of savory brown food that any English person this side of the pond would’ve cried to see.
For Leon, the Chinese truck was calling like a siren to the sea. He didn’t have to look long before approaching the counter and treating it like it was his own personal buffet. And of course,
someone had to recognize him. This time a fellow patron, and an older gentleman who seemed more interested in talking about his father than hearing about Leon’s personal career. It didn’t stop him from piling up four different styrofoam boxes and tipping an extra three grand for the people working the truck.
In the grassy area surrounding the cul-de-sac, there were dozens and dozens of different benches and tables to be sat at. However, Leon made sure to wait for Cass and any shenanigans she was getting into before finding the perfect place to chow down.
Cass had spent a while making a decision… Did she fall for the call of food from home, or still go for a variety. In the end, she decided to get a few other things before going for the English food. She hit up the grill at the far end first, getting some barbeque ribs before moving on. Then, a box from the Indian street food truck. She got chatting enough with the guy behind the counter that he threw in a free bag of pakora with a wink… Which didn’t end up so free when she tipped more than enough to make up with it.
She didn’t want to give the guy the wrong idea, cute or not.
As much as she wanted Chinese too, she decided to skip it- figuring she could steal some of Leon’s.
So she swung round the English Pub themed truck with a couple of boxes already.
”Fish and chips with mushy peas, a pork pie, and a pint of Guinness, thanks!” “Coming right up- I ain’t heard an accent like that round these parts in years.” The man in the truck grinned at her as he started to pour her pint first. He did it slowly until it was almost full, before putting the plastic cup down underneath the tap.
“You just visiting?”
”Oh, nah, living here! ‘Bout six years now… It ain’t so grey and wet, y’know. No reason to go back aside from the food!” Cass easily fell into conversation with a fellow Brit.
It turned out he was from North England too, originally. Leeds… So really not that far from Manchester. As he prepared her meal- salt and vinegar on the fish and chips, of course- they chatted away about all sorts of shit. The weather back home, football, how Americans didn’t know how to make decent chips…
It was pretty refreshing to talk to someone from back home, and she had an extra little spring in her step as she finally made her way back over to Leon. In one arm were various containers of food, while her other hand carefully held her pint like it was the most precious thing in the world.
”The guy was English- no wonder the shit was actually authentic!” Cass didn’t pause or bother with any greetings, just a grin at Leon as she got to him. She pretty quickly spun around and found them a free table- one large enough to fit both of their massive meals.
It was a tough life being a magical calorie burner.
”Oh I’m so fucking excited…” Cass didn’t wait to tear into her fish and chips- wanting to enjoy it all while it was still hot. It was at its best then, after all, even if the chips should still hold up when cool.
”God, that hits the spot… Great choice. Especially since we’ll need the energy for later.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him through absolutely devouring her food.
Before they sat down, Leon was already five eggrolls deep.
”Carbs for cardio, Baby! Feels like a mukbang; people are gonna stare at us.” he laughed, looking around at the mostly empty part of the picnicking area they were sat in.
”Well… If they were here. Better they’re not. They don’t need to see what’s about to happen to this food.””You’re making it sound like we’re animals!” Cass cackled, as if she hadn’t just eaten a whole meal in the space of minutes. She was moving onto the Pork Pie now, chasing it down with the beer as it too was devoured. Only then did she not feel so intensely hungry and could slow down to really enjoy the rest.
”Sooo… Club Hilltop, huh? Thank fuck you spilled, cause I wouldn’t wanna turn up there not dressed right… Ooo, it’s fucking good though. I’ve been a couple of times? But shit ain’t the most accessible to go regularly.” She chatted away, grinning widely at him.
”It’ll be even better with you… dude, you’re gonna love it! They do different themes and shit- well I bet you read that. Means it ain’t gonna be like when I’ve been before.”Her expression only grew more playful.
”Didn’t think Casa de Cass would be satisfying enough, eh?”Leon laughed loudly.
”Nah, it’s just… After everything you said about the landlord, I figured maybe it’d be better if we left the place as nice as possible. Got the dirty shit done somewhere set up for it. Also, I… I did see the theme. It’s-” he petered off, voice dropping purposefully low to avoid Cass’ uproarious laughter.
“Oh fuck, what is it?” Cass leaned forward, eyes twinkling.
”Hungry like… the Wolf…” he blushed before slapping his face with his own hand.
”I swear, it was totally by chance. I saw it and I was honestly a little sad because it could’ve been like… You know, the goth night or something but… I mean, it’s very explicitly stated that fur suits are not going to be accepted at the door, but like… Still. Could be weird?” he added.
“No fucking way!” Cass shook her head, trying to keep the laughter to a reasonable level… not that there was anyone around to look over. Of
course it was something like that. They were practically haunted by wolves. They
were wolves.
“Hey, you can still show up as a goth wolf… The fuck does that actually mean theme wise? Like- oh fuck it’s gonna be all like leashes and shit- nah, nah, I’m sure it won’t be super weird! Not too weird for us, at least!” Not that Cass
wasn’t into something like that. Very little she wasn’t into.
“It’s a shame normal people can’t see my ears- otherwise I’d be totally sorted! Authentic wolf ears and tail… Much as it might be a surprise, I ain’t gotta fake pair just lying around.””I just don’t get it… There’s no real specifics on what this shit could mean if there’s… Like… They’re not admitting the furries! If not them, then who is this fo-Oh my God!”Leon had started to explain what he was thinking when he was jumpscared by an image. Scrolling far enough down the page, there was a small menu that took him to a different page. It was a download for a pdf essentially detailing Club Hilltop’s rules and regulations, as well as any specific rulings that involved tonight’s event. There were even diagrams detailing…
Sizing information for various implements that were expected to be used. As well, a list of evening contests and competitions that could be signed up for on arrival…
”It’s a toy event! Like… The big ones? The ones that… Don’t…”He held up his phone to Cass with the diagram showing various shapes and sizes, but none of them looked like a mortal man.
”It’s… I mean… Is this something you’d want to go to? We can get freaky in a field somewhere, I really don’t… Mind…” he said, a vague level of discomfort in his voice.
Cass leaned forward to properly look at his phone… and a wide, teasing smirk pulled at her lips. It only increased as he sounded a bit uncomfortable about it.
"Dude… You're the one who sounds like you don't wanna go." She raised her eyebrows, staring right at him. Her whole body leaned across the table towards him, practically lifting herself off the seat.
”You not into shit like that? Or shit that big- oh! You worried cause some of it's bigger than you? That I'll enjoy it more or some shit? Babe…" Her hand reached out to point to one of the toys on the diagram. It wasn't the most
out there one… The kind of thing someone kinky could feasibly already own, which was…
"I've already got that one."”No! I’m… Pissed that…”He sighed, shaking his head.
”That… Y’know, it’s a fucking… Basic orgy. Right? Like, ultimately, these people could probably take the organ, but not the force behind it. So, like, if it was a magic place, there’d be no problem. I guess maybe… I don’t want to go? If it’d been a night where people were just expecting people, it’d be easier. I could be the top of the totem pole, y’know, a paragon of mankind. But this? Why bother when… There’s probably some place magical where we could actually go all out…”For a moment, Leon looked dejected until he finally crossed over into a look of determination.
”I don’t know… Do you care?” he asked her genuinely.
"About going, or about it not being magical?" Cass asked, before shrugging.
"I really don't give a fuck about either! Like, I know it'll be a good time whether we go or we fuck in a field somewhere. Or find some magical place, but I ain't sure how to find something like that- Anyway! If you don't wanna go, we don't gotta. My partner not having a good time, even if he's a few bodies away from me, is kinda a turnoff, y'know?"She didn't bother beating around the bush, like normal. She really was chill about it. If sex with Leon was boring, sure she'd be pushing for going to a club like that… but she also probably wouldn't be sticking around. And it wasn't.
"And y'know, if we get freaky elsewhere, we can pull out some of my toys. I got plenty of shit too!" She grinned.
He certainly wanted to have fun. But, there was another voice in his head. One that had other motives altogether. A deep need for worship, and to be at the top. He couldn’t exactly explain it without it sounding worse than it actually was… But, then, maybe it really was that bad? After all, she could make his life far worse than was healthy at this point. Without the leash, she could still eventually break whatever seal she wanted. It just took a long enough buildup.
Finally he pulled his phone out and made a quick dial. In another second or two, he was talking to someone on the phone. It wasn’t conversational, though whoever was on the other end seemed to keep making it that way. Leon wanted info; clear info, and fast.
”Hey! — Yeah, no bad man, not bad. — Yep, yeah, it’s all been fine. — Uh-huh! Nope, I j- — Oh, yeah. Yep. — No, I’m sure. Hey li- — Yeah. Mhm. — No, no! Not at all, I’m sure she’s just been busy. — Don’t worry, man. I’ll get to it for you. Now, I called be- — Yes. Yeah. No, I was call- —”He tucked his head into his hand, shaking it before putting the phone back to his ear.
”Rusty! Rustyyyyyyyy! — Dude… I love you, I appreciate you. I’m happy to chop it up when I see you next, but right now I was just looking for some info. — No, sorry man, I promise it’s not on purpose. — Okay, so I’m in your neck of the woods? And I was just hoping you knew somewhere that a friend and I could find some other people to have fun with? — No, I was thinking more like Amsterdam for the Cutlass Cup? Remember? — Oh, yeah, that’s perfect! What’s the address, is it in the city? — Awesome, Russel, thanks Man… Seriously. You gonna be there? — Alright, see you then. Oh, and I’m not alone? So I’m not looking for any personal company. — Nah, much more personal than that; you’ll meet her I’m sure. She’ll kick your ass too, just wait. — Alright, thanks again Rust.”Hanging up, Leon was much more happy than he was before.
”See? Easy as a phone call when your boy knows every single paranormal on the West Coast. We’re gonna have a way better time. Your first magic orgy! Oh, God, this is gonna be way better than some pretend club for Normies.” he grinned at her.
"Fuck, awesome! Course you got magical orgy connections." Cass grinned back, throwing up a hand excitedly. As much as she was easy with what they did, a magical orgy? That should be really fucking exciting! She wouldn't have to worry about not using magic or dampening her strength so it didn't seem weird…
"How do magical orgies work? Like, how much is the magic involved? There gonna be fireballs flying around- nah, that'd end up with somewhere burning down! But seriously, how much do I gotta prepare? Outside of getting ready to beat that guys ass?"Leon couldn’t help but burst into laughter as she talked about beating Rusty’s ass. As a long time Disciple of Gravity and peripheral Temple member, Russel Caulier was a short-time boxer and long time mogul in the adult entertainment industry. As a Red Lux Adept, he had probably the worst and most perverse kind of focus that Leon could think of, specializing in all sorts of material magics that helped his various
productions.
”You ever seen anything from Cauliflower Productions? Porn stuff… Made that series that went viral with the dude who looked like Willem Defoe? Everyone on Titter went absolutely nuts because they thought that a famous actor was suddenly doing porn?” he asked her, still smiling as he thought about how stupid it was.
Cass thought for a moment, scratching her chin. Had she…
"Oh fuck yeah, I saw that! Not my kinda guy, Defoe, but I saw it!"”Well, that dude is this dude. The guy who looked like Defoe. It’s actually his production company who made that, and like… Probably a hundred other movies? He used to be one of my Dad’s boxing students, but once he was gone, Rusty wound up getting more involved in the business he’s in now. I figured if anyone was gonna know? It’d be him.”Now, as far as what she’d asked about how it worked? He could only speculate. These things were rarely regulated, and with so much Lux in one place, there were bound to be strange and inexplicable happenings going on. Things that he probably wouldn’t be able to prep her for even if she’d known what exactly was coming.
”Now, your other question? I doubt there’s gonna be anything crazy destructive. Sometimes the Adept or Aberration involved isn’t really there to use their powers as much as they’re there for the experience? But, there’s not too much magic that you can’t have at least something interesting in the back pocket with. Like, Rusty? Y’know what his magic specialty is? Lubricant. Water, silicone, whatever you want he can synthesize it out of thin air. Dumbest fucking spell ever but he swears by it.” he kept laughing at how ridiculous the situation was.
Cass immediately burst out in laughter, hand slapping the table with a loud thud.
"Magical lubricant?! Seriously?! Was he so fuckin' skint from tryna make pornos he couldn't afford to buy it? Fuck! Does it even make shit at all better or is it just fucking conjured up lube? Holy fuck!"She couldn't stop laughing at the concept of someone specialising in that, of all things. Sure, her magic had kinky uses… but it wasn't the sole purpose of most of it. It was cool. That was kinda…
"Dude, that's kinda lame, I'm surprised he gets anyone if that's his party trick!"”Sometimes, telling someone that something’s magic is good enough to get their motor running. But, no, it’s pretty interesting stuff. Whatever residual Lux in it makes it a pretty good conductor of other Lux. His main squeeze is a Pink Lux Adept, and he is basically just a big horny bomb. So, you get everyone nice and slippery, and then the extrasensory fun starts. But, that’s only if they’re actually getting down. He could be going just to see me; it’s been a while since we’ve hung out.”Leon had plenty of fond memories of being covered in that shit… Even before Lelou.
"Oh, I see! That does sound a bit more fucking interesting than just some magical lube… if maybe a bit insane combined with heightened senses!" Cass grinned, nodding along. She still wasn't entirely sure about extrasensory if it came from Pink Lux… mind magic was one of the ones she had a healthy uncertainty about. But then again, what could they get outta her beautiful noggin that she wasn't already open about?
"So… this guy's a good friend of yours, then?" She asked, moving on from the talk of a magical orgy. Not that she didn't have plenty more questions… but she didn't want little innocent Leon worrying that she only wanted him for his body!
"Or at least, you don't hate his guts cause of some long term boxing rivalry! Though that'd be kinda fucking cool… but hey, nice, I get a magical orgy and to meet another friend of yours, that's a pretty big win for Cass."”A bit like an older brother to me. I never had one, so, Rusty would be it. He’s like… Six? Maybe six or seven years older. Terrible influence. Absolutely awful, the things he used to say to me. But, we’ve honestly worked it out over the years, and now it’s pretty much all love. Y’know how it is, the older sibling just kind of dogs on the younger one until you both hit an age where you realize the dynamic isn’t the same. So, you level, fix it, and here we are now. I did the same shit to Elise and Casey.”Not so much the younger ones… He was already a bit old to be dealing with them in the same capacity. Junior, he probably should have. Maybe that was the reason he was a freak now…
”Why? You said Defoe wasn’t your type, so… Looking for an excuse to keep him off you?” Leon joked, trying to figure out why she wanted details about that. He was hoping to dig up a side kink, but it could be anything…
Cass stared at him for a moment, head tilting to the side like a confused bird. Then one hand reached out, finger going to tap his head.
”Fuck, is there only sex up there? Poor Lelou, blamed for all your horniness!” She joked back with a laugh. Did he seriously not know why she’d ask? Was it not super obvious? Did no one ever show interest in that kinda shit?
”Ain’t it normal to wanna know more about the guy I like? That includes knowing about- and meeting- your friends! Like, knowing you’ve got an older sibling figure is cool! Cause I’m a middle child, so I’ve experienced being both… It gives some extra understanding and shit. That aside, I just want to know about the people in your life, y’know?””Well, no… Not all sex. Trust, when you’ve lived with a family like mine all your life, you build a tendency to harbor skepticism in your heart.” Leon admitted calmly, willing to at least be honest about his flaws to this woman. She was becoming more important day after day…
”I’ll tell you anything you wanna know. Just, y’know… Be patient if I wonder why you’re asking. Mom always said that she saw me as a detective in one of her dreams, so…-” he shrugged, smiling.
”-I guess it’s just a habit. Anyway, shoot! Go, fire away!”
After the large food break, the two got on their way again. Another four hours or so… By the time they reached San Francisco it was later on in the afternoon. There hadn’t been any other long pit stops: just a quick stop here and there to take more pictures with signs that Cass found funny.
But here they were, finally. San Francisco with all of its hills… Cass was able to find a parking spot on the street that fit the truck and wasn’t too far from her apartment. Not that she minded the walk, but it’d get a bit boring if they had to do it over and over again while lugging her shit over.
The apartment building itself wasn’t one of the tall highrises found in the centre- rather they were much more on the outside of the city. The buildings looked a little more quaint, only four or five stories high. A lot of them looked more rundown too- like they were in desperate need for repairs. The area wasn’t
awful, but it wasn’t exactly the nicest.
Cass was practically bouncing down the street and into her building, leading Leon up two flights of stairs with large leaps. She screeched to a halt in front of a wooden door, patting her coat pockets until she found her keys. The handle was a little wobbly as she shoved the key in, and pushed it open with her shoulder.
”Welcome to Casa de Cass- Well, it ain’t just my place.” Cass led him inside with an arm sweeping across the entrance hall. It was a relatively spacious rectangle with four doors going off it, along with a narrower corridor directly to their left. It was a bit depressing, with very little decoration. The only thing on the wall was a pinboard, with various practical things stuck to it- numbers for handymen, takeaway menus, a cleaning rotation with only two names on it… A crude drawing with ‘We <3 boobs’ written underneath it?
”I dunno if my flatmate’s in so-”As if summoned, a door further along the right door clicked open. A darker skinned woman a few inches taller than Cass stepped out, her dark hair pulled back into cornrows that fell down her back. She opened her mouth to say something, immediately stopping when her gaze flickered up from Cass to Leon in shock. Then back down to Cass.
”... I thought you were moving in with Reyna? Not…” The woman waved a hand at Leon, not bothering to hide her confusion at Cass bringing someone along.
”I am! Mostly! Sorta! Don’t worry ‘bout it!” Cass laughed, stepping further into the hall.
”Where’s me greeting? ’Oh Cass I missed you so much and I’m gonna miss you even more now you’re moving! But don’t worry there’ll always be space for you in my bed if you wanna visit!’””Dream on. Thanks to you, I’m looking for a new place with my girlfriend.” ”Aw, you’re welcome, I know you’ve wanted to move in with her for ages!”Her flatmate just rolled her eyes, stepping forward and holding out a hand towards Leon.
”I’m Naima. Good luck if Cass is going to be staying with you for long.””Hey!”A million thoughts passed through Leon’s mind, and none of them were decent. Thankfully, he was a sensible animal and stuck out his hand to shake hers.
”Well, sharing beds and girlfriends? I’m Leon, if you’re ever looking for a great time. If Cass vouches I-””Dude, noooo, she’s a lesbian!” Cass interrupted through laughter, reaching out to slap Leon’s arm.
”And taken,” Naima added cooly, raising an eyebrow.
”Aw c'mon Nai, don’t go pretending you and Kaylee ain’t open! Ooo I can see that lil judgmental light in your eyes, I ain’t gonna stand for it.” Cass shook her head in mock disappointment.
Naima just laughed, expression loosening up into a smile.
”Nice to meet you, Leon- but I’ll pass on that. Lesbian, like Cass says. Even if I wasn’t… I don’t want to delve into Cass’s group like that again.””Dude, that was totally your fault! You chose to date Diyah then Trisha, you basically had a death wish!” Cass laughed, even though it had been… A difficult time all round. It had worked out well in the end, because their shared spite had only brought Nadiyah and Trisha closer together.
”Oh, no shit… Dated Trisha Vanburen? That’s one wild horse to ride with… We went to school together, she’s dating my little brother… Actually introduced hot stuff and me”Leon always found it endearing to be objectified. Even before Lelou, he felt nothing but flattery when someone held him up in that fashion.
Especially in front of others. He only hoped that Cass didn’t mind… He’d adjust, of course, but just like everything else, he couldn’t help but leap before looking.
Luckily for Leon, Cass didn’t seem to have a problem with it. At least, she just grinned up at him… She really didn’t. Her boundaries were pretty lacking, though it was always a bit dependent on the audience… But friends? Yeah, most stuff was on the table.
”Who didn’t date Trisha. I’m surprised you’re risking meeting someone through her, Cass.” Naima spoke nonchalantly- there didn’t seem to be much venom behind it. Just practicality.
”Oy, what did I say about shit talking my girl? It ain’t gonna be a problem- you should see em, her and Casey are realll sweet. It’s gonna work out this time… They’re perfect together! God, it’s so fucking cute. Seriously!” Cass, of course, didn’t stand for even the hint of negativity- not in this instance, at least. She was able to see her friend’s flaws and knew what Naima was getting at… But this time she didn’t think it was a risk.
And they were all adults. She shouldn’t have to choose, if it somehow came to that.
”There she goes again…” Naima muttered, good naturedly waving a hand in front of her face.
”It’s your life! Though… Can’t say I expected you to quit your job and move for a guy.””To be fair, my Brother’s like… A patience God. Spent the war hiding in holes or some shit. I once watched him wait- Well, whatever. Point is, I always figured she was gonna need someone super patient, all the way back in high school. As for her meeting me? I mean, come on… Look me up. I’m a catch.” Leon grinned, flexing his social clout.
It was Leon’s assumption that, in spite of everything, the fantasy of his boxing fame would probably always be a turn on for Cass… And, he figured the situation was playful enough that he could say something like that confidently. She proved again and again to be someone without the kind of anxieties that other women in his life had.
”But, hey… I’m a shower, right? We do things, we show people that they’re done, then they trust us when we say that we’ll do ‘em. Like, for instance, I’m not gonna tell you that your pal here’s in good hands. I’ll just show you. Next time we talk? You’ll believe me.”He threw a wink at Naima, along with a bright smile.
Naima stared at him, seeming to be trying to figure out if he was serious. Then she laughed.
”Sure, I’ll believe you if she doesn’t try to crawl into my bed in a couple of weeks.” ”Hey now… I’d be crawling into Trisha’s bed first, she’s closest!” Cass cackled. She patted Leon’s arm with a grin, unable to resist putting her hand on
some part of him. Not when he was talking like that…
”He’s right! I’d be an idiot not to overturn my life for him- wait that makes it sound way worse. Y’know I was fucking bored here! Gotta follow the thrill… Speaking of thrill, lemme show you my room!””... Please keep it down.” Naima intoned.
”Heh- don’t worry, we’re going out later! C’mon…” Cass’s hand dropped to grab Leon’s, tugging him down the more narrow corridor to their left towards the door at the end. Her hand dropped towards the handle, before she froze. It was like a brief stutter in the seemingly boundless energy that was Cass as her brain kicked into gear. Remembering something…
She slowly turned around towards Leon, staring up at him with a
deadly serious expression.
”Promise not to freak out.”Leon hardly fit into this little corridor, with both of his shoulders and arms abutting the walls.
”I won’t freak out, but… If the first thing I see is my face? I’m gonna laugh.” Leon smiled, giggling as he replied.
"Nahhhhh… First think you're gonna see is your dick!" A wide grin split Cass's previously serious look, and she cackled.
Confident he wouldn't at least throw a tantrum or something, she pushed open the door and led him inside.
The room was far more spacious than the preceding corridor- thankfully- though it was definitely smaller than what Leon was used to. The first thing he saw wasn't his face- or any part of him. Directly in front of him were posters of boxers- but female ones, more of the same height and weight as Cass. Inspiration for Cass, perhaps? Moving along to the left, there was her double bed pushed into the corner. The posters above the foot of it changed to the heaviest weight of female boxers. Mixed league posters, and then a
lot of one person- Katya Ivanov, also known as just ‘Panther.’ A tall, buff woman who was often a champion of the women's league… It was pretty clear that Cass had a type.
Then, there were the PBL posters at the head of her bed, sweeping around the corner to cover both the left side of her pillow and above it. At first glance it was obvious that Leon had the most posters of anyone on that wall- partly because by the time she was able to get any, Gravity had been missing for years. There was a fair few of Gravity too… Then second to them, with just a few less than Katya, were posters of Vladinov Avanski- Two Gun Vlad. Leon's direct rival within the league.
The actual reason Cass had been worried he'd freak out. You could never be sure with these things! After all, he might be a lovely guy… or an absolute dick! All they saw were the matches and whatever was on social media. And maybe her views had been coloured a little by all the hate fucking fanfic she'd read…
"Behold, my most valuable collection!" Cass said dramatically gestured to the posters as she bounced further into the room. She moved round to the bottom of her bed, in the little gap between there and her overflowing desk. There were even
three desktops underneath it…
"Y'know how hard some of it was to get? Specially since I got into it just before the war… a lil kid like me couldn't afford that shit, then there wasn't any imports!"From an initial lookaround, Leon had three things on his mind. One; get Cass into body sculpting. He figured if she learned how to safely use her Green Lux on her own body to enact more permanent change, she'd appreciate having the ability to shape herself entirely.
Two; a meet up with Katya had to be arranged. He knew her well enough that they'd spent time in the same bed; and that they'd both uncovered one another's ability to cast Adeptal Magic almost fifteen years prior. The two were in the same youth league on opposite sides of the gender gap, and thanks to Leon's previous White Lux access, he easily picked out her signatures from the other fighters.
It was highly likely that she'd be happy to meet again were there enough convenience… And even more likely that Leon could tick another fantasy off of Cass’ checklist.
And, finally the third: Fuck with Vlad. They'd punched one another so much, so often, that Leon was certain if he didn't have Lelou, there'd be a dent in his skull in the shape of the Russian's fist. One poster Cass had specifically was quite rare. A collector's edition of their title fight last year, Leon recognized it immediately because of the raised images impressed into the paper. It gave the entire thing a very three-dimensional look.
Of course, an ego maniac like Leon carried a sharpie… It slid from his pocket with ease, and without words, Leon tucked his leg up onto Cass’ bed before starting to scribble on the (probably ten of a kind) poster.
Granted, if there was one thing that was going to increase the value of the poster, maybe it was this…
Before anything else, Leon was sure to mark his signature in big bold scrawl underneath his headshot. Then, moving up on the poster, and sure to avoid touching any of the highlights, he drew a speech bubble out of his own mouth. Within, a simple phrase:
”Ice cream after?”Leon leaned back and grinned widely, then looked back at Cass.
”This is an absolute gem, Babe. When we meet Vlad, we'll be sure to bring this poster with us so he can finish it… What do you think, do you think we got ice cream after that fight?” he asked, knowing full well she'd know just how roughed up they both were after such a historic fight.
Cass's reaction was… a little strange. She'd brought up a hand to cover her face, shoulders trembling a bit. What did she think? Did she think they got ice cream after the fight?! It sure was much tamer than what she'd written them doing after the fight! Which was why she was covering her face… A rare ashamed expression. Sure, they were basically dating now, but there were some lines you didn't cross! Like blurting out about the much worse things she'd thought about them doing after…
"Yeah, you probably both gotta whole tub to hold up against your face! I saw how fucked up you both were, the cameras they got now are great at picking up that kinda detail!" Cass dropped her hands from her face now that the very real risk of revealing one thing she felt she shouldn't was gone. She made her way back round her bed so she was standing beside Leon, hands on her hips as she looked at the now scrawled on poster.
"We better meet Vlad and get his signature too! Ima hold you to that, cause otherwise this is gonna look real uneven… not that I ain't happy to get your signature on it!"Leon had his phone out, and snapped a picture of the poster to rattle off to the man himself.
”We’ll go to Eastern Europe for sure. The amount of tournaments I wind up in over there is crazy; half the time I don't even go to all of them. My manager has to call and cancel, because I can't make it everywhere they want me to be!” There was a short pause, then his phone vibrated in response. Pulling it out, he laughed and turned the phone to Cass so she could read.
”U ruin plakat. $5 take now.”Leon could only laugh, hearing Vlad's thick accent in his mind.
His reply was simple.
”Needs podpis. Value go up.”Vlad quickly responded with a drooling emoji, causing Leon to laugh more.
”This guy, Babe… Aaaaanything for a few more bucks. He's great, he's funny, but he's always looking for ways to make more money. Cultural mindset, I can only guess…” he explained calmly.
"I'm selling this over my cold, dead body!" Cass declared, as if anyone was gonna be pushing her to sell it when there were both signatures on it. Maybe some of her non boxing friends if they found out the value… but the emotional value of having it was way higher!
"I'll fight off the money grabbing Boxer if I gotta… Oh dude, I'm glad you guys get on though! You can never be sure with the shit… the forums are full of speculations. Some people are convinced you're best friends, some think you absolutely hate each other's guts. The evidence both ways is kinda hilarious cause it's like… flimsy, y'know? Insane fan behaviour, like you're besties cause you drank the same brand of drink at a match."Of course the actual fan behaviour had been that it wasn't that they were best friends, but secretly dating… but she wasn't going to mention that bit.
”That’s why hanging with me is fun. I’m a nerd about it, but I was there. Like that fight you’re talking about where the forums blew up about the Quenchcups? That was totally random, like he wasn’t sponsored by Quenchcup, they didn’t have a deal with him… They actually asked him not to drink their product on live television again…” Leon laughed loudly.
Then, Leon’s head turned to admire some of the other posters. The posters of female boxers.
”Now, what’s up with this side? Just, uh… Fan still? Personal motivation? Fantasy?” he asked, specifically pointing at Katya.
"What, you gonna get all jealous if I say I'm a big fan too? Like yeah, you ain't the only one I fantasised about getting down and dirty with?" Cass shot back teasingly. She knew Leon well enough to know he was unlikely to get jealous… really, it had all just been a fantasy. Wishful thinking, erotic writings. She'd never expected to meet any of them outside of maybe some match- and the thought of actually hooking up had never crossed her mind as a possible reality. Nevermind what was going on with her and Leon.
Leon bit his lip with great intent, staring at Cass. He didn’t speak, and instead held the pose out for as long as it would take to get her to ask a question, or react beyond confusion.
"What? What is it?" Cass wasn’t patient, so it didn't take her long to crack and ask while bouncing right up into Leon’s space.
Rather than respond to Cass’ curiosity, Leon took a long and deep breath before pulling out his cell again. With a slightly tucked head and narrowed eyes, he started to grin.
”I don’t know if I want to spoil you with this phone call…” he paused, presuming she’d get where his head was at this point.
"Spoil me how- oh dude, you got Katya on speed dial?! Of fucking course!" Cass grinned, hopping up so that her arms hooked around his neck. She just hung there, staring at him closely.
"Don't know if you want to spoil me my ass- like you don't get off on that shit. C'monnnn... Unless you really are jealous! Or, gasp, worried?!"Leon was all smiles as he pressed a few buttons. It was
quite the call, but thanks to modern technology, at least all he had to worry about was a fee. There were a few extra line connections to be made, but eventually a voice picked up on the other end.
”Ooooh, you call me? Rock rock, Baby, you are in St. Petersburg?”Sure enough, that was the voice Cass would’ve heard in a thousand different interviews… And she didn’t seem to have any familiarity issues with Leon giving her a call. It only made him grin wider, that he garnered an immediately warm reception… If she’d been awkward, which she never was ultimately, it could’ve ended much differently.
”Ooooh, absolutely not. You know it’s cold over there.” he replied, the speaker of the phone slightly muffling her response.
”E-f-rr-mr- ‘n get nice and warm in the big medved and cuddle with Katyushka…”Leon’s eyes widened at Cass, both eyebrows wagging in turn.
”Oh Jesus, I must’ve called at the wrong time.””I was asleep, Blyat! Why you wake me, Leoni…?” Katya sleepily asked through the phone.
Leon smiled at Cass, then hit the mute button.
”You wanna just… Go for it? Or would you rather being properly introduced?” he asked politely.
Cass grinned, practically vibrating with excitement. She leaned over, one arm still hooked around his neck while her other hand moved towards his phone. A finger hovered over the mute button.
"Y'know me… I ain't shy!"Especially since the two were clearly pretty familiar with each other… Not that she knew what ‘medved’ meant, but the eyebrow waggling afterwards… Well, either way, cuddling was involved!
She tapped the mute button.
"Hello! I'm Cass! Easy to remember cause it rhymes with ass. Sorry to wake ya, that was my fault. I'm Leon's…" She paused, not sure what to say there. It wasn't like they'd really defined anything yet. To her, they were in that awkward point between fucking and dating where it wasn't really just fucking anymore, but were they really properly dating? Whatever!
"Eh, anyway- I'm a massive fan. Like would totally love to get beaten up in the ring by you but I'm too short to ever qualify kinda fan!" Cass tried not to straight up shout into the phone, but her natural volume was just pretty loud… and she was super excited.
She shifted her position, twisting her body so her legs were wrapped around Leon to keep her attached to him while freeing up her hands. Said hands moved to slap over his ears- as if that'd actually do anything- and she leaned closer to the phone to whisper.
"Don't tell Leon but I was actually into you first."Of course, she meant as a boxing fan… Not really thinking about the phrasing…
There was some throat clearing and giggling on the other end before Leon decided to turn on the front facing camera. When their faces popped up, it’d be a surprise that Leon’s face was buried in Cass’ hair. She’d feel him kiss the top of her head.
”Cass is my girlfriend, Katya. Fairly recent, but… Yeah! What she said!” he grinned down at Cass.
There was a moment’s pause before Katya groaned and turned her own camera on. She was laid in a rather plush setting, soft and fuzzy blankets all around her. She was
also topless, not to mention sporting a myriad of bruises on her breasts, chest, arms and face.
”Ohhhhhh-” she teased, stretching her muscular figure with a yawn.
”-my everything is aching terribly! Yet, such a cute face heals me so… Leon, be truthful; these beautiful women flock to your ugly ham face?”They both laughed.
”It’s my personality, Katya, surely you get it…””And your American attitude… Miss Cass? You say you want to be beaten, but… Surely there is no other way for us to get close?” she questioned, letting it linger in the air between phones.
”Just Cass please!” Cass shouted, before tilting her head back with a groan as she actually thought about the question. Like she was mentally calculating the feasibility and cost of jumping on a plane right to the other side of the world… Of course, it wasn’t feasible. Not that she was actually that desperate. Definitely not just wanting to immediately jump what she saw on the other side of the phone.
”Well… it’s a fantasy! I bend all sortsa ways- literally, heh- there’s plenty of ways to get close. So many. I can start listing em! That’s just, like, the top of a long list.” She grinned, patting Leon’s chest before wrapping her arms around his neck again.
”Leon’ll attest to how flexible I am! And how hard a punch it takes to actually hurt me, y’know, in case that’s a worry. I know I got such an adorable face that nobody’d want to risk it… But I’m stronger than I look!”It wasn’t really awkward, but it came out as a bit of a mixed up mess. She’d been a bit like this when she first met Leon too… like her mind and mouth didn’t quite move at the same pace. At least it’d been a little easier in person. Not that it was
hard, just chaotic.
”Literally anything! I’m down for anything!”Katya was cool as a cucumber. She always was in a fight, never giving herself away to the enemy until the very last moment.
”Ohhh, aren’t you just a little lamb?” she commented with a teasing groan in her voice.
”Oh, more than flexible, Katya! I’m teaching her.” Leon intoned, voice growing a little more quiet.
At first, Katya was visibly confused about something so vague. But, after a short time, it seemed to click.
”Du blyat… You are Adeptal? Of course I should expect from Leoni, but he has plenty of- Uh… Well, am I supposed to-” Katya’s voice stymied off.
”Oh, Kitty-cat… Isn’t the proposition clear? My girlfriend wants you.-” he grinned into the camera, letting his free hand teasingly wrap around Cass’ neck.
”-Won’t you make her dream come true, Katya?”He was being somewhat coy, playful and even a little goofy. It was all Katya could do to not hop up and book her own flight.
”Cassi, you come to St. Petersburg. You come to my city, you tie that bum in your hotel. I meet you in gym, we grow intimate. I wine you, I dine you, I bring you back and we show this goofy ham-faced man what lovemaking is.” she finished, wagging her eyebrows up and down in a rapid fashion.
”Oh fuck yes!” Cass grinned, getting excited just thinking about it. Of course, that wasn’t great for Leon, since the more excited she got the more she couldn’t keep still. She was still holding onto him with her arms and legs- well, at least two limbs at a time- but there was a lot more wriggling and position changing.
She didn’t really get why her being an Adept was important to this but… Whatever! Didn’t matter, didn’t care!
”We’ll probably need a fucking dungeon or something to chain him up in though… Y’know some ropes in a hotel room won’t hold! Aw man…” Cass tilted her upper body back, positioning herself so she could grin playfully at both of them.
”You are in for such a show, Babe. I know you’ll love it. Fuck, when can we go?! Why does it have to be fucking American holiday season!”Her grin turned into a playful pout.
”You’re actually just torturing me, ain’t you? Showing me what I could have, but the distance keeps me from it!””The Keenee, in the Spring, Leoni! Cassi, Kukolka, you tell him you want to see him fight in the Keenee! You and I, we go, we watch him get all bloody, and he kill another man! And he come, he take us both as that big Wolf beastie…”Katya was
far too enthusiastic about what was happening right now… To the point that even Leon wasn’t sure he wanted to keep up.
”Katya, the Keenee isn’t uh…-”But then he looked in Cass’ eyes. Those eyes that he’d seen kill, and had confided in him after the fact…
”-Uh… I don’t know, Cass… Do you want to go to an underground magical death-match? The Keenee is a tournament, so it’s technically more than one death match. But, people like me are… Prizes? I go and do gladiator stuff, shows for the crowd. It’s dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous as that rescue mission…” he explained to Cass as simply as possible.
Cass’ eyes narrowed slightly as she stared back at him. How she felt about it wasn’t obvious as she processed all of that information. She’d accepted what had happened at the raid- namely the amount of people she’d killed without a second thought. It had been a necessity to rescue the Sycamites. But a death match? No, a tournament style one? Suggesting only one survivor?
It was very different to killing out of necessity. Sure it sounded hot as fuck, but she wasn’t one to put her horniness above her morality.
”That’s pretty fucked up.” There was no holding back by Cass, once she’d decided how she felt about something.
”I mean… Ain’t that just glorified murder? I get you all consent or some shit, but the whole thing! Being some fucking prize that kills or is killed… That doesn’t sound super insane to you? Even if it ain’t dangerous for you… I ain’t sure that’s something I can get behind.”Maybe there wasn’t really a moral high ground when it came to killing. Maybe it wasn’t worse than what she had done. It wasn’t like she was delivering some stuffy speech as if she was better. If anything, she was more put off by how it was being glorified.
”I ain’t tryna be a moral grandstander or anything… I can’t lie, Leon all bloody and murderous would be hot as hell! But I ain’t gonna get past the whole fucked up part of it just cause I’m horny!”Katya’s eyes were wide, lips pursed before she smiled widely.
”This is so British of you, to have these opinion types. That is no less appealing… Then we’re back to square one: A weekend stuck between a Rock and a Hard Place, da? You need no occasion to come to my city: Only your family’s good wine, Lesnoy Volka…” Katya blew a kiss at Cass through the phone.
”We expect you soon. Who you want, more? You like like him, too many bodies? I know many beautiful men and women, we will spend all weekend like the Tsar’s court Warlock. Padded in flesh.”Leon could only tilt his head back and laugh hysterically.
”God, we need to get you an English tutor for your pillow talk Kat.” Leon beamed, looking back down at Cass.
”What do you think, you satisfied with that arrangement? Seem like what we want?” he asked her sweetly.
”Fuck yeah it does.” Cass grinned- even though it took her a moment to parse out exactly what Katya meant with some of it… But padded in flesh, many bodies? Sounded great!
”Well, maybe we can find some time for sightseeing in between- I ain’t been before! Gotta enjoy the daylife and the nightlife, eh?” It’d be possible without much sleep… Which was something Cass was more than accustomed to when there was loads to do. Conditions she thrived under, really. Having the Green Lux now helped.
”But I gotta ask…” Cass pulled herself further up Leon’s torso so she could get her face right next to his, while pulling the phone in closer. Like she was about to ask something super secret and intimate, and they weren’t in a private room…
”Is it, like, mandatory for boxers to have such a fucking insane libido? Or that just you two?” ”It is our degenerate European upbringings… Leoni and I come from decadent families. Surely you’ve noticed, these things are simply part of who you are.” she laughed at the whole idea of it.
Surely, it had to be that after all; that they were simply the children of rich folk, with far too much time and money to spare… That all that was left was a life spent chasing pleasure after pleasure.
”These muscles are not built overnight, after all. We are temples: our genetics are the foundations.” Leon cleared his throat.
”Hey, listen! Could be anyone, honestly Babe. I don’t think there’s much of a correlation is all she means.”Damn this woman, her big mouth…
”Oh, this big sensitive topic. This is fine, Leoni! Fine! You go, go, until I see you in my city of Rubble… Cassi…” Katya gave another kiss at the camera, then Leon promptly hung up.
”God, things are fucked up over there. Christ almighty… Anyway...” Leon shook his head and hugged around Cass.
”I guess that’s all set then. Objective complete?” he asked her with a playful but knowing smirk.
Cass grinned back, twisting herself around so she was properly facing him front on.
”Ohhhh... More than I could’ve dreamed of! Keep this up and I really will end up spoilt- and I didn’t think that was possible! I’m pretty fucking down to earth!” She didn’t say anything about the ‘big sensitive topic’, even if she was curious. If he didn’t want to talk about it she wasn’t going to press. If it was important, he would eventually. And if he didn’t feel it was necessary at any point in the future? That was fine. Sure, she could guess… But there was no point sitting around thinking about possibilities.
Smile turning even more teasing, she arched her back slightly to pull her head back enough to stare at him without sacrificing any closeness.
”Also how long’ve you been waiting to say something like that?” She cleared her throat, pitching her voice down a couple of octaves comedically.
”My girlfriend wants you. Won’t you make her dream come true? It was like something straight outta novel, dude!” Leon couldn’t hide a blush, but he did catch her topic with rapidity.
”Oh, Babe… I don’t wait to throw lines like that out… I just throw em.” he blew a kiss at her.
”Now, come on… Let’s get this all taken care of so we can keep having fun.”
It took less time than Cass expected to get most of her shit packed up between the two of them. It helped that she was a pretty efficient packer- not particularly caring for how shit went into boxes unless it was breakable (or valuable posters). It was also way faster to carry shit out when there was someone like Leon, who could carry a ton of boxes like they were nothing.
Cass could too with the Green Lux… there was just the problem of blocking her vision after a couple of them.
In the end, by the time evening properly rolled around she was left with a pretty bare room. There were a few things left- bedding, since they needed it for tonight, then any valuables she didn’t want to risk putting in the truck overnight. So that meant computers and screens… They could carry them and the desk they were on down in the morning.
She’d just finished ordering them a massive dinner, which meant some time waiting around before they could go out for certain magical and fun activities. Now that she was on her computer, Cass couldn’t resist taking a look at some of her frequent haunts… Just a little look while they were sitting around and chilling…
”Holy fuck!” Out of nowhere, Cass started laughing like a mad woman. She slapped her desk, leaning her chair back far enough it looked like she might fall.
”Dude! Fuck, Dude- Listen to this. ’Who’s the woman in Timberwolf’s latest Instapeg post? Girlfriend or just a crazy stalker?’ Babe they’re going fucking crazy!”The site Cass was on was a private forum, not any of the public ones where people talked about PBL and the like. It had stricter joining requirements- to try and keep the stuff they talked about away from the people themselves. This one was specifically a forum for the more intense fans of Timberwolf… People like Cass.
She’d actually been one of the people that helped set it up… But that was neither here nor there.
”A couple of people are convinced we’re related… Oh man, this is crazy- fuck, someone tagged me!” Her finger shot out to point at a post in the thread.
TimberWolfsWife69: @MidnightWolf What do you think? You must have some insight, you’re always right about this kind of stuff! Surely she’s neither? Just a friend? You always seem to know! Nobody's theories are as accurate as yours!
Please save this fellow fan and her fantasies!”I can’t believe I’m being asked about myself… It ain’t like I can even say the truth! Not cause I’d be crucified or shit- they just straight up wouldn’t believe me!” Cass didn’t seem at all upset by all this. In fact, she was still absolutely cackling over it.
”I can’t even console TimberWolfsWife69 and say that you’d still fuck her if she was lucky!”Leon had been doing a bit of work himself, having spent a short period of time on the phone with a manager before settling in to do some correspondence through his phone. Checking in on St. Portwell, mostly. The Sycamites who had disappeared the other day were mostly back, with Drake resurfacing a few hours ago.
Kenshiro was the only one still missing… Maybe it was fitting. Leon liked the guy, but he had come from a very different world. Hopefully it was one he made it back to in one piece.
But Cass’ grand enthusiasm brought him back into reality with a smile. Her enthusiasm was a prize in and of itself. Listening to her talk about her forum posting brought a shallow memory back to the surface.
”Well duh, I'll send you a list of them when it's done. Any you don't have access to right away, I'll mark. Check ‘em on your free time or whatever.”Ginara's voice echoed in his mind as he observed Cass' computer screen. The similar blue and grey background that perfectly matched his ring shorts to the hexadecimal. The little banner at the top of some of his headshots.
Still holding his phone as he looked, he grinned.
”Damn, I mean… Someone's gotta say something, right?”Cass was locked in tight enough to the screen that Leon could freely pull his phone up to begin logging into this forum. The request to Gin had been
every fansite. Every. Single. One. Of course, it's not like he remembered
all the details of what he saw… Nor could he be sure that Cass had a shared username across all these boards.
Intelligence told him she probably fluctuated…
But the user Wolfinwolfsclothing didn't change between any of them… It was the same username, the same password, the same link email, the same profile every single time… Because Gin cared about efficiency, not security. It was easiest to hand a long list off knowing they all opened the exact same way.
"I mean it ain't really a problem? It ain't like they're gonna find me and y'know we gotta buncha rules about not interfering in your actual life. I mean there's worse forums out there that are probably calling me all sortsa shit but like… I don't really care! I just find it pretty fucking hilarious how they're twisting themselves around tryna figure it out."As Cass spoke, Leon was typing furiously at his phone to push a reply out. He'd found the thread, matching the image of the URL in his head to find it before getting down to business.
When the notification that someone had replied to the thread popped up for Cass, clicking on it would find a post by that sometimes-poster, always lurker. This Wolfinwolfsclothing person almost never participated, but had a track record of esoteric Timberwolf predictions coming true.
Wolfinwolfsclothing: [@TimberWolfsWife69] @MidnightWolf Mark your calenders, set a timer. EBLN clocked Timberwolf somewhere in Norcal like four hours ago. SHE IS CUTE.Leon grinned to himself, clearing his throat.
”Oop, what’s that saying? EBLN? That's that boxing tuber, right? Eternal Boxing Life Network? That guy's a fucking hack, probably has as many spies as Lynette…” he chided, drawing attention away from himself hopefully.
Cass leaned in closer to her screen as if she didn't have magically enhanced vision, narrowing her eyes at the new message that had popped up. Of course she knew EBLN… she wasn't too fond of the guy for the reasons Leon said. Sure, it was cool knowing what boxers did but basically stalking them? Intruding on their personal life? That shit pissed her off.
And she recognised the username. They'd interacted a couple of times in various forums… assuming this person was someone who used the same username everywhere. Which was likely, cause it wasn't exactly a short, snappy, easily stealable username. From memory they'd said shit before they had turned out to be true… suspiciously so. To the point that Cass had become a bit suspicious that they might be some full on stalker of Leon- or the hack tuber himself.
"Dudddeeeee, that guy fucking sucks!" Cass opened a new tab on her second screen, rapidly finding the EBLN channel. There was nothing there for today so… she quickly went through his other social media. Nothing.
"I fucking knew it!" She jabbed at her screen after that very cryptic exclamation, beginning to rapidly type.
"Ohhh don't think you're gonna get away with this just cause you called me cute…"MidnightWolf: [@Wolfinwolfsclothing] Do you know something we don't? Wdym mark your calendars… How would you know if something's gonna be announced? EBLN hasn't posted anything today…
So either you're a stalker, or EBLN himself. Remember the rules. I can and will ban you.
[@TimberWolfsWife69] I'm not sure! They seem close but… it doesn't change our fan life, does it?!After posting, Cass leaned back in her chair with her arms folded over her chest as she puffed it up as if she was enacting justice. She looked up at Leon.
"I've been suspicious of this person for ages… but I ain't been able to get to the bottom of it! They say shit that then happens like they're creeping around you, but it's never so private y'know. And even worse, whenever we've talked they've actually been super cool! But they just know shit they shouldn't… or are so fucking good at talking outta their ass that it looks like it!"”It’s not unlikely that there’s just a mole in my operation. If you can imagine, it happens all the time! Usually the lawyer thing cuts it off, but there’s no way we could ever prevent it completely.”Not to say that Brian Colder wasn’t a mole… There was only one way a guy like that could possibly keep track of a magical boxer and his equally magical entourage…
”Though, have you ever…-”Did he take her joy? The wonderment? This was truly a problem that he’d faced more than once now… Demystify the entire hobby she’d had her whole life? The PBL wasn’t far off of wrestling, after all; they just didn’t bother scripting the fights. All the pageantry, all the buildup… Of course, the average person could parse that fact out easily. It only took a cursory internet search to find things like pictures of Leon and Vlad hanging around at the same dinner and laughing at one another’s jokes.
But knowing that Brian Colder, the host and prime “journalist” behind EBLN, one of the community's biggest bad guy hacks, was just another link in the mass media chain that was Versacom… That took a bit of digging that most people probably wouldn’t bother with. No… He was good at maintaining the narrative. It was necessary for the magic within the soul.
”-thought about how hard it must be to track me though? Like, I don’t always travel like a normal guy, right? Step into a building, end up across town thanks to a handy portal booth? Sometimes I don’t fly to other countries I go to. I show up, box, and leave before whatever federal authorities realize I never checked into customs but showed up anyway…” he giggled, trying to distract her with a question so he could post a sly response.
Wolfinwolfsclothing: [@TimberWolfsWife69] Timberwolf would never leave us over this. I just have a feeling they look good together. @MidnightWolf Don’t accuse without definitive proof. Besides, doesn’t take much to read yourself. Peep the sign, only a few “Weed” townships in USA.He was talking out of his ass, as he usually did about most things. But he was excited to see whether or not Cass would pull up Google to actually check his work…
Luckily for Leon in regards to not getting caught, Cass was the kind of person that could be impressively perceptive when paying attention but so incredibly oblivious when that attention was diverted.
How did someone like that Tuber hack track him? Or anyone really, if they weren't a mole within the team… it had to be magic, didn't it? It wasn't really something Cass had thought about- mainly because she didn't realise Leon had magic until they met. If he wasn't flying and was going through portals sometimes… well he could only be tracked by magic.
"You're telling me that video making stalker's got magic? I shouldn't be surprised- that don't make it right, though! Like- If this wolfinwolf person ain't a mole, maybe they got spy magic… Fuck, I can't even make a rule about that!" Cass threw her hands up in frustration as she refreshed the page and noticed the response. There was one from TimberWolfsWife69 too, seeming to accept the situation and bow out with heart emoticons towards both Cass and Wolfinwolfsclothing.
Cass wasn't so easily appeased. It was a side of her that didn't come out so often… Intensely argumentative. She could be stubborn, fueled by high energy, but generally she was pretty reasonable unless someone really rubbed her the wrong way. But when it came to online shit? Where people were hiding behind screens? She just got more riled up. Maybe cause she couldn't punch them…
"Oh this guy is pissing me off." She muttered, pulling up a Google search to actually check how many Weeds existed in the States.
"’I have a feeling they look good together'- Oh really?! Of course we do- but it was just a picture! Is that really enough?!"She was rapidly typing out a response again.
MidnightWolf: [@Wolfinwolfsclothing] There may only be a few, but that's more than one! How can you be sure it was NorCal?! Unless… You've been checking his location somehow?
Note I haven't banned you yet, when I easily could :) If you can't handle the ‘accusations’ maybe that's cause there's some truth?
You always seem to know things you shouldn't. This time, it's too suspicious. Do you think they look good together, or do you know something we don't because of the shit you're doing?After hitting send Cass let out a huff of air, navigating to Wolfinwolfsclothing and just staring at the various admin options she had. Oh she so wanted to just ban them…
Leon’s face scrunched up, a smile crossing tightly before slimming out into a flat expression. If she had half a mind to do so, she’d be looking for someone magical to administrate the site… Having someone with the same kind of skills that his younger brother did would- No… It’d go against her fundamentals. He was already learning… So, maybe for the sake of her mood-
”What uh… You don’t think he’s a mole? But you’re getting pissed over what he’s saying? That really just validates it, doesn’t it Cass? Farbeit for me to tell you how to think; I’m just wondering if you made that connection.” he asked very simply, sliding over to the screen and leaning down.
Purposefully, he let his phone hang forward slightly, open to the forum’s mobile site so she
could see it. Theoretically… If she wasn’t locked in, that is. He was trying to be subtle, but he knew that it wouldn’t necessarily be what told her in the end. He’d end up spilling the beans, probably…
Maybe."I ain't sure if he's a mole, he might be a magical stalker- he could be watching us right now!" Cass frowned, not aware of how sort of close to the mark she was.
Was getting pissed off at what he was saying validating it? That suggested there was anything to validate in the first place! After all, she knew they had been in Weed, North California… not any of the other Weeds (of which there
were a couple). Even if this wolfinwolf person had just made a random guess… that didn't make it right!
More than anything, the way they talked was rubbing them the wrong way. Not that they'd said much but it was enough for Cass to feel like they were acting like they
knew. "I've been perfectly reasonable in my response too! What, d'you think it reads like I'm angry? Cause they ain't hearing me get annoyed too." She'd navigated back to the thread, a bit frustrated that there was no response outside of a few other forum goers pretending to watch and eat popcorn. Her attention shifted slightly more towards Leon, enough that she glanced back at him while completely ignoring his phone. She had complete tunnel vision on this issue.
"I know it's probably normal for you to get followed or whatever, but it ain't right! And it ain't something I wanna encourage… Making guesses about random shit, like them wondering who I am? Fine. But soon as they start throwing out locations, or like… Well, if they were tryna actually find out who I was! That kinda shit! Crosses the fucking line… and me pointing that out ain't validating it. That'd just be… ignoring bad shit! I ain't gonna do that." She pursed her lips together, eyes narrowing a bit as she spun back round towards her screen, pointing to the last message.
"Maybe I seem like I'm overreacting but I swear… They know shit they just shouldn't!"Leon continued to hover his phone over the arm of the chair, now resting it half in her field of view. The screen was open and right there for her…
”Well, no, there’s nothing in your response besides… Lauding the ban button over his head.” he shrugged.
While he didn’t intend on identifying any part of his identity verbally, the presumptive “his” was always something Cass
could pick up on. Just little parts of Leon not quite paying attention.
”Y’know, here… Let me write a response.”And then, he blatantly began to type away on his phone.
"Oh, sure, you go ahead and wri- Huh?" Cass automatically went with it, too locked into directing her frustration towards her screen… But her brain caught up as she talked.
Write a response… a response…
"Huh?!" She shot up from her chair just to bend over and grab Leon's hands, practically shoving her face into his phone. She stared at it in silence. Those were the right colours. That was the right URL. That was the exact thread. That was a work in progress response tagging her. The login was Wolfinwolfsclothing…
"What the fuck?!" Cass' body straightened up to stare at Leon. That argumentative anger wasn't there anymore, replaced by a myriad of emotions. Confusion, denial, maybe just a lil bit of anger… Panic. Fuck, that meant he could see everything! Literally everything she ever posted here! And if he was here… well, it must be him on all the other sites too?! Sure, this one was her baby and where she really posted shit but… Fuck!
She wasn't exactly a
private person, but there certainly were some things she just didn't feel comfortable with telling him with respect to her fan life. And… she liked to keep it mentally separate, beyond all those insane sexual fantasies she'd written and then gladly had happen.
"Le-on." She enunciated, hands moving to her hips as she continued to stare at him.
"You're wolfinwolfsclothing? You're on the fucking forum?! All of them?! You- you- I've been arguing with you this whole time?! And that other time on the TPD, when you were adamant that Timberwolf’s- eh, well, your- next match was gonna get cancelled cause Striking Cobra looked like he had the flu. And I was all like ‘no way it's an important match' and was saying how shitty it'd be for him to cancel cause've how that'd fuck Timberwolf over, and you kept saying it'd happen and Timberwolf wasn't the kinda guy to get affected by shit like that but I was like it doesn't matter cause it still fucking sucks! Then I told you to fuck off to the Cobra Desert cause you were clearly a bigger fan of his and then I got banned for a couple of days?!"Oh wait, shit! She had a different username on that forum- the Timberwolf Pack Den, the largest fan forum. It was kept more… clean. The kind of thing that wouldn't reflect badly on Leon if it was dug up, not so private. Cass had gotten pretty pissed off then and said some shit she really shouldn't have… She'd properly cussed him out before getting hit with a temp ban. Oops.
She covered her face with one hand, pointing a finger at Leon with the other.
"I should still ban you… you're violating rule number one!"”Well, you don’t wanna look weak, do you?” he winked down at her, letting his head tilt.
His lips came to rest on her neck, kissing her gently and rubbing her shoulder.
”Are you mad? I… To be fair, I didn’t know it was you either. I… Well, I like to participate. It’s fun for me, not like a fetish. Like, genuinely. Being wrapped up in it, giving hints, letting people uh… Get mad?” he whispered gently, holding onto her with one arm and kissing her playfully.
”Oh I am sooo mad I’m this close to beating your ass outta here.” She giggled, very clearly
not mad. The hand that had been covering her face tangled in his long hair while she automatically tilted her head to the side to give him easier access to her neck.
”I mean… you’re pretty fucking good at it! I was sooo mad that time, y’know it was the first time I got pissed enough that I ended up banned! ‘Course it was only cause they’re a bit more anal on there…” Her fingers tightened in his hair, trying to pull his face back slightly as she stared at him again.
”How long you been on all the sites? I mean I could check but then I’d have to go back to my computer…” Which obviously wasn’t an option with him holding onto her.
It wasn’t that she was particularly ashamed or anything… She got over shit quickly. It was just, this specific forum? Her adventure into being a fan? It started when she was sixteen! There was absolutely shit she’d said as a teen that
was fucking embarassing.
Leon blushed, giggling. His hands tucked into her hair and the other dropped his phone on her desk to grab around her stomach. Another few kisses, and he finally spoke.
”Mom suggested I get on the main ones when I was making the run for my first title. But I got into it, so eventually I had someone else set me up on basically any other one they could find. Signed me up for everything, had me answer any interview questions that came through… You’ll forgive me, so many of these interactions just kind of blow by me…” he explained, hands moving to begin massaging her gently.
”I uh… Feel like I don’t fit in as much in the smaller ones. It’s harder to blend into the crowd when there’s only a few thousand registered accounts on the site.” he admitted.
”Well that’s kinda the point, ain’t it?” Blunt as always, Cass the word with a laugh. Her hands moved to his shoulders to give her enough leverage to lift her legs up and around him as she liked to do. From her new vantage point she grinned at him.
”I don’t mean the point is to specifically keep you out. Just the whole point of the smaller ones are they ain’t for everyone! There’s a bunch even I ain’t in… I know, surprising considering I’m, like, your biggest fan. One is run by my fandom nemesis…” A hand came up to wave that away. Not important shit.
”I’m actually pretty glad if a lotta the shit blows by you cause… Well, I wasn’t exactly on there thinking ‘oh maybe Timberwolf will read this.’ Kinda the fucking opposite! Thank fuck it’d take you hours to get back to the shit I said when I was a teen…” ”Well, frankly? I did think they would all be for me… I don’t even mind the wild shit that gets written. Some people are mean, defamatory even, but honestly? I kind of realize that I’m actually a pretty casual Timberwolf fan. I never fell in love with the persona to begin with, but moreso like… I’m just not much of a fanatic. Never have been, about shit like sports. What I do personally though, like… The lifestyle. That’s what I enjoy. But, boxing itself? I guess I lost it after Dad was gone.” Leon admitted to her.
It was really a case of stolen joy. Max had always been such a passionate figure. He was a warrior scholar, whose knowledge of pugilism as a whole was more than impressive. Passed down knowledge, second hand stories of second hand stories, different techniques and anecdotes about every single thing that came up; every bit of lore came from Max. Dear old Dad…
”Sometimes I wonder if it was me who should’a taken the reins to begin with, y’know? Like, Casey’s the better fighter. I’ll just give it to him, honestly, I can’t imagine a world where I’m actually… Better... But, he doesn’t love boxing either. I think we’re both kind of just… I don’t know.”Tilting his head backward, Leon took a deep breath.
”I don’t even know what the Hell I’m saying to you now. Just babbling, I guess…”Cass understood losing the passion for something after losing a person connected to it. She’d gone through it herself… While for some things, like boxing, she’d actually grown more passionate. Though boxing had been something she watched with both older brothers, not just Rowan…
”Do either of you need to take the reins?” The question was probably surprising coming from Cass- because the implication was that Leon should stop boxing if he didn’t want to. And she was a fan…
”I know it’s the legacy. Cause he’s gone and you gotta keep that up, right? But… you ain’t supposed to live for someone else, around or not. If it ain’t something you enjoy… If you don’t actually want to? You shouldn’t. Legacy ain’t something that should trap you.”Of course it wasn’t that simple, and she knew that. There wasn’t some legacy or famous figure she had to follow or live up to… Just parents with sexist expectations. In the end, she’d moved to a whole other country to escape it. Not that she had entirely… Not when she was still in touch with her brothers. That meant tolerating her parents too.
”If you love it, it doesn’t matter if Casey’s better. But if you don’t? Well… maybe you gotta find something you do.”Leon sighed aloud, trying to find the words for the moment. It was hard, mostly because these sorts of introspections weren’t front and center in his life. Sure, he could consider why things were how they were, but did it change them? Rarely did his actions actually have meaningful consequences… He’d been more in charge of himself ten years ago than now.
”I like to think it’ll be better when things are really mine. My M-... Manager. At the time, y’know, I just followed. ‘Cuz they did everything for my Dad, I figured it’d be fine. Now, pretty often, I imagine he didn’t “disappear”. That he just left somewhere else to get away from it all.”He hung his head slightly, shaking the pain out and looking up into Cass’ eyes.
”Hey… Never mind this. Definitely not where I was planning on going with this talk, honestly… I’m happy doing what I do. I love it. Sometimes, it’s just hard to escape that it’s my job. That’s all.” he finished, trying his best to dodge the topic for now.
Cass wasn’t stupid. She could tell that he was trying to change the topic. But she also knew when to actually push… Which wasn’t right now. If they stayed together for long enough they’d slowly work through it. It wasn’t like it was something that could be fixed overnight, or after talking about it once.
What leg did she have to stand on anyway? She didn’t know what the fuck she wanted to do with her own life…
”Suuureeee... I’ll make sure not to try boxing you outside of work hours, then!” She shoved her hands into his hair, vigorously rubbing to fully pull them out of the moment. Then she leaned forward to kiss him- making sure to not get
too into it, since they did have food on the way and a magical orgy to get to!
”But… You’re gonna have to learn to pretend to like sports if you ever meet my brothers. It’s like half the shit they talk about. Football, rugby, whatever shit’s on the telly and interesting… They’re crazy about that shit!” She was talking as if she wasn’t… though it was only boxing she was a true fanatic for, she just enjoyed the others.
”Thankfully they ain’t gonna have much of a chance cause, like… distance and shit. Thank fuck, honestly! They’re all absolute fucking loud assholes.” Maybe it felt like a bit of a random conversation change- and it often could be with her. But family was on the mind, and it was best to completely dodge the previous topic along with him and jump right into another. Of course, she wasn’t going to respond to heavy shit with heavy shit…
So complaining about her brothers was what came out.
”You’ll probably meet ‘em if we call at all over Christmas, but at least then I can kick ‘em away or mute the fucking mic!””Oh, Babe… You underestimate my love of fun! If someone is that passionate around me, well, Lelou and I can’t help but stick around for it. Y’know? That’s what I love about you most.”She was so small in his arms, but she managed to take up so much space. The women in his life were typically all the same. Matriarchal, almost primal in their ability to guide events to their desires through cunning and guile. Power was an archetype that was channeled throughout his life from all angles. But, usually that meant big, imposing people.
Not his type.Katya was great. But, he knew in his heart that he fell in love with the twenty year old Katya. The beanstalk woman, Hardly a hundred eighty pounds. And Cass wasn’t the shortest girl on the planet either, but… His entire worldview was skewed one way. One heavily influenced by the day-by-day unchecked leakage of a primal wolf deity into his very existence. It looked for power, and strength, and it looked to gain jewels in its crown for safe keeping. How strange then, that she too had such a primal attraction to this otherwise diminutive woman with fledgling Lux…
But all he could think about in that moment was her. Kissing her, fingers rushed to spots he knew to press for giggles.
”I played American Football… Learned Rugby overseas. Not a big soccer guy, I’m built like an upside down pyramid, I don’t go down well… Well, not sliding on one leg.” he grinned with a wolfish smile.
”Oh dude, you go down well in the best way.” Cass giggled, reactively wriggling as he hit all her ticklish spots. It was beyond just laughing for her… It was a full body reaction, with her legs reactively kicking out. One hand even moved out to smack him right in the face.
She wasn’t too worried, though, since it was
Leon. She’d need a lot more magical power to even do damage!
”Baaaabbbbe, stttopppp.” She turned into a laughing noodle in his arms, completely flopping her upper body completely to the right.
”Oh, but! If you love fun like that you’d honestly love playing football- soccer, ugh- with me ‘n my brothers if you ever came over with me. We don’t play by those stupid no contact rules… So you’d be great! Just grab em and lift em away from the ball.” Cass grinned.
”Like, we used to play the older two against me and my younger brothers… But those lil assholes complained that it wasn’t fair cause I was a girl and smaller. So me and Rowan played against the other three… And won, cause I just hit em in a weakspot they all got that I don’t!””Ah, yeah… I broke that misconception to Elise once. You’ve absolutely got it, just higher and a fuck of a lot harder.” he said, his hand moving to press into her pelvis.
”I only found out later that it’s dangerous. Super fucking dangerous, because she had to go to our doctor to have the whole setup fixed.” he said shamefully.
That was an awful summer for more than one reason. Not Stygian Snake awful, but crappy in his mind. Lots of bad behavior as that first year of Lux came to a head. Seeing the way her face twisted only made him feel a little more ashamed, and frankly thankful that magic existed in their lives at all.
”I… The year before, I’d kindled. So, the whole leadup to that summer, I’d been an asshole. Rubbed it in her face that I had magic and she didn’t. So, one argument I… Well, she tried to kick me in the balls. Tried. So, I succeeded in sparta-kicking her right in the crotch. But, I… I put some Lux in it. Too much help. Broke her hip a little, uh… Smashed her right ovary, basically burst it. Obviously, that was the last time I ever did something like that. Last time we ever fought, too. As far as I’m aware, there weren’t any issues replacing anything, but obviously that doesn’t mean it was okay.”He was, if anything, honest. He knew he couldn’t afford to have secrets in an organization that was built and predicated upon them. He had to be the transparent one. And that meant these relationships too.
”We’ve obviously talked about it as adults too. Because, uh… Well, I don’t blame her; she was scared of me. For years after. And, I did that to her, and I knew it. And we lived with it until she didn’t have to. It wasn’t until we came back together that I could talk about it to her.”For once, Cass wasn’t entirely sure what to say. Thank fuck magic existed to fix what would’ve been unfixable without it… But it wouldn’t have been as bad if Leon hadn’t been a hotheaded kid
with magic. Not that shit like that without magic would be much better…
”That’s… Yeah, well, you seem pretty aware of how fucked up that was.” She scratched the back of her neck, clamping down on an uncomfortable urge to make a joke about protecting her own ovaries around him. Kinda fucked up thing to think, nevermind say! Sometimes the reactive thoughts weren’t the right ones…
”I mean, fuck, how hard did you need to- Eh, don’t tell me, that ain’t the point of it. At least you guys were able to work through it… And that she’s alright now. Cause yeah, that’s a lot.” She shook her head, looking pretty thoughtful.
”Makes me real glad my family’s obviously late kindlers, y’know. If we’d had magic as kids? Fuck, we would’ve done similar shit to each other. Like, I think all five of us would be all sortsa fucked up.” Though maybe if they’d fucked each other up that much, Rowan and Jack would’ve been exempt from the draft…
”Like we never quite did that, but we’ve all broken at least two limbs cause of some shit another sibling did. That was without magic! Thank fuck, honestly… Eh, not that it’d be ok without magic. Just it ain’t exactly a great addition to wild, arguing kids.”Leon shrugged.
”I’ve got a big fucking mouth. Shit I think’s a funny comment, I don’t know… You’re always uh… Recontextualizing things for me. Making me think in a way I wasn’t before, y’know? Most of the time, I tell people I cuntpunt my sister, they just laugh and think we were being kids.”He seemed a little more lost in thought now as he started to remember a bit more. Started to bother thinking about it more…
”I’m glad you’re here. With me. I’m lucky I’m famous, huh? I’d just be some evil freak if I wasn’t.””Dude…” Cass shook her head with a laugh.
”Even if you weren’t famous, I would’ve jumped you… Just less likely we would’ve met, I guess! But that’s just one lil bit of the equation.”Grinning, she leaned her face in closer to his.
”But hey, I guess that just means I’m into ‘evil freaks’ or however you wanna describe yourself.” Closing his eyes, Leon took a breath and shook his head before opening back up to look at her.
”Nah… Not now. I’m a guy who is trying at this point. Trying to do fucking anything besides be who I was. It’s been a long time coming. It’ll be a long time yet.” he nodded, letting his nose brush gently against hers.
”Thanks. For keeping an open mind no matter what.”
Caulier Estate, 21:00
[/hr]
There was a great deal of talking and loving on one another before social hour finally came. Leon seemed to make a point of dressing up, spending a bit of their time together tasking. Ironing, pressing, making sure his nice outfit he bothered to pack actually looked decent instead of being a creased mess. One could use regal, but others may associate a more sinister vibe. The vampiric combination of his pale, chiseled mass tucked just beneath a thin white linen shirt all tugged and drawn into shape by a set of tight trousers tucked into a pair of dark leather boots, gave him the appearance of a prowling nightstalker hungry for blood and flesh.
Carnality made manifest.
They’d been picked up, rather than having to drive themselves, and had ample time to enjoy the pleasures of Rusty’s rather plush limousine. When they wound up at their destination, getting out revealed a stunning hilltop abode fashioned in a Tudor styling. The gatehouse was big enough to be its own home, and the actual manor of the property took up so much space that it couldn’t help but look out over the neighbors in silent judgement.
And waiting among the pile of cars and people arriving, was a man in the funkiest kind of suit one could think of. He looked like a cake, all sorts of different colored sprinkles covering his jacket and pants. Even the shoes. And, yes… He looked very much like a taller, very fit young Willem Defoe.
Russel Caulier himself, who saw Leon and immediately raised both arms before starting to jump up and down.
”There he is! There they are! That’s my mo’fuckin’ boy!” He had been talking to some others gathered around, but seeing Leon immediately brought them all to attention. Leon waved, and Cass would be able to feel him bolstering to speak. But Rusty quickly waved the others into the house before sprinting off to meet up with the duo.
”Leon, buddy! My boy, my boy…-” he panted slightly, arms wrapping around Leon’s frame. Then he hollered, hopping around for a moment as his hands slipped back to grab his ass. Leon laughed wildly.
”Fucker! Save that shit! God damn, let me at least- Cass! Hi! It’s Cass, right, I’ve got nine thousand names in my head so forgive me.” he stuck his hand out to shake with intentions of snagging her in for a big hug.
Cass was already blown away by the sheer grandeur of everything. The limousine was already a bit insane… but the manor. It was an actual fucking manor. What the fuck. Sure, she knew Leon was pretty well off. Made sense that this friend would be too. It was a lucrative career, fake Willem Defoe porn… But, seriously?! Really wasn’t shit she’d get used to easily.
She’d put some time into getting ready too, of course. But where Leon was like a ravishing vampire, Cass had ended up dressed more like the sexy vampire hunter out to stake his heart. A lower cut, black corset top did wonders for making her chest look a little more existent, with the lacing up the front giving hints of her snake tattoo with its tail curling out underneath it. Her exposed midriff revealed subtle abdominal muscles down warm brown skin. Tight black shorts highlighted what was, in her opinion, one of her best parts- then, toned thigh muscles and lace up boots to her knees finished off the outfit.
There’d even been extra effort put into her makeup- not that she was sure it’d last long. Smokey reds and blacks on her eyelids, with eyeliner that flicked out of the corners in multiple lines tangling together like smoke. Dark red lips added to the sultry look. She’d made sure to smack a kiss on Leon’s neck right before the lipstick had dried, leaving an obvious lipstick mark. Not that she was possessive or anything… It was just pretty hot.
”Heeeyyyy! Cass is right- You ain’t fucking up the first impression! Not that I’d be upset- I’m really fucking chill. Like, the chillest, ain’t gonna upset me.” Cass grinned, canine teeth sharpened as lux flowed through her body. Randy’s tug as their hands clasped was met by an equal tug in the opposite direction as Cass did her best to pull
him into a hug instead.
He’d been through every ringer and trick inside and outside of show business. Rusty had zero compunctions with meeting people, dealing with fun, and
even magical friends. So many magical friends. He knew super strength, knew any number of metamorphosis tricks, and far worse things deep in the pit of the underworld of Supernatural Sex. So, when Cass’ hand gripped up and tugged, Rusty had only one response.
Become moist, and slide out of his problems. All at once, it was like she was squeezing some kind of gelatin. All it took was that tug to reduce the surface friction down to zero, letting his hand simply pop out of her grip. Both arms came up then, and his mouth opened to playfully groan at him in the oldest “I got you good” ritual known to mankind. Then he was squeezing around her tightly like an old friend.
”So good to meet you, Babe! So good to meet anyone our boy’s keen on. Usually stays away from Supernaturals, though!”Rusty tucked his head into her ear. His voice was low, sultry, rumbling.
”That’s a special thing. Been sore on it since he gave his magic up for the Dog. You’re a welcome arrival.”Not like Leon couldn’t hear. Not even the slightest whisper got past him if he had half his attention on it.
”Geeze, tell her about that time in the pool in Florence then, why don’t you?” Leon laughed aloud, open chest pressing up against Cass’ back as he hugged her from behind to complete the sandwich.
Cass bit down on her lip to suppress a groan. Fuck, maybe she was rapidly developing a thing for the Willem Dafoe type?! After she’d been so adamant that she wasn’t into that… Oooh, just on principle of sticking to her guns she tried to keep it on the down low. Stay as cool as a cucumber.
A cucumber trapped between two very fit bodies…
”What happened in the pool in Florence?!” Of course, Cass was Cass- cool and calm weren’t really in her nature. The body sandwich and double hug restricted her normally energetic movements, but she reached behind her to tangle one hand in Leon’s hair as best she could. The other flailed about, threatening to hit either or both men in the face (or chest…) as she talked.
Because of course, how could she stop her mind from going wild with the possibilities?
”Did some Supernatural do something you really weren’t into in the pool?! Or where you actually so into it you got embarrassed- eh, nah, that don’t seem like you. Or is it entirely unrelated?!” She was entirely caught up in what Leon had said for a moment, before mentally backtracking. It was a bit hard to tell if the topic was a prickly one or not…
”And of course it’s a special thing- I’m pretty fucking awesome! Ain’t many like me around.” ”Well, Cass does rhyme with Ass. That’s how I remembered!”Still locked in a hug by Leon’s massive wingspan, Rusty’s hands were trapped somewhere just above the best spot, and wriggled between her ass and Leon’s thighs to give her a solid goosing.
”And there it is! Now, Leon my Boy? Release!”In spite of Rusty’s joking tone, Leon actually clenched up and sucked his entire torso in tighter. Cass would be able to feel him padding against that pressure so as not to totally squash Cass, but she wasn’t exactly escaping this sandwich without pure finesse.
”Y-ou-re… C-rush-ing me-e…!”Cass was dying. Dying of pleasure… Crushed between two chests that were only getting closer. Wolf ears reactively popped out of the top of her head along with a groan she didn’t bother biting down this time.
But she couldn’t stay in here. Not when their clothes were still on and further stimulation wasn’t going to come… She’d literally explode!
With a restricted wiggle, Cass managed to get her arms up above her. They pushed to the side, hands managing to wriggle out of the suffocating sandwich of sheer sexiness. With her hands out, she was able to twist her arms in ways they shouldn’t go to get an actual grip. Shoulder or arm she couldn’t be sure… But it didn’t really matter. With the strength and unnatural flexibility of her Green Lux- and unintentional, subconsciously cast body flattening- Cass managed to pull herself directly
up. The magic adjusted her body so naturally that she didn't even realise that she basically made herself more malleable to slide out.
Just like Rusty had slipped out of her grip earlier, but without the moistness.
Leon only momentarily got her ass fully in his face before she plopped herself down on his shoulder. She grinned down at Rusty, teeth receding back to normal as the lux settled back down.
”Can’t you just moisten up and slide your way out?!”There was a grunt, then a choking noise. Leon stepped back with force, turning his entire body away from both of them. What came next was the most god awful choking and wretching before Leon managed to cough up a hairball. Not a hairball specifically, however… A fourteen inch silicone
shaft, incredibly detailed and colored to look like a real hunk of flesh, shot itself from Leon’s throat and onto the driveway pavement.
Sitting there now, it looked like a fish, dead from self beaching. Rusty, meanwhile, was laughing hysterically.
”I can’t moisturize clothing. There has to be natural moisture and silicone compounds for me to work with. Technically, I can slip out of my clothes, but that’d be just as uncomfortable. It’s more fun when I can make him choke on something before we even start.”Still coughing, buckled over, Leon turned his head with a sick smile.
”Now it’s just like Florence.”"Holy fuck, are you okay, Babe?!" Cass was, of course, just a little concerned. She hopped over to Leon, slapping his back a couple of times in case there was any more silicone left in his throat. It wasn't exactly the sexiest thing to happen ever… though it was pretty impressive he hadn't died with something that big in his throat even for a moment…
"Damn, you can just clog people's throats up with silicone?! How's that work with the emotional field shit?" Her hard back slapping had turned to a more comforting rubbing, and she turned to look at Rusty with slightly wide eyes. Not exactly judgemental for what was presumably some magical ribbing between friends- not exactly much worse from all the times her and her brother's beat each other up.
But damn…
"And here I was thinking the pool in Florence was you turning all the water into lube or some shit!"”Nah, he was just talking about choking on something long and hard, weren’t you Lee?” Rusty winked, smiling widely with that near-manic grin. His baby blue eyes pierced just like Leon’s did, except they seemed almost iridescent in the lowlights of the manor’s front.
Leon was laughing at that point, taking deep breaths as he could before standing up and grabbing ahold of Cass.
”I’m okay, Babe. Swallowed bigger things. Not even sexually, I’ve just… I’ve eaten certain things. Lelou helps, my body’s a bit like rubber.””Oh, save talk like that for inside, lest I spill upon the ground as a blaspheme to the Lord…” Rusty laughed aloud.
”Leon texted me saying you’re new to magic, huh? I’ll give you a tip, my beautiful slender mocha princess… Get creative, then get sneaky. Emotional Fields can’t stop what they don’t notice, right? Y’ever play with a tin of Flubber? How when you try and stuff your finger through it to make a hole, it pushes back real hard, but if you just let it form around your finger, it goes real easy? They act a lot like that. So the less you have to rub against it to get the desired effect, the better.”Leon smiled and leaned in.
”That’s a real old school disciple of Gravity. Dad taught us all that same lesson. He’d sit you down and he’d dump cornstarch in water until it formed a… Non-newtonian fluid. And he’d tell you ’This is your Emotional Field. Punch yourself! Punch yourself until you can’t anymore!’”Rusty started laughing aloud.
”Everything was a fucking metaphor with that guy, Man… God, I miss the dumb shit he used to say.” Rusty grinned.
Both men flanked Cass as they started to saunter vaguely toward the door of the manse.
”If tomorrow were to come today, would you be prepared for it the day before?” Leon put on his best French accent, jokingly mocking his Dad as they shared a memory. Clearly, it was something he’d heard over and over again in his life.
Cass laughed, looking up at both of them with a grin. Though she kept her pace slow like theirs, there was that ever present bounce in each step. But she was energetic within the constraints she had- between them, staying close to Leon. He would be pretty used to holding onto energy personified by now, anyway.
”That shit just goes over my head! I ain’t a metaphor gal… Like, what, that’d just mean always being prepared or some shit! I’m always ready for a fight, at least!”She did a goofy punch forward, flexing her arms.
”But yeah, I ain’t got much experience with magic… Not till Leon’s started helping me, at least. It skipped a generation in my family! Then we’re all late kindlers… Hell, I found out I was the last after I did. None of us kindled before eighteen… But the rest kindled before twenty! Fucking unfair, ain’t it?”Like often happened, Cass latched onto something she hadn’t meant to be the main point of what she was saying. It always happened… But she knew how to bring it back. Just about.
”So I didn’t get any lessons like that. Maybe a good thing, cause I would’ve actually punched myself till I couldn’t… Heh, I would’ve been a pretty crappy Gravity disciple there. Though I get the sneaky creativity thing. Ain’t sure how to apply it with my magic, but it makes way more sense than brute forcing through.””Listen, some things are tried and true. I hit you hard, you hit the ground: Basic principle, works wonders. And… If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So, if what you’re doing works for your typical use case, you should focus on fundamentally perfecting that rather than progressing to a new step that you’re unsure of.”It was becoming more and more clear how Boxing as a combat sport was easily translated into a methodology from which to teach the basics of magic usage. Any sport could be applied, but combat sports had a consistent perfectionism about them. The simplicity, honing a few things down to the absolute razor’s edge.
”Rusty’s no slouch in Luxal Theory. Smart guy too.” Leon smiled, looking over at his old companion as they climbed the half-flight of stairs to the grand entry porch. It was pure stone, with sconces of fire and hedge rows tucked around the ring of it between the house.
”Hey, what can be said? I just decided to stop getting punched in the head.” he shrugged, coming to a stop in front of the open door.
”Leeeeeooooooonnnnnnn!”A slender red-head bound out from inside, her dress dripping with
something as she clamped onto Leon like a pole.
”Ohhhh, hello Tracey!”Rusty cleared his throat loudly.
”Uh, My Love? New person to meet, maybe?””Oh, we will be getting to know one another very soon!” she replied to Rusty’s prodding with a grin. However, one of her hands released from around Leon and reached out to Cass.
”Darliiiiing… Tracey Coulier! You’re Leon’s girlfriend, I can only presume? Cc-cc-ccaaaaassss?” she asked, incredibly unsure.
”Yup and yup, Cass rhymes with ass! Nice to meetcha!” Cass wasn’t bothered at all. She took the other woman’s hand for a shake, before moving right in for a hug. There’d been just a moment of hesitation because what the fuck was that on her dress- but then she decided, fuck it! Who cared?
”You guys are married? That’s awesome! Good to know marriage doesn’t stop magical orgy participation!”Tracey uncoiled from Leon, standing more in a circle as Rusty closed in to wrap an arm around his wife. Playfully, rather than possessively, his hand half wrapped around her head, finger prodding into her ear and causing her to shy away and slap at him playfully.
”Takes a special kind of love! It helps that we’re both utterly broken in a way that just so happens to make us compatible.””Two chunks of a broken mirror! Thank God we’re both far enough on the bell curve to know it!” Tracey added, laughing at her husband’s remark.
”You guys met in a mental ward, didn’t you?” Leon joked, causing the other two to both laugh.
”Yeah, like thirty years ago or something. We were both kids, rough situations. And now we’re here! When we were thirteen, I told her she’d have a ring and a house to call her own.””And three kids later, I still look good enough to be the sushi plate. We live in a magical world!”They both seemed incredibly chipper and warm, honest, transparent, and welcoming to the new company before them.
”What part of Jolly Ol’ England are you from, Cass? You sound nice and proper, so I bet you’re from the big city!” Tracey questioned, head tilting forward in interest.
Cass grinned, getting easily comfortable- though it was pretty hard to be the kind of company she couldn’t feel at least a bit comfortable in. But with these two she didn’t even need to try.
”I’m from Manchester- but if you said I sounded proper in front’ve anyone from further South they’d laugh at you.” She laughed herself. Nice and proper wasn’t really something she’d been called before… Not that her accent was that extreme. Northern English, sure, poorer background… But understandable.
”Nice fucking place, honestly, even the shittier areas. Eh, well, maybe I’m biased, since I grew up in one of ‘em. I miss the place sometimes, but not enough to go back!” Though it was more how many people she had here, and how few she had back there. Just her brothers… And as much as she loved them, it wasn’t enough to go back to dealing with her parents regularly.
She loved her home country, but just going back was enough to have her withdrawing into herself a bit.
”Especially not when I’ve got this fine piece of ass over here.” Cass grinned, nudging Leon with an elbow. Then she winked at the other two.
”And all of his hot friends.””Anyone with the stamina, I say. There was a time where he was mostly human, but now? Forget it. First one in, last one out, and never takes off the mask.”Tracey nodded and giggled.
[color=ddbaf7]”You’re more than welcome here. Just, y’know, don’t make too big a deal if you see someone from a movie you like. We keep it quiet around here; quiet and professional.”[color] she nodded in an approving fashion.
”Which reminds me! Leon, Cass, c’mon. You both brought your identification, right?”Rusty rotated to the rack of books, grabbing a few sheets of paper tucked in between.
”This is the event NDA, and Cass, this is your membership. There’s a page for you accepting rules and conduct of the Lovington Court Union, a page detailing the overall public non-disclosure agreement, and then copies for your records when the terms are accepted. None of the paper’s magic, but the lawyers are. I promise. And they’re experts in taking other wizards to Blind court.” he giggled.
”I ain’t looking to be taken to court! No way!” Cass’ eyes widened as she took the papers. She hadn’t expected shit like this… Leon hadn’t exactly warned her. Not that she had a problem with it. It wasn’t exactly the kind of shit that she would go around telling everyone. Not that Cass was a secretive person, but she knew what to say or not.
The person most likely to hear every little thing on her mind was Leon, anyway, and she
could talk to him about it.
”And don’t worry ‘bout me making a big deal of seeing some celeb! I’m already dating the one I’m most into anyway.” Cass grinned up at Leon, before going back to finishing reading. While she got through it quite fast, she didn’t just give it a cursory scan. She trusted anywhere Leon brought her, but she wanted to be sure.
She’d almost been caught out by a bad clause in a BDSM club agreement a couple of times, after all…
”I just gotta sign? All seems reasonable… I’ll need a pen- do not pull out a sharpie, Leon, I ain’t signing with that.” She teased, pulling the case off her phone to wriggle her driver’s licence out of it.
”There ain’t anything else? No insanely long consent checklist where I gotta tick every single thing to say I’m alright with almost every kink under the sun?””Just don’t go into any rooms with red lights on the door unless you’re ready for some kind of consequences. Anything worse; you won’t find without prompting. We do try and make things easy.” Tracey explained with a smile.
”That’s pretty cool too, I mean… This guy? Really? You’re, like, a boxing chick like that?. Just, y’know, stick with him then, or if you’re feeling adventurous, one of us can help you explore new things.” Rusty added, making sure that everything was signed properly before taking the papers and sliding them back where they started.
”You’re a real motherfucker, Rusty, you’re busting my balls left and right.” Leon joked, reaching a hand out and tugging at Rusty’s beard.
”Heyyy, it’s a question! Let her answer it!” Rusty chided back.
"Oh I'm always feeling adventurous… But what? Y'think being into boxing that much is weird or something? It ain't my fault it's an underappreciated sport! And Leon's cool, especially in the ring... Even if he can be a bit of an ass sometimes!" Cass grinned, slapping a hand on Leon's arm. She sort of understood, since it wasn't a popular sport… but Cass had never been into mainstream movies or the like. Even the movies she was into she tended to get more into the characters than the actors playing them. At least, she didn't idolise other celebrities in the same way.
Not that it was idolising with Leon anymore. Their relationship would be particularly healthy if that was the case.
"I first watched it when I was like… ten I think? It wasn't on the telly of course, but my oldest brother was all like ‘look at this cool shit I found on the internet!’ So us oldest three got real into it, and I got shit hooked up to the telly so we could watch it on the big screen. The quality was kinda shit… but y’know, it was so awesome to watch! Gravity was the first boxer I was a proper fan of back when I was a kid, especially since I went and watched older matches, but… well… Eh, it ain't that interesting actually. Probably not a topic for right before an orgy?" Cass stopped before she dumped information that they probably didn't want right now.
Not that she was someone who kept things close to her chest… And it wasn't even that deep. Probably shouldn't ruin the mood! But best to be safe.
”What?” Tracey’s words hung in the air a moment as she furrowed her brow and stared with a slightly blank face at Cass.
”Sweetheart! Please, before the orgy, after it, we love a good conversation around here Darling. This is therapy to some people, and if you’re not down for that it’s fine; but there’s always a separation. The Club is nothing if not professional, understand?” Rusty asked, smiling at Cass and extending a hand.
Leon didn’t say anything- His grin gave the feeling of oddness away to the sense of good nature he felt in Rusty’s presence. He’d never known him to be slimy; just a genuine guy who’d overcome his problems through hard work. This was exemplary of such behavior, just another reason he trusted him entirely.
”Oh, well, if that’s the case!” Cass smiled, reaching out to slap Rusty’s hand for shaking it.
”It ain’t cause I don’t wanna talk ‘bout that shit- not that I need this as therapy! I have actually been to a professional. It's just I gotta bad habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, so I try stop and check y’know?”It did make it seem like she was beating around the bush about some issue, but it really wasn’t. It was just part of the explanation for why she was
so into boxing. A lot of the actual issues were shit she’d already dealt with.
”I said I got into boxing with my big brothers, right? Well, when I was sixteen- just before technically, but whatever!- the War started, y’know? So they were both drafted. My lil brothers got evacuated too, so it was just me. I was pretty fucking lonely… But I managed to hook up a bunch’ve shit to get internet so I could still watch the matches. It was when shit was really ramping up for Leon, right? So… That was when I really became his fan. Cause watching him box- more than the other boxers- helped me feel connected to my brothers, and it was something to look forward to even when shit was real hard. It helped when one of my brothers came back too. And just y’know… Some’ve the shit he said about following Gravity’s legacy in interviews then? Resonated more at that point.”It was pretty clear how easy it was for her to be open like this. There were certain things she struggled with from that period of her life- the pressures of her parents, all the things that pushed her to flee- but the lonely, hard times? She’d worked through that. It was just an extra, honestly unnecessary, explanation of her love of the sport and insane fan behaviour.
She held her hands up, grinning.
”Plus, he’s always been hot. I was a horny teen, can you blame me for getting that into it then?”Leon could only be happy that someone found joy through the continued promotions during those dark days. It never even occurred to him until long after the war that people were even able to see what he was doing. The promotion he was attached to had made it a point to travel overseas a few times, flying well over the blockade and into Manchester rather than London. After the second trip, they had to fly even further up, forcing most of their events into the western coast of Scotland. But whether she’d made it or not, the answer was probably not.
As he recalled, traffic around the island was roughly prohibited for non-military personnel. They managed to get to where they needed to go, usually out in the sticks where most of the people had wound up migrating to, but never stuck around for long. Guerilla shows, really, for the benefit of the homefront morale. He’d later had the offer to join the USO once the war had ended, but turned it down since he was getting closer to a transitional period within the Temple…
Before Lelou.
”Well, I was pretty fine. Still, I’m honestly happy that you feel that way. I always felt a little guilty knowing I was having a great time with the war going on elsewhere. Knowing that at least when I was doing what I was supposed to, I was making people happy, makes things easier…””Oh dude, I mean, at least you were doing something? Plenty of Americans barely noticed it - not that I blame em. I mean, I managed to go over there for uni during it, so plenty back home wouldn’t look too fondly on that.” Cass shrugged one shoulder. But it wasn’t like she’d been much use during the war effort.
Even with the equalities of the modern day, the draft was still fairly sexist. They were just lucky that by the time her younger brother turned eighteen the tides were really turning… If it had been during the desperate years he would’ve been called up, regardless of her older brother's service.
”But yeah, it sure did help me! Really got me more into the tech shit too, since I had to get internet working myself. That wasn’t easy… Wait…” Cass pulled out her phone, scrolling through her gallery for a moment before holding up- mostly towards Leon, but the other two would be able to see it too.
It was clearly a picture of Cass- but a much younger Cass. Her thick curls fell well past her shoulders, frizzy from lack of maintenance at that time. The picture was of her squatting in front of a television showing a staticy boxing match, grinning while flashing a thumbs up at the camera. At least two laptops and a shit ton of wires were visible too.
”I got Sal- my childhood friend- to take the picture after I finally got everything working. Pretty awesome what you can do with a bunch of stolen- I mean, uh, collected- wires and shit!”Leon had already been shown cursorily, but seeing her with such long hair was cute. Leon had encouraged the look again, but ultimately it wasn’t his job to tell her what to do!
”Oh, wow! I can’t believe that, look! Look, look, we were there that night too! That’s Marquis D’mere! Leon, its at the start of the second round!” Tracey blurted out happily, photogenic memory coming in handy from time to time.
”Oh, geeze… You’re right! I didn’t see the shorts on the TV, I was too busy looking at the setup. What were all the computers for?” Leon asked curiously.
”Holy shit, you can tell just from that shot?! That’s sick!” Cass grinned at Tracey. Then she turned to Leon, eyes shining a bit.
”Oh, I’m so glad you asked, Babe. Y’see… We didn’t have any kinda internet service on that shit box of a TV. So one laptop’s for the actual watching, the TV’s extending it. The other’s… Well, cause the net was out. So I’d made this janky ass satellite- well it was really just an antenna- and hooked it up to that other laptop, which I kinda got working as a modem? Basically it let me actually get satellite wifi even when all the normal infrastructure was destroyed by the bombing. But it involved a bunch of hacking… There’s another laptop off screen that I was using as a server to download shit too. All of the laptops were kinda shit, so I was making do with what I had.””Well, Jesus hidden Christ in a lunchbox! What’s, like, the specialty then? Like, professionally, what do you do?”Intentionally or not, they’d slowly but surely sauntered closer to the commingling of life spilling from the main common room. Tongues and other extremities were already loose, but the evening still hadn’t fully bloomed.
”I am professionally hot as fuck!” Cass joked, sticking her tongue out teasingly before laughing. Her eyes were pretty openly roaming even as she actually answered.
”I’ma software developer… Happily unemployed right now, cause my job was boring as shit- and I heard there were some real hotties further North. I ain’t really got an actual speciality… Just whatever takes my interest. I mostly do software but I like playing around with the hardware and electronics when I got time.”A particular section had noticed Leon, reactionarily egging him onward like old friends. He gave a wry smile, then looked at Cass. Of course, Rusty was no stranger, but had other preparations to make before the event fully commenced.
”Well, if you’re ever looking for freelance work? Maybe the chance to get your hands on something new? Not all of the job openings are for floor talent… I’ll see you later on, I’m sure; you’ll feel an extra degree of wet.” he laughed.
Leon laughed as well, shoving his hand out and pushing into Rusty’s head.
”Yeaaaah go be dirty somewhere else. Cass, come on. Come on, these folks are real class acts. I think if we could all hang around, it’ll be a real night to remember. C’mon-”But Leon wasn’t the only one urging. Tracey quickly came around to the other side of Cass and clung on her arm.
”No questions there; we all go way back. You’ll love it.”
