Vigilantes [M]

[Sara]

"Kill it as in actually kill people?" she grinned and tossed her wet hair over her shoulder, aiming more flicks at him. "Or kill in another respect?" Boys? Classes? "I'm not very academic." She wrinkled her nose. Yep. She was tipsy.

"How would you know anyway? You don't seem the college type." She couldn't imagine him in glasses and a sweater, thumbing through books in the library. The thought actually made her giggle. She knew he was older, of course, but he didn't seem that much older. It did beg a question though. "How old are you anyway? Thirty?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Okay, so his wording might have been unfortunate. In his defense, he was three glasses of whiskey and a day of sleep deprivation in.

"Why, what does a college type look like?" he shot back, amused, as she flicked more water at him. "Stop that."

"How old are you anyway? Thirty?" 

"Fuck you, Birch" he smirked, rolling his eyes. "I'm twenty three. And I've been to college. Dropped out. It was more of my parents' idea." It wasn't bad, but it wasn't really great either. Especially once his powers developed. "I mean, this place is kinda like that... less parties, I guess. And homecoming and shit."

[Sara]

"What does a college type look like? Oh, I don't know, like a guy who won't set the books on fire by touching them." She grinned at him, a big buoyant smile and flicked water him anyway at the 'fuck you Brich'. 

Twenty-three. Interesting. He'd had at least five years of developing powers to contend with where she'd only had almost two. "Go on then, amuse me, cheer me up, distract me from the bullet still in me." She arched an eyebrow, he couldn't say no to that, "What did you study? Aaaand I'll have you know there's plenty of parties. You just have to know the right people." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

He winced at her comment about setting books on fire. It was a reminder that he did not fit in anywhere normal; he was considered a source of danger, even in a school full of weirdos. "Hey." She kept flicking water.

"Yeah, I can hear some of your parties from downstairs." he smirked "And to think you gave me that whole spiel about no alcohol, no visitors, no relationships... you are bad, Camilla Birch."

[Sara]

She choked, clamping her hand over her mouth to keep from spilling whiskey all over him at his comment. The floor was thin. She’s forgotten that last week. Won’t be making that mistake again, Camilla.

“I’m not bad!” She protested as she finally swallowed down the whiskey, “And I never said no sex. I said no relationships. Different. Dating is different.” Despite herself, she was blushing. He was having an odd effect on her…and despite the fact she wasn’t ashamed about her…dating life, she was still Camilla and still didn’t want to discuss it with him.

“And the alcohol…I don’t hear you complaining?!”

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius laughed at her reaction. Her... activities had not been very distracting, but he definitely took note of what was happening upstairs. Even though he was not sure with whom.

"So... school policy hates relationships, but meaningless sex is okay." Lucius grinned. He saw her blushing, and it was such an easy target. "Alright, now I hate this place a little less." He raised his glass, which he had filled again. "Cheers to living your best life."

@Sara

[Sara]

“School policy doesn’t want you to be dating somebody here, which I’m not.” She said with drunken, choked indignation. 

That indignation only increased at his comments. Instead of clinking glasses she uncurled her leg and reached out to try and kick him. “And who said it’s meaningless?! For all you know, I have a steady boyfriend whose the love of my life!” She didn’t. She dated around. “You’re unbelievable…and stop listening to me!” She glared, “Sad lonely creep downstairs…” She added as a mumble.

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

They were both fairly drunk now, which was not helping the conversation at all. Camilla implied that she could be in a relationship with someone from outside the school. Lucius doubted it. She was probably just sleeping around. Which she had a right to do, frankly, as much as it disturbed his evenings.

 “You’re unbelievable…and stop listening to me! Sad lonely creep downstairs…”

She was joking, but Lucius winced a little anyway. He dodged her kick and gave her a look.

"Stop being so damn loud then" he shot back "And it's not like I can just wave a hand and attract any man I want." he smirked at her.

@Sara

Edited May 24, 2022 by Chevi

[Sara]

She gave him a smug look and tossed her wet hair back over her shoulder. "Jealous much?" she interjected before he could finish his sentence and when he did she choked with a deep glare, half-tempted to toss the cup of whiskey she had over his head. She chose the high-road though...although Camilla's high-road wasn't particularly lofty.

"Please," She wafted a hand over herself, "You think it's the powers that bring the men running? You're doing my time in the gym and salon a disservice." She chuckled to herself, easily amused. "I'm guessing the...powers," She gestured to the gloves, "Mean girls...or guys...?" She quirked a brow, unable to read him, "Are off the table for you. Such a shame. Your winning personality must have them flocking to you." She snorted, joking. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"Jealous much?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. Camilla was hot, for sure. But that wasn't really enough to make him jealous of anyone.

"Please. You think it's the powers that bring the men running? You're doing my time in the gym and salon a disservice. I'm guessing the...powers. Mean girls...or guys...?"

Lucius shrugged. Both? Either? There were good options in any category.

"Are off the table for you. Such a shame. Your winning personality must have them flocking to you." 

"Fair point. Maybe I should start going to the salon, so I won't need a personality either."

@Sara

[Sara]

"Aaaaand we're done." She rolled her eyes and launched a pillow that was supporting her back square at him, aiming for his head. Gingerly and with a cough, she uncurled herself from her chair and stood on wobbly legs. Whether that was tiredness or drunkeness she didn't know. She quirked a brow. "Good night Roscoe. You can fuck off now." There was a wry smile on her face though as she swept her arm, gesturing for him to leave.

---

A week later

Camilla smoothed down the fine maroon silk of her dress as she slipped on her heels. The burns and smoke inhalation had subsided as they had been promised they would by the infirmary docs. Swiping up her keys and chucking them in her bag, she started the long climb down the stairs to the ground floor. She was running late but what else was new. It was only when she drew to the reception that she heard conversation being barked back and forth and groaned audibly as she recognised one voice in particular. 

"Move." She rolled her eyes as she stepped into the office, clearing her throat and gesturing for Lucius to step aside. "Some of us need to sign out." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius might have gotten chased out of Camilla's room, but he was still the guy who'd ultimately saved the day. And shared a drink with her. It didn't make them friends, but it made them... not enemies. Which was good, because Lucius did get the fallout for his fit after the mission. Confined to the academy, with no access to the internet. It was fucked up. Especially in the first few days, still recovering from the smoke inhalation. School, training, nothing. He was going out of his mind.

So, when he saw Camilla all dolled up and walking out, he decided to do something about it.

"Move. Some of us need to sign out." 

"Some of us do" Lucius nodded, giving a glare at the man behind the reception desk. "And apparently, some of us need to be escorted by a team leader to do so."

@Sara

[Sara]

Camilla chuckled as she grabbed the clipboard and signed her name and place of destination (date, lower east side) and then pushed it back through the cubbyhole. "Well then you're shit out of luck unless you want to go and charm Aidan." She smirked, the team leader from one of the others was a prick - everybody knew that. 

"I've got plans." She tried to step around him and then folded her arms over her chest, scoffing. "Which you are not invited to." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Of course she was not going to say yes. The dress was fancy, and since she was going out alone, it had to be a date. But Lucius knew that even Camilla had more empathy for him than any of the other leaders, so he was not ready to give up yet. He lowered his voice.

"Come on, Birch. I've been grounded for a week with no phone. And I know I was right. Throw me a bone here. I won't be in your way. I just want to... not be in this place for a few hours."

@Sara

[Sara]

A week with no phone. Camilla figured she might actually rather die. For a brief moment she felt a wave of pity and then irritation. She didn't have time to be his baby sitter. She glanced between him and the sign out form, debating what to do. 

"How much trouble will I be in if he fucks this up?" She turned her attention to the man behind the desk who gave Lucius a long look before flicking his gaze back to Camilla. "Leaving privileges suspended like his for a minor incident. You know what happens for more." She did. Isolation was the best of it really. She rolled her shoulders and glanced sideways at Lucius. Then, with a frustrated scowl she shoved the sign-out board at him. "Fine. You'll just have to sit quietly whilst I'm out. Okay?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius let out the breath he had been holding, and grinned. "You won't even notice I'm there." Supervision meant he couldn't just take off; he did have a tracker, after all. But as long as Camilla had an eye on him, they didn't really need to do things together. Lucius signed out then followed Camilla out of the building.

"I owe you one. So, where are we going?"

@Sara

[Sara]

"You do owe me." she said with a grumble as they descended the steps having been buzzed out of the building. It was cold in New York but she didn't have a jacket that went with her dress so forewent it. 

"I'm going for a date at Chez Ducroquet. You're going to drink at the bar like a loner and not disturb me." The clip-clop of her heels against the sidewalk increased as she tried to match her pace to his. She frowned, "Learned your lesson from this then? No more trying to blow up the leaders desk?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"You do owe me." 

Lucius had no illusions about Camilla cashing in that check as soon as possible.

"I'm going for a date at Chez Ducroquet. You're going to drink at the bar like a loner and not disturb me."

"I get to drink? Splendid." It was a date, then. A fancy, fancy date for fancy, fancy people. But Camilla must not have liked the guy too much, otherwise she would have told Lucius to fuck off.

"Learned your lesson from this then? No more trying to blow up the leaders desk?" 

"As soon as he learns not to send people into a burning building without masks" Lucius shrugged as he walked along, keeping pace with her. "Don't you need a jacket?... So, who's the guy?"

@Sara

[Sara]

Camilla rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure he's learned his lesson, just like as you've learned yours." Her lips twitched, "Couldn't even last a week without a phone...are you a secret influencer Lucius? Can't keep away from the 'gram?" She was joking but the mental image made her chuckle out loud all the same.

"No." she shook her head at his offer. She did, but she wasn't going to take his. "And," She wrinkled her nose, "A friend of one of my brothers. A couple of years older. Just graduated...does...something in the city. Banking or something. This is the third date." She shrugged. "At least it's not Tinder. I swear I've swiped through the whole of the city." She muttered. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"Couldn't even last a week without a phone...are you a secret influencer Lucius? Can't keep away from the 'gram?"

"No, but my Onlyfans are getting impatient" Lucius deadpanned "Guy gotta eat."

More than that, he wondered who Camilla was going on a date with. Because that dress looked expensive.

"No. A friend of one of my brothers. A couple of years older. Just graduated...does...something in the city. Banking or something. This is the third date." 

"Well that sounds extremely romantic" Lucius smirked at her. Third date, and she didn't know what he did for a living? Yikes.

"At least it's not Tinder. I swear I've swiped through the whole of the city." 

Okay, that was a very low hanging fruit, so he bit back the comment. Not the face, though.

"Alright, sure. I'll sit at the bar and drink quietly. You have fun with... Jayden, or whatever his name is." sounded appropriate for a banker. "Does he know who you are?"

@Sara

[Sara]

She laughed, despite willing herself not to, at his quip and then tried to counter it by scowling straight ahead as they walked. It wasn’t far to the restaurant and she needed the fresh air.

“Where romance fails,” She retorted with a chuckle, “Expensive steak makes up for it.” With a little shrug she cast a glance sideways at him. “What a fun night you’ll have. Drinking alone is seriously better than being in the academy alone?” She quirked a brow and studied him just for a moment before shaking her head. “Of course he does.” Her voice was a touch quieter now, “Why do you think I never get past the swiping stage of Tinder? One google and poof.” She shook her head with a little sigh. “You promise you’re not going to cause any trouble?”

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

“Where romance fails. Expensive steak makes up for it.”

"Steak huh? And here I thought you only ate salads..." Lucius chuckled. He already knew Camilla enough from the past weeks to know she was not as straight laced as she liked to appear.

“What a fun night you’ll have. Drinking alone is seriously better than being in the academy alone?”

"Being anywhere but the academy is seriously better." Lucius stated in all seriousness. Hell, he'd take a walk in the park at this point. But he did wonder if her date knew who she was. What she was.

“Of course he does. Why do you think I never get past the swiping stage of Tinder? One google and poof. You promise you’re not going to cause any trouble?”

Oh. Well, people sucked. Big whoop. Lucius understood no one wanted to get burned by him, but Camilla? Her powers were not as obvious.

"Not unless you want me to" he nodded. They arrived to the place, and it looked impressive. "Good luck. If you get lucky, I promise I'll go back to the academy."

[Sara]

She muttered. "Such a stalker." She did eat salads at school...so in her mind she could 'bank' the extra calories for nice dinners out where she didn't look ridiculous ordering a spinach salad, dressing on the side, every time she went on a date.

"I never want you to cause trouble Lucius." She smirked and then groaned, snapping her face around to glare at him. "Nooo, because you're my responsibility. So we'll escort you home." She gave him a smug smirk and then strode forward, recognising Aidan even from the back of his head. She didn't spare Lucius another glance...until about halfway into her dinner. Which was not going well.

Whether Aidan took the 'third date' thing literally or had just had a bad week of work he...was more of a prick than usual. She physically shifted to escape the hand under the table that seemed permanently trying to grasp at her thigh. The way he clicked at the servers, the ordering for her (salad, evidently he didn't think a steak was appropriate), the several glasses of wine he got through as he wined about the hours he was putting in, his commission, even the fucking temperature of the water that came out of the faucet at his office. 

She stole a glance to the bar and...frowned. She had been hoping that Lucius at least was having an equally dreadful evening but instead he seemed to be swarmed by a small group of people, women and men and she frowned. Something wasn't right with this picture and with a tight smile to Aidan that she was going to the bathroom, she clattered her way over. 

"What's this?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

 

[Chevi]

Lucius' evening had not really gone well either. While Camilla sat at a fancy table, being chatted up by a man who looked like a douche, Lucius had taken a seat at the bar, and ordered a drink. And then immediately gotten another, paid by two giggling women at the other end of the bar.

"You are that guy, right? The one from the fire?"

Oh, fuck me sideways.

"We saw you on TV! You are like a real superhero, right?"

"Would it be corny to say you're hot?"

Dear Lord Baby Jesus.

After a week with no phone, Lucius was finding out the hard was that he was becoming an internet celebrity of some sort. It seemed like the Academy had curated his image, because no one was asking questions about that other fire... instead, he soon had half a dozen men and women furiously flirting at him and buying drinks. 

"You are a hero!"

"You saved so many people!"

"Is it dangerous to touch your skin?... Can I try?"

For having complained about no one wanting to sleep with him, now he had somehow ended up on the other side: apparently, quite a few people were into the possibility of being singed in bed. 

Yikes.

Finally, Camilla made an appearance. She didn't look pleased.

"This is me trying to keep a low profile" Lucius deadpanned, raising a glass of expensive whiskey. "It, incidentally, is also what happens when I don't have an internet connection."

@Sara

[Sara]

"Told you," she smirked and not without a ripple of jealousy, "Hero of the aca-" 

She was cut off by a particularly aggrieved looking young woman and her furiously blushing friend; "Um. Excuse me? We were talking to Lucius first." Camilla quirked a brow at the pair and opened her mouth to speak before being cut off by a big looking dude on the other side of her. "Yeah. You want to talk to him, buy him a drink - he's a hero and you..." 

Camilla zoned out after that and instead squared her shoulders. They had no idea who she was just by sight. She wasn't the hero of the night. A muscle in her jaw twitched and she glanced at Lucius. "Want to get out of here?" She heard the scoff from the fans around him as if the notion that he'd just up and leave with a random woman (who hadn't even queued to meet him) was so unfathomable. She couldn't face anymore of Aidan. She glanced over - he wasn't even looking for her, he was already scrolling on his phone. She swallowed and turned back to Lucius, voice lower. "Or would you like me to get these people away from you? I can lead them straight into the Hudson if you'd like?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi