interstellar5555 | Locked in a Room

[Nov 1st]

[Being dragged back to Pride in the middle of her night was a serious drag. She'd been charming the pants (literally) off of this darling young woman and her adorable twink-ish boyfriend when her security had her surrounded and whisked out of the club without any preamble or explanation. Her fans seemed devastated, and Luci did hate to disappoint them, but what could she do when Pride yanked on her leash?]

[She frowns all the way back to Pride, and it happens when she closes her eyes briefly in the back of the towncar--

'1-2-3-4...'

'No Luci, we mustn't!!'

The window shatters, she's barefoot and climbing into the sill, staring out at another building yards away.

'Good evening.'

Then bullets. So many bullets, and screams of 'DIE LUCIFER!!' The artillery incinerates inches from her chest, and she can feel herself smiling.

'Hey, you guessed my name.'

Two snaps, one from each of her hands. The shooters' heads explode.

Luci's eyes snap open and she remembers. She felt this way at the awards party. Something batshit insane clawing at the back of her head, and it had slipped away after she'd talked with Nariko. And now it's happening again.]

[She looks at the driver and her security nonchalantly-- nothing seems wrong to them. Luci looks out the window again, and she knows she'll only be seeing those shooters and their heads coming clean off their shoulders for a while.]

[When she's ushered in to the Junkyard Carnival suite, there is, of course, no sign of Xanxus. That's almost comforting-- as completely insane as whatever happened to her just now was, Xanxus would always rather be arrested than be told to leave whatever party he was at.]

[In the morning, Luci stays shut up in her room with a notebook, her phone, and a coffee. She tells herself she's working out whatever trip she had into a song while they can't leave the headquarters. She's really staring at a blank page and wondering what the episode means.]

[Nov. 2nd - 5th]

[Not being able to perform sends Luci into a depressed stupor. Before a string of shows, it feels like she has a beehive building up inside of her, and singing her lungs out lets it escape and fills her with energy. The letdown of not being able to perform means she's spending a lot of time in her room, trying to forget her random brain-attack. She thinks about finding some cocaine, but it doesn't do for her what it does for literally everybody else, and she's not dumb enough to just snort more.]

[When the muscle comes for Alec and Xanxus, she does exit her room to see what the fuss is. She knows they've been more irate and outlandish than usual, but not to the point of needing some ex-mob goons to straighten them out. Her brain tells her not to let these meatheads have her bandmates-- but her legs just won't move. She crawls back into bed after they go, like she can't bear to live with herself for watching it happen and doing nothing. When had she become so... obedient?]

[She focuses on the EP, on writing, on keeping the buzzing at bay by letting it out somehow. But she's not okay. Drinking doesn't make it okay, showering doesn't make it okay, distracting herself doesn't make it okay.]

[There's something wrong with her. And if she says anything, she'll be the next one manhandled into Lesedi's office.]

((OOC: She'll be in the Carnie suite, maybe making a half-hearted attempt to have fun at a Pride HQ bar, running on a treadmill, or you can text her! No doubt due to the Revenge EP plan, she's given everybody her cell number.))

[She might have crawled into bed, but there's a loud slamming of a door. It shakes the penthouse. Then there is the thunderous sound of heavy boots stomping their way to what's considered Xanxus' room. Then... another door slamming.

Silence for the moment and then...something glass shattering against the far wall.

Finally silence again]

[She is laying in bed-- her only companion is her ashtray and her phone. Does she want to know what happened to Xanxus? Does she think it's a good idea to go into Xanxus' room when he's dealing with his shit?]

[Nope, but she's tired of feeling like she has no spine. Luci gets up, not bothering to put on pants, and heads straight for Xanxus' room. Without knocking, she just opens the door.]

[When the door opens, Luci had best watch her step. There's a broken whiskey tumbler near the door, glass shattered all over the place. Evidently what he had thrown.

He's not sitting and he's not drinking. He's passing. Just going back and forth, almost like a caged tiger. His face is dark and his body positively vibrates with his anger.

He turns towards the door when it opens, and for a moment, it's almost like his eyes blaze with an inner fire.] I'll restock the bail jar tomorrow...

[Because he's deflecting the real issues here]

[Luci sees the glass before she steps on it, but she's not too worried about it for the moment. Right now, she's more worried about why Xanxus is pacing. She watches him for a moment, stares blankly at his mention of the bail jar--]

[Then she crouches down and starts picking up the glass.]

I guess there's only so much trouble we can get into in the suite. [Her voice has none of he levity it usually does, she almost mechanical in her response.]

[He stops. He stops with his back to her. His hands ball at his side, into tight fists. They shake but it's not tremmors from being denied his fix. It's from him trying to hold his temper. He's one wrong step from going off. Luci doesn't deserve to be the one to gain the brunt of it.]

The entire fucking building. I tried the back doors. And the fucking windows. That cunt wants to keep us here for some damn reason. And it sure as hell ain't because I got my ass arrested again...

[So, not quite avoiding the issue. More like getting angry at it. He doesn't like being held captive. Not since that terrible memory of ice.]

[She might not deserve it, but the thought of provoking it does cross her mind. Getting into a fight might help her feel something besides terror or confusion, even if she'd get her ass handed to her. And if Xanxus broke something of hers (a bone, obviously) he might feel worse.]

[Luci discards the glass into Xanxus' trash can.]

What was this about, then? Why the hell did she take Alec?

[He wouldn't say no to a fight or a fuck or anything right now. He's that frustrated and angry. He feels trapped in ways he can't stand and doesn't want to explain to Luci. Hell no is he going to tell her he's having nightmares like some little kid. He's a man so he's going to man up and swallow that shit along with more alcohol once he can get his hands on some.]

Fuck if I know. All I know is that the good squad brought me to the principal's office and she asked a bunch of bullshit questions about why I don't think the rules apply to me and if I've been having strange thoughts or feelings.

Have you? [The question is out of her before she can stop and think. She's been keeping this shit to herself because it terrified her (normal people didn't daydream about blowing people's heads off), and because she didn't want it spreading around. But Xanxus is a Carnie, they don't snitch on each other. She has to remind herself of that and metaphorically shove herself into talking again.]

...I have.

[The line of his back stiffens and that should be enough of an answer. But she deserves more than that. Because she's telling him something important. It's only right that he tell her too. They're band mates. They're...family.

He frowns a little and makes way to his bed to sit heavily on it. Sit and lean on his knees to stare at her]

I lied to her. I told her I'd been using more because I've been hurting more. [It doesn't take much imagination to just look at him and know that he probably hurts all the time, so it's an easy lie] It's because it's the only thing that makes it go away... the dreams. Fuck, Luci, are we going insane?

...maybe. [Luci admits, actually looking tired and vulnerable as Xanxus stares at her. There's a certain aura of confidence and bravado that comes naturally to Luci-- but right now she looks almost terribly... human. Unsure, confused, lost.]

The night they started this lockdown, I... It was like a bad trip, I saw myself snap my fingers and these two men who were shooting at me, their heads just... [She makes her hands into fists and then opens them to imitate an explosion.]

What the actual fuck, right? I haven't told anybody that because the last thing we need is Lesedi thinking I've gone off the deep end.

[He's silent for a long moment. Just looks at her. His lips draw in a thin line, but there is surprisingly little judgement in his expression. It's almost as if he understands, that hearing that Luci might have killed someone is just normal. It should bother him. It would bother a normal person, right? It doesn't bother him at all.]

At that hazing and again the night I was arrested. It's so fucked up I don't even know where to start. But Luci, you have my word and I'll swear in goddamn blood if I have to, but that bitch upstairs will never ever hear about that shit from me. But asking about that crap means she knows something and is probably watching us, so we all got to act normal. Nothing changes, even if we see ourselves blowing heads up or burning men alive.

[Really, she's looking for the disbelief that she could blow a man's head up by snapping. Wow. He's really taking this shit seriously. Luci's not sure if she should be even more scared, or comforted. Well, if he's seeing himself setting people on fire, her daydream wasn't that far away from that.]

[But either way, she nods.] Acting normal. Shouldn't be hard, we're... Well, we are who we are. Right? [She smiles faintly, trying to be encouraging.] She won't hear anything from me either. I don't care what she threatens me with. I can just blow her head off-- [She snaps with a grin.] --Right?

[ He actually wonders if he should tell Luci all the fucked up things he's been remembering. But as it is, he doesn't want to. It's just enough that they know something is happening. He'll keep an eye out for Luci. If she starts acting weird. She does and he'll be certain to act up to take the attention off of her. ]

Right. We're who we are. You are Lucifer and I am Xanxus and that won't change. [ He kicks his feet up onto the coffee table and tries not to manspread too much. His arm might still end up behind her shoulders. ] And you can. We can even make it a part of the show for an encore. Fans would love that shit.

[Luci sighs heavily, feeling vastly better despite spilling what she'd been sitting on for days. She tilts her head back onto Xanxus' arm, staring at the ceiling with a bemused smile.]

The freaks really would. Might even be cathartic for me, blowing off Santiago's head in effigy every night.

[ He doesn't mind his arm being a beefy pillow for a while. So long as he keeps a free hand to keep drinking. Besides, it's better when Luci smiles. It's like she's up to no good which is how he likes it. ]

I know a guy who can hook us up with some mad pyros. It could totally be a thing. Maybe not every night though. Making Santiago puppets to destroy every night would get fucking expensive, but we can always have them on hand for when you really feel like unleashing hell on her.

You'd be okay with that? [Luci raises her eyebrows. She'd been wary of talking to Xanxus about potentially setting her jacket on fire again, but if he was talking pyrotechnics....]

I'd love to destroy something by snapping, I'll tell you that much. [That's some serious longing in her voice.]

[ A little shrug ] I'm not so delicate I'm going to fall apart on stage just because of some little fire. So long as we make sure that shit is like triple checked. I don't want you to end up looking like me. I'm the only one that gets to rock the sexy scarred look in this band. You end up like that and you'll totally steal all my thunder. I can't have that.

But if you want to destroy some shit, soon as we're out of this place, let's go bar hopping. I'm sure between the two of us we can get some dumbasses to throw down [ It can be a band bonding experience. Bonding over bar fights. ]

I will leave you to have the sexy scarred look. I'll be the freak in white. We'll get along famously.

[The second they get out... Luci stretches against Xanxus' side, as though the mere thought makes her want. She groans, she wants it now, why is that so hard?] They do love to start shit with us. And I do love putting my heel in their sternums.

[ He hears her groan and he understands. They're both beasts and they've been caged. It's frustrating and angering and so many other things. More so because he got in trouble for it. Well, if they thought he behaved badly before, challenge accepted, he's going to get a hell of a lot worse. ]

That's because the scum thinks they can take us. Me, I wonder if it's because they're sick in the fucking head. You though... [ They both know idiots think Luci is less of a threat because she has tits. ] it's damn hilarious, the looks on their faces when you put them on the damn floor. So it's a date, all right. You. Me. A bunch of drunk assholes that'll give the hospitals things to do.

It's not a macho thing? [Luci arches an eyebrow at Xanxus.] I mean, yeah, they're fucking imbeciles for thinking they can take you down, but I always thought they tried to take both of us for the same reason: pack mentality. Step one: take down something bigger than you/female. Step two: [Wiggly hand gesture.] Step three: Props.

My favorite thing though-- [She sits up, resting her elbow on Xanxus' arm and lounging.] --is when they try to break something over your head and you just don't move. Not even a fucking flinch. Those looks of horror could be works of art.

[ His fingertips, the ones not holding his own drink lightly slide over one of Luci's shoulders. It's just a friendly touch. They're like that. Communicating in touches and headbutts. ] Against me, it's totally a macho thing. They think taking me out will game them some big bad reputation. The man who knocked out Xanxus. I think most of those shitbags want to be the dude that banged Luci. Different thing totally.

[ He laughs then. Definitely feeling better. This is what he needed. Things to help distract him. ] You know how it is. My pain tolerances are just really fucking high. My bullshit ones though... and holy fuck Luci, soon as we get out of here we'll go. We'll find the first dive we can and we'll liven the place up.

Locked in a Room

Luci + Openish [CW: Violent Imagery/Drug Mentions]

2nd

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