|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 18, 2016 17:06:47 GMT -5
Dorian's work had been suffering since his last fight with Christine. Even after his bender, and subsequent fight with Lex, Dorian was still distracted by thoughts of the girl it was wrong to love. He'd been avoiding talking about anything other than the Dark Wizard case they were working on, he skipped all social functions when invitations were extended to him, and he even ducked into a supply closet to avoid Lex when she looked particularly chatty.
But something had happened earlier in the week. He didn't notice the shift right away, not until one of the trainees made a comment about being glad Dorian was feeling better. Initially he scrutinized himself for allowing his sour demeanor to be so prevalent in the office but as he thought on it he came about to the positive aspect the soon-to-be-Auror had actually commented on. Dorian was feeling better. He wasn't avoiding social interactions, no more so than he normally would have, and he even had a brief conversation with the youngest Ferrera; far from the scariest of Christine's Auror family but still it was something akin to progress.
He saw Lex heading toward him, obviously making for the same destination; his office. He smiled at her and met her in front of his door. "Morning," he said in a more cheery tone than he'd spoken to her in ages.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 18, 2016 19:09:23 GMT -5
She had pushed him too far and he had certainly made her pay over the past week. Any progress they had made as friends had flown out the window and she was relegated to the disdainful partner he had to work with. She honestly thought about just quitting, or getting transferred since she apparently did enjoy auror work. But Lex wasn't a quitter.
She had pulled back dramatically on the personal talk, and stuck mainly to the case at hand, it was easy to do since Dorian practically fled whenever Lex even hinted at small talk. So when he initiated their meeting with a greeting she was surprised.
"You're speaking to me again?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 18, 2016 21:30:56 GMT -5
Dorian looked at her with an unreadable expression, then relented with a sigh. "It has been pointed out to me," he said as he opened the door to his office for her, "that I may have been something of a killjoy as of late."
He looked her in the eye. "I am sorry. I know you were simply attempting to help."
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 18, 2016 22:47:06 GMT -5
He had been a beast, and not the literal sort that she was used to. She never thought she'd think so, but she actually preferred Alek's temper and roars to Dorian's silence and frost. But she grew up with Alek, and despite his rages he had never hurt her or shut her out. His passion in his anger at least was due in part by his caring and feelings, Dorian's silence and withdrawn glances left her cold and desolate.
Still she knew how difficult the apology had been for him and in favor of moving forward she simply smiled, "Bygones."
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 18, 2016 23:14:55 GMT -5
That was the wonderful thing about Lex; she was very forgiving when it came to the people she cared about. It pained Dorian to think he was one of those people and had treated her so poorly, but he wouldn't dwell on it any longer than she did, and she was ready to move on. Thank Merlin.
Dorian walked into his office behind her, letting the door shut of it's own volition. "There have been a few new reports made," he said of their case, "but nothing with any viable leads..."
His voice trailed off as he noticed something on his desk that was distinctly out of place. A six-pack of beer and a note. He moved curiously to his desk and read the note, unconsciously smiling as he realized Max, the woman he had met the other day at lunch, had left it for him along with her phone number.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 18, 2016 23:34:32 GMT -5
Lex sighed, they had been working on this new case for a while but the perpetrators were extraordinarily cunning this wasn't some small circuit or a singular dark wizard, this was connected to a much larger operation, and they didn't have the manpower to bring it down with just the two of them. They also couldn't get more manpower until they could prove it was a larger threat, and with everyone focused on M right now there were no extra resources. It left the ministry vulnerable.
It was a conversation they had discussed before, and always with the same conclusion: no use whining, keep looking for another angle.
But all these thoughts were halted in light of the strange gift left on Dorian's desk, and the accompanying smile it elicited from Dorian. This was gossip, and naturally Lex was curious.
"That's an odd gift to give someone at work...particularly an auror." she said with a small frown, but only because she didn't know who had sent it, "A secret admirer?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 19, 2016 0:23:30 GMT -5
Dorian schooled his features before he looked up to meet Lex's eye. "A woman I helped the other day. This is apparently a thank you for fixing her motorcycle."
Dorian folded the note in half and causally pocketed it as he put both hands in his pockets.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 19, 2016 0:28:31 GMT -5
Lex nearly stomped her foot, and Dorian should have been proud of her progress as she merely gave him a mild pout. She didn't even ask for details though it was clearly killing her to do so.
She had moved past their argument over Christine, it was Dorian's life, and if he wanted to muck it up by not being with his true love then Lex was going to let him. At least until she could find a way to get them back together without Dorian getting upset with her interfering.
But this new woman was also interesting. Was she responsible for this new light mood of his?
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 19, 2016 0:51:47 GMT -5
She was exhibiting an extreme amount of self control as Dorian knew she wanted to be nosy. He raised his eyebrows at her silence.
"Really? I thought at least the mention of me fixing a motorcycle would have elicited some questions. Bravo." He pulled his hands from his pockets, Max's number still safely inside, and unbuttoned his suit jacket before sitting. He moved the beer to the side of the desk.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 19, 2016 1:09:54 GMT -5
She sat on her silence even through his comment, and smiled almost proudly.
She moved for a file, "This is the most recent statement we have on the missing students, from a kid name Callum Parker. He was dating Sera Daniels."
Like the other students who had 'disappeared' Sera wasn't really a victim of foul play. She had informed her parents and her boyfriend that she was leaving, and legally she was of age to do so, but it had been very sudden.
Seemlessly without leaving a second for him to think about Sera or the missing students she caved into her curiosity, "And okay I can't stand it! Who is she? Where did you meet her? Is she pretty? You fixed a motorcycle? Are you going to see her again? Is she pretty?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 19, 2016 1:30:22 GMT -5
Dorian looked to the file she referenced, prepared to read over the boyfriend's statement which he suspected to be just like all the other statements. The case was impossibly futile without additional resources, they might as well have been on a merry-go-round for all the progress they were making.
And then Lex went "full Lex" and Dorian looked up in amazement.
"I do believe it is generally agreed upon that one should breath between every five sentences or so." He didn't even know where to start in answering her questions, he couldn't even say for certain how many questions she had just rambled off.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 19, 2016 1:33:29 GMT -5
She gave him an incredulous look as his counting her sentences was just as quirky as her rapid fire questions. Thank Merlin they were unnaturally pretty or else they might be disliked upon character alone.
"Is she pretty?" she repeated slowly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 19, 2016 1:58:42 GMT -5
Of course she started with that question. Dorian shifted uncomfortably in his seat before answering. "Yes, I suppose she is."
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 19, 2016 2:00:04 GMT -5
Lex chewed her lip knowing that she only had a small bit of slack, her next question had to be the one she wanted answered most because she wouldn't likely get a third. She thought about it, and the obvious one came to mind.
"Are you going to see her again?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 19, 2016 2:34:37 GMT -5
He wasn't sure if he even considered their first meeting as "seeing her" so seeing her again would have been a bit of a stretch. He wasn't ready to date anyone, least of all a woman as completely contradictory to his nature as Maxine. And certainly he had learned his lesson about romantic entanglements and his duty as an Auror. His job posed too much of a risk for his loved ones, he couldn't bring anyone else into that sort of danger.
"I don't expect so," he said, his words calculated and precise. She was a nice break from reality and had clearly had an affect on him, but he didn't plan on calling her. The phone number in his pocket said otherwise.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 19, 2016 2:45:54 GMT -5
Lex was dying to ask more questions, but she stopped herself. She was frustrated for him. She didn't know whether his lack of desire to see this woman again stemmed from his remaining feelings over Christine, or because deep down Dorian didn't think he was worthy of romance.
It was a hard line, being an auror. His life would constantly be in danger, and mixing that with the people he loved was obviously against everything he was, but that made Lex incredibly sad. She just wanted him to be happy.
She gave a small sigh as the only indication that she was less than happy about his decision, but she move past it, "So...where did you learn to fix motorcycles?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 19, 2016 3:06:49 GMT -5
He was expecting the interrogation into his supposed love life to continue and was surprised again when Lex showed considerable restraint in her desire to ask all of the questions she could possibly imagine. This next question put Dorian much more at ease, though it potentially opened the door for an additional line of questioning as he had shared some, but relatively little with her about his parents.
"My father fixed them as a hobby when I was growing up. He liked me to help him from time to time." Dorian missed his father terribly, as well as his mother. He had not properly dealt with their untimely passing and continued to blame himself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 19, 2016 3:15:12 GMT -5
Lex ached for him, and when she realized she had touched on a still very sensitive wound she backed off. It wasn't fair of her to use his parents in their last argument, though she had meant what she said. He was scared about something happening to the people he loved, and she believed that if his parents loved him, then they would want him to be happy, but still it hadn't been fair.
Lex didn't have the same relationship with her parents, neither one had been particularly warm, though her father did tend to dote on her upon occasion, her mother made up for it with shrewish and harpy like behavior. Where Alek got the worst from their father, Lex had gotten the worse from their mother.
She tried for a lighter topic, "So you're saying you wore something other than a suit?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorian Humbert on Dec 19, 2016 4:04:07 GMT -5
Dorian folded his hands on the desk top and leaned forward. "Aleksandra, when have you ever known me to not wear a suit?" Yes, the topic of a new lady friend made him uneasy, and certainly the mention of his father stirred up feelings he'd rather not address. But Dorian was in a very good mood today and made something quite close to a joke as he smiled at his friend.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen on Dec 19, 2016 12:09:16 GMT -5
There was something soft and innocent-like when Lex smiled. She almost looked like a child with her big blue eyes and button nose. She hadn't had reason to smile the way she was now for a good while, but Dorian's humor had restored hers.
Then her brow furrowed and she looked at him, "Actually...I don't think I ever have..." she realized now how odd that was considering they had all practically lived together at the hotel.
|
|
