Forced Withdrawals [Nox's Building]

[Marta]

Marta giggled as Elyse continued to do the eyeliner. This was going to be fun. ”Yeah - it should be fun, and it would be a good idea to get others involved too I think. Some of the family are going to a physical school now. Not that they wouldn’t show up.” At least she hoped some would - Jackson particularly. Maybe by then they’d both be comfortable enough to go to a dance together. ”But more people would mean more fun, and the homeschooled and online school folks don’t get as much of a chance to get out as much.”

Elyse stepped back and let Marta look in a mirror to see her eyeliner. It was gold fading into green on the bottom. Marta smiled as Elyse spoke. ”Maybe the Second Chances site will have a place you could do it. I bet the teens there would like something like that too.”

Marta turned to Sterling, not only so she could talk, but so Sterling could see the make up. ”You know, that’s not a bad idea, and you know Nox would make it happen, assuming they have a space we could do it.”

[Tatyana]

Tatyana could hear him moving and approaching her. She didn’t look up or flinch. She just sat on the floor and continued to sob. Hayden put his arm around her. She flinched slightly, but didn’t push Hayden away. The flinch was more of a reflex. She hadn’t been touched like this in a long time.

Tatyana kept sobbing. The deluge wouldn’t stop. Eventually she leaned in and turned, putting her face in his shoulder. Her other hand went to his open shoulder - an awkward attempt at a hug. She cried, but it didn’t help. The pain didn’t go away and neither did the cravings. But the contact felt nice.

”It’s so hard,” she said in between sobs, and not looking up. ”And it hurts so bad.” she didn’t say more. She felt very vulnerable - more vulnerable than she had felt in a long time. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

[Sterling]

Sterling smiled. "That's a great idea. I don't know if they've built the new stuff yet, but they got things going. At least that's what Ana says. I get to work with them part time. My parents said it was okay."

Sterling hugged Marta. "That looks amazing. Jackson should see you now." She grinned. "Not that you weren't beautiful before mind you. You are, this just puts you over the top." Sterling pulled out her wallet and pressed a kiss to Marta's cheek and snapped a selfie. "Gotta share this. If it's alright. Rana will be so jealous."

[Hayden]

Hayden nodded and pulled her closer to him. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head -- a comfort more than anything and held her. He didn't have a solution. "I'm not saying we can't help, but maybe a center isn't a bad idea? They can help with the symptoms better than we can. Liv and Ashton are just covering it up. I suppose so do drugs."

Distraction often helped. "You might need to distract yourself with some other feeling or activity when it gets like this." He ran his thumb in a gentle circle around her arm to sorta imply what he was offering. It wasn't about attraction, not that she wasn't pretty -- not his type. He liked his women a bit more like Anita than Tatyana. Though Mia had been like neither. It had been a while since he'd thought about his one time live in "girlfriend". Hayden would not make a good therapist -- he got too involved personally.

[Marta]

Marta grinned at her saying that Jackson should see her now. They'd have to arrange something. That would be fun. She just had her normal clothes though and she wouldn't go out in public with the dress she was wearing now anyways. "Share whatever you like," she smiled as the picture was taken and Sterling gave her a kiss to the cheek.

It didn't bother her even though it would have with some. Sterling didn't have romantic feelings for her, at least Marta did think she did. Either way, Sterling felt safe with Sterling, which probably said a lot about how to deal with her trauma. Feeling safe was important, but it took awhile to feel that way with anyone.

Elyse put away her make up, but left it out in case the pair wanted to experiment. Then excused herself, letting them know if she was needed to just ask Sky. Marta chuckled a bit. Elyse used to hate the AI. Marta flopped back on Elyse's bed and lay down, looking at the ceiling with a sigh. "Thanks for taking me under your wing that day we met. It meant a lot to me...still does. I've grown a lot recently. It's nice to have friends." She sat up a bit and looked at Sterling. "I know I'm busy alot with Lily and computer stuff, so I'm sorry we don't always get to hang out so much."

Marta doubted the apology was necessary. She always did get some time to spend with friends, but sometimes it wasn't as much as she liked. She could probably work less on the computer stuff since it was a personal project. "So we need to make sure that sometime Jackson sees me with the make up on. I'm not taking it off for awhile, so shouldn't be a problem. I like feeling pretty. So tell me what you're doing for Ana?" She knew that Sterling was talking about Ana Vega who was working on the Second Chances project.

[Tatyana]

Hayden held her tight and kissed her on the top of the head. She felt her eyes widen at the touch. No one had kissed her in a long time either - not in any sort of way. She doubted that it was a romantic in nature type of kiss. Hayden didn't like her like that. She still wasn't sure he like her at all, but it seemed like he at least cared now. Maybe it was because she wanted to get off the drugs. She didn't know for sure.

"I know it isn't going to be easy," was all she said to that.

Hayden mentioned distraction and did so while gently tracing a circle on her arm as he did so. Tatyana wasn't completely oblivious and knew what he was offering. She wasn't sure she understood why though. She didn't think he was incredibly taken with her. It wouldn't be the first time she knew someone into casual sex though.

Tatyana cried for a little bit longer, and while she did, her hand moved from his should to his arm, feeling the muscles underneath before moving to his chest trying to communicate that she'd be fine with his distraction, even if she wasn't sure how well it would work. She took some time to calm down before removing her head from his shoulder and wiping her eyes, her hand remaining on Hayden's chest.

She looked at him. "Not so sure how much your distraction will work. It's never lasted long enough to be a distraction before," she said, just commenting that her experience with others had been less than mediocre.Her gaze turned toward the baby. "There's a baby here though - probably not the best place." She wouldn't know what to do with the baby there. Her hands opened and closed a bit as she fought her withdrawals.

[Sterling]

Sterling posted the picture and then flopped down on the bed next to Marta. "You don't have to thank me, but I get it." Everyone here had their trauma. It was part of Nox's quirks -- he never saw someone he didn't want to help. She was included in that.

Sterling laid out all the little things she was doing with Ana. Which wasn't a lot yet. Mostly setting up socials and things like that. Ana wanted to make it young and hip and cool. Even though it was technically a homeless shelter, Second Chances was so much more, and Ana had great vision. Even though it was Nox's baby here in Moscow -- not that he actually did anywork -- at least none of the hard stuff. He found money. He found people. He had the connections -- more so than even Ana did. Sterling's job was to get the word out. Second Chances and the business that would flow from it would be big news by the time she was done. Maybe with a little help from the Wicked Truth and the Oracle, she grinned at Marta. "Ya know that computer stuff can come in handy."

[Hayden]

Hayden chuckled, words flowed from his mouth "Then duckling, you are doing it all wrong." They wern't his words. They were words Nox would utter in his club guise. Words Hayden was absolutely positive he'd have said in the same situation.

He laughed as he stood up offering her a hand. "The floor isn't exactly the place you make a distraction work either." Sky raised his voice only slightly, "Sky, let Marta and Liam know that Lily is in her crib, she's fine and asleep and that I don't want to be disturbed for a while. I'll be in Nox's room for the forseable future should some immediate emergency someone else can't handle isn't available." He wasn't sure that made any sense but he didn't care.

Hayden didn't give Tatyana any room to say no, she'd already consented as he dragged her down the short hall. No one would even see them unless they were already looking. Lily's room was literally next door to Nox's.

He pulled her inside and locked the door behind him. Unless someone had the key (which should only be Nox if Hayden remembered correctly) no one was going to get in, not even Sky.

"Since you hurt we'll start with the shower, that should relax those tendancies." He didn't let her wait or pause or give her a chance to say no. He pulled her through the walk in closet into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He locked it too -- not to keep her in, but just as added security.

He let her hand go. "There are clean towels behind you get some. And there should be some nice smelling oils, pick a few you might like, I'm not sure what Nox has, something that doesn't give you a headache, Lavendar or peppermint might help with the aches." Hayden busined himself with getting the water just right -- not too hot, not too cold,

And then he disrobed folding his clothes into a neat pile -- a habit he'd picked up that only seemed to manifest here in this house. While Tatyana's back was too him he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled against her neck kissing it softly. "I'll give you an out now." He whispered into her neck as one hand traveled down her stomach lower teasing and testing the waters.

[Marta]

Sterling handled her gratitude with the same attitude she usually did - it's not necessary but she understood. That was good enough for Marta. Marta turned to look at her as she explained her role with Second Chances. Social Media director of sorts it seemed. There was no one better suited to the task that she knew and that would want it.

But it was clear that Sterling had something in mind when she mentioned the computer stuff coming in handy. She wondered if she wanted to bring Oracle on board. Marta allowed herself to think about it. Second Chances might be a good place for trafficking victims. Getting cartel victims to Moscow might be an issue - easier now that it was part of the CCD - but still an issue. Maybe it could eventually branch out though.
It was something to think about.

Marta turned to Sterling and smiled. "You have an idea...out with it."

[Tatyana]

Tatyana was pulled out of the room and led to a bedroom. She didn't fight it. She had consented. Although she wondered about the name duckling. What the hell did that mean? Hayden locked the door behind him and then to the bathroom as they entered it. Hayden had said that she hadn't been doing it right if it wasn't working as a distraction. Truth be told it had been her partners that hadn't been doing it right, but she got the jist. They had been fast. Hayden was saying he wouldn't be.

By the look of it, he wasn't going to. He told her a shower first to help relax. Tatyana found herself getting excited by this even if she wasn't sure what was going to happen. She did as she was asked and got some towels before smelling the oils. She picked the lavender, liking it better. Peppermint made her think of Christmas and that was something she wasn't too fond of. She heard the sound of running water She was about to turn around when she felt him behind her.

Tatyana hadn't taken any clothes off yet, but it was clear to her that Hayden had. She felt his lips brush gently against his neck and the warmth of his breath as he spoke. His hand traveled down her stomach and she shivered. None of her former "lovers" had ever done this. She let out a gasp in both surprise and pleasure.

Tatyana had heard Hayden's words. They were an out, but she wasn't keen to take that road. She wanted this, but instead of speaking, she leaned into him. Her hand, still shaking from withdrawal, went to his guiding it to the hem of her shirt and allowing him to feel the skin of her stomach. The other hand went behind her, feeling the skin near his hip. She guided him closer letting him know she wanted this. She turned her head towards his in anticipation.