Rory stared up at him with wide chartreuse eyes painted with streaks of violet, his vertical pupils narrowing into slits.
It's different…
He sniffed lightly, a faint smell of apples hitting his nose.
Reminds me of the professor.
Julien relaxed his arms as Rory wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and opened his mouth.
"…How's he doing?"
Julien blinked.
"He's…"
Julien took his hands off the wall, freeing Rory from his blockade.
I haven't had a chance to ask.
"We're working on it. You didn't answer me."
Rory scratched the back of his head, not bothering to move from his spot on the wall.
"You'd know the answer better than me. Haven't seen him in about four years."
He rambled on, fiddling with the collar of his red changshan.
"Though I guess texting counts right? When's the last time I had a message from him? Sometime last year?"
He paused.
"When did he get like that?"
"His birthday."
"Ouch. He's always had a way of celebrating the holidays."
Rory covered his mouth.
"Sorry, bad habit. Don't tell him I said that."
Julien looked at him strangely.
How did this guy befriend Andrew of all people?
"…Noted."
At a loss for words, Julien stared blankly at the other until Rory cleared his throat.
"Sure are peas in a pod. Funnily enough, you're the only friend of his—"
"Roommate."
He laughed nervously.
"—roommate to be as quiet as he is. Thought you Northern folk were—"
He seemed to realize something and looked away, his nervous smile becoming more strained by the second.
"Well, if you're not going to say anything I'll ask you instead. How's he handling the shift?"
Too well.
Julien sighed.
"That's actually why I wanted to talk to you. He keeps saying he's fine but it's hard to tell until—"
It's too late.
Julien ran a hand through his hair, earning a nervous look from Rory.
You'd think I was about to hit him.
"Can you tell me what he was like before?"
The chatterbox's barely held smile disintegrated with a fading chuckle. Rory met Julien's eyes, searching, then he turned his head away, rubbing his arm.
"I won't say anything private, but he's been the same for as long as I've known him. Even after…"
Rory paused, reorganizing his thoughts with a ruffling of his own hair.
"If he says he's fine, look for other signs. He won't tell you anything unless you ask the right questions."
He paused, a sharp look crossing his face.
"Don't ask him anything too difficult. I don't want to see him hurt."
Tapping his arm with a finger, he looked around as if ready to run at any moment before standing on his tiptoes to whisper in Julien's ear.
"And about Remus, I wouldn't take everything he says at face value either."
Stunned, Julien backed away and watched as Rory scurried away, disappearing into an adjacent corridor.
Looking back at the empty space in front of him, Julien felt more confused than ever.
Why would he say that?
And did it mean everything Remus said was a lie, or that everything was up to interpretation?
Frowning, Julien turned to leave, only to freeze when he spotted Rory peeking at him from behind the corner.
Does no one make noise except me?
Calming his beating heart, Julien took a cautious step forward.
"What?"
Rory took a deep breath as he stepped out from behind the wall.
"Andrew only tells white lies."
—
Julien walked through the hall in silence, stopping just before the lounge door with a contemplative hand over his mouth.
Other signs…
Julien put his hand on the handle.
Don't be hard on him.
Before Julien could turn the handle however, he heard a voice from down the hall, interrupting his focus.
"Whatcha doin'?"
He stared at Remus' face, relaxed as ever, before taking his hand off the handle.
Now what?
"Weren't we supposed to…hang around Andrew until tomorrow?"
Remus clicked his tongue.
"Knew ya weren't listenin' poppet. We're not stayin' in that room."
Remus grabbed Julien by the arm and dragged him into another, emptier, room—punching a code into a nearby keypad.
Just doing whatever he wants.
As Remus typed in the last digit, the floor opened up beneath their feet—a dark stairwell with no end in sight revealing its hungry maw. Julien stared into it—a little unsure.
Everything in his brain was screaming 'this is a set-up! Run the other way!'
"Andrew isn't down there is he?"
The werewolf started down the stairs, pulling a reluctant Julien along with him.
"Not exactly."
Remus flashed him a cheeky grin.
"What, scared outta yer britches poppet?"
Julien frowned.
Who wouldn't be?
"Of course not."
Remus chittered and the two continued their descent, passing by a few platforms leading to other paths before finally reaching the bottom.
In the middle of the room was a heavy metal door with a window on the front of it flanked by an arch of golden patterning—a 'flower' with eight petals surrounding a radiant purple gem at its center was the most prominent of the markings.
Julien reached out to touch the arch, only for Remus to grab his hand in midair.
"Don't touch that."
He smirked, letting him go.
"Though if ya wanna know true pain, go for it doll."
No thanks.
Julien felt his right ankle throb as he moved away from the wall.
Did I sprain it somewhere?
"Do these patterns mean anything?"
Remus hummed, placing one of his bangles against the door. The metal glowed with a faint purple light.
"It's The Council's symbol."
Julien looked at the arch again, scrunching up his face.
Not one I've ever seen.
"The Council of Light?"
With several clicks, the glow faded from the door.
"No."
Remus pushed the door open with amusement pulling at his face. Julien trailed behind him, a furrow to his brows as he tried to put the pieces together.
Then what council?
"Remus, where are you from?"
Remus took off the bangle he used to open the door and tossed it at Julien without warning. As he fumbled to catch it, Remus waltzed further into the room.
"Nunya business, sweetheart."
Julien slid the bangle onto his wrist, both confusion and awe overtaking him as he took in their surroundings.
I should make one of these.
Supported by swirling golden arches—all of which bore a variety of both beautiful and deadly flowers—they were inside a giant glass dome several sublevels below the Earth.
He slowed his pace, curiosity overriding his survival instincts.
Surrounded by a myriad of winding weeping hardwoods and taller, broader softwoods—many of which were covered in bioluminescent ivies and mosses—the space resembled a fairytale version of the nature preserves in the Northeast and Northwestern Districts.
Then there was the faint scent of soil which, to Julien's surprise, didn't smell like the Nutri-Lush typical of spaces like these.
Feeling his heart pound with the urge to start identifying the surrounding flora, Julien shook his head and fell into step with the other man.
Maybe next time.
Stopping in the middle of the room on a circular white marble platform covered in the same patterns as before, Remus pointed at different corners of the space with disinterest.
"Bed, bathroom, don't worry 'bout over there, don't go there, hm, there's an emergency exit there but I wouldn't recommend it for ya poppet."
Remus turned to look at him, a teasing glint to his eye.
"Ya don't look like you've spent any a time outside a city princess, let alone the middle of a forest."
Julien scoffed.
"Of course I have."
"Not countin' Spinewalk."
He faltered.
I always walk a few miles…
Shaking his head, Julien moved to look around.
"So? Where is he?"
"Back at the lounge."
Julien paused, leveling the werewolf with an annoyed look.
Then what'd you drag me here for?
Remus scoffed, placing a hand on his hip.
"Are we deadass? How much of my explanation didja actually hear?"
Julien looked off to the side, an annoyed look on his face as his eyes landed on a really interesting tree.
I wonder if the bioluminescence acts as artificial sunlight down here…
"Glare at you all night, ahem, chill with you and Andrew till tomorrow night before fucking off faster than the CAE until morning?"
Remus's expression grew increasingly exasperated.
"Imma let ya try that again."
Julien pursed his lips.
Wrong answer I guess.
Clicking his tongue, Remus moved to sit on the ground—crossing his legs like a pretzel. He patted the spot beside him with a disarming smile.
"I'll give ya a summary."
—
After checking several times that Julien actually got everything this time, Remus led them back upstairs to retrieve Andrew.
Making eye contact with the larger man as he joined them in the hall, Julien scanned him before looking away.
Tonight's just a warm up huh?
With tomorrow being the full moon, Julien could only hope it wouldn't be too bad.
Stopping in front of the stairwell, Remus patted Julien's shoulder—the first cue. Bounding down the stairs ahead of them, Julien's first task was simple:
Open the door.
…
Andrew watched Julien's back slowly fade from view before turning his attention to the cocky werewolf beside him, their last conversation echoing in his mind.
…And trust, no one wants ya gone more than me.
"What do you want?"
Remus flashed his canines with a benign smirk.
"Dunno whatcha mean teddy."
Andrew didn't bother responding to that, instead picking up his pace to meet Julien down the stairs as the sound of turning gears echoed in his ears. Remus stopped him.
Andrew looked up at the other's smug face, waiting for him to speak with impatience.
"I ain't got nuthin' much to say, but what about you? Anythin' more ya wanna ask without bristles 'round?"
He released Andrew and offered him a sly smile as he moved to control the pace of their descent, blocking Andrew from moving past him as they took one tedious step after the other.
"Promise I won't say nuthin' even if ya choose to bash the princess."
Andrew followed behind him, taking note of the various other paths and the subtle sound of the stairwell above closing off.
That can't be the only exit.
"Where does this lead?"
Remus's perpetual grin grew wider as he spun around to walk backwards without a care in the world.
"So ya do have somethin' to say to me."
Andrew waited for the other to answer his question, earning a scoff from the other man.
"Northeast Nature Preserve. Ain't quite where ya might think though."
Andrew nodded.
Convenient.
After passing the third sublevel, Andrew asked another question with a tilt of his head.
"Who can I tell?"
Remus matched his movement, brief confusion replaced by sharp amusement.
"Who ya plannin' on tellin'?"
Nevaeah already knew to some degree what was going on, his family and security company would notice something off pretty quickly if he continued as he had been, and Theia…
"Whoever needs to know."
Andrew's nose twitched as he inhaled. He paused—Julien was nearby again.
About 180 steps eastward.
That was how far they'd walked.
"What's it this time sunny?"
Andrew involuntarily took another breath, hating how the scent of cedarwood made him both incredibly calm yet utterly uncontrollable.
In contrast, the mugginess of the minty scent beside him—warm in a way some might find soothing, but uncomfortable like a heavy blanket in the middle of summer—was one he couldn't find himself getting used to anytime soon.
Don't reject it.
Andrew looked down the final flight of stairs, the sight of the missing red-head blocked by the sloped alloy ceiling.
"…When can he step out of this?"
Remus scanned his face, the amusement on his own slipping into a sarcastic smirk.
"Later than you'd like, I'm sure."
Then, without waiting for any more questions, Remus turned back around and walked the rest of the way with his back towards Andrew.
Andrew trailed after him, his eyes glued to his back, steps controlled and methodical despite himself.
One push… would not make the problem go away.
…
Julien looked between the two werewolves as they met him by the door—one looked as though he were out on a leisurely stroll, while the other was seemingly lost in thought.
That took a while.
Closing the door behind them, Julien cast a worried glance towards Andrew before looking over at Remus for his signal—a brief brush with a nearby tree—as the three of them made their way to their sleeping quarters.
Task two was simple:
Don't let Andrew out of your sight.
Julien took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for what he'd have to do from now on.