Alex cringes at the long line of spittle connecting from Erik's open mouth to his bare torso. Akio had tied him firmly to the seat, insisting it was for his own good, not that she even remotely gave a shit. Victor had gotten the one hand with the sigil carved on tied to the armrest, the other hand unrestrained.

  The whole thing was looking a bit too 'torture chamber' for Alex's comfort. The foul smell of the green paste Akio was currently coating the scars in, not doing the smell of the flat any good.

  “There's grounded cow testicles in it, of course it smells horrible.” Akio had said, when she pointed out the odor. The explanation, her current reason for standing back as far as possible from the scene in front of her.

  Viktor winces at the feel of the paste on his skin, eyes scrunching shut in pain. Perhaps a distraction is in order.

  “So, exactly how old are you?” Alex asks.

  Viktor's eyes fly open in question at her. Alex shoots him an eyebrow that she hopes says 'who else would I be talking to?'

  “208.” he replies, and Akio snorts.

  “What?” Akio says in response to the twin looks he receives. “He's practically a baby.” He reseals the container housing the smelling paste and returns it to its position meticulously.

  “How are you a warlock and he's … 29?” Alex asks, gesturing to Erik.

  “My mother had a phase in the 90s.” Viktor replies, short and sweet.

  Alex can't help but huff an amused breath.

  “And you? How old are you?” he adds in response to the look Alex is giving him.

  “Well, the official age is 2,512.” she says, crossing her arms.

  “Official?” Viktor can't help but parrot, perturbed.

  “Mm-hm. On account of no one knowing when or where exactly I was born.”

  “Come on. You can't have fallen from the sky.” he jeers, and Akio halts.

  Viktor's eyes move from Akio to settle on Alex who looks preoccupied with her fingernails all of a sudden. His heart starts beating frantically. “Did you fall from the sky?”

  “Into the laps of Alexander the Great himself.” Alex says.

  “Alexandria.” Viktor emphasizes, some bit of information slotting in place for him. He recoils as Akio drops another mixture on his shoulder, this one--by some small mercy--odorless.

  “And you've just, been around since then?” Viktor asks, and Alex shrugs in response, watching Akio repeat the exact same process on Erik's shoulder.

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  “I didn't particularly have a choice.” she says finally. “As Akio pointed out earlier, and from the impromptu demonstration yesterday, I can't actually die.”

  “Which makes you not human?”

  “Debates have been held on the issue.” Alex sniffs, “However a conclusion was reached during theunearthly

  fiasco that rocked the world a couple of years ago.”

  “That was you?” Viktor's eyebrows tangle in his hairline.

  “Again, not officially it wasn't.” Alex shoots him a wink.

  “What about magic?” Alex wrinkles her nose. “Do you possess the ability?”

  “I try to avoid magic however much I can.” She says with the conviction of a thousand years. “Other than the spell you gave me for ...” vague hand gesture, “I eschew the art. Too many terrible experiences.” she adds

  Viktor stares intrigued, eyes trained on something beyond Alex, and the apartment around them. He looks to be restructuring his entire mindset, adding and subtracting varying levels of information.

  “Alright then.” Akio stands, cracking his neck in preparation for the task at hand. He does a quick breathing exercise, stretching his arms and rolling his wrists to ensure fluidity. What even was this spell?

  “No matter what happens, please do not stop.” Viktor says, eyes pleading with Akio.

  Akio observes him with a blank look. “I don't intend to.” And his hands glow purple.

  Viktor is laid out on the dingy couch, Erik on the floor beside him. A part of Alex weeps for the former pristine white shirt--now sullied with blood, sweat and grime--that is rolled up as a makeshift pillow under Erik's head.

  She watches Akio pack up his things in the duffle, legs crossed in the lotus position on her perch on the table. Things had gotten a bit touch and go, for a moment there, with Viktor nearly dying halfway through, but Akio had done it, the mark was gone.

  It also stands to mention how apathetic and detached Akio looked when it seemed like Viktor might pass, very nearly forgoing a resuscitation. On one hand there was the argument that, these people had killed Akio, he didn't owe them a shred of kindness. But on the other hand, the Hippocratic oath and impeccable morals loomed over Akio.

  Matter of fact Akio had been making some questionable moral decisions ever since he learned about Viktor, and Alex truly wanted to believe it was due to the fact that they were responsible for his death. She was going to need more time to properly study the problem, and devise a solution.

  “We done?” She shakes herself out of her reverie, stretching her arms over her head. The table creaks dangerously.

  Akio eyes the table. “You will fall if you don't get down from there.”

  “Make me.” Alex responds, but gets down anyway. “Viktor still owes me a witch.” she says.

  “What witch?”

  “The one that attacked us a couple of weeks ago.” Alex stalks over to Erik on the ground, and nudges him with her foot, he shifts.

  “Do you think I should kill him now, or wait till he gets better?“

  The coldness with which Akio asks the question causes Alex to whip towards him, noticing the same frigidity in his eyes. Okay maybe this was a problem.

  “Not to take sides but, you know it was an accident.” she starts cautiously.

  Akio laughs, a humorless thing. “You cannot be trying to dissuade me, not when you're about to skin a person for crossing you, as well.”

  “No, no. Hers was a conscious decision.” Alex points a finger at him. “She set out to kill me, the buffoon however wanted a book.”

  “I don't give a shit, what was or wasn't supposed to happen, something did happen and someone is going to pay.” Akio seethes, zipping up his bag, with a forceful tug.

  “Fine. We'll compromise I won't kill the witch.”

  “That's your business Alex, not mine.” He slings the bag over his shoulder and walks out. Choosing to let him recover first, it seems.

  Alex hurries after him. That solution was going to be needed fast. A short yawn reminds her of her need to lie down and close her eyes for a while. Watching warlocks do their thing was exhausting as hell.

  “We can discuss this later. Right now, I need a giant latte.” she declares sliding into the car.

  Akio starts to scowl at her but thinks better of it, resignedly starting the ignition.