is it too soon to be thinking about you? [p]

here's the thread, sorry it took so long! i'll be able to get the first post up after you post your characters!

( it's okay, your bios are fine! also, this is kinda super long, but i promise my regular posts won't be this long! )

for the last week, marcella found herself lost in the streets of an unknown country, struggling to stay under the radar and out of trouble. word about liustriaa being attacked travelled fast, people were already talking about it in the city before marcella even got there. luckily for now, marcella and anastasia have been "transformed" into regular, average people. when liustriaa was first attacked, marcella's parents decided it was too risky for her to stay around so they practically sent her away, but knowing maci, anastasia had to be the one to go with her. she really didn't deserve to have a friend as kind as anastasia. she knows ana doesn't typically prefer traveling, but she goes anyways because marcella asks. although in this situation, marcella couldn't handle being away from her best friend, especially with the uncertainty of knowing if she'll be okay or not.

since they arrived in the new city, the girls have stayed really low. they've gone out and occupied their time, but they never really made a name for themselves or gotten any attention. they're just... average people. for someone like marcella, it was quite a good change. it was all going so well, until one morning. anastasia and marcella were browsing through a street full of stores, not really looking to buy anything, just casual window shopping. it was all normal until they heard a large crowd yelling, followed by a more distinct "get that man!"

curious, marcella and anastasia walked closer to the disturbance, even though they subconsciously knew they shouldn't. they stopped right in front of an alleyway, which was the worst possible place to stop, apparently. at that moment, a large figure ran straight into them, all three of them being knocked around. the man they just ran into was on the ground, trying to quickly comprehend what just happened. marcella, being the kind person that she is, noticed he dropped whatever he was carrying. kindly, she helped gather the man's belongings before helping him stand. but as soon as he tried to run off again, three other larger men approached, quickly detaining the man. it didn't take long before one of the men noticed marcella holding the man's dropped items, and then she found herself in trouble as well, hearing the intimidating men ramble on about accomplices. of course their time here couldn't possibly go by unharmed. just marcella's luck.

hours later, marcella found herself still detained with anastasia and the man from earlier, who later introduced himself as alyx. edgy, but of course criminals like him would like edgy names. because marcella and anastasia didn't have any information, or couldn't give out information, they were under the microscope of the authorities, which is the last thing they needed at this point. of course, she could just tell them who she really is, but finding out that they're harboring the child of the leaders of a neighboring, unallied country?there's no telling what they'd do, and she can't put anastasia in any more risks like that. speaking of anastasia, marcella tried countless times to make conversation, but she was rudely yelled at by the men watching over them, so they had to sit in an incredibly awkward silence. great. as they waited, marcella eavesdropped on the conversation a few men were having across the room. they were talking about another figure of high authority coming to decide what to do with the three, since there's nothing else anyone could do. who else could it be? are they that much of a hassle, that they need to get a person with high authority to decide what their next moves are?

alyx's days all started the same: wake up, get ready, eat breakfast, and leave to go work. and by work, that means thieving. nobody would consider something like that an actual job, but as stubborn as alyx was, he always fought for "employment rights" regarding his own "profession." he'd always argue that his line of work is just as hard as any other job, have you thought of the risks he has to take? his job is riskier than any other job out there, but alyx knew that he was sneaky enough to get by without a trace. after doing the same thing for seven years, anyone would pick up on the tricks of the trade, and alyx has learned them all.

for some reason, alyx just felt weird, for lack of a better word. that one morning, alyx felt uncertain. something just didn't settle right and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. he didn't feel sick, but he just felt like something wasn't right. but that can't hold him back from working, so alyx quickly tried to shake off his worries. no matter what, his job takes all his focus. nothing else interferes. he can't be focusing on something else when he's working, it's too much of a risk. luckily, alyx is typically good at blocking out his thoughts.

it was mid-morning when alyx began roaming past the street stores, looking like a typical shopper. he stopped at every setup, looking at every item and questioning if he could get some good money for anything he can get his hands on. he'd occasionally slip something in his pocket every once in a while, usually the small items nobody could ever tell was missing. they did have a lot of value, though, alyx would never take anything that couldn't sell for a good price. he got through about four stores before he went to sneak another item. this time, someone spotted him in the act. immediately, he darted off, instantly getting looks from everyone in the area. the chase lasted longer than alyx wanted, and his sides were beginning to hurt the longer he ran. alyx was in shape, but apparently not good enough.

he was so close to being home free when he turned the corner and hit something, knocking him to the ground. stunned, alyx began mumbling curse words to himself, shuffling to quickly get back up. but, quick wasn't quick enough and he felt himself being pushed back down by a group of people who had been chasing him. instead of struggling, he easily gave up, staring up at the sky. of course he had to get caught. and even better, because some girls were in his way. for the next few hours, alyx completely blanked out, opting to not remember a thing. all he knew was he was sitting a few feet away from the same girls who stopped him, who were apparently in a handful of trouble as well. wow, the authorities got lucky today. occasionally, he'd steal glances at the girls, but he never even thought about talking to them. after all, it's their fault he's in there.plus it seems like one of them's already gotten herself into enough trouble for trying to talk, so it's best if alyx just kept his mouth shut. throughout his reflection time, he was stuck in thought. what was he supposed to do? does he need to become an escape artist now and figure out how to escape jail? should he come up with some outrageous sob story and guilt the authorities into letting him go? well, he has no public criminal record. so to them, he's a lawful citizen who strayed off the path only once. but as far as he knows, he'll be talking to one of the more important guys, so alyx better start self-training in acting if he's hoping to get by with just a warning.

( it's okay! your post was fine :)) )

marcella was quick to spot the small group enter the room. they must be the guys. they weren’t too intimidating, but to someone like marcella, they do put a little fear into her mind. as soon as one of the officials spoke up, marcella looked straight at the male talking. it finally made sense. the guy she ran into was a criminal, while her and anastasia were somehow accomplices? that's a pretty bold accusation, especially since they never really saw what had happened. Although, marcella can’t complain about how they were treated. other than the rough hushes after the were never initially instructed to not speak beforehand, the aggression of that one male was uncalled for. besides that, there’s nothing maci would say was out of hand.

soon, they began talking to the real criminal in question, marcella sighed quietly and raised her eyebrows. this guy looked awfully calm, and almost happy. was he okay? in the back of maci's mind, she knew something was going to happen. not to be judgemental, but he did have the look of someone who’d lie about everything to get the blame off of himself. when the man started explaining himself, marcella was on edge, ready to defend her and her friend in case anything went wrong. she didn’t trust that guy, but why should she? he’s the reason they’re here. if he wasn’t stealing or even if he didn’t run into them, nobody would be here.

alyx wasn’t directly looking at anyone else in the room, his eyes were fixed on the ground with his elbows on his knees. but out of the corner of his eye, he could see the two girls occasionally glancing his way. they were pretty girls, definitely not the type to be caught up in crime. also by the way they were acting, alyx could tell they weren’t from around here. they look too nervous, even back on the streets, alyx could tell they weren’t like everyone else. they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time, poor girls. blinking, alyx looked up as soon as he heard other voices. finally, they’re here. the quicker they get this started, the quicker it’ll be over.

when alyx was directed to speak, a small smile swept across his face as he sat up. “well, it’s easy. i was about to share some sad story about needing money or food for my siblings, but seeing as i didn’t have any money or food, that wouldn’t work. so, i’m just going to tell you the truth. that's got to be worth something, right?” he started with a small sigh. alyx was beginning to tell some outrageous story that put the blame on the girls, but then he saw how worried the blonde looked. she really wasn’t in a good place. sure, alyx is a criminal, but he surely isn’t rude enough to put a girl like her under the bus. “you caught me, i was stealing, i guess i’ll admit that. i thought i was going to get off clean but then someone saw me, so i ran. I ran and ran until i tried to turn into an alley, then i ran into the brown headed one. you better check her head, it was a pretty rough hit.” he explained to the best of his ability, trying to get the girls off the hook. alyx was proud of himself for trying to help the girls, but after he finished talking, one of the officials spoke up. “we have a record on the male, but there’s absolutely nothing for the girls. no names, nothing. they’re not citizens, and they don’t have any paperwork we're supposed to have.” oh, shoot.

maci couldn't believe this was happening. why didn't they think of making some sort of paperwork with different names? everyone was so panicked and rushed about getting marcella and anastasia out of the country as fast as possible. should she just go ahead and spill the beans? there's a lot on the line if she does. what if he doesn't believe her? they'll be in more trouble than before. if he does believe her? who knows what'll happen. there's no telling what his opinions are of their country, so he could really do anything. send them back to danger with no mercy or keep them locked here as a way to have the upper hand. but if it's a risk she has to take to protect herself and anastasia...

lost in thought, marcie immediately snapped out of it when she noticed the room got quiet. when the male mentioned figuring out the girls case first, she froze. it's now or never. marcella and anastasia are both smart, they'll work this out. eventually. swallowing every ounce of fear she had, marcella looked up. "she's not wrong about traveling here, we are technically traveling. but, not by choice." she started. oh boy, she really did it now. no turning back. "word travels fast around here, i've noticed, so you've probably already heard about the situation in luistriaa?" she questioned, her voice surprisingly calm for how nervous she was. "you see, us two were given personal spontaneous orders by mr. and mrs. salvatore to get as far away as possible for the time being. we weren't in the right position to get the proper paperwork due to the situation being a national emergency. we're both really sorry we couldn't get you the right information needed, but i can assure you that we definitely would've if our situation was in our control."

alyx watched the blonde as she talked, her story going along perfectly with his. good, the more their stories allign, the more believable it'll be. not that he should worry about them not believing it, since it's the real truth. later, he only watched as they discussed the lack of the girls' documents. that's not on him, so he listened carelessly. sure, he should feel a bit bad about them getting in more trouble, but at least they're beginning to forget about him. maybe since they're so caught up with these girls, he'll get off a little easier.

well, that thought didn't last long. one of the investigators went back to alyx, asking him to talk again. calmly, alyx sat back. "there's nothing more to explain on my part. i made a bad decision that i'm not denying. i took something, got caught, tried to run away, then ran into them. but hey, i wouldn't have been caught if they weren't there, so i guess you can give them that." he started. why is he suddenly being so nice? he'd never act like this in any other situation, or with anyone else. "but hey, it seems like my case is a lot simpler than theirs. why don't you get to the good part in their case? two unknown girls, completely out of the system? that's a thriller right there, really worth your time." he said, casually sliding the conversation off of himself. alyx was honestly expecting questions to be thrown back at him, but then the brown haired girl spoke up. honestly, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. special orders from the family of highest authority in a neighboring country? why them? what makes them so special? who even are they? nobody here knows anything about them, literally.

(( i saw you've been going through a lot lately, get lots of rest and take as much time for yourself as you need <3 i'll always be here to talk if you'd like! ))

maci couldn't believe what was happening. she did the one thing she was told to absolutely never do: share their actual identities. although, this is happening because of another thing they were told to not do: get in trouble. so if things go bad here, she'll be in twice the trouble on top of the trouble they'll be in here. this was just a very, very bad situation. although, the sudden hospitality, if that's what it's considered, of one of the investigators intrigued marcella. he looked so intimidating, yet he was willing to give them a chance? and according to the other investigator, that's against the rules? even he is breaking his own rules for them. that's so... sweet?

exchanging similar looks with anastasia, marcella took a mental note of everything the currently had with her. her form of identification was in the form of a little card, so it's easy to keep with you. but at the same time, it's also very easy to lose track of. it was also a very specific texture, to prevent the making of fake ones. luckily, she didn't even need to take her focus off of the others in the room as she used one hand to search where she normally held her cards or any important information. a slight look of panic shifted across her face when she couldn't immediately find the card, but she graciously sighed when she found the unique card. placing it in front of her, marcella looked at anastasia, then to the two investigators. "here," she said softly, sliding the card over for them to take. well, the cat's out of the bag now.

alyx sighed, nearly slumping back in his chair. he knew he was going to be in trouble, but he was disappointed to hear someone say it out loud. he was going to reply, but the room's attention went back to the girls. he still didn't understand what made them so special, but assuming with how this conversation's going, he'll find out soon enough. alyx can only assume they're "important" if they got orders from the country's most powerful figures, if they're telling the truth. their story seems believable, but it also seems like a story anyone could use. alyx himself's even thought about using the "i'm an important royal person" trick a few times, but he'd never pass with his looks. he'll actually need to have an outfit worth more than thirty dollars total for him to even consider using that excuse.

when the brunette set a card onto the table, alyx sat up, trying to sneak a peak at what was on the card. it looked real, and incredibly hard to dupe, so maybe they are telling the truth? he couldn't exactly read the name on the card, mainly since he couldn't find it fast enough before it was pulled away. he couldn't make out the first few words, but he read something that seemed vaguely similar to 'salvatore.' is she actually related to the salvatore's? and in that case, who is the blonde? she was the one who intrigued him the most. she was soft spoken, but also bold at the same time. also determined and very considerate. the brunette was quieter, but she always talked with conviction and confidence. you'd nearly hate to get into an argument with her. maybe she was just on the more annoyed side since he did basically pummel her to the not-so-soft ground harder than anyone should. but she didn't show any signs of being annoyed or anything like that, so maybe she was just naturally confident-sounding.

(( i'm so glad to hear you're feeling a little better! ))

marcella watched as her card was taken, curious about his reaction. was he not expecting a child of country leaders? although, that hypothesis was shot down as soon as he handed her his own identification and introduced himself. how weird can this situation get? they were talking to the son of this country's leaders? but he hates his title? understandable, and definitely not something marcella should bring up now if he's planning on helping them. as he continued talking, marcella stayed quiet, until he started talking to anastasia. a servant? she would never be considered a servant, at least in marcella's eyes. anastasia is her best friend, the only person that has consistently stayed by her side throughout her life. she was about to speak up, but was interrupted by levi. offering his help to the two girls, marcella almost couldn't believe it. taking the card he was offering her, as well as taking her own id.

"are you sure? we're not supposed to be causing trouble for anyone," she said, instantly remembering they weren't there alone. looking to the male on the side, she apologized to him, barely audible. when she heard anastasia speak up about talking later about it, marcella agreed. it's best to not give him a reason to change his mind. "thank you for offering your help." she thanked levi before she was able to leave with anastasia. although, she stopped as soon as anastasia stopped. once levi asked if anastasia had any history with the male, marcella's eyes widened. well, even if she was watching him, it surely wouldn't have been a bad view, honestly. after anastasia began to defend herself, marcella listened quietly from the corner of the room. his name is alyx? or is it josiah? alyx sounds cooler, and it fits for his appearance. maybe he changed his name?

alyx couldn't believe what he was seeing. he was letting them go? surely they weren't at fault, but what about the lack of paperwork? was he really giving in to them so easily? does he have something for one of those girls? hopefully not the blonde one. although, it's not like alyx would have any chance with her, he's a criminal. and if she actually does have some sort of importance or relativity to a royal family, she'd have no interest in people like him. alyx stayed silent as they talked, letting everything happen. sure, he wasn't exactly the happiest about levi letting them go and helping them, but that's just what happens. they probably were telling the truth, alyx guessed. those girls didn't seem like the lying type.

just as they were about to leave, things suddenly changed. levi suddenly pointed out that anastasia, who alyx learned is the blonde girl, has been glancing at him this whole time? she was really quick to deny it, was she embarrassed? his made alyx smile, right up until levi started talking again. hearing his actual name made alyx frown, giving levi a disappointed sigh. "this may be a surprise, but like she said, we don't know each other. although i don't blame her if she has been looking." very on-brand for alyx to include some sort of joke or statement to help boost his self-confidence. a smile made its way back onto alyx's face after he spoke. "but sir, i understand since we're not really on the best terms, but i don't really like people calling me anything but alyx. it doesn't really fit me as a person, right?"

once outside, marcella took her first deep breath since they arrived. she immediately looked at anastasia, who looked to be bothered. did levi really have to call her out like that in front of him? that kind of information wasn't really involved in the situation and it really could've been brought up another time, or not at all. looking over at her friend, marcella gave her a comforting smile. "i couldn't notice if you were, so it probably wasn't a lot. but i guess he thought differently." she answered before anastasia started to continue talking about him being nice or possibly being able to see him again. marcella's never really seen her gush over a boy like that, so all she did was smile. "i mean, there's only so much we can do. i don't know how anything works over here, but maybe some things can work out. do you like him?" she questioned softly.

once the girls were out of the picture, alyx relaxed. ever since levi pointed out that anastasia was watching him frequently, he had a change in his posture, not that it'd help his image any. rolling his neck to stretch it out, he listened to levi's opposition. levi wants him to move in with him? well, it would be better than prison. honestly, alyx was shocked at the kind offer. the more he kept talking, the more the offer seemed to call to him, wanting to accept. he knew that the girls would most likely accept his offer, so that'd be four people living in the same house. crowded. "wow, you're offering your home to a criminal and two foreign high class girls? wow, you are feeling generous today." he replied with a slight smile. "i'm afraid my choices are slim. accept your offer or go to the prison. it'd be awfully rude for me to turn down an offer, so i'll agree with you." honestly, alyx was much more grateful than his tone was giving off. he just didn't want to seem too eager to get out of the harsher of two choices.