Lexie The Comforting

"No Darien!" Zoe opens her door, chasing after you, "I'm not going to allow you to do that to me! I'm going to war! No matter what!" she runs up to your side, pulling on your arm to try to get you to stop moving.

You had no place to go truthfully so you were just walking to walk at this point.

"Y-You can't, no! Darien, please! Being a Sunrider, fighting for the Syndicate, fighting by your side!" she tugs on your arm more, "Please! I need that! It's what I've been training for! Don't take that away! Please, please please!"

"Zoe," you grumble out, finally coming to a stop in the middle of a street, "How can I allow you to be a High Commander and lead my troops if I can't even trust you myself."

"Y-You can trust me! Please! You've got to believe me! I'm still the same old Zoe! Ya know! This one!" she hops around in front of you, her giant smile clashing with her still bloodshot eyes, "Come on! I'm okay, don't do that!"

"Zoe, I told you about that drug, I asked you not to do it, you saw how pissed off and serious I was about it yet you persisted with it. You told me you weren't going to use it, you told me you were going to sell it and here we are, you're on it again." you begin, "Tell me," you stop and look Zoe directly into her eyes, "When you woke up this morning you were groaning out and it appears your head was hurting and then after you used the bathroom you were all full of energy again." you watch her eyes shift back and forth across your face, "Did you take another hit of Snuff in the bathroom this morning?" your face gives her a stern look.

"I-I..." she loses track of her words, "T-That's not...I mean, I..."

"And still you can't even tell me the fucking truth..." you grumble out while you shake your head at her.

"O-Okay okay! Yes! I did. Okay?!" her hand reaches down to her pocket and she pulls out that pouch of Snuff, "See! It's almost gone! Then that's it! No more! Please!" she's trying whatever she can, "It's a little fun before war! That's it, I promise! You can trust me, Darien!" But as she looks over your face and your reactions don't change she tries another tactic, "So you can drink and fuck and do stupid things but I do a little drug before the war and I'm getting in trouble?! Hypocrite much?!"

You're getting mad now, "I don't give a shit that you're doing the drug or want to indulge yourself in a little bit of fun before war." the anger in your face now pouring into her own, "I'm pissed off because I told you not to use the drug and you promised me! You flat out looked directly into my face and told me you weren't going to use it, that you were going to sell it. But nooooo." you trail that word on, "You didn't do that shit at all, instead you kept using it behind my back and whenever I would ask you about it you would lie again. That's what I'm pissed off about!"

"Darien, please!" she tries again, "This is it! The last bit of Snuff and then it's done, I don't have anymore and I won't get anymore! Please, think this through!"

"I'm sorry, Zoe." you voice is blunt.

"Screw you!" she turns, "Where is Lexie, I'm telling her all about this and you're going to get in trouble. She'll change that big stupid mind of yours, you just wait!" she turns and stomps off towards the mountain. "I'll explain it to her! She'll understand! She'll yell at you! She'll change your opinion! I know you don't like a mad Lexie! But gosh darn it, Darien, you're about to get one!!"

With a deep exhale you watch your angry ex-Sunrider stomping down the street towards the mountain. With Lexie in your chambers most likely, you follow along behind the girl, ready to go get Lexie's opinion on the matter.

Walking in silence the entire way, the two of you make your way back down into the mountain, down the steps, through the caverns and turning into the little section where your chambers rests. Zoe instantly throws the door open and steps inside, "Lexie, good! You're here!" she says as you step in behind her, looking at Lexie of is sitting on the side of the hot spring, resting her feet into the warm waters.

"O-Oh." Lexie turns and looks at an angry Zoe and a expressionless face from yourself, "What's up?"

"Tell Darien he's an idiot!" Zoe stomps up to the bed, sitting down in it and looking at Lexie, "Go on, do it!"

With a shrug, Lexie turns towards you and grins, "Darien, you're an idiot." she pokes her tongue out, "Easy enough? What next?"

"He's saying I can't go to war! He's saying I'm not a High Commander! He's saying I'm not a Sunrider anymore! He's being a big jerk! A big bully! Help me out here!" she rattles off a bunch of sentences.

"W-Wait, say that again...slowly this time?" she raises an eyebrow looking at the energetic girl.

"He says I'm not a High Commander anymore and he kicked me off the Sunriders and he says I can't come to war!" Zoe nods up and down a few times, "Tell him he's wrong! Tell him that's a stupid idea and I'm going to war! I'm fighting! I've been training non-stop! This isn't right! It's not fair!"

"You should also tell her that you're also still under the influence of a certain drug from Loner's Reach..." you mumble out, letting Lexie know that as well.

"W-Well that's not...does that, it doesn't matter! You can't kick me out!" she glares back at you.

"Is that true, Zoe?" Lexie asks curiously, "Are you still partaking in Snuff?"

"U-Umm, well, yes..." she mumbles out before she moves off the bed and sits on the ground right next to Lexie, "But I only have a little bit left and I'm having fun before war and after it's gone I won't use it anymore. I'm not addicted and he can trust me!"

"I thought you told us you weren't going to use it anymore?" Lexie frowns slightly.

"I..I..." Zoe stutters out, "I...Lexie, please." her lower lip juts out as her eyes start to glaze over in moisture.

"Zoe..." Lexie pulls her feet out of the water, spins around and inches herself right next to Zoe. She throws her arm around her back and comforts her body, "It's okay, Zoe. We still love you, we're worried, that's all. We know how amazing of a person you are and when you use that drug, it changes you a lot and that's what scares us." she rubs her hand up and down her side, "You know how Darien is, he's always a hard ass sometimes but he means it from the heart. He didn't want to make you mad or upset you, he only cares for you."

"Y-Yeah but..." a few tears stream down her face, "I want to go to war! I want to help! He kicked me out! I hate him right now!"

"Zoe, don't say that." she pulls her head into her body, trying her best to comfort the crying and sad black haired girl, "We all know Darien is a dick sometimes..." she looks at you and puckers her lips, giving you a kiss through the air, "But even though you'll be here in the Syndicate, you can still help. Think, I'll be here in the Syndicate and I always need you in my life, Zoe." Lexie continues to cradle and comfort the girl, "Karisi is here as well, she'll need help too. Just because you can't march south to war, doesn't mean you can't be useful still."

The girl sniffles a few times, "Y-Yeah but, I wanna fight, I wanna help out, I wanna go to war..."

"Well we need to work on you first, okay?" Lexie whispers into the girls ear, "And whatever you need Zoe, I'm here for you. If you want an ear to talk to, a shoulder to lean on or a friend to hang out with, I'm here for you, always."

"I u-understand..." she grumbles out, sniffling again, "But why did he have to be such a jerk about it, kick me out of everything and get so angry with me..."

Lexie rubs her hand up and down some more, massaging the girls side, "That's Darien for you but come on, you already know that. I'm guessing he probably also tried to get into your pants right afterwards too, eh?"

That causes a little laugh to escape Zoe's mouth and her lips to curl up into a half smile.

"But seriously Zoe," Lexie whispers out, "No matter what he says, you're still a Sunrider, you're still a High Commander, you're not marching south and that's okay. You get to stay here with me, protect our city, protect our queen, protect me and my child."

"I...I mean I guess that's not all bad..." her voice sounds so weak now.

"And regarding this battle you're having with that Snuff, I will work with you through it, if you need me to hold onto it, or if you need to indulge yourself in it, please talk with me, share that info with me, don't hide it away and lie to your friends, that's not you Zoe. Anything you want to talk about, I'm all ears, no judgement at all, okay?"

"Yeah but you'll just t-tell that jerk..." she mumbles out, "and I'm not addicted...I just...I don't know..." she goes silent for a few moments as the two girls still sit side by side on the floor. "I, I, I do..." she sniffles a few times, "Can he..." she stops, "Can he leave now?" she doesn't even look up from the ground but she's definitely talking about you.

"Yeah, he can leave." Lexie looks up at your face and gives a half smile, she mouths the words "I love you" to you before turning her head back down to Zoe, "I'm here for you, Zoe, no matter what. You can share whatever you want and if you don't want me to share it with Darien, you have my word that I won't."

With a deep breath you turn around and leave the chambers, sealing the door shut with Lexie and Zoe inside. It makes you think about the conversation you had with Zoe and how maybe you did come down on her a little too strong. You had to put your foot down though especially after she kept lying to you over and over again but maybe you were too rough. That's why you love Lexie so much, she got so much information poured into her all at once and she kept her cool, she shrugged it off and her almost motherly instincts came over as she comforted and talked to Zoe and it turned out a hell of a lot better than the words you said.

"Why does the world have to revolve around so many politics and people skills, it would be so much easier if fighting was all that mattered..." you grumble under your breath as you make your way back through the mountain, towards the Sicilian Spirits tavern to grab a now much needed drink.