leave the handle sticking out

It had taken a little while for Octavia to finish gathering her things from the hospital room and, despite assuming that Braxton would take her to his place until she could find someplace to live, the ended up at some monstrosity of a mansion that looked like someone took pieces of like ten different puzzles and mashed them together by force. She was able to gather a memory from her life as Sophia that this is where Melanie lived with her Hades siblings.

The jeep ride into the woods where the house lay was so silent, it was almost foreboding. Octavia knew that her intervention in Braxton's grumblings weren't going to end well for her. But honestly she couldn't care less. He wouldn't hurt her, no matter how pissed he was and she knew that all too well. So she just sat in the back seat of his jeep and started between the bars of the jeep top at the world as it passed them by and finally came to a stop.

Once they were inside, they didn't make it ten feet before Braxton started in.

@braxton

"What the hell was that, Octavia?" He asked once they were inside. It was completely baffling to him what had happened at the hospital. He, for some reason, didn't want the arguing to be over but he knew he wouldn't have a leg to stand on if he were to fight with Dante again because his kid sister had a big mouth and spouted nonsense about things she didn't understand, "It wasn't you place to intervene." He growled, knowing his anger was directed at both of the women int he room, "Either of you."

Taking a quick survey in her head of where her siblings would be, Melanie walked over to Octavia and nodded towards the sitting room. If Brax was going to yell at them, then he at least didn't have to disturb Aimery and Ethan while he did it. They might just kill him this time, especially so soon after the Jason incident. Alex was still pissed that he hadn't gotten to "handle the situation" which either consisted of beating a hydrokinetic to a pulp, or calling Brax to do it in her little brother's mind. The hero worship was strong in that one.

"Brax..." Melanie started, sitting against the arm of the first chair in the room so that she was facing him. "I get it, your pissed. Did you ever think that a hospital was not the place to be having that argument? He's probably still drugged out of his mind, doesn't know what he's saying."

Not bothering to sit down, Braxton shot a glare at Melanie so intense, that phrase 'if looks could kill' seemed like a fun alternative, "You and I both know he was perfectly lucid. Don't pretend like him saying he loved you was irrelevant. I saw that you reacted to what he said as plain as day." He grumbled, shaking his head and closing his eyes and he balanced two of his fingers o the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Being undermined by my girlfriend and my sister makes me look weak. Whether I was in the wrong, or I was right, your intervention didn't make anything better." He snapped.

Shaking her head, just like her brother would have, she sat down on the couch near Melanie and tried to reason with her brother, "Braxton, we weren't trying to undermine you. We were trying to prevent willful vandalism." She rolled her eyes, "You can't say you weren't right on the brink of breaking every expensive piece of equipment within a ten yard radius of that room. Dr. Kotney already has a problem with your rash behavior. We can't have you getting banned from the emergency room." She looked at Melanie like she was hoping for some back up.

"She's right." Melanie stated simply, her own anger and confusion bubbling close to the surface. Scowling, her own blue eyes met his. "I don't care about what he said. Dante is-was- my best friend. He can be in love with me or love me all he wants. I chose you." Her voice was tense, but even she had to admit Dante had crossed a line there. "As for undermining you, I wasn't aware that my boyfriend and my 'whatever the hell dante is now' arguing in the middle of the hospital required ranks. This doesn't have a damn thing to do with the Garrison and everyone knows it."

He opened his eyes from his irritated growl and looked at Melanie with serious eyes, "You can undermine someone in more than just work, Mel." He said curtly. Crossed  his armed in front of his chest, Braxton could feel his plastic name tag from his uniform under his arm and he was reminded that he had been in uniform, "I am his commanding officer. Whether it was a work related argument or not, I still require his respect as a part of day-to-day functions." Sighing, he hated to admit silently that Tavie was right in a way, "How can he respect someone who obviously can't handle himself according to the two most important people in his life?" Finally he sat down and felt him calming slightly, though he was certain the feeling wouldn't last.

Octavia was starting to get mad now, "So you want to be the kind of leader who can't advice from others?" She snapped, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at her brother, "Being head-strong and angry is not a sign of strength and doesn't foster respect. At all." She sighed in a frustrated manor, trying to appeal to the better nature she knew he had in there somewhere, "And arguing over a woman is not necessarily the best way to foster respect either, if we're getting really technical. Fighting a man who can hardly hold himself up with his IV tube is not respectable. Yelling at your girlfriend is not respectable. Falling into a jealous rage is not respectable. Not handling yourself with pride on the battlefield is not respectable. Nearly killing your own man is not...You get my point."

Alex had been heading out to train again whenever he heard the tones floating down the hall from the sitting room. Sure, he had already been out sparring today, twice, but after spending so much time the last five years doing nothing but that...it was a hard habit to break. This time, he recognized all of the voices in the room before he even got there, listening to the conversations through the echos. As soon as Octavia was done speaking, Alex entered the room and leaned the staff in his hands against the wall before crossing the floor to wear Melanie stood.

"Is there a rule that I wasn't made aware of about guys in that uniform yelling at you today, Mel? I thought we were done with that when legate-captain what's his face left." Placing his hands on his sister's shoulders, Alex began to assess the situation the way Hades had taught him. It wouldn't come to a fight, but it was second nature to look at the man sitting across from him and try to decide what his next action would be. The thought made Alex sick, but the training had been necessary. At least, that was what Hades told him.

Melanie had to repress a smirk at Tavie's outburst. She had missed the younger daughter of Enyo so much, especially at times like this. Octavia Wyatt was the only one who knew how to handle Braxton when he was like this, even after all the years she had been gone. "No one ever said that you couldn't handle yourself. Your wound up when it comes to Dante, and I get that more than anyone else does...except maybe Alex, but he doesn't count."

And then, speak of the devil, there was Alex himself. Of course he would have to show up right now. "Repeat after me, baby brother. Tribune. Sergeant. Calloway. And he's been taken care of." That was all they needed was Tavie and the smartass in the room together, especially when he had brought the staff. She was going to beat him with that thing before the night was out. "And this, is none of your concern."

Braxton couldn't help the tinge and jealousy that flared at the sound of Calloway's name. He was a notorious flirt and he had been here. Rolling his eyes, Braxton snapped, "Oh another suitor. That's just fucking great." Clearly, he was annoyed by the idea. He stood up from his seat and started pacing the room again, not sure why he was so determined to be mad about something. Looking from his sister, to his girlfriend, to...Alex...Braxton's anger just continued to surge, "You know what, I have to go. Octavia can call a cab." And with that, he stormed from the room and let his sister open mouthed and in shock.

There is no telling how long after they heard Braxton's jeep speed off that Octavia was finally able to function. She stood up and started toward the door, standing on the porch and screaming after the cloud of dirt, "Fuck you, Braxton! You immature coward!" She re-entered the house and slammed the door behind her so that she could join the Thorn siblings in the sitting room.

Alex watched in vague amusement as Braxton rushed out of the room, looking at Mel and Tavie as he finally spoke. "Was it something I said or did I miss a party?" Crossing the room, he plopped down in to the chair Brax had previously been occupying and smiled at the girls. Were all the nights on the island going to be this interesting? Because he hadn't managed to be bored yet. "Looks like whatever you did Mel, you did it spectacularly." He observed, though his tone was still sarcastic. It wa impossible for him to take any of this seriously right now.

Sliding down on to the couch, Melanie closed her eyes for a long moment before looking at the other two occupants of the room. "Yes, it was something you said. I hadn't told him about Jase yet and he appears to have taken it the wrong way." She started, finally looking at her brother. It wasn't that she hadn't intended to let him know, but they had been focused on going to see Tavie when they met back up, and then Dante. "I don't know what to do with him. We've only been a thing for like, six hours and hes already stormed off. I can take you home if you want, Tav. Or you can just text him and stay here for the night. I've got room up in the suite." Though part of her thought a girls night would be fun, she also was kinda hoping to go talk to her boyfriend before work tomorrow. Either way she was sure they would figure it out, but she was having to resist the urge to go after him.

Octavia looked at Melanie like she was crazy, "Go home? To that lunatic? I don't think so." She grinned and winked at Alex, "What are little siblings for if not stirring up trouble?" She retorted, stretching and laughing like Braxton hadn't just stormed out of the room like a moody teenage girl.