[illɘgal]

Some fun human AU of Kladdan. I'll end up using some of his WE-prior history/plots and on-site history/plots with their own twists and adaptations, but please note that they might have major variations and are (obviously) not canon!

Name: Austin Avery Michaels	Orientation: Bisexual
Nicknames: Aus, Avery	Age: 29 years
Gender: Male	Height: 6 ft
Heritage: Italian, Irish	Build: Lean, athletic

[illɘgal]

austin.

a makeshift smile, a polished look
some rehearsed lines was all it took
he had it down, man, he was good

The music pounded in his ears as the dark haired man gazed out the bus window. Pale, green eyes watched the city buildings become more dense from National City to downtown San Diego without truly seeing anything. He focused on the lyrics in hopes of keeping himself distracted from his thoughts, wanting to think and feel nothing. Instead, those feelings seemed to intensify. Whenever the bus would slow to a stop, he swore he could see the pale skinned woman with light blonde hair that haunted his dreams. She looked just like the photos that he still had on his phone that he took three years ago. Of course, her presence was impossible, but try telling his brain that.

Austin sighed to himself and sat up straight, pulling the hood of his sweatshirt up to obscure his lightly freckled face from the strangers that surrounded him. He was always paranoid that they could see the sorrow and pain reflecting in his eyes and might even try to speak to him about it. The police chief had ordered him to speak to the department's grief counselor, but there was nothing that the obnoxiously kind woman could do to get him to open up. Austin saw no reason to. Speaking about Felicity wouldn't bring her back or erase what he had seen that night. It wouldn't diminish the guilt, pain, and rage that he felt. To make matters worse, Austin wasn't allowed to see any of the case files and was even given a leave of absence. "For time to heal", he was told. But really, the chief could see how much of a loose canon one of her officers was becoming. The obsession that had started to take over. That was six months ago, and he still wasn't allowed back on the streets until the counselor cleared him. What a load of shit.

when the purest soul is stained by sin
to the public eye? where can she begin?
she lost it all, and it's gone for good

The bus squealed to a halt in front of his stop, and the tall, lean man rose from his seat. He made his way quietly down the row of seats, stepping off the bus in front of his favorite bar in the Gaslamp District. The Tipsy Crow was a nicer dive bar than one might expect for downtown, with small but comfortable lounge chairs and a decent sized club-style secondary bar downstairs. He rarely visited down below, unless he needed a warm body in his bed to help clear his mind. Tonight wasn't one of those nights, he just needed to be numb. The shadows under his pale eyes stood out starkly against his naturally tanned skin combined with his dark clothing would hopefully keep any nosy strangers away. The barkeep immediately recognized Austin, already pouring him a double Jack and coke with an extra shot of whiskey on the side. This was their typical routine - the broken down cop drowning himself in whiskey until the bartender called a cab to take him back to his apartment. Elliot never bothered to ask him why he was here every night and kept their conversation to only the necessary questions, which Austin greatly appreciated. Perhaps one day he would tell the man.

i see sirens spinning around through my eyelids
as he begs and he pleads just like I did
is this what my life is? restless and silent,
where all I can do is survive?

The Crow was quiet, typical considering it was a Monday night. A handful of people occupied the couches, enjoying a post work drink while Austin stewed at his corner set at the bar. After several drinks, his green eyes began to soften and glaze over. As he prepared to pay and ask Elliot to organize a ride for him, a slight, raven haired woman came in from the spontaneous rain shower. She shook the water off herself not unlike a dog, and made her way over to get a drink. Interestingly enough, the woman asked for a double shot of whiskey and an old fashioned. Perhaps she was also having a rough night? Austin caught himself staring as she threw back the shot and quickly turned his gaze back onto his own drink. The woman must have noticed, for she came and purposefully sat at the only stool beside him. A grimace pulled at his lips as he turned to look at her, meeting startling blue eyes as she gave him a friendly smile. "Hello. I'm Alice," she introduced herself cheerily. For a heartbeat, he considered leaving. "Austin," was his short and simply reply instead. The dark haired woman smile didn't slip as she settled in and rest her chin on her fist, staring at him in way that made him want to squirm. "Are you alright?" The genuine concern startling Austin instead of the usual irritation he felt when someone asked him that. A half smile tugged at his lips and his eyes never left hers. "Would I be drinking this much whiskey on a Monday night if I was?" His tone had become significantly more inviting, his southern accent starting to come through.

so officer please, that's the man who's destroyed my existence
yeah, he begged and he screamed just like I did
and for this I was willing to die
it was all I could do to survive

Austin could feel Elliot closely watching the interaction, not used to seeing the cop be so friendly towards another person. Typically, if he wanted to simply bring someone home, he was short, sweet and to the point. He rarely actually had a conversation with them. But Alice had somehow gotten a full sentence out of the man that wasn't him demanding that she come home with him. The woman had grinned back at him, taking a long drink and obviously looking him up and down. Maybe this would be the one time that someone tries to pick him up instead of the other way around. How interesting. "I'm also drinking whiskey, which I'm sure you noticed, what with all your staring. So what does that say about me?" Austin chuckled, surprising himself as he allowed his own green gaze to take her in. "I can only assume that you're as lonely as I am," he chose to be honest with her, taking the moment to place his arm around the back of her chair and leaning in close to her ear. "But we can change that."

Alice shook her head and laughed at him, making Austin's half hearted smile grow into a surprisingly genuine one. He found it strange that he was enjoying himself, unsure if that was some sort of progress. "That is awfully forward of you, Austin. Maybe we should start with a legitimate meal instead of a liquid dinner. Let me have your phone." A flutter of disappointment went through him, but it was chased away by the thrill of the hunt. He hadn't truly pursued anyone since Felicity's death, man or woman. But Austin found himself intrigued by the beautiful woman who had managed to bring a smile on his face for the first time in months. He handed her his phone, gaze drifting to her lips as she pursed them in thought. She sent herself a text, showing him the contact information that she had put in - her name followed by flaming hearts and a peach. His amusement faded as she stood up, downing the rest of her drink and giving him a wink. "I look forward to your call."

As Alice paid the bartender and left, Austin found himself staring after her again. What just happened? He glanced towards Elliot, who was looking at him with a strange smile on his face. "I'll have a water, if you don't mind."

it was all i could do to survive

Timeline - About 23 years old
After Felicity's (Fiore) death, first meeting Alice (Devil)