Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
He walks into the bar, squinting a little to let his eyes adjust to the darkness
inside. He nods to the bartender, going up and picking up a bottle of
Scotch...same style as always, the bartender doesn't even have to ask. He pays
with cash and heads over to a table, sitting down and glancing at the hole in
the wall, where someone's head when through once.
Danni Anderson: You'd think, by this time,
she'd have learned to keep her mouth shut. But she just can't, and it was just
so damn easy. He'd left himself wide open for that joke, and she'd thought it
was pretty funny. But apparently, he and his buddies had not. She made a faint -hurk-
sound as the guy grabbed the front of her shirt and yanked her forward, nearly
off the chair. "Hey. HEY. That's my fucking beer you nearly spilled, asshole!"
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
unscrews the bottle cap and pours the scotch into the glass, half-full. He's
just about to raise it to his lips when the commotion breaks out, and he looks
up with a frown. Heeeell, no. He rises to his feet and starts to head over.
Danni Anderson: She doesn't want to
waste a good beer by having to break the bottle and stabbing someone. That would
be a serious waste. But the bartender saves her that issue by telling them to
break it up. She's pushed back and released, but she sneers at their retreatiing
back anyway, sliding into a stool. "Fuckers."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: A
raised brow as he looks first Danni, then the man, over. He looks to Danni, head
cocking. "You all right?"
Danni Anderson: It seems to take her a
moment to realize she's being talked to. She glances back over her shoulder at
Aerin with black eyes. Wary, and untrusting. "Yeah..."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"I'm Aerin." He extends his hand to her. "And drinking alone sucks. I've got a
booth claimed, and a full bottle of 18-year-old Chivas Regal. Wanna join me?"
Danni Anderson: She watches him a bit,
and then reaches out to grasp his hand. "Danni. And if you're offering me free
alcohol, I'm not going to be turning it down."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
smiles, though it's exceptionally faint. "C'mon. Drunkenness awaits." He turns
and heads back to the booth, sliding into the seat next to the hole.
Danni Anderson: She slides off the stool,
bringing her beer with her. Not going to waste alcohol, you see. Some cash is
tossed on the bar, and then she heads back to the booth with Aerin, sliding it.
She watches him a bit, and then chugs down what's left of her beer.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
picks up his glass, taking a good, strong swallow of the scotch. The "good
scotch" face follows, and he sets the glass dont, fishing out a cigarette. "New
to town?"
Danni Anderson: "Nope." She says, eyes
flicking to the cigarette. "Can I bum a smoke off you?"
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Sure." He stes the pack down on the table between them. "Sorry...just haven't
seen you around. Not that I hang around the usual places myself, but..."
Danni Anderson: "I try not to draw
attention to myself." She says by way of explaination, reaching out to take a
cigarette. She nods in thanks as she lights it. "I move from bar to bar anyway.
Got this fuckin' habit of getting kicked out. Fuckin' regulars don't like a girl
it seems." A small smirk as she blows out smoke.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Yeah, I don't have much luck with bars myself." Just the slightest
emphasis on the word. "I tend to mistrust the owners."
Danni Anderson: She flicks her eyes up
to him, cigarette dangling slightly from her lips as she pours herself a glass.
Dark eyes watch him intently. "Yeah. Somthing like that."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
nods slightly, leaning back and exhaling a drag of smoke. "Well, I wouldn't
suggest stopping by that bar in Midtown. The new owner's a fuckin' asshole."
Danni Anderson: She continues to watch
him with that intent gaze as one hand plucks the cigarette out of mouth, and the
other raises the glass of scotch. "Really now. Guess it be a moot point to stop
by then."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
shrugs. "Probably. There's a really good bar out of town, up aways. They seem to
be really good folk."
Danni Anderson: "Ehhh. I don't do so
good with the out of town." She swallows the scotch, making a face momentarily.
"I don't do so good in any bar, really."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
nods a little bit. "Again, I can relate. Had some fucked up bar experiences in
my time." He lifts the glass to his lips, draining the rest, and pours himself
another. "Shit happens, right?"
Danni Anderson: "One fuck up was enough
for me." She says, the smirk fading into a frown as she stairs at her glass
momentarily, smoke leaking from her lips.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Sorry to hear that. At least you're smarter then me. I didn't get the hint
after the first several tries."
Danni Anderson: "You probably just had
more faith in people. Never had that." There's that smirk again, downing the
rest of the scotch.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Yeah, faith's a real bitch." He swallows the glassful in one down.
Danni Anderson: "S'why it's easier to have
none."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Yeah, well, I'll go for that faithectomy next chance I get." Another refill of
the glass.
Danni Anderson: She makes an amused
little sound, pouring herself another glass and downing it. There is a choked
cough afterwards, but she seems fine otherwise.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
glances up at Danni when she coughs. "You okay?"
Danni Anderson: She nods, lifting her head
again and pushing hair out of her face with annoyed. "Fine, fine. Fucking can't
hold my alcohol like I should be fucking able to." She adopts an almost pained
expression. "Bastard friend asked me to cut back, for my health. Cause you
know... outta all the damn fights, and the staying up late and the alcohol and
the fucking cigarettes... he thinks the alcohol is the worst. Or something."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
smirks a little bit and nods, though there is a look of genuine concern. "I
think I know the feeling, though at least I don't have someone telling me my
drinking is a problem. Mainly 'cause I don't go drinking around the people who
would be worried, I think. And I don't do it that much...but the fights, staying
up late, and smoking...yeah."
Danni Anderson: She looks up again, her
smirk bitter. "I know I have a drinking problem. It's pretty damn obvious to
him. But I'm not gonna stop. The quiet's gotta come from somwhere."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"The quiet?" He cocks his head a little bit, watching her curiously.
Danni Anderson: "You know." She says,
leaning back. "The quiet. Where you don't gotta think. Where you just are, and
you don't gotta deal with the thoughts or the emotions."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Ahh, yeah." He nods a little bit, understanding. "That's a place I'd like to
find myself."
Danni Anderson: "Just drink until you find
it." Another smirk. "S'not that hard. Just a little expenisve, unless you get
teh cheap stuff."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: A
hollow little chuckle. "Sadly, my former employer ruined me to the joys of cheap
alcohol. As evidenced." He gestures to the bottle, and takes a drink from the
glass.
Danni Anderson: "To me, alcohol is fuckin'
alcohol. Unless it's that fruity crap. Seriously. Who thinks up that shit?"
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Cheerleaders on crack, probably. Only people peppy enough to think peppermint
schnapps is a good idea."
Danni Anderson: She grimacs. "Thanks. Now
I'm going to have nightmares about crackhead cheerleaders force drinking me
schnapps."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
shrugs a little bit, taking a drink. "There's worse nightmares to have."
Danni Anderson: "Yeah, but...
-cheerleaders-." She looks most aghast at the thought.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"There's worse."
Danni Anderson: "It's a joke." She says,
her voice going eerily flat.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: "I
know." He nods a little bit. "I was thinking, like, clowns on crack force
drinking me schnapps. MUCH worse then cheerleaders."
Danni Anderson: "See, I ain't go no issues
with clowns. I think the cheerleaders are more scary." A pause. "What about
clown cheerleaders?"
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
looks up at that, staring at her. "...oh, gee, thanks, Danni. Not that I didn't
have enough nightmares. Now I have clowns with pom-poms stalking my dreams with
bottles of Boone's Fuzzy Navel."
Danni Anderson: "You started it!" It's
a grin, but a tired one. "Sorry. You can give me worse nightmares at a later
date. Promise."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"I'll take you up on that," he warns with a bit of a smile. Faint, but there, at
least. "One of these days, I'll tell you about this purple lobster. Trust me,
you'll wish I hadn't."
Danni Anderson: She raises an eyebrow,
though her look is starting to get a little bit hazy as the alcohol takes
affect. "Purple lobster? Riiiight."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Yeah, that's what everyone says. Trust me, though...the purple lobster's a
fuckin' doozy." Another emptying of the glass, and a refill.
Danni Anderson: "Weeelll then. I'll
have to hear it at some point so I can have awful nightmares in returns for th
one's I gave you." She pours herself another glass as well.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Sounds like a plan." He looks up to Dannie, smiling a little bit, his cheeks a
bit flushed from the effects of the scotch. "I've got quite the nice list of
nightmares to toss your way."
Danni Anderson: She smiles at something
but it' distant, as she downs the glass. "I'm sure... you do."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"So, you don't hang around the bars...what do you do?" Another cigarette lit.
Danni Anderson: "I'm a private
investigator." She pours herself another glass.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Like the work?"
Danni Anderson: She swirled the alcohol
around a bit, watching it before downing it again, making a face. "Most of the
time."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Makes sense." He leans back and downs his glass. "What kind of PI work do you
typically do? The whole gamut, or or a particular area?"
Danni Anderson: "I do a lot of cold
cases." Still watching that swirling alcohol. "Sometimes I get the normal shit.
Cheating wife, runaway kid, that kinda stuff."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Which do you prefer?"
Danni Anderson: There's silence for a
moment. "... I guess that depends on the outcome."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Fair enough." He nods and pours. His aim is losing a little focus, but he's not
spilling yet.
Danni Anderson: She downs that alcohol
miiiiighty quickly, coughing a little and immediately putting more in her glass.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
Another glass downed, content to drink in silence, for the moment, at least.
Danni Anderson: "...snerk." She says after
awhile, trying to stay upright, and allowing herself to slump down. "Iiiii am
going to get my asssss kicked going hoooome. It will be fuckin' FUNNEH."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"What makes you say that." He tilts his head, watching her, a little grin coming
to his face.
Danni Anderson: "I... am an -asshole-."
She laughs, tilting her head back. "And I'm even MORE of a fuckin' asshole when
I'm drunk. An' I'm kinda drunk. An' I gotta -walk- home. I'll say -somethin-.
And it will be -funny-."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Well, ya just happen to be in luck...I happen to be a bodyguard. Or
ex-bodyguard." He frowns a little, then shakes it off. His words are a little
thick, but not truly slurring yet. "Anyway, I'm still security at a club. So I'm
bodyguard-ish."
Danni Anderson: She looks at him with
one eye. "I soooo can't pay you. There is no money involved here, riiight?"
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Nope." He shakes his head. "Don' need to pay me. Jus' what I do."
Danni Anderson: "Oooo. You're handy. I'm
going to keep you." A sage nod.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Careful. Last few people that've said that've r'gretted it."
Danni Anderson: "M'sure... by the end..."
A little grin, "you'll be'the one r'grettin' offerin' me a drink."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
More down the hatch. "Mebbe we'll BOTH r'grettit."
Danni Anderson: "M'sure... by the
end..." A little grin, "you'll be'the one r'grettin' offerin' me a drink."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
More down the hatch. "Mebbe we'll BOTH r'grettit."
Danni Anderson: "Prolly!" She says, a
little too gleefully, wavering a bit as she pours herself another glass and
drinks it.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
laughs a little bit at her exuberance, and shakes his head. "Danni...if you'll
forgive my obvious cribbing of a classic film...but drunkenness...mutual
regret...nightmares...this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
((Only make that slurred. *Headdesk*))
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
((Only make that slurred. *Headdesk*))
Danni Anderson: She blinks at him, and
then laughs. "Ish that a good thing... or a bad thin'?"
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: "Weee'll
see." He slumps back a bit, reaching out and fumbling for the pack of smokes.
Danni Anderson: "You... aren't drivin',
riiiiiight?"
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: "Fuuuck
no..." He shakes his head. "Nah tell th' hangover sharts."
Danni Anderson: She snorts, in amsuement,
fingers taking a couple tries to grab her glass and down the last of the
alcohol. "Goood..."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: The
cigarette finally makes it's way to his mouth and he lights it, taking a deep
drag before exhaling it out. "Fuck'd-up shitty."
Danni Anderson: "Th' whole worl's
fucked up." She snorts.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
considers that for a moment, as if he wants to disagree. "Well..." A pause, and
he sighs, looking at his glass. Empty. Damn. "Yeah."
Danni Anderson: "Not evry'one... but a
lotta th'm" She nods slowly, frowning.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"No...not ev'ryone." He smiles a little bit. "There's s'm good people out there.
Reeeeeal good p'ples." The smile quickly fades, though, and his lips purse.
"They don' last long, d'ough."
Danni Anderson: She doesn't answer that,
staring at the table, her face slack, blank. Black eyes are very bitter though.
Extremely bitter.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
grabs the bottle, pouring the last bit into his glass. "Shorry."
Danni Anderson: "Huh?" She says stupidly,
looking up to him blankly. "Wha' for?"
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: "Looksh
like-ah shaid shomthin' wroong."
phone call: "Ring," says
Aerin's phone. "Ring! Ring!"
Danni Anderson: "Naaaaaah." She waves a
hand at him, and then pauses to look at her own hand. Innnnteresting.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Hmm?" He looks at his phone and fumbles with it, answering after three rings.
"YELL-lo..."
phone call -> Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near
Battery]: "Aerin?" Bliss' voice, very tense.
Danni Anderson: She looks around at the
noise, and then at Aerin, blinking.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: "Blish?"
He sits up, straightening a little bit. His head shakes a bit, as if he can
shake off the drunkenness. "Whashup?"
phone call -> Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near
Battery]: "You alright?"
Danni Anderson: She sloooowly inches the
alcohol back to her, pouring herself another glass.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Umm..." He finds something funny, and a little laugh escapes. "Moshtly. Whashup?
Ita 'kay?"
phone call -> Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near
Battery]: "Fine. I have an entirely different problem.
Something attacked Marika. I've pulled Cloud out of there, but Marika...I think
it was a bane maybe. I don't...I think...Cloud says she thinks she's breathing
better, but...." This cannot be good.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"...fuck." He looks around. "Ah...shiiiit. Where?"
phone call: "Cloud's
bringing her to the house out in the woods. If you can't get there I have one
chance, but it's brutal. I can come get you, or go to them if you can't...."
Danni Anderson: She blinks at Aerin, glass
halfway to her lips.
phone call: (*kicks pm under
the rug*)
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Cum gemme. Ah'll be in Bat'ry." He pauses, and looks at Danni. "May bring-a new
friend, if she don' mind an' you don'."
phone call -> Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near
Battery]: "Right now I don't care if you want a pony. I'll be
there." *click*
Danni Anderson: She raises an eyebrow
veeeery slowly.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
slips the phone in his pocket and looks to Danni. "I gotta helpa fren'...sooon-t'-be
fammly member. Shomeone ah theng y'might wanna meet. Yoo wanna cum 'long?"
Danni Anderson: "... I'm...trashed." She
says, veeeery slowly. As if trying to figure this out.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
nods. "Mee too. Mebbe t'gether wee'll form a sober person."
Danni Anderson: She pauses, and then
giggles. Yes, giggles. "Kay."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Cool." He's not giggling...he's dead serious. He gets to his feet and staggers
out of the booth, moving to help Danni out as well. She started early, she's had
more.
Danni Anderson: She stops giggling,
staring at him briefly. She maaaay have gotten into something she shouldn't
have. She grasps him and staggers up, staggering after Aerin with a severe
frown.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
leads her out to the street, crossing over to Battery Park. Even swaying
drunkenly, he's right at Danni's side in full bodyguard-mode. No longer joking.
Danni Anderson: Fingers twitch as she
staggers with him, eyes roving around a little madly. She wished he had her gun
on her right now.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
[And, before people have to start sleeping....]
Shortly after Bliss pulls up to the entrance to the park, and waits there a
moment. It's not like you can really not notice him. Right?
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
d10: Per+Alert(Drunk/WP): 4,8,9,
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
Even drunk, the man can be alert, and he notices Bliss quickly. He gestures with
his head to Danni and starts walking that way. The swaying is starting to go
away a little bit.
Danni Anderson: Her swaying? Still there.
She narrows her eyes, and moves after Aerin with eyes still narrowed. Starting
to get paranoid again.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
He walks up to the car, opening the back seat to help Danni in. "Hey. Blish...Danni.
Danni...Blish. There, ya met."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Swaying? In full blown over-protective mode he
slides out of the car and runs to meet Aerin, slowing at the last second to a
standstill and embracing him. You'd think it had been years since they'd last
met, or Aerin were hurt and not drunk, with all that production. He doesn't seem
to register Danni until he has Aerin, and catches sight of her over his
shoulder.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
(Or not. *L* Hold on....)
Danni Anderson: She makes a particularily
confused face at the hugging and the stuff and the whuh? Yeup. One confused
drunk Danni. "Huh?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Hi Danni." Bliss says. "Nice to meet you. Shall
we?" He is impatient, all barely contained energy.
Danni Anderson: "... hi." A little
delayed.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: "Yeh,
let'sh." He follows Dannie into the back...this is urgent, no time for his
staggering around the car. He shuts the car door and pulls a cigarrette,
offering one to Danni too. "So, a lil' more d'tail, pleeeze?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I don't really have any." He pulls off at a sane
speed, nothing like tickets and cops to delay him. "She's unconscious.
Breathing. Better than she was, Cloud says. They're out of there."
Danni Anderson: She has a little issue
getting in, and then staggers into the back. A little drunk smirk as she reaches
out to take the cigarettes. "Muh momma alwaysh told me not ta get inta cars with
strange men..."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: "Gotit."
He sighs and sits back. "Wash a Bane, y'shay?"
Danni Anderson: She snaps eyes to Aerin.
Oooo. He didn't say it was THAT kinda stuff. She's no good at that stuff. She
makes a faint face.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I'm strange as they come, snowflake."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He
looks over at Danni, shrugging a little. Maybe a hint of apology in his eyes.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I think it may have been, or one may have been
involved. It sounds wrong."
Danni Anderson: "Snow what?" She looks
back to Bliss. "Where goin'?"
Danni Anderson: She frowns more. Christ,
it was hard to think while trashed.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"...shi-at." He lights the cigarette finally and leans back. Thank the Goddess
it's a bit of a trip to the house. Time for his Garou-y constitution to process
the alcohol.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Snowflake, it's a term of endearment, arguably.
And out to meet Cloud and Marika."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: "Cloud'sh
a fammly member. Marika'sh...a fammly member, too."
Danni Anderson: "... the feck you get
Sno'fleck?" She asks, mildly puzzled. She nods absently to Aerin, and then holds
out a hand for the lighter.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Ether. Do not light my car on fire. I mean it. I
have enough to worry about right now."
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
"Not intha plan." He cracks the window.
Danni Anderson: "Will -not- light yer car
on fire. Jes' maybe meself." A smirk.
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]: He manages a very faint grin, leaning a little against Danni. "Less' try 'n avoid that, kay?"
Danni Anderson: "Psht." She says to Aerin. It takes her a couple times, but she finally manages to light the cigarette, without lighting herself or the car on fire.
Bliss:
[And...to Upstate Open?]
Danni Anderson: ((Sure))
Bliss: [Off
to there!]
Aerin Thomas [Shitty Bar Near Battery]:
((*Flees*))
UPSTATE CABIN
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Upon reaching the cabin Bliss parks and rushes
the door, which seems briefly in danger of being kicked in rather tan opened.
"Cloud?" He calls as soon as the door is open.
Surly: *working out and drinking tea. keeping
an eye on Marika. sweatshirt top shed, tanktop still on. stops at teh call*
what? *grumbles her sweaty way to the door* she's in here. still breathing.
Danni Anderson: She moves after Aerin,
much less drunk now. Just a little tipsy. Fucking Garou Physiology.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Are you alright? Where is she?" He seems almost
to have forgotten Aerin and Danni for the moment.
Aerin Thomas: He moves along right behind
Bliss. He's all business, looking around the outside of the place for ambushes
until they hit the house. All nice and sober-y now, and ALL business.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Per+Alert: 7,10,9,7,2,6,
Surly: *steps out of his way and jerks a
thumb* in there. yo, Aerin. yo, chick i've seen and don't know.
Danni Anderson: She waves a hand to
Surly, black eyes flicking around nervously.
Surly: *grabs her sweatsuit jacket and slides
it on. now that she's not moving hard, it's a tad chilly*
Danni Anderson:
d10: per+alert: 2,5,8,9,2,9,
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Ah. Cloud, Danni. Snowflake, Surly." And that
introduction makes perfect sense to him. With it made he walks in to look at
Marika. The cabin is nice, fireplace, couches, quilts draped over them, heavy
braided yarn rugs on the floor between the couches. Kitchen a bathroom, and two
bedrooms on the first floor, loft above.
Aerin Thomas: He nods to Surly and heads
along behind Bliss, unless he's stopped. He pats Surly on the shoulder on the
way.
Surly: *eyes Danni* don't call me Cloud.
*smirks* and i won't call you Snowflake. *rolls her head to crack her neck*
Danni Anderson: She hangs back. She
doesn't know these people, she doesn't know these places. It made her more
paranoid than normal.
Danni Anderson: "Deal." She grunts to
Surly.
Surly: *comes close to automatically decking
Aerin, giving him a look of utter astonishment--she got touched!! wtf?? she
does, however, resist the urge to hit him*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Marika, especially to Aerin who has seen her
while awake and animated, looks more dead than alive. Lying on the bed Cloud
dragged her to, she's limp, with dried something flaking off of her skin. Bliss
steps in and to the side of the doorway, just looking at her.
Surly: *smirks to Danni again* kitchen,
there. hot tea. *there. that was mannerly, right? you are supposed to offer
people who come over something to drink, right? whatever. heads to the bedroom
to see what the boys are doing to Marika*
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Sense Wyrm: 10,3,4,8,4,
Danni Anderson: She shakes her head a bit
to Surly, eyes still flicking around in a paranoid sort of way. She looks at
Marika over the two males shoulders.
Surly: *gives Danni a short nod*
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
Yes. All over Marika, a bit on Cloud.
Aerin Thomas: He steps inside, lips pursing
at sight of Marika. "Please tell me someone here can cleanse, or that you've got
that cleansing drink, Bliss."
Danni Anderson: A small shake of her head.
Surly: *jet brows raise sharply.
cleansing....drink? nah, can't be the same thing. shoves her hands into her
pockets and frowns slightly* eh?
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I've got the spring they're made from." He
shrugs. "Whichever." He seems to shrink. He's akward here, beside the injured or
dying. "The spring is...kinda brutal though, wild and untamed. It bites." He
mimes biting at something, teeth clicking as his jaws snap shut.
Danni Anderson: She has noooo idea what's
going on.
Surly: *pulls out the crunchy stuff and blinks
at it. shrugs, and stuffs it back into her pocket. it's dead weed. what could it
do?*
Danni Anderson: She glances at what Surly
pulls out of her jacket.
Aerin Thomas: "We need to get some. Quick."
He moves to Marika, pulling off his trenchcoat and ripping one of his sleeves
off. He wraps his hand in the sleeve and proceeds to check her vitals, taking
care not to get the flaky stuff on him.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Per+Medicine: 2,7,5,3,5,3,
Danni Anderson: She rubs her face and
frowns. "The hell you get that stuff?" She nods to Surly.
Surly: *dried-ish water weedy-looking stuff*
that stuff poison or something? *scratches her head* guess i need a shwoer for
other than getting my sweat off.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I'll get something." He slips out with a sigh of
relief, walking into the kitchen.
Surly: off her. *nods to Marika* more
specifically, off the railing where it was tying her.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
She's alive, seems stable, if not as strong as
she should be. And unresponsive to him.
Danni Anderson: She raises an eyebrow.
Huh.
Surly: *nods to Danni and shrugs*
Surly: so, Aerin, what the hell was that shit?
plants don'tnormally grow out of people.
Aerin Thomas: "You need to be cleansed too,
Surly." He pulls away from Marika with a sigh and looks back. "Do you feel any
different from before you got attacked? What happened, anyway?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He returns, offering Aerin a wooden box, covered
in glyphs.
Danni Anderson: She remains in the
background
Surly: cleansed? *baffled, then annoyed* look,
i know i'm sweaty from working out, but i do bathe. twice a day, actually.
*glowers at him* no attack on me. got up to begin the day like normal. someone
rang the doorbell. i answered it, and there she was. had a weed growing out of
her wrist tied to the railing. it's in here. *pats her pocket* part of it. some
red wolf was running off. *face flickers at the remembered emotions the wolf
inspired. almsot softening. before she scowls more darkly* got her in and
started yanking out the roots. bigger ones, i had to burn off her. it likes
blood and lighter fluid.
Danni Anderson: And the eyebrow raises
again.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"A red wolf? I'd not seen a red. Had you?" He
asks Cloud softly. "It was a new one?"
Surly: *nods* yeah. *thinks about it* had a
limp, but moved fast. some kind of markings i didn't catch. seemed like a nice
wolf. oh, yeah. the vine things--definately seflf-automated. they moved when i
tested to see if they like blood, and they moved away from the fire. they
screamed, too, i think.
Aerin Thomas: "I meant spiritually
cleansed, Surly." He's otherwise quiet, listening.
Surly: *blinks at Aerin, hard, lovely face
blank* what? *he's a nutcase. got to be it. a nutcase. she hasn't set foot in a
church since she was...well. she never has that she can recall*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I doubt it was a nice wolf, out there. Screamed
and moved?" He frowns, and then shudders. "Drownings...."
Danni Anderson: "Do you want me to look
into mysterious drownings?" Its the first thing she's said in a long while, her
voice low as she looks to Bliss.
Aerin Thomas: Something about this...just
seems off. "The drownings...the vines? Weren't they what was dragging people
under the water?"
Surly: *scowls darkly* if i were a nicer
person, i'd say it seemed like one i'd like to know. bah. and yeah. they
screamed and moved. tried to whack on me, but i got out of the way in time. once
i'd gottne them off her, i called you. you know the rest. i didn't finish
burning the ones i'd pulled off her, though. the little ones died almsot as soon
as i got them off, but the mid-sized lived a while longer. the big ones that
were here. *points out a few places on Marika* i had to paint with lighter
fluid--which they liked a lot--and then burn. which they did not like.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I'm not sure they're mysterious as they used to
be...." He's not quite there, and it's eerie, because even when he looks at
Danni it's somehow not like he's looking at her at all.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"You liked it? Bloody hell."
Danni Anderson: She doesn't seem to be
phased at all by the look. "You want me to just look into drownings then? See if
they're concentrated in an area?"
Surly: you guys want this? *takes out the dead
weed from her pocket and holds it out* otherwise, i'm trashing it. regardless,
i'm going to go work out. lemme know if she dies. or wakes up. ((because i'm
about to pass out from lack of sleep. 8chuckels*))
Surly: *shrugs at Bliss* it just looked all
right. not a clue why. or how Marika got back. i think they were vampire weeds
or soemthing, because they did respond to blood. dripped some in the trash can,
teh vines went after it that were still alive. dripped some on her, and one of
the vines moved a leaf to suck it up. freaky.
Aerin Thomas: "The red wolf is a friend, I
think." And that's all he seems willing to say on the matter. "Thanks, Surly."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Yeah, we've got it, Mel. Don't worry. We'll talk
soon."
Surly: *waves Aerin's thanks away irritably*
just try to keep her alive. she's a good sparring partner. *and turns to head
outside for a real workout. the weed going into the first trash can she sees on
the way out*
Surly: *eyes Bliss a moment--Mel? who, what
where? whatever. time to pretend to kill things. that will be good.*
Surly: ((night, guys, and thanks. *ss*))
Danni Anderson: ((nightnight))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
[Night. *hugs*]
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He misses Cloud's look entirely.
Aerin Thomas: A sudden, sharp glance to
Bliss.
Aerin Thomas: "Bliss. Look at me."
Danni Anderson: She leans against a wall,
out of the way.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss looks over at Aerin, curiously. "Yeah...?"
Maybe it's being directly addressed, maybe it's Aerin, but he seems to be paying
attention. Of course, he seemed to be paying perfectly good attention to Cloud
too.
Aerin Thomas: ((Wow, I ~TOTALLY~ missed being handed the box.)) "Tell me who I am, where you are, and who just walked out of the room." He takes the box over to Markia, sitting down in a clean spot next to her and opening it, eyes on Bliss the whole time.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He frowns at Aerin a little, puzzled. "You're
Aerin, we're in my cabin in New York, and Cloud just left. You okay?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Inside, nestled into a satin cushion, are four
cut crystal vials.
Aerin Thomas: "I'm fine." He nods very
slightly, and pulls out one of the vials. Taking the sleeve and wrapping his
hand in it, he sets the box down and rises. The covered hand moves to prop
Marika up while he administers the contents of the vial with the other.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He watches Aerin, still frowning a little. "Will
it work if she doesn't drink?" He asks, though that's not quite all he wants to
ask. Something just happened, and he doesn't know what.
Aerin Thomas: "They're your cleansing
drinks, Bliss. I don't know. I can get her to swallow them, though...people do
have a natural reflex to swallow liquids in their mouth, too."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Really?" He asks, not really curious. "They were
a gift. I know no more than how to refill them." He shrugs. "It's like a
fountain pen, knowing how to put in the ink has no real bearing on what will be
written."
Aerin Thomas: "Well, we'll see." He very
carefully pours the drink into Marika's mouth, a little at a time, so as not to
choke her.
Danni Anderson: She remains silent and out
of the way.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He does coax her to drink the water from the
vial, slowly and carefully.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
Aerin wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been
holding her, but something is happening, he can feel her getting warmer, less
like a corpse, some actual tone returning to her body, though she isn't
stirring.
Aerin Thomas: A raised brow, some relief at
least coming to his posture. "Seems to be helping some." He pulls the vial away
once he's done, and focuses on her again.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Sense Wyrm: 10,9,9,5,2,
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
He can still smell lingering traces of it, but
the stronger presence is gone.
Aerin Thomas: "She's still tainted,
but...it's mostly gone. We should get her cleaned up...this flaky residue can't
be helping any."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss nods. "I'll...start the water." And he
slips out again. He seems about as comfortable here right now as Danni.
Aerin Thomas: He lays Marika back down on
the bed and looks over to Danni. "Sorry."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
There is the sound of water running in the next
room, too loud to be a sink.
Danni Anderson: "It happens."
Aerin Thomas: A little sigh, and he nods.
"So, you want an explanation, best as I can give?"
Danni Anderson: "It be nice." She glanced
at him.
Aerin Thomas: "All right." He moves from
the bed, leaning against the wall where he's close to Marika, if she needs him.
"So, there's a development just outside the city that a pack of Spirals has
moved into. Bliss tracked them down here, and has been investigating, trying to
see what they've been up to." He pulls a cigafette and lights it.
Danni Anderson: "Fuuuun."
Aerin Thomas: "Gets better. Apparently,
gang violence is on the rise...and there's an artist who's been doing paintings
that show Wyrm influence. I personally think he's getting warnings through
Dreamspeech. He painted pictures of these drownings...vines dragging people
below. And now, there's been drownings."
Danni Anderson: "Even more fun." Came
the sarcastic response, the girl looking away.
Danni Anderson: She shoved her hand in her
pockets, her look strangely bitter as she turned away. "If you really need me,
I'll be outside."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
The sound of water stops.
Danni Anderson: She moves out the door
before Aerin can answer.
Danni Anderson: ((Night everyone))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
[Night. *hugs*]
Aerin Thomas: He looks back at Danni,
opening his mouth to respond, then frowns. Dammit. He sighs and takes a drag off
the smoke, witing for Bliss to return.
Aerin Thomas: ((*Hugs on* Night!))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss seems not to be returning, the water stops,
but there are no footsteps, no sounds of movement, save Danni's headed for the
door.
Aerin Thomas: He frowns and looks to the
bathroom, then moves over. He knocks on the door. "Bliss?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
After a slight delay. "Mmmmm...?"
Aerin Thomas: "We ready to get Marika
cleaned up?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Yeah. The water's ready."
Aerin Thomas: "All right." He opens the
door, peering inside.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
The tub is half full. Bliss is curled against it,
legs pulled up to his chest, head resting against the side of the tub, back to
the wall. He doesn't move more than to look up at Aerin's opening the door.
Aerin Thomas: He sighs and moves into the
room, dropping to a crouch next to Bliss, sitting on his heels. He reaches out
and pets the other's hair. "Talk to me."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He sighs at that, relaxing a little. "Talk? I
thought you were taking care of Marika?"
Aerin Thomas: "Marika's stable right now.
And at the very least, I'll need you to move so I can get her in the tub." He
smiles a little bit, watching Bliss as he pets away. "Right now, I'm worried
about you. What's going through your mind at the moment?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Nothing. I was all half asleep until you came
in." He moves a little, so that he can lean into Aerin instead of the side of
the tub. "You're warm." He says this like it's an observation of some merit.
Aerin Thomas: "Yeah. Well, warmer then the
tub, I'd imagine." He hugs Bliss, lightly, and keeps petting the Shadow Lord's
hair. "Bliss...do you realize that you referred to Surly with the name of one of
the kinfolk at your Sept?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Did I?"
Aerin Thomas: He nods a little bit. "You
called her Mel."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Mel?" He smiles a little. "Not entirely
surprising. They're both violent and kinda on the edge of sanity. Except I doubt
Cloud and I will starting sleeping together anytime soon. Is that what bothered
you?" He nestles his head under Aerin's chin, in the easiest surrender he's ever
given anyone but Storm that Aerin's seen. He still has to think about it, it
isn't that automatic reflex, but it's not hard anymore.
Aerin Thomas: "No, I wasn't bothered, so to
speak. Just...concerned. I've seen a lot of people flashback to other places in
periods of high stress. I've done it once or twice myself."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I really only do it when I'm waking up, forget
where I am. Wonder ridiculous things like why I don't smell breakfast and
lavender. I'm alright Aerin. Stressed as hell sure. Dead tired, yeah. But I'm
alright." [And, just for fun...Perception/Empathy]
Aerin Thomas: ((I was just about to do it,
anyway. *S*))
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Per+Empathy(WP): 6,5,8,6,5,3,6,
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
He's a little more shaken by what just happened
than he wants to be. And while the stressed and tired part is true, the alright
parts are a little strained, as if he's struggling to believe them. Under all
that theatric playfulness and arrogance is something very fragile.
Aerin Thomas: He just nods, and continues
to hold Bliss, petting his hair with slow, easy motions. "Just relax, Bliss. I'm
here. We're fine, honestly. Marika and Cloud are going to be fine...and so are
you."
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
And the other thing that Aerin should get, if he
hadn't already, is that Bliss is not comfortable with being in control of his
own life, not all of it. He resists control he sees as in the wrong direction,
but he doesn't trust himself enough not be under someone's direction. It's not
the kind of insecure lack of faith in his ability to change things and to lead,
but more a lack of faith in his ability to judge right and wrong. He seems
afraid he'll become a monster with power. It's not something Aerin could miss
for long.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
That draws a soft whimper from Bliss, but despite
whatever protests he might have prepared he just nods. "Okay."
Aerin Thomas: He tightens the hug for a
moment, and then sighs. "I promise." He nuzzles the other's temple a little.
"C'mon...let's get Marika cleaned up, all right?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Does that mean I have to move?" He asks with a
soft laugh. And by the time he's on his feet, offering Aerin a hand up, all his
body language reads relaxed confidence. [Cut here for now?]
Aerin Thomas: ((Good spot. *Hugs*))
Surly: ((*G* question. there's been a long
enough span for Surly to have showered and stuff? *tilts head*))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
[Now, if I can keep two NPC windows straight,
we'll be set. 8) We're going to assume, for the sake of ease of re-entry, that
Bliss and Aerin get Marika all groomed and de-gunkified, and then into one of
the ground floor rooms. Anyone want a quick recap on the cabin layout?]
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
[Yes. Totally enough time for a shower for
Surly.]
Aerin Thomas [11/15]: ((Yes, please, on the
layout))
Surly: ((cool and layouts are good. *G* and
Surly would've reclaimed the clothes Marika was almost wearing--since they were
hers! or, attempted to. *L*))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
The main entrance to the cabin is up the steps,
onto the front deck, and into the front door. This leads into the main room
which is a large living room/den. There is a stone fireplace, with a couch
across from it, and a couch to one side. Two recling chairs sit opposite the
couch. The space between is covered with thick, multicolored braided yarn rugs.
Folded quilts are draped over the back of the couches. The kitchen is separated
by the counter, rather than a wall, four barstools are on the living room side.
Doors lead to two bedrooms and a bathroom, stairs lead up to a loft above. The
bedrooms are funished with beds, a desk, a dresser, and a recling chair.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
(reclining chair. I can type.)
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss watches over Marika, not really seeming so
much concerned or upset any longer as simply protective.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas
[11/15]: To Aerin, who has seen it, there are
definite similarities to Storm's cabin, similiar colors, similar style
furniture. Though here too, Bliss has more elaboate decor. There was a yarn rug
in Storm's cabin too, in front of the fire.
Aerin Thomas [11/15]: He takes a lean
against the door frame, watching Bliss & Marika calmly. "I don't know what
else...I can go Umbral, see if there's something hanging over her, but she's
mostly clean. A little residual taint, but little more." He sighs, and looks to
Surly, one of those crystal vials in his hand. "You should drink this."
Surly: *pokes her scowling head into Marika's
room* she wake up yet? *grumpy* i made more tea. rose hips, orange peel, and
lavendar in a green tea base.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss nods. "You're the only one here with the
faintest idea how to fix people. Your friend okay, you think? She seems about as
good at this as I am."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Not yet. We're consulting."
Aerin Thomas [11/15]: "Hope so. She's
outside...I'll talk to her later."
Surly: *eyes the vial dubiously* why? what is
it? *frowns, as if it's about to suddenly morph into poison. or worse, some kind
of drug that'll take her edge off*
Aerin Thomas [11/15]: "It'll cleanse your
system," he answers, holding it out to her. "Get rid of any...toxins that the
vines left in you. I'd suggest soon, too."
Surly: *eyes Aerin a long moment* it's not a
drug, is it? i don't do drugs.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He reaches up to massage his temples, letting
Aerin handle Cloud for now.
Aerin Thomas [11/15]: "No, it's not a
drug." He smiles faintly, managing to avoid the Mr. Mackey 'Drugs are baad,
mmkay?' joke. "Trust me for a moment. You'll want to." A glance to Bliss,
requesting backup on this.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"It's alright Cloud. It's what I've been putting
in your shakes. Nothing to hurt you."
Surly: *takes the vial dubiously. grunts.
shrugs* it ok to put it in my tea, or do i gotta drink it straight?
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"You can have it however you want."
Surly: *blinsk at Bliss and scowls even
harder. her face may crack soon. or freeze. scary.* why am i not surprised?
don't answer that. i'm dumping it in my tea. if you two want tea, speak up
before i get back from thh kitchen. *and with her usual lack of social skills,
she turns to head thattaway*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Because you know I'd lie to you and still sleep
like a baby if it suited me. I smashed my cricket years ago."
Surly: *a loud snort at Bliss's answer.
faintly amused*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"See. She's...worth keeping. She gets me."
Aerin Thomas: He looks between Sulry and
Bliss, then shrugs. "I'll see if there's something on the other side. If I'm not
back in ten minutes, find the big purple lobster stuck in my ass and beat him
down."
Aerin Thomas: "Very much worth keeping," he
agrees quietly.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Aerin, we need to work on your metaphors...."
Surly: *heads back to the room. with no tea
for the guys. sipping her own cautiously.* other side? purple lobster? you're
weird, Aerin. *heads to the bed to peer down at Mar* she looks like she'll live.
that's good. i hate losing sparring partners.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Me too. Good sparring partners are hard to
find."
Aerin Thomas: "Since when was any of that a
metaphor, Bliss?" Yes, he's dead serious. A nod to Surly, not denying his
wierdness, and he focuses himself, looking in the mirror over the bedroom as he
moves to step through the Gauntlet.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Gnosis (WP): 10,9,10,10,5,
Aerin Thomas: ((Dayum. The Force is with
him...))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Aerin...." He shakes his head. "Be careful.
Do-do you want company."
Aerin Thomas: "No, stay here with Surly,"
he says, before he's just...gone.
Surly: *nods emphatically* yeah, they are.
speaking of, you should get in a few more spars. *smirks* be good for you. take
your mind off stuff. then again, i'm biased. i think everyone should spar at
least once a day. more if possible. *a harsh chuckle and she eases herself down
onto the foot of the bed. blue eyes daring anyone to suggest her caution might
be due to not wanting to wake up the injured woman. you know--that she might
actually ~care~ enough to want her to rest since she needs it*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He blinks when he realises Aerin's already gone,
and looks at Surly. "You're okay?" Aerin having vanished into thin air, not so
much an issue to him.
Surly: *blins at the Aerin-shaped bit
of...air* OK. that was weird. you sure there wasn't anything odd in that stuff
he gave me? *her tea gets the evil eye*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss moves to the reclining chair. "There's a
lot I should do."
Surly: so, why don't you? *eyes the tea again,
and sips it. she's thirsty.*
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15] -> Shadow's Blissful
Silence: Once on the other side, he
goes to shift up, looking around with a wary frown. If nothing is immediately
attacking, he focuses on Marika's Umbral Reflection.
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15] ->
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
d10: Sta+Primal Urge: 2,3,8,2,8,
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Because there are only twenty-four hours in a
day, and I'm deprived of my former staff. And no, nothing odd."
Surly: umph. *ponders, then shrugs agreement*
i'm luckier than you. all i have to do is hit things. *a fierce sort fo grin*
so, what happened to Aerin. i'm not drugged, drunk, sleep depped, or fevered.
so, i'm pretty sure that he just up and poofed. 'sup with that?
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas
[Umbral; 11/15]: Marika's reflection
is...paler than she looks across the veil. Horrible looking tears in her skin
cover her in curving lines, presumably where the vines sent their roots.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"He stepped into the spirit world. It's called
the Umbra."
Surly: *a long look* the spirit world. *a jet
brow arches slowly* that sounds...religious to me.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"It's...spiritual, but it's real. It's less
religion to some than others. More to me. But I maintain fanatics have all the
fun."
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15] -> Shadow's Blissful
Silence: A deep frown, and he moves
closer, looking over the wounds. ((Int+Enigmas to figure out how to heal them?
Or Garou Lore, maybe Wyrm Lore?))
Surly: *snickers* can't argue that point
without being a hypocrit, seeing how i view my area of expretise. so, how'd he
do that? whatever that was. i always figured you had to die to go to the 'spirit
world'. *sometimes, not being the brightest candle on the tree is a good thing.
makes it easier to accept some stuff*
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas
[Umbral; 11/15]: (I'll take either roll, but
let me know which.)
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15] ->
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
d10: Int+Wyrm Lore (WP): 2,3,9,6,4,
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"We can do that. Cross. One of our gifts." Bliss
smiles. "Not being human has to have some perks."
Surly: *eyes him* i'm not going to suddenly
start doing that, am i? i like it just fine here.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas
[Umbral; 11/15]: If Marika is healed, she
should be alright. Healing the physical wounds, minor as they are might help.
Otherwise, time should.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"No. You're kin. You stay human. Being kin means
you're able to bear our presence, to see what we are, but aside from being
blessed, you're perfectly human."
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15] -> Shadow's Blissful
Silence: A little sigh, and he slips
back into Homid before moving back across...making sure to be in the corner so
that he doesn't spook Surly.
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]:
d10: Gnosis: 7,4,2,10,4,
Surly: *blows out a breath* good. fine with
me. so, basically....all i can do is handle it when you guys go big, hairy, and
toothy. right? *grins toothily herself* and mouth off. but i do that to
everybody.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Yeah. That's about it. Some kin have other
gifts, but most don't." He swallows, eyes closing briefly. That expression is
all pain, though it's gone quickly, replaced by the drained look he had when she
first came in. Bliss without masks seems not to be very happy.
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]: He fades into
view in the corner of the room, not quite as quick as he vanished, and moves
straight to Marika, pulling his trench coat sleeves back. His hands come to rest
on a line of Marika's wounds, eyes shutting as he takes a deep breath, calling
on the Goddess in his mind.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Aerin...."
Surly: *not even she can miss that look* what
up? *sips her tea slowly. almost time for a fresh cup. the boys shuld be
pleased--that means she's almost done with their funky "magic" water*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I knew only one, and she died. Some years ago."
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]: He pauses
where he is, eyes remaining shut. "She just needs to be healed, near as I can
tell. No Banes on her or anything."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Good."
Surly: *eyes Aerin as he poofs back in and
watches him closely as he fondles the woman. ok, all right. not fondles, but
still....eh, whatever. he's not molesting her, looks like. which sadly means, no
excuse to hit him*
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]:
d10: Mother's Touch: 2,3,5,8,10,8,
Surly: mmm....did she go down fighting?
*arches a brow at Bliss* or even simply defiant? *blinks at Aerin* i'm not going
to bother asking how you know that. or what the hell a bane is in
werewolf-speak. i probably wouldn't get it, even if you told me. *shrugs* who's
cooking dinner?
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]: Once the
wounds are healed, he allows himself a wince at Surly's comment to Bliss. "I
know that because I've got a certain...knowledge of our enemies, Surly. And a
Bane is a corrupt Spirit in the service to our Enemy." She didn't ask, but he's
answering anyway.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas
[Umbral; 11/15]: Aerin feels warmth flow
through him, likely the first real sense of peace he's has for awhile. All too
quickly it starts to ebb away. The pinprick wounds are all healed, Marika's
color better, normal now.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"She died...she died after being kidnapped. Must
we persue this conversation?"
Surly: mmm..*wrinkles her nose*not good. all
right, we can drop it. *ew. emotion. yuck!!* spirits can be corrupt? freaky. why
do i have a feeling that if i manage to meet up with one of these bane things,
i'm going to die? if i'mnot already dead. i'm not a spirit, after all.
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]: "If you
encounter a spirit in this side of the the world, not the spirit world, then
run, Surly." He smiles a little bit as Marika returns someone to normal, at
something he senses in her, but it fades. He takes a step away from Marika,
moving to Bliss and putting a hand on his shoulder. "She's all right now. She
needs to rest, I think...and she'll be fine." The hand is for comfort, more then
just for Marika.
Surly: *shrugs to Aerin, frankly* chances
are good, i won't. i'm too damn stubborn for my own good sometimes. and besides.
if one shows up where even i can see it, how am i going to know it's a spirit,
and not some freaky whatever, like the thing that jumped through the window at
the house that night? *blinks at Marika* she really does look better. cool. and
so you know, i'm not cooking, unless you two want salad. *smirks*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"She's dead, she can have all the...oh. Marika.
Yeah." He laughs softly, reaching up to squeeze Aerin's hand. "This is why I
shouldn't go home, I'm off balanvce for months. Marika will be fine. Storm
wouldn't replace her favorite student with anyone less than exceptional. She
just needed a little nudge. Thank you."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I can work a microwave. But they planned for
that, when they stocked the cabin."
Marika: There
is a soft groan and fluttering eyes. Healed and cleansed, she seems about to
wake.
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]: "You're
welcome." He smiles a little bit to him, warmly, and looks between them. "I'll
cook. Not great, but I don't burn water, so it sounds like it falls to me by
default. Someone else is on drink detail, though, and I'm going to need a few. I
killed a damn good buzz on the way up here, and I mean to get it back."
Surly: you do know that nukers put off poison
vibes, or vapors, or something, right? *grins* or so rumor would have it. all
right. i'll nuke. but someone else gets to wash whatever dishes get used. fair
deal? *chuckles softly, empty teacup dangling from pale fingers*
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]: "And if you
don't run, Surly, then I'll knock your ass out and run with you." It's not said
without some warmth to her...he respects the fight in her. It almost seems
joking...almost. He looks over to Marika as she stirs, moving toward the bed,
but staying back a bit, in case Bliss wants to be there.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Drinks I can handle."
Surly: works for me. *ndos to Aerin* Bliss,
you want drink duty or dish duty? *looks to Marika* joyous, coming back to the
land of the big, bad world.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss seems to have little interest in being near
Marika right now. "Well, it seems Aerin's cooking. For four. Five, with
Snowflake."
Surly: ((*loves the crossposty goodness!*))
then i do dishes. *keeps where she is, observing Marika* she going to be good
for eating? a cup of my tea wouldn't hurt her, either. it's good stuff. healthy
shit.
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]: He finishes
the close to the bed, dropping to a crouch next to it. "Marika? You with us,
yet?"
Marika: Her
eyes open, wide. Without makeup she looks a good few years younger. Her mouth
moves, but she doesn't say anything, just mouths words. Her anxiety seems to
ease a little when she sees Bliss.
Marika: Aerin
and Surly, closer, get her attention second. She reaches out to poke weakly at
Surly. Aerin, closer and talking, gets a faint smile.
Aerin Thomas [Umbral; 11/15]: "Hey." He
smiles a little to her. "How are you feeling?" His bedside manner is, perhaps
not surprisingly, quite calm and soothing.
Marika:
"Okay. I must not have been, before."
Surly: *smirks at teh poking* it lives! and
it's going to have some tea, if i have to pour tea down it's throat. *gives
Marika an evil grin. nope, not going to admit to relief. emotion--shudder!*
Marika: "I
could have some tea." She smiles. "Since I know you won't lower yourself to
making coffee."
Aerin Thomas: "Hardly." A glance to Bliss
and Surly, then back to Marika. "You feel up to eating?"
Aerin Thomas: ((The 'hardly' in response to
having not been okay before.))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Marika talking, he curls into the chair and
closes his eyes, just listening. He doesn't so much need to see now.
Surly: coffee, ugh. back in a sec, but don't
expect me to wait on you for long. *chuckles and heads for the kitchen. perhaps
a slight lightness to her steps*
Marika:
She nods. "I feel fine. It's okay. I know you must have helped. Thank you." She
pats Aerin's arm gently. "But this is hardly the first time I've woken up like
this. We're at war. There is no luxury of waiting on the sidelines. Don't tell
me this has never happened to you."
Aerin Thomas: "I have." He nods. "And I've
always found that at least thirty seconds of downtime before leaping back into
the front lines tends to be a good idea. In your case, I suggest a tad
longer...maybe the whole night. I believe that's standard for when Wyrm-tainted
vines burst out of you." A gentle way of presenting it as if it was an option.
It's not.
Marika: "I'm
okay with that as long as the front lines don't come here." She smiles.
Aerin Thomas: "It's a deal."
Marika: "Tou
three alright?"
Surly: *comes back in with two cups of tea,
one held protectively close to herself. offers the other to Mar*
Aerin Thomas: "Good as ever, I think." His
eyes flick to Bliss very briefly, then back. "There's another of us here,
too...a private eye, name of Danni. She's outside."
Surly: some where around here. *shrugs* me,
i'm not bleeding, so i'm good. *inhales the steam from her cup. eyes
half-closing, and then sips*
Marika:
She sits up and accepts the tea, holding it with both hands.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
She nods to Aerin, then leans over to whisper
something to him, letting go of the tea with one hand to brace herself.
Surly: it's hot, and strong. be careful. *she
advises gruffly. maybe she should drink that mix more often. from her
expression, it seems to have almost mellowed her*
Marika: [Dammit!
I need more caffiene!]
Aerin Thomas: ((We've all done it
before. *S*))
Aerin Thomas: He leans into listen to
Marika.
Marika -> Aerin Thomas:
"He's dangerous. Brilliant maybe, but dangerous.
Compassion is one thing...but if he's upset now, it's only a matter of time.
Don't be too close."
Surly: ((*giggles and hugs* i do it
frequently...*wry grin*))
Aerin Thomas: A raised brow, and he
responds to her in a whisper.
Surly: *eyebrows arching as she watches them
whisper to each other. curious, but not enough to pry at the moment*
Aerin Thomas -> Marika:
"I don't plan on getting far away. I appreciate
the warning...but I think I'll be fine. Those who are dangerous don't deserve to
be pushed away, just because they are."
Marika -> Aerin Thomas:
"I tried." She seems saddened, a little, that
Aerin seems to disregard her warning.
Marika: She
pulls away from Aerin, and smiles at Surly. "Kill anyone before I while I was
out?"
Surly: *it's a scowl, not a pout, darn it!*
no. *sighs heavily* unless the vines i yanked off you count. *chuckles* those
thigns were freaky. vampire vines. heh. bloodvines. and stupid--i had to burn
some of them off you. they liked the lighter fluid, but were too stupid to
realize why i was putting it on them. *yeah, she just casually informed the
woman that she could've been burned badly there.*
Aerin Thomas: A moment spent watching
Marika, face hard to read, and then he rises, moving out the door to go cook. A
hand goes to rest on Bliss's shoulder before he's out of the room.
Marika: It
doesn't bother Marika at all. "You torch all of them?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He opens his eyes at the touch, offers Aerin a
tired smile, and closes his eyes again.
Surly: *shakes her head* didn't have time.
Bliss wanted us out of there asap. you're heavy, by the way. see to it you don't
pass out so i have to drag you around again. *smirks. she's teasing the woman?
wonders will never cease!* i got the little weeds off you, and they seemed to
die right off the bat. the mid-sized took longer, but i don't think they'd live
long without a food source. the big ones i couldn't pull out, so i burned 'em
off you. Bliss, try this. it's good stuff. *offers the man her cup*
Aerin Thomas: Out of the room, he pauses to
light a cigarette and makes his way to the kitchen, setting to cooking. It's
spaghetti time...it's his talent for cooking.
Marika:
She smiles back at Marika. "I'll try."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss sits up slowly, and takes the tea. He
doesn't look terribly interested in it. "Thanks."
Surly: go on, try it. *awkwardly gives his
shoulder a pat, hand dropping away swwiftly as if burned. not so good with the
comfort thing, here. grins at Marika* see that you do. or go on a diet. *laughs.
not a single person in this house needs to go on a diet*
Marika:
"Alright, so caution and celery sticks just in case." Marika laughs. Her eyes
dart to Bliss anxiously, not so much concerned for him, but about what he might
do.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Yeah. It smells good. I'll...get some honey or
something. I'm sure I have some. No idea where they put it." He rises and starts
toward the door.
Surly: *nods to Mar* exactly. *tilts her head
at Bliss, without the slightest clue of what to do or say* um, there's more of
it in the kitchen. *almost uncertain*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Honey?" He nods. "Good."
Marika: Her
eyes narrow a little. She's not so sure about Bliss and Surly.
Aerin Thomas: He's got the cigarette in an
ashtray on the counter, currently dumping noodles into the water-filled pot and
setting it on the oven to boil. A tired expression is on his face, moving with
purpose. Making food. Step one, then step two, then three.
Surly: *arches a brow at Mar* what?
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss sets the tea on the counter then starts to
build a fire in the fireplace.
Marika: She
shrugs. "I'm not sure if I'm more surprised he let you do that or that you did
it."
Surly: do what? *frowning, puzzled*
Marika:
"Decide what you thought he needed and do it without asking his permission or
waiting for an invitation."
Aerin Thomas: A glance goes to Bliss, and
then back to the cooking.
Surly: what, the tea? *shrugs* it's good for
him. and for you. *eyes Mar's cup. which is not yet empty*
Surly: *shifts a moment, uncomfortable, and
then stills herself, scowling slightly*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"It gets cold. Not all of us are our own little
chimneys. Besides, mine's bigger. You should come sit down when you put that on.
As I recall, the boiling takes awhile."
Aerin Thomas: Once the noodles are cooking
and the sauce is getting ready, he picks up his cigarette and moves back out
into the main room, watching Bliss with a vague sort of expression on his face.
Marika: She
obediantly takes a drink, grimacing only a little. She's not a tea girl.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"How are you?"
Surly: *smirks evilly to her* see? good shit.
better for you than coffee. Pop used to say that a good cup of coffee'd put hair
on your chest, which is why i never drank it. habit stuck with me, even though i
know better now.
Aerin Thomas: "Good as usual."
Marika:
"Well, for me it's an occupational hazzard." She smiles. Aside from wearing
sweats and no makeup, she looks normal. "Are you staying here tonight?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Meaning stressed as hell?" Fire lit to his
satisfaction he drops onto the couch. "Sit. You're right. You need a few drinks.
You want to start now, or wait until dinner?"
Surly: *snickers* for you, the occasional
chest hair isn't so bad. you'd look ridiculous when you werewolf out without it.
although it might be an interesting weapon--your enemies might just die laughing
at the Amazing Naked Werewolf. huh. i have no idea. i'll ask Bliss later.
Aerin Thomas: "Now would be good, I think."
He nods slightly, staring at the fire. "I'd like that buzz back."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Okay. Usual?"
Marika:
"What? If he looks ridiculous naked?" She giggles, toes wiggling. It's like
nothing ever happened.
Aerin Thomas: "Please."
Surly: *snickers* i think, if i ever see a
werewolf without fur, when he should have it, i'm going to run for the nearest
camera. although i'm sure no pics would ever be developed.. so, what happened to
you? where did those vampy vines come from?
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss nods, and walks to the kitchen. He comes
back with a six pack of Coke and a bottle of rum. "Glasses incoming. I figure
we'll just kinda hang out here and get nice and drunk. Plan?"
Aerin Thomas: "Perfect." He takes the
glass. "Stupidly drunk to the point of unconsciousness is on my agenda. Probably
Danni's, too."
Marika: "I
was out jogging, by the park.. I thought I heard something. A splash. I could
see ripples on the water, I got closer, and then...I think I fell. Got nudged.
Not sure. It's fuzzy about there."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Well, it wasn't a plan, but I'll take it. I
could proabably do with a nap. Should I get another glass? Go find her?"
Aerin Thomas: "I'll check on her later." He
takes a drink from his glass, moving to take a lean against the wall. He doesn't
feel like sitting down, right now.
Surly: think those things are smart enough
that they were trying to lure you in? *an eyebrow arches* and which park?
people, i can punch fairly well. those vines, though.....not really enough to
punch, and if they have something in them to knock you out, i'd be fairly well
screwed. *scowls*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Aerin. Please. I don't know any way to help you
if I can't reach you."
Marika:
"Maybe, but I don't know. The one with the playground that overlooks the lake."
Surly: mmm. *nods slowly* if i go by there,
i'll try to stay away from the lake. you have no idea how you got back to the
house?
Marika: "No.
I thought Bliss and his friend...?"
Surly: *shakes her purlpe and blue head* nope.
i heard the bell ring, so i checked....opened the door and you were tied to the
porch rail by some of that stuff. all i saw was a gimpy red wolf running off, so
i guess that one must've been a werewolf. i doubt your average real wolf would
know how to ring a doorbell. *frowns slightly, still disturbed by those fluffy
emotions engendered by lil red.*
Aerin Thomas: A slightly frustrated look on
his face. "I can't right now, Bliss. I've got too much to do. Shit, by all
rights, I should be heading back to the farmhouse right now. But I'm not. That's
the best I think I can do right now...anything else will debilitate me."
Marika: "Wow. There's anouther Garou? Or was I bait? A distraction?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Aerin, what exactly do you think you should be
doing right now? Everything? Just tell me."
Surly: Garou! that's the word. couldn't
remember it. *shrugs* i guess it was, although i didn't exactly get a chance to
ask. maybe you were bait, but i have no idea since Bliss wasn't there.
Marika:
"Yeah. I dunno. It doesn't make much sense." She frowns.
Surly: heh. maybe it was an attempt to pull a
body snatchers on you. like that old movie......you know, the vines eat you, and
soemwhere a pod grows and out pops Evil Marika. *smirks*
Marika: She
shudders. "I hope they can't do that."
Surly: *nods, sobering* ditto. although it
does beg a question. maybe someone should keep an eye out for people who
suddenly start acting radically different, after a disappearance. that would not
be my field. i'm not exactly a people person, given to noticing who's acting
like they're got perma-PMS all of a sudden.
Aerin Thomas: A deep sigh, and he closes
his eyes, thinking. "Let's see. We need to find out what's going on with these
vines. I need to guard my mate from the slavering hordes of vampires out to slay
her for existing. I need to try and wean my kinfolk off a Setite's Blood Bond. I
need to try and help Ingvar figure out if Gavin Brooke is corrupt and had
anything to do with the attack on the Sept or not. I need to protect my children
from all these things, and myself. I need to bury my best friend before he
starts to fucking rot. Ummm...what else."
Marika: "It's
okay. You're good at other things."
Surly: *snerks* no, i'm good at ~one~
thing, and proud of that fact. *considers* two, if you count teaching.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Okay. Aerin, deep breath, okay? Finish that.
I'll make you another. Everything's going to be alright. We can bury the dead.
There's more than enough space up here if you'd like. Otherwise, it's your
choice. One thing at a time, okay? Just one. How do you want to handle burial?"
Marika: "Two
things. Teaching counts for a lot. Who we learn from makes us who we are."
Surly: *chuckles* no wonder i'm a freak, then.
i msut've learned from too many people. but i have no regrets.
Marika:
"That's good. You shouldn't do things you regret. It makes you afraid to die."
Surly: *a full-throated laugh* i accepted the
fact of my death a very long time ago. some would say that i seek it out, but i
don't see it that way. i see it as a constant test. a search to make myself
better. and someday? i'm going to pick the wrong fight, one i'm totally
outclassed for, and i'll die. not looking forward to that day, but if i were to
be about to head into a fight and somehow know that this fight's going to be my
last? i'd go in anyway.
Aerin Thomas: "I'm already handling that.
Jody's got his body in...I don't know. Some sort of stasis for now. She said it
won't last forever, though." He finishes off the glass and sighs, leaning his
head forward and pinching at his nose. "There's too many people who need
closure...he deserves more then that. We can't just bury him quietly and without
occasion."
Marika: Marika smiles. "Good. You'll make Thunder proud."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Okay, so we need a ceremony. An audience. It's
fitting, you should honor the dead. Do you plan to do the ceremony? Did you have
someone in mind?"
Aerin Thomas: "I...hadn't gotten that far."
Surly: *wry grin* i made my Pop proud enough
before he died, and i try to keep up to his standards. i've heard Bliss talk
about thunder like it's a person, too. what's that all about? *flops down into
the chair vacated by Bliss, finally*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"All right. It's all right. We're going figure
everything out. Come back here, let me make you a new drink. Headache?"
Marika: "He's
our father. Like Gaia is our mother. We're their chosen children. They need us
to be their hands, their voices. It's why we do what we do."
Aerin Thomas: "No worse then the usual." He
shrugs and pushes off from the wall, moving to Bliss and handing the glass back.
Surly: *frowns, shaking her head* sounds
religious to me. like that spirit world stuff. which, by the way, is a bit
unsettlign to see happen. the going there part, i mean.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Sit. I'm going to try to help with the
headache." He fixes another drink, heavy on the rum. "You're burning yourself
out. You'll be no good to anyone if you don't get enough rest to recollect
yourself. This is why you need a sept Aerin, and a pack. Sometimes you have to
trust other people long enough to recover. You're going to be fine. Please, sit
down."
Marika: "It's
a great place. It's...like a dream sometimes. But it's wonderful. Once you see
it, you just understand so much more about the world. What's wrong with it. What
it should be. What we have to make it."
Surly: *blinks slowly* sounds peachy. too bad
i won't see it until i die, then. *laughs softly*
Aerin Thomas: He smiles at something there
and nods, exhaling a drag of smoke away from the other man. The drink his taken
with a grateful half-smile, and he moves to the couch, sitting down and taking a
good, strong swallow from the glass.
Aerin Thomas: ((the other's = Aerin's.
So not the other's. :P And it's cool, Fox. *Hugs*))
Surly: ((*hugs a Fox* mmrr...we can pause, if
you like, again? *skotc* thank you for the scene, though!)) *blinsk slowly* yep.
spiritual stuff i don't get at all. *wry grin* eh, well. so long as there's
things to beat up, i'm good to go.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He moves to support Aerin, still rubbing gently
at his temples. "I'm not going to be able to convince you that this can be done
in the morning, am I?"
Aerin Thomas: "Oh, it can be done in the
morning. I won't be sleeping much one way or the other, and you know it, but it
can be done in the morning."
Aerin Thomas: ((Pausing is fine with me,
too.))
Marika:
[We can give it a few. If I leave now, I will be alone in bed. Which means I
won't get much more sleep anyway. 8) And I will not know how this episode of
Criminal Intent ends.] "I promise you, in war there are many things to beat up
and kill."
Surly: *smirks* good. jsut point me in the
right direction. *a short laugh* so long as you don't try to "protect" me by
sending me off to supposed safety.
Surly: ((whenever you need to. *hugs tight*))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"You don't have to sleep Aerin. Just rest. Relax.
Deep breaths, nice and slow. You need to rest. Even if only for a few hours.
Hopefully we can get you to take a nap or two, but if you just rest a little
I'll be happy."
Marika:
"Pointing the right people in the right direction is a trademark of the woman
who trained me."
Surly: *smirks* so long as i'm being pointed
at a fight, that's a good trademark. i hope you aquired it from her.
Marika: "I
hope so."
Aerin Thomas: "All right. I'll try for
rest." A moment's pause. "Can I still be stupidly drunk?"
Surly: *grins. the expression would be
impish on anyone else* except with pointing yourself. at least where lakes with
carnivorous vines are concerned....heh. you know, on that note, it wouldn't hurt
to go to that park and try to figure exactly where you were. you people can turn
into wolves. i'm sure you have a better shot than i do of sniffing around with a
chance to figure if anyone else was there.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Yes. Yes you can. But only if you promise to
eventually be sober enough to drive. I may nap on the way back to wherever...."
He hugs Aerin lightly. "Because I may be much better, but I am still a bit
tired. We both are. We need a sept, both of us, maybe even a pack. It's past
time."
Marika:
"Because no one will notice a wolf sniffing around...." She rolls her eyes.
Aerin Thomas: "Yeah, we do." He nods as
little, leaning into the hug. "I was thinking maybe the one out on the front
porch may be able to help us with that...maybe. I dunno, yet." He sighs. "At the
very least, there's us...and two is a pack, albeit a small one, with very tired
people."
Surly: *that earns her a truly evil grin* i
have a good answer for that. it's called a collar. i own several, as you know
perfectly well.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I'm working on that. But practically everyone
I've almost packed with has had trouble sleeping. Except one." He moves his
attention to Aerin's neck. "Actually the same one who told me this would help,
right before he almost carried me to bed. I wasn't very well. But then he
didn't, which leaves me with one more untried experience." His voice is pitched
low and soothing.
Marika:
"Uh-huh...."
Marika: She
gives Surly a wicked grin. "Just like a puppy would wear." Just a touch of
sarcasm.
Surly: heh. for that, i'll ~find~ something
with dainty pink rhinestones on it. just for you. maybe even those cheap little
ribbon roses. *snickers, still grinning* and i'll find something covered in blue
glitter for Bliss. that, however, ~you~ can give him. i'll be ready with the
camera to catch the look on his face.
Marika: She
giggles, toes a-wiggling all over again. "Ohhhhhhh...that I'll help with."
Aerin Thomas: He chuckles a little at that,
eyes closed, and takes a drink off the rum and (very little) Coke. "Always
thought Dream was a very ironic deed name. Still better then No-Face, though." A
brief pause. "Long story. Dunno if I told it to you or not, but...long."
Surly: you are so on, wench! *laughs. let's
hope the boys didn't overhear their fiendish plot* we should get one for Aerin,
too. i already have my fave.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
[And...now I will accept pausing. Because it's
taking too much effort to type. *hugs* And we should be able to pick this up
soon. You guys around Monday night, or anytime Tuesday?]
Aerin Thomas: ((Both for me))
Marika: [And, just picking up where we left off. Aerin (in theory) making dinner and Cloud and Marika plotting.] She smirks at Surly, glancing at the door and lowering her voice to a near-whisper. "What color?" You wouldn't guess she'd nearly died this morning, she looks for all the world like a delighted fifteen-year-old girl at a slumber party.
Surly: *smirks* i'm thinking the brightest
frickin' tie-dye i can find. failing that, glow-in-the-dark.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"No, you never told me." He keeps kneading at
Aerin's neck, much less hesitant about that than touching Aerin's face. "You'll
have to though sometime, it sounds great."
Marika: "Glow
in the dark?" She giggles. "I have clearish glow in the dark nail polish we
could paint OVER tye-dye...."
Surly: *gives Marika a very slow, wicked grin*
good plan. wench, we should so not live under the same roof. we plot too much.
*snickers* i'll try to get back to the house tomorrow and see if i can get that
polish.
Aerin Thomas: "Oh, yeah, it was peachy. Fox
Park shit. Ever mention how much I love that place, and hope it's TOTALLY not
burned to the ground so I can piss on the ashes?" He smirks faintly before he
moves to check on the noodles and sauce.
Marika:
"Or the mall...."
Surly: *shudders* ew. you did know that malls
are filled with small screaming things? people call them 'children'. i prefer to
think of them as mutant cockroaches.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"No, but I can hear the joy the mention of the
place brings you." He lets Aerin go, staying on the couch. "I mean, hell, half
my sept wants to kill me, half my sept is terrified of me, and almost none of
them want me to darken their doorstep - that nonwithstanding, I'd still trust
them to back me up almost without exception. It must have been something if you
don't want to go home...."
Marika: "I
could go...."
Surly: if the boys don'ttie you down while you
*makes quote motions* rest and recover your strength. which, incidentally, means
feeding. you can get up and out there on your own, or are you gonna keep playing
Vicrotian maiden? *smirks lightly*
Marika: "I
can get up. I have yet to hear there's food out there. Wouldn't want to arrive
early at the table." Her tongue flicks out at Surly. "They might try to make me
set it."
Aerin Thomas: "Wasn't home, Bliss. Just
pretended it was, for a while." He frowns slightly as he strains the noodles
through a colander, and goes to rinse it. "Portland was my home, until the joys
of psilocybin brought about my First Change. New York's the only thing that's
even begun to approach home since."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"And you...." He sighs. "Yeah. That...that's not
right. I'm sorry for that."
Surly: heh. why d'you think i'm still in here?
i volunteered to do dishes tonight. you can do it tomorrow. or, you can cook.
i've got plenty of salad fixings.
Aerin Thomas: "It's all right." A shrug.
"And I...what?"
Marika:
"Well, Bliss certainly won't cook. Maybe I should. I can at least turn on a
stove." Her eyes roll.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Up goes an eyebrow. "Mmmmmmmm...?"
Surly: *chuckles* truth. but he's a dab hand
at dialing delivery--which means we'll starve if we put him on cooking detail.
Aerin Thomas: "You said, 'And you...' and
then trailed off. I was curious to know the completion of that." He looks over,
a faint smile coming over his face.
Marika:
"Yeah. Pretty much."
Surly: *sudden smirking grin* if all else
fails, i'll start cooking, i guess. i'm sure everyone'll learn to enjoy the
pleasures of watercress eventually.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"And you don't understand yet quite what I'm
talking about, because understanding it isn't having it. Even exiled as I might
be for now, my strength is still my family, still comes from them. I could still
call them, they still might show up at my door at four am if they're around and
need help...it's family. We may not always get along, but...."
Marika: "Hey!
Wolves need protein!"
Surly: *laughs wickedly* i'll add tofu....
Aerin Thomas: A sigh, and he nods. "I'm
abnormal in the extreme for our people, Bliss...I am aware of this." The noodles
go into a large bowl, and he starts adding seasonings to the sauce, slowly
stirring them in. "Doin' what I can on that aspect. Last 9 months haven't helped
much...but they have, too. I think it's kept me pretty even in my abnormality,
all things considered."
Marika:
"Bitch," she growls, but there's an affectionate undertone in there somewhere.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Well, we're planning to change some of that.
It'll be good for you. And even if Ita isn't kin, she's maybe got a place at
Gaia's Hand. So you can still have your family."
Aerin Thomas: "I know." He nods a little,
his attention entirely focused on his cooking.
Surly: you know it, wench. *smirks cheerfully
right back at Marika* mmmmph. i'm starting to smell something vaguely foodlike
in nature. i'll make sure i sit near Aerin. if it sucks, i can puke on him more
easily.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss nods, head resting on the back of the
couch, watching Aerin. "It would kill you to be torn apart from them. Especially
as they're all the family you've really had. Your sprite is determined to stay
with you, whatever it will cost her. She will be a fine mate." He is perfectly
serious, calm, no trace of sarcasm.
Marika:
"That'd be a sight...."
Aerin Thomas: That causes a hint of a smile
to come over his face. "She is. Not will be. Is." A brief pause, and then he
looks up to Bliss, nodding. "Thank you."
Surly: *nods and grins* heh. that happens, i
wonder if i can force myself to play the delicate flower. so they'd have to
clean up. *thinsk about that a moment* nah. not a chance i could pull that one
off.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"She is." He smiles back. "For what?"
Marika: "I
doubt it." Marika grins. "You've been to fierce. They're too proud to believe
you are weak."
Surly: *a short chuckle* i am fierce.
Marika:
"Uh-huh."
Aerin Thomas: "For your words. They mean a
lot to hear, even if I knew you felt it already."
Surly: *points a finger at the woman,
smirking* don't make me prove it, wench. *snickers* after all--you don't know
that i didn't take pics of you sleeping like a baby, before the vine shit went
down, mmm?
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He chuckles. "Stop thanking me and feed me." He
wilts theatrically against the couch. "Sometime before I starve."
Aerin Thomas: A quick taste of the sauce, a
touch more rosemary, and then he starts dishing up with a chuckle. "It's on its
way...I doubt you'll perish on me in the next fourty seconds."
Marika: She
grins. "And, I have a dolly. I also happen to be the embodiment of Gaia's
vengence." She snaps her teeth in a mock-bite in Surly's general direction.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"I might. I'm unpredictable."
Surly: bah, i can still kick your ass.
*laughs* sometimes.
Marika:
"Yeah, when you club me unconscious in your sleep...."
Aerin Thomas: "Well, try to hold onto dear
life for me, if you can." The plate comes out, handed over to Bliss, as he calls
out to the other room. "Food's ready."
Surly: *snorts lightly* big talk, from a
wench who's still in bed when there's food out now. maybe i'll beat you down
after dinner. *smirks and--since nobody but them is there to see--offers Mar a
hand up*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He accepts the food with a smile and sets the
plate down, glancing at it, then at Aerin with a puzzled little frown.
Marika: She
accepts the hand up, though she doesn't really seem to need it, and goes
tromping into the main room.
Aerin Thomas: A raised brow. "What'd I do?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"You set yourself up to be my alpha, and now I
have to re-evaluate how I do practically everything." He doesn't seem upset,
just puzzled.
Surly: *smirks at Aerin and Bliss* i'm
told--usually by blithering idiots--that chicks are the so-called weaker sex.
which means you *eyeroll* big tough manly things'd better feed us before we
faint or some shit. *heads for the food*
Aerin Thomas: "Ahh." He nods a little bit
to Bliss. "What's proper in this situation?" A grin goes to Surly at her
comment, and he moves to dish the women ip.
Marika:
Marika blinks, and edges toward the food to fix a plate. She's not touching that
conversation, or even approaching it. She sits on one of the counter chairs to
eat.
Surly: *takes her plate with a grunt that
could be thanks, and sits on the floor, legs folding comfortably. begins eating*
not bad.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." He gives
Aerin a little glare. "But you and your non-traditional upbringing and
Hippie-commune tribe are too much for me sometimes."
Aerin Thomas: "Hey, at least we bathe. Some
of us, at least." He chuckles and, once everyone else has food, he gets himself
some. "Thanks, Surly." He takes 'not bad' as a serious compliment, it seems.
Marika: Her
eyes flick to Surly when she just flops on the floor and digs in, astonished.
Surly: *jet brows arch. wierd convo. at least,
she does keep her voice slightly down, glancing up to Mar* time to redye the
hair. thinking about yellow and green stripes this time. or white, with blue
roots.
Marika:
"That'd be neat. Maybe little licks of orange or blue."
Surly: good thing you bathe, or you'd've
walked into a waterhouse at some point. *grins to Aerin and scarfs down more
food. gives Mar a "what?" sort of look*
Surly: nah, i stick to two tones. *smirks*
it's sort of my trademark, not that anyone tends to notice i have a trademark
other than perma-PMS.
Aerin Thomas: He moves to the couch and
sits down next to Bliss, starting to eat. "Wow...doesn't even taste poisoned.
I've outdone myself...Ita must be rubbing off on me."
Marika:
"Didn't anyone train you?"
Surly: *blinks at Mar* been learning to fight
for as long as i can remember. *yep. her brain is blissfully uncluttered by
clues*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss starts fixing drinks. Too busy with drinks
to eat first...yeah. That makes for an excellent excuse not to eat yet. And then
once Aerin starts eating he nudges the glass to him, and settles back to eat.
Marika:
Between Surly's absolute lack of understanding of what she just did, and Bliss'
possible submission she's reduced to just looking at them. "Twilight Zone...."
She mutters, and begins to eat.
Aerin Thomas: A look to Bliss, and he
smiles a little, shaking his head slightly, before he nods. "Thanks for the
drink."
Surly: *eyes Mar dubiously* you sure all those
vines are totally out? *almsot concerned. defiantley confused. and this is damn
good sketti*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"Look, some of us were raised to observe
formailities...." He sighs. "Though that seems mostly to have gone the way of
chivalry."
Marika: "Yeah. Remind me never to bring you to a r...traditional sept. Ever."
Surly: *completely baffled, looking between
the trio*
Aerin Thomas: "Baah. Formalities are for
those who don't wish to get their ass kicked at inappropriate moments."
Aerin Thomas: ((inopportune))
Surly: *brows begin to slowly draw
together*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
A little of the tension eases out of his
shoulders at that comment, but he looks puzzled again. After a few seconds
though, contemplating just how that means he should respond gives way to eating
again. He is kinda starving.
Aerin Thomas: "And I'll have you know,
Marika, that despite anything REMOTELY resembling a cohesive plan, I managed to
get us all in and out of Gaia's Hand without so much as a stern talking to. I'd
like to think I even did well at you're guys's place." A little smile, and a
raised brow, as he picks up his drink and takes a mighty swallow off it.
Marika:
"They wouldn't...we'd have to teach you manners first. You're...just not
trained." She gestures rather helplessly with her hands. "He didn't tell you how
to behave?"
Surly: *she rather resembles Bliss's pet name
for her at the moment. slowly gets up to put her empty plate in the sink*
Marika: "Not
you. Sky." She gives Aerin a look that is either translateable as 'not you, you
insignificant cockroach' or possibly, 'my protection doesn't extend to you, why
would I bother?' It's one of those looks that really should have a sentance to
qualify it.
Aerin Thomas: "Ahh." He looks at Marika for
a moment, analyzing the sentance, and then goes back to eating. Not too
concerned about it for now.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss watches the whole exchange with gentle
amusement. "You don't train stormclouds any more than you herd cats. I would not
take such a gift and then insult it." The explaination seems more for Cloud,
than anything else.
Marika: She
looks over to Surly. "Home after dinner?" She asks rather suddenly.
Surly: *and she doesn't come back out of the
kitchen. back door opens, and closes. not as if she's trying to sneak out, but
neither is she slamming it, at least*
Surly: *nor, at the moment, answer. time to
work out*
Aerin Thomas: A glance to Marika and Bliss,
and he sets the plate down, rising to his feet and moving toward the kitchen.
Marika:
After a moment, she slips out the front door, edging past Bliss cautiously.
Aerin Thomas: He slips out the back door,
frowning a little as he looks around, letting his eyes adjust to the light.
Surly: *simply outside, a bit away from the
house, beating up invisible demons. face set in a fixed scowl, eyes narrowed.
never mind the wet. it's time for a bit of stress releif*
Aerin Thomas: He comes up to her, head
cocked to the side. "You winning?"
Surly: *grunts, smacking 'enemies' around a
bit more before answering* there's no winning. there's surviving.
Aerin Thomas: A moment's pause, watching
the woman, before he nods slowly. "Want something more solid to try and smack
around?"
Surly: *arches an eyebrow* you offering?
Aerin Thomas: "Wouldn't have said it if I
wasn't..." A calm gaze to the kin.
Surly: always up for a spar. *turns to face
him fully, stepping slowly to the side as if about to try and circle him* let's
go.
Aerin Thomas: He slides out of the trench
coat, tossing it aside...the man knows, despite many Matrix viewings,
that one does NOT fight better in one then without. The shoulder holster
follows, as well as his shirt. He gets into a ready position...something Aikido-ish,
and just waits for her to go.
Surly: *notes his prep and stance with a
nod. andcarefully pulls off the gloves--and the rings--setting the second inside
the first. tied shut and tossed toward the trench. and sends a kick in his
direction*
Surly:
d10: kick: 7,2,10,5,4,4,4,7,
Surly:
d10: : 10,
Surly:
d10: : 5,
Aerin Thomas: He twists to the side,
reaching out to grab her leg in the process. ((Rage spent; Dodge, then brawl))
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Dodge: 2,6,8,5,8,
Aerin Thomas: ((Strength+1 Damage; will
roll for the grab to the leg after))
Surly:
d10: dmg: 6,3,2,4,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Soak: 9,9,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Strength+Brawl(Hold): 4,3,3,6,4,
Surly: *she begins to grin slightly, eyes
lighting up. and tries to jerk her leg toward herself, not really trying to get
free, but to simply get him off-balance*
Surly:
d10: jerk: 6,6,7,
Aerin Thomas: ((Strength+Brawl, vs. a new
Str+Brawl from Aerin, who is also spending another Rage))
Surly:
d10: str/brawl: 5,5,5,6,5,2,10,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Str+Brawl: 3,6,10,4,9,
Surly:
d10: : 6,
Aerin Thomas: He keeps a grip on her leg,
maintaining his stance, then twists his body, grabbing her leg and attempting to
throw her away.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Strength+Brawl: 7,6,6,4,8,
Aerin Thomas: ((grabbing her leg with his
other arm as well, in other words))
Surly: *her grins widens further. and she just
lets him toss her*
Aerin Thomas: And she goes flying...a good
five or six feet away. He turns to her, returning to his stance, letting her get
to her feet.
Surly: *chuckles softly as she rolls to her
feet and stalks back toward him, grinning like a maniac. once close enough, she
cocks back a fist, shulders tensed. and then attempts another kick*
Surly:
d10: kick: 8,3,9,5,8,3,1,4,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Wits+Alert: 9,5,9,2,9,7,
Aerin Thomas: He sees the attack coming,
watching Surly's chest, not her eyes, as she comes in...by doing so, he sees the
faint and moves to dodge it.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Dodge (WP): 3,2,3,9,7,
Aerin Thomas: Surly's kick sails over his
head as Aerin bends himself fliudly back a bit, just out of range.
Aerin Thomas: Surly's kick sails over
his head as Aerin bends himself fliudly back a bit, just out of range.
Surly: *laughs again. eyes blazing with
delight. and goes for that punch she tried to make him think she was going to
throw before*
Surly:
d10: punch: 9,3,4,8,4,9,9,2,
Aerin Thomas: Oh, shit...he tries to throw
his arms up to block the punch.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl(WP): 8,3,10,5,4,
Surly:
d10: dmg: 10,4,7,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Soak: 10,6,
Aerin Thomas: The punch makes it through
the block, and it hits hard, but the man barely even oofs. And he moves for an
elbow to the woman's chest.
Surly: *and she attempts to dodge, for once*
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 7,7,5,9,5,
Surly:
d10: dex/dodge: 7,4,2,4,9,5,6,4,
Aerin Thomas: It's close, but Surly manages
to dodge out of the way of the incoming elbow.
Surly: *she looks either transported into
Heaven, or psychotic. hard to say which. and launches another punch at him*
Surly:
d10: punch: 3,7,2,9,10,1,5,10,
Aerin Thomas: Another block attempt from
the lanky hippy-looking man.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 6,1,1,10,5,
Surly:
d10: : 4,6,
Aerin Thomas -> Surly: ((Ahh, yes. Surly
would be able to easily note the strange scarm directly over the man's
breastbone, in the shape of a weeping rose. I always forget that.))
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Soak: 7,5,
Surly:
d10: dmg: 10,4,3,4,5,3,
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Bliss slinks out onto the tiny back porch in
lupus. It's cold and wet. Ick. He lays on the driest section of porch he can
find.
Surly -> Aerin Thomas: (*nodnods* she'd think
it's just a branding. tats and brands as body decoration, she approves of.
earrigns, no.))
Aerin Thomas: The punch makes good contact,
but doesn't have the force it should. He grins a bit, and as close as they
are...goes for a knee to the gut.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 8,3,1,3,9,
Surly:
d10: soak: 3,4,3,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Damage: 7,2,1,10,
Surly: *grunts and staggers as the knee gets
her solidly, breath lost for a moment. but, she's still grinning like a freak*
Aerin Thomas: He takes a step back, and
alters his stance a little...he's been using more blocks, so he goes to an
approximation ot Muy Thai, arms up, legs ready to raise and block.
Surly: *laughs, a bit breathlessly, and
steps back in for another kick.*
Surly:
d10: : 10,3,4,6,9,5,7,9,
Surly:
d10: : 4,
Aerin Thomas: He raises his leg for a
block, grinning a little. He needed this, too.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 2,7,9,1,2,
Surly:
d10: : 5,8,2,6,4,8,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Soak: 7,1,
Aerin Thomas: Oooh, THAT one made impact.
He staggers off to the side, a hiss of pain coming from him...he doesn't wait
long, though, before stepping back, aiming a punch to her stomach.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 5,7,2,2,2,
Surly: *attempts to dodge*
Surly:
d10: : 8,10,5,10,8,7,6,8,
Surly:
d10: : 8,9,
Aerin Thomas: ((Holy SHI-at))
Surly: ((*boggles!* oh, dear Gods!! if this
turns into another Abbey/Schulyer thing...i am going to laugh until i cry....))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
His ears flick sharply at the sound of Aerin
hissing and he lunges half to his feet before laying back down. Sparring...not
killing....
Aerin Thomas: The punch is off-balance, and
Surly is just SO on, Aerin's nowhere NEAR where he needed to be by the time it's
all done.
Surly: *grins widely. even if he pounds her
into the ground, she can take pride in that bit of the exchange. she goes for
another punch*
Surly:
d10: : 6,4,8,3,6,2,2,6,
Aerin Thomas: And Muy Thai isn't
working...he tries to switch back to his mostly-aikido, dodging like there's no
tomorrow, then reaching out for a Joint Lock (i.e. Clinch; Rage spent).
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Dodge: 8,3,5,10,9,
Surly:
d10: : 3,9,5,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Soak: 9,5,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Strenght+Brawl: 4,8,6,8,2,
Aerin Thomas: The punch connects, but
doesn't have the impact needed, and Aerin grabs the arm, twisting it painfully
and holding on. ((Damage begins next round))
Surly: *grits her teeth against the pain
and tries to hook his leg with one of her own*
Surly:
d10: dex/brawl: 9,9,10,5,10,9,6,5,
Surly:
d10: : 9,6,
Aerin Thomas: He attempts to maintain the
hold, a little smile on his face, holding her unless she breaks free.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Strength Damage: 4,5,2,
Aerin Thomas: ((Gaah, will roll
Strength+Brawl to maintain the hold, contested...little chance of succes,
though. ;) ))
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Strength+Brawl: 2,3,7,8,7,
Aerin Thomas: Surly catches Aerin's leg and sends him onto his back, and he loses his hold on her.
Surly: *grins widely and attempts to set
her fingertips at his throat in what would be--were she not holding back in a
big way--a move designed to have him choking on his own blood. if this weren't a
spar, that is.*
Surly:
d10: dex/brawl: 5,5,4,9,1,2,9,9,
Aerin Thomas: He tries to roll out of the
way.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Dodge: 4,4,4,4,
Aerin Thomas: ((WELL, then. Four 4's...good
poker hand?))
Surly: ((LOL! and gets you...hrm...16
points in some NeoPets game or the other....))
Surly:
d10: : 1,5,2,9,8,
Aerin Thomas: ((YAY! I R TEH NEOPETS
31337!))
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Soak: 3,3,
Surly: ((*ROTFL!* used to go there EVERY
day....))
Aerin Thomas: The shot catches him in the
throat, and he winces. Then he reaches up, grabbing her and planting his foot in
her stomach to flip roll her.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl(WP): 1,5,4,
Aerin Thomas: ((*Headdesks*))
Surly: *tries to roll off him before he can
accomplish this task*
Surly:
d10: : 4,8,5,8,3,5,7,9,
Surly: ((*giggle*))
Aerin Thomas: She rolls away, and he grabbs
at air. He scrambles to his feet, trying to get ready to dodge any incoming
attack. ((Free shot as he gets up.))
Surly: *kicks at him, grinning widely*
Surly:
d10: : 6,3,9,3,9,7,3,1,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Soak: 8,3,
Surly:
d10: : 1,7,9,10,7,3,
Surly: *and attempts to roll farther away from
him so she can get up without getting walloped herself....*
Surly:
d10: : 2,9,3,4,6,8,9,10,
Aerin Thomas: The kick knocks him a little
aside, and he straightens out. "All right, Surly...that was fighting a human.
This...is fighting a Garou."
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Stamina+PU(WP): 7,3,6,6,
Surly: *laughs softly* about to get my ass
handed to me, i take it. *not afraid of the idea, in the slightest.*
Aerin Thomas: And he shifts up...not
Crinos, just Glabro. Growing to a good 6'8", just over 300 pounds.
Surly: *eyebrows raise. the bigger they are,
the harder they fall. and gets ready*
Aerin Thomas: He does nothing the first
round, merely taking a position as he...concentrates, a little smile on his
face.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Luna&#;s Armor: 1,7,4,8,
Surly: *narrows her focus. he exsists.
nothing else does. and moves toward him slowly, still grinning. eyes blazing.
this is life*
Aerin Thomas: As long as Surly isn't
attacking, he's merely waiting...letting his body heal, bruises fading away as
he focuses once more.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Strength of Purpose: 3,1,5,8,3,
Surly: *and goes for another punch*
Surly:
d10: : 1,10,6,8,3,8,1,3,
Surly:
d10: : 2,
Aerin Thomas: He lets that first punch
come...and launches one of his own.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 3,4,4,10,
Surly: *attempts to dodge*
Surly:
d10: : 2,2,9,6,7,4,5,2,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Combat Healing: 10,3,8,3,1,
Surly:
d10: : 1,2,3,9,
Aerin Thomas: The punch from before has no
real force...and Surly manages to avoid the incoming punch, as the last of the
bad bruises fade away from Aerin.
Surly: *hmm, a kick or a punch? let's go
with another kick, this time*
Surly:
d10: : 5,6,9,8,5,5,7,7,
Aerin Thomas: He takes the punch...and
punches back.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 9,3,2,7,5,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Combat Healing: 7,3,7,4,4,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Damage: 6,8,4,5,4,9,
Surly: *again, attempts to dodge. 300 pounds
of man is not somethign she'd enjoy connecting to her person*
Surly: ((dlp))
Surly:
d10: : 8,9,3,3,6,5,4,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Soak: 7,2,10,6,10,
Surly:
d10: soak: 10,2,2,
Aerin Thomas: The punches connect; Aerin's,
not surprisingly, has more force, and it staggers her back. ((She's taken 3 Bash
so far, if I've counted right?))
Surly: *grunts, staggering back. and she's
still grinning from ear to ear over it*
Aerin Thomas: And he tries for the coup de
grace, aiming two kicks right for her gut. ((Rage spent))
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 7,5,3,5,4,
Surly: *attempts to dodge these*
Surly:
d10: : 6,4,6,2,10,4,7,7,
Aerin Thomas: The first kick is dodged...he
goes for the other.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Dex+Brawl: 5,8,4,8,2,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Damage: 9,5,7,7,8,8,4,
Surly:
d10: dodgey goodness : 3,9,8,3,5,4,3,2,
Surly: ((DLP. LOL!))
Surly:
d10: soak: 3,2,3,
Aerin Thomas: And that second kick pretty
well lifts Surly iinto the air and back several feet, knocking her ass beyond
out.
Surly: *and that second kick sends her
flying. this time, she stays down. the woman still has a huge grin on her
unconcious face*
Aerin Thomas: He immediately drops back
into Homid, moving over quickly, but unhurried, with a look to Bliss. He leans
over Sulry and drops to a knee, placing his hand on the enormous, foot-sized
bruise on her chest...definitely a couple cracked ribs, too. He closes his eyes
and focuses, calling on the Goddess for aid.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Mothers Touch(WP): 7,9,6,8,1,10,
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Reroll: 2,
Surly: ((Gaia LOVES Aerin. *G*))
Surly: ((and fade for now? *chuckles*))
Aerin Thomas: ((Pause for now. *Nods*))
Surly: ((*grins and hugs tight* thanks,
hon. see you tomorrow! *falls asleep*))
Aerin Thomas: ((Just continue from where we
left off?))
Surly: ((cool by me. *soft chuckle*))
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
[Sounds good to me.] He rises but with Aerin not
panicky, he seems alright with everything, alert, but not too anxious to go get
more wet.
Aerin Thomas: ((So, Surly just got 4 Health
Levels healed, and she had taken five bash to add to the for she already
had...this leaves her at 2 Lethal, one Bashing.))
Surly: ((*nods* so, she's concious, but not
exactly feeling in top shape? or still conked out?))
Aerin Thomas: ((She's conscious, yes.
Probably bruised or cracked ribs.))
Surly: *coughs as she opens her eyes, with a
wince. and a grin*
Aerin Thomas: He smiles a little bit.
"Hold still for just a moment...don't move too much." One more try on the
healing, eyes closing.
Aerin Thomas:
d10: Mothers Touch: 5,7,8,10,3,7,
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Yeah, she's okay. He lays back down.
Surly: *eyes him a moment. got to get her
bearings before trying to sit up, anyway. plus that whole hurts to brethe thing*
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
[And, does he fight Bliss trying to talk in his
head again?]
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
((Nope. Visible little twitch as always, but it's
an instinctive reaction, and he doesn't fight.))
Aerin Thomas: "There you go." He stands
up, offering her a hand to help her up to her feet.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "So, unless you still want to beat on
things...can we go inside?"
Surly: *slaps her hand into his and permits
the hand up. resisting the temptation to use the grip to try and throw him. it's
hard* that was fun.
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~MS~ "We can go inside, yes. Thought she could use
the sparring...and so could I."
Aerin Thomas: A little twitch at something,
and he nods with a little grin. "It was fun. C'mon, let's get inside." He moves
to collect his shirt, trench, and holster.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "Yeah. It does take the edge of a little,
huh? You look better."
Surly: good idea. *follows to collect her
gloves and rings*
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "I feel better. Some. Think she got the
point, or did I just make things worse?"
Aerin Thomas: His clothes balled up under
an arm, he heads to the door, nodding to Bliss with what can only be described
as a grin out of nowhere.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "I think you underestimate Cloud."
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence: ~ms~ "How so?" Curiosity.
Surly: *blinks at the wolf* you look like a
cat not wanting wet feet. sort of.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He rises and waits at the door. Aerin can open
it, as someone lacks opposablr thumbs right now.
Aerin Thomas: The door is opened, of
course, and he holds it open for the others. Common courtesy, this one has.
Surly: *yeah...that glittery collar. good
call.*
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "She can work these things out. I think you
helped. But I think she'd have come out here and worked it out."
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "And tell her yes. Sort of."
Surly: *stalks into the room. hey, she
remembers to sort of wipe her feet off on the door rug*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He steps inside, and goes to lay in front of the
fire.
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
"That wasn't what I meant, but yes, I agree she
could have worked it out on her own."
Aerin Thomas: A look to Surly, and he
grins, referring back to her comment about the cat not wanting wet feet. "He
says yeah. Sort of." He tosses the wet clothes on the counter and goes to get a
towel, to dry his upper body off.
Surly: *nose twitches* getting a towel. Aerin?
*questions. much better mood of a sudden* Bliss, you're getting one too.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "What did you mean?"
Surly: *blinks and shakes her head slightly*
he says. wish i could understand that. *shrugs and gets herself a twoel once
Aerin's gotten his. and she does get one for Bliss* roll, or am i drying you off
to save my nose?
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "I was trying to make a point. She's a great
fighter, a good person, and a hell of an asset, among many other, more important
things. I'd hate to see her decide to try and take out a Crinos or Glabro, and
end up a needless casualty. Heroes don't last long...nor do people who live for
the thrill of the fight and think of that rather then the overall picture."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He looks up at Cloud lazily from his nice warm
place by the fire. 'Move?' those eyes seem to ask.
Aerin Thomas: He starts drying off, moving
to the coffee table and picking up his cigarettes. One's popped into his mouth,
and lit.
Surly: *snorts a laughs. towels herself off
roughly and wraps the thing around her dripping hair before settling down beside
Bliss and flopping the towel over him. rubrubrubrub* you might be a wolf, but
you smell like a wet dog.......urk.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "I showed her that once. But she's...some f
our kin are fighters. It's not about living long enough to win, it's about
living while you're here."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
His eyes close. Attention. If wolves could
purr....
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "The more you're here, the more living you
can do. And frankly, if she's doing something important, living for the fight
makes her a liability. And I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but..." A
mental shrug.
Surly: *snickers at the kittywolf*
Aerin Thomas: He chuckles a little bit,
watching the two and running a hand through his wet hair. It drops down to his
chest, rubbing at the scar over his breastbone idly.
Surly: *nods at that scar* brand?
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "She wants to live, not die. She's got some
sense."
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Good. I've seen enough good people die in
the last two months. I'd like to wait at least until January for the next."
Aerin Thomas: "Sort of." He nods to Surly.
"It's my Rose...umm. Bit of a story behind it."
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "Good people will die. This is war. But
I hope it can wait that long too. Especially for you. Death is just...one more
thing to me after growing up with it like I did."
Surly: *scratches the towel on her head*
story, mmm? *arches a brow* good mems or bad. *yes, she keeps towelign the wolf
off*
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "I know it's war, Bliss. Never thought
otherwise."
Aerin Thomas: "A lot of both."
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "Everything will be alright."
Surly: *mulls that over,then shakes her head*
i have memories that are one or the other, not both. *shrugs* sole exception
being while Pop was busy dying. those aren't pleasant.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He licks at one of Cloud's hands.
Surly: *scritches under the wolf's chin,
moving up along to scritch his ruff. either she's had dogs, or she's petted a
wolf before somewhere*
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "I know. I have faith."
Aerin Thomas: "Bittersweet is a good word
to describe much of the last year or so as a whole, Surly." He shrugs a little
bit, picking up his still somewhat full glass and downing some. "But that's my
past. Looking ahead as much as possible, now."
Surly: mph. i rarely look behind. can't change
what's past. i don't usually look ahead very far, either. too much in the
moment, i suppose. *pets, as if she's not really thinking about it. simply doing
it*
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "As do I."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He doesn't remind her, likely reminding her will
make her stop petting. It is Cloud.
Surly: *Bliss is a very smart werewolf,
too....*
Aerin Thomas: "Nothing wrong with being in
the moment, most of the time. You have to look ahead, though, sometimes, to see
the job through."
Surly: *nods* truth. luckily, for what i do,
that looking ahead's not needed far in advance. *shrugs* i have one goal other
than bettering myself. that's to eventually open a dojo of sorts. maybe. at some
point.
Surly: *yes, still petting Bliss absently*
Aerin Thomas: He leans back, bar skin of
his back against the couch, watching Surly. "What do you define as your
purpose?"
Surly: to fight. to teach fighting. *shrugs*
to be the best fighter i can possibly be before i pick a fight i can't win.
Aerin Thomas: He consiers that for a
moment, frowning contemplatively. "That's a fairly short-sighted purpose,
Surly...if you'll forgive me saying so."
Aerin Thomas: ((Sorry, comp problems))
Surly: *arches a brow at him* according to
what i could piece together from Pop, i don't have meny other options when it
comes to your sort. fight, or breed. and i have nothing remotely resembling
mothering instincts. more like smothering instincts.
Surly: ((*hugs* NP, hun. *sktoc*))
Aerin Thomas: "That's...a fairly narrow
view on a kin's options." He looks at Bliss, then back to Surly. "Kin, to me at
least, are much more then just fighters or breeders. They're the most important
part of the Garou Nation, because you risk just as much as us, but without our
inherant gifts. Kin do much more then just fight or fuck, to be vulgar."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
[*bites a Ravyn's computer - ALOT* Bad!]
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He licks at Cloud's hands again,, even that
likely will stop her petting.
Surly: ((sorry, power went out for a moment...mrp!!))
*shrugs* i wouldn't know. you people are the first ones of your sort i've spent
any real time around. *eyes narrow, just slightly* this "training" business does
not bode well. *blinks down at the wolf and grunts. stops petting, although she
leaves a hand on him. hey--her fingers are cold.*
Aerin Thomas: "Training." It's a statement
and a question, all in one.
Surly: whatever the fuck Marika and Bliss, and
you were yapping about earlier.
Aerin Thomas: A little frown. "That was
Marika...I never said anything about training." He sighs. "There are some things
I probably am not best to explain...I'm hardly your stereotypical Garou. And I'm
sure there's elements of being Shadow Lord and corresponding kin that I haven't
the foggiest clue about. As best I understood, it was simply talking about
certain ways to talk to higher-ranking individuals...I'm sure you can understand
that, if you're wanting to open a dojo."
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "I didn't train her, because I didn't intend
to bring her to anyone who would want her cowed."
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Makes complete sense to me."
Surly: *ponders this and nods a bit* point.
one of my senseis used to say, "in the circle, there is only one Master."
however.......in a dojo, you dun have to kowtow to people simply because they
happen to be able to sprout fur coats. and outside of the circle, with the sole
exceptiong of the master and his assistants, if he has 'em, you don't treat
anyone else as lesser than you. not if you want to keep learning there, assuming
it's a good dojo.
Aerin Thomas: "And in an ideal Sept, it's
the same way," he says with a nod. "Rank is gained on merit among the
Garou...it's gained based on your past accomplishments in the ways of Glory,
Honor, and Wisdom. Part of the Litany stats 'Respect all beneath you, for all
are of Gaia.'"
Surly: and by beneath you, i expect you
include Kin. *absently begins petting Bliss again*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He stays still, letting Cloud pet him, listening.
Aerin Thomas: "Most do. I disagree, but
like I've said, I'm not normal." He smirks slightly. "It's a simple fact that,
by simple inherant skills, Garou can do things that Kinfolk can't. We can take
more punishment, deal more punishment, enter the Umbra, the spirit world. We
have Gifts from Gaia besides that...abilities taught by the spirits we
communicate with, serve, make pacts with, and sometimes even befriend." A pause.
"And with all that said, I've personally seen some Kinfolk who have accomplished
far more then some high-ranking Garou I can think of."
Aerin Thomas: ((Gaia = the Goddess. Baah.))
Surly: *smirks lightly* i suspect that, if you
people would stay the fuck in this shape *smacks herself on the breatbone*, i'd
probably be able to take most of you down, one on one, in hand to hand. *she's
not boasting. fact as she sees it* however, that "most" bit means one very clear
thing to me. i don't want to be in the mainstream of your sort. i will not
grovel to anyone. and i won't back down from someone who hasn't proven that he
or she deserves my respect. i can't. it's alien to my nature.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "And this is why I can't take her home."
Aerin Thomas: He nods a little bit, smiling
slightly. "You remind me of someone, Surly. And that's a good thing...mostly."
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Yeah, no shit." A mental sigh. "Think Gaia's
Hand might get along with her a little better? I can't imagine Gavin Fucking
Brooke dealing with her well..."
Surly: *raises an eyebrow at him* who? *pet
the wolf. takes the towel off her head* mph. going out tomorrow to get my hair
bleached, so i can redye it.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "We can hope. She's not petting enough.
You should come help her. And later we can introduce her to Pearl. See how she
takes."
Aerin Thomas: "An old friend." The smile
widens, yet becomes a little sad, too. "A couple of them, actually."
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He gives a little playful bark at Aerin.
Surly: *smirks to the wolf* you should get a
dye job yourself. maybe blue lightening bolts down your flanks.
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Sounds like a plan. You realize that, in
entreating me to come help pet, you're making me move, right?"
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Sounds like a plan. You realize that, in
entreating me to come help pet, you're making me move, right?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "Are you saying I'm not worth it?"
Surly: *tilts her head to Aerin* you'd better
not have just called me old. *mock-growls. she's had a spar. she feels good now*
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He barks at Cloud and then looks up at Aerin,
tail starting to wag a little.
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Yeah, yeah...on my way." A sense of
amusement.
Surly: *snorts to Bliss* don't make me go buy
a Scrabble set. one bark, you wnat a dye job. two, you don't.
Aerin Thomas: "No, no. You don't hit old
until you approach my age, at least." He rises from the couch, moving over to
drop down next to then and start petting the attention-starved wolf.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
Two sharp barks at Cloud.
Surly: *shakes her head at Bliss* you dunno
what you're missing. nothing like the lingering stench of bleach and colorful
chemical cocktails to wake you up in the mornign. every day. for at least a
week. no matter how many times a day you wash you're hair. *snickers to Aerin*
you aren't ancient, either. yet.
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
His eyes close again when he's being petted by
all available people in the room.
Aerin Thomas: "Baah. I hit 29 in nine days.
I'm practically in a walker." He chuckles a little bit.
Surly: *eyes Bliss, then Aerin* he do this
much? *smirks* at least you're dry now. so i'm not being choked to death by the
smell of slightly scorched wet wolf.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "I may survive now. Thanks."
Aerin Thomas: "He does it all the time,
yes." A warm grin down to the wolf.
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "No problem. Glad to be able to ensure your
survival by avoiding utter neglect."
Surly: *eyes Aerin* ahem. i'm not that much
younger than you, so you can keep those comments to yourself. *smirks* and
no,i'm not going to divulge my exact age.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "Hey, I was all stiff from laying out in the
rain watching you fighting with Cloud. It's cold out there."
Aerin Thomas: "Yes, but you're young in
heart. I'm an old man in spirit, these days." There's a casual, almost
conversational tone to it, and his lips quirk at something, brow raising to
Bliss.
Surly: *smirks to the wolf* why am i not
shocked.
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Hey, you had the nice warm coat. I was
practically bare-ass naked."
Surly: *snorts loudly* no, i'm a
ninety-year-old man with bad breath and a severely soured look on the world at
heart.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "You got a work out. I was lying down and
being drizzled on." Clearly the greatest injustice in the world.
Aerin Thomas: "No, you're disaffected
youth. With bad breath and a severly soured look on the word. There is a
difference...mostly stylistic and propensity for violence."
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "And you never thought of just watching from
the open door?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence:
He gnaws on one of Aerin's hands lightly.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "And you're not old. You're in mourning.
And of course not. I was planning this from the beinning."
Surly: *snorts again* i do not have bad
breath, thank you very much. although i agree with the prone to violence part. i
think he wants more spaghetti.
Aerin Thomas: "No, I'm just not petting
with both hands. This is a horrific crime, you see."
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "I felt old long before Micah and Trevor
died, Bliss."
Surly: neither am i. *smirks to the wolf* keep
in mind i bite back. grr. *chuckles a bit*
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "You haven't been spending enough time with
me. I make everything better. You should pet me more."
Aerin Thomas: He grins faintly and pets a
couple times, with a little more gusto to it, before he rises to his feet.
"Well, it's late...I'm going to go talk to the girl out on the front porch for a
bit, then do that 'waking up screaming twenty times in the middle of the night'
thing that others call sleep." A glance to Bliss. "I leave you in Surly's
capable petting hands."
Surly: heat some milk. add doublestrength
chamomile tea. *shrugs* Pop used to have that himself. never knew what his
nightmares were all about. *she does keep petting Bliss a bit*
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "You want me to stay with you while you
sleep?"
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Once I go to sleep, that might be nice.
Just...don't wake me unless I'm really screaming. I don't sleep enough as it
is."
Aerin Thomas: "I've tried stuff like that,
Surly. Doesn't help. And I won't take non-herbal sleep aids, other then drinking
myself into a stupor, which oddly, despite earlier proclamations, I don't feel
like doing. Thanks, though." A nod to them both, and he heads out onto the
porch.
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "Have I woken you yet?"
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "Just call me. I'll be there."
Surly: *nods and shrugs* your choice.
*stretches a bit*
Aerin Thomas -> Shadow's Blissful Silence:
~ms~ "Thanks."
Shadow's Blissful Silence -> Aerin Thomas:
~ms~ "What else is family for?" And his
presence fades out of Aerin's mind.
Surly -> Aerin Thomas: ((*hugs* thank you,
hon. *skotc*))
Aerin Thomas -> Surly: ((*Hugs* I belive
they're draggin Surly along to Gaia's Hand, if you wanna come with. :) ))