Ita McNairee: *she's singing in the kitchen, giving tori a bath in the sink as Archie mouths a teething ring in a little playpen nearby, silent as he listens to his mother. The dogs are running outside, crows out as well, enjoying the warm weather*

Aerin Thomas: The back door opens, and in he steps. The man's been all around the farm in the last couple days when he's been home, especially industrious. Today, after fixing a busted down part of the fence he spent a couple hours in the back yard, near Micah's grave, speaking quietly. He lets the door shut behind him and pulls his trench off, moving to hang it up.

Ita McNairee: *she stops singing and gasps dramaticly, covering up the naked tori and exclaiming to her in alarm* och! yer Neked! thes hansome lad'll see yer beauty an nae wan naethen tae dae wie auld ita nae moores.. ye wee trollop! *her eyes slooowly slide up to Aerin, full of mischeif and mirth as she sops water on the little girl as she gurgles out a new sound in response*

Aerin Thomas: He smiles faintly, running a hand through his hair and moving toward Ita, slipping arms around her waist and hugging her from behind. "Hey, you two. How's my favorite ladies?"

Ita McNairee: och, aul wet an gien there.. *she teases, pressing back against him softly, she moves her head back, reaching to kiss his chin* thank ye fer fexen tha fence loves.

Aerin Thomas: "Happily. Sorry I didn't get to it sooner...just been busy." His eyes shut at the kiss to his bare chin, enjoying the moment...he could be here, forever, and be happy.

Ita McNairee: ah kain. ah've messed ye.. ah'm glad yer hoome fer a bet. *she nuzzles her nose against him, stretching her neck to make up the height difference before the litte woman leans forward and gathers the baby into a towel, wrapping her tightly* there ye are lovely..

Aerin Thomas: He smiles down at Ita, and then to Tori. "I'm glad I am, too. I miss this place sometimes." A kiss is pressed to her neck before he steps back, arms slipping reluctantly away from her as he looks around.

Ita McNairee: *she trundles over to set the clean tori beside the already clean archie, letting them gurgle at each other. a soft smile as they interact.* och ah'm glad they get along noow.. soon enough ets gintae be "she took me toy!" an "Da! ee's scaren me boyfriend!" an quarrellen an backtalk.. *a sigh as she looks up to Aerin, wistful*

Aerin Thomas: "Yeah." A long look to the two children, eyes getting that far-off ethereal look, before he looks back to Ita, watching her a moment.

Aerin Thomas: d10: Per+Empathy: 3,4,2,6,6,1,2,

Ita McNairee: *ita cocks her head. watching him back*

Ita McNairee: d10: per emp: 10,9,10,6,9,

Aerin Thomas: d10: Man+Subt: 4,4,9,5,8,5,2,

Ita McNairee -> Aerin Thomas: Ita's having a good day. content, just thinking of her own brother sister dynamic maybe

Aerin Thomas -> Ita McNairee: The man is a ball of nervious anticipation and sadness. He's tired, he's stressed, and he's hurting deeply. Bitter at the world, fairly lost with what's right or wrong, but he's focused on a singular goal, and he's moving toward it with unerring pace. He loves Ita and the children very dearly, but being around them right now is tearing him apart, making him lose focus from his goal...still, though, he wants to spend as much time with them as possible, and it kills him that he's not getting that chance. He's hiding something too, that's for sure, and he's both afraid and half-wanting to tell her what it is.

Ita McNairee: *the pikeys brow knits, and she moves to wrap an arm around him, other hand slipping to his chest with a jingle as she looks up at him*... darlin.. ah'm recht ee're.. ye said we'd nae keep secrets.. aye? wha's wroong love?

Aerin Thomas: "I..." He drops his gaze to the floor, cheeks flushing a little bit. Think, Aerin, think. Now, or later? Shit... "There...I had a bit of a run-in with an old friend the other night. My rough night...in a cafe, and, ah...Gunther came in."

Ita McNairee: *she bites her lip nervously, watching his face*.. och.. aye darlin?

Ita McNairee: *she shifts from one foot to the other, hand still on his chest*

Aerin Thomas: "Yeah." He reaches up to scratch at his neck. "I didn't say anything, just glared a hole through him, and he started mouthing off. 'Faggot' this and 'You don't know shit' that. He said he's left you be, that if he hadn't spoken up, someone else would have and you'd be dead, yadda yadda." A wince. "I got...angry and shouted back. And he tried to provoke me."

Ita McNairee: aye... *she's waiting for the shoe to drop, or something akin to it, leaning back from him and watching him with wide brown eyes*

Aerin Thomas: "So, I got in his face, he REALLY provoked me, I went to hit him and...couldn't." He shrugs half-heartedly. "He walked out, but...I'm sure I didn't do us any favors, you know?"

Ita McNairee: ... aye... *still waiting is the pikey.. but when it seems thats all he's going to say she frowns and looks up at him*.. darlin.. *her voice drops soft as she takes to stroking his chest* tha doesnae explain why yer hurten sae.. oor why yer sae pained tae 'ave me aroond..

Aerin Thomas: Ah, shit. He winces and looks away. "It's...not you. Not exactly, love." A pause. "Your identity is set up. Waiting on Arlett to get back, see what she can do about getting your appearance changed."

Ita McNairee: ....aye.... *she's still waiting, brow knitted as she frowns. Archie begins to whimper in the playpen and ita moves towards it to coddle him* ... wha's tha matter loves? We're gintae be aulrecht.. aye? there's a catch wie tha new me? *like.. everytime she'll touch something living she'll tranform a body part or something? she remember the complications with travis.. a frown*

Aerin Thomas: "No, no...it should work fine, I think." He sighs, rubbing his forehead. "I...Ita, there's something, yes. It's not a problem with the plan, not really. I just..." Not now. Too much to do. "I need a couple days to work something out, is all. In my own head."

Ita McNairee: d10: per emp (wp): 6,9,8,8,4,

Ita McNairee: *she watches him, nibbling her lip, concern and worry clear in brown eyes*

Ita McNairee: *a hand glides down to sooth archie as she watches the thin man sadly*

Aerin Thomas: d10: Man+Subt: 7,10,7,5,10,5,2,

Aerin Thomas -> Ita McNairee: d10: Specialty: 4,4,

Aerin Thomas -> Ita McNairee: Worried, nervous. He's afraid of how she'll react.

Ita McNairee: *moving back to him, she cocks her head, voice soft*.. darlin.. yer scaren me. please?

Ita McNairee: d10: manip + exp: 2,5,4,3,3,9,

Ita McNairee: *she bites her lip, breaking off saying anything further*

Aerin Thomas: "I..." He catches his lower lip between left canines...ahh, that old gesture, picked up from the Rroma woman so long ago. He moves away from her, to look out the window and over the front yard. "I'm worried. Scared. I don't know if this is going to work, Ita."

Ita McNairee: ye mean tha body swap? *she trills quietly*

Aerin Thomas: His voice is quiet, facing away from her, looking out the window. "The plan." Shoulders are tense, back straining under stress. Posture rigid.

Ita McNairee: ..wha's tha part o tha plan wha's wrong? *she moves towards him, babies starting to fuss and think about crying, archie already starting up. Her hand slips under his hair between his shoulder blades, her face pressing to his back as the other arm curls around his lanky frame* whech part o et needs reworked.. we can fex et... aye? there's stell time..

Aerin Thomas: He tenses as she touches him... Not now, dammit! Still too much to do! "Ita, please..." His head bows, neck craning downward and drawing his loose hair up his back, slipping through Ita's hand like dirty silk. He brings a hand to his forehead, wincing.

Ita McNairee: wha'evers wrong, we can fex et. *she presses warm kisses to his back through his shirt, curling the other arm around him, voice a soft lullaby* et'll be aulrecht love. We've been through worse than tha bloody cammirella. Ah'm nae gaen naewheres, aye? we'll fex et sae et works.. dinnae fret.

Aerin Thomas: He pulls away from her, hands going up. Frustration and despair evident on his face. "Ita...for Goddess sake, please!" There's a pleading sort of desperation on his face. "I can't...can't do this right now..." His hands shake a little bit, and he stares at her, in a state of near-panic.

Ita McNairee: *she staggers a little from the shock of him pulling away so quickly, archie and tori both wailing from their crib, adding to the tenseness and confusion in the little pikey's frame.. her eyes swim as she curls her arms around herself*... ah jes wan tae fex et.. *she sings quietly, swallowing hard* yer hurten.. ah love ye, an ah dinnae wan ye tae hurt es aul..

Aerin Thomas: "It's my job, Ita," he says, unanticipated bitterness rising. His posture takes on a tenseness to it...jaw pulsing, eyes sullen. Tired. "I hurt, I suffer so others don't have to. Not because I enjoy it...I'm not a fucking masochist. But because someone has to, and it's not going to be the people I love."

Ita McNairee: tha's nae yer job. an effen ye'd take a moment tae look DOOWN frem yer bloody cross ye'd kain there are folk wha are willen tae shoulder soome o tha damn burden sae ye dinnae 'ave tae, effen ye'd jes tell em wha's botheren ye! *she moves toward him, shaking her head, voice warring between angry and tearful as she rubs at her cheek* stop et aerin. Jaysus Christ stop et.

Aerin Thomas: "You can't fix this, Ita." He shakes his head, staring intently at her. "Some things are being fixing. Everyone will be okay...and that's what's important, all right? No one can make this better for me...no one can lighten this fucking load. Belive me, I'd happily hand this off to someone else if I could. But I made my fucking bed, and I'm not going to make someone else lie on it, okay?"

Aerin Thomas: ((being = beyond))

Ita McNairee: nae. ye said et yerself.. ye hurt sae ether folk dinnae 'ave tae.. ye dinnae deserve tha darlin.. yer a good man.. *she crows, shaking tears from her nose and trundling up to him, hand outstretched as she jingles to touch his cheek, brown eyes liquid with tears* ye deserve a bet o peace an happiness fer yerself.. cannae we be selfesh fer.. fer jes a wee bet darlin?

Ita McNairee: please? we can fex et.. aye?

Aerin Thomas: He's completely still, motionless as she reaches out to touch him, staring her in the face. "I wish there was a way, love. You have no idea how much I wish that..." Sad green eyes shut, trying to summon images of happier times into his head...but they're too far away. Point of no return was already passed, and they're gone now. "I'm so sorry, Ita. I'm sorry that I can't...but it'll be okay. I promise...it will be okay. In time."

Ita McNairee: *she's not the cleverest gyspy in the camp, but that just doesn't sound right, pikey smoothing his cheek and then curling into his chest arms around him if he'll let her*.. aerin.. yer scaren yer pikey..

Aerin Thomas: "I know, love." He wraps his arms around her, squeezing tightly and kissing her forehead, a broken sigh coming out. "I'm sorry I am."

Ita McNairee: Ah love ye aerin.. ah dinnae wan ye tae be everywans damned martyr. Ah love ye... *she nuzzles into his chest a moment, then looks up, voice trying at soothing* why can ah nae help? ah could help. ah hate see'en ye like thes. ah love ye tae mooch darlin.

Aerin Thomas: "Because it's...just something I have to do." He looks down at her, lips pursing. "I just...I can't. I'm sorry, but...Goddess, Ita. You've helped me so much, you don't even know...and this, I have to do. I just...soon. I promise."

Ita McNairee: aye.. aye loves. *she sniffs, and makes a soft noise in her throat, moving both hand to cup his cheeks as she nods, long strand of hair sticking to the moisture on her own cheek, voice dipping to a soft feverent whisper* ah love ye aerin. an Ah'll be 'ere. effen ets tae mooch.. ye ~share et~ god damn ye.. please?

Aerin Thomas: Dammit, she was making this so hard. He swallows hard, green eyes glistening, and nods ever so slightly. "Okay, Ita. I will...I'll try. I love you..."

Ita McNairee: *she runs a hand through his hair and curls to his chest* love ye sae mooch. .. wesh ye were appy.. wesh ah could make ye appy. *she nuzzles so tightly into him it like she'll dissappear, sniffling and moving to stroke his back* would ye feel better en wolf darlin?

Aerin Thomas: "You do make me happy." And that's the problem. "Yeah...yeah, perhaps wolf would be good."

Ita McNairee: Aulrecht.. *she nods and stands on her toes to kiss his cheek, rubing hers against him for a moment before sighing heavily and moving to gather the babies, looking tired*

Aerin Thomas: He sheds the new trench coat...it hasn't been dedicated yet...and lets himself slip through the forms quickly, and moves to follow her, padding along the floor.

Ita McNairee: *she spends a few moments calming the sobbing tots and croons them to sleep, setting them in their crib before moving to the bed and patting it, ready to curl up quietly with a furry child of gaia*

Aerin Thomas: ~And Faaaaaade~