Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He finishing creating a make shift ice pack, and holds it against his cheek as he looks at the door to the next room. After a few minutes he retrives his cell phone from his pants on the floor, and hits the second -A-, dialing the number Alex programmed into it for Aerin.

Aerin Thomas -> Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): *Click* "Hello?" He sounds...a little tired. Distracted, maybe. A brief pause comes, before... "Tony?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He sighs in relief as Aerin answers the phone. "Yes, Sir... it's Tony. I... I'm supposed to let ya know that... Dante is here, with me, 'n he ain't hurt, but he's... not okay." His voice also sounds tired.

Aerin Thomas -> Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): "Dante...shit." The sounds of him standing up, and shuffling sounds, like he's putting something on. "What happened? What's going on?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He groans softly as he moves the wrong way. "He... he went outta in... in the park, Sir... I was... on the phone with him, 'n then I was talkin' to someone else... 'n..." A long sigh. "Please, Sir, kin ya come here? I'm at (insert name of out of the way, cheap little hotel), not that far from the park."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): (in=it)

Aerin Thomas -> Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): "I'm on the way." A door opens and shuts. He's all business at the moment, his voice calm and in control. "Fifteen minutes. Calm down, Tony. Everything's going to be okay, all right?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He nods his head, even though Aerin can't see him. "Yes, Sir... he's asleep in the other room... can't wake him... I'm in room number 5, up the stairs... at the end of th' hall."

Aerin Thomas -> Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): "I'll be right there." *Click*

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He groans softly again as he reaches down and snatches up his pants. He had 15 minutes to get himself together. He takes his time getting into his pants, fumbling with the laces, and finally just leaves them half undone and slowly pulls his sweater on over them. No comb, but he runs his fingers through his hair enough to at least make it presentable, then puts the ice pack back on the side of his face.

Aerin Thomas: And fifteeen minutes later, his hybrid is pulling up outside the hotel. He slips out of the car, the trench coat covering a straight green T-Shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He makes his usual paranoid glance around the street before he slips into the hotel, moving quickly to the Room 5. He moves up to the door and knocks.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He stiffens when he hears the knock, and peeks out the tiny hole in the door to make sure it is Aerin. He quickly dumps the make-shift ice pack in the sink, and opens the door, stepping to the side, head lowered, to let Aerin inside the room.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): The room is a normal cheap hotel room, with basic necessities and the tv and pictures bolted to the wall. The room is messy, the bed unmade and the sheets half off of it, a few splatterings of what could be dried blood on them.

Aerin Thomas: He steps inside, immediately looking around and assessing the situation in the door. The dried blood causes him to frown deeply, and he looks at Antonio, looking him over. "Hey." His voice is soft, gentle. He reaches out to brush the other's hair back, looking at him. "Are you okay?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He winces, his face bruised on one side, lips swollen. He tries to turn his head to the side, to hide it. "I'm... okay, Sir. But... Dante ain't. He's... still passed out in the other room. Damien helped me with 'im... 'n paid for the second room so I could stay here 'till Alex come."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): There is an adjourning door, unlocked, into the next room, where Dante is totally out of the world passed out across the bed.

Aerin Thomas: "And what happened to you," he asks quietly, head tilting to look at the bruises.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He licks his lips, eyes on the floor. "It was my fault... I called Alex... toldt him I called Damien fer help with Dante... 'n we was in the park... the Mtolo has somethin' goin', but... he come by here... 'n he... he wasn't real happy with me..." He tries to change the subject again. "I was talkin' to Dante on the phone... Mercury was out in the car asleep... wanted to know if wanted to get suthin' to eat with me... 'n he suddenly made this... strange sound, like a scream, 'n wouldn't answer me... then this woman come on his phone 'n toldt me he was all rolled up in a ball in the park..."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): Once started he continues, fumbling over his words hastily, nervously. "I... I didn't know what to do... Mercury wasn't there (in the bathroom, since Raven had to go about then) 'n so I called Damien. I knew he didn't live that far away, 'n the.... the woman... her name was Surly... I asked her to stay with 'im, to get him to a gate where we could come get 'im. She wasn't right pleased, but she said she would do it..."

Aerin Thomas: "Alexander did this to you?" His jaw sets, and he shakes his head. This isn't something he can deal with through Tony. He'll deal with that later. "Okay. So something happened to Dante in the park, then. And he's messed up over it. You said he's not hurt, just...messed up. Do you know if it's anything more then purely emotional?" He says it not in a way that indicates the emotional could be trivial, just trying to make determination.

Aerin Thomas: "Surly." he nods a little bit. "Yeah, she wouldn't be pleased about dealing with a mess. Especially if that mess was a male Garou."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He seems scared then, and grabs Aerin's arm. "It was my fault, Sir, not Alex! He... he almost lost it when he heard I called Damien... he didn't hurt me bad, I've had a lot worse, he just slapped me a little, I'm okay... I didn't know, didn't realize they might hurt Damien..."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel) -> Aerin Thomas: Alex almost lost it in a Rage roll. I don't want to put him in a bad light, but outside of the ways he would normally punish Tony for things - rather play or for real - the only things he did was slap him silly a couple of times, the rest are fairly normal stuff. They get rough.

Aerin Thomas: "Exactly. You didn't know." He shrugs a little, a hand smoothing over Tony's hair. "It's okay, Tony. Don't worry, okay? I'm fine."

Aerin Thomas -> Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): ((I figured as much...but there's no way this ISN'T going to look bad to Aerin. He's almost pathological about this kind of thing. *S*))

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He blinks up at Aerin, biting his lower lip enough to almost draw blood. He nods then, calming abit - as long as Aerin understood that it was his fault in angering Alex. "Dante... Dante was cryin' she said, I ain't sure what happened to him, but Damien 'n me got him to a taxi and he just blacked out. He was so upset... has been since he showed up at our cabin... he was sayin' in the park he wanted to talk to Jim..."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel) -> Aerin Thomas: (Okay then, just wanted you to realize that they do play rough, and Tony DID do something that almost made Alex flip out. He's more upset about angering Alex than the actual pain he suffered. He is into pain somewhat, but not to the extreme and Alex doesn't take it that far.)

Aerin Thomas: "Shit." He sighs, shaking his head. "Which, of course, he can't do. That's the LAST thing he should do right now. If he goes back, he'll never leave." He puts a hand on Antonio's shoulder, leading him to take a seat on the bed, gesturing for him to do so. He drops to a crouch, brushing Antonio's hair back from his face and looking the wounds over. "And Dante's asleep right now? Does he have his knife still on him?" Keep the kin talking about the situation...that seems to be the plan, while Aerin examines the damage.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He sits down gingerly on the bed, resting more on his hip. The marks on his face are obvious open-handed slap marks, as probably the side of his mouth. Nothing else is visible at the moment. The ice helped the swelling, and the brusining is just begining to show. "Yes, Sir... he's been asleep since we got him in the taxi... sorta... weird... I tried to wake him, but I couldn't. He's real tore up about Jim, Sir, and... and that little mouse... he seemed real upset... Alex had him stay with us then, to rest some, but we woke up 'n he was gone. Didn't talk to him again until... until he was in the park."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): (oops, forgot this part) "He's still dressed, Sir... I don't know what he's got on him, 'cept his cell phone that Surly give back to 'im. She sure didn't like Damien." At that he drops his head and murmurs. "I'm sorry, I... I didn't know he shouldn't be in the park. He come to help though, 'n didn't actually go in, just helped me."

Aerin Thomas: "He is upset. And I understand that. We'll do what we can to help him." He nods a little bit, his hand coming up to rest on the kin's forehead for just a moment. He focuses on the touch.

Aerin Thomas: d10: Mothers Touch: 8,9,10,3,6,9,

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He remains still as he can get, obviously a little uncomfortable at the moment sitting, waiting for Aerin's next question.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): (Whoa... you probably couldn't get that high if that had been in combat! lol)

Aerin Thomas: "It's okay." He sighs a little bit, not withdrawing his hand as the beating heals up. He strokes his hand along Antonio's face, smiling a bit. "You didn't know. Someone should have told you. I probably should have."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He blinks in astonishment as the pain eases from him. He realizes in the next moment what Aerin had done and he murmurs, "Ya... didn't hafta do that..." He sits back easier on the bed then, the marks seeming to fade from his face even as Aerin looks at him. "I... I didn't know, 'n Alex... he was upset then after... 'cause he got upset, but it weren't his fault... he gets upset he... starts swingin' sometimes... he didn't mean to really hurt me or he couldna. I was stupid, 'n he toldt me to contact you..." He tenses then as the phone in his pants starts to vibrate. He frowns, looking up at Aerin before he gets his phone out and answers it hesitantly. "Hello?"

Aerin Thomas: He sits back on his haunches, quiet as Antonio answers the phone. He gives the kin a moment, rising from his spot to slip into the other room and take Dante's knife from him, if he has it. No suicides on his watch.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He watches Aerin leave, then touches his face where minutes before he had been hurting. He closes his eyes, knowing that cost Aerin something, and feeling guilty because he had been so stupid to not realize something so obvious.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He blinks then, amazement going over his face. "Yes, Sir... I remember ya. I... I sorta ain't goin' many places... I... I can't unless... unless I got somebody to go with me." He looks toward the other door. "Mr. Kristja... right?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): (Kristjan)

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel) -> Aerin Thomas: (your choice rather he hears Tony, since the door to the room is open)

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): "I can go... places, just not... on my own. Alex wants me with somebody he knows... 'n... well, he knows you..." He speaks softly into the phone. "He wanted to talk more with ya too, just didn't have... time that day."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He stretches out, realizing that he isn't even sore anymore and blinks again.

Aerin Thomas: The knife removed ((if it's there)), he slips back out of the room, slipping the blade into the closet. Looking to Tony, mouthing 'It'll be in here.' He takes a lean against the wall, pulling a smoke and lighting up as Tony speaks.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He hesitates, looking again to see where Aerin is. "Not really.... bad, Sir... just... I need to find out what Mr Aerin's doin'... I'm... sorta... with a friend here what needs help."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He looks to Aerin, then to the cigarette he is holding and licks his lips - he wants one, but he doesn't ask.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He blinks. "You know Mr Aerin? Yes, Sir, I'm with him 'n a... friend." He looks to Aerin then.

Aerin Thomas: He raises an eyebrow, head tilting. Only now does the name actually seem to be heard...a sort of delayed reaction. "Kristjan, did you say?" He smiles a little, warmly, as he pulls out a smoke, moving to Antonio and offering it to him.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He nods to Aerin, taking the offered cigarette gratefully. Speaking outside of the phone, but no doubt easily heard. "Yes, Sir... we met him at a bookstore... when... when Alex was gettin' me some stuff to learn with."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He then simply hands the phone to Aerin, no other words.

Aerin Thomas: He nods a little bit and takes the phone, holding it up to his ear. "Kristjan? It's Aerin."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He digs in his pocket to find his lighter, and lights up the cigarette, taking a deep drag from it and although he coughs he seems to enjoy it. Odd perhaps.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel) -> Aerin Thomas: (too bad Mother's Touch can't heal Asthma! lol)

tony's cell -> Aerin Thomas: "I know. I told Tony to give you the phone. I think he'd still tell me not to bother myself if he were dying. Are you guys okay? Do you need anything?" Calm. He's perfectly calm. It's just spooky.

Aerin Thomas: "We're..." He sighs a little bit, moving to take a seat. "We've got a Cliath here. Dante Lacastos. One of your Tribe, for the time being. He's on his way toward becoming one of mine. Something happened, and he's fairly messed up. Tony called me and now I'm here. If you'd like to come over, that would be nice...we could use the company, and I'm not leaving until Dante wakes up or Alex is here."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He rises off the bed, taking another drag on the cigarette and this time not coughing as he moves to the bathroom, in case Aerin wants some privacy on the phone. He is nothing if not considerate of privacy.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He hears Aerin, and almost says something, but holds his tongue. He has gotten into enough trouble for one day.

tony's cell -> Aerin Thomas: "Okay. Where are you? Should I bring anything? Are you hurt?"

Aerin Thomas: "We're at the Insert Name Here Hotel, near Central Park. Room Five...some scotch would be good. No one's hurt, no...not physically, anyway."

tony's cell -> Aerin Thomas: There is a soft laugh, caught somewhere between wistful and bitter. "Just like old times. I'll be there soon."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He washes off his face, looking into the dull mirror over he sink, wishing that he had not shown any weakness to Aerin.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): (he-the)

Aerin Thomas: "Awesome. See you then." He hangs up the phone, moving to the bathroom door and knocking on it. "Tony? You okay?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He turns his head, then opens the door. "Yes, Sir, I'm fine... you made sure of that. I... I just don't want to... make ya think less of Alex... it really wasn't his fault... he was thinkin' bout how stupid I was... 'n how I might have gotten Damien in really bad shit... he couldna torn my throat out iffen he wanted, but he didn't... I... I just don't wanna make ya think less of him, 'cause of me." Nakedly sincere.

Aerin Thomas: "I don't think less of him because of you, Tony." Careful choice of words there. He smiles a little and runs a hand along Tony's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, okay? Everything's going to be fine."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He smiles softly then. "Good, 'cause Alex has been better to me than anyone else, 'n I afraid of him... just afraid of me bein' stupid 'n upsettin' him without good reason. I wouldna never done anythin' against Damien iffen I thought the others mighta seen him as bad. He ain't bad, or Alex woudln't be with him. I... I don't understand the Garou sometimes... 'n Alex don't neither... maybe iffen we did, things wouldn't be so weird. I... I can't see how some that aint normal folks are so bad, iffen they got the same aims as us..."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): (AH! Make that... "I ain't afraid of him")

Aerin Thomas: "It's about trust." He sighs. "We're...not a trusting people. And Damien's people have done too much damage to ours in the past. They're called caern raiders for a reason...they would attack the caerns and drain them dry of Gnosis. Or they do things like Ness, and play with people's minds. There's a lot of bad among willworkers, and our people don't know which we can trust and which can't...but either way, we're not letting them near our caerns any more. Does that make sense?"

Kristjan Ivanov: There is a soft knock at the door.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He nods slowly to Aerin. "Damien only come because I called for help, 'n Alex... he toldt me that I put Damien in a bad spot... that he come but he couldna been really hurt if things didn't go like they did... he was really upset with me... at first... then upset he had got upset with me... he ain't wrong, I was... I... I didn't think. Damien ain't been nuthin' but good to us, a friend, 'n he only come because I askted him to. He seemed real careful not to come inta the park itself, 'n I didn't understand then why... but he come, 'n he helped with Dante, 'n he didn't ask no questions, he just helped me."

Aerin Thomas: He nods a little as he moves toward the door. "You didn't know...and that's not your fault. You know now...and that's what's important. Don't be too angry at yourself, okay?" He smiles at Antonio before turning to look through the peephole...once he knows it's Kristjan, he opens the door with a smile.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel) -> Aerin Thomas: (Alex also explained, after nearly raging and slapping Tony without meaning to, that the Treaty in effect wouldn't let Damien protect Tony if a shifter, in his own territory would be able to. He got upset at him, but didn't mean to, which is why Tony doesn't want Aerin thinking bad of him - so many things could have gone wrong with him calling him for help with Dante that the boy didn't understand at the time)

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He stands back, letting Aerin take complete control of the situation.

Kristjan Ivanov: Kris nods to Aerin, offering him a bottle of scotch. It spares him trying to figure out if he's supposed to shake hands, or hug, or just step in. Neutral. Neutral is good. "Hey."

Aerin Thomas: "Hey, Kristjan. It's good to see you." He takes the bottle from him and smiles. Once Kristjan's in, he shuts the door behind the man and moves to the table. "How are you?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He leans against the wall, not far from the unmade bed - it is after all, a cheap-ass hotel room. He nods in respect to Kristjan as he enters though.

Kristjan Ivanov: "I'm fine. Moved out of the K-R. Figured it was about time. I'm the only one that still comes home." He walks to the bathroom and knocks the two plastic cups over with a faint scoffing sound. "You need a better class of motel. Those're no good for scotch. How're you two?"

Aerin Thomas: "Alive and kicking...or rather, alive and getting kicked." He smirks a little bit. "Sometimes, it's hard to tell which is which, after so long, you know?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He gives Kristjan a weak smile, his hair showing a little tangle here 'n there for not being actually combed. "Evenin', Sir."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Mmmmm...I found that years of experience led me to appreciate the difference. You okay?" He walks over to sit on the bed near Tony. "Come sit down," he says to Tony. One shouldn't manage to absently command someone, but Kris just seems to do it reflexively.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He moves then immediately to Kristjan's side, not questioning the order.

Aerin Thomas: "We'll see," he says with a faint chuckle. "For now, I'm here."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Good enough." He sounds maybe a little concerned by the answer. But not anxious at all. He reaches out to pet Tony's hair, still reflexive more than anything. "What's going on?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He nuzzles his head against Kristjan's shoulder, perhaps a greeting or merely a submissive gesture, hard to tell unless he knows the boy more. Tony seems to quiet while he sits by Kristjan, obviously more comfortable doing what he understands.

Aerin Thomas: He sighs, opening up the bottle and taking a drink straight from it. "Dante Lacastos, in the other room. Shadow Lord Theurge...he's making the transition from Lord to Child of Gaia. Not by choice," he adds, pointedly. "Something happened in the park...something that fucked him up emotionally. He's...a mess."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Fucked up how?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He stays quiet by Kristjan's side, letting Aerin take the lead now.

Aerin Thomas: "I...don't know. Despair, from the sounds of it." He looks to the bedroom, frowning. "I don't know if it's a Harano concern...he's still asleep right now."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He drops his head, having seen Dante in his last conscious moments and couldn't deny that he wasn't in Harano.

Kristjan Ivanov: "Okay. Does he have a pack? Family? A place to stay where we might not have add invansion by an army of angry hyper-intellegent creepy-crawlies to our list of potential issues?"

Aerin Thomas: "I'm working on getting him into my pack. His family's his old pack...Craven's group. He's been told not to have any contact with them."

Kristjan Ivanov: He sighs. "Shhhhhh...." He starts to comb through Tony's hair with his fingers gently.

Kristjan Ivanov: "Well, that'll fuck someone up. Okay. So you're here. Should anyone else be with him?"

Aerin Thomas: "Yeah. It gets better, Kristjan. He was, after getting kicked out of the Dark Elements packhouse, living with a willworker. Imagine how well THAT would go over with the Lords..."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He relaxes more at the touching of his hair, and he remains still and seemingly calm as the two men speak togehter.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): *And his eyes drop to the floor, tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as he stays silent.*

Aerin Thomas: He looks to Tony, sighing. "It's...I don't condemn him for it, Tony. Far from it." There's a sudden flash of honest, naked pain in his face, and he takes another drink from the bottle. "But the man could become Ronin for reasons exactly like this, if Angie, the Gaian Elder, doesn't accept him. And those relationships..." He shakes his head, jaw setting as he moves to the window, staring out of it. "They don't work out. And spectacularly so."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Mmmmmmm...I know exactly how unforgiving they can be. And I'm not feeling suicidal enough to get involved there. I keep my distance for a reason. I do have a safe place he can go, and enough experience in disassembling people's minds to have a decent idea how to put them back together, at least in theory. I can also buy about twelve more bottes of scotch and let you guys have at it. I'm flexible. Ideal scenario - what do you need?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He murmurs, in a helpless tone. "Sir...what is wrong if the one he cares for only wants the same things?" He really, doesn't understand the problem in the whole of things, even Alex had gotten so upset with hin.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): (even 'though' Alex)

Kristjan Ivanov: He catches that look and sighs, watching Aerin move. "Would you like to join us?"

Kristjan Ivanov: "Shhhhhh...Tony...Garou...well...they're better than the alternative. When they get it right."

Aerin Thomas: "It just doesn't work, Tony." Said with a slight edge to it. "And it never will." He doesn't look away from the window.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He nods then to Kristjan, going into the quiet, submissive mode. He doesn't understand, but moves into it almost unconcsciously.

Kristjan Ivanov: "Later I'll try to explain without doing any irreparable damage to your worldview. It's more complicated than right. We have a different problem that's a touch more pressing. And unanswered questions. Aerin...?"

Aerin Thomas: He looks over his shoulder finally, his eyes falling on Kristjan. Regarding him intently, jaw pulsing once. "Yeah?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He throws a quick, daring glance to Aerin, wanting to understand so badly - what is it that Aerin and Alex could understand they he coudln't? He swallows the sigh, keeping his head down, hiding his thoughts as the two men speak.

Kristjan Ivanov: "Did you register anything I've said for the last couple minutes before you're name?" It's a gentle question, not at all angry.

Kristjan Ivanov: (your - gah!)

Aerin Thomas: "Yeah." He nods shortly, turning to face the duo. "What I need is to keep Dante together enough for him to make it through his meeting with Angie. We can't fix him that quickly...but if we can get him of a state of mind where he can avoid being rejected, that'll give us time to bring him back. We can't afford losing him."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Okay. What do you need to do that?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He listens intently to the two men, seeming happy that they seem concerned with Dante. He remains quiet though, merely a shadow there at the moment.

Aerin Thomas: He looks at the bedroom and frowns. "Well, that depends. I need to talk with him before I can figure out how bad he is."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Okay. So we need to wait until then. Is there a reason you haven't spoken yet?"

Aerin Thomas: "To him? Because I just got here not long ago, and he was asleep. And I'd only had opportunity to guess that it was even remotely bad a few nights ago, when Bliss and I talked to him about packing up. I had him come back to my apartment for a place to stay...and hadn't had a chance to check in with him and talk more since then."

Kristjan Ivanov: He still works his fingers through Tony's hair. He's not forgotten him at all. He's just not questioning him.

Kristjan Ivanov: "Okay. Fair enough. We're waiting for him to wake?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He leans into the touch. He is there, even if he is nervous about answering quesions, he will do it, as Kristjan seems to know he will.

Aerin Thomas: "Basically, yeah." He takes another shot off the bottle before offering it in Antonio and Kristjan's direction. "Not much we can do about it until then."

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He watches Kristjan for obvious directions.

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): He has done what was ordered of him - contacting Aerin to help with the situation - at this point he is merely going on instinct, and hoping himself not wrong again.

Kristjan Ivanov: He does take a drink. "Okay. Tony? Do you drink?"

Antonio Pavlatos (Cheap Hotel): Very soft tone. "At times, Sir."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Would you like a drink now?"

Aerin Thomas: The bottle out of his hands, he goes for his other vice...cigarette time. He lights one up, moving to set another one next to Antonio and offering one to Kristjan.

Kristjan Ivanov: "Mmmmmm...I'm good. Thanks." He hands the bottle either to back to Aerin or to Tony and lays back.

Aerin Thomas: He shrugs a little bit, taking the bottle back only if Tony doesn't, and takes a drag off the smoke. "So, where are you living now, Kristjan?"

Kristjan Ivanov: "Sometimes the house. Sometimes hotels. I...really should just find an apartment. But I'm not sure I'm staying in New York."

Aerin Thomas: "Oh?" He tilts his head, lips pursing momentarily. "Going somewhere specific, or just getting out of here?"

Kristjan Ivanov: "That depends. Why do you miss them?"

Aerin Thomas: "I don't know. They were...simpler, maybe?" He shrugs. "Maybe I'm just getting old and bitter."

Kristjan Ivanov: "It's alright. The past, even if some of it was frightening, is more certain than the future. It's less threatening."

Aerin Thomas: "The future isn't threatening. I can handle it. I think. I just don't want to get there sometimes."

Kristjan Ivanov: "It'll be okay. No worries."

Aerin Thomas: He snorts a little bit and tosses the bottle back. "There's always worries, Kristjan."

Kristjan Ivanov: He takes a drink. "Mmmmmmmm...I think you need to go through a little more hell. At some point something just breaks. And once you have all the shards of it surgicaly removed from your soul, you find everything's just...not so bad anymore. I think they call it a psychotic break or something kinda scary sounding, but I'm sure that sanity thing is perfectly overrated anyway."

Aerin Thomas: "Yeah, 'cause I haven't gone through enough already." He shakes his head, chain-lighting a new cigarette off the old one. "But yeah, sanity is entirely over-rated. Hasn't done me any favors."

Kristjan Ivanov: "You wanna talk about it?"

Aerin Thomas: "Talk about what? The fact that I left my mate because vampires were after her and the Nation wouldn't protect her? How she wants the daughter that isn't even hers back, and has threatened the life of someone close to me to get it? Or how everyone I run into these days, Garou or not, seems to have decided to take license to despise me because I did what the Sept I don't trust has been leaning on me to do for a year now?" Bitterness, table for one.

Kristjan Ivanov: He sighs deeply and rises. Having decided on a course of action, there's no real hesitation as he walks over to Aerin. There is a slight pause, and a very attentive wariness as he reaches out to touch Aerin, less because he thinks Aerin will hit him really, and more because he doesn't want to touch someone who doesn't want to be touched.

Aerin Thomas: He keeps his eyes on Kristjan...eyes narrowing a touch. His jaw sets, but he doesn't jerk away, doesn't tell Kristjan not to.

Kristjan Ivanov: "I'm not going to hurt you. And while I do judge damn near everyone, you'll note I still speak to you more than about anyone else from the sept." Very gently he eases into hugging Aerin, no sudden moves. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to leave her. I'm sorry people thought they had the rigt to decide for you. I'm sorry what they said they wanted isn't good enough. It is right and it isn't fair. Not at all. I know."

Aerin Thomas: He just kind of...stands there when Kristjan hugs him. Slowly, he moves his arms up to return the hug loosely, without any major conviction to it. "Thank you for your...condolences."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Well, I'm sort of tired of being angry. Apologetic and empathetic I can do. Righteous indignation...not so often these days." He shudders, just a little when Aerin returns the embrace, even loosely.

Aerin Thomas: "Yeah...anger is pretty damn tiring, isn't it?" He chuckles a little bit, eyebrow raising at the shudder. He says nothing about it, though.

Kristjan Ivanov: "It's okay. I'm not used to being touched. Especially not now. I'm not upset." He smiles. "Granted, you seem remmarkably indifferent, so I'm getting out of your space." And he does step back, still no sudden movement.

Aerin Thomas: "I'm just...tired, Kristjan." He shrugs a little bit, a hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck as he takes a drag of the smoke. "Starting to wonder if maybe some people were right. Maybe they are just all laughing at us."

Kristjan Ivanov: "Get some rest. I've got things here. I'll wake you if your friend wakes."

Aerin Thomas: He nods. "All right. I should call and leave a message at home, so Bliss or Ethan don't freak out again. My phone about had a heart attack with all the messages I got when I didn't get home the other night."