Delaney O'Neill: So, here we are, a new vessel, new digs...a new life. It's weird, having curves and a closet full of jeans. It's also weird dealing with a whole new set of issues. She's learned more now, she's learned better. Now that she's got her head together, she looks up to the sky and prays for an answer to her soft call of, "Melioth? Are you still out there?"

Laurel Hensley: The girl is in Sanctuary, sitting in the tub. Baths. It's her third one in two days. God, she needed a bath. Makes everything...calmer. She looks up when she hears her name, smiling a little bit. The girl is best described as "cute"...the all-American girl next door sort. Tall and thin, with shoulder-length, dark chestnut hair and cool blue eyes, one would imagine that if she gave a big, bright smile, she'd light up the room, and then some. However, she doesn't much seem to be the type to give those wide smiles...her expressions are a bit more muted, softer. A pair of simple, unadorned glasses rest on her nose. The rest of her is fit, and well-proportioned enough...certainly not so much to be voluptuous. More athletic, though she seems to have a more scholarly look to her then a sporty look. She gives off a general feeling of being quite approachable, even if there is a keener, more discerning look in her eyes. "Emariel? You found a new host?"

Delaney O'Neill: She grins. "Yeah, I'm still here. You've got one too, I see. And you have boobs." A soft laugh. Death can't bring her down..too much. Not right now. She’s a rare breed of beautiful person. Whereas the socially acceptable style of beauty calls for stick thin models wearing sour expressions, she’s all curves, smiles, and softness. Her hair is curly and bright red, bouncing around her face with each step. Green, intelligent eyes shine out from a pretty, round face and she has a button nose with a smattering of freckles over it. As far as attire, though, she’s more of a t-shirt and jeans sort of girl, casual and comfortable. Everything she wears flatters her figure, showing off her curves. She often wears long sleeves and if she’s wearing short-sleeves, there are a lot of bangles and things hanging around her wrists.

Laurel Hensley: She laughs a bit, a hand rising to pull hair back from her face. "Yeah...yeah, I do. It was either this or a middle-aged libidinous music teacher. You look...good. Very good. You okay?"

Delaney O'Neill: "Yeah, just a little bummed..and I feel terrible about what happened. But, it can't be helped now." She tucks a curl behind her ear. "You look good too, love. You always have." A thoughtful pause. "It was either this or a director going on getting past his prime. I don't think I could deal with a penis of my own."

Laurel Hensley: She nods sligthly, sighing as her head lays back against the porcelin. "I'm going to miss Jarod, I think. I really rather liked him. But this'll do, too."

Delaney O'Neill: "I'm going to miss Jarod too, but as long as you're still around, I'm happy." She tugs at the hem of her t-shirt. "Want to go meet for coffee or something? I could use a hug."

Laurel Hensley: She takes a deep breath and looks to the door, then back up. "Yeah...yeah, I think that might be nice. Where do you want to meet?"

Delaney O'Neill: "Lessee..um..how about this little cafe I know about on the Staten Islandish side of the city? I don't want you to have to go too far out of your way." She gives the name of the place and some basic directions. "Does that work for you?"

Laurel Hensley: She smiles and gives a little nod. "That'll work. I'll meet you there?"

Delaney O'Neill: "Sounds like a plan." She grins. "I've missed you and I've been so worried about you. I'm glad you're still around. I..I don't know what I'd do without you."

Laurel Hensley: "Well, it's not a concern." She smiles and rises from the tub, reaching for a towel. "I'll see you there soon, Emariel."

Delaney O'Neill: "I'll see you." She nods and runs a hand through her curly hair before closing the connection and grabbing her purse to head on out. A short while later, she snags a corner table in the cafe and waits for Melioth in his new vessel.

Laurel Hensley: She shows up about twenty minutes later, walking down the street...dressed in a pair of jeans and a jacket of the same material. Pink T-Shirt underneath, hair almost totally dry and hanging free. She looks around for Emariel after slipping into the cafe, a hand coming up to curl hair behind an ear.

Delaney O'Neill: She stands when she sees her, waving her over. She seems so genuinely happy to see her at the moment. She's wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a bunch of bulky bracelets around her wrists. "Hey, darlin'.." She reaches out to pull her in for a tight hug.

Laurel Hensley: "Hi." She gives the woman a little smile and steps forward, into the hug. "I'm so glad you're okay..."

Delaney O'Neill: "I had a reason to stay." She hugs her tightly, swaying a little bit before pulling away. "How are you feeling? Are you adjusting okay?" She frames her face, thumbs caressing her cheekbones as she studies her features.

Laurel Hensley: She takes a deep breath and sighs, allowing the touch for a moment before pulling away to take a seat. "I'm...all right. It's...jarring. Confusing...I'd forgotten how confusing it was. You?"

Delaney O'Neill: "Yeah, it's...it takes an adjustment. I'm dealing with it. She's a little like Eugenia, though, which makes it a bit easier, but I'm acting this time." She lets her go and settles down on a nearby chair. "But..I'm adjusting okay. I'm going to do better this time around."

Laurel Hensley: A little nod. She takes her glasses off and sets then on the table, rubbing at her nose slightly. "Have you seen the papers?"

Delaney O'Neill: She nods. "Yeah, did you know we were lovers? I had no idea." That actually makes her laugh a little with a headshake. "I should have sculpted more.."

Laurel Hensley: "Yeah, well, you came out sounding okay. I came out as scum of the earth." She gives a pained smile.

Delaney O'Neill: She scoots closer to her, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers. "The important part is that we know what happened. We know the truth. They can never take that from us."

Laurel Hensley: She shrugs a ltitle bit. "No, I guess not. They just took everything else."

Delaney O'Neill: She lifts her hand and presses a kiss to its back. "No, we still have what matters."

Laurel Hensley: She furrows her brow...a gesture that's part the girl, perhaps, but there's still something faintly remniscent of Jarod in that reaction. "You're saying that Jarod didn't matter? Or what I had with Melody, which even if she came back is well and truly shot to hell now, didn't matter?"

Delaney O'Neill: "No, I'm not saying that. I'd never say that Jarod didn't matter..and what you had with Melody didn't matter. Jarod was amazing and you had something beautiful with Melody. I'm just saying that, at the core of us, they didn't take what we were away. They didn't fully destroy us."

Laurel Hensley: "Yeah." She shakes her head and leans back. "Anyway. So. What do I call you now?"

Delaney O'Neill: "I'm Delaney O'Neill this time around. You can call me Del or Laney. Or dead sexy.." She laughs, a littles more lively.

Laurel Hensley: She smiles a little bit. "Laurel Hensley. Laurel's best."

Delaney O'Neill: "I don't know how I'd shorten that..I mean, there's Rel..but..doesn't really have a ring to it ." She squeezes her hand again. "What would you like to drink? Or eat?"

Laurel Hensley: "Well, I doubt they have rum here...so a tea would be nice. Nothing to eat, though. Not very hungry."

Delaney O'Neill: "You feeling okay?" She runs a hand over her hair as she stands, stroking her hair gently. "I'll get the tea for you, honey."

Laurel Hensley: "Yeah, I'm okay." She smiles and looks up to Delany. "Having a knife punched through your stomach just kind of kills your appetite for a week or so."

Delaney O'Neill: She leans down to kiss the top of her head. "I'm so sorry you went through that, sweetheart." She strokes her hair and then heads on over to get some tea.

Laurel Hensley: She nods and picks her glasses up off the table, settling them back on her face. A deep breath is taken in, then let out slowly, as she watches Delany get the tea.

Delaney O'Neill: She grabs her tea and a cup of coffee for herself, and then she's back over at the table and handing her the tea before taking a seat. "You look good, hon. Really."

Laurel Hensley: "Thank you." She takes the tea with both hands, leaning over it to blow across the top to cool it. A little smile, almost shy. "Hate the glasses, though. And the fashion sense. Gonna try to fix both."

Delaney O'Neill: "Eugenia wore contacts." She confesses as she settles beside her. "I'm on Prilosec now." She wrinkles her nose and stretches slightly. "I've got jeans now, no skirts."

Laurel Hensley: She nods a bit. "Just don't like the look." She pauses, and looks at Delaney. "She wore contacts?"

Delaney O'Neill: She nods and smiles. "Yeah, contacts. Sometimes, she wore glasses, but that wasn't very often." She shrugs.

Laurel Hensley: "Huh. Didn't know that." She takes a sip of her tea. "Have you talked to anyone else yet?"

Delaney O'Neill: She shakes her head. "You were the first person I wanted to touch base with after I got all settled."

Laurel Hensley: A slight nod. "Brigette found me...brought me back to Sanctuary. I haven't seen anyone else yet."

Delaney O'Neill: Her smile fades at the mention of Brigitte, but she manages to smile again. "How is she handling everything?"

Laurel Hensley: "Before or after she found me?" A tight smile hits her face. Strained. "Before, she was...well, Staten's been very stormy last couple days. After?" A sigh. "Relieved. Very relieved."

Delaney O'Neill: She scoots closer to her, smoothing a hand over her hair. "Well, as long as she's fine now.."

Laurel Hensley: "We'll see. You know how she is."

Delaney O'Neill: She nods. "Well, I'll always be here for you. You know that, right?" She snags her hand for another squeeze before taking a sip of coffee.

Laurel Hensley: "I know." She smiles and nods. "So...it's acting now, you say?"

Delaney O'Neill: "Yeah, Del's not so good at it, but I'm going to try now. I'm going to want to be something.."

Laurel Hensley: "I can give you some names of directors to look for, and ones to avoid." She takes a sip, and then looks back up. "Best not use Jarod as a reference, though. Not after the news."

Delaney O'Neill: She leans to kiss her cheek and give her a nuzzle. "I'm sorry, hon." A whisper.

Laurel Hensley: She nods a little bit, and shrugs. "I was...sorry. Just saying it for your sake. I'm ...not trying to bring it up repeatedly on purpose. It's just...big event, you know?"

Delaney O'Neill: "I know. I know..trust me, I know.." She runs her thumb along her knuckles. "It's made me realize what's really important."

Laurel Hensley: "Oh?" She seems curious about that.

Delaney O'Neill: "Well, it's all well and good to want other people to happy, but you can't forget to think about yourself as well..you know?" She sighs. "And I can't let myself get dragged down in the dumps."

Laurel Hensley: She nods a little bit. "You got distracted by one aspect of yourself. I think it's high time we focused on the other one."

Delaney O'Neill: There's another nod and she laced their fingers and gave her hand a squeeze. "Yeah, being stabbed by someone I wanted to save sort of put things into perspective."

Laurel Hensley: She nods a little bit. "I can imagine. I'm...sorry it didn't work out. For what it's worth."
Delaney O'Neill: "It's my own fault, really." She shakes her head and picks up her coffee for a sip. It's bad for her now, she knows, but she can't resist the temptation. "I didn't fight for what I want...and I never fought back until the very end. You gave me something to fight for." She glances sideways at her with a tiny smile. "For that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you for coming for me."
Delaney O'Neill: She looks thoughtful for a moment, and then sad. "Well, you and..my baby gave me a reason to fight back." Her eyes fill with tears. That wound, even in a new body, is still too near.
Laurel Hensley: She gives Delaney a sympathetic look and leans forward, to put her hands over the other's. "I know. I'm so sorry about that, N...Delaney."
Delaney O'Neill: She turns her hand up to hold Ja...Laurel's, closing her eyes for a moment. "He never wanted it to begin with. I just thought he'd leave me with the baby and that would be it.." Her next breath is a bit shaky, but she pulls herself together after a moment. "When I'm better and settled, one day I'll have a baby of my own. Now is not the time."
Laurel Hensley: "Good." She nods a little bit, hands tightening around Delaney's. "I...it's really sort of odd for me. I...I don't know. Brigette, I mean...I wanted kids. Laurel...I don't really know if she's ready."
Delaney O'Neill: "Del's not ready yet. She's got hopes for a career and she's not in the financial place that Nia was in. I had a plan..I had a house, a nursery..oh goodness, what are they going to do about the furniture?" She takes a deep breath before leaning toward Laurel. "I was so steady before coffee...I hadn't..thought about things too much.

Laurel Hensley: "Yeah." She nods a little bit, sighing deeply. "I...I don't know. I don't want to think about it...I want to move on. But...it's kind of hard not to. I understand."

Delaney O'Neill: "He got mad when I told him that I'd gotten a picture of our baby..my baby..her baby.." She closes her eyes. "Some things are best kept in the back of the mind. I'm just wondering who's going to get Nia's estate..she had no family."

Laurel Hensley: "Probably the state," he says with a shrug. "Jarod's was all willed to Brigette...it was to Melody, but I didn't know if she'd be able to get it, so..." He shrugs.

Delaney O'Neill: "Is there any way I could get some stuff there..maybe? There're just a couple of things I want..but the police will be crawling all over it right? I mean, I'd buy the house, but I don't have the money..and I don't know if I could deal with the memories.." She's fidgeting a little, toying with Laurel's hands, a nervous habit she's picked up.

Laurel Hensley: "Possibly," she says with a nod. "They'll probably auction off the personal items...but use your charms. I'm sure you can get in and get what you'd like."

Delaney O'Neill: She nods. "I want my baby's picture.." Softly as she inhales deeply. "I need to think of something pleasant. I can't let this get me down."

Laurel Hensley: She nods, smiling sympathetically. "All right. Um...something else." She considers a bit. "So what does Delaney like?"

Delaney O'Neill: She ponders this for a moment. "She likes chocolate, something that's been the bane of her never-ending diet. She's been trying to shed a few pounds for as long as she can remember, but it hasn't worked yet." A little giggle. "She likes movies and hanging out with friends and trying to score discount tickets to shows because she can't afford anythiing fancy with her job."

Laurel Hensley: She chuckles a little bit. "You don't need to lose any weight. You look lovely...really."

Delaney O'Neill: A pretty blush colors her cheeks, staining them a pleasant rosy color. "Thanks..Del always had a hard time believing people's compliments. After all, showbiz is pretty cruel and people who aren't super-skinny don't get so many jobs, you know? It's daunting."

Laurel Hensley: She smiles a little bit at that, and nods. "Yeah...believe me, Delaney. I know. I saw a lot of very talented but not quite thin enough actresses fall to the wayside."

Delaney O'Neill: "It's going to take some time to get used to that name." She laughs, still holding Laurel's hand like a lifeline. "So, what's Laurel like?"

Laurel Hensley: "She's..." He shrugs a bit. "She loves music. It made her a perfect choice, really. She's having an affair with her instructor...or was, before he ran away screaming Friday night."

Delaney O'Neill: She almost starts laughing, holding back only for a few moments before the laughter bubbled forth, genuine and infectious. "Dare I ask?" She strokes the back of her hand with a thumb.

Laurel Hensley: She grins a bit. "Well, it was him or her...and I chose her. He didn't quite seem comfortable watching Laurel get taken over...or inclined to help her." Slight narrowing of the eyes at that.

Delaney O'Neill: She moves her hand to cup Laurel's cheek. "One thing at a time, love..he's not a big issue right now." Her voice is quiet, mirth fading just a little.

Laurel Hensley: She's quiet for a moment, eyes distant as she murmurs. "Yeah. I'll deal with him later." A sudden blink, and she's back to herself, picking up the tea imuplsively to sip at.

Delaney O'Neill: She strokes her cheek before letting her hand fall. "Love.." She begins before shrugging and picking up her coffee. "I shouldn't be drinking this, you know."

Laurel Hensley: "Then why are you?"

Delaney O'Neill: "Because it comforts me.." She seems surprised by this and chuckles. "Del does this all of the time. I need to work on this."
Laurel Hensley: She nods a little bit. "We all have things to work on." There's a little pause, a beat, before she looks to the other woman. "Are you going to be avoiding Sanctuary still?"
Delaney O'Neill: That causes her to pause for a second before letting out a breath. "Brigitte and I need to have a long, thorough heart to heart." There's something..probably not good in the too-smooth way she says that.
Laurel Hensley: She nods a little bit. "I imagine that you do. I'd like it if you did, though. We could use your help."
Delaney O'Neill: "She and I didn't part on good terms the last time we spoke." And then the request for help gets her to pause. "What's going on?"
Laurel Hensley: "Well, let's see. Things are divided still...Thomas and Keiko on one side, the rest of us on the other. We still have...you know who to deal with. And Urian."
Delaney O'Neill: "I haven't heard anything much about Urian. I'd been..trying to stay away for the sake of your relationship with Brigitte. I know it's silly, but it was an easy out that jived well with Eugenia's philosophy about not dealing with confrontations."
Laurel Hensley: She nods a little bit. "And what aboutu Delaney? What's her philosophy?"
Delaney O'Neill: "Del's...not like Nia in that respect. She wouldn't have put up with a lot of the stuff that..I put up with." She clears her throat a little, looking down toward her coffee. "Del had her problems, yeah, but..Nia just didn't want to deal with arguing with people and fighting. She would rather walk away from the best thing that could have happened to her just to avoid confrontation..and because it was what was best for everyone involved." She idly toys with the bangles on her wrist.

Laurel Hensley: "Obviously, not really the case." She gestures between their new bodies as evidence. She smiles a little. "But we live and learn."

Delaney O'Neill: "Well.." She laughs the tiniest bit. "I suppose I'm going to hear 'I told you so' from a lot of people." A faint frown. "He was sweet to me sometimes. I guess the sweet moments just sort of masked the truth of him. He wasn't really a good guy, he just..could have been." She tucks a stray curl behind her ear. For a brief moment, Laurel may see a long scar she works to hide beneath her bangles.

Laurel Hensley: She notes the scar, yes. "Another one?" She nods to Delaney's wrist.

Delaney O'Neill: "I know better this time around. I've learned from my mistakes. Well, at least I hope to have learned from my mistakes. I won't forget who I am, not again."

Laurel Hensley: She smiles. "Good. I'm glad you've learned that. I'm just sorry we had to go through so much for it to happen." She reaches over to put a hand on Delaney's arm.

Delaney O'Neill: She rests her hand over Laurel's fingers caressing its back. "I nearly lost everything because I didn't have a spine." An almost brittle laugh spills from her lips. "Did Brigitte tell you that she and I had dinner on Mother's Day?"

Laurel Hensley: A slight shake of the head. "No, she didn't."

Delaney O'Neill: "I sent her a card and then we had dinner." This doesn't sound like it's going anywhere good. "We talked about me, mostly, about stuff going on with me and my relationship with Gunther.." Her voice trails.

Laurel Hensley: She frowns a bit in concern. "Yeah?" Her hand lightly strokes over Delany's arm.

Delaney O'Neill: "She told me that she'd begun to feel bad about 'the whole Jarod situation,' but that, after talking to me, she didn't any more because I was right. I didn't deserve you." She draws in a deep breath. "She..said that I was pathetic and weak-willed..she made me feel so..awful, like I didn't even deserve to live. And then...she smiled." Her voice wavered just a little. "If it wasn't for Felisa calling me to wish me a happy Mother's Day, I would've taken a razor to my wrists."

Laurel Hensley: Her lips purse, and she sighs. "I'm...sorry, sweetie. I didn't know."

Delaney O'Neill: "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have taken her words to heart, but..it hurt. After what I'd done and been through.." She just shakes her head. "Well, it can't be helped now."

Laurel Hensley: "It's done with," she says with a faint smile. "Time to move on...get past it. Right?"
Delaney O'Neill: She strokes the back of Laurel's hand again, taking comfort in the physical contact. "Yeah. Can't mope about forever. Besides, the best way to prove her wrong is by being fabulous."

Laurel Hensley: She smiles warmly and nods. "That's the spirit."

Delaney O'Neill: Her own smile fades just the tiniest bit. "I wish I'd been this..strong before. I remember that Nia was fun once..before stuff happened. I plan on being fun now." She nods sagely, her smile growing again.

Laurel Hensley: "Fun is good. We could use a little more of that in our lives." She looks down with a weak smile. "I admit, I forgot what it felt like for a long time, myself."

Delaney O'Neill: "Oh?" She reaches her hand to cup her jaw, fingers lightly caressing as she tilts her head up to lift her gaze. "We're close, aren't we? Talk to me, love."

Laurel Hensley: She gives a slight shrug and curls a stray bit of hair behind her ear. A faint blush comes to her cheeks. "I just...after Melody, I hadn't...really been happy. Ever. It was more like moments of less sadness, at best."

Delaney O'Neill: She scoots closer to her and pulls her into a hug. "I was too blind to see that. I was such a fool. I thought that..Brigitte could make you happy. I thought if you weren't torn, you had a chance. I was..such a little idiot. You didn't need either of us. You needed your space."

Laurel Hensley: She smiles a bit and hugs Delaney back. "It's okay now, Del. Really, it is. One good thing about this all is...I think I'm free of that...hanging over me."

Delaney O'Neill: "It's good to see this cloud's silver lining." She strokes Laurel's back, just holding her for now. "I've always just wanted you to be happy."

Laurel Hensley: She nods a little bit and then pulls away, sighing a bit. Still blushing some. "Thanks." She clears her throat and sighs, looking around. "I...should probably go. I have some things to do. I'll see you later, though?"

Delaney O'Neill: "Yeah." She trails her fingers along Laurel's blushing cheek and gives her a soft smile. "I won't be a stranger this time. Don't be one either. Okay? Let me give you my number and stuff."

Laurel Hensley: "Okay." She nods. "I'm at Sanctuary...no cell phone yet. Laurel didn't have one. You know the number there, I assume?"

Delaney O'Neill: "Yeah, I do." She pulls out a pen from her purse and writes her number and address down on a napkin. "We'll talk more later."
Laurel Hensley: She nods a bit and reaches out to take the napkin, sliding it into her jacket. "Lovely." Delany gets a smile, and she rises. "I'll see you later."

Delaney O'Neill: She stands as well, tugging her in for another hug, a quick one this time. As she pulls back, she brushes her lips over her cheek. "I missed you."

Laurel Hensley: "I missed you too." She squeezes her arms around Delaney once, briefly, and then pulls away, giving the other woman a smile before heading off, out the door.

Delaney O'Neill: She watches her go before putting some money down on the table to pay for their stuff. Then, she's snagging her purse to go home now. She needs a roommate.