He watched her reaction for a moment and he thought about asking. But he decided against it, he had just accepted it for the moment as not seeing each other for quite some time. He had been secluded from most people for some time, and a lot has changed since he last spoke with her.
“So what brings you to this part of town by yourself?”
[Nessa] “Ahh. Some business, selling something I have too many of. Are you patrolling out this far then? Or just out walking for pleasure?”
And speaking of pleasure, she isnt’ having any at all. The stench of the alley near them is getting to her, makes her shift her weight a little away, which of course does nothing at all to help. Nessa takes several steps closer to the road instead, and swallows curses and more.
[Evan McCollach] He starts to lead her away from the alleyway, the smell was starting to affect him as well. Then again it wasn’t like he had smelt worse before. The wyrm had horrific creatures.
“Oh okay.”
He had shrugged about the pleasure walk, this was still no part of town that he could find any pleasure out of.
“Me? Well I am not on patrol right now, but just trying to clear my head.”
[Nessa] She falls into step beside the taller redhead, nodding slowly. “Is harder to clear head than it seems sometimes. Harder to see reason. And to follow it.”
For some– more hard. Muuuch more.
The night is cooler now and she is thankful. Chicago heat and Nessa do not mix well.
[Evan McCollach] “Yeah I know what you mean.”
He did not seem to be walking anywhere specific, just meandering at this time of night. It was not hard just walk without any aim. Just go.
“Well I am trying. How are Marissa and Thaney treating you? How are they doing?”
He watched her as they continued to move down the block, just in no particular direction.
[Nessa] “I have not seen them in some time. Marissa only a few times ever. Thaney– I rather need to see her soon, considering. No– I want to. Perhaps she will not wish to speak to me though. ”
Her face isn’t quite impassive, but the swirl of conflicting emotions, the pulsating need to DO something, to move, to do anything but wait passively, could be hard to read, particularly with her Shadowlord’s breeding to give enigma and hint at secrets.
Not that she neccesarily HAS any secrets left.
[Evan McCollach] “Why would Thaney not want to say anything? I mean sometimes she does hold her tongue, but I am sure she would be willing to talk elsewise.”
He was the complete opposite of her, he was not exactly in any need to do anything right now. For most of his life he had learned patience, he needed it to do his duty properly.
[Nessa] Nessa blinks, and peers at him with stormy eyes, in a strictly and annoyingly (for her) mundane way.
Shit. Disappointment sinks in her. So much for acceptance. This is going to.. suck. “Ah… Decker has not mentioned me since yesterday has he? Or what has happened in last weeks?”
[Evan McCollach] “No, I do not believe so. I have been a bit out of it of late, but Decker hasn’t said anything about you. Why?”
He was curious now, she was hidding something and he was not exactly sure if he wanted to know exactly what it is. But the cat was out of the bag now.
[Nessa] Of course her jaw clenches. Why wouldn’t it? No, she doesn’t look at him, stares out instead at the darkness and the slow, unsubtle decay around them, what can be seen at least. “Lucia is my guardian now, highest rank in my tribe here in city. For many months yet. Then things will change. I am staying with her. I am in some trouble. My fault. Is complicated.”
And.. this is where one wishes to change subjects. “You miss Thaney and Marissa, da? Always you ask of them and maybe.. wistful?”
[Evan McCollach] His eyes settle on Nessa for a few moments as she talks about her new guardian and why. She wasn’t really getting into it and he wondering if he should let it go.
“Yeah I miss Thaney and Marissa, I know Marissa isn’t herself. She is out of sorts and Thaney, well she…”
He shakes his head, she was changing the subject.
“What trouble are you in? What has happened?”
[Nessa] Her gaze skitters briefly over to Evan’s youthful face, kinda innocent face still. Time will change that, the war, Cabrini’s sucking darkness. Women maybe. Her gender seems to be quite excellent at aging people in rapid bursts.
“Ahh..” Nonchalance would be nice. “You will hear whole thing eventually. I do not care to list all my sins. Again. But in short ahh… am pregnant, have offended hmmm most of my tribe in city if not all, very very very badly, ahh… some more than others, ahh… baby is to be taken from me and given to it’s father when is born, and I am to be punished after if so decided. Have offended numerous Fenrir too. A lot. In several ways.
Oh, also lost nearly all friends, ahh.. my remaining living cousin. Home, dogs, still have job though, not permitted to do my intelligence work though. Essentially. Also told to get rid of all possessions I do not need. But my blood work is very well. That is good, da?”
”
[Evan McCollach] Evan was taken back by the fact of what she was saying, it was quite just shocking to hear her speak about being pregnant. This is… was Baaku’s mate, this young woman and now she is pregnant? It was quite remarkable to hear about it. But he was also stunned to hear that the Fernir tribe was involved in this in some manner. He was just stunned in general.
“Fernir? Whose child is it?”
He was definately out of the loop a long time. it seemed that every woman, kin and garou alike that could give birth, was. Maybe he should talk with Randi about this.
“When did this happen?”
[Nessa] “Kemp’s.”
Nessa clenches her jaw hard enough that the word only barely makes it out intact, and glowers at a crack in the sidewalk. “Was brought before Blood Debt few weeks ago. I think? Maybe bit less. Is running together in my mind. Did you know that kin has no rights to own children? Did you know that of my body, does not matter? Somehow, is all his child. I did not know this. I don’t know why they will bother with punishing me further after. Will not get worse. It can’t, more than losing baby.”
[Evan McCollach] He looked down a little bit, he knew that was the truth. Kin in their life were less than second class citizens. They had only as much rights as the garou gave them. They were barely able to even breath without the trueborns on their back. But that was the price of war, kin did not have the same skills or abilities that the garou had left them at a disadvantage in several arenas.
“You and Kemp? You have kemp’s child?”
That was even more shocking then that she was with child. And the fact that it was brought before Blood~Debt ryha, left him little in the way of saying anything otherwise. She had no voice and he had no right to question her decision.
“I am sorry that you will not be able to keep your child, but Kemp doesn’t seem the type to keep the child from you.”
He was not sure what else to say, but how would Kemp raise a child? Even as a ragabash, his rage was still too much for the young one.
[AnneMarie Hoch] Someone has to do patrols. Even though not technically omega – in fact, if it were on longevity alone, she would be considered beta now – she pulls more patrols then any, perhaps even Decker. She spends her days, and most of her nights here on the streets of Cabrini Green.
Thus, it cannot be much of a surprise when Evan gets that feeling between his shoulder blades. Danger. Packmate. Either or, she doesn’t care. It gives way soon to a worse feeling. A moody modi on a full moon. Worse then that – AnneMarie. There, walking around the corner, and striding toward the unlikely two-some.
[Nessa] (this is btw not supposed to be on Eagles territory. She wont’ enter again unless invited in.probably really close to the border of it though.)
to AnneMarie Hoch, Evan McCollach, salt, snail
[AnneMarie Hoch] (AM patrols the outer streets around the edges too to look for a good fight or two when she’s in a mood. Heh.)
[AnneMarie Hoch] (sweeps that under pm rug. whistles.)
[Nessa] People keep repeating that part. About her and Kemp. In shock. Funny, that.
“He does not wish for Shadowlord to raise his child. When I told him, is what he said. I thought after, as we talked, he was going to arrange it so that I could be with my baby too but.. is not what he meant, after all. So. ”
The punishment coming, probably death, she can deal with. She can talk about that well enough. This though, this is hard. This part is hell. Her pace quickens, the growing desire for speed and for freedom, the urge to protect her young and keep it, surging violently inside her.
[Evan McCollach] There was nothing he could do in this mess, his hands were tied. He had no bearing in this matter, and it was already decided upon by a ranked Philodox what would happen. He was at a loss and there was little he could do.
And then he could feel that sharp touch in the air, it came down on him like a ton of bricks. He knew that feeling and he was not sure if this was a good idea to deal with Nessa problem while AnnaMarie was around underneath the full moon. And as his eyes scanned the area, he took note of the approaching Ahroun, the way she carried herself it was obvious something was going to get hurt. Hopefully not him, but even worse not Nessa.
“What did Kemp say besides him not wanting it raised by Shadowlords?”
[Maya Nevskaja] Courts the Storms Eye carries a small hour glass in her hand, it’s a tiny thing, and impossibly simple to crush.
Carried on a sliver of chain, she rolls it between her fingers as she walks beside the moody AnneMarie. What wondrous partners in patrol, the Modi and the Godi, neither of which cared much for the fine art-form of conversation — and was that a prerequisite of the Eagle pack? Not that this raven haired foreign was considered such yet [or ever perhaps, perhaps]. Maya does not bring the tide of rage like AnneMarie, she brings the gaze of another realm in storm-flecked brown eyes, the seep of uneasy consideration.
I see you, her smile tells. Subtle, rising as she approaches steps behind the other woman.
The hourglass is tipped, it spills against its prison.
Maya liked time.
[AnneMarie Hoch] Tonight, in the still lingering heat from the day, she does not wear her typical long coat, not even her lighter summer fair. Instead, she wears only a light, airy buttondown blouse, unbuttoned, over a silk camisole. Slacks, perfectly pressed, boots shined. If one didn’t know better – they’d think she a simple business woman, well put together. She is no great beauty, but she does command attention with her bearing, her silence, her stance.
Something. Someone. Will be hurt tonight… or maybe already was.
Either way, she comes, and Maya with her.
Where she is still shy of trusting either of the new prospective Eagles, she does not seem bothered by Maya’s joining her patrols tonight. It certainly wouldn’t be the case if she insisted on conversation. That’s a plus both Maya and Jakob have with the Modi. They are nearly as silent as she.
[Nessa] “Nothing more than I expected, that I already knew, mostly. That… he wants my– his child, that he is not in love with me, did not want mate. He had not been trying to deceive me. Was one night, for… I wanted to feel alive again. Just once. I had not expected more from him but ahh.. I did not expect to lose my child. And from there, is only gets more complicated. Many times. Is long story, and is late.”
And she sees AnneMarie. And there is no way in HELL she is going to spend further time with her, not now.
” My bike is back other way. I should go. Thank you for letting me speak. Goodnight, Evan.”
[Nessa] (thanks you too when you get around to it!)
[Nessa] (hhe woops, sorry, bout to post goodnight to all!)
to AnneMarie Hoch, Evan McCollach, Maya Nevskaja, salt, snail
[Evan McCollach] He did not think of holding Nessa up when AnnaMarie came around. He still did not like the idea that she rode a motorcycle, hell he hated that Randi rode one too. But there was little he could say that would change her mind, especially now. She was down on hope, she would need some light in her life soon. He just didn’t know how to help at this moment.
And when AnneMarie approaches he starts to move towards her, just meandering still. Giving her a nod in greeting.
[AnneMarie Hoch] Nessa cuts and runs and there’s a flash of something that darkens her gaze, before pale eyes rest on Evan with his nod. A lift of her chin in return, then. The hell she want. Nessa, obviously.
Once close enough for casual conversation – well, that would include Maya, as Evan can translate, or she may be reduced to written word. Either way, once she deems it close enough, she simply stops. That folks may have to walk around her doesn’t bother her. It’s expected. It’s par for the course under Luna’s swell.
[Maya Nevskaja] Maya’s figure was visible beneath the jagged cut of her t-shirt, her belly exposed above the low-resting jeans, torn and faded to a white-blue mess, a gaping hole in one knee had been repaired at some point with a swath of patterned fabric — flowers and bees covered her knee — and a mane of glossy black hair was bound to the nape of her neck, curls of it clung to the curve of her neck with sweat, circled her collarbone to dip beneath the shoulder of a dirt-smeared white shirt.
Eyeliner-smudged eyes follow the path of the kinfolk, she sniffs, and again.
And her eyes make a lazy shift back to greet her potential packmate. “Who was that little squirrel, chittering away?” It’s always surprising to hear her speak; her voice that of another land, one of ice and snow, a throat-bred husk.
[Evan McCollach] He looked at both Ruhiger and Maya when they questioned him about Nessa. AnneMarie definately didn’t like Nessa and there were several reasons why. He didn’t question it each, she had her ways. And then there was Maya’s question.
“That was Agnessa, she is a lord kin and was the mate of my former Alpha. And to answer your question AnneMarie, she just wanted to talk, nothing else.”
It was kinda odd to try and translate for her so that Maya would be in the conversation.
[snail] (bedtime for me! see y’all tmrw.)
to AnneMarie Hoch, Evan McCollach, Maya Nevskaja
[AnneMarie Hoch] A brow shoots up, slightly, as she glances toward where the kin scurried off too. About?
Her pale gaze flicks back to rest heavily on Evan. Shadowlords cannot be trusted. Mates of those she has killed cannot be trusted. The rumors that slide around with AnneMarie’s name attached to them make all shadowlord’s suspect.
All of them.
[AnneMarie Hoch] (hello?)
[Evan McCollach] He just looked towards AnneMarie. There was a bit of a difference in stance between the two, Evan did not stand up as straight as she did. He did not exactly hold himself as high as her, it was a bit of a defence to her. She had proven that she was the better of the two, fighting wise, but she was an Ahroun. And Evan for the most part just repeated her question for Maya’s sake.
“About? Well about what happened between her and Kemp, about her child and what is going to happen to it and her.
[Evan McCollach] (I guess we lost Jacqui)
[AnneMarie Hoch] Ah. Nothing that has to do with us, then.
Simple, that. She holds herself as she has been taught. As she always has. AnneMarie, for any perceived faults, is constant. She simply starts walking then. If they choose to join her, she does not stop them. She simply chooses not to remain standing still.
[AnneMarie Hoch] (so it’d seem. heh.)
[Evan McCollach] “No it is not.”
He moves along with AnneMarie, she was not one to stand still and neither was he. He didn’t care where he went, but he wanted to actually find something that was not that horrific, something to re-invogorate him from the depressive state the city was in.
[AnneMarie Hoch] Bland. It is not anything that has to do with us, or it is not nothing.
The city is always in a depressive state. To find something otherwise would involve moving.
[Evan McCollach] “No it has nothing to do with us.”
He knew that AnneMarie didn’t want to get involved in anything that was shadowlord related. He would not bring it up again with her. But he would follow her tonight to make sure that she did not flip out on people that did not deserve it.
[AnneMarie Hoch] She glances his way, her lips twisted slightly into a smirk. Perhaps something of his thoughts show on his face, or perhaps she simply smirks for the sake of smirking. Either way, she turns down another street, and then a third before anything else is said.
Then. You are not on patrol tonight. Goodnight, Evan.
And she turns again, and stalks off. This time, it’s likely that following her would not be a good idea.
(I gotta jet for a while. might be back, might not till tomorrow – thanks for the scene, short though it was!)
[Evan McCollach] “Good night AnneMarie.”
He would not follow her if she didn’t want it. She was a big girl, she could definately take care of herself…. gaia help who gets in her way though.
(Yeah I need to get some sleep. Hopefully I will see you tomorrow/ later today)
[AnneMarie Hoch] (Night!)