Perhaps they already handled all the trouble. Perhaps she’s too late.
She doesn’t move, turning the tape dispenser over and over in her pale, manicured hands. Pink polish today.
Matches the white dress, a cottony summery sundress with a touch of lace on the camisole straps, at the bodice. Today is a sweet day, rainy and sweet and still she holds tension in her body.
[Lonna Larson] Lonna was coming up the stairs, and at that moment she and Nessa seemed to have changed attire.
because, at that moment, the Child of Gaia was making her way up the stairs. Dark jeans, black top, and high heeled boots. Now, there are only two kinds of high heeled boots that this particular Coggie owned: “fuck me” boots and “fuck you” boots.
These? Were the latter. Who knew what the reason for the attire change was.
She smelled faintly of baby spit-up and lilacs. And this, ladies and gentlemen, was the reason for the attire change: Matilda had been in town. They had lunch. She brought the kids.
It seemed to have gone well, because Lonna scaled the stairs beaming.
[Nessa] On the table is someone’s beer bottle, half finished; perhaps whoever it was is returning. Her own drink was by the note; she retrieves it now, sips the cup of Moroccan coffee and savors the sweetness. Extreme sweetness. And the strength of the brew? If she had any lingering sleepiness, it’s about to get its ass kicked.
When the steps reach the apex, and Lonna comes into view, Nessa blinks, then nods. “Privyet, Lonna. Nice timing. There is note, for you and others.” She moves to claim the Comfy seat, curls up in it barefooted, her skirts falling around her legs to partially cover her muscular calves.
[Lonna Larson] “Hmmn?” brows raised and posture straightened in much the way a meerkat would.
She started to head over to the table, to see the note. She slipped her thumbs through her belt loops and ambled on over that way. her boots clicked as she walked; for being a vision of lovely, dark-clad glory, she didn’t seem in her element.
Lonna peered at the note and then spoke to Nessa again.
“What’s this about?”
[Nessa] “You don’t remember other night?? With those cops? Jack was there? Many others of us, kin? two cops?” Gaia. Nessa seems… worried now.
Knowing her own strengths and weaknesses, it occurs to her that… maybe ther’s a certain problem here.
[Lonna Larson] “Oh, oh! Ohhhh,” she read over the note. The Child of Gaia waited patiently, leaning against the table and she started to take off her boots.
Oww, uncomfortable.
“That was… something wasn’t right about them. I don’t think Phoenix cops have jurisdiction in Illinois.”
[Nessa] “Many things. And no, they don’t. That man, Boyle, he was nto so big; grabbing by neck isn’t control hold. Victim in alley was.. ahh.. larger- like American football palyer , very large. He must have been hysterically strong.
And that man who fought him? Is boxer, that one? was talking to Jack after? He acted strange when he noticed them, looked utterly sick. Something is wrong there.
And ahh.. whole thing was just.. messed up. Even if they are real cops– they were not there for that purpose. Cop woudl have arrested man, served him with warrant. Etc. Called for backup.
And.. they LET us go. Do you see my concern? What did you notice, that night? Start to finish. ”
[Lonna Larson] “That guy ran into me… he ran into an alleyway… people started talking, what’s-his-name boxer guy was freaking out… Liadan grabbed that blonde chick and they went away. Aidan helped me up… then things started getting crazy and I just remember thinking that someone needed to help that guy. He looked like he’d been really scared, and the alley was quiet and I just remember thinking that I should help him, and I could and… he wasn’t dead or anything. He just… I should have called an ambulance.”
[Maija] Work sucks, and she’s tired, and she worked two hours of over overtime before the stupid bitch who does dishes at night showed up – late – allowing Maija to go finally, just before the dinner rush. Tired steps push an even more tired waif-ish form up the stairs, as she peels out of her uniform t-shirt en route. dishwater (oh punny, given her job) blond hair falls along her back, and she tugs the tank top back down into place.
She doesn’t look at the board.
She doesn’t look at the commons.
She just trudges past, intent only on getting to her room to peel out of her boots and jeans for a while.
[Nessa] “Da. You know what was utterly sad? Of all of us, only ONE person looked to see what or who was chasing bleeding, torn clothing running panicked man. ONE. THEN it ws all fucked up. Ridiculous! Is nothing else, you remember?”
Her tea is very good; the scents of oranges and lemons and sweet spices rise with the steam from her cup. Nessa sips and listens closely, till another woman from that night moves past them.
“Ahh Miss! You in boots and jeans! Is note on table with information from that night of fiasco and violence. Perhaps you would come sit and share your observances of that night with us? If you have time?”
Her hair was trapped into a knot on her head; the black curls are threatening to fall now, soon as they can escape the ornamented sticks. Nessa smiles a little in invitation, a cautious smile.
[Lonna Larson] Lonna shook her head no; her attention had been elsewhere, it seemed.
The blonde crossed her ankles and started to take off her own boots. Maija was making her way down the hall and the Child of Gaia offered a weak smile. It didn’t reach her eyes, but the guilt certainly did.
“No, I don’t remember seeing anything else.”
[Maija] Of the two women in the commons, only one of them has seen her without her sweatshirt and hoodie swallowing her features so as not to be noticed, not to be seen. Only one has seen her actual face – and it’s not the one that addresses her. She flinches, as if smacked, though it’s a minute itch that crawls along her spine, that jerks her shoulders straighter in some small almost indefinable way. She doesn’t know what the hell she’s been thinking, thinking she can actually stay here, live her, and not. be. found. Someday, something’s going to slip, going to break, going to cause what little life she has to shatter.
And it starts with something so simple as ‘You in boots and jeans!’
She turns her head to look at them, her dark eyes flicking to the table, to Lonna to the other woman, than to her room, where she can close and lock the door, and pretend that her life – what little she’s had since (no – don’t talk about it, don’t think about it) hasn’t fallen completely apart in the last month.
“Yeah, alright.”
It’s as much as anyone has ever heard her say – she certainly isn’t one for a volume of words. She doesn’t go there directly though, choosing instead to go change in her room first. She reappears in clean threadbare almost falling off of her skinny ass jeans, bare feet, and a fresh tank top, moments later.
[Nessa] “Surely someone else did see something. Many sets of eyes there that night. Gaia, last time I saw bloody sweaty desperate man running by, was Glasswalker, with ahh something like three lupus BSDs chasing him. I think we were lucky, wasnt’ worse. Chicago is ahh.. well. Interesting?
We need danger word too. Some veil-preserving warning word. So that if one of us notices serious threat, then we can alert each other safely. And Get Fuck Out. Da? What do you think of idea, Lonna?”
Nessa raises her cup in greeting when Maija returns, waits for her to have time to read the note (Forums!!) and join as she wishes.
[Lonna Larson] The blnde kinfolk found herself twirling the ned of her hair subconsciously. In small circles, wrapped around her fingers before she let it fall down and she picked up again. She looked at those gathered and had to think about it.
“Well, it has to be a word that doesn’t come up in conversation very often, or a phrase that doesn’t come up… but… it has to sound natural. Nothing like oranges or pumpernickle or double-blue…. we could.. umm.. talk about weddings?”
[Nessa] “Or Tapas. Hmm You know. If is weddings. I wonder who we will make paranoid talking about them?”
She can just picture a certain garou paling and running screaming off into the night. The kinswoman grins, widely.
[Nessa] (Shit. Lessa , i just realized what i fucked up on! if you want, can negate the whole bloody mention of Maija! Sorry! I don’t think Nessa saw her face tha tnight! Its up to you!)
to Lonna Larson, Maija, sunglasses
[Maija] She reads the note, and there’s a slight smirk that briefly crossed her lips. “This ain’t right. Ya say they was dressed like cops – they wasn’t. Just had a badge. Ya want folks’d seen th’same shit, gotta give ’em correct info.”
It’s easily the most either have heard her say. Ever. She grabs a pencil and crosses it out, and corrects it before tossing it back on the table, and wrapping her arms around her thin frame. Without the miles of fleece (protection) she’s impossibly tiny for a 5’6″ frame. Stands to reason she’ll never find a reason to say ‘tapas’ or even ‘weddings’ in any conversation. Fortunately, she doesn’t converse much, anyway.
[Maija] (nope, she didn’t. I can count the characters that have seen her face on one hand – though now that she’s got a job it’s increasing. But she didn’t see it that night, no. But I rolled with it already, so we’ll just let it stand. All the better for Jamie to build on to fuck her life in the next couple weeks. heh.)
to Lonna Larson, Nessa, sunglasses
[Lonna Larson] “Tapas might be good…”
There was a pause.
“What are tapas?”
[sunglasses] [DID SOMEBODY SAY LIFE FUCKING]
to Lonna Larson, Maija, Nessa
[Nessa] “Oh, da, they were dresses as detectives. My mistake. What is your name? Lonna, Tapas are ahh Spanish snacks usually served with sherry. Very tasty. Is many of them downstairs on menu.
So, what can you add, then, Miss? And you were very quick to act. ”
She approves, nods it, her eyes dark with it.
The cup is emptied in the next gulp and she sets the dishes on the table beside her, rather curls into herself, and listens to the woman talk.
[Nessa] (In a good way!!)
to Lonna Larson, Maija, sunglasses
[Lonna Larson] (*kicks chat* sorry! FRoze)
[Maija] She gives her name too easily for someone who hides everything she is. There is a reason for it, of course. It doesn’t exist anywhere but where she says it does. “Maija.” Mi-yah. Simple. No last name – and she doesn’t give the correct spelling either.
She shakes her head, slightly. “Ain’t seen nothin that wasn’t normal – cept Alex’s reaction. He ain’t never worried or scareda nuthin. Ain’t right way he reacted. So I swung. Ain’t nuthin brave bout it – was tryin to make a point to th’rest of ya that shit ain’t right an’ to get the fuck out.” Pointed look at Lonna – since she was one who was putting up the most fight about staying. “Alex ain’t never scared. Shoulda ran.”
[Maija] ((sorry so long. company.))
[Lonna Larson] “So, Alex was… you guys are friends?” she had to ask.
Stupid beautiful women. Stupid beautiful, bleeding hearts. Maija gave her a pointed took and she, for her part, just seemed concerned. The Child of Gaia just lookd at the Bone Gnawer.
“There could have been a better way to stall that guy instead of-” a pause, and then? “Are you alright? You didn’t get hurt, did you? What ever happened to the guy who was running?”
[Nessa] “Of course it is. You just indicted yourself wtih bravery– for you could have run too.” Nessa grins now at Maija.
“Da. I had seen this.. Alex? Here before. So no matter if suddenly he saw tentacles, or if he was jsut in trouble with police, was reason to help him. And go. We have to tr–“
The shadowlord nearly trips on the word..
“trust each other that much.”
Her hair escapes, falld over her shoulders and the sticks drop to the couch. Nessa retrieves them, then reaches a hand into the couch with the oddest expression on her face.
Pulls up men’s underwear. Used.
With a grimace, she pushes them riiight back down again.
“I will just go wash hands now.”
[Maija] “Ain’t bravery. Stupidity. Ain’t trustin noone.” She has no accent to speak of, nothing individual – but a conglomeration of everywhere and no where, and comprised mostly of bad grammar. She didn’t get many years of school, if at all.
Alex and her friends? That gets a brief, so brief flicker of amusement across her features, there and gone so fast it’s easily missed. “Ain’t fuckin’ him if that’s what ya askin. No. Jus’ seen ‘im around. Thinks to highly of hisself t’ever back down less somethin’ is way too wrong. Know th’type.”
She knows the type WAY too well.
“Insteada what, stabbin him? Yeah. Maybe. But talkin was jus’ givin ya time to fight everyone else cuz ya ain’t think. Ya see someone tryin’ to back away from a cop lookin like he’s gonna throw up – actually tryin’ to help someone else, which he ain’t never the type ta do, an’ ya wanna go divin into a dark alley with his partner. Ya wanna die? Cuz they’s more pleasant ways ta suicide.” She lifts a thin shoulder into a shrug. “Ain’t know. I bailed soon as th’ cops did.”
[Nessa] Nessa blinks. “I… don’t really care who you– Oh. You mean Lonna. And I am with Maija on this. If she hadn’t attacked, I would have, when it was obvious so many were bu– ahh not acting with wise, life-preserving judgement. And yet, man who was stabbed twice, by you and me, and beat by ahh Alex, got up and walked off–da?
I think we were lucky that night. They seemed in hindsight, very very tough.”
[Nessa] (gg bail or else post REALLLLYslowly, watching a movie with mom! Back for Jamie’s thing tongiht!)
to Evan McCollach, Lonna Larson, Maija, sunglasses
[Lonna Larson] “You see someone running away, saying stop, and it sounds like they’re getting the crap kicked out of him, you don’t sit there and pretend like nothing’s going on. That man didn’t seem like he did anything wrong, and I can’t just stand aroun d and walk the other wa. I’m sorry, but no. That’s cruel.“
Oh, bleeding hearts. They were the kind who ended up splattered on the pavement and forgotten by the rest of the world. Tragedies on the front of newspapers, to be forgotten when the superbowl rolled around.
She paused, and then? Well, she ran a hand through her hair.
Because, on some level, Maija was right. She just didn’t have to like it.
[Maija] “Ya could fuckin’ call 911 like normal folks. Or follow an’ die.”
Cruel. Something inside snaps – breaks, though her voice remains low and quiet. “Yeah, an I ain’t seem th’type t’stab a cop in th’leg so yer ass could NOTICE an GET AWAY neither. An fuckin’ Trueborn an’ Kin an Folks of the Almighty Fuckin’ Nation ain’t seen th’type t’ beat ya till ya almost dead, heal ya and do it again. This ain’t no fuckin OZ. It’s fuckin’ Chicago, and people fuckin suck.”
She shakes her head, and turns to go back to her room. “Make sure t’put how fuckin’ cruel I is on my grave stone. If ya live long ’nuff.”
[Evan McCollach] The actions of the other night seemed to have stirred him a little bit. There was a better understanding of why Nessa was not allowed to speak with certain people, or given to speak with only a list of certain people. After how Decker reacted at the graves, it was certain it may happen again.
And tonight he was just going to avoid that situation again, hoping that he doesn’t have to go and stop Decker from killing Nessa as she is standing on the pseudo-grave of their fallen packmate. He would find out new drama and come to the Brotherhood to deal with different ones. And as he ascended the steps he heard the last bit of the speech. Figuring to see a garou saying such things.
Only to find his kin woman and another woman discussing the suckiness of Chicago.
[Lonna Larson] She didn’t have a deer in the headlights look on her face. She didn’t even flinch or shy away, either. It was odd, really, because she seemed like the type who saw the world as sunshine and rainbows. For that? She was. She was the type who believed. Lonna looked at Maija for a moment, and as that she was an empathetic creature, it took a lot to just let the Gnawer walk out.
And instead of adding to the drama, adding to the issue, she stopped and she just let Maija go. And she didn’t dare try to get the last word.
She just shut her mouth and let her go.
[Maija] She doesn’t look back, though when Evan hits the top of the stairs, she does alter her path to go around him, keeping out of arms reach, even as her head ducks enough to let her hair cover her features. She is clearly uneasy with being noticed, in any way shape or form.
Moments later- unless stopped – the door to room one slams, and the lock clicks home.
[Evan McCollach] He steps to the side to give way for the woman who wanted to go passed and back to wherever she was looking to get to. Then he moved over to the young child of gaia as it seemed that he had come in just as their argument had come to its conclusion, or maybe the climax. Who knew?
“Well I guess it seems that your having a small problem”
[sunglasses] [Alright guys I’m gonna go lay down for a bit, it’s been a long day. If I’m not back in 15 minutes will someone call and wake my ass up? Scene starts in 40, keep an eye out for a chat invite.]
to Evan McCollach, Lonna Larson, Maija, Nessa
[Lonna Larson] “A little bit… We had an issue a few days ago-” she said as she pointed to the message board- “-and we had a few words. But- there was a guy, and he was running and then there was a fight in an alley and I stopped hearing sounds and-“
Exhale. Lonna talked quickly when she had something to say. Worked up was a nice word for it. She and Evan shared a tribe, and with that she continued on speaking.
“I don’t know. I was worried about him so I tried ot go check. And Maija was trying to help people run from whatever threat there might’ve been so she tried to stab a guy and I really, really do appreciate what she was trying to do but-“
there she was, talking fast again.
“I don’t know.”
[Nessa] Nessa comes back wiht muuuch cleaner hands; she’d left the door open, heard what was said.
Her expression is gentle, not judgemental. Lonna will one day know why; maybe Evan already does.
“Ahh Lonna. Your kindness is admirable. Your innocence might get you killed. Here is problem. Here is warning, which we must understand, because it WILL happen again. Similar, more fatal circumstances? Probably.
One of us– find such trouble that he must Drag two of us away– did you see that part? If you didn’t. At very least, when running panicked man comes up, bloody, always look to see WHY he is running. It might eat you too.”
She smiles– adn its not funny- its sort of sad.
“So.. Alex freaked out– and rest of us needed to trust him. Not second guess. He might have seen horrible danger. Kin have to stick together.
But maybe, you are great fighter or something. I don’ tknow? If you are, I am sorry for trying to drag yo uoff.”
[Nessa] Because Lonna could be a total bad ass. Appearances can be deceiving. IN fact, Nessa’s a professional deciever.
[Evan McCollach] Evan looked at Lonna as she spoke about the situation and he seemed to just nod. Lonna was of his tribe and he understood her desire to help people and be an all around bleeding heart. However Nessa had a point.
“Yes I believe you should listen to Nessa. I understand the need to be optimistic, but to run headlong into danger without any knowledge of what you may face or what could happen is foolish. Be optimistic, be happy, be productive, but don’t go chasing things that can get you killed.”
[Lonna Larson] She nodded, after awhile. The Child of Gaia played a little with the end of one of those blonde curls, and then? The young-ish woman gave in; Nessa had a point. As did Evan, and for now? All her needs and questions were satisfied.
[Nessa] DAMN and her without her recording device. If she coudl capture that sentence and replay it over and over again… Nessa sighs, utterly pleased about something.
Should Listen To Nessa…
Oh yes. She’s having a moment.
“I am glad you are sort of person who is outraged by necessity like that, Lonna. I don’t ever want to be so jaded and bitter that I do not care at all.”
[sunglasses] [Alright my scene people, ten minutes, be in CG or I will kill thee.]