[Joss Lehrer] 7 PM.
He owes her ice cream. Not just any ice cream either, but the KING of ice creams – Peanut Butter Brownie Blast from Cold Stone Creamery, and since he is clearly uneducated in the wonders of such deliciousness, she decided to make a night out of it.
It helps that she’s got something she wants to discuss with him, too.
And so it is – the call was made, and it leads to Althea purring in the parking lot of Cold Stone Creamery, with one Goofy Godi sitting in the passenger seat, waiting for him to arrive. Her van is impossible to miss, what with it being an older VW van, with the most garish hippy paint job ever done on the face of the planet. She’d promised the previous owner, after all, and she keeps her promises.
[Curata] He owed her ice cream.
This much was true. The ol’ beat up truck that the Fianna tends to drive around pulls into the parking lot. He had a rather attractive passenger with him in the cab. The heat cranked up, despite the driver’s window being rolled down somewhat. The truck had the bare bones minimum of heat and radio in the spacious cab.
It hums softly under the rusted hood, the engine recently replaced and built after a prank gone wrong. He slides the vehicle into a spot next to Joss’ Technicolor dream machine. A glance to the blond kin sitting next to him and he nods his head outside.
“We ‘ere.” It wasn’t exactly a date, just an outing. He promised to drag Lonna out, get her some food and asked for her company. She wouldn’t expect to be a part of the meeting he’d set up with Joss of the Eagles.
[Lonna Larson] He had promised food.
She was under the impression that there would be food involved, and given than no woman in her right mind could resist ice cream, she obliged.
Besides, he’d promised.
“Oh my god this place has the best ice cream,” she informs him. she had sat comfortably in the passenger seat. Legs crossed, jeans on, and generally comfortable. She hadn’t thrown any makeup on, but then again, she didn’t really need it. The blonde unbuckled herself and slipped out of the truck.
She had no clue she was meeting Joss. The last time they’d talked… well… Joss said she needed to talk to her sometime. The Child of Gaia hadn’t seen her since; maybe she’d forgotten abou the brawl in the street.
[Joss Lehrer] Curata pulls up – and a brow arches as she see’s who he’s with, but she just laughs and shakes her head. Boys will be boys, after all. She waves, then pulls the earbud from her ear, and wraps the cord around her ipod before dropping it into her pocket. She slides her Godi Bag strap into place over her shoulder, the bag hanging against opposite hip, and she hops out of the Van after giving the dash a fond pat.
She closes the door behind her, and moves around to meet the couple that are on a not.date. “Hiya.”
She smiles. She always does – though there’s been little reason for smiling for her this month. The sadness is still there, lingering in her eyes, aching in her heart, tugging at the place in her mind where he used to yell at her exasperatedly at least once a day.
But the smile has returned. Mostly.
[Curata] “There’s the lil’ brat.” Curata remarks to Lonna as he climbs out of the truck. It creaks and groans under his weight, the palm of his left hand flat against the window’s frame as he slams it shut behind him. His breath rolls out of his mouth and nose, heat gathering on the chillness in the air to form a faint mist.
He toys with the zipper on this jacket, pulling it up just a bit. Strands of short black hair sweep across his forehead to fall into his eyes, as he looks over at Lonna, nodding to her, “Ye met Joss, eh?”
Curata angles his head to look down at the young Godi, mouth curling back into a slight grin to match her own. “Even’n, Joss. Ye met, Lonna, aye?” gesturing to her with a hand, he makes the round of introductions.
[Lonna Larson] “Hey,” she offers. The blonde’s bright and genuinely pleased, she nodded. The blonde Adjusted her purse over her shoulder from one side tot he other, “yeah, I’ve met Joss. It was kind of brief, though, we didn’t get a change to talk much.”
Yes, she remembered Joss. Her cheeks were pink, but it was hard to tell if that was the air outside or if it was because of something else entirely. Either way, she didn’t press.
“It’s great to see you again, though.”
[Joss Lehrer] “Did he just call me a brat? If that ain’t the pot calling the kettle black…” She rolls her eyes and grins.
Lonna explains that they’ve met, and she agrees with a nod, and then hooks her arm though Curata’s and starts them toward the Creamery. “I vaguely remember wanting to talk to you about something, too Lonna – you’ll have to forgive me, it’s been.. well. A rough month, and I am afraid I’ve let some things slip…”
A glance up at Curata. “And don’t think you’re off the hook either – have something to run by you too.”
[Curata] A bark of laughter erupts from the Fianna as Joss hooks one arm through his and yanks the tall Scotsman along. He allows her to do so, his other hand shooting out rather quickly to grab Lonna’s, dragging her with him as Joss towed them into the Creamery.
The trio garnered stares from other patrons and employees as they headed inside. Curata pulled the door open for the ladies, bowing to them as they entered. He playfully boots Joss in the ass, hissing at her. “Ye too bloody slow, gal, hitch up them skirts and git to moving. Blood cold outside.”
Once they filed in, Curata glances around a bit perplexed as he looks up at the menu above the counter. Obvious he has never been in a place like this before. He begins to stuff a hand into a jean pocket, fishing out his wallet as they stand in line.
“There’s a few things I wanted to discuss as well, partially why I brought Lonna along.”
[Lonna Larson] They are a daunting force, if for no other reason than the fact that Joss is eighteen, Curata is terrifying, and Lonna is hungry. And it’s the pretty ones you have to watch out for, because she could pack away icecream like it was a guilty pleasure.
Her mind wanders, he mentions that he needs to discuss a few things with Joss, brows raise and she looks between the two of them. Surprised? Yes. Talkative? Not so much.
[Joss Lehrer] She squeels as he boots her in the ass, and dances forward with a mock pout, before she just.. inhales. Nothing smells quite so delicious as a CSC. It’s like fresh baked waffle cones, chocolate all things delicious all rolled into one. Heaven.
She doesn’t even have to look at the menu, she just grins at the girl behind the counter. “PB Brownie Blast, medium in a chocolate dipped waffle cone please!”
She smiles over at Curata and nods. “We’ll take that back corner table, then. So we can chat.” Then she grins at Lonna. “He’s payin – I suggest getting the biggest one ya can handle to take advantage.” And damned if she don’t stick her tongue out at the Fianna too.
[Curata] Curata grouses at Joss. His eyes narrowing just a bit as she speaks, he exhales a rather indignant snort. “Figures that’s all I’m good for to ye woman, abused for nothing but sex and m’money.”
A flush of color rose up in the cheeks of the girl behind the counter when she overhears Curata’s words. She clears her throat and adjusts her apron, waiting for Lonna’s order.
The Fianna snorts again, frowning with a glance over the menu. “Why the bloody ‘ell ye Yanks eat ice cream in the middle o winter anyway?”
[Lonna Larson] “Oh, no, you also open pickle jars. So sex, money, and opening things,” she informs him.
She looks at the menu, and finds herself musing over what she wanted to get, the blonde finally ordered, “can I get a… hmmn.. chocolate devotion… medium, aaaaand, ohh chocolate dipped waffle cone? Thanks you.”
She nodded contently and slipped her hands into her pockets.
[Joss Lehrer] Snorts and elbows Lonna. “I lay claim to his money. An…I can open my own pickle jars, so… Guess you’re stuck with…” and she turns and gives him a once over, a brow arching, before she grins at Lonna again. “…the other thing.”
Then, she’s watching over the counter as they mix up her flavor of choice and she looks every inch the little girl she’s so often accused of being as she does so. She even bounces a bit in anticipation. “EVERYONE knows that ice cream is good anytime of the year. EVEN in Winter.”
[Curata] “Its nothing but over-processed frozen yak piss.” He exclaims, thumbing out a few wad of bills at the cashier after Lonna places her order.
When asked if he wanted anything, he shakes his head, “Gimme one o those coffee things.” Pointing randomly to a menu, he finishes paying out, moving up beside Joss to watch her with a raised eyebrow.
“Ye sure ye aren’t 13?”
[Lonna Larson] “You can not honestly tell me that you don’t like ice cream,” she looked at Curata with brows raised and half a grin on her face.
“And thank you for the over-processed frozen yak piss, I appreciate it.”
[Joss Lehrer] She just rolls her eyes, and grins up at him. “If I am, it makes you a dirty old man for staring at my ass…”
She dimples into a bright smile as she takes her cone. “Thank ya, ma’am.” And then with a grin up at Curata, and a wink for Lonna, she leads the way to the back corner table where they can talk in something resembling privacy.
[Curata] Curata offers the ladies, kin and Garou, a rather devilish grin. He keeps his mouth shut as the employee behind the counter hands him his iced coffee. He follows Joss, letting out a slight wolf whistle and a waggle of eyebrows.
“I may be a dirty ol’man, but least I know how to satisfy the tastes o young lass.”
Curata waits for Lonna to join them in a corner table, sliding into a chair as he sets the coffee down. Fingers go to the zipper on this coat, pulling it down as he peeks inside, fishing around in the inner lining of his coat.
[Lonna Larson] “Oh gawd,” she says as she takes the ice cream in hand. The blonde heads on over to the back table and takes a seat next to Curata. Devil she knew versus the devil she didn’t and all that.
[Joss Lehrer] “I’d say ‘that’s what I heard’ but I haven’t heard anything so that’d be a lie, and I never EVER lie…” She blinks innocently up at him, even as she folds a leg under her, leans her elbows on the table and starts in on her icy treat.
She grins at Lonna. It’s hard not to like the girl, really, despite the Fenrir blood that runs deep. “So, you first old man – age before beauty and all that.”
[Curata] He quirks an eyebrow at Lonna, when she says, “Oh gawd.” “Aye?” is his reply to her.
Curata, finding what he was looking for, sets a small metal flask out on the table next to his coffee. He unscrews the cap, bringing it up to sniff at it and make a face. “I believe, darling, ye’d ‘efore me seeing as I’m the prettier one ‘ere.”
He sticks his tongue out at her, measuring the amount of alcohol he pours into the iced coffee. A glance over his shoulder and he’s recapping the flask and tucking it back into his coat pocket. Curata rubs his hands together, wiggling his eyebrows and reaches for his drink, taking a sip of it.
He licks his lip as a bit of cream forms a mustache, wiping it away. “Who’s ‘er current warder?”
[Lonna Larson] She turned a rather lovely shade of pink, “Well, Joss, he does things that-”
She stops, and turns an even brighter shade of pink- “why am I saying this?”
She, instead, decides to find her icecream more interesting and takes a bite. The blonde is forcing a flush down and crosses her legs at the ankles. Instead, she takes the moment to take on the role of quiet observer.
[Joss Lehrer] She rolls her eyes at him, and watches as he doctors his coffee – while Lonna’s comment gets outright laughter and a squeal. “NO! don’t TELL me! I don’t wanna knoooooooow!”
Then, comes the question, and she glances at Lonna, and there’s a shadow that slashes through her eyes, dulling the edges of her smile. It’s clear she still suffers the loss, still tries to
“By default, it’d be Andrew. Understandably things are a bit in flux – but at least it keeps her under Eagle protection. Why?”
[Curata] “So I know who to challenge.”
The statement comes rather nonchalantly, his interest diverted to his doctored coffee, as he seems to frown into it. The cup it set down, pushed away from him as his arms fold over each other, resting against his elbows.
He regards Joss with a leveled gaze, “I wanted to be sure she was under Eagle jurisdiction. Wi’ all the shite ‘appening and the loss o cogs, someone needs to keep an eye on ‘er. I’m not going to bother worrying o’er m’own now that ‘atchet’s back into the picture.”
A growl thrums in the back of his throat, “Likely, ‘e and ‘is own will keep sights on Lee.”
[Lonna Larson] He might have been nonchalant, but the blonde certainly looked surprised. She took a second and glanced at Curata. The look didn’t seem disapproving in the least, though the tone changed, tension rose and she observed him quietly.
[Joss Lehrer] She nos, slightly, and pushes her dreads back over her shoulder as she chases a bit of chocolate around the cone with her tongue. Objective captured, she glances up at Curata. “You claimin her as mate, or simply away from Andrew?”
She doesn’t ask about Lee, or clarify – that’s his business, tribe business.
Then… “And about her being under the Eagles – that sorta leads into what I wanted to talk to you about. Why not have it both ways?”
[Curata] “Away from Andrew.”
The same growl thrums again, much in the way it did when he spoke Hatchet’s name. It’s likely the Fianna may not care much for Andrew, or simply didn’t like the thought of Lonna being in anyone else’s hands after what has happened.
His voice falls flat, “I don’t need another mate at the moment, I’m barely a month divorced. Not looking to settle just yet, but ye can say I like to keep eyes on which I am intimate wi’.”
Joss brings up the prospect of joining the Eagles; it is Curata’s turn to mimic Lonna’s expression. The Ahroun appears surprised, “Why?”
[Lonna Larson] Not a mate, but not someone else’s. Neither here nor there, and he seemed the stable sort. He wasn’t dead yet, which was more than she could really say for her other warders.
She listens to them speak, and she doesn’t quite seem so surprised anymore. concerned, yes, the mention of Lee and Hatchet had yet to make her falter. She pursed her lips and looked back at Joss. Keeping with Evan’s pack and what-have-you. She isn’t blushing, she isn’t fidgeting, she isn’t giving any indication that this makes her uncomfortable in the least.
Lonna is either a very good liar or she is very, very honest.
[Joss Lehrer] “Trust me there’s no love lost between me and Andrew. I understand.” She wrinkles her nose, briefly, and then breaks off a piece of her waffle cone and eats it. “…but he is my packmate. No matter how he got there, he’s there and I can’t do anything about it.”
She sighs softly, and when he asks why… “Because the Eagle Alpha is gone on a quest, the Beta is dead,” and there, her voice breaks and she has to force herself to continue. “…and the next in line is -and I adore the man, don’t get me wrong- flighty at best. Which leaves Andrew – on whom we agree – and me, someone who worked her ass off the past few years for the sole purpose of coming here and joining under Eagle.”
She pauses, studies Lonna for a moment, then back to Curata. “To be perfectly blunt, Curata, I need someone on my fucking side. I’ve seen you fight, I’ve seen your name on the wyrmpole, and I am positive you are worthy of Eagle.”
[Curata] “I ‘ave seen Decker in action. We ‘ave fought together once, each o us clawing and chewing through opposite ends o a hunter-spider whilst meeting up in the middle.”
He leans back in the chair, raising a hand to scratch at the underside of his jaw with blunt nails. One eye closing slightly as he considers her offer. He spies Lonna through his peripheral, and then drops his hand away from his chin.
“A’ight.”
[Lonna Larson] [whatchoo lookin’ at, Godi?]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 4, 6, 6, 7, 8 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[Lonna Larson] There is mention of a few things. They’re talking about pack dynamics, that the alpha is gone on a mission, the loss of their beta makes her bite back a wince, makes her find something on the table incredibly interesting.
She half smiles at the allusion to James. Apparently, the woman knows who Joss is talking about, or knows about James well enough to know that he is quite a flighty son of stag. And Andrew? Well, Andrew gets his own sort of reaction, the kind that is hard to put a finger on.
Brows raise, and she seems.. almost pleased at the thought of Curata joining Eagle. She takes a bite of icecream, but it’s a bite too big and she winces from the kind of pain that only comes with a brainfreeze.
[Joss Lehrer] She studies him, watching as he considers, and then the relaxation is instant, and her smile returns as she settles back into her chair. “Alright, then. I already told Decker I wanted to approach you, and have his OK. You’re welcome to move into the packhouse – just stay outa my attic without my clearing the way, else something bite ya and not in the way Lonna says ya like – and run with us and see how it settles in. Couple weeks and we haven’t decided we’d rather kill each other, and I’ll take you to meet Eagle.”
She grins at Lonna and her brainfreeze “press your thumb on the roof of your mouth, like this…” she sticks her thumb in her own mouth and demonstrates “..and press. It’ll stop the brainfreeze.” She clearly knows her stuff.
[Joss Lehrer] (edited to add since someone just poked his nosey nose in…)
Her gaze goes waaaaaaay distant for a moment… that’s some sorta distance to cover via Totem, after all. “..oh. And make sure you’re split with the Sentinels is settled. Break it, do whatever – we don’t care what they think, really? But make sure it’s clearly done and over with, make whatever reparations you feel necessary before we approach Eagle.”
[Joss Lehrer] .
to Joss Lehrer
[Curata] The Sentinels.
He stares at Joss, long and hard, for several minutes of silence. It looks as if he isn’t about to say anything in response to that. He reaches for the liquored ice coffee, working it down as he mulls it over.
Curata hadn’t figured out when he was going to approach Hatchet and Charlie. His gaze passes away, looking towards the windows and beyond.
“At the moot, I’ll announce it then. The totem may not care either way, Bear does not ask much from her children. And given the shite that I went through wi’ ‘atchet and Charlie…”
[Joss Lehrer] “Good enough.” She nods, once, and settles into her chair, taking a long moment to chase the drips on her ice cream cone, including licking some from her fingers.
Then she settles her gaze on Lonna, her lips curving into a bit of a grin. “I remember what it is I wanted to talk to you about. Since he’s gonna challenge for you, since you’re under Eagle protection anyway – think it’s about time we chat about your little trick you pulled on Edwin a while back, don’t you?”
[Lonna Larson] She fought through what looked to be a brainfreeze and suddenly regarded Joss with raised brows at a pointed look.
“I was personally hoping we could leave it at I promise I won’t do that in public again and I know it was stupid but I’m not sorry I did it.”
This was what embarrassment looked like. She looked at Joss quietly.
“I know… and… well… Evan knew, and it was stupid, but… but I was really worried about him and I wasn’t sure what would happen and I didn’t want Edwin to get hurt.”
[Joss Lehrer] She laughs softly and nods. “Probably a good idea – the not in public part. What is it, exactly?”
She’s endlessly curious, Joss.
[Lonna Larson] “Well… ummm,” she glanced at Curata, who now was taking his turn to listen quietly, and she dropped her voice to speak to both of them, “it’s… well… It’s sort of like when you would heal someone, but not quite. I’ve been able to, well, fix people, but it’s not just physical, sometimes it’s emotional or spiritual or physical or mental… but…. well, it’s not really like healing, it’s… it’s more of a trade. It’s taking the pain, the grief, the physical hurt for someone else. But it has to go somewhere…”
She shrugs and smiles apologetically.
“I heard there’s other people who do what I do, but… I haven’t met them.”
[Joss Lehrer] She nods, slightly. “I’ve heard of some things like that – but never seen it in person before. I’ll see if I can discover anything else about it, if you like – on the downlow, of course, but for now, keeping it sorta quiet is a good idea.”
A beat. “Edwin – the Shadow Lord? She tips her head, glances at Curata, and then back to Lonna. “Now, he’s not gonna challenge for ya too, is he?”
[Lonna Larson] “That sort of thing is easy to exploit, Joss, and there’s only so much a girl can take,” she tells her.
They think about this for a moment, and there is mention of Edwin. It makes the blonde shrug.
“I don’t know… i mean, Edwin and I are friends. He’s my drinking buddy, he’s not… he’s not that bad,” oh woe is the woman who defends a shadow lord’s honor.
[Joss Lehrer] She nods, slightly. “Of course.”
And then she actually laughs again, and scoops up some ice cream with a bit of her cone and munches away. “Only met him once or twice myself. Not much a fan of ShadowLords in general, but I wouldn’t be shocked to hear there’s exceptions to the rule.”
[Lonna Larson] “Maybe some people are just different around others,” she says it with a shrug, “I don’t know, I guess I bring out the best in people, or maybe I’m just too trusting.”
She takes a bite of the cone.
[Joss Lehrer] She nods, slightly. “Maybe.” and then, almost wistfully. “At least you always have someone around to bring out the best in.”
She blinks – because that sounds funny, said out loud, and she forces her smile to return once again. “Remind me to show you where the packhouse is. It was originally a kinhouse, with just a couple packmembers staying there, but you can feel free to come by and hang sometime if ya like.”
[Lonna Larson] “Please tell me it’s not the shack out in the middle of the city. I’ve been to that one. It was not pleasant.”
[Joss Lehrer] She blinks. “…it’s an old 3- story office building, and not a shack at all, actually. Where did they take you?” a blink, and then laughter. “Oh dear, did they take you to Decker’s dock house?! That IS a shithole…”
[Lonna Larson] “Oh my god, someone actually lives there?!” she looked genuinely shocked… then she shook her head. “I never thought I would ever say this, but poor Decker, that’s awful. Please tell me he doesn’t stay there permanently.”
[Joss Lehrer] She chuckles and nods. “Just Decker, most times. I do my best to keep it warded and the water runnin and hot and such, but well, I don’t want to be there very much either. Who took ya over there?”
[Lonna Larson] “Evan,” she said, “it was raining, and he was thoroughly convinced that I was going to catch a cold. That’s where I told him all this stuff.”
She’s quiet for a second, and she pauses. She seems almost saddened.
“Randi left town, do you have some way to keep in touch with her?”
[Joss Lehrer] She chuckles softly. Evan, of course. There’s that look again, and it deepens when she mentions Randi.
[…she can still hear her screaming in her head…]
She takes the last bite of her ice cream and nods. “She moved home with her family.” She and Randi were never close, at least not as close as Randi apparently thought, but she knows where she’s at – even if it’s unlikely she’ll ever contact her, herself.
[Lonna Larson] “Well, umm… tell her if she’s ever in Chicago she’s welcome at my place.”
She’s quiet for a second, then finds herself inspecting her food quietly.
“Gah, she hated me, and I still have no idea why.”
[Joss Lehrer] She arches a brow, and then her laughter returns. “Honestly? You really don’t know? Lonna, darlin, you could make even the most self-aware and confident woman doubt her standing with her man, simply by breathing.”
She shakes her head – she knows it’s never a problem she’ll have herself. “Randi was true to Evan, and a good kinswoman, but she had a serious jealous streak that caused her hackles to rise every time some woman stood close to Evan. You stood close – AND was stunningly beautiful doing so – therefore, she hated you.” Shrugs. “Simple, really.”
[Lonna Larson] “Oh my god, she did it to someone else? I just remember her trying to stare me down and practically yanking the poor man’s arm off. I felt horrible for Evan. I thought she was going to make him sleep on the couch for a month for offering to help me with my car.”
[Joss Lehrer] (salts the snail)
[snail] (aieeeee)
[Joss Lehrer] She licks the last of her ice cream off her fingers – sometimes she really is like a child – and she wipes her fingers with a napkin afterward. She sets her hands in her lap, and relaxes back into her chair with a sigh.
She misses Evan, and it hurts.
She wasn’t enough.
“Yeah. Anyway.” Enough about her. about Him. aboutherfailure. “I think that’s all I really needed to chat with you guys about – unless you needed something else, I should probably hit up patrols.”
[Lonna Larson] “I should be fine… I can’t think of anything else,” she tells Joss.
The blonde was only half finished with her icecream; it was forgotten. She didn’t seem too apt to talk about the fallen Eagle either. She missed him, misses him, every tense of the word.
“Keep safe, okay? I’ll see you around.”
[Joss Lehrer] She smiles and pushes back to stand. “Ok than. Ya’ll be good.”
She thanks Curata for the ice cream – and makes plans to meet up the next day, before she heads out to Althea, her music, and her patrols.
[Lonna Larson] (thanks for the scene, lovely!)