Elijah's Homecoming

Elijah
He did come home.

He came home and it was late and he wasn't sure if he should knock or if he should say something, because maybe Kalen was sleeping. Maybe he shouldn't be waking his mentor up on account of bad dreams bad realities. It didn't help the sinking feeling he had that they had done something wrong, even if they had all done something that would have saved dozens of people, stopped a trail of horror and bloodshed that was hard to really tell the standard authorities about. That's what Alexander was for, right? Covering matters with the mundane authorities.

Elijah came home, stood in the warehouse by a door to one of the empty rooms and he waited. He stared at his phone, something with the barest smudge of blood across the screen and he couldn't stop thinking about the feeling in his stomach or the ghosts that were there or the question of whether or not reincarnation fixed misdeeds, whether or not it really did cleanse the soul or if they'd just damned a corrupt woman to an eternity outside of the natural cycle.

He didn't know what to do, so handing in his own home, he called Kalen.

Ring ring.

Kalen Holliday
[Yeah, you would totally do that.  Sometimes, Kalen, you don't suck.

Arete | D=3 | WP]

Dice: 2 d10 TN3 (6, 8) ( success x 2 )

Kalen Holliday
Kalen was at the office.  Elijah could probably sense that.  And both the office and the warehouse have started to pick up traces of ozone and lightning.  It clings more strongly to the little stuffed puppy Kalen left on Elijah's bed, though that gift Elijah may not notice yet.  There is a little leather pouch on a ribbon around its neck, stuffed with lavender and a little rose quartz sphere.

Look.  Kalen needed something to do.

He answers his phone almost immediately, in the manner of (not exactly theoretically speaking) someone who has been watching their phone.  Of course he has.  How could Kalen possibly be sleeping right now, Elijah?

"Hello."

Elijah
"Everyone made it back alive," it's the first thing he says. It's the first thing he can think of to say, but he doesn't sound okay. He doesn't sound tired, either, even though by all rights every inch of him is exhausted. He has feelings at that moment, an abundance of feelings. He starts to wander, he hasn't made it back to his room yet, even though he wants to. Even though he wants desperately to crawl in bed and go to sleep and wake up and all of this never, ever happened but… but he can't do that. Take the good and the bad. The horror is part of the wonder, inseparable.

He wanders.

He wanders and eventually in his wandering does start to make it to the office. His stomach turns, and it finally dawns on him whose blood is on his phone and Elijah could feel his stomach turn again.

"Sera made sure everyone we brought with us is okay… and… and everything's okay."

Everything isn't okay. It doesn't sound okay in the slightest.

Kalen Holliday
"I suppose by some definitions of everyone, yes," Kalen says softly.  His tone is gentle enough, but distant.  There was a time that might have been different, when Kalen would have been waiting to meet him instead of leaving him adorable stuffed animals.

"I'm glad you all are safe.  Or, at least, safe from Victoria.  I assume that is over now, one way or another."

Elijah
He eventually does end up at the office, knocks on the door and waits to see a familiar face because he needs someone right now. He takes gentle, even if it comes with distant because it's the voice he wanted it hear.

"I'm worried about what's going to happen to her," he admits. He waits.

Kalen Holliday
Kalen opens the door and regards Elijah seriously for a few seconds.

After that pause he asks quietly, "Serafine or Victoria?"

Elijah
"Both of them," he replies.

He's physically fine. A little pale, a little distant, a little shaky, but physically there's no sign of injury and no sign of anything other than emotional distress. He wears it openly, looks like he might get sick but he hangs up his phone and looks at the other man.

"Sera really extended herself making sure everyone was okay… and… it took a lot out of her. And I don't know what is going to happen to Victoria… I… I think she's supposed to come back, to move on and that's supposed to fix her, right? She died, so she gets to start over in the next life."

… right?

It sticks with him, he has a hard time saying that she died, that it was hard and harsh and he keeps thinking of the reality of what happened, about how her head left her neck and...

Kalen Holliday
"I don't know.  I don't know what became of Lucia, either.  In a general sense, you can start over, but the soul remains the soul.  The weight of what it has done remains.  It may be that it will balance out, before her final judgment.  I have heard that the rituals that make the Nephandi can cause them to remain twisted and wrong, but the kinds of things that Victoria was doing?  There are more kinds of corruption than just the Nephandi.  There are many ways to fall.

"I don't know what the one she chose will mean for her."

Elijah
He's quiet. He's quiet for longer than he should probably stay quiet, just nods because there isn't a sense of closure and there isn't… he just stands there, like he'd just stood there before, no will left to burn through and everyone walked away unscathed

He opens his mouth, like he was going to say something,but words don't come out and, instead, Elijah looked at the ground. He exhaled.

"I've never seen anyone die before," he admits.

Kalen Holliday
It has been a long time since the first person Kalen saw die.  He was not six, it was not Melody.  He was unconscious for that.  He did not see his sister drown.  It was only a few years later, but it was a stranger.  A stranger whose death he had no part in but for happening to be present.

He doesn't say anything.  Instead he turns and heads back toward the library, pausing just long enough to grab two wine glasses and a bottle of wine on his way.  The glasses chime when he picks them up, the clear ringing chime of crystal.  The bottle is pulled not from the bar but from a wooden case in a lower cabinet.  Amber glass.  Label hand-written in Spanish.

He sets the glasses on the table.  Opens the wine.  Pours two glasses.  Holds one out to Elijah.

"The man I know who knows the most about souls would tell you that whatever things Victoria has done, whatever you had to do to her, there is no sin for which there can be no absolution.  Victoria, Lucia, you, me, all of us...we will be judged by a God whose love and whose mercy is Infinite.

"I see no reason not to believe him."

Elijah
There is silence. It sits with him, and he doesn't know whether or not things are going to be okay. He knows, cognitively, that things will eventually be fine. That he will be fine and that the shock of this evening will wear off into something that rings true like… like the sound of crystal chiming against itself. Something that rings clear, a memory to be had. Another first that he got to log away into a whole world of first things he has yet to experience.

Why would this be no less sacred? Why would this be no less memorable? He's spent twenty years close to death. Twenty years hearing stories and hearing people intone their own ends, seeing the aftermath but never actually witnessing the act. Never being present for the final end of it all. It was not peaceful. It was nothing more than climbing and clawing and fighting the whole way thought.

He didn't want to go peacefully, either, all things said.

He holds the glass, looks at the liquid inside and his hands aren't shaking, but his gaze is transfixed on the color and the texture. His reaction times are slowed, and when he looks at Kalen, he smiles. Tired, mournful, but smiling.

"You can have absolution if you want absolution?" a second,  then, "so… things… things are going to work out."

He wants to believe that, it creeps into his once, that aching want to believe in something good. So, he does believe it.

Kalen Holliday
"Well there are some other parts of it like repentance and asking for forgiveness, but yes.  It is possible for everyone."  Kalen sits and picks up his own glass of wine,

"But yes, things will work out."  And he sounds absolutely sure.

Elijah
He just holds it. It's not like him to not drink whatever is in front of him. It's not like him to to try and consume to forget, but at that juncture something told him that this wine was special. Still standing, the young man just took the time to be in the moment. Shaken and unsure, but in the moment none the less. He doesn't have to be sure, though. Kalen is sure. Kalen is sure and he can take that for what it is, that he knows some absolute truth that Elijah was still figuring out, but that truth was still there.

"If it counts for anything, you're the first person I came to tonight," another thing he could be unsure about.

Elijah does finally the a sip of wine.

Kalen Holliday
"Well," Kalen says after a moment, "I suppose that's something."

Elijah
He doesn't say anything after that. Instead, he just takes a seat somewhere and he takes  drink of his wine. Another, more full bodied drink. There's the awkward silence, the stilted pauses, the moments when he is uncertain. He'll have to find that strength in himself, even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.

Kalen Holliday
"She's dead, you've destroyed or at least taken anything that would let anyone else do the rituals, and this is over?"  Kalen asks quietly.

Grace
[Awareness?]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (1, 4, 5, 8, 10) ( success x 2 )

Elijah
"Yeah," he says, "we made sure that the place was clean and that whatever was there was taken care of. I think… I think we need to go back tomorrow… and make sure that we didn't miss anything."

Back to business, he could focus on that.

Kalen Holliday
And then, even more quietly.  "Was there any sign the Hermetics who came might be alive?"

Grace
Grace was in her office down the hall when the others swept through it on the way to the library. The twisting raucous that is Elijah -- she felt it.

What she didn't pick up on was everything else.

There's been no epilogue posted to Ginger, and there was no hint that Elijah just returned from... Well, from that.

Eventually, she decides it's time to stop being antisocial and join the others, but when she appears in the doorway, all smiles, it's apparent that for once, the information hound knows nothing.

"Hi Elijah," she says, and her face falls upon seeing and actually processing the two.

"What happened?"

Elijah
"There were some people I didn't recognize from the papers, so… I think… I don't think they made it," he told Kalen, "how many people came? I'm very sorry."

Apologetic, yes, mournful, certainly. But there was something tender about that, gentle as though he wasn't sure if these were friends of Kalen's. If these were people he would have wanted to see again, if they were more than tradition mates but Elijah was certain that… well… that they were no more.

But, then there is Grace, and he files, though mournful, because Elijah is capable of smiling. He is capable of being present, with a wine glass in hand and some silence. It took a moment. He starts from the beginning.

"Sera, Ian, and Jae-Shinn- he's an Aksashic friend of Ian's, came with me and Alexander to deal with whatever was at the house. Lucy met us there with the spirits of the departed. We intervened and stopped whatever was going to happen, rescued a hostage and… Victoria's dead, but whomever we brought with us came out alive."

Not okay, he doesn't make that assumption.

Kalen Holliday
"I don't know," he says in response to Elijah's question.  "But none of them have contacted me."  He rises, with a little nod to Grace.  "I'm going to go inform the Order.  They'll want to know."  [And Ix has a cold and sucks at awake, and so will let you two play.  Thank you for scenes.]

Grace
Oh. It was that bad. And that good. Why did Elijah go?

Why did you go trying to stop a bunch of mad biologists when you were still a freshly awakened student, Grace?

The memory of that comes to her, all of those realizations hitting her one after another.

"Oh, Elijah."

With that, she crosses the room, tension-tight. People (who are not her) like hugs during times like this, don't they? Yes. They do. Sometimes, it's not about doing unto others what you would have done to you.

She spreads her arms suddenly, like she's just realized that a hug is going to require doing something with her arms.

Elijah
He hugs Grace.

He isn't even thinking about the fact that Grace is not a hugging person, or the fact that Grace does not hug or doesn't really do physical contact, but he hugs her anyway, wine glass in hand and he closes his eyes and he just revels in the fact that there is someone close and warm and he doesn't even care that there is the feeling of something honed and keen and stuck in his lungs. Almost painful. A little awkward, but very Grace.

"It's not okay right now," he said, "but… it'll be okay sometime."

Grace
"Yes. It will be," she says, soft so as not to hurt his ears. They're so close. Since when are ears so close?

She breathes in a breath of him, deals with the strangeness of the smell. It's just an odor. Pretend it's oranges.

Someone else's warmth, someone else's scent, someone else's body. It's not exactly hated, but not exactly comfortable either, is it?

"But you don't have to be okay right now. You don't have to ever. You just feel what you need to."

Her arms wrap around all loose. She's trying to let him have his space if he needs it. He probably doesn't. But hey. She taps lightly on his spine with a fist. It's something like a pat. There there, it's not okay.

Elijah
[OMG don't start crying]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (1, 3, 3, 4, 9) ( success x 1 )

Elijah
To his credit, he didn't throw top all evening. He found he didn't have anything in his stomach, now, except for a little bit of wine but that was either here nor there. He inhaled the smell of Grace, which wa probably something that he could just revel in for the time being and the fact that GRace was there and she was present and she was giving him permission to not be okay. inhaled a harsh, shuddering breath. There were indications that the human body made when they were coming up on tears, but he didn't give way to them. Not yet, anyways.

"It's… of god, it was horrible," he admits. He admits like he should be ashamed of that.

Grace
Memories of watching Eric die -- the way he melted from the inside -- well up. The way he screamed. Oh, God the screams. She takes a sharp hiss of a breath.

"I know," Grace says. Creaks it out, because while Hydra doesn't haunt her dreams anymore, it's always going to be her first time.

She doesn't ask for details. She just knows.

Elijah
She know. Something tells him that she knows, and Elijah, knowing that he can't hold onto Grace like he'd wanted to, finally does let go and he finished off his wine. It was something special, something that had a nice flavor on his tongue, that lingered there.

"Thanks, Grace," he says, quiet.

Grace
He lets go, and she backs up, puts her hands behind her back because she's still so conscious of having hands and not knowing what to do with them.

She nods in response to his thanks.

"Well, this place is safe," she says. "Big thick doors, you know. And we'll bring you food and whatever you need. If you want to stay away from people for a while. I know I did. Maybe you don't. And that's okay too...

"I'm rambling. I'm sorry."

Elijah
Sometimes, it's difficult to know what one should do with their hands. Elijah has an easy way out. He has something to do with his hands because he, lucky bird, has a wine glass to contend with. Grace rambles and, for his part, he is content to listen. Content to take it all in and absorb the rambling for what it was and take comfort in the cadence of another person's voice. He needs people. He desperately needs people. He has a stuffed puppy waiting for him in his room, but he doesn't know that yet.

"Don't be sorry, you didn't do anything wrong," he said, he even smiled and it curls at the edges and there is something pleasant about it, "I think… I think I might not want to be around people for awhile… but I think I need to be around people. Reminders of life and living and… ya know?"

Grace
Grace looks down at the floor. "Yeah. I know. I had to be coerced a bit, myself. But I know."

Yeah. It was Kalen who did that for her, all that food gathering and making her be sociable again. He didn't lead her out of the darkness. She did that herself. But there is such a thing as clearing away a path.

"If you need anything... I'll... We'll help. Just don't be afraid to ask."

Elijah
He nods again, and puts his wineglass down on a table. Gives him something to do with his hands. He inhales something long and deep. He doesn't want to be around people, he needs to be around people. he likes being around people. he actually enjoys human interaction, he just… needed…. something. he didn't know what he needed. Elijah ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. I'd invite you, but I think you'd appreciate me not inviting you to take a shower way more than you would actually appreciate being in awkward human space while taking part in methodical cleansing ritual."

Grace
Usually such words would provoke something. A raised brow? A shocked expression? But she knows how it is, right? People under such stresses say strange things.

Like: 'I'd invite you to shower with me'.

"If you want, I could sit outside. That way you'd know someone was there?"

Elijah
"I'll holler at you when I get out," he said, "I… uh… figure I should eat something that isn't wine."

He's quiet for a little while. It's odd, to have these pauses, these moments of silence, of being shaken, of feeling like all of this wasn't really real, because it wasn't really real to him yet. He was still in denial, it'll hit him later, probably when the water's run cold and he realizes he has to get the blood off of his phone.

A beat.

"I recognize, on a cognitive level, that I need to eat something… because I haven't eaten anything all day…. but I don't want to think about meat or pork or people," and his stomach turns, and he remembers that parts of those people were missing and he knew good and well what happened to them.

Grace
"Yeah. I've been there. You don't want any food that might be remotely... that might bring up memories. How about a salad? I know how to make them safe. Nothing meat or... reminiscent," Grace says, tripping over words that themselves might bring up memories.

For Grace, the wine would have been a trigger.

It looks too much like blood.

So you know, that salad will absolutely not have tomatoes. Or Catalina dressing.

Elijah
"I think I am involuntarily becoming a vegetarian," he said, lamented, almost grinned too. He straightened out the front of his shirt, instinctively reached for his phone- because he's young and those of his generation can't seem to leave their damned phones alone for more than a few moments before he immediately pulled his hand back and shook his head.

"It's probably for the best. I'm… uh… I don't think I am going to be too keen on eating anything with a semi human consciousness for awhile."

Or at all. Or ever.



"Or soup. Pho is pretty-" nope, pho has beef in it and his stomach turned at the mention.

Grace
Grace nods. "I've never been back to Starbucks. But that's not much of a sacrifice for me, really."

"Listen, you go take that shower. And then you can have a salad. You might not even really notice it, but it'll feel just a little sliver of a bit better to be clean and not hungry."

The cleanliness, well... it's symbolic. She knows about the methodical cleansing too. You want to feel clean on the inside, so you clean on the outside, trying.

Lawn Elitists

Danny
(Awareness)

Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 9) ( success x 1 )

Arionna
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 6, 7, 8) ( success x 3 )

Danny
*He yawned while he was standing in line waiting for the books to be returned at the library.  All of them were there, he'd found what he needed fairly quickly when he'd put his mind to it.  The books were in a backpack he'd brought with him, part of an older life, part of a time before his being well, who he was now.

His hair was tied back at the nape of his neck again, it was too hot for jeans so he'd put on a pair of three quarter baggy jeans, a pair of flip flops and a t shirt that said. "Always be yourself, unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman."*

Arionna
She had this magical skill of appearing. Well..maybe not really, but sometimes it seemed like she just popped up out of no where. She felt him when he came in, knew it was him, and curiosity got the better of her.

Arionna, in a long skirt and a T-shirt, stepped up behind him slowly, her long hair sliding around her face. She reached out and, with one finger, poked his shoulder. That was the extent of her greeting, and well..touching for that matter.

Danny
*He.... swayed, merely took the energy with a shiver at her icy presence, then swayed back slightly as he turned his head.* Returning the books, as promised.

*With his shades up on his head and the way he was dressed he could technically just fit in with the other students here. But now he smiled for Arionna he raised both eyebrows slightly in question.* And how are you today?

Arionna
"I can see." Arionna said softly, letting her eyes wander to the backpack and then back to his face. "You have more time." Though he might have already gleaned what he needed. The smile was an odd thing, though he never seemed the sort to not do so...even given their last encounter. "I have a midterm tomorrow." She said simply, as if that would somehow explain how she felt. "And the library is barren, for now."

Danny
*He sighs softly.* Yeah, that can be a killer. What do you need? I can't promise much but I can allow you access to my netbook, you can do some research on that?

Arionna
She canted her head a little. "I don't need it. I've been reading." She moved to slip her hand into her bag at her side, pulling out the hair she had put into a small container, and handing it to him. "As promised."

Danny
*He took the hair and nodded, then slipped it into his pocket.*

So, coffee after? *It was his turn suddenly and he just handed the books back with a smile, polite, easy going, the librarian didn't seem to mind this approach and he turned then looked at Arionna again.*

Well?

Arionna
"After?" Her brows furrow a little in question. "After what? My studying?" She considered that for a moment and then slowly nodded. "I think I will. And a walk in the woods. I think it clears my head sometimes." But then when he turned and gave her that sort of expectant look, she blinked. "Oh. You meant now?"

Danny
*That had him chuckling.* Yes, now... We'll go get some coffee, find a tree on campus and just sit, that okay by you?

Arionna
She pursed her lips a little, letting her eyes fall to the side for a moment. "Even with what you said before?" He seemed so...unhappy with her previously, it seemed odd that he'd be suggesting they have coffee together. "How is your friend?"

Danny
He's taking a rest. *He smiles, then slowly reaches out one hand, moving to the side of the line with her when the librarian reminded them they were in the way. One hand, and it had a big silver ring on his middle finger with what looked like a light switch on it. Then he smiled again.* That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about actually, and no, it's not going to be another ripping. Okay?  You game with that?

Arionna
She stepped to the side just before he touched her shoulder, avoiding it. It wasn't a fear of touching, so much as being unaccustomed to it...still. Ari turned slowly to lead him out of the library at the very least. "I was unharmed by it. You're welcome to accompany me. I won't mind it. I certainly don't mind drinking coffee."



Danny
I figured as much, those midterms can kind of keep you awake for a few days. *He smiled though, following her and going with her to grab some coffee.* I know that you were unharmed by it, but I'm not Kalen, I don't just dismiss people without at least taking the time to try and see things from their point of view. I mean, people become what life makes them, and that means that sometimes you cannot control the things around you. Or you just plain old don't learn the same way other people do. *he shrugs.* Specially if you're not one of the kids that fits in to the societal niche that high school kids force upon themselves.

*What did he know? He was beautiful, he was popular, he was a musician, what's not to love?^

Arionna
The university campus is never without a coffee shop, and like all students, Ari knows where to find them. She leads them down the steps of the library, making their way along campus.  "Did you choose to be different?"

Danny
I chose to be me. *He shrugs.* I didn't want to play football, I didn't want to do much more than play music to be honest, that and to read when I could what i could.  But the music I guess helped... *he shrugged.* Did you?

*He kept pace with her, slipping the backpack onto his shoulder on habit, he just seemed to almost fit in, apart from the fact that he was walking with Arionna, and more than a few of the girls and guys on campus around them were turning and looking at the pair of them as they passed.*

Arionna
"No." She expected people to react poorly. The city was less of a problem than her own home. Diversity was tolerated and encouraged, though looks were not foreign.

"The entire purpose of sports is to mimic wartime. It's a method for humans to practice and engage in the centers of our minds which are dedicated to such activities. You're not missing anything important by disliking it."

Danny
See, I never thought of it like that. Mind you I guess the amount of testosterone has to have something to do with it. *He continued walking with her, the looks he just didn't pay any real attention to. But he smiled, just as they walked, he kept on smiling and talking to her. The looks appeared to be mostly of surprise, complete and utter surprise.*

You didn't choose it then. *he nods a bit more and even walked before her to open the door to the coffee place, waited til she'd gone through then went in behind her.* What do you want to drink, apart from soya?

Arionna
"MMA matches are obvious examples of this desire to replicate war as a means of practice. Modern society tends to steer away from blatant use of violence and attempts covert violence in the form of sports." Arionna stepped in, making her way to the counter. "Soy? I don't drink soymilk." The barista smiled at her. "Hey! Coffee like usual?" Ari nodded slowly, sliding out her wallet to slip a few dollars to her. With ehr cup in hand she moved around to decide on her coffee... Hm..what'll it be today...

Danny
*He puts his hand over hers, not making contact.* No, my treat as a thank you for your help the other day. *There's a smile on his face and waits for hers. He already knew what he wanted, coffee, cold, with cream and plenty of toffee syrup. Lashings of the stuff. He said so after Ari ordered.*

Yeah i didn't think about it to be honest but you're right. You're totally right.

Arionna
She put her money away and slipped the wallet back into her purse. "Thank you." Because she does understand basic etiquette. You don't come from a small town without having some form of it. With her cup, she moves to the door and waits, slipping through when they're both satisfied and begins to move to a tree away from the building. "What did you want to say?"



Danny
Well... *he took a suck of the drink and swallowed. Then steered away from people.* Firstly, I wanted to talk to you. Find out more about you and why you do what you do, secondly, you're kind of well. Unless you give me a reason to walk away. I just wont.  And you look like you could do with someone to talk to from time to time.

Arionna
She moved them to a tree that was shedding its leaves all over and hadn't been destroyed by the mower. Ari set her bag down among the leaves and plopped herself among them. She set her cup near her bag and laid back on the ground. "People prove the point often enough. "

"Talking is nice. I use to visit the trees when I needed to talk. That's a longer travel here."

Danny
*He nodded.* Feel at peace there huh? Feel like the world is just melting away in the susurrus of the tree's and the outer world, the world away from the city?

*Taking another sip he got comfortable, moving the pack to rest against the tree then leaned back on it.* You don't need to just spend time around the tree's though, you need to also be round people from time to time, people that can get to learn to understand you better if you give them the chance.

Arionna
"I don't like the term 'peace.' Peace is an illusion, a fallacy. It's better to say that a person feels complete or as they are meant to. Balanced. Yes, I do. They're my home. And the home of my ancestors."

"I'm here, aren't I? I don't like people very much. I only like a few."

Danny
Sometimes it's easier like that. *He nodded as he  swirled the straw in his coffee shake, eased his legs out to stretch in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. There was ink there, on one foot a musical bar with notes on it in a ribbon of ink across the top of his foot, on the arm nearest her was that time tattoo that turned into the birds, on the forearm on the left as well was that latin script in heavy bold and black.*

Why don't you like people? Or is it just harder to get to know them?

Arionna
"People are cruel, misguided. The world is dying, the balance is off...humans did it. Humans even hurt their own. Those that are 'kind' are naive to the way the world is. "

She sat up enough to sip at her coffee, then leaned back again in the leaves.

Danny
No... *he shakes his head and stares off into the middle distance, then sat up slowly.* No, we're not naive.  We just choose to see things a bit differently to everyone else. Some times, bad things happen and they can be complete game changers, it's how you choose to learn from it and move on, learn to live with it and yourself regardless of the actions of those around you.. some times it makes you want to do things, it makes you angry, it makes you hostile, it makes you so... *He shakes his head, speaking from the heart it would appear.* confused... and... *There's a sigh before he speaks again.* It's hard to live with.

So, you get to choose, you can either let it consume you and destroy you, or you can learn to deal with it, learn to accept all those things it makes you feel then slowly move on from each moment. Acceptance, grief, hate, those are things you need to go through in your own time... Its all rather personal you see?  *he turned his head and glanced at her for a moment, then looked off again.*

Or you can let the hate and the anger consume you. Let it destroy you by isolating you from people. Perhaps it's easier to just not be around them and deal with them, contempt as well is powerful.

Arionna
"That's where your trouble is. You and Kalen. You think I'm angry. I'm not angry. I understand my place. We can't choose which god favors us, which gives us ability and strength. We're born to them. I know where I am, who I belong to. If we want balance in life, we have to accept the parts of it that scare us the most. I always see people trying to be 'good' and embody the 'light' fearing what's in the shadows. But the sun hides villainy just as much, sometimes more, than the moon. The night has so much to offer, and so many don't see it."

Danny
Yeah, so many don't see it. *he nods.* The mountains at night, with the galaxy is incredible. I just love going up into the mountains, turning off the car and laying back with the roof down staring up at the sky.

*He smiled as he leaned back again.*  Someone once said what you said, years ago - A fool feels no fear, A sleeper remains shackled by it, A Master transcends it yet recalls its wisdom. It is good to be afraid. It is folly to bow to terror.

A sleeper is what you were.  *he looks around.* All those people out there, those you don't feel with that spark that makes us us, those are sleepers.  They are the unawakened.  You are now awakened. He also said - Some minds rest best asleep, stir not those who would not waken otherwise.

Arionna
"I was never asleep. Neither was my mom. Or my aunt. We've never been asleep. Who is it to created those words? Asleep, and awakened? What does awaken really mean? You'll say that you are awakened, that Kalen is too, but neither of you seem it."

Danny
Ahhh and now we get to the tricky bit. *He sighed and took another suck on the straw.* See... There's this balance as you say, it's how things are linked to each other, from the tree's to the people, to the insects and well.... *he shrugs.* It's the energy flows, we really are all linked. Being awakened doesn't mean that you're the most special people on the planet, it means you have a larger degree of responsibility to those around you.

It means what you do, can have an effect on things round you, like I dunno, plants growing better because of the way you talk to them, that's kind of mundane.. but perhaps unwittingly you're releasing something as you go through the ritual of the planting itself.  We are after all, creatures of habit.  Or perhaps you see things?

*he takes another sip and glances at her again.* What did you do that time, the thing that really 'worked'. *He kept his voice calm, just sharing a conversation with her by the looks of it. He even smiled as well. Those that still stared from time to time would soon enough drift away.*

Arionna
"My responsibility is to the gods. And to the earth, and the animals. I was responsible for them even before. It just makes more sense now. I wasn't sure when I was younger, why things were as they were. But now I understand."

She closed her eyes, taking in a breath of air, inhaling the scent of the leaves. "I didn't try. I wasn't trying to do anything but run. I thought I was being attacked. And then I just...flew. I was one with the crows. We were together, flying through the world. "

Danny
*He blinked and turned to look at her.* That wasn't what I was expecting. What did you think was attacking you?

Arionna
"A mountain lion." She said calmly. "It was beautiful. It went quiet. The trees were still. The crows were in the trees. They kept coming. I've never seen so many before. And then he was there. Beautiful eyes. Just watching me. I ran. He clawed me. I felt the pain in my back, knew he made contact. Then I was soaring, flapping my wings as if I were born to it. He wasn't there when I looked back. I never saw him again."

Danny
*Danny's eyebrows raise.* Well you were damned lucky.  And it's never happened since? Have you tried to do anything like it since?

Arionna
She frowned slowly. "I've tried. I can't." She sat up slowly, taking her cooling coffee in her hands and curling her feet in a little.

Danny
*He nodded at that.* Well, this is where knowing people like us can come in useful, we can teach you.  But you have to learn to meet us half way.

You don't have to like any of us, but to learn to work with us means learning how to fit in.  Learning that sometimes people take apart what you say a little too literally and they might get offended, or you might get offended.  Like well, last night.

You're entitled to your world view, everyone has one after all, but putting down someone elses in the need to prove yours to them can be rather uhm... difficult.  See, that's the other part of what we are, we have our set way of seeing things, because well, Thou art Miraculous, so are we all.

Arionna
"I didn't do anything wrong. You jumped to conclusions. Kalen didn't want me there from the beginning." She glanced to the side at Danny. "Why should I try to fit in? If people want to be friends, they accept the other as they are. You can't make a cat a dog, even if that would make it easier for the dog."

Danny
No, that's true enough.. *He sighs.* Oh well, how about this. If you see some of us, talk to us, but talk to us from the thoughts of I dunno... we might be just as anxious about you as you are about us, or intrigued.  *He shrugs.* He's worried that you're some kind of sociopath in the making I think.  And he's had enough of monsters.

Arionna
"Because he's prejudice. People think that. I was called a devils child once. Satan's offspring. Witch. Plenty of names for being different." She sipped her coffee slowly. "Sociopath sounds tame now. He should try something more flowery."

"I've seen people like him. Hundreds of years ago, people who acted like him would take people like me...and they'd put them through trials to make sure they weren't evil, or casting magic. There was nothing scarier than having a witch in the village. Monsters hide most often where people can see them, but never notice. And they make monsters by influencing everyone else to act like them."

She looked more fully at Danny, though still kept her eyes down just a little. "People forget that so many of the animals in the night...wolves...bears...mountain lions...they want to be left alone. It's only when you throw stones that they become 'monsters.'"

Danny
Sociopath is my word, not his. *he points out, then nods.* I've heard of the witch trials.  So is that how you see yourself? A witch?

*he nodded again at her words.* Yeah, some times that's what happens sometimes. But with people, it's more to do with how the person just is. And I don't think you're a monster, I think you've had some problems along the way and they've made you hard.

Arionna
"Then you should be more creative. I like to hear what new ideas people make up."

"It's what people use to call me. It's what my aunt calls herself. It's what those before me call themselves. I think that makes me one. Yes. I'm a witch. " She let out a small puff of a laugh. "I wonder if I weigh the same as a duck..."



Danny
*Now Danny stared at her and then laughed as he got the joke.* There you go... see?  I doubt you do weigh as much as a joke... but you've not got a bad nose. So so far, being simply different is working well enough for you.

I won't call you anymore names, you are who you are.  It's honestly just the lack of social empathy you project from yourself, its like... *he thinks about it.* No it's not like... your aura, your whole... resonance, how others "feel" you its frozen, it's real cold. And while that's useful, it can also make it harder for others to get along with you.

Danny
(Duck not joke)

Arionna
"I don't mind anymore if people get along with me. I don't mind if there are people like me who have their parties while I sit in the forest. Each person is favored by a god, and they carry that in them. Even gods have rivalries. Some get along better than others, some like to be alone. They're all important."

She sipped her coffee again slowly. "You seem happy enough all the time. You even feel that way. Too much like the sun. "

Danny
*He laughed again.* That's probably the California in me.  *Taking another suck of his drink he shakes it slightly then takes another drink.* You're right, they are all important.

Is it so bad I'm happy?

Danny
(Dun dun DUUUUUUN!)

Kalen Holliday
[How awake are we?]

Dice: 7 d10 TN7 (3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 10, 10) ( success x 2 )

Kalen Holliday
[And how distracted by Resonance are we?]

Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 9, 10) ( success x 2 )

Danny
*His hair was tied back at the nape of his neck again, it was too hot for jeans so he'd put on a pair of three quarter baggy jeans, a pair of flip flops and a t shirt that said. "Always be yourself, unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman."*

Arionna
She was sitting in the leaves with Danny, under a tree, a long black skirt to her ankles, and a black T. Her hair was loose, hanging over her shoulder as she sat talking with Danny. "Maybe." She looked to her cup slowly. "Happy people miss the problems in the world. Or they think all is well around them. They're often first to point fingers at people who aren't as happy as they are."

Danny
No... we don't miss the problems in the world. *he shakes his head and smiles again, this time sadly.* We see them, they are as valuable to us as any other emotion that they bring about. All of it is important, not to feel any of them is to allow a chance for weakness to come.  All of it is important, feeling the fullest range of emotions that there are around us all is what makes us us... but how we choose to deal with those emotions is also important. Accepting them allows you to learn how to cope and grow.

Kalen Holliday
Kalen wanders around the university grounds and he looks like he might belong there.  Maybe a grad student.  He's wearing jeans and a moss green tee-shirt and a messenger bag and he could be on his way to a class or the library.  Technically, he is on his way to the library, just not for the reasons one might think.

And at first Danny's brightness and Arionna's coldness don't register to him as more than the sun and the approaching chill of evening, but as he gets closer he recognizes the sense of them for what it is.  And, Arionna alone he might have left, but Danny is not someone he ignores.  Danny is the kind of person he cancels coffee with repeatedly because he has to stop one apocalypse or another, but would never ignore.

And really, if there is no world left there won't be any coffee.  And then where would the uncaffeinated universe be?  One could only assume grouchy.  And whatever is left in other worlds...they certainly can't want that, now an they?

Arionna
She moved her eyes to look at Danny askance, once again. "You're more a preacher than a musician." Another slow sip of her coffee. When she felt Kalen approaching, she lifted her chin and looked off in his direction. "Your boyfriend is somewhere close." She moved, rising to her feet. "I'll leave."

Danny
*He sighed softly then lifted his head staring up between the branches.* You don't have to.   Tell you what, why don't you just stay and I dunno... maybe put yourself in his shoes for a bit?  I mean, you don't know if you don't try? But if you don't want to.... *he shrugged.* I won't make you stay.

Kalen Holliday
Kalen is not prone to hesitation, so he doesn't really seem to question whether he should be coming to join them, but he does pause when he reaches them, before settling onto the ground.  His eyes track from Danny to Arionna and then back to Danny again.

"Am I interrupting anything?  Because I can just go play with newspapers and old maps in the library."  He sounds absolutely unconcerned, though whether that is of the thought of interrupting or the thought of not being welcome, or even both is hard to say.  "It is, after all, a thing that needs doing."

Arionna
Her brows furrow and she looks at Danny a bit hard. "He's scared of what he doesn't understand. I don't need to 'be in his shoes' to know that. I've been around enough people who act the same."

But before she can grab her bag and saunter off, he's already there and taking a seat. Arionna settles back in her space, pulling her bag to her to pull out a book and sit it in her lap, open. "No." She says to Kalen, focusing on the pages in front of her while they talk about...maps.

And really why should she leave? She was there first. He tried to chase her off the other night, not the other way around.

Danny
*Danny smiles seeing Kalen when he sits down.* Okay, I'll bite. Why the maps?

Kalen Holliday
"Because one never knows when it will be advantageous to know about the current and historic location of sewers.  Or mines.  Or mysterious tunnels, though I haven't found any interesting mystery tunnels beneath Denver.

"Yet."  He settles beside Danny, leaving Danny between himself and Arionna.  And he does warily scan the grounds now and again, but really, this is rather open and populated for vampires or cannibals or most of the things that might ambush them.  And he is tired.

But look, also places that have been ambushed in Denver include movie showings and club openings.  Just because something sounds reasonably safe doesn't mean it is.

"How are you two?"

Danny
Me I'm fine.. *he smiles and lifts his drink to take another slurp of that lethal concoction of coffee, toffee syrup ice and milk, all topped with more toffee syrup and cream. What about up and around in the locale? I mean, this is Colorado, right? Gold country? What about old mines?

Danny
(Shit sorry, bloody fingers)

Arionna
"The word mysterious would indicate that you'll not likely find that they exist through the library. It wouldn't very much of a mystery if one only needed to look at the university library." She turned a page and sipped her coffee lightly. She glanced to Kalen, considering his question to one of politeness and less of caring. Still she gives him a small shrug. "Acceptable."

Danny
There's always the land register? *he looks between the pair of them.* Why wouldn't they exist through the library?

Kalen Holliday
Kalen rolls his eyes.  "Sometimes you find accounts of mysterious tunnels.  I;m not expecting any here.  But places like New York and some cities in other countries, you do.  Mysterious and secret are often different things.  I'm not expecting to find much for tunnels of either kind under Denver, though.  Granted, I may yet be surprised.  But Denver has very different historical build patterns that make that rather unlikely.

"And...yes.  There are land registers and such.  Old claims maps.  Not all the older records are terribly complete, but I am trying to put notes about where one might find...well...everything.  And mines and caves make good lairs for a number of things.  Grace and I occasionally cross reference them with locations for animal mutilations or missing people or missing animals or whatever else.  Just in case.  So...the more of them we have the better, really.

"And, at some point, perhaps I will want one.  For an underground fortress.  With shiny gold walls."  There is a slight pause.  "Please don't tell me that's not going to happen.  I am joking.  I realize you feel the need to tell me about every little potential thing that might be wrong with anything I say because I don't even know, but I am not even in the mood to wait for you to tell me mines make terrible underground fortresses and are not in fact walled in gold.  I know that.  Much like I know I'm almost certainly not about to find mystery tunnels."

Arionna
"Wouldn't be a mystery if you could find them inside of something so easy to access." She flipped another page, slowly crossing an ankle over the other. Kalen may be trying to nip her in the bud, but oh she's not having it."You could paint the walls gold. It will likely take you several coats to achieve the appropriate color, but if you're after something so gaudy, it's achievable. If you mean solid gold, it will be harder to create, and also would be unwise if you're attempting to maintain structural strength. Gold is terrible as a building material, fantastic as a conductor."

Danny
*He'd held his breath waiting for Arionna's answer... and then blinked before his shoulders began to shake as the silent laughter caught them. Then he chuckled shaking his head.* She's actually kinda got you there Kalen. You know... I bet that Arionna knows the terrain pretty well, and knows the caves too, places bears sleep, other ones.... *he eyed first Kalen, then Arionna. Still smiling her answer.*

(They're sat under a tree away from people.)

Grace
[Awareness!]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (5, 6, 6, 7, 9) ( success x 4 )

Kalen Holliday
"I have absolutely no desire for gold walls.  The fact that you somehow still think that after I stopped to actually clarify I wasn't serious qualifies as unfriendly in normal human interaction.  Despite the fact that Danny is amused.  I have no idea if you're honestly oblivious, or just a fucking bitch.  But, for the record, the fact that by any conventional reading you are a cold bitch is why I'm not trying to be extra nice to you.

"Perhaps you just are incapable of anything resembling normal human interaction.  In which case, I'm sorry I'm being kind of cool with you.  But, honestly, you seem to not like me and so I rather expect that like practically the rest of Denver, you also hate me.  That's fine.

"But on the off chance you're actually about as feral as I was when I got here, we could call a truce."

He huffs at Danny.  "Only if I were serious.  Which I wasn't.  Or if mysterious things did not get written about all the time.  Some mysteries are in the open just unsolved.  So, mysterious tunnels are unlikely for a variety of reasons, but might be found by research.  Secret tunnels no.  If we are going to pick apart everything I say for spite, lets do it properly, shall we?"

Grace
So, Grace is on point today. Then again, she always feels a little spiky. Or sharp. Or stabbing. Right now, her senses are wide open to the world, and Kalen is...

Not at the library. That much can be gleaned by the light hint of ozone that does not seem to be coming from that particular building. Oh yes, having trouble with a database (like he texted)? Or did he just get stuck gazing in wonder at a goose or something?

Hey. It's Kalen. He could easily get stuck.

A little wandering finds another resonance in the mix, one that beams and flashes. Ohhh, well now everything is making sense.

Those paying attention will have to pay a great deal of it in order to notice Grace walking up a path to the tree under which they sit. She goes silent. Even her resonance is a bit difficult to detect until she's gone and made herself be seen.

She hears him, yeah? Cold bitch? You hate me? Sounds like Kalen made a friend.

Arionna
She feels like winter. That's the best way to explain it simply. The wind seeping into your clothes and the chill of the ice crawling into your bones to remind you that, yes, the cold of the night and the deep winter can kill you, and it won't be painless like some imagine it.

"Well... if we're going to call names." Arionna closed her book and looked slowly at Kalen. "You're a hot-headed, ill-tempered, judgmental dick. Perhaps I'm not 'friendly' but you're hardly approachable. I find you strangely egotistical to think that I have considered you so much that I hate you, and that the entirety of Denver has enough knowledge of your presence to know you're not just another man on the street. Only someone full of themselves would think they're so important that they could express even half of the perspectives elicited by the city. Unless of course you meant the very small select people that you know, in which case...You don't know me, and I don't know you, so the emotional connection we have is currently residing at 0. For clarification, that is not hate, in case you get the wrong idea."

"Now. We can call a truce." She put her finger back between the pages of the book and opened it up to continue.

Danny
She doesn't hate you....

*He again looked up at the sky. Squinting a bit as he did so then shook his head again.* Arionna, you could help out here.

*He turns his head downwards to look at her, restraining himself from wanting too hard for the pair of them to get along enough. He didn't notice Grace, his ping-dar didn't seem to be working so well today. Then Arionna spoke and he actually let his head fall back against the tree with a hollow thunk, then sighs heavily.*





Kalen Holliday
And you see, it here that, for the first time, Kalen laughs.  "I'm not terribly approachable right now, am I?  I try.  I do.  But I spent a very long time on my own.  I sometimes forget I've learned to purr and take food from people's hands."  He smiles faintly.  "Speaking of which, I'd offer to shake hands but last we met you seemed intent on the not touching.  Which is fine."

He looks up at where Grace is approaching and grins.  "Hey, Kit.  I found someone else who thinks all other humans have cooties."  And then he waits, not for Arionna's likely response, but for Grace's.  Because, once he knows you, sometimes provocation is love.

"It's alright, Star.  I'm not actually as hot-headed and ill-tempered and judgmental as people tend to think.  You know-"  He settles against Danny's side,  "Quite."

Grace
"Well, everyone has 'cooties'. I mean, there's millions of bacteria on our skins. Some of which is actually beneficial, fighting the good fight against the baddies. I don't really care about it," Grace says, but there's a quizzical expression on her face as she walks up.

"Are you guys fighting or not?" she asks. Honestly curious. Maybe ready to bolt (in case someone starts throwing bolts of their own).

Arionna
"It's not cooties." She lifted her head just enough to look at Grace from behind the strands of dark hair. "We're in-between matches."

"She's right though. Humans are foul and full of germs. Not exactly the most cleanly animal." Another turn of the page and she looked back towards Grace slowly. "You're new. Weasel-face's friend, or Mr. Sunshine?"

Danny
*He let out the next breath with a large grin on his face.... then slipped his arm around Kalen giving him a hug one armed.* Thank you.... Thank you thank you thank you...

*Then Arionna spoke and he started to chuckle again, this time shaking his head.* Oh. My. God.

*Grace was greeted to that sight yes, he turns his head to look at Grace.* Grace!! Come sit down! How's it going?

*Yeah, now he just took another suck of the cold drink. His hair was tied back at the nape of his neck again, it was too hot for jeans so he'd put on a pair of three quarter baggy jeans, a pair of flip flops and a t shirt that said. "Always be yourself, unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman."* So, what are you wearing for the Halloween do?  Still going with the coat? I've gotten stuff sorted out for me, it's just right.... I juust need to find my Mardi Gras beads to complete it.

They're not going to fight, thinks are cool but okay. Come on, plant your ass.

Kalen Holliday
"We're not fighting.""  He rolls his eyes, but he can't really mean it because he doesn't even bother to sit up properly.  "Although, clearly, her eyesight is compromised because I do not look like a weasel.

"Anyway, Kit, this is Arionna.  Arionna, this is Grace."

He nudges Danny lightly.  "Look.  I sometimes have to interact with other humans without Serafine.  It can be done.  Clearly, I possess some ability to play nice."  He has more than some ability to play nice, but that...well that was practically another lifetime.  And that was less nice and more playing.

Grace
Grace waves at Arionna. "Both of them. And he isn't a weasel. Mr. Sunshine is more the weasel. A ferret, really. Kalen is an undomesticated cat. But he, obviously, thinks of me as a vulpine species, from the name he gave me."

Yes, Danny, you are a ferret. Congratulations.

"The coat? I suppose I could. But it's more of a laser tag thing than a costume. I don't know what I could go as with a light-up coat," she says to Danny. "I could make it blink really fast and go as a pulsar, but then I might give someone a seizure."

"I would plant my ass, but my butt could grow roots and that would be so uncomfortable. I think I'll just sit," she says, and plops down, not next to the trunk, but facing the others.

Arionna
She looks to Danny for a moment. "Mmm... no.. not a ferret. Unless he's a thief. Do you have a tendency to take things of little to no monetary value and hide them under couches? Do you do the weasel war dance when you become excited?"

"Kalen has a very weasel face. It's the bone structure. Pointed nose." She pointd at her own nose as if to make the point. Arionna closed her book again and lifted her attention to the group finally. "If you grow roots, I hope you have the courtesy to wait until I can document it. I've never seen a human grow roots before."

Danny
*Letting his arm remain there, he just let the smile stay on his face. What wasn't to love? It was getting darker, they were relaxing in the last rays of summer, yeah all in all, life wasn't too terrible if you ignored that there were a hoard of nasty evil cannibals on the rampage and who knew what else..*

Nope, you're not a weasel face.  Definitely a cat. *He chuckled a bit at that. Then stared at Grace in shock.* How the hell am I a ferret?

*He shook his head still smiling and chuckling.* No I'm not  thief. And what the hell is a weasel war dance? Kalen's beautiful.

Kalen Holliday
"Excitable, curious, fond of shiny objects?"  Kalen smiles.  "I could see it."

"Lots of animals have pointed noses."  The protest doesn't even sound serious.  Because he is calm, and not actually concerned about it.  Weasels are kind of cute.

And then Danny is calling him beautiful, so Kalen responds exactly as one might expect.  "Purr."

Grace
"You haven't? I have seen humans growing roots. It wasn't very cool. We managed to save one of them, but from what I gather, it wasn't easy," Grace says. Oh yeah, Arionna. Have we mentioned this is Denver yet?

"You are a ferret," she says to Danny, and shrugs. Like, that's the only evidence she has really. That he just is one.

Arionna
"The weasel war dance is..." Either youtube was going to explain it or Ari was going to be left to it. She took in a slow breath, tightening her lips a little. Slowly, she rose from her feet, setting her book aside. Arionna slipped her hands under her hair, pushing it out of her face. With a small shake of her limbs and a straight, poised stance, she began.

First, she bounced in place, then forwards and backwards, giving it a little spin. And maybe that would have been it, but oh.. oh no it wasn't. She ran forward, stopped, bounced, then jumped a bit in the air, wiggling as much of her body as she could. With another spin, she ran back to the group, bumping into Danny with a few bounces, giving another twirl and wiggle in the air before she bounced back to her place and stood there, panting from the exertion. "That...is the weasel war dance. And it's done when a weasel or ferret successfully takes an item. "

Her hands brushed at her skirt as if it might wash away the strangeness that just presented itself. "People grew roots?" A look of confusion sliding over to Grace. "How?"

Danny
*There was another sigh and he shook his head again with another chuckle, but this time it was to Grace..* Fine, Ferret then.  I guess I should see this whole war dance thing at least though before I accept it.

*He grinned even more at Kalen's purr.* It's true... I could scritch, your chin but I think that'd be pushing too far. Maybe... so..... Me and Ari were talking earlier.... just chatting shit. She's uh.... very new to the scene.

*And then Ari got up, and began to prance about, pronging around and bouncing. All he could do was stare at her, his eyebrows rising higher and higher, right before he burst out laughing. A proper full on laugh.* Oh. My. God. I do not do that!!  Do I? Ferrets gloat?

*But he settled down some more when Arionna asked the right question, if she saw his face, she'd see him nod in encouragement.*

Kalen Holliday
Kalen stretches and then resettles.  "Careful.  Grace did specify that I was undomesticated."  He watches the war dance, which is far from the strangest spontaneous demonstration he has seen without comment.  Random passers-by might be surprised, but it takes mythical creatures and being dragged into the Umbra, and other rather more extreme circumstances to surprise Kalen.

Like finding out someone was reading to your body while you were functionally comatose.

"So was Grace, when we met," Kalen says.  "Remember that, Kit?  And you were skeptical about coming out to my totally not creepy warehouse....?"  He sounds amused.

"Actually, unless you can think of an appropriate nature witch I was thinking maybe we should introduce her to Eleanor.  They'll be like instant wintery friends or someone will start hissing, I think.  But in the event of the first one I think the balance thing would be an ideal point of commonality.

"I picked up less from Jack and more from Kharisma, so I know some principals but...I'm more fate than balance.  Even if we actually got on and wanted to...I don't think I'd be any good for her."  Says the Flambeau who practically took Grace as an apprentice for awhile.  And, lo, it did it goeth more smoothly than his actual apprentice.

Grace
"I don't know how it happened," Grace says, to Arionna. "Not exactly. Apparently some plant 'spirit' or other got a little too into messing with people. Turned them into horrible shambling root monsters."

She doesn't say zombies. She doesn't want to unnecessarily set him on edge.

"Well, the warehouse is not creepy," she starts to answer Kalen, even though her eyes stay on Arionna. "But I didn't know that beforehand. Just there's this guy I just met and he's saying I should come to his warehouse to shoot guns, and that doesn't exactly inspire gobs of trust."

Arionna
She sat back down in her seat, stretching her legs out and acting as if the whole war dance had never occurred. "Ferrets gloat, yes. Very much so. I imagine they have very humorous personalities."

She cast her green eyes a little to Kalen. "No, I suppose it wouldn't. He does have a little of a serial killer look. Not very approachable either. Gives off a bit of an air. I wouldn't trust that either." Her book was placed right back in her lap and she crossed her ankles. "Suppose I can't blame the earth for retaliating. "

Danny
*He was relieved. Turning his head to Kalen as he spoke.* Hey, I like being bitten! *Reveal time?!!*

Yeah, that's probably the best way to go.  Right now, I'm keen on preventing things getting out of hand without her having any idea of what the cost is from the burn.  *Perhaps it was impolite to speak about Ari with her there, but it was better probably with her there rather than not.* And no, I don't think I know of any nature witches.

*He turns to stare at Grace then laughs as his head goes to Kalen.* You didn't!  Oh god, that's terrible! I'm surprised she didn't run a mile!

*He never knew what Arionna was going to say next,* I'd have never guessed that Ferrets gloat, but I'd hope I wouldn't do that... unless I really was right.

Kalen Holliday
"Oh, I totally did.  And she asked if she could bring a friend.  And then I told her that if she'd trusted me I would have been slightly disappointed in her and we've been friends ever since."  Not precisely true.  But he doesn't bring up what they've more technically been friends ever since.  But that first day she got her Name and they've been friendly since.  That counts, right?

Grace
"He did. But then, I don't know. He turned out not to be an axe murderer, and when I did go to the warehouse, we just drank coffee and talked about the true nature of the universe, so..." she shrugs.

"I can blame the spirit plenty. It tried to kill me. Strangely enough, that's still cause for blame. I don't know. I actually grew some roots there myself, but fought it off."

Kiara Woolfe
It's getting darker and the lights on Denver Campus have ignited, dull yellow orbs flickering to life and casting feeble attempts at lighting down upon the pathways that weave throughout the sprawling campus lawns. There's more than a single figure navigating said pathways at this time of day, when the sun retreats and the moon peeks from under the horizon, ascending into an inky black sky scattered with stars.

Kiara Woolfe is among those souls, a dark figure cutting across the lawn with her arms full of papers, a bag slung casually over a shoulder in some intimation of a perfectly acceptable college student and that bold mouth of hers painted as richly crimson red as ever. She's a striking figure, not merely for the mundane reasons, but also for the way she invokes a certain supernatural je ne sais quoi from those with the senses to detect it. It's very particular, that feeling of your skin being prickled and stripped, only to be pressed back into feeling with a sudden jolt. Like someone has torn a intangible bandaid off without the manners to forewarn it.

The Dreamweaver has no pressing business to her stride, her long legs are eating up the lawn with casual determination. Still, her path intends to lead her quite close to the small gathering under the trees.

Arionna
With the drop of the sun and the rise of the moon, she feels...more alive, rejuvenated...free. It's always with the coming dark that she feels stronger, better at everything. She curls her legs under her slowly, shoving the book back into her bag. "Nothing is getting out of hand. You're treating me like a child. As if I've never been prepared for this. I'm likely not the first in my line to be gifted."

"You killed it, didn't you? That's part of everything. Something is always trying to kill something else. If its motivations were just, then I couldn't be upset about it."

Danny
If I didn't know you, I'd say you were exaggerating, but I know you well enough by now I think. . *he laughed  softly to Kalen. Then looked to the girls as they talked. If he didn't see Kiara or didn't really pay attention to her was purely because he was having an off day as far as his ping-dar was working.

His head turned to Arionna as she spoke, then he gently hugged Kalen again.* You okay?  Getting enough rest or you need me to come over?

Kalen Holliday
"On the contrary, I spend a considerable amount of time either teaching or learning, and I've spent a decade learning already.  Having people who understand and can work with you is a good thing.  I think there is a good chance you might have that with Eleanor.  There is almost no chance you'll have it with me.

"I don't think you need someone to hold your hand while you cross the street, and you'll understand when you meet her...but Eleanor has never struck me as the hand-holding or coddling type.  She is one of the more intimidating people I have met, but she seems in my experience reasonable, fair, and dedicated to justice.

"If you were a different person, I'd introduce you to someone else."

He glances at Danny.  "I'm fine, Star."

Kiara Woolfe
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (4, 5, 7, 7, 9) ( success x 3 )

Grace
"I don't know if its motivations were just, or if it even had a concept of what justice is, necessarily. I think that's the only thing that really gives it much of a pass in my opinion. Someone once told me that spirits don't really see things the same way we do. They only know their own natures, or something. So us complicated humans with our concepts of justice and right and wrong? They don't really get it. I mean, I wouldn't expect it. They're like automatons. Daemons. One job, one purpose. I don't know really. I've never had much contact with 'spirits'."

She leans back to look at the sky, and a touch of surprise crosses her when she feels Kiara. This surprise is directed at the last embers of sunset. She doesn't actually look to the source.

"I don't think it's that he's treating you like a child. Just in Denver, we tend to have to stick together. The world ends here about two or three times a season. We've had world-ending plague, world-ending viral plant things, a world-ending spirit of terror I like to call Thakky, another universe tried to eat ours from here. Just lots and lots of shit. Eventually, if you're unlucky, you'll want someone watching your back.

"Also... who is that? Someone's coming?"

Kiara Woolfe
Not everyone among the collection under the tree is familiar, but there's enough to slow the brunette's momentum somewhat as she nears, the heels of her boots sinking easily into the earth. Kiara pauses, tenders aside a lock of dark hair from her eye and with a small smile hinging the edge of her mouth, redirects her footsteps so that they fall into direct line with the grouping by the tree.

"Don't tell me," she offers, a thin eyebrow drawn upward, her gaze settling on one face she does recognize, slouched against the tree with Danny. "Stargazing Club?" The Verbena's eyes flick upward, musing. "You might get lucky." They drop. Shift between the various gathered Awakened. Grace gets a slightly longer look, more measured, a calculation perhaps of the odds of her being what Kiara assumes, given her company, she must be. Arionna gets the benefit of a wider smile of recognition before the dark eyes return to Kalen.

"Private party or can a girl pull up a square of lawn?"

Arionna
She knows Kiara from their moment in the herb shop. So when she approaches, Ari shifts her eyes to the woman, picking up her now cold coffee and sipping at it. There wasn't much left, but it still had a pleasant flavor.Her eyes flit among the group, and despite her own beliefs, she can't seem to accept that the world has nearly ended a few times...particularly since she didn't experience it herself.

"If you pull up a square of lawn, I don't think the university will be very pleased. They'll have to put it back, and I've learned that city people truly enjoy their artificial lawns."

Danny
*He nodded sagely to the pair of them when they spoke to Arionna, and no, there was no gloating what so ever, some might lift their hand and "air chalk" the wall, others might crow "I told you so!" Triumphantly, Danny smiles, but it's not so much as it was.

Then at Graces other words, he frowns slightly and starts to look out. Panning the area until he felt that something different.*

Uh, be my guest? *he was comfortable, his arm was draped around Kalen but his skin was cooling rapidly now that night had fallen in full and he wriggled just that little bit closer to Kalen.*

Kalen Holliday
"Figure of speech," Kalen murmurs to Arionna, but there is no venom or even really censure.

"They let me in.  I assume they'll let anyone."  He doesn't move from where he's settled against Danny's side, but his eyes track Kiara now, wary despite the playful tone.  "And...on occasion.  On occasion there is stargazing."  He doesn't offer introductions this time.  Of course, he doesn't actually know Kiara.  That does tend to put a bit of a strain on introductions.

Grace
[Reference for the adorables: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/da/16/e9/da16e99efe497c00ecae599e2b9e4ec5.jpg]

Grace smirks at Danny and pulls out her smart phone. A few seconds later, she turns it around to show him a picture of a ferret and a cat cuddling each other. Kalen will probably see it too, as his vantage point is so close to Danny's.

Seems like they've been that way since the beginning -- touchy feely in a way Grace can't comprehend. But she can do a mean image search.

"It's totally private. I mean, where did you get the idea that people should be allowed to sit wherever? In the outdoors? We have rules and regulations like a mile long as to how you can socially interface with us. How dare you," Grace says, but the words are so blatantly full of jest at the very idea of private gatherings out in the open, it would take a miracle to miss the sarcasm.

Kiara Woolfe
"Grazie." She drops the bag to the ground with a heavy thunk, things inside rattle together before adding a pile of papers to the lawn beside it and setting a foot lightly on top to hold its position while she gathers together the heavy fall of her hair from her nape and shifts it over a shoulder.

For a (near) perfect stranger, the female has an odd degree of certainty about her acceptance to the gathering. That, or perhaps she takes a little pleasure in any discomfort that follows it. Arionna draws laughter, its warm, vital. It reaches the Pagan's eyes tonight. "Oh, I don't know, I think it could add character. A few missing pieces here and there, it might be exciting." She turns her attention back to Grace.

"Lawn elitism. I should have known. It's a college thing, isn't it?" Glib for glib. Then. "I'm Kiara, by the way. Kiara Woolfe. Newcomer, social interloper." She holds out a hand, ring laiden and with a wrist bound by clinking bracelets. "Woman of mystery, defier of social lawn etiquette." The last added on idly, as an afterthought.

Arionna
"If you remove just the right pieces, we can have a game of chess, much like Alice did. Though we'll never get anywhere because the whole world isn't quite right. "

"It wasn't so much that we let him in, but that he sort of appeared, and we didn't have the energy to kick him out. The sun has a way of doing that." She popped the lid of her coffee to examine how low the contents were and let her lips drop into a small frown.

"Arionna. Kalen is the weasel. Danny is the one with the long hair. Grace is the only other female present. Besides you."

Danny
*His eyebrows shot up seeing the picture and he laughs again in surprise.* That is sheer class.  Bravo.. *He grinned at Grace. He didn't know Kiara but was not giving off the prickles that Kalen almost exhibits, it was merely curiosity now. Even as he laughed again at Grace's words, the laugh still a chuckle at Kiara's words before he shifted slowly so's not to dislodge Kalen. His hand coming out to shake Kiara's lightly.*

Danny. *When he'd shook hands he nestled back again, this time with a shiver.* I'm going to have to go soon, I'm sorry.

*And again he had to laugh at Arionna with a shake of his head.*

Kalen Holliday
His eyes roll at Arionna's continued references to him as a weasel, but Kiara amuses him and there a picture of a cat and a ferret and they are so cute and-

...ahem.  Decorum.  Or something.

"Me too.  I did come here to work."  But he doesn't move from where he is yet, save for just enough to offer a hand to Kiara.

"Hey."

Grace
Grace does not offer a hand. She never offers that. But she does smile.

"Man, you do not even know about lawn elitism until you've lived in Phoenix. It's a status symbol that says just how much you care about the expense of water usage. Hell, the fountains-per-capita in that place is astounding. And then, the border towns about riot over the people crossing the border who have the temerity to drink from their precious lawn fountains. Like how dare they survive, right? It's like the border jumpers are attacking them right in the elitist status symbol," Grace says, obviously a bit on a particular side when it comes to elitism.

She shifts her attention back to Kalen. "Oh yes, Mr. I Had This Problem With a Database, who had to text me about it. Then I find you here being all with people."

Kiara Woolfe
"Arionna. Kalen, I remember. We had a tryst over ice cream. Or at least, meaningful dialogue, I think. Danny, I'm sure I've seen you before. I'd like to think I'd remember." The edge of her mouth again. Playful. Flicking to Grace and her speech on elitism. "Grace."

She slides down into a cross legged collection of limbs and reclines back on one hand. "I come from New York, I think anything not resembling a sidewalk is considered fair game." She jingles when she shifts her weight, Kiara, a collection of gems gleam around her neck, her wrist too. Beneath one leg the edge of her papers are slightly dislodged, though they appear far less any sort of college level work and more bold colored flyers advertising something or other.

Arionna
The reference will never die. Grace may see Kalen as a cat, but he will always be a weasel in Ari's mind. Always. Probably one of those little albino ones. She doesn't need to give an exit speech, or a mention that she needs to slip off into the night. Arionna rises from her seat, grabbing her bag and sliding it over her shoulder.

"I have studying to complete." Her hands wrapped around her nearly empty coffee cup. She stepped around  and out of the little group to make her way right back towards the library. [Ugh it's past midnight on my clock - and school calls]

Danny
Okay... Well... *he reluctantly shifts to move away from Kalen then stands up. T-shirt, three quarter length jeans which were fabulous in the heat of the day, but it was colder now by about ten degrees c.* I got to move on I'm afraid, I'm fucking freezing here.

*He laughed at Grace, then looked at Kalen with a fond shake of his head.* Kiara it was nice to meet you, everyone else? I bid you a fond farewell, and I shall see you all again soon. So take care of yourselves and each other.

*With that he began to make his way to where his car had been parked. Soon only his resonance lingered, then he was gone.*

(I'm really sorry, it's really early here... cars outside and I need to go to bed before the sun comes up.)

Kiara Woolfe
(No worries, guys! Thanks for playing. :) )

Kalen Holliday
Kalen rises too.  "As lovely as it is to see you again, I come from a nice southern sunny place and I might freeze out here."  He smiles.  "Did I give you my card last time?"

He glances over at Grace.  "You can be social.  I'll get set up.  And then fail at keywords until you get there.  There are only so many possibilities.  I might luck into something....."

Grace
"Kalen, databases don't generally have keywords. They have queries. Remember, 'select' whatever 'from' the database 'where' things are the way you want them," Grace says, and realizes upon blinking that he probably still has no clue what she means.

"I'll just go with you, okay? Sorry, Kiara. I do have to go help Kalen. He needs it."

With that, she stands from her plot of grass, thankfully not having grown roots into it, and joins Kalen. Not at his side. She's the type to keep a large bubble of personal space. But with him? That bubble is smaller than with most.

Kiara Woolfe
The departing figures receive a brief salute from the brunette, Kalen a winged smile and a nod, yes, she had his card before he and Grace stand to head on their way. "Don't let me keep you, I was just waiting you out to steal your piece of lawn, anyway."

There's a laugh and she watches the pair depart, her dark eyes following them until they vanish into the inky darkness.

Kiara Woolfe
(Thanks for letting me crash your scene, guys! Sleep well.)

Tensions

Kalen Holliday
[How awake are we?]

Dice: 7 d10 TN7 (2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 10, 10) ( success x 4 )

Kalen Holliday
[How distracted by Resonance are we?]

Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 7, 10) ( success x 4 )

Grace
Perhaps it's a bit disconcerting to find the woman who feels like an embodiment of hack-and-slash hanging up man-like dolls in order to smash them into teeny bits.

But then, they're only man-like. They don't look like vampires, not really. Their skin is whiteish grey and they smile a lot, showing off their fangs. Vampires just look like normal people. That's what makes them all the scarier.

Aside from the pinatas (one hung up in the kitchen to look like it is flying, another in the living room by the arms, and one outside) there are also sticks and blindfolds. Staves for a band of mages? How appropriate, no?

Grace is in the living room, while her grayish, black-clad victim swings from the rafters, a gummy heart already pinned to its chest. She is trying to tie a knot in the string such that it won't fall, and yet can be untied later.

Kalen Holliday
Kalen glances over the staves and smiles faintly.  "Really?"  He asks.  "I thought we were staking them?  For extra hilarity.  And fake candy blood spattered stakes.  You know you want one.  As a trophy.  But we have to varnish it or something, to keep the ants from erasing all the delicious sugary traces of your valor."

He picks up one of the staves, gives it an absent twirl, and then sets it back down.  "Although, I suppose, that cuts down on the blindfolding options."

"Though...these could be serviceable spears, with a bit of sharpening....."

Grace
"Hmm. I have the stakes too. Those are in the kitchen. I figure we can do both? Maybe break the thing with a stick and then stab it with a stake? Or we can make spears. Though handing a spear to a blindfolded person and telling them to stab at things might not be so wise.

Or it might be perfectly wise. Hand one to Alexander and have him practice how to really take a vampire down? Assuming the 'staking with wood' thing isn't just a myth."

Tied down, the poor thing swings from the ceiling, twisting a bit. Soon, your candy will flow, beastie. Soon.

Kalen Holliday
"We might want to bring them all outside to kill them.  But they can menace the inside until then."  He sighs.  "Halloween parties seem doomed around here.  But...pinatas.  We will get them.  Even if it turns out to be only us."  He taps the pinata on its gummy heart.

"Because, really.  We must."

Grace
"We must. Yes. And I do want a souvenir," Grace says, grinning like mad. Something about stabbing monsters in the chest, finding the heart... it resonates with her. Literally.

"I hope nothing happens between now and Halloween, but you know. Got to make the good memories while you can."

She goes over to grab a stick, hefts it up in fake inspection of its balance (as if she knows weaponry). "It's a good stick."

Alyssa Solomon
[[Magedar!]]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (1, 2, 4, 6, 8) ( success x 2 )

Alyssa Solomon
Truth be told, Alyssa isn't really here for the Halloween party.  Kalen may know this, but it would surprise many to find out that Alyssa isn't gaga over Samhain the way that other Hollow Ones are.  She doesn't dislike it but it is a time when the spirits are out in force and she often finds herself inundated by them.  Sometimes it leads to good things, like Molly leading her to Connor.  Other times she just finds herself irritated or worse, assaulted because Alyssa Solomon is no one's errand girl.

Anyway, the point is that she's here less for festivities than she is for reflection.  That little flap of wings and drip of blood graces its way into sensory range as she pulls her car into the driveway and kills the engine.  She's not made up today at all, looking far more like a "normal girl" than usual.  Heavy eyeshadow lines her eyes of course, but there's no foundation to pale her face, no high-heeled boots or green lipstick or colored hair.  She's dressed in an old Fields of the Nephilim shirt underneath a leather jacket, jeans and steel-toed boots as she stubs her cigarette out in the ashtray and heads to the door.

She picks up on the presence of those in the house, Kalen and Grace.  There's a little quirk of a smile and she forces it brighter.  She's not here to start anything, after all.  Putting up the mask of a smirk she opens the door and lets herself inside, calling out.

"Hollower in the house.  Hide your respectability and Tradition secrets and bring out the hard cider and heavy liquor."

Grace
[Magedar too!]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (2, 3, 4, 6, 9) ( success x 2 )

Kalen Holliday
"Really, Angel?"  Kalen calls back.  "Because I thought you were probably most dangerous to the liquor."

He turns back to Grace and nods, just slightly more serious, though he still smiles.  "We do.  And it is a good stick."

Grace
Oh. Shit. Alyssa.

Well, it's not as if ever meeting Alyssa again in the flesh wasn't bound to happen. But, in a place with beating sticks handily supplied? Grace's grin disappears and her face goes paler.

It doesn't help that Alyssa's presence brings with it the scent of blood. Real blood, not the fake candy stuff in wrappers that the vampire pinatas have.

She turns to Alyssa, still holding her stick, but it seems as though as far as Grace is concerned, she's forgotten about its existence. "Uh. I have respectability to hide?"

Alyssa Solomon
"Fuck that.  I wasn't talking about what I was more dangerous to.  I was talking about how you could make me feel like a proper wannabe."  She makes her way into the living room and if she has any problems with Grace, she's not showing it.  Their little spat is far from forgotten, but at the moment at least she doesn't bring it up.  Instead Grace gets a wry smile and she shrugs, which turns into a shuffling off of her jacket.

"If you have a Tradition name that doesn't start with 'H,' you have more respectability than me."  She unclips the gun holster and sets it on a side table, looking around at the decorations.

"Looks like you guys are keeping yourselves busy."

Kalen Holliday
"Hey!"  Kalen sticks his tongue out at Alyssa.  "That...sometimes includes me when I don't feel like using alllllllllll the Names."

"And yeah.  Halloween is still on and we're still with the pinata staking.  Possibly just beating.  And some drinks.  Because...the world is apparently always about to end and we shouldn't refuse to have any fun ever.  Or...you know...life will be even more depressing."

He grins.  "And, you know, that would be bad.  I am not actually that cute in black eyeliner.  I've tried."

Grace
Grace ponders what to say for a good while. None of the options seem quite like they're too keen. Mostly they all seem to be trying to start a war over who is least respectable in the room, which, yeah. Why?

People certainly liked her a lot more before she joined the Virtual Adepts. Nobody cornered her and told her that her practices were akin to baby murder. Respectability be damned if it comes with all this political baggage.

After a while of silence, watching Alyssa and Kalen happily converse, she wanders into the kitchen with her stick.

Alyssa Solomon
She gives a snort of amusement at Kalen's self-deprecation.  "I'm gonna make you try again so I can get photographic evidence of that shit for my own personal amusement during bad says."

Then Grace wanders out of the living room into the kitchen, and she frowns, looking to Kalen.  "Okay, what the fuck did I say this time?  I wasn't even trying to be insulting."

There's a shake of her head and she goes for the alcohol.

Kalen Holliday
"I...don't even know?  Maybe she's still unnerved by the blood thing?"  Kalen frowns.  "Although, she does seem mostly over that."  He shrugs.  "I think she'll be back?"

"But.  I am trying, very hard, to do fun things.  I'm not sure how fun this will be, but it will definitely be ridiculous and Grace loves pinatas, and actually they're kind of fun.  I think laser tag will be fun, particularly if more people end up coming.  If not, we'll just beat up all the pinatas.

"You know I never went trick-or-treating that I can remember?  I'm probably too old for that, but look.  I want a Christmas tree.  I'll even let you hang little skull ornaments on it and mock me, but you should help me decorate it."

"Anyway.  How have you been?"

Grace
Once in the kitchen, she goes for the kettle under the sink. It will give her some time, and an excuse to be... you know... in the kitchen. Away from all that.

They'll hear the water running, and the stove starting, and a stick prodding at the superman-style vampire hanging in the kitchen. She doesn't want to break it yet though, so she leaves her stick on the table next to the stakes, and wanders back into the living room.

And... nope. Still nothing coming to mind that would be at all advantageous to say.

"You can hand out candy. Nobody's too old for that," she says, finally, but the glee is totally gone. "I'm making some coffee," she adds, and it comes out in a blurt. Yeah. No ulterior motive to that at all. Just randomly went to make coffee.

Alyssa Solomon
"Oh hell no."  She frowns.  She really doesn't have the patience for this right now.  Kalen's question is forgotten for now, a wave of her hand in his direction as she follows the Virtual Adept into the other room.

"Grace, I'm not even playing.  What the hell did I do that completely destroyed whatever good time you seemed having to be virtue of the sudden dying-off of banter before I showed up?"

Alyssa Solomon
[["after I showed up." Not before.]]

Kalen Holliday
Doesn't have the patience for Kalen's bizarre desire for Christmas trees?

Oh.  No.  That's maybe not why she is frowning.  And, judging by the fact that she addresses Grace then, probably not.  So he stays silent.  They can address the Christmas tree thing later.  Sure.

Grace
Stopped short, Grace blinks and rubs an earlobe. "Last time you and I talked, it didn't go so well. Like, it sounded like you wanted to track me down in real life in order to scratch my eyes out? And so this confuses me. I don't understand why you're being so cool about me being here.

"Which, I don't know, I'm just... Maybe I'm wrong?" she shrugs, and her entire countenance betrays just how lost she is. When people don't make sense, and they're people like Alyssa... Maybe outside would make a better hiding spot?

Alyssa Solomon
She stares at Grace for a long moment, with a lot of emotions rolling around underneath the frustrated surface.  There's a little tilt of the Hollow One's head, a moment of consideration.  There are many ways to respond, and some of them are ways that she wants to respond.  Others are ways she knows she should do instead.

Finally, after a couple of beats, she puts her hands on her hips and shifts her head into a tilt in the other direction.

"Do you want to get into it now?  We can.  Settle it all out, move on.  That wasn't my goal because I, like the majority of other people on this planet, am capable of being angry at people that they otherwise generally like.  I can still have major problems with what you said to me and not get into it for the moment because I would rather we be pleasant and friendly, since you seemed to be enjoying yourself.  But I'm honestly not sure if that's possible with you the way you're reacting and I'll be honest, I'm really tired of being treated like a leper by the mages around here.  So if you would rather, we can settle this out now."

Kalen Holliday
Kalen's eyes widen, just a touch.  And then he settles into a chair.  Quietly.

Grace
Well, okay. Retreating to the outdoors would be 'treating Alyssa like a leper' even if that's not the intent. So, she stays.

"People are treating you like you're a leper? I just... didn't want to get kicked, to be honest," Grace says, and raises a brow.

"Actually? I'd much rather run and not deal with it ever, because of that aforementioned not wanting to get kicked thing. But I can see the benefits of trying to deal with it now. Not that I think talking with me is actually going to work. It might make everything much worse. You haven't seen me shove my foot halfway down my digestive tract yet."

Alyssa Solomon
She sighs, and the frustration doesn't go away but she looks...a little drained.  Disappointed maybe, whether in Grace or something else.

"I'm not going to kick you, or punch you or stab you or whatever you may think I'm going to do.  I'm not someone who just goes around beating on people who irritate me.  Even when he..."

She jerks her thumb back at the living room and Kalen.

"...pissed me off over something I thought at the time was much more serious than what you did--misunderstanding though it was--I didn't attack him, whatever you may think.  I talked with him and we argued, and it was settled because shocker of all shockers, I am a rational human being.  I'm an angry person sometimes, but what went down between you and I was very different than even that.  And if I'm ever going to attack you--which I don't see happening--I will make it clear ahead of time.  I don't sucker punch people, and when I say that we'll have a conversation in person, I actually mean conversation.

"As to our dispute..."  She shrugs.  "I want to make this clear, and I'm not trying to say you don't know what you're doing.  I've been hiding from the Technocracy since I was fifteen years old and was taught about them starting at age six, before I Awakened.  When you try to lecture me about what can and can't be said over email and suggest that you know better than me because you've had friends taken down, I counter that I had almost literally everyone I knew destroyed by the Technocracy as a teenager.  I've seen other people make mistakes and die, and I not only know the stakes, I know what can and can't be gotten away with.  Suggesting that I don't is insulting, but I know you don't know my story so I'm willing to overlook that.  This is what I wanted to say to you but I knew that if we tried to have this conversation outside of a face-to-face it would just get worse and worse."

Kalen Holliday
Kalen stays still.  And quiet.  He, after all, was trained to wait and to watch by a cat.

He is not nearly so indifferent as that cat could could be, but this fight isn't his.  And, it is looking less and less like it will even be a fight.

But Alyssa hooks her thumb at him and brings him up, and he does speak, if only to soften the tone a little and give Grace a second.  "It's true," he says.  "And if she hasn't hit me yet, you're probably pretty safe unless you do something horrific.  We fought a little and then co-founded a cabal.  Seriously.  Same conversation.  She's not actually terrifying in the sense that she'll come after you without any warning or reason.

"Terrifying in other ways, sure.  But those are why I wanted her in my cabal."

Grace
Grace sighs. Okay, so this is not going to go well. There is no way this is going to go well. And the good memories will not be made tonight. When will they be?

"So, okay. Suggesting that I don't know what can and can't be done online is even more insulting, considering that it's my entire... thing. Don't you think?" Grace says, and her eyes swivel up to the ceiling, where they will stay, in her effort to forget that there are other people in the room.

"The email thing is big in hacker circles right now. They're saying about the only safe email server is one you set up yourself using your own encryption, because then you have control over the keys. That's been the buzz for about... since Spring. I'm sorry if you thought I was treating you like a child. I wasn't. I was treating you like someone who has less computing knowledge than myself, which includes just about everyone.

"You don't trust me to be able to do my job. You question my knowledge in an area I'm incredibly versed in. And I'm the insulting one? Granted, it didn't make me mad. More distrusted. Very much like a leper, and more like I totally needed to do something, anything, to gain people's trust. But how, I don't know."

Alyssa Solomon
"You're not getting my point here."  She shakes her head.  "I trust you implicitly to do your job.  As much as I trust anyone to, including myself.  But when you're talking about computers--and make no mistake, I know you're amazing at that--you're talking about a tool.  I'm talking about the people using the tool who want us dead.  Two entirely different things.  That's like saying you know what ISIS is going to do because you know how IEDs and AK-47s work.  Not the same, but very similar.  You know risks, and I understand and bow to your knowledge in them."

She puts her hands up in front of her chest, palms out to Grace.  "I get that.  But is Sleeper hackers say that's the case--and I assume you mean Sleepers because I figure you'd say Virtual Adepts or the like otherwise--the Technocracy has been able to do that kind of thing for years, probably decades.  They can track you down wherever you go if they have reason to.  And yet I'm not dead having used these tactics for years."

She sighs.  "Paranoia is good, Grace.  But you can't let it run your life.  You can't live afraid of the fact that I might hit you because I'm angry, or the Union is going to come swooping in if you used the wrong code word.  I have never doubted, nor have I claimed to doubt, your superiority over me in computers.  But please, trust that I know the Technocracy a little better.  If they have the technology to find us via a random email sent to a random email, then we might as well surrender right now.  But they don't, because we're not all dead already.

"Fear them, yes.  But don't live in fear of them.  We have to take risks sometimes in order to do what we do.  Which is help people and sometimes save them from monsters or worse."

Kalen Holliday
Kalen sighs.  "You both know what you're doing.  And you both know that.  There's nothing to fight about there.  Can we please hit pretend vampires with sticks now?"

He looks between the two of them, a bit hopefully.  "I would use more words and all, but I'm actually too unnerved by being the one suggesting we all be calm and do this party thing that I can't really do sentences.  And, unlike Alexander, I have horrible aim and no peaches to throw at anyone."

Grace
Grace turns her head over to Kalen, sad-eyed. "No."

And then, she actually looks at Alyssa while talking to her at last.

"They found me using some random text I sent to some random person. We were talking about the wrong thing. We used the wrong code words. And now he's disappeared. So they have that technology. You're saying they don't want to use it because, hey, maybe they just don't have the resources or the willingness to go after everything that goes 'ping' on their radar. All I'm saying is that they do get the pings. They have that capability. It's been used against me before.

She looks down at the ground, then, threads fingers into her messy hair. "I didn't mean to insinuate that you didn't know what you were doing."

Alyssa Solomon
She sighs, and then smiles.  "I've heard.  And I get that.  I understand.  But I worry that you live in a way that isn't really living.  Part of the reason I dress how I do and act how I do, why I became a Hollow One and not a Hermetic, is that I refused to let anyone control me or my life.  That includes myself and my fear, and my anger, and all that.  If I'm going to die--and I will, and so will all of us, one day--I want to look back and say 'I don't regret anything.'  It won't happen because I have regrets, but the biggest regrets are the ones that you could have done something and didn't."

She looks back at Kalen, then at Grace.  "We're cool, I promise.  Go hit things with sticks.  Don't be upset, because there's no reason to be.  Hit things with sticks because that's how you show your fears that you're not afraid of them.  I just came to hit up the library anyway."

She takes a couple of steps back and then pauses.  "And if you tell anyone I got all touchy-feely, I...probably won't do anything, but please don't.  Image to maintain and all."

She smiles again and then heads off toward the library, winking at Kalen as she does.

[And Hollower out!  Thanks for the scene!]