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Thread: Chasing Shadows[M]{Damonique&EerieWillows}

  1. #11
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    When Leddy finished working through the situation in his head, and then out loud, Carrow smiled...and that was a rare sight indeed on the usually-dour company man's face. It was like they'd passed a test of sorts, and while he was sure there would be real ones coming, but he'd gotten a foot in the door and a place for his people to stay. It was a start that would have to do for now.

    "Glad we're in agreement...and it goes without saying that those two can stay in the dark about the whole 'toss you off a building' deal. The Marine has a history of service, but he's still in his twenties, and the kid's a kid....no reason to spook them, at least until they settle into this kinda life. They both think it's an exciting new employment opportunity, better to keep it that way." He added as he headed for the door. Most people wouldn't enjoy the idea of keeping secrets from the same people they needed to trust, but Carrow had opsec drilled into his skull and had seen firsthand what happened when people knew they were getting played. They started making noise, and people who made noise tended not to last long.

    "We're staying, settle in your shit, get comfortable. No more hotels, this is home-sweet-home for the foreseeable future, which makes us all one big family of sorts. So don't piss off your brothers and sisters." He stated gruffly the moment he was back in the dining room, startling Kasimir and Brooklyn, who had been crowding the door, clearly trying(in vain, of course) to hear whatever was transpiring inside. The Sikh snapped to attention and threw up a quick salute, entirely out of habit, while the girl gave a hop and a barely audible squeak. These two... the Agent thought.

    -------------------------------------------

    Kasimir was unperturbed by this whole series of events....it was almost nostalgic, really. Just a new bunk on a new base, that was all. The mission remained the same, protect the innocents and try not to die doing it. He slung his camo duffel bag over his shoulder and headed for the stairs, choosing to bed down in the first room at the top. It was the closest to the exits, and it put his light-sleeping self between Brooklyn and anything that might go bump in the night.

    The room was spare, a bit musty, but still a hell of a lot better than a jail cell. It would serve. He tossed his bag down at the foot of the bed and unloaded his few scant possessions, sum total of which was a well-beaten pillow, some bedding, a heavy-duty alarm clock, already set, his medal display, containing two purple hearts, a silver star, and a handful of service ribbons, and a tiny, unadorned copper idol of Guru Nanak. And just like that, the room became a sanctuary.

    He still had plenty of time left, of course, so he decided to work out the last of the tension the long car ride had left in his shoulders and calves with a workout, testing the door-frame and finding it solid enough to hold his weight, and started his regiment. Thirty pull-ups, thirty push-ups, thirty crunches, a quick prayer while he rested, and repeat until everything hurt. It wasn't just how he kept in shape, it was also hoe he emptied his mind of all impure thoughts, searching for enlightenment in exhaustion. So far, he hadn't found it, but he kept looking anyway.

    --------------------------------------------

    Brooklyn was ecstatic at this turn of events, having bounced back from all of the fear and tension earlier in the way only the truly young could. Everything was back to being an adventure. She was thousands of miles from home, settling into a new place to live, but this time it was in a house instead of a crappy shared dorm room, and instead of lectures on subjects she had already memorized, she had real, important, challenging work to do. It also meant sharing a very limited, some would say 'intimate' space with her mysterious ex-Marine, which was as thrilling as it was terrifying.

    She had to make two trips to get all of her things upstairs, and took the room at the end of the hall, closest to the bathroom. That was a bit of instinct of her own...growing up with several siblings had taught her to hoard hot water and mirror-time jealously, and started making the little space her own. She'd brought everything...a unicorn-patterned curtain to go around her bed, fuzzy blankets and pillows adorned with colorful cartoon and anime characters, and all her favorite stuffed animals to cuddle up with. She assembled everything exactly how she had had it back home, a comfortable 'nest' in which she could lie back, computer in front of her, headphones on, and vanish into cyberspace.

    She got back out, intending to check out the facilities when she caught Kasimir at his routine, muscled torso rising and falling in time with ragged breathing, eyes closed, so intensely focused on pushing his body to the absolute limit of human endurance. If her life had been the anime she sometimes wished it was, she'd have burst a capillary in her nose, and it was all she could do not to whistle in appreciation. She'd meant to just watch for a moment, unnoticed, and commit the sight to memory for later...exploration...but just as she was about to turn away, someone stalked up the stairs, quiet as a cat, and locked soft chestnut-and-violet eyes with her own cloudy blues. Eerie. Brooksie turned beet-red and froze like a deer in the headlights, even dumbly raising a hand to wave to the woman, as if that would do something to reduce the tension. thanks
    Last edited by Damonique; 02-09-2020 at 07:11 AM.


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    Damonique and Natora, Joshua and Jessica, over a million words strong and the story goes on and on and on.....

  2. #12
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    “As long as I can warn them of what they’re up against, I won’t mention the higher ups as a threat.” Assured the ginger, a slight tug at the corner of his lip all that the man got in return before he turned, grabbing his phone and settling it into it’s proper place. The tight jeans he wore has a wear in the pocket in the exact shape of the damn thing. Obviously, he’d be at least reliable in that respect. “You make sure yall’re settled, and we’ll take care of the rest. I’ll send her up to grab you when the time comes. I’ve got a few bugs to work out. Won’t take too long.”

    Eerie watched as Carrow finally left, sighing and leaning back into the chair. She looked between the door and her partner, sighing and biting her lip. Perhaps this needed a moment of real privacy. Her shadows slowly closed the door once she was sure the others had headed upstairs, locking it tightly before she got up from her chair and slipped out from behind the desk. Her ever present smirk faded, concern forcing her brows to knit together.

    The man was leaning on his palms , holding himself over the stacks of paperwork as his hand moved to run back through his hair. How many days had it been now for him? How many days since he last slept? Ate something? She’d forced him to work and cook with her earlier. Just to distract him from the ever present worry over their new arrivals. Now, to find out the true nature of things. Perhaps it was time to spike one of his drinks. She didn’t want to, but he needed to sleep. Creeping up behind him, the woman reached out and put a firm hand on his shoulder.

    “Leddy, It’s going to be fine.” Started the girl, a smile forced upon her lips. “You know they’re in good hands, I won’t let them die on the field, and you won’t let anything happen to them here.

    “I know that. We cant’ guarantee a thing though. This whole mess...” He started, sighing as he took another puff off his nearly dead cig. “You’ve been watching the reports through my recent reports, you’ve been out there. You know what’s happening. This sudden uptick in activity.... We have no idea what’s causing it. Now we’re going to be at half capacity for a while... Not to mention we have to make sure they’re good an-”

    “Leddy... We’ll do our best. We always make it through and you know that. It’s why I rely on you, kiddo.” The woman stated, moving and sitting on the desk next to him. “They’ll become great hunters... I can tell. If we train them, it’ll be worth all the stress. I mean, we’re top of our class! How could we not train great hunters. Look at how you turned out!”

    The moment it left her lips, she regretted that statement. A cold sweat broke out upon her skin as she looked down at him, meeting the rather cold gaze turned her way. She deserved that one. Oi. Sighing and patting his shoulder once again, she nodded towards the desk. It was time to get to work. They needed to start figuring out just how they’d approach this whole mess. Waiting until morning was not a good way to start things off. Not with the ginger like this.

    The two worked for a solid half hour together. Going through Leddy’s many files and trying to figure out a basis on which to speak with them. Really, He needed to find out what each of them knew, in a more direct way. From there, he could figure things out. There had been a few things rumbling around in the woods. Perhaps there was a quick hunt in order. It was about as easy as it could get, but they were fast enough that it wouldn’t be easy.

    Only when the redhead thought he had a good few things he could show them did he tell the raven haired witch to go grab everyone. He had to gather a few files, some information from his vast network and some extra contacts. How he’d be working to help, how eerie would be. The proper way to go about a hunt in their opinion. An orientation to the way things were to be done. It felt... off. But he couldn’t think of any other way.

    The witch did as she was told, humming to herself softly as she made her way up the stairs. She was rather absent minded about the whole mess, that was, until she saw what was waiting at the top of the stairs. That young girl, eyeing up the marine like a dog eyeing up a juicy steak. Well, she couldn’t blame her. The sight drew her attention for a few moments even. The humming stopped, and instead, she moved as quietly as possible. There was no harm in a bit of fun... right?

    As soon as the girl finally noticed her, that Cheshire grin returned. She waved with a wiggle of her fingers, more than amused with the bright red this cute little thing turned. Ah. So young, so innocent. She’d be fun to have around. Like her dear kiddo, but not towering over her. Thank god. She stood up proper, pressing her fingers to her lips and letting out a shrill wolf whistle in the direction of the marine. It was loud enough that Carrow would even hear it. She could pass it off as a poorly thought out attempt to get their attention.

    “Already breaking a sweat? Ain’t you a hard worker there, sugar.” Crooned the woman before laughing, clearly simply trying to get a reaction out of the poor man without much actual intention. “ While I’d love to let yall pass out right away, the night is the time to be awake in this business. For the most part. If you get a chance to sleep even. We’ve got a bit of business to attend to, and I’ve been sent up to fetch ya. With the promise of food of course. Gather yourselves up, grab some food from the big pot on the stove, and head into the front room. I think red is putting something together to help get things... moving. Lord knows with that boy. Tata~”

    And with that, she turned and winked at the young miss, chuckling to herself as she fucked off to join the other one downstairs. Oh, This was going to be such fun. Having more people in the house... maybe It’d help them all grow a little. Socialization was important for kids, after all.

  3. #13
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    Kasimir had been completely focused, up down, up down, breathe, rest, up-down, up down. It was a mantra he knew well, and it made everything around him fade off into the background. That sort of absent-minded focus was something to be cherished...some people went their whole lives without experiencing it. Rivulets of stinging sweat was beginning to run off his brow, so he kept his eyes shut tight, oblivious to the world around him.

    The long and sharp wolf-whistle shattered his concentration. His eyes flashed open and he dropped from the door-frame, working hard to catch his breath. It was Eerie, of course it was Eerie....he knew that only because there was no way the little blonde could have mustered up the courage. But, looking about, the she was as well, standing at the other end of the hall from Eerie, with him stuck in-between. They were caught up in what appeared to be a staring contest, interrupted by the occasional glance in his direction.

    The voluptuous, raven-haired woman's expression and manner was playful and confident, while he little genius was beet-red with unconcealed embarrassment. Apparently, he'd been putting on a show for them for who knew how long before their host decided to get his attention. Wracking his brain for something to say to cut the tension, he settled on the single relevant thing he'd caught from Eerie's spiel. Food He sniffed the air and started salivating before he recognized the smell of meat boiling, probably a stew. He sighed and looked back up to their host with an apologetic expression, supposing it would be better to get this ever-awkward part out of the way early.

    "I keep a khalsa diet, which means no meat, just so you know...God's creatures, cruelty, all that. Nothing against you if you do...my faith is my own. No need to bother yourself, I can pick around it..." He started explaining, trailing off at the realization of how utterly ridiculous that sounded coming from him. A combat veteran, a confessed killer, but god forbid a morsel of meat make it past his lips. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. Just because he couldn't let either of them into his bed didn't mean he wanted them both thinking he was some preachy nutcase.

    "Ooh, such a gentle giant, caring about all the widdle Thumper's and Bambi's in the world. Won't keep me from devouring whatever you pass up like the heathen I am, but hey, mad respect for having principles." Brooklyn chimed in all of a sudden, coming to the rescue by cutting the tension with her delightfully misguided cheerfulness. Kasimir saw an out in the distraction from him and took it, carefully sliding past Eerie at the top of the stairs as if she were made of venom and leaving the two ladies to hash out whatever was going on between them, making his escape downstairs to the hopefully safer company of Carrow and Landry.


    --------------------------------------------------------

    With her unknowing beau's swift exit, Brooklyn was left alone for the first time with the self-titled 'witch' who's only purpose in life seemed to be making her feel clueless and inadequate just by comparison, weather she meant to or not. Not that she needed much help on that, she had to admit to herself....today had been just one embarassing situation after another for her, and she wanted it to finally be over already, to hide in her bed-fort, plug in and do something that made sense to her.

    But there was no such luck yet, and so she collected her courage, put on as close to her usual cheery smile as she could manage, and sidled up towards Eerie tentatively, as if afraid she'd bite her if she moved to fast. Based on even what little Brooklyn had heard about this not-quite-human 'weapon', it wasn't an entirely baseless concern. Slowly, she extended a hand, rainbow-painted nails and all, for the other woman to shake or bite, whatever suited her fancy.

    "Miss....Eerie, was it? Never got the chance to properly say hello in all the crazy down there, and I figure if wer'e gonna be living and working together, I should get it out of the way. I'm Brooklyn, Brooklyn Paige. I'm a Pisces, if you forced me to choose, I'd say my favorite color is purple, I was honor roll at U.C. up until all of this started, and when I'm nervous I ramble until someone stops me..." She started off, mile-a-minute before trailing off into a giggle at her own joke, trying to suppress the instinct telling her to run very far away, very very quickly.
    Last edited by Damonique; 02-27-2020 at 08:23 AM.


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    Damonique and Natora, Joshua and Jessica, over a million words strong and the story goes on and on and on.....

  4. #14
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    “Oh I don’t do the cookin’ sugar. That’d be the big man downstairs. Just give him some notice and we’ll make sure you’re fed. Thankfully, the creole tonight has just a little shrimp in it. Apologies, had we been told it’d be somethin else. Hope you like it hot. He’ll be respectful of your practice, but that doesn't mean he’ll cool things down much. “ Purred the woman, endlessly amused with just how much he was avoiding her. Something about it made the little pokes and teasing that much more enjoyable. She’d keep from harassing him too much though.

    It was only when the man was out of sight that violet eyes focused upon the girl, practically glowing in the low light of the hall. Well, wasn’t she cute the cutest little thing. Her hand wrapped around the girl’s in a firm shake, her smirk only seeming to get wider as she rattled off about herself. Gawd. She’d seen this time and time again. While she had the same concerns for her safety, she was far less likely to simply baby her. Nothing like a bit of hard work and pushed limits to get someone a movin'.

    “Well then, little Miss Brooklyn, pleasure’s all mine. Nothin’ to be scared of. I don’t bite.... much.” The woman’s sultry tone then laughter was warm, yet there was the genuine question on if she really would bite or not. Shaking her head and sighing, she met the girl’s eyes again., “In all seriousness though, Don’t you worry your pretty little head. Things’ll settle down quick after tonight, hopefully nothing falls down the grapevine too fast. A chance to show ya’ll round the property would be idea, but there’s no guarantee. If you’re needin’ anything... just ask me, mkay?” Releasing her hold on the young miss, Eerie turned and headed down the stairs, motioning for her to follow down into the kitchen.

    --

    Sitting at the table with his food and a pile of paperwork around him, Landry was already hard at work again by the time the others were coming around. Thankfully, it was a surprisingly large family table, more than enough room for all and his work. With his head buried in paperwork, he’d barely noticed the marine entering the room. Icy eyes only peered up when he heard the floorboard near the counter creak. Oh, well, No time like the present.

    “You’re get settled in then? The ladies coming down shortly?” Questioned the man from his work, bringing the glass of god knew what to his lips and sighing. Out of the three of their guests, this one was the one that’d be the most promising, initially at least. Lord knew with the kid, but that would be a bit down the line. He closed his files, setting them in a few distinct piles before he stretched and leaned back, listening for the sound of the girl’s coming down the stairs. They’d be allowed to eat somethin’ before he got going. A bit of a rest for them would be a good idea, least in his mind.

  5. #15
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    Brooklyn was stunned by Eerie being so very...pleasant? In fact, compared to what she was expecting, the 'witch' was being downright motherly. She was forced to reconsider her position...on one hand, personal experience and gut feeling, on the other hand, she'd seen the files. And video evidence, eyewitness testimony was irrefutable. This woman didn't just kill monsters, she'd gladly kill whatever was standing between her and the monster. What would happen if that person happened to be herself? The thought sent an involuntary shudder down the blondes spine as he continued shaking the other woman's hand, studying her intently, mostly the lines of her face, finally confirming something for herself.

    Immortality wasn't something that the logic-minded girl had believed in, even as she ran deeper down into the rabbit-hole of the supernatural, and written it off as someones unreliable memory, or a flat-out fabrication. But she'd seen a photograph dated 1971 of this exact person, who hadn't changed a day. The eyes, the nose, the cheekbones...identical. Only the hair was any different. The implications were staggering, and Brooklyn was curious....but not confident enough to actually broach the subject. Right now, her priority was getting, and staying, on Eerie's good side, for her own safety.

    "My friends call me Brooke, or Brooksie, depending on how well they know me. I think we could be friends if nothing eats me first." The blonde added as something of an olive branch to the shorter, possibly infinitely older being standing before her, and finally released her hand, only trembling a little now that the initial trepidation had passed, and as she followed the beauty down the stairs, she found herself growing just bold enough to open up a bit.

    "This'll be the first night I've ever spent alone. At home, I roomed with my sisters, at the dorms, I had a roommate...guess I don't need to put the curtains on my bed. For once I have a door with an actual lock that keeps people out." She stated quietly, having just realized that fact for herself. Sure, it was in a strangers house, but it was still her own room. Most people would think that was no big deal, but for Brooksie, it was huge.

    ------------------------------------------------------------

    Carrow was already waiting at the table with Landry, poring over some files that he'd managed to talk the younger man out of, and had spent the whole time picking the gingers brain to fill in some of the blanks in his knowledge. It was too much to learn and memorize in a year, much less a night, but the Agent hadn't realized just how in the dark he was being kept by the Watchers until he got a look at some unredacted files for once. Any bit of info might save his teams lives, so he'd put as much time in getting up to speed as he could.

    "Those two are having a little chat, but they shouldn't be long. At least, the surviving one should..." Kasimir said in answer to the other man's question, and started dishing up a bowl of the heavenly-smelling gumbo simmering on the stove, trying not to be too obvious about spooning the handful of shrimp floating in it back into the pot. At least he hasn't liked shrimp before, which made it easier. Once he had his food, he took a seat beside Carrow, but didn't dig in immediately. While the Agent had been taking bites between pages, he gave the soldier a respectful nod and set down his spoon until the girls produced themselves from upstairs and dished up their food. Brooksie took her seat next to Kasimir, almost-smoothly but that she made a bit too much of a show of scooting her chair a bit nearer, leaving the spot between her and Landry for Eerie. She knew the drill by now as well, shrugging her shoulders and leaving the bowl steaming in front of her for a moment longer, despite eyeing it ravenously.

    "Landry, Eerie....mind if I rattle of a prayer? It's not strictly essential, but the first meal with new-met companions is supposed to be it's own whole...thing. In this line of work, I'm sure you at least understand a healthy dose of superstition." The Marine stated calmly, not wasting words trying to explain the school of thought or the conflicting viewpoints of different Guru's on the tangible effect of ritual. He wasn't looking for converts, just a bit of familiarity. His battle-buddies in the Corps had indulged his faith, for the most part. Sometimes patronizingly, like he was a sort of mascot, but it was better than the ridicule and racism that it got him in Chicago.


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    Damonique and Natora, Joshua and Jessica, over a million words strong and the story goes on and on and on.....

  6. #16
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    Letting the young miss slip past her when they met the turn in the stairs, the witch stopped her descent. For the first time, her face fell into a sombre, melancholy expression. This was different, but not without promise. Perhaps there was enough promise to make it worth the new stress added to their workload. She wouldn’t know until things settled. Their names rolled off her tongue quite well, those bright eyes suddenly glowing as her shadow shifted, a soft of feline shape emerging from the darkness and looking up at her with similar eyes.

    “This is going to be... interesting.” Mused the woman in a quiet whisper before looking down towards the creature with a less than pleased expression“ Best keep yourself hidden for now. We wouldn’t want to scare off our guests. One of them already knows, and i suspect that is why the girl is being so... jumpy. Just for now, You can come out to investigate later. ”

    The shifting mass seemed to sense what she meant. It looked between her and the group, then bowed it’s head, disappearing back within the dark tendrils behind her. She calmed herself, the ring in her eyes settling at the edge of her iris before everything finally stilled. Once again she was as close to human as could be. It was time to join the pack. Her smirk returned as she sauntered down the stairs, oblivious to just how long it’d taken her.

    Gathering some food and some coffee with cream, the lady stood against the wall for a moment, looking over the group with that ever-knowing smile. Good, It seems everyone was getting settled well enough. Some tensions, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with some time and rest.

    Realizing the lack of the witch’s presence, Leddy peered up from his work and raised a brow and motioned for her to sit. She was acting up. But not like she usually did, being secretive and all sorts of weird. Was she excited about the company? Lord knew she’d gotten bored with teasing him. He PRAYED she’d gotten bored of teasing him. Only when she was sitting did he move to bring a spoonful to his mouth, nearly doing so before Kasimir asked for just a moment. He stared for a second before clearing his throat and nodding, letting his spoon return to it’s place in his bowl.

    “Go ahead, I’m sure we can wait a minute.” Replied the Ginger as he set his current file to the side and let his hands rest before him. He was quiet. Not only had he grown up with grace until... that day. But he’d read enough of various religions to simply let it be. To each their own after all. Eerie simply set her coffee and food down, nodding to the young man and smirking from ear to ear.

    Kas was allowed his prayer, The pair sitting respectfully like the others until he was done. The young man produced his own tradition of sorts, setting the black label whisky upon the table for all to get into. It was an older bottle, he was willing to sacrifice it. He wasn’t nearly as dependent on drink as his partner was. It would help with the burn of the Creole dish before them. While it had a hard kick, it wasn’t enough for the man. His own was swimming in Tabasco and whatever other home made nonsense he had. The witch seemed more interested in her now spiked coffee than anything. It wasn’t long before everyone had settled into their meal. Finally, some peace and quiet.

  7. #17
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    Carrow smiled and nodded when their hosts decided to indulge Kasimir's tradition. His experience was worldwide, so he had a healthy respect for the sort of attachment that people placed on their beliefs...he wouldn't have been all that good at supplying and training Bedouin tribesmen if he wasn't willing to answer a call to prayer. It was all bullshit, he knew that, but whatever kept that one clear-headed and eyes-forward. There was quite a bit more to the Ex-Marine's rap sheet than just valor in combat and what any reasonable person would call justifiable homicide.

    The kid was lucky he'd found his way into the military, where his particular...mental defect...was celebrated rather than shunned. It was a harsh accusation to make, but The Agent knew a sociopath when he saw one. And the first rule to dealing with one of those was to not bring it up. Hopefully, the pious front would throw their hosts off from the tells...the last thing he needed now was for this little 'alliance' to get blown out of the water because Carrow had brought a killer into their home. Not that he thought the woman/weapon was any less unhinged, but it was obvious that Landry had a soft spot for her that probably wouldn't extend to strangers.

    He was less than pleased when the ginger produced what he seemed to think was a 'gift' for the table. A bottle of ol' Walker, twenty years old if it was a day. Personally, he was touched...that was good stuff, and definitely meant as a peace offering. But the timing and company couldn't be worse. One of his charges was living a life self-enforced abstinence that had to be difficult, and the other wasn't even of legal drinking age. He coughed twice, looking from the man to the woman, their hosts, wondering if either of them would recognize the faux-pas, but they both seemed entirely unperturbed.

    Drunks. Functional ones, maybe, and it wasn't as if he could hold whatever vice got them through the day past these two, knowing even what little he did of their long partnership. But as a professional, he couldn't endorse mixing work and drink, and as a father, however shitty of one he may have been, he didn't like the idea of them exposing those habits to Brooklyn. For gods sake, he had lied to the girls parents in order to drag her into this business, and she'd want to visit them eventually. If she came back home with an even fouler mouth and a drinking problem, there would be questions asked. And while he knew their 'employers' would be more than happy to put a stop to that in order to preserve the 'valuable asset' they considered the little genius to be, he didn't want to have any part of the methods they might use to ensure that silence was maintained.

    -----------------------------------------------

    After his request, Kasimir looked about, wondering where the problem would come from....but there never was one, which actually gave him a pleasant surprise as he looked around the table. The Agent took him seriously because he seemed to take everything seriously, and Brooklyn just stared at him starry eyed, as if she couldn't believe such a person could even exist. He would have felt more touched by that unconditional acceptance if he didn't know exactly where it came from. A crush, superficial and fleeting, on the person that she thought he was. The best way to keep her safe was to maintain a healthy distance, and keep a close eye out. Because there were people exactly like him out there who hadn't gotten around to changing their ways.

    He had no idea what to expect from the two strangers that had suddenly been thrust into his life, though...but Landry acquiesced as politely as one could expect, and took on something of a somber look that seemed to be nostalgia. Maybe he hadn't always been so jaded, and still held a spark of faith. Or perhaps he just didn't want to make his job any more difficult than it had to be. Kasimir would take either...anything that kept him and the scraggly man on an even keel. This was clearly his household, and right now, their little trio was an unknown change in atmosphere. People didn't usually react well to that, and a starting a pissing-contest for dominance this early wouldn't go down for anyone here, even if Kasimir knew he would win it.

    And then there was Eerie...she was an absolute unknown, outside of what little the marine could glean from the veiled suggestions he caught in conversation here and there. But despite her outwards affability, there was something to her, an aura that some instinct deep down told him was just...wrong. Between that gut feeling and the almost predatory forwardness she showed that felt too familiar for comfort, he was expecting some derision from that corner. But there was nothing, so he counted his blessings and bowed his head, reciting several poetic lines in Punjabi before switching to English to share the general 'gist' of the blessing.

    "God brings food and friends together, gives safety to our homes, clarity to our minds, strength to our bodies, and courage to our hearts. We offer thanks for these blessings, and beg forgiveness for our base nature. From god to guru, from guru to mankind, we walk the path." He translated, somewhat haltingly, and concluded the prayer by lifting is bowl to his lips and taking a deep drink of the near-scalding broth. It was a good sort of fire, and while distinctly American, the overwhelming collage of spices and peppers was a glimpse of childhood.

    He did his best to force himself to ignore the bottle sitting temptingly on the table, from which he knew both Leddy' and Eerie's cups were filled. It wasn't worth making a scene over, he knew. Adults had the right to a drink when they wanted it...the choice to indulge themselves or not was a personal battle to be fought, and he knew as well as anyone what lengths one would go to forget their trauma's. It was just as valid a coping mechanism for them as his faith was for him.

    -----------------------------------------------

    Brooklyn turned back to look at her immortal companion as she fell behind her at the top of the stairs, expecting some sort of acknowledgement of her confession and receiving nothing. In fact, Eerie's attentions seemed to be somewhere far away, eyes open, but looking past, rather than at, her surroundings. It was odd, but nowhere near the oddest thing about the mystery woman, so she took the hint and scampered down the stairs to fill her bowl and await Kasimir's appeal to the heavens. Brook was an atheist born to atheists, but her parents had raised her to above all, be kind, and if that meant sitting politely through someone's ritual, so be it. It was like the national anthem...you didn't have to believe the words to understand why others might have to. And when Kasimir made his solemn intonation, it it gave her a glimpse into a sort of blind, pure faith that she could never even fathom having. Taking the center of attention like that took courage, far more than she'd ever shown, and gave her a glimpse into the depths of his soul that she felt lucky to experience.

    Once it was done with, she dug into her meal with reckless abandon, thankful to be eating something, anything, besides fast food for once. Carrow was impatient, and not exactly a big spender, so unless it cost less than five bucks and could be ready in five minutes, he wasn't springing for it. And with a bank account in the negative, she wasn't exactly in a position to complain. Once after she'd nearly polished off a helping did she really pay attention to the bottle on the table, the contents of which both Leddy and Eerie were making themselves well acquainted.

    It wasn't as if Brook never drank, but never so openly, and never around adults. Passing around wine coolers conned out of some hopeful upperclassmen was something she did with the girls on her floor late at night, whilst swapping gossip and feeling naughty for getting away with it. But she was one of them now, right? Kas didn't touch the stuff, but that was just how he rolled. If she was willing to toss away the path to a career she had been working towards to 'join the fight', shouldn't it come with a few perks? After hesistating for a moment, she mustered up all the courage she could manage a reached for the bottle, feeling suave and confident even though in reality, she was moving in almost slow-motion, waiting to be reprimanded, and shaking like a leaf on a tree. She had it halfway to her glass when Carrow chimed in.

    "You're underage, girlie, and I won't have you getting drunk and puking your guts out when we've got busy days ahead of us. Take yourself a little shot to taste and then pass that my way alright?" Chimed in the Agent, extending an open hand across the table to make good on his request. The teenager glanced from Landry to Eerie, wondering if either of them would come to her defense, but no backup seemed forthcoming, so with a pouty look she tipped just a bit of the amber liquor into her empty coffee cup and handed it over. She swirled the whiskey around in the glass in a way she though looked mature and refined, took a deep breath, and tossed it back.

    And then she coughed...once, twice, three times, inhaled sharply, and after trying to play it cool for a moment, dropped that charade and rose from her chair to bolt for the sink, filling her cup to the brim with water and drinking it all in three long gulps to get the burning aftertaste out of mouth, and then looking around the table sheepishly. Kasimir kept his composure for just a moment before he started laughing, trying to choke it back for a moment before giving up and letting the giggles out, which quickly spread to the Agent as he showed her up by taking a deep swig straight from the bottle in between gravelly laughter. The blonde's face quickly turned what becoming it's more-usual-than-not shade of red.
    Last edited by Damonique; 01-19-2020 at 06:12 AM.


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  8. #18
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    The poor man had just taken a sip when the old man lectured the girl for being underage, steel eyes shooting open at the sudden realization. Choking ever so slightly on his drink, he managed to cover his mouth fairly covertly. No doubt the other men noticed, and Eerie absolutely did, grinning wolfishly at him. His ears burned, thankfully he wasn’t so flush that the kid could notice. He knew she was a baby. But a BABY? Shit. He had assumed she was at least legally able to drink. He wouldn’t have brought out Johnny if he’d known. She was entertained with pouring her drink as he gave Carrow a bit of a look. Damn, Now he looked like the witch did after a particularly rough hunt.

    Pinching the bridge of his nose, Leddy tried to get himself less riled. That was, until the little girl put on a show of it all. Entertaining in the moment, he couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips. Kids. They were always entertaining in their own way. A handful, but perhaps that was the trade off. Even he couldn’t stifle the slight chuckle at her red face, despite nearly being in the same situation moments prior. Eerie seemed just as amused, the feminine giggling that passed her lips nearly normal for what her appearance would dictate.

    “We’ll have to get you somethin’ lighter. Little lady, till you can handle it.” She teased harmlessly. There was no harm in a communal drink once in a while, A glass of wine, a cooler. Hard liquor though? Only upon special occasions. At least for the kid. She wouldn’t hold herself to the same.

    The meal was pretty quiet from then on, the man once again going over his paperwork while he tried to organze what and how to talk to the new two. They obviously needed some sort of orientation. Something that he wished he’d had when he’d started. Flinging the soldier in.. that might work. He had enough experience in surviving. But the girl. With every passing moment, he firmly though that it’d be better to keep her around the safe house, at least for now. He could use the help, especially if it meant testing that wit that the old man was bragging about. He’d work her. Perhaps find some smaller jobs or exorcisms that they could handle on their own. Wrapping things up, Eerie took the empty plates and moved to the sink, motioning for the young lady to come give her a hand. Better get things done, then Leddy had little choice but to head to bed. With the men around the table still, Leddy had a chance to discuss things, the girls busy over by the kitchen sink.

    “You’ve got 2 options. Either get some rest and we’ll talk more in the mornin, Or we can move to the living room, let the girl’s join us after and we’ll have a little conversati-”

    “Leddy, It’s been a long ride for them since you jammed the GPS. Let’em rest a bit! We’ve got at least a day or so, since just wrapped up my job yesterday.” Interjected the woman from her position at the sink, poo-pooing him a bit.

    “Not up to me, it’s up to them.” Replied the man in a stern tone, raising his brow before bringing the glass to his lips once again and shrugging. “Choice is yours.”
    Last edited by EerieWillows; 01-19-2020 at 07:43 PM. Reason: Fixing little issued my sleep addled brain missed last night

  9. #19
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    Kasimir knew that it wasn't all that nice of him to laugh, and he had really tried to supress it, but the scene was just too comical for him to do anything else. Brooklyn was just so very desperate for attention, and yet so very bad at handling it. It was endearing, at least while they were in here, safe. Out there, in a danger, that naivete and faux-bravery was likely to get someone killed. Probably him, honestly. The thought didn't disturb him as as much as it probably should.

    The laughter was infectious, though, giving the whole table something completely normal to take their minds off the real reason they were all here. That was a blessing he would accept. He decided to throw the dog a bone, and when Brooklyn finally returned to her seat, he gave the girl three heavy pats on the back and offered up a rare smile, with only a hint of mockery to it. She was a good kid, hopefully he'd be able to buy her enough time to find her way.

    The rest of the meal went on in a much more relaxed atmosphere than it had started. Carrow lectured Brook paternally in between swapping shop-talk with Landry, half of which went right over Kasimir's head. Instead, he distracted himself with a contest of eye-waggling with Eerie. It hadn't been intentional, but he'd caught her staring and couldn't help but stare back, and from there on, they just kept going. There was something enchanting about the intensity in those violet-ringed brown pools. He gulped involuntarily, and his hand drifted to his Kara bracelet on instinct. The eyes were a pure expression of beauty, to admire them was innocent, so long as they distracted him from the rest of her.

    --------------------

    Brooklyn sat out the rest of the meal sheepishly subdued, embarrassed enough now to be well and truly done with tonight. Wasn't this just what she deserved for trying to fit in? She hadn't gotten along with people since kindergarten, and everyone told her things would get better in college, but she'd been a misfit there as well. Why should here be any different? Carrow treated her like a naughty child, Landry seemed embarrassed to even be sitting at the same table, Eerie looked at her like a puppy that had just piddled on the floor, too cute to be mad at, and Kasimir...that condescension stung the worst. The fact that he clearly meant well just made it more frustrating.

    Once most of the table had been cleared, the blonde was surprised to see Eerie gesturing for her to follow after her. A surprise, because the other woman had seemed to have spent the entirety of dinner with her attention locked purely on the oh-so-attractive man sitting beside her, sizing him up like a tasty snack. Who was Brooklyn to stand in her way? The raven-haired temptress could snap the little blonde like a twig and she knew it, she'd seen what that one could do. Confused, she stood up and followed her to the kitchen, wondering what she wanted.

    And then the witch started to...wash dishes. Dumbstruck, she obediently began cleaning her own bowl before stopping midway and realizing what she was doing. With a visible grimace, she calmly finished washing and rinsing the bowl, shut off the water and put it in it's place in a cabinet, and turning around to look at the three men still sitting at the table without a care in the world. Landry had already lit a cigarette, and hadn't even bothered to wait for them to finish up before he started talking.

    Oh no, that was not right. She rounded on Eerie with an eyebrow raised, wondering if the raven-haired woman meant to do something, but there she was, humming as she washed and only looking back at the blonde when she noticed she wasn't there beside her to pass clean dishes to. Her expression remained puzzled for a second before she internally-facepalmed, remembering just how great the age difference was between them. Eerie was from a different time, and clearly someone hadn't bothered to catch her well-and-truly up with this century. With an huff, the small woman turned to give Landry a glare that could freeze water.

    "Old Man, Soldier Boy, Shut-In....you three better get up and wash your own plates, and after that we can all sit down and have a long talk about what it is we're doing here. Because I sure as hell didn't sign up to be a full-time maid, and I can't believe Eerie's willing to put up with it. Are we clear on that?" She shot off sharply, showing more fire than any of them seemed to have expected from the otherwise demure, mousy girl. Some lines just had to be drawn, and this was one of hers. Her parents had worked hard to instill in her a sense of independence, and she wasn't about to become any man's slave like so many generations of women before her.
    Last edited by Damonique; 01-19-2020 at 09:01 PM.


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  10. #20
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    Shock had crossed the woman’s face for but a moment as she reached to give the girl a glass to rinse, only to find her facing away. Her little nicknames, the way she was blustering about just how things were going to happen. Oh gods as if this little group couldn’t get any more entertaining. Such fire, such energy. Boundless youth, the good and the bad. Misdirected as it was, it was somewhat flattering that she considered her well and human. Or a delicate woman at least. The very thought of it all had her covering her mouth while she stared down the men.

    Benoit on the other hand, was far less than impressed, his expression filled with the frustration of the evening. Dear lord this child was an odd little duck. He could see what the old man meant by bad with people. These sort of assumptions would get her killed out there. Lead her right into the arms of some sort of BEK or other type shit. Not only that, he wouldn’t take that sort of nonsense in his home. Challenging them on something as menial as dishes. Good lord. He let out a heavy puff from his cigarette, about to open his mouth to rebut her before it happened. A sound that had his blood freezing far more than Brooklyn's little ‘glare’ could.

    The witch’s cackling. It wasn’t as natural as the giggle had been. No loner held back, no where near as refined as she braced herself on the counter and stared at the youth before her.

    “Young lady, Don’t you rush to think I’m not doing this of my own will. This ain’t some Castle run by a big, bad tyrant and held together by some frail, sweet little maid. The only time I’m a maid is if someone begs for me to dress as one. ” Mused The witch, still reigning in her laughter. Winking towards the soldier and watching to make sure that thought planted itself. Good. Get a little bit under that pious skin of his. Her hip cocked out as she used the sink behind her to hold her up. “ Just see how things are run before you go making wild assumptions. I don’t clean the house. Can’t stand it myself. I ain’t no one’s bitch.”

    It was then that the implications of the fairly well maintained home were made obvious. If she hadn’t been doing the cleaning, that only left one other person. Leddy didn’t like the attention, clearing his throat and going back to his work, ignoring the messy situation before him. This was... going to be a disaster.


    “ The chivalry is appreciated, but we’re doing them so that I have an excuse to get see those three at the counter tomorrow. Lined up. A mighty fine sight if you ask me. Thought it right to have you help me since you’ve got the least experience. Top of the pole, and the base.” Her finger wagged between the two of them, She knew where they both stood.

    “They could’ve waited till we were done. It’ve gotten done before I got to pre-”
    “How long have you been awake, Leddy?” The witch cut him off, that usually playful, flirtatious expression now ice cold, did the ring in her eye just get thicker? She was still smiling though, only adding to just how uncomfortable this would be.

    He didn’t like that tone, his own glare leveled her way as he crossed his arms in front of him. It was a stare down strait out of a god damn western. It was as if the others weren’t there. Clearly, this had been a point of contention before they’d even arrived.

    “Leddy.” There was a stronger intonation this time, the woman’s own arms crossing. Her smile slowly faded, brows further furrowed as she stared the ginger down.

    “Not long.”
    “How many days. Landry.” That tone.. it left no god damn room for wiggling out of this.

    A cold sweat broke out upon the man’s brow. He knew better than to rile the witch any further. He’d learned this lesson long ago, before he’d even started hunting really. Clearing his throat, he turned his gaze back towards the papers before him. The clearing of her throat finally pulled the answer from those tightly pulled lips.

    “3 or 4 days. Not too long.”

    “Point made. Now, We’ll finish up. “She motioned to the young miss before her, not giving her any choice in the matter.. “Give you a chance to finish what you’re on so that we can get this ‘conversation’ going and then hit the hay. I for one, want to get some god damn sleep, but I know that ya’ll probably won’t sleep well without some answers. Now. Men, get outta the kitchen.” Authority in her once sweet voice revealed the beast beneath her fair skin. Was Landry really the owner of this house? Perhaps the girl had it all wrong. All. Wrong.

    “Cmon, You don’t wanna push it when she puts her foot down. God damn disaster waiting to happen.” Mused Leddy as he slowly got up from his spot. Nope. He wasn’t going to argue, not now. He looked towards the other gents, as if encouraging them to do the same. “ Could use a hand shifting the furniture around. Again.” This time though, it was directed at the women. Eerie would have had such an easy time moving things around, instead, she was simply keeping around the little miss. It wasn’t a comfort in any way. The last thing he needed was a second eerie walking around acting like she paid the god damn bills.

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