Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Finally." Callisto said, making a face.

"We've spent the last day and a half either working or hitting the toy stores." Shade said, shaking his head in irritation. "Mind if I come in? I figure we might as well look around. See, the Gaia directory said that this was where Trinityblue lived."

He looked at the girl again, thoughtfully. "You ever meet Trinityblue?"

"Sorry, mate." Jack shook his head, carefully flicking ash from his cigarette out the door. His hand left Trin's shoulder at the motion, trailing down her back and then along the arm and hand that had a death grip on his shirt beneath the jacket. "I ain't been here long myself. Actually, I met Cath through the estate people. I looked at this place first off but she'd already made an offer." He twined his fingers in hers and squeezed reassuringly. "Little wretch," he added with an affectionate smile at his "girlfriend". "An' now she expects me t' take her out shoppin'." He gestured expansively with his cigarette, still keeping it just outside the door in the manner of a boyfriend thoroughly scolded. "I reckon she should break down an' let me get her a couple ashtrays, right?"

[ Message temporarily off-line ]

Shade casually reached up to brush the juvenile feien aside before he turned to look at TB. "Your name isn't Cathy, is it?" He asked. "Damn me, but I should have seen this coming..."

He put the picture back into its place, scowling darkly as he started to think. Callisto looked over at Bruns, then shoved off of Shade's shoulder to go to the boy and make certain he wasn't hurt.

Jack didn't say a word, merely kept his brown eyes locked on Shade and his hand tangled up in Trin's. After a moment, he gave a one shouldered shrug, moved the smoking cigarette in a vague swirling motion in the vicinity of his head, and then, to the wincing sympathy of a few of the others, he flipped the cigarette around, lit end facing his palm, and closed his hand around it. A small stream of smoke dribbled out and then it was dead. "Seen what comin', mate?" he asked conversationally. "Bruns? Don't mind him. He's a pain in the neck."

Brunswick grimaced in response to both the words and his failed attempt at distraction. Then he sat, drawing his knees up, wrapping his arms around them, and scowled hard. He hated being little.

[ Message temporarily off-line ]

"You think?" Shade asked. "Forget it, right now I've got a bigger problem. I don't suppose you have three hundred k stashed around here, do you? Because I've already blown my downpayment..."

Then he shook his head. "Nah, that won't work. If I tell them I won't do the job they'll just send someone else... s**t!" There was no question in his mind. He couldn't kill Ice's best friend. It would put him OUT of the dog house he was already in and clear to the curb! "We just haveta make it LOOK like you're dead. And you gotta lay low for... oh, fifty, sixty years."

Brunswick's hand closed hard on his sister's and he ventured a smile at both Callisto and Shade. His bond, on the other hand, did not quite release his stoney look but Jack -did- slip his free hand back into his pocket easily and his shoulders slumped a bit, melting him back into his usual posture. Despite the still calculating look in his eyes, the Brit was clearly relieved that Shade wasn't about to start something. Whether it was for the love of Ice or some sudden epiphany of moral rectitude, it didn't matter. So long as Trin and Bavaria remained safe.