It had been a little while since Cesc's impromptu visit to the apartment. Since, neither Cruz or Anita had heard wind of the events that befell the poor family of Vermillion. Just as abruptly a text and call were received. Hospital. Shepard was in the hospital. Cesc explained the best he could with what they needed to know and plans were quickly set in motion to pay a visit while he was still in recovery.
Though Cruz wanted it to be a surprise, they had to give Cesc a heads up so he could make arrangements. After all, they couldn't just waltz into the hospital with a hefty wolf-ish dog.
When they pulled up, Cruz sent a text to Cesc announcing their arrival while Anita got Tango out of the car and situated.
They were all a little tired of the hospital. Uncomfortable chairs, uncomfortable beds, uncomfortable everything. They talked low, as though their words might add to injury. Everything was difficult and humor was slow and muddy and difficult to find.
Shepard and Granny's doctor referred to their respective progresses as some kind of strange forest location. Everything detailed how lost in 'the woods' they were. 'She's not out of the woods yet,' he'd say. Or, 'he's coming out of the woods.' Shepard suggested a map. They could hang one up with a pin as to where he was in the woods, and change it daily depending on his progress.
To Cesc, it sounded like a fairy tale, a children's rhyme. Into The Woods. He thought of Grimm's tales, of strange rhymes. Four and Twenty Blackbirds -- four and twenty blackbirds in the Shepard's pie. Slowly they were extracting them. Every day more. Three and twenty blackbirds. Two and twenty blackbirds.
He called Anita. They needed help. Help taking out more blackbirds. Cesc and Vivi were tired and raw. Cesc hated to call but he didn't see a way around it. Shepard needed better, healthier, happier, well-rested faces. He needed something to cheer him up -- all of them up.
"Ah. Lovely stroll 'round the grounds, eh?" Shepard relaxed back into the wheelchair the hospital staff forced him to use on the grounds. He complained he was well enough without it, but who listened? So he leaned back and let Cesc wheel him out the side door and to the hospital's courtyard.
The Aussie squinted in the sunlight. "Nice to be outside," he admitted.
"Now?" Cruz hissed through his teeth. The phone had been exchanged for Tango's leash and the sarloos was all too eager to explore this new place. There were so many smells!
"Not yet," his guardian chided.
They were in the courtyard, waiting just around the bend. Anita peered out from behind a corner wall. Tango was doing his best to wriggle away from the frei's grasp and his inability to was causing him to whine. There was a hint of pink in the distance bustling along with someone in a wheelchair. Cruz and Anita both paused, glanced at each other, then back at the duo.
For a few moments they allowed Shep and Cesc to adjust to the clean, unsterilized air. Anita approached first, with Cruz and Tango taking up the far rear just out of sight.
"Heyyy," she called with a grin, one hand raised as she crossed the courtyard.
Immediately, the worn expression on Shepard's face relaxed. His eyebrows lifted and a smile grew on his face as he recognized Anita.
"Oi!" he called out, lifting one hand in a greeting. He then twisted in his chair to look up at Cesc, half-laughing, one eye squinted as he tried to view as much of the Sigel as possible.
"You call Anita?!" he said, then turned around without waiting for a reply. "Anita! This idiot call you?"
"Thought you could use a friendly face," said Cesc.
"It's a great one to see," said Shepard warmly. The hardship of the past few months and especially the last few days was written hard on his face, his eyes dark and his cheekbones sharper than a week before. But, raw as he was, his relief and gratitude at seeing a friend was obviously apparent.
"No idiots call me!" she corrected with a laugh. Both hands found their way into her jean pockets as Anita added a little pep to her step, meeting up with them more quickly than her initial pace.
Out of the way, Cruz pulled on Tango's leash a little. The wolfhound was eagerly wagging away in response to seeing the face of a new friend and one who would soon yet be.
"How you holding up? S'been a while." Too long, it seemed. Anita's brows raised with obvious concern but she kept her smile warm. Shepard wasn't to be coddled but friendly comfort couldn't be remiss.
"Oh, you know," said Shepard, lacing together his fingers over his plain blue tee and leaning back with a shrug. "All fun and games until one of your friends tries to murder you, ah?"
Cesc grimaced and shook his head. "Shep, c'mon."
"I'm alright now," amended Shepard. "We're gonna be alright. Doctor says I'll be home in a day or two, just gotta keep drinking a lot of water and keeping off my feet for a bit." He took in a breath and scratched his jaw. "Enough about that. How're you? How's Cruz? Rhede told me he came and woke you guys up one day."
"Sorry about that," interjected Cesc. His voice was somewhat guilty.
Anita didn't quite grimace with Cesc but her brows lowered and her smile waned. She nodded and held onto her arms as she listened.
At the reminder, she bowed her head and laughed."It's okay. We were happy to have you." She smiled more fully at the both of them, then quirked a brow. "As for Cruz, why don't you ask him yourself?" Anita turned to look over her shoulder with a beckoning gesture.
Out from behind a few bushes floated up the well camouflaged frei. He grinned at Shep from a distance, wringing his hands and the leash around them. As soon as he was fully visible, their other guest's grey pointed head followed. Tango's bubblegum tongue lolled happily as he panted, quickly moving to join the group he had been so rudely denied.
"Brought you a present," Cruz announced with his arrival, tugging Tango back gently just enough to keep him from galloping.
"You can't keep him," Anita added flatly, suddenly turning a serious face to Shepard.
If Shepard had brightened on seeing Anita, he was completely *overjoyed* to see Tango. Immediately, the man straightened in the wheelchair and smiled broadly at the canine, completely forgetting all social order (Cruz was there, right, hello Cruz) in order to pay his full attention to the dog. He bent down, his movements a little cumbersome, and beckoned the dog to him, reaching out a hand to ruffle the pup's head.
"Holy s**t!" he exclaimed, looking up at Anita. "You've got a wolf! Did I know you have a wolf?"
"Cruz, hi," said Cesc, floating around the wheelchair to greet his fellow Raevan. "Thanks for coming."
"Geezus!" Shepard ruffled ears and scratched Tango's fur and grinned. "I won't take yours, but I want one."
Both of them laughed at Shepard's reaction to Tango's surprise appearance. Anita stood watch and chewed her lip and Cruz could barely reign back his smile, he was grinning ear to ear.
"I can't recall," she teased lightly.
Cruz floated just a bit higher at Cesc's approach, matching the sigel's height. He gaze the stag a once over but was far more eager to open one of his arms and offer a hug to the other raevan than marvel at his new appearance. "Hello," he addressed softly, giving a gentle squeeze to Cesc's back before parting from him. "Are you okay?"
Tango pulled just a bit to get closer to Shep's hand-- Cruz anchored himself with Cesc's forearm. The wolfhound sniffed at him just long enough to get a whiff, then leaned comfortably into the ruffling. With his eyes closed and mouth hung open, Tango looked incredibly content.
"Yeah, you better not," Anita grinned, "Knew he'd like you, though."
"I won't, yeh, I won't," said Shepard, his voice a little softer now as he continued to scratch Tango's ears. Growing up in Oz, he'd always had dogs -- strays and rescues, mostly, hardened mutts who loved to play. These days, all the bakery could afford was one ancient cat who oiled in and out of a few select rooms and never bothered the downstairs business -- and Shepard missed dogs, their play and their energy, in his life. His hands were a little rougher than those who were wary around dogs, happy to play with them and tease them into a game. "Won't say no if he ever has puppies though, eh? Don' think my cache will ever be higher in the bakery than it is now."
He looked up at Anita again. "Nice of you to bring 'im by. Nice of yeh to come, too. Sorry to cause distress."
Cesc hugged Cruz and then pulled back, and the gaze -- short as it was -- reminded Cesc of his own growth. He looked down at himself, half-sheepish. "Oh, right -- almost forgot. Yeah... we're okay now. Thanks for letting me up that one day. I'm sorry if I worried you at all."
Anita pursed her lips, then managed a laugh, "That'd be the day." Unfortunately for Shepard, Tango was fixed but she wasn't about to let that ruin their fun. "Herd of puppies carrying cupcakes." Tango edged closer the more Shep handled him, his wet kisses getting sloppier over the man's hands then barely dried by rubbing his fur against them.
"I'm glad we could," she laughed quietly and shrugged, "It's all good, you're in one piece."
Cruz shook his head and gave Cesc and Shep both a pleasant smile -- though the Aussie was decidedly occupied. His hand on Cesc's arm gently squeezed and patted wordless reassurance. "Should come over more. It's nice to see you."
"Yeah, hey," Anita gestured to gain the raevan's attention as well as Shepard's, "you know you can come over whenever you like."
"Puppies carrying cupcakes, eh? I think we could probably get pretty good money with an event like that. I'd pay for that." Shep smiled, leaning further forward with a half-groan, setting his elbows on his knees to scritch under Tango's chin with both hands.
"We can see about an event sometime," said Cesc with a smile. "I'll see if there's a national adopt day or something we can be part of."
"There ye go," grinned Shepard. He stifled a yawn and rubbed his forearm against one eye.
"We will," said Cesc to Cruz, his voice pleased. He was relieved the duo didn't think less of him for having woken them up the same day, and for the first time since they'd arrived, the Sigel relaxed fully, his face boyish and charming. "Better times than these."
"Oh, tha's right," said Shepard, more to the dog than to his companions. He finally tilted his gaze back to them, partly amused. "The jungle and now this business, right? That's some bullshit. You guys should go to a fair or something."
"God, that'd be cute." Anita beamed, arms folded. "I'd have to see if Mordekai could go to that, he'd be in heaven."
Cruz hummed pleasantly, both at the puppy talk and Cesc's assurance. "Yes," he affirmed, "much better."
Anita scoffed and rubbed her face. "Forget the jungle," she nearly said a different F word, "No more bad stuff. Just cakes and puppies and friends." It sounded a bit after school special but it was the truth; that was all any of them needed.
Shepard tilted his head upward. Although his face was worn, there was a glint of something like mischief in his eye. He ruffled Tango's ears and began to rub under the canine's jaw. "Ohh? Mordekai?"
Cesc, for his part, laughed a little helplessly. "It doesn't even have to be cakes and puppies. I'm good with things just being normal. Going back to lessons and working and all of that..."
Shepard's mischievous tone tripped Anita up; she scoffed and covered her face with a hand for a moment, only to deflect to Cesc. "What, cakes and puppies can't be normal?"
"Pups," Cruz grumbled appreciatively. He turned curiously back to the sigel with raised brows and a brighter smile. "You work?"
Anita folded her arms and smirked at Tango who was thoroughly enjoying himself in Shep's hands. She nodded. "Mordekai. Ah-- boyfriend." The term felt foreign, long lost and unpracticed, but it held a growing comfort. With a slight clear of her throat, Anita pointed to Cruz and met Shepard's eyes to give a ridiculous expression of wide eyed excitement -- a recreation of the croc's feelings on the matter.
Cesc lifted his now-broader shoulders, his smile relaxing. "I suppose with us, cakes and cats are more normal..."
He turned to Cruz, his eyebrows tipped upward. That was something he never quite understood, Raevan schedules. He'd worked, or at least been in the kitchen, since his first day onward. Being with his guardians and learning meant the bakery, and when he'd been responsible enough to shoulder his own tasks, he'd done so. It wasn't until recently he began to realize that he was something of a loner in the way he'd been taught, and that most other Freis and Raevans didn't hold down jobs... "Oh, ah, yes, I do."
Shepard shook his head. "No Frei labor laws, Cruz. Rhede's worked at the bakery since he was a newborn."
Cesc let out a laugh. "Yes -- I work and I go to lessons."
The Aussie seemed to be on the verge of giving another reply when Anita uttered the term boyfriend, and Shepard's face lit into a smile. That smile only brightened when Anita made Cruz's feelings on the matter known, and Shep leaned back in his wheelchair and laughed, the sound low and tired but still full of mirth.
"That's excellent. Congrats to the both of yeh. The three of yeh?" He turned to Tango, cupping part of the dog's face in his hand. "This Mordekai a good one? You like him?"
Cruz's brows raised at the mention of cats; he wasn't used to them but he knew they were another fluffy pet animal and, to him, they meant companionship and affection. Kittens were just as good as puppies, weren't they?
He looked amused at Shep, then turned his attention back to Cesc, "you work with cakes." There, something clicked. Cruz's expression was already pleasant but it lit all the more. "Birthday." Cruz pointed a single digit at the stag. "When's yours?"
Anita watched Shep curiously as he seemed to become excited at the prospect. His laugh made her smile brightly and give one of her own. "Ohh," she chuckled and leaned back to stare at Tango, "they love each other. Don't you, buddy?" Tango all but confirmed, with a more forceful wagging and a gentle whine. Before Anita could stop him, the wolfhound lifted his front paws up and rested them on Shep's knees so he could get better access to the man's face in his attempt to give kisses.
"I do work with cakes," Cesc affirmed with a smile. "Cakes and cupcakes and pastries and cookies and bread. All kinds of good things."
The next question took the stag by surprise. He didn't see the correlation other than cakes equaled birthdays, but Cruz could't possibly want to commission him for a birthday cake for his OWN birthday. Cesc blinked and replied: "Oh, ah... May 31, why?"
"Vivi told me the croc was pretty keen on gettin' yeh some kisses. Don't suppose he had somethin' to do with this?" Shepard sat up straighter as Tango got closer, and put his face down for some cheek-puppy-smooches.
Cruz listened with bated breath as Cesc explained, his smile rising further all the while. It was often the case he would blurt something and the ideas wouldn't seem connected -- the stag's surprise and confusion didn't deter him at all.
"May... next year," he nodded as he took mental note. His hand came to rest on the sigel's shoulder and Cruz smiled warmly, "Mine's soon. Want to come? Just gonna be at home."
Of course, Vivi was right on point with that. Anita laughed quietly and rubbed her face. "You could say that... He put us on one fake date like months ago and we took care of the rest." She left it at that. Cruz had already been given a talking to about why his methods were unappreciated so there was no use dragging up further blame.
Ahh, that explained it. A birthday invitation! Cesc's smile warmed immediately, and he nodded with alacrity. He hadn't celebrated anything in such a long time -- Cruz's birthday would be a welcome holiday. "Absolutely. I would love to come. Is it anything formal, or should I just bring myself?"
"A fake date -- oh, that's right, the calling thing. I remember that." Shepard nodded through his puppy-kisses, pulling back and scratching Tango's ears until they flopped up and down from the motion. "Well, that's great. That's somethin'. Glad it worked out for you two."
As soon as there was an agreement, Cruz floated higher to be on the same level as Cesc. Formal? He glanced at himself, then Anita, and laughed. "Just you," he shrugged, "whatever you feel like." Presents weren't even on the croc's mind -- it was the people attending that would be the real treat.
Anita looked a bit non-plussed. Yes, the calling thing. It was difficult to keep track of with how much time had passed but Shepard, too, had been the subject of a setup once upon a time. Anita side-eyed Cruz for a moment but decided to leave the matter be. "Yeah, it worked out." She still wasn't happy with the methods. "I'll have to bring him by the bakery so you can meet him, huh?"
Cesc nodded and grinned. He was surprised at how happy the thought made him, spending a regular, happy time with a friend. The feeling of it lit him inwardly, though, made him lighter than he'd felt in months. "I'll be there. What day?"
"Yeah, bring him by," said Shepard. "Vivi'll want a look at him, too, I'm sure -- busybody, yanno."
"Good," Cruz grinned. He gave Cesc's arm a gentle squeeze in his gratitude, only to bring his arm back toward himself. The air was getting chilly. "Ah... September," he glanced briefly at Anita, "Twenty. You know where we are," the croc poked fun.
Anita shook her head and laughed. "Vivi... You guys gonna give him the third degree?"
Cesc colored slightly, lifting a hand to scratch underneath his jaw. "Y--eah, I know where you guys are. I'll be there."
Shepard leaned back finally in his chair, having expended most of his energy in petting Tango. He shook his head. "Nah. Just wanna take a peek, not anything too leery. Glad to hear it's all good in the Bishop household, yeh?" He smiled, half his mouth tipping up. "Thanks for coming by, too."
"Good," he reaffirmed with a nod, "can't wait." There were a few others he hoped to invite before then, and he prayed they all said yes, but Cesc was one that he was especially eager for; one he didn't know well but hoped to soon and most assuredly one who needed some well deserved relief and relaxation. Normal, as he said.
Anita nodded with a skeptical grin. When Shepard sat back, she took it as her cue to ease Tango from his lap-- first one paw, then the other. "Yeah, things are good." She laughed and gave Tango's head a gentle scratch. "Can't keep us away. Guess we should head outta here though, huh? I bet you're wiped."
"Looking forward to it." Cesc's eyes flicked down to where Shepard had leaned back, and he put his hands back on the wheelchair's grips. Shepard was well enough but his body was still tired, and when his energy was sapped, it was well and truly gone. Fighting off what remained of the poison after Zul had saved him had taken plenty out of both Shepard and Granny -- the old woman having the worst of it, due to age and longer exposure. It filled Cesc with both fear and gratitude, like being grazed by a bullet.
"Yeah, 'fraid it's probably time for a nap..." said Shepard, nodding loosely. "But thanks for coming, eh? Great seeing all of you guys."
Everyone was getting back into position, back to where they started. Anita held onto Tango so he wouldn't be inclined to follow and Cruz drifted closer to Shepard with an offered hand. The man seemed too drained for a hug, perhaps they could do that another time, but he didn't want to leave Shep without some kind offering himself.
"Sleep tight, then," Anita smiled, with Tango's leash rolled around her arm, "We'll see you again real soon."
"Soon," Cruz assured while floating back. His arms found Tango's sturdy neck and the frei lowered himself, as if a scarf or cape, draped against the dog's back.
It was definitely a sobering visit in many ways but the smiles it brought, and the promise of good times ahead, made it all worth while. Things could be sugary sweet in time -- for now, everyone had to get back to their own version of "normal".
Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 11:17 pm
Autumn Chill IM RP with Petite Kitsune
It had been a long time since Zurine had taken the initiative to reach out to anyone on the phone. She had started the day with the ambition to reach out to one of her friends, any of her friends -- and after eating breakfast with the cordless phone looking balefully at her down the length of the counter, accusing her with its blinking green 'charged' light, she had finally decided that now was the time.
Yes, now. She held the receiver in one hand, then the other, and then reached for the address book where Phiel kept phone numbers. Her hands were shaking and she missed the page twice in her nerves, but she was determined and soon punched in the relevant phone number. Another five minutes passed while she waffled back and forth, and then finally she hit 'send'. No backing out now, right? Right. She lifted the phone to her ear and straightened up. Cruz would be the first to hear from her.
The number on the caller ID was one they hadn't yet programmed. It lined up with the call sheet, and perhaps Anita should have gone through and added everyone to the cell and house phone, but that was a thought for another time. It rang and Cruz's guardian wasn't home to pick it up; she was out visiting a friend.
Instead, as Cruz hovered nearby, it was his guardian's mother that picked up with a pleasant "Hello?". Her voice held a pleasant hum, the smile on her face easily heard through the receiver.
For a moment, Zurine felt unsure -- what if she had called the wrong number? She didn't recognize that voice, and she hesitated, but finally, she licked her lips and said, "Hello. A-ah... my name is Zurine and I'm calling to see if... if Cruz is there." There. Not so hard, was it? Already the uncertainty was easing. Even if it was the wrong number, she could just try again.
"Hi there," she responded cheerfully, "Oh, you're a friend of his." Minerva covered the receiver with her hand just enough to muffle her voice, "It's Zurine, do you want to ta--"
Before she could even finish, a low rumble of poorly contained excitement carried through the phone. "Yes," he hissed with his hands held out.
She laughed. "Alright, here he is."
Cruz was quick to snatch the phone up and give Minerva thanks in the form of a kiss to the cheek. He held the cordless with both hands, clutching it to his head. "Zoo-ree," he purred with delight.
Zuri couldn't help brightening at the sound of the crocodile-frei's voice. He sounded so happy to hear from her that it was infectious. "Cruz, hi," she said, her smile obvious in her voice. "It's been... a really long time since I saw you. O-or even talked to you... " Last time they'd spoken, she hadn't been quite this articulate.
"Zoo-ree," he repeated, "hi." There was something of a lilt in his voice, not unlike stifled laughter. "Yes... Glad you called. Hi. Are you good? How are you?"
"I'm... I'm fine," Zurine said, her smile turning sheepish. "I... had a really rough summer and I... wanted to call and check up on my friends... I missed everyone this year..."
Cruz hummed in his throat as he listened intently. The growing timidness in her voice was noticed and the croc held the phone tighter to his ear. "Summer was busy," he noted-- possibly for everyone, "Better now? Missed you." While he certainly seemed to have a larger vocabulary, it would seem Cruz's penchant for simplistic speech had changed little since their last encounter.
She held the phone a little easier, and smiled. "Yes," Zuri said quietly, "I'm better now... I missed you, too, Cruz." She didn't mind the simple speech; it conveyed his purposes just fine. "I hope fall and winter will be better... for all of us!"
He rumbled his appreciation through a contented smile. "Good. Missed you a lot." There was a slight pause as Cruz floated elsewhere through the apartment. "Zuri," he purred, "when's your birthday?"
She was quiet for a moment, unsure why he was asking, but her birthday was easy enough to remember, for her. "My birthday...? Um, it's in February. On the fifteenth, right in the middle," she said, thinking of last February briefly, and then quickly pushing the memory back down into its safe little box. "Why? When's yours?"
The croc hummed to acknowledge the date; the day after Valentine's, a very special day and one he would easily remember. "Soon," he answered, "think you can come over? Want to see you... It'll be fun."
She couldn't help smiling, though she was a little bit nervous. "I'd be glad to come over... it'd be nice to see you again," Zuri said. It would be nice to be able to make him happy, too. "What day exactly? So I can get Phiel to bring me..." She had no doubt her guardian would be delighted to see her going out of the house with friends.
A calm sigh moved through his system as Cruz settled on the sofa. It really had been a long time since they got the chance to speak, let alone see each other-- even if he had neglected to reach out in kind, knowing she was well made his heart warm.
"Ah... hold on--" Cruz leaned away from the phone without covering the mouth piece, "Nerva? When's my birthday?"
"The 20th, sweety. September."
"No. What day?"
"Umm. Looks like it's on a Saturday this year."
With an excited breath, Cruz returned to the phone. "September twenty. Saturday."
Zuri was still floating at the kitchen counter, though while she waited for him to ask about the date, she went and got herself a snack from the freezer -- a couple of cubes of ice in a plastic cup. This wasn't nearly as hard or worrisome as she had thought it might be. However much she might have changed, he was still the same, and that was sort of comforting. "Oooh. Okay, let me write that down --" She reached for the post-it notes that Phiel kept near the phone, and neatly penned the date and day on the paper, and below it, 'Cruz', with a little picture of a smiley face with sharp, pointy teeth. A ponytail topped it for good measure. "I'll be there, for sure! That's really soon, too...!"
"Okay," he thrummed, pleased as punch she was intent to document it so as not to forget. The croc waited patiently-- as patiently as he could, with such an exciting prospect on the horizon. When Zurine returned, Cruz chuckled. "Yes. Can't wait to see you. It'll be a lot of fun, promise!"
"I know it will. Ooh, and I get to bring you a present," Zuri said cheerfully. "Phiel gets me presents for my birthday... so... I'm going to get you a surprise!"
The mistletoe frei uttered a soft gasp as his grin stretched from ear to ear. "Thank you. It'll be great." From there, Cruz was a little unsure of what to say. Words weren't his strongest method of communication, it was much easier for him to interact with others in person. All the same, he didn't let silence fall between them for long. "See you, then, Zuri. Hope you feel very good."
"I hope you do, too," Zurine said, honestly smiling. "I'll see you then, Cruz... have a good rest of your day."
"You, too," Cruz hummed, low and gentle. He held the phone away to stare at it, listening for her to hang up first before he did so himself. This was going to be great.
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:47 pm
Kiss Day Bonanza starring Cruz, Iorek, Ethiriel, Cesc, Zurine featuring Anita & Tango
Ethiriel, Cesc, Iorek, and Zurine all convene at the apartment for an unintentionally awkward birthday celebration.
Though the meeting is little more than a drizzle, Aina makes a lasting impression.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:14 pm
Kiss and Tell
As the door closed, the air in the apartment was still left with a bittersweet feeling. It had been too short a meeting for Cruz's liking, especially with someone he had been looking forward to seeing for a large portion of his life. The poor thing had slept away most of their time together and then spent the tail end lamenting having to go.
”She'll be alright,” Anita told him as she settled back onto the couch.
How could they be sure? Of course Duncan and Mordekai were well trusted, he had no doubts about them caring for Aina, but she was so torn up about the whole affair it was difficult for the croc to put into perspective.
All the same, he was not afforded much time to dwell on it. Tango seemed to pick up on the frei's misgivings and was quick to nose his hands. The wolfhound brought out his now ratty and stained stuffed candy cane and pushed it into Cruz's lap. Within minutes they were both rolling around the floor, causing a squeaky ruckus. It wasn't long before Anita joined them.
Once they were all suitably worn out, Cruz was awarded with quite a few more kisses to his head for lunch than Anita normally gave. While she made herself lunch, Cruz took to filling Tango's food and water bowls. The pup seemed to be the only one among them not drained in the least, though a lunch full of kisses was always a good pick-me-up for the mistletoe frei. Tango scarfed his food down eagerly while Cruz settled comfortably on the couch and his guardian took a seat at the dining table with a simple butter and garlic bagel.
Anita's phone vibrating brought them all out of their quiet reveries. Cruz perked up just a little with curiosity but he remained flat against the sofa until he saw Anita's eyes light up. She gestured to him without taking her eyes off the screen and Cruz wasted no time joining at her side.
A video was sent, showing those who had just left as well as those they were missing; Jerri and Jillette in particular. They were giggling and waving eagerly in spite of their absence and Jill even offered Duncan's phone a kiss that sent giggles across the restaurant's table.
Cruz purred as he settled his elbows against the table, hands propped under his chin. The frei begged Anita to play it several more times before she showed him how to do it himself and she was allowed to eat in peace. When Tango cleaned out both of his bowls, he pulled himself onto the couch and settled in for a small nap.
The rest of the afternoon was fairly lazy, though Cruz was still abuzz with thoughts of what their friends were doing. He whiled that time away with Tango once the dog was up and at 'em again. It seemed the food and nap only served to rejuvenate his boundless energy and it was like they hadn't played rough earlier at all. They wrestled across the wood floor, Cruz scuttled along his belly with his arms and Tango chased him only to ambush the croc and shower him in sloppy kisses, and eventually the toys made a comeback. It seemed the more they tried to tucker the hound out the more he wanted to outlast them.
While they tried their best to keep Tango occupied and expending energy, Anita's phone went off again and Cruz resigned himself to be Tango's main playmate while she answered the call.
”Hey, everything okay?” she answered with a smile.
Cruz glanced over reflexively, as if he would be able to see who she was speaking to just from the expression on her face.
”I'm okay. We're playing with Tango but he's getting fussy.” As if on cue, Tango honked the squeaker in the stuffed candy cane – Anita did her best to stifle a laugh. ”Did you guys eat already?”
That was enough to give Cruz pause in his play. Tango didn't appreciate it much and gummed at Cruz's fingers to egg him on. While Anita teased over the phone about someone being 'fakey French', the croc sat up and caught her eye.
”Is it Duncan?”
Anita moved her mouth away from the phone to reply, though it was a little hard to discern over Tango biting down on the squeaker repeatedly. ”It's Mordekai.”
His eyes lit up with hope. ”Are they coming back over?” It fizzled some with Anita's sympathetic smile.
She went back to the phone and asked all the same. ”Not today. Saturday.”
Cruz's shoulders slumped. He wasn't afforded much time to pout, though, as Tango grew impatient with him and proceeded to chew the candy cane directly against Cruz's chest. Anita retreated from the noise to continue her conversation, making it impossible for him to overhear.
By the time his guardian's conversation was finished and she returned to the living room, Cruz and Tango were having a tug-of-war match with a short bit of rope. Anita paused to watch them for a few moments before settling back onto the couch. The sound of children laughing and the distant clatter of silverware alerted him to the video playing once more and the croc left Tango to his own devices – which for the moment included throwing his toys around and smacking himself in the neck with them.
---
A little less than a half hour later and there was a knock at the door. Tango's claws skittered against the wood as he let out several warning growls but didn't quite manage to get out a solid bark. Perhaps it was for the better, as he instantly clammed down into excitable whines once he saw it was Mordekai standing in the doorway. Cruz had to clutch onto him to keep the mutt from flinging himself at the man and instead Tango reared up to paw the air towards him.
”Hiii,” Cruz rumbled jovially.
”Ey!” Mordekai smiled and laughed a bit as he presented a full gallon of chocolate milk to Anita, ”Hope this is enough.”
Anita and Cruz both balked at the offering. ”More than,” she laughed, sliding into a hug as Mordekai thanked her for inviting him back over. Cruz smiled eagerly at the display, though whether it was his eyes on them or Tango's insistent whining that seemed to cut it short the croc couldn't be sure.
”Thanks for letting us steal you,” Anita smirked as she took the galloon to the fridge.
”S'like stealin' from a garage sale,” Mordekai laughed, then offered a wave to Cruz after closing the door and following Anita furhter into the apartment, ”Ey Cruz!” Once he was close enough, the man dropped to his knees to offer Tango some scratches behind his ears. Cruz floated back, allowing Mordekai and Tango to properly enjoy each other. ”Tango, 'ey. 'Eard you been all fussy!”
”He needs to go for a walk,” Anita said as she closed the refigerator door.
”I can take him,” the croc offered, already en route to retrieving Tango's leash before his guardian even finished her thought.
Mordekai took to ruffling Tango up further. The hound's ears curved back at a kiss to his head and stayed flat as he panted happily, looking like he was smiling. Tango's front paws found their way onto Mordekai's shoulders as he buried his face in the fluff. They were practically hugging each other on the floor when Cruz made his offer.
Anita and Mordekai both thanked him, though detaching the man from Tango was easier said than done. Once the mutt was all leashed up, he was more than eager to leave the humans behind and pull Cruz to the door.
”Back in a half hour,” he announced as he pulled a light jacket on.
”Kay! 'Ave fun, you two!” Mordekai waved from the floor.
”We will!” Cruz chimed back, giving them both a lingering grin as he opened the door.
Tango was quick to pull him into the hall, and pull the door shut along with him. He new the layout well by now, where to go and when to wait. Tango lead Cruz to the elevator and sat not-so-patiently for the doors to open.
It was always a blessing, Cruz thought, when the elevator was empty while going for walks. Not because he wanted to avoid people but for wanting to get Tango outside as quickly as possible.
The trek through the lobby was quick, too. He had to shout a quick 'sorry' and 'thanks' at someone entering the building as they pressed themselves flat against the door, allowing Tango an unimpeded escape into the sunshine and salty air. They ran through the parking lot, Cruz holding onto the shortened lead with both hands. Only when his paws touched grass did Tango slow down and Cruz took the time to hover low, draping himself against the dog's back.
With Tango's pace down to a more casual trot, Cruz could effectively drift along while only holding into his collar. His frayed tip of his ribbon dragged against the ground but even without the rest of a body to spare it was like Cruz was seated on a steed. It always got a few smiles and laughs from the locals, especially when they crossed over onto the beach.
Their time outside was well spent. Tango was able to get some business done, as well as tire himself out and Cruz was able to get some fresh air and sunshine. The Autumn air hadn't quite settled into Gambino yet but the breeze was cool and offset the sun from being too harsh.
The trip back inside was much calmer, which everyone they passed in the building seemed to appreciate. This time they had other passengers on the elevator and Tango's panting was loud in the confined space. Neither person was getting off on their floor, which was probably for the best given the slight cringes they were directing towards Tango were less than pleasant. Cruz offered them both a shy smile as they stepped off onto the third floor.
”You had a good time, yes?” he asked Tango as he fished for his keys.
Tango's tongue hung lazily from the side of his mouth like a stretched out piece of gum. His eyes were practically closed, he almost looked like he was ready to fall asleep where he stood.
Cruz chuckled and unlocked the door.
Both of them were met with quiet stillness in the empty living room but as Tango flopped himself down on the hardwood floor to bask in its coolness, Cruz basked in the enveloping feeling of affection that filled the apartment like fog. It soaked into his rune and brightened its glow, made him feel warm and tingly all over.
He had been around many types of kisses by now but he never quite felt such a strong, concentrated response. This didn't just come from a few kisses, it came from many. Several minutes worth, at least.
The frei glanced around, searching for Anita and Mordekai. They weren't on the couch or in the kitchen, the balcony's drapes were open but no one was standing out there either. The only door that was closed, which he distinctly recalled being left open earlier, was his and Anita's shared bedroom.
Cruz removed his jacket and deposited Tango's leash before floating over curiously. He leaned his ear against the door and was able to catch a few whispers of conversation that was too muffled to discern. Before he moved away there was a ripple of warmth in his rune, another kiss – this one was small and, for all he could sense, not on the mouth. The cheek maybe? It was hard to tell.
After a moment and no more changes, Cruz rapped his knuckles against the door. ”Are you still kissing?”
He practically felt the record scratch in the atmosphere; it was like someone waved a hand through the pleasant pink fog filling the apartment in a vain attempt to hide it.
”Be out in a second, Cruz!” Mordekai called, sounding a bit frazzled, but there came no such assurance from Anita.
Cruz tapped his lower lip with the tip of his claws. ”Okay!” he returned after a moment. In silence, he waited just long enough for the haze of affection to settle back with another small kiss. To the head, he guessed.
Until they were ready to come out, Cruz moved to the kitchen to retrieve a mug of water. After filling up a white one with no ice, he took to the sink and dampened his hands as well as his face. It was nice and refreshing after the wind and sand was so quick to dry him out. Tango's bowl was also given a refill, though he seemed less inclined to drink than sit and relax. Even when the bedroom door opened, all Tango had the energy for was thumping his tail against the floor.
The frei was huddled into a corner of the couch, sipping water from the mug clutched in both hands. He smiled at Mordekai and Anita both, whose hair was considerably messier since he saw them last (though Anita seemed to have attempted smoothing it out in places). Their cheeks were as pink as Cruz felt like the air was and with the door open the mist of lingering affection was starting to fill up the apartment again.
”They were good kisses?” he asked, unable to stop himself.
”Cruz--” Anita sounded exasperated. Her face instantly went a shade deeper.
Behind her, Mordekai hid against her back with a sheepish laugh. He didn't hide for long, peeking back up at Cruz. ”They weren't good kisses,” he started, voice quieter than normal. This caused the croc to lower his mug with mild concern. His brows upturned but still he kept a hopeful smile. How could they not be good kisses if the air in here was so heavy with love? ”They were amazin' kisses.”
Cruz gasped in delight.
His guardian covered her face with both hands while Mordekai offered her a hug from the back and a quick kiss to her temple. ”Can't lie, 'm sorry!”
Cruz peeled into a giggle that echoed into his mug. While Mordekai detached himself from Anita and approached Cruz at the couch, she took to sitting on the floor with Tango and buried her face in his fluff. Mordekai gave Cruz a kiss of his own, still laced with warmth and fondness, and the croc soaked it up hungrily.
He told them of their small adventure during the walk, how Tango was so excited for playtime that he stole another dog's frisbee and they had to return it to the dog's owner. The conversation allowed both humans to calm their hot cheeks and before long they were all seated on the couch chatting, Cruz with water, Anita with chocolate milk, and Mordekai with a dog in his lap. It wasn't the same as having Aina back to hang out, but this would make the wait until next Saturday a little easier.
Lab returns to the Secret Garden for a nostalgic Halloween bash.
And Afterward... starring Cruz, Aina, Duncan, Anita
For the folks who intentionally avoided the fright filled hedge maze, like Cruz and Anita, the night at Lab's Samhain Soiree was a relatively quiet time filled with mingling and merriment. As time ticked on and a certain rainy frei grew sleepy, a request was put forth to Duncan that they could return to the Clarke home for the night instead. With the garden situated in Durem, it was an easy ride and Cruz decided to take the car with Aina and Duncan while Anita was able to relax and blast some music.
Cruz: -rolls up his tattered ghost sheet from the back of the car and closest the door as Anita pulls up to park behind them-
Anita: -waves as she gets out and offers to take Cruz's sheet- ”Thanks for letting us stay over, Duncan. I just gotta get a couple things from the car.”
Cruz: -hands it over and smiles at the other two- ”Need help carrying anything?”
Aina: -the sleepy Frei she is, was leaning against Cruz while she was quietly falling asleep in the backseats; whines a little bit when Cruz moves out of the car and stays put-
Duncan: -promptly exits the driver's seat once the car is off; to Anita, he smiles- “Of course. You two are welcome here anytime.” -he opens the passenger's seat on Aina's side and glances to Cruz, laughs a bit- “Ah, if you could get the bowls at the front passenger's seat, thank you.” -leans down to pick Aina up, gently- “We're home, Aina.”
Aina: “Mm...”
Cruz: -smiles in the dim light to both Duncan and Aina before retrieving the bowls as instructed- ”Aina~” -lowers his voice to a singsong tone-
Anita: -rounded back to her car to leave Cruz's costume, as well as grab a small bag of 'emergency' things, considering how frequent their trips were to Durem these days; some pajamas, tooth brushes, and a couple other personal necessities-
Aina: -continues to whine and tries to hide her face more against her arms, wings twitching lazily as she refuses to cooperate, though she responds quietly to Cruz- “Mm-mm...”
Duncan: -he laughs, softly, and gently picks the Frei up into his arms, despite her protests, and pats the back of her head- “Let's get you upstairs, to your bed. Let's just get in some pajamas and brush our teeth with Cruz, alright?”
Aina: -clinging to Duncan; despite her sleepiness, she tries to protest- “Mm-mm-- wake up, I wanna play with Cruz...”
Cruz: -giggles quietly- ”But it's your sleepytime, Aina.”
Anita: -catches up with them and starts walking towards the door- ”The sooner you get to sleep the sooner you'll have all day tomorrow to play.”
Aina: “But-- but I wanna play now...” -shakes her head- “'M not sleepy...”
Duncan: -laughs quietly and moves alongside Anita to the house, locking the door and wrangling for his keys with his free hand- “Let's see how you and Cruz feel after getting ready for bed, then.”
Aina: “No, I don't wanna get-- I don't wanna getted ready for bed.”
Anita: -laughs a little and leads the way to the house; moves aside so Duncan can unlock the door-
Cruz: -rumbles a little- ”Can we brush our teeths, Aina?” -smacks his lips- ”The mint is good.”
Aina: -nods a little against Duncan's shoulder- “Mhm... but-- but that doesn't count 'cause.. 'cause you wanna brush your teeth, that doesn't count.”
Duncan: -raises his brows while unlocking the door; smiles knowingly at Anita, then gestures with a nod at her to enter first- “It doesn't count?”
Aina: “Mm-mm-- to-- to get ready for bed. It doesn't count...”
Cruz: -giggles and gives her hair a soft pat-
Anita: -smiles to Duncan before moving inside, catching the light switch as soon as she found it- ”Okay, so a not-for-bedtime teeth brushing is in order. Do you want to keep your hat on?”
Aina: -smiles a little up at Cruz at the hair pat and giggles, too-- nods and rests her head against Duncan's shoulder once he moves into the house after Cruz- “Mhm...” -shakes her head a little at the latter bit- “Mm-mm.” -with little energy, she tries to pull her pajama hat over her head and horns to take it off-
Duncan: -while Aina's fumbling with her hat, he reaches the other side of the house and switches on the light to the living room and kitchen, then glances out at the back yard- “Hmm, it doesn't look like Mordekai's here yet... he should be back soon.”
Cruz: -helps Aina with the more delicate parts of her horns and offers to take the hat once it's off-
Anita: “Guess not.” -takes her phone out of her pocket and starts thumbing through her contacts for him-- then thinks better of it and puts her phone back with a grin- ”I'll let him be surprised we're here. Think he'll mind?”
Cruz: “Friends are always a good surprise.” -sets the bowls down on the nearest surface, though Anita is quick to scoop them back up instead to take them to the kitchen-
Duncan: -Aina remains complacent and partially asleep while Cruz helps her take off her hat, and Duncan chuckles at the affair-- glances up at Anita- “Of course he wouldn't mind. Thank you for helping Aina, Cruz.” -bounces Aina a bit in encouragement, then turns to walk up the stairs- “Let's get ready before he returns home.”
Aina: “He's gotta be here for night-night?”
Cruz: -rumbles appreciatively and follows Duncan and Aina up the stairs-
Anita: -fishes out Cruz's toothbrush before they head up- “He'll be here for night-night.” -heads toward the first floor bathroom- ”I'm just gonna wash my face.”
Cruz: “Okay.” -hovers head-level with Aina on Duncan's shoulder- ”Gonna try to stay awake until he gets home?”
Aina: -nods-
Duncan: “Maybe for a little bit, but if it gets too late, it's bedtime for us.”
Aina: -shakes her head in protest, voice muffled against Duncan's shoulder; they reach the bathroom upstairs- “Mm-mm!”
Cruz: -laughs a little and follows inside, sets Aina's jammy hat at the edge of the sink- ”Kinda sleepy already.” -rubs his eyes and forces a yawn for effect-
Duncan: -he sets Aina down so she can float on her own next to Cruz, where she's scrunched her face and closed her eyes-- kneels down to face her eye level and holds her hands for a moment- “We'll see when he gets here.” -he lets go of Aina's hands and smiles up at Cruz, stands- “Would you mind helping Aina brush her teeth, Cruz? I should check when Mordekai's returning home.”
Cruz: -already looking around the sink for toothpaste when Duncan asks-- looks up and raises his brows- ”Ah? Okay.” -hovers closer to Aina and smiles- ”Where's your brushy?”
Duncan: “Alright, thank you.” -he watches the two Freis for a moment before stepping out to go to his room and make the call-
Aina: -while keeping her eyes closed, she fumbles around while tapping her hands sloppily at the bathroom sink until she finds the rim of the toothpaste cup-- tries to float a little higher, but feels a bit too dense and tired at the moment to get much leverage- “Mm... sparkly--”
Cruz: -sets his brush down for now and watches Aina's clumsy movements-- floats himself higher in her stead and plucks out her brush, as well as the toothpaste- ”Put it on the brush for you...” -mumbles while smearing her brush with a bit more toothpaste than she probably needs- ”And brush... for you? Or--” -holds the brush close to her face, lips pursed and brows furrowed-
Aina: -she rubs her eyes a bit before reaching for the toothbrush from Cruz, a bit bleary-- shakes her head- “I can do it...”
Cruz: -smiles and relinquishes the brush to her- ”Okay.” -works on setting up his own with the same amount of toothpaste- ”You like sleeping but not bedtime?”
Aina: -with no actual familiarity with brushing her teeth on her own, and while being so sleepy, she's getting toothpaste quite everywhere on her face; shakes her head- “Mm-mm... I wanna play and-- and-- Momo's gotta be here for night-night and-- um, I'm allowed to stay up late today and-- and eat candy and watch spooky movies.”
Cruz: -watches her while brushing his own teeth, not nearly so messy but he is intentionally making it foam more than he needs to-- giggles a little- ”Today's not real Halloween.” -leans down to spit into the sink but then resumes brushing and speaks with his mouth full- ”You wan wash shpooky mooveesh?”
Aina: -looks up at Cruz- “If it's not real Halloween we wouldn't-- we wouldn't of gone to a Halloween party, silly...” -continues brushing her teeth not-so-successfully; at this point, she's just kind of dabbing the toothbrush wherever on her teeth; nods- “That's what you're s'posed to do on Halloween.”
Cruz: -runs the faucet and clears the sink, spits again and leans down to sip water from the tap-- swishes and releases, then rinses off his brush- ”Haven't seen many spooky movies. 'Nita doesn't like them.” -sets his toothbrush down and looks over at Aina, then points at his face- ”You got minties everywhere.”
Aina: -she glances up once Cruz rinses to do so herself, but at the mention of mess on her face, she paps her face with her hands and giggles; shakes her head- “Mm-mm!”
Cruz: -giggles back at her and makes room for Aina to use the sink- ”Mm-hm~” -floats towards the door and peeks out into the hall- ”Wonder how long Nita will take to not be a skelly.”
Duncan: -as Cruz peeks out at the hall, Duncan's finished with his call and is exiting from his room right next to the bathroom. He raises his brows upon seeing Cruz- “Are you two done already?”
Aina: -giggling while dawdling at the sink, face still smeared with toothpaste-
Cruz: -perks up at Duncan and smiles-- he nods, then glances back over his shoulder at Aina- ”Maybe.”
Duncan: “Wonderful, thank you.”
Aina: -giggles more when Cruz glances back; tries to hide behind him when Duncan enters the bathroom- “All done!”
Duncan: -he laughs and kneels down to face Aina at eye level- “Ah. Did you brush all by yourself?” -he glances up at Cruz- “Cruz, could you wet the towel for us?”
Cruz: -Aina's giggles are contagious but he laughs easier when Duncan does too- ”Got her brush ready but she said she could do it.” -floats over to the rack and retrieves the towel, holding it out with a grin to Aina- ”Told you, you got minties everywhere.”
Aina: -continues giggling and shakes her head up at Cruz- “Mm-mm! No minties everywhere.”
Duncan: “Hmm... everywhere but your teeth, perhaps?” -Aina bursts into a fit of louder laughter, and he stands up briefly to turn on the water to dampen the towel. He squeezes the excess moisture out, then picks the Frei up to sit her at the edge of the sink to dab her face- “Cruz has very shiny, white teeth, probably because he brushes so well. Could you show Aina your teeth, Cruz?”
Cruz: -laughs along with her and smiles at Duncan-- lifts his brows and leans back to open his mouth as wide as he can to show off his rows of pointed teeth, complete with a low ahhh sound that comes out more reptilian than expected-
Aina: -gasps at Cruz's display and giggles, tilting her head to get a better look away from Duncan as he cleaned her face- “Pretty teeth!” -she feels her own teeth- “Are mine gonna be like Cruz's when I grow up?”
Cruz: -closes his mouth and chuckles, shakes his head- ”Don't think so. Mine were like this forever.” -reaches up to poke at some of his teeth- ”And you're not a croccy.”
Aina: -pouts- “I wanna be a croccy too.”
Duncan: -finishes wiping down Aina's face and picks up her toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezing a small amount of it onto the bristles; chuckles- “Alright, let's face the mirror, Aina.”
Aina: -she adjusts so she's sitting facing the mirror, though she glances at Cruz before letting Duncan brush her teeth- “Can we watch spooky movies?”
Cruz: -hovers to the far side of the bathroom counter and rests his elbows on it, then props his chin up with his hands and smiles at Aina- ”Do you have spooky movies to watch?” -this didn't seem like a spooky movie household-
Duncan: -raises his brows at the mention of spooky movies, chuckling- “No spooky movies for another few years, at least, you two.”
Aina: -muffled sound in protest, glancing up-
Cruz: “Aw.” -laughs and hunkers down on the counter, resting his chin on it with his hands on either side to peer up at both of them- ”What about cutie movies?”
Duncan: -when he's finished brushing Aina's teeth, he turns the faucet and rinses off the toothbrush and lets Aina grab herself a cup of water to rinse her mouth out; smiles at Cruz while she's busy- “Those are just fine. You and Aina can find some movies you'd like to watch tomorrow morning.” -reaches for another clean towel on the rack to dry off Aina's face-
Aina: -pouts- “But you gotta watch spooky movies on Halloween!”
Duncan: -raises brows- “I've never heard of that rule. Have you, Cruz?”
Cruz: -looks thoughtfully up at the ceiling, then shakes his head- ”If that's a rule, Nita breaks it every year.”
Aina: -while picked up by Duncan, makes a concerned noise- “But Mo said!”
Duncan: “He said what people like doing on Halloween, but you don't have to in order to celebrate it. And there are plenty of Halloween movies that aren't spooky.” -laughs a bit- “Otherwise, Anita, Mordekai, Cruz, and I would all be breaking the rules, wouldn't we?”
Aina: -she takes a moment to let it sink in, resting against Duncan's shoulder- “Oh...” -she raises her head again, to Cruz- “Are we gonna watch movies tomorrow?”
Cruz: -listens and nods intently once Duncan explains-- gives a smile to Aina and floats up to his usual height- ”Yeah, lots of movies. Want to pick some out?”
Aina: -brightens a little and nods- “Mhm...!”
Duncan: -on his way out of bathroom- “In the morning.”
Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 9:05 pm
Party at Hartline starring Mordekai, Damien featuring Various Farmers
There was a Halloween get-together for workers at Hartline Farms. It lasted from evening until late at night, but folks were told to come and go as they pleased; the only thing Stephen asked of everyone was that they behave and not wear a costume they wouldn't want their boss seeing on a regular. It was BYOB, but with all of the guests bringing something to the table, they had enough bottles at the kitchen counter to supply a small liquor store. Maybe.
Workers at Hartline came and went by the handfuls every season, and if at the end of the year someone stuck around for more than a few months after getting hired, it was reason to celebrate. This year, there was Josiah, Amir, and, of course, Damien Lark. Even with all of the (playful) chaos that followed Damien's addition to the payroll, Stephen (now a zombie) gave him a pat on the back and gave a toast to his efforts.
The party was casual and small, with only seven of the eleven paid staff being present, but Maree tolerated nothing less than it being as loud as it could be, and it was impressive how rowdy Hartline workers could be, given that most of them had seen their 20s off to the wind decades ago. There was drinking and crappy dancing and crappy singing, and afterward, more drinking, then eating, then playing card games and gambling away all their free time and spare cash, of which most of them had barely any.
By night, everyone sat around outside at Stephen's back porch, full and hazy and lit by the bright embers of the fire pit. Maree prodded at what chalky logs remained, and the fire pit coughed up a plume of smoke that surrounded everyone. Seabiscuit, who was lying down between Damien and Mordekai, elected to stand up, whine, and step down from the porch to avoid the ash.
Mordekai: -covers his mouth with his arm and waves the smoke away from around his face, laughs- “Yeesh, y'want me t'do that for ya, 'Ree?”
Maree: -glares up at him- “I got it. You sissies can't even take a little smoke?”
Amir: -coughing and squinting- “This isn't a little smoke! Damn, what did you do?”
Damien: -waves some of the smoke away and laughs- ”The dog's got the right idea. Pour a brew on it, that'll kick it right back up.”
Kade: -covering his mouth and nose with the neck of his shirt- “Don't you waste this beer or I'll put my boot up your a**.”
Damien: “I'm charmed.”
Edgar: -follows after Seabiscuit to escape the smoke- “You guys need anything while I'm up?”
Maree: “What the hell? It's not that bad.” -at Damien- “Did you go to school? Pretty sure beer and fire's a bad idea.” -glances up at Edgar- “Get more firewood, we're running out.”
Mordekai: -leans back against his seat to watch where Seab is going, but he's just resting at the front of the porch-- looks back at Maree, confused, and laughs- “What? Beer ain't gonna react to fire. If it did, we'da heard 'bout more flambéd campers in Bass'ken.”
Maree: “Sure, smartass.” -thankfully, the smoke has cleared most of the way-
Edgar: “You got it!” -steps over Josiah, who seems to have nodded off-
Damien: -sticks his tongue out at Maree while she's distracted- gives Mordekai a soft elbow to the ribs- ”Think somebody could do fire breathin' with just beer?”
Kade: -pulls his shirt down when the smokes clear- “Then we'll hear about your dumb a** getting flambéd instead.”
Damien: -gives an exaggerated gasp- ”Nobody here trusts me with fire, Mordekai.”
Mordekai: -laughs and leans against Damien a bit- “No, no ********' way. Dare you to try?” -laughs at Kade, then ruffles Damien's hair- “Wonder why, eh?”
Damien: -adjusts his little devil horns after his hair is ruffled and laughs- ”S'a damn mystery. You dare me, though?” -grins as he takes another sip-
Kade: “Are we gonna have to put both you assholes in time out?”
Edgar: -comes back with an armful of kindling for Maree and sets a few pieces in the pit-
Amir: “I kinda want to see him do it, though. Not gonna lie.”
Maree: -to Kade, plainly- “Yeah. Let them burn.” -looks back at Edgar- “That was fast. Hey, want another beer?”
Mordekai: “'Course I dare ya!” -laughs and glances at Kade- “Sure, you can put us in time out! An' then the farm'll be on fire. An' we can blame you.”
Kade: -shrugs and takes a sip of his beer- “You won't be blaming anybody once you're crispy.”
Edgar: “Yeah, thanks.” -finishes setting down the rest of the wood and scoots over-
Damien: “Jokes on you, I'm fire proof.” -taps his horns-
Kade: -reaches into the pit to grab a smaller bit of wood with only the end on fire- “You want to test it?”
Damien: “Ey!”
Mordekai: -laughs and protectively hugs Damien close to him- “Kade!”
Amir: -to Kade- “I'll separate them! Git 'em!”
Maree: -tosses Edgar a beer bottle- “Remember, hurt him where they can't see it.”
Edgar: -catches the bottle and sits; laughs sympathetically- “Aw, go easy on him.”
Damien: -practically crawls into Mordekai's lap to get away from the stick- ”You really gonna let him hurt me, boss?”
Kade: “She just gave me permission.” -wags the stick near Damien-
Damien: -swats at Kade- “Seaby, save me!”
Seabiscuit: -climbs back onto the porch and sits between Mordekai and Damien, but at the mention of his name he simply glances up and rests his head back down-- which receives a short laugh and scoff from Maree-
Maree: “Hey, Scooby's busy.”
Mordekai: -he laughs and holds Damien away from Kade and his stick- “Y'all are awful!” -then his phone rings, and he raises his brows; lets go of Damien and pats down his overalls- “s**t, must be Duncan.” -once he finds his phone in his pocket, he flips it open and grins- “'Ey! Yeah, I'm still at Hartline-- everyone say hi!” -raises his phone over his head-
Damien: -pouts at Seabiscuit, then more directly at Maree- ”Too busy to-- Hello.” -laughs and moves off of Mordekai once he lets go; he pauses on his way to grab another beer to give a loud 'whoop' towards the phone instead of a proper greeting-
Edgar: “Hello, Duncan!”
Kade: -dips the end of his stick back into fire to rekindle the flame; with a deadpan tone- “Howdy!”
Amir: “Hey, Duncan!”
Maree: -looks up at the phone- “Hey, Duncan! When are you gonna come back to Hartline?”
Mordekai: -he laughs and holds his phone back up against his ear, then glances back at everyone- “He says hi back! 'Ree asked when you're gonna come back to Hartline.” -after a pause, chuckles- “He's askin' if we need s'more helpin' hands 'round here.”
Maree: “Duh, always. I'm surrounded by incompetent losers 24/7.”
Edgar: -takes a sip of beer- “At least we try.”
Kade: -gets up once the end of the stick has a nice flame going and follows after Damien with it-
Damien: -yelps; dodges and trips over something-
Josiah: “AUGH!”
Edgar: -smiles at Maree, unfazed- “Some of us.”
Amir: -leans back in his chair to watch Kade chase Damien around, then laughs loudly at Josiah- “Good morning, sunshine!”
Maree: -cups her mouth with one hand to amplify her voice, still focused mostly on poking the fire- “Careful, children!”
Mordekai: -laughs and turns in his chair a bit to speak clearer into the phone- “...Yeah, she says we might. I'll talk to ya 'bout it at home.” -pauses, raises brows- “Yeah, 'm pretty sober-- jus' havin' beers.” -he stands up and quietly calls Seabiscuit to walk away from the porch with him, squeezing behind everyone's chairs to leave-
Josiah: -pushes Damien away and stands up; sways while dusting himself off- “Good nothing!”
Edgar: “I think carefulness was tossed out when Kade started trying to set people on fire.”
Damien: -scrambles to his feet and laughs while running past Kade-- he grabs a beer on his way back to the porch- ”He's right, y'all are awful!”
Kade: -comes back around and tucks the stick back into the pit for good- “Only the one person.”
Amir: -to Josiah, laughs harder- “You fell asleep for like two hours! Little baby tired from all this hardcore partying?”
Maree: -smirks as Damien returns, then glances at Kade- “Didn't even fall through with it? I'm kind of disappointed in you, man.”
Kade: “He's a slippery rat, what can I say?”
Josiah: -plops himself down next to Amir and shoves his shoulder a little- “I wasn't out for that long.”
Edgar: “It was pretty long.”
Damien: -laughs and shakes his head; glances over to where Mordekai and Seabiscuit went- ”Back in a sec--” -hops up and jogs to catch up with them, beer in hand-
Maree: “I'll forgive you if you get him before the end of the year.” -looks back up at Damien as he leaves- “Bye, Hellion.”
Amir: -nods in agreement to Edgar- “It was pretty damn long.” -waves at Damien as he leaves- “'Kay!"
Seabiscuit and Mordekai were sitting at the usual spot that they went to during lunch breaks, a sizable oak tree only a moment's jaunt away from Stephen's home, only faintly lit by the fire at the porch. Seabiscuit raised his head up from where he was sitting as Damien jogged toward them,which caught Mordekai's attention.
Mordekai: -waves at Damien- “'Ey!” -back at the phone- “Oh, Damien's walkin' over.”
Damien: “Ey!” -slows up a few feet away and sits next to Seabiscuit with a grin- ”Don't mind me, just escapin' the firin' squad.” -cracks his beer open loudly and gives the big pup a couple scratches between his ears-
Seabiscuit: -receptive to the scratches and adjusts his front paws; looks up at Damien-
Mordekai: -laughs at Damien- “What, Kade's still tryna getcha? --Yeah, Kade tried pokin' Damien widda hot stick 'cause he said he was fireproof.” -smirks- “Nah, Stephen's gone to bed. And Emilio, Dominic, an' Eric were no-shows. Got ridda all the responsible ones, right?”
Damien: -makes kissy lips at Seabiscuit while petting him; laughs- ”He gave up for now but Maree wants him to burn me alive.” -sets his beer down and ruffles both of Seaby's ears- ”And you were gonna let me burn weren't you? Yes you were.”
Seabiscuit: -whines and sits up; wags his tail when Damien speaks and pants at him-
Mordekai: -laughs and pets Seab, too- “Ain't she the one dressed like a witch? So cold.” -nods- “Yea, I remember somethin' 'bout her bein' a witch in trainin'? That was back when I started workin' here, though. Bébé 'Ree.” -smiles over at Damien- “Wanna see a picture of the boss in high school?”
Damien: “Thought witches were supposed to be in cahoots with demons but here she is tryin'a kill my candy a**.” -sits up to give Seab a few smooches to the head, as well as a raspberry; looks at Mordekai with raised brows- ”Wait, really? No way--” -scoots closer while keeping a hand on the dog-
Seabiscuit: -given how big he is and how close he is to the two of them, it's not difficult, though he shuffles a little closer when Damien leans forward as well-
Mordekai: “Maybe 'cause she din't want to summon no candyass demon to her side, eh?” -giggles and reaches into his pockets for his wallet- “Lemme see if I got it with me--” -pauses- “What? -laughs- “Oh-- oh, right, yeah, don't worry 'bout pickin' me up. I can walk back, s'not far.” -once he manages to fish out his wallet, he raises his brows and holds it out for Damien to take- “S'only an hour or somethin' away, but don't let Aina stay up 'cause of my tipsy a**.”
Damien: “Then she don't know what she's missin'.” -smirks and takes Mordekai's wallet and digs around in it for photos; there are a few of different folks among other stray cards and tidbits-- he pauses at a picture of Annie to run his thumb over it and smile fondly before tucking it back in and pulling out the old picture of Maree- ”s**t, look at the wee witch.” -laughs and holds it out to show Seabiscuit but gets distracted by Mordekai's conversation- ”Huh? You don't gotta walk, man.”
Mordekai: -glances over while Damien rummages through his wallet, grinning when he finds Maree- “Yeah... her hair ain't teal there; weird, huh?” -Seabiscuit rises to put his front paws on Mordekai's lap while leaning over to sniff at the wallet and Damien's hand-- then Mordekai raises his brows at the ginger- “--Huh? Oh-- s'okay, don't want y'all havin' to drive me anywhere.”
Damien: “She's gonna wanna kill me more, now I know her dark secrets.” -returns the photo and folds the wallet back up- ”Why not? I'm drivin' back anyway.” -hands Mordekai his wallet while scratching Seabiscuit's back with his other hand-
Mordekai: “Seab an' I'll protect ya.” -takes his wallet and frowns a little- “You sure? I don't wanna end your night early or anythin'...”
Damien: -grins and fluffs Seab's ears again- ”Pff. I'll get up to plenty of trouble after I take your a** home. Tell your old man it's covered.”
Seabiscuit: -he rests his head against Damien's lap, looking content-
Mordekai: -laughs and hangs his head- “Ah-- if you're sure, thanks... ah, 'ey looks like Damien's gonna gimme a ride 'ome.” -smiles at Damien- “Duncan says thanks.”
Damien: -continues offering Seabiscuit light scratches down his back with both hands- ”S'no problem. I'll getcha back before you turn into a pumpkin.”
Mordekai: -laughs and scratches behind Seab's ears- “'Fore Aina turns into a pumpkin, more like. --'Ey, alright, 'ave a good night, Duncan! Catch you in the mornin'.” -he flips off his phone and stuffs it back in his overall pocket-- he grins and returns to scratching Seab, too- “Alright, I'm just gonna get this'un outta his costume so he can go sleep wid Stephen. C'mon--” -wraps his arms underneath Seab's torso and picks him up, stands; huffs- “Are you gettin' heavier, little man?”
Seabiscuit: -he wags his tail while receiving attention from both Damien and Mordekai; is very relaxed about being picked up, licks Mordekai's jaw-
Mordekai: -leans back a little and laughs- “D'you wanna taste ash an' beer, bud?”
Damien: -laughs and pats Seabiscuit's lower back before Mordekai scoops him up, then he grabs his beer and follows after- ”Wouldn't be the first to want that, would he?” -takes a sip- ”How is the little drizzle, anyway?”
Mordekai: -swings Seab gently around after picking him up for a little bit before stepping back toward the porch-- laughs at the insinuation and nudges Damien on the arm with Seab's butt- “You!” -grins- “Oh, she's doin' great! Prolly real tired after the party she went to, that was her first one.” -smiles- “You gotta meet her sometime.”
Damien: -leans to the side from the nudge and chuckles into his beer- ”No kiddin'? Maybe tonight, if she's not already zonked.”
Mordekai: -laughs, sheepish- “'Nother time's prolly better, she gets kinna worked up when she meets new people... don't want her cryin' over you leavin' so soon.” -as they approach the porch- “'Ey! Think Damien an' I are gonna head out.”
Maree: “What, at this responsible hour? It's only 10.”
Damien: “Aw, damn. I gotta drop by more often, anyway.” -laughs into his beer- ”He has a child, Maree.”
Kade: “You're just looking for an easy escape. You're not foolin' anybody.”
Maree: -actually laughs and raises her beer at Kade- “Yeah, that was basically the worst lie I've ever heard. Cheers.”
Amir: -quirks his brows- “Wait, but-- I mean, seriously?”
Mordekai: “Aw, Sweetie, you're breakin' my heart!” -laughs and flusters a bit anyway, glances at Amir- “Ah-- yeah-- see y'all Monday, alright? I gotta get Seab to bed.” -heads for the backdoor-
Edgar: -raises his brows while drinking but stays quiet-
Kade: “G'night, liars.”
Damien: -laughs and gives them a wink before trailing after Mordekai-- drapes an arm loosely over his shoulders and asks with a calm smile- ”Did I spill the beans?”
Mordekai: -he glances back to see Maree squinting at them both-- then turns back ground and huddles against Seab when Damien drapes his arm around him; flusters harder, smiles sheepishly, and whispers back- “N-not if they don't believe you--”
Damien: -laughs under his breath and pats Mordekai's shoulder- ”Sorry. Didn't know it was a secret.” -glances back as well- ”Think they'll take anything I say as a fib, so you're safe.”
Mordekai: -hangs his head a bit and laughs, too, shakes his head- “No, s'okay--” -chuckles and nudges his arm a bit- “But 'ey, they trust you more'n you think, guess we'll find out Monday. No lookin' back now--” -sets Seab down once they're past the threshold to unbuckle his Scooby leash, scratches behind his ears- “Be free, tiny. Go upstairs to bed.”
Seabiscuit: -instead sits in front of Damien and Mordekai-- whines-
Mordekai: “Aw, c'mon, God built ya with sturdy legs. Up and at'em.”
Damien: “Naaah.” -finishes off his beer while Mordekai gets Seabiscuit ready for bed-- laughs and crouches down to be eye level with the dog- ”You're not tired, Scoob? S'night-night. Go get cozy.”
Seabiscuit: -paws at Damien, then stands up to walk closer and lay down in front of him, for scratches-
Mordekai: “Yeaaaah.” -laughs and kneels down- “Think he's just bein' a lazy pup.” -kisses Seab on the head and picks him up again, nods in gesture toward the stairs, grins- “Bet you we can sneak into Stephen's room widout 'im noticin'. He snores like a ********' foghorn.”
Damien: -catches Seaby's paw for a second, like they did a low-five-- laughs- ”Aw, buddy.” -laughs and follows Mordekai inside- ”s**t, you think? Look at you, getting into mischief tonight. Let's do it.”
Mordekai: -laughs and starts heading to the stairs- “Trick or treat an' he got us no treats, right?”
Damien: “Only got himself to blame for gettin' his a** tricked.”
Mordekai: -glances over at Damien, smirks- “You ever try the hand in warm water thing?”
The two left Hartline with mischief in their wake. Not only had they given Steven a warm water surprise and dumped a horse-dog into bed with him, Damien also revved his motorcycle loudly over the rest of the party to make conversation difficult until they were gone. With an engine, the trip to Duncan's house was considerably shorter than Mordekai predicted while on foot and the two were able to enjoy the night air and long open roads. Once they reached Pine Street, Damien cut the engine so they were only a faint rumble in the distance, now silenced, with no fear of waking any small rain children.
Damien: -steers the bike towards the curb and stops just at the edge of Duncan's driveway; he takes off his helmet and fluffs up his hair with a hand while still seated-
Mordekai: -once they're stopped, he takes off his helmet and shakes his head a little bit, sighs from being a bit winded-- he hops off and glances up at the house while rummaging for his keys, though he stops completely and gasps when he notices a familiar Oldsmobile at the front-- laughs- “'Ey, 'Nita's here!”
Damien: -hangs his helmet off the handlebars for now and walks the motorcycle up the driveway alongside Mordekai- ”Oh, hey! Kinda wanted to meet her without a bunch of ruckus anyway.” -props the bike in a clear space away from both cars- ”Gimme that.” -snatches the extra helmet from Mordekai and grins-
Mordekai: “Yeah...! Wonder if she's awake...” -he walks toward the Oldsmobile first with a grin, then looks back at Damien when he snatches his helmet back from him-- laughs and lets go easily- “No complemet'ry helmet with the ride?”
Damien: “Tryin' to steal it from anybody else who wants a ride.” -clicks his tongue and shakes his head, then moves towards the front door- ”She usually sleep this early?”
Mordekai: -sticks his tongue out at Damien, then checks the time on his phone while approaching the porch- “--Oh! 'Ey, I forgot s'only 10... dunno, maybe she partied too hard with Lab, eh?”
Damien: -laughs and leans against the railing- ”Maybe. Could be snoozin' in a pile with your baby and the other one. Greeny.”
Mordekai: -smirks at him while unlocking the door, holds it open for him- “Cruz?”
Damien: -smiles and shugs animatedly; he steps inside ahead of Mordekai and lifts his chin at a faint sound from the living room- ”TV's on.”
Mordekai: -he drops off his straw hat at the coat rack for now and raises his brows, walks around the bend of the stairs near the foyer- “'Ey, 'm home! Damien's with me.”
Damien: -gives a quick 'hey' to confirm his presence-
Anita: -turns the volume a little lower before getting up; rounds the corner with a cheeky grin- ”Welcome home.”
Mordekai: -he brightens and grins and laughs, approaching Anita with open arms- “Hey! I din't know you'd be here!”
Duncan: -at hearing voices downstairs, he heads down the stairs to greet Mordekai and Damien-
Anita: -smiles brighter as well and moves in for a hug- ”Yeah it was kinda last minute. Was it a nice surprise?” -gives Damien a sheepish smile and wave-
Damien: -grins at the two of them and dips his head towards Anita, then notices Duncan coming down the stairs- ”Evenin', sir.”
Mordekai: -laughs and hugs Anita tight; lifts her up briefly to give her a little spin- “'Course, s'the best surprise!” -sets her down gently and glances up at Duncan, waves- “'Ey!”
Duncan: -he raises his brows a bit at the display, but he manages a smile and chuckles-- nods his head toward Damien and Mordekai- “Nice to see you again, Damien. Thank you again for the ride.” -once at the bottom of the stairs- “How was the party?”
Anita: -clings during the spin and lets out a small yelp; laughs and steps back a little once her feet are on the ground and pats his arm before separating completely-
Damien: -bows a little with his hands in his pockets- ”No problem at all. S'nice to be by again.” -laughs- ”Almost got my a** branded but all-in-all a good shindig. How was yours?”
Duncan: -chuckles- “You were able to escape Kade, then. Ah-- it was a pleasant little gathering, but I'm sure it wasn't as rowdy as yours.” -raises brows- “I believe you've met Cruz before, but not Aina?”
Mordekai: -glances back briefly at Duncan and pipes up- “Yea, we talked about it a little! I'll kidnap 'im and bring 'im around again soon.” -then turns back toward Anita-- laughs a bit and flusters- “How are you?”
Damien: “Dunno! Got no experience with parties where most of the folks are part ribbon--” -lifts his brows-- chuckles and gestures to Mordekai with his thumb as he explains-
Anita: -smiles at Mordekai and flusters a little herself- ”I'm good. Oh--” -points at Duncan and Mordekai- ”I've got you both here. I wanted to ask what you guys thought about taking Cruz and Aina trick-or-treating around your neighborhood?”
Damien: -perks up- ”s**t, is this her first one?”
Duncan: -turns his attention to Anita when she speaks up- “Ah! Yes, I was going to ask what you and Cruz were doing on Halloween, anyway. Leigh and Johan are going to be in town to help Aina with her costume-- perhaps we can do a little pot luck before nightfall, as well?”
Mordekai: -speaks to Damien while Duncan is to Anita- “Yeah, it's gonna be her first rodeo! You ever gone trick-or-treatin'?”
Anita: -smiles at Duncan and nods- ”That'd be nice, if they don't mind the company.”
Damien: -scoffs and taps Mordekai's chest with the back of his hand- ”What kinda question is that? Course I been trick-or-treatin'. Always got the most candy.”
Duncan: “Of course not. I'm sure they'd both enjoy seeing you again.”
Mordekai: -laughs and shrugs- “Iunno! I've never been.” -laughs- “An' how much candy was that, two pieces?”
Anita: -shrugs a little uncertainly but smiles and laughs-- double takes at Mordekai-
Damien: “No, a*****e. Half a pillow case, 'cause I always got too much for the tiny buckets.”
Anita: “Wait, you've never gone trick-or-treating?”
Mordekai: “Psssshhh, half a pillow case is nothin'.” -looks back at Anita and laughs, shrugs- “Nope! Think I'm gonna take Aina 'round this year, see what it's like!” -smiling- “You an' Cruz are gonna come over?”
Duncan: -laughs- “That's the plan.” -checks the time on his watch, though-- raises his brows- “Ah, it's about time for me to head to bed-- we can discuss Halloween more in the morning. Are you heading home, Damien, or would you like to stay here?”
Anita: -nods and smiles to Mordekai, then digs out her phone to check the time-
Damien: “It is when you're half my size-- Ah?” -looks up at Duncan and laughs appreciatively- ”Well I sure as hell'd like to but nah, not this time. I'll hit the road in a minute, here.”
Duncan: “Well, if you change your mind, we have a futon and plenty of space. Feel free stay and talk as long as you'd like.” -he smiles and bows his head at the three- “Good night, you three.”
Mordekai: “Bet you both the Raevan kids can get more'n that--” -he checks his phone, as well-- it's half past 10- “Alright! G'night!” -waves as Duncan heads upstairs-
Anita: “Good night, Duncan! Sleep well.” -glances over to Damien and Mordekai; scoffs- ”They can't even eat the candy, guys.”
Damien: “Oh sure, double team-- wait, they can't?” -laughs- ”The hell they goin' for then!”
Anita: -waves her hands through the air- ”The experience. We could also try calling ahead to some houses and seeing if they're able to give little toys out to them instead of candy. Cruz said he wants to give his candy to Jerri and Jill.”
Mordekai: -laughs and nods in agreement with Anita- “Yeah, the experience, man!” -smiles at Anita- “Yeah, I think Duncan was gonna leave letters or somethin', he knows a lotta people 'round here...” -laughs quietly and upturns his brows- “Aw, that's really sweet of 'im! Jus' dunno if Rebecca would let 'em eat all that sugar...”
Anita: “Oh good, glad we were on the same wavelength.” -smiles, then hangs her head and laughs quietly- ”Aw, yeah, I forgot she was kinda strict about that.”
Damien: -pulls out his phone to check something- ”Give it to 'em anyway. Long as they're not runnin' around on a sugar high she won't know the difference.”
Mordekai: -grins- “Yeah, she won't notice us sneakin' her kids a shitton of candy all at once.” -laughs- “Mais, we can try, give 'em a fun Halloween.”
Anita: “We could ask how much they're allowed.” -taps her chin- ”Then give them little rations.”
Damien: “Y'all are smart, you'll get the kids their candy somehow.” -grimaces at his phone and tucks it back into his pocket- ”I should prolly hit it. S'nice seein' you again, Anita.”
Anita: “Oh-- yeah, nice seeing you too! Thanks for bringing him home.”
Damien: -slips Anita a wink, then holds his hand out to Mordekai for a bro-shake- ”See you Monday, shithead.”
Mordekai: “Hah, we'll try.” -raises his brows, a bit surprised at Damien leaving so soon, but he grips Damien's hand for the shake and leans in to pat his back- “Yea, bright an' early, a*****e--” -steps back and smiles, shows him to the door- “Don't get too wild, ah?”
Damien: -grins and returns the pat to his back; laughs and lowers his voice- ”Yeah, you go ahead and get wild.” -gives Mordekai another pat to the arm, then waves back at Anita while stepping out- ”Night!”
Anita: -didn't catch the first comment so just waves and smiles- ”Drive safe!”
Mordekai: -raises his brows and flusters, shoves Damien lightly with a laugh- “Get outta here!” -holds his hand out as a wave- “G'night!”
