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 Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:05 pm
This takes place in-between parts 2 and 3 of the side-story in Mikhael's quest. Of which part 2 will be up shortly.
She watched the smoldering remains of what she and her ersatz family had built with their own two hands. Declan stood next to her, solemn as always, with Torchie crying in his arms, but even the stern little boy's eyes were glistening.
"Get in the car." She ushered the two of them into the car, forcing herself to think practically. Get away from the scene. Let the firemen handle it. That's what they were trained to do. Don't think about where Mikhael may or may not be. He wasn't anywhere near the center of the blast. He hadn't been home at all, right? He'd been staying at the Villa in that little tent on the lawn. She didn't have time to think, oh god. She watched Declan buckle Torchwood up into the car seat and waited for him to buckle himself before peeling out of the driveway. The firemen had suggested she go to a hotel for a night, but she knew exactly where to go.
"Are we going to the Villa?" Declan's articulation was way too exact for a small child, each word carefully and distinctly pronounced.
"Yes." Raife punched the old car up to a higher gear as it tried to stutter. She hardly ever drove anywhere, but she couldn't bike. Not now. Not without Mikhael.
"Where's Mikhael?" Declan looked slightly worried, which was a lot worried for Declan.
"Don't know, sweetie. Hopefully at the Villa. Hopefully." They pulled up in front of Aki's sprawling mansion, and she ushered the kids to the front door, took a deep breath... and knocked.
Aki jumped at the unexpected knock, snapping her trashy romance novel shut. The fact that it was hardbound and written in elven didn't make it any less embarrassing. Pushing up from the couch, she made her way to the door...twisting her pale hair back as she walked. There was once a day when she would have hurried, but lately life had been kind enough to deliver her several slow years in a row.
Cracking the door an inch, Aki peered out...crimson eyes bright in the shade of the dim hall. "...Raife?" The door swung wide as her hand slipped from the knob, mouth falling open. "What...what's wrong?!" She stepped aside automatically, making room for the little ones to pass. "You look..."
"Where's Mik?" Raife couldn't hold back her concern any longer. It was clear where her mind was, even when she tried to be practical for the younger two. Meanwhile, Declan bustled past Aki, to set the heavy toddler down on the floor.
"Our house exploded." He added helpfully, sitting a pillow and a blanket down next to Torchwood. "The firemen said it was a...pipe bomb." He looked up at Raife to make sure he was saying the right thing, but she was still intently looking at Aki, sort of staring past her, oddly, her mind full of worries about her eldest son. Clearly, the house had taken a back seat.
"He's...safe?" Aki's voice trembled. Every ounce of her wanted to lie lie lie to her old friend, to reassure her that the muse was safe and sound and all tucked in. But really, when was the last time she'd seen him? It had been a couple days, at least. "Your house...exploded? Raife, come in. Come sit. He would have told me if he was going home..."
Her stomach twisted with the merest fraction of what Raife must have been feeling. Mik WOULD have told her...or so she thought. He was the sweetest young man she'd ever known! Every time she brought him lunch, he'd always say thank you...
Yanking her thoughts away from the trap of worry, Aki bent and scooped up Torchwood, ushering everyone towards the living room. "Come in. Stay. We'll figure everything out." She wished her voice sounded more reassuring.
"They were after him. The muse segregationists. They sent a bomb...mail..." Raife frowned, easing down on the couch, while Declan flopped down on the other end, leaning forward onto his thighs. "Um...it um. Fell off the counter and exploded while we were at the far side of the house. They were looking for him. Didn't know he wasn't there...should have known...not our normal postman." She rubbed the side of her hand, a pinkish red color, like parts of her, her side, her back, not yet a burn, like an intense sunburn, from the heat of the fire. On closer examination, there were a few bleeding nicks on her, and one on Declan's arm. The toddler was unharmed, if fussy. She'd shielded the kids when the initial blast had roared towards them, licking just a few feet away in the hall. She stared at her feet, lost and dazed. "Ah. Can we...?"
"We...I didn't know where else to go."
"Here." Aki's voice suddenly found its strength. The story was beyond belief, but she blocked out the horrible images her mind was drawing and tried to get Raife to settle. "This is where you should be, and this is where you should stay. As long as you want. We have extra bedrooms, playpens, everything. And...we'll find Mik."
It was as close to admitting that she didn't know where he was that she could get. Bouncing Torchwood one more time before settling him down on the plush central rug, Aki took another look over everyone assembled. In her house, first aid kits were never far away...there was one in the kitchen, and she had it in hand within moments. "Who...who do you tell about this? Do you go to the police, or....?"
"I don't know...? Mik...Mik would know. Maybe. He's just a kid, Aki." She looked over at Dec and frowned. Declan just nodded, absently, then rose from the couch. Where Raife was thrown off balance, he was calm and collected. He reviewed his interior map of the day to determine what she was trying to communicate without communicating. He turned to Aki.
"It's time for Torchwood's nap." He said quietly, scooping the rambling toddler off the floor and under one arm. "I'm going to find a place, so you can talk." He disappeared down the hall, leaving Raife staring after him with a look of mild irritation and disbelief all at once.
"Why can't my kids ever just be kids? Is it my fault? Is it something I'm doing wrong? They have to grow up so fast."
"At least yours grow up." It was a wry attempt at humor, but it was all she could manage. "You did nothing wrong, you know that. Your children are...amazing." Settling down next to Raife, Aki dabbed at the red spots...adding tiny band-aids where they were needed. The silence stretched as she worked, both women lost in their thoughts. There was one thought, however, that Aki couldn't help but speak.
"I am so thankful you're all okay. You're so lucky...you're all okay." Her fingers trembled, but she kept the pain and anger out of her voice. That wasn't what Raife needed. "I didn't know things had gotten so bad."
"They hadn't. It was fine...I thought everything was fine. I wasn't worried, I didn't really think about the postman. He seemed different, but I didn't note. Why didn't he bring any other mail? Just the package. He didn't have a bag either, just my package...but the uniform threw me off. The boys were being boys. Running, playing. It was a nice day." She frowned at her hand, remembering, as Aki dabbed with ointment. "I set the package on the counter, didn't really pay attention, then went to follow them, make sure Torchwood wasn't too much for Declan to handle...and then i heard something, and it felt like all the air sucked out of the room and then exploded out...we're so lucky....I didn't try to open that package....I'm so lucky...but Mik...he would have told me if he was home, right?" She looked up at Aki desperately. "If he was there...."
Declan juggled Torchwood and his blanket as they made their way down a hall. He sniffed the air a bit curiously, then arched an eyebrow. He recognized the smell. Nisha. He briefly arched his neck to peer towards her room, wondering...it'd been so long since they'd last seen each other...but there were more important things to take care of. Family things. Responsibility. He ushered Torchwood into an empty room two doors down, a guest room with a slightly dusty bed.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:42 pm
Ignoring the ointment smeared on her fingers, Aki settled her hand against Raife's cheek gently...not turning her face, not forcing her to focus, simply making the connection. Her voice was low, much calmer, and words softly spoken. "He...wasn't...there."
She absorbed Raife's story as best she could, the need to know more warring with the desire to block it all out. The false postman, the domestic delivery....
This was more than a message. This was war.
Aki's fingers started working again slowly, brushing over the lacerations on Raife's skin, and tugging free tiny splinters. "Is there anything else you remember?" As soon as she realized the extent of the situation, Aki's wheels had started turning. It was both of their families at risk now, if Raife had been followed...and she would be damned if anything would sneak past them both when they were all on high alert.
The smell from Nisha's room was distinct, to be sure. As always, it was roses and lazy smoke...mixed, for the first time, with a delicate hint of musk. While the voices in the front room hadn't been enough to rouse her, the sound of the door opening had. It was an unusual noise, one of the few rooms in the house that had never been used by family.
Stirring in her nest of a bed, Nisha hmphed in her sleep. The window rattled as Desperate shifted against the outer wall, turning reflexively in the garden behind the Villa. "Mmah~"
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:58 pm
"No, nothing. All I can remember is the feeling of that explosion. Like the house inhaled and then exhaled fire and shrapnel. I remember getting the kids in front of me and then the next thing I remember was firemen pulling me out of the house. Us. Pulling us out and asking if anyone else was inside. I had to tell them I didn't know."
She took a moment, fiddling with her fingers, then looked back up at Aki with a small and weary smile.
"Do you have anything to drink? I could use some water."
Declan shook the dust off the bed and opened the window, letting the sun stream into the thick-aired room. He could see Desperate out the window in the garden and leaned out toward him. "Hey, I know you. Come here, Desperate." He held out his hands. "Did Nisha shut you out?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:13 am
Aki's throat closed as Raife spoke. I had to tell them I didn't know. She was so stuck on those words that it took her a moment to comprehend Raife's request for a drink. "I do. Of course. I'm sorry~" Pressing on the last tiny bandage, Aki rose, and made her way to the kitchen. It was all she could do to return the smile.
The massive pachyderm tilted his head, one beady black eye tilted towards the window as Declan spoke. In response, he pressed the end of his trunk against the window, leaving a slight smear as he dragged it upward. Unlike Nisha, there was no hesitation...the desire for interaction was almost painfully obvious.
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:13 am
Raife walked to the back windows and stared out to the lawn where she knew her eldest son's tent was, unsurprised to find it empty, the front tent flap blowing in the wind. If he'd been around, he would have seen her car, coming running up to the front steps. Been Mikhael. When they talked, she'd noticed he was going through some growing pains, but he was still Mikhael. He would check on his brothers, hug her, and be that sweet little boy before he lapsed into sullen teenaged sulking.
She glanced over towards the hallway where her other boys were. Declan would catch up with his brother before too long. What kind of trouble would he bring? Could she have estimated how much she might miss trouble, now that its existence was threatened? She hugged her arms a bit, and sighed.
"So, where are yours? The pirate and the little princess? ...I guess she's not so little anymore....they grow up so fast."
Declan stretched his arm out towards Desperate's trunk, wiggling his fingers out to stroke it. "She's still as self centered as always, isn't she."
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:26 am
"The pirate and the princess." Aki smiled, and settled one hand on Raife's shoulder, still trying to lend her what calm energies she could. Truth be told, she didn't know how the woman was still on her feet. "The pirate is off swashbuckling, no doubt, and the princess is asleep in her bed. She sleeps for twelve, thirteen hours at a time." There was vague concern in Aki's voice, but Nisha was the least of her true worries.
"Can I get you something to eat, or make you a bed?"
Desperate flapped his ears, the pinchy tip of his trunk still working against the window. As Declan stretched his arm out, the Daemon hooted quietly, trunk wrapping around the boy's wrist. The way he shifted his weight from foot to foot it was obvious that Declan had been missed.
((Going on vacation! Back in 4 days <3))
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 3:33 pm
"I don't think I could sleep, but something to eat would be nice, if it isn't too much trouble. I'm...I'm not here to be a bother." Raife tilted her head back to look at Aki. "I know you're well off, and you're going to say it isn't necessary, but I don't want to be a free loader while I'm here. I'll help out...with...finances...or whatever it takes to run this place. At least food and...you know, that kind of stuff. Boys eat a lot...and if...when Mik comes back, I'm sure he's been eating you out of house and home."
"I miss Levi. Never get to see him anymore. He used to stop by for tips and tricks and the lot, but nowadays, I guess he fancies himself grown." She squinted out towards the sea, hoping to catch a glimpse of a ship. Maybe they were there together. Levi had swept Mik off onto a real life adventure.
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:52 pm
Aki stilled, really trying to absorb what Raife was saying. The other woman was right...she was well off, and there simply wasn't anything she really needed. But she could only imagine how Raife felt, and Aki had no intention of making Raife feel helpless. "I can do the food shopping, but...when you're up to it...could you help me in the kitchen? Nisha would live on packaged pudding if I let her. Ever since Levi left, I've really kind of lost my domestic drive."
That much was obvious. There was a time when Aki was always in kitchen, now, the entire house was dusty and still. "I don't see Levi often either. As soon as things are settled, let's have a word with both of our boys."
Smiling, Aki pulled open the fridge, and put together the fastest thing she had on hand. Bread, mayo, roast beef, and pre-sliced cheese came together in moments, making three fat roast beef sandwiches. Settling one on a plate, she pushed it toward Raife, and took a seat on one of the tall kitchen stools. "One for Dec, and I'll make something for your youngest when he wakes. Raife, would you like me to go to your house? I can supervise their effort, make sure there's a note for Mik, grab a few things for you?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 7:07 pm
"But what if there's still a problem there? I mean...I know you have superpowers or something...? I think?" Raife didn't really know anything about elves except that they had pointy ears. Maybe elf powers came from the pointy ears? "But if something was to happen to you too, I couldn't forgive myself. I'm pretty sure there was nothing left anyway....the only part of the building that's intact is the end of the right wing, but those were mostly empty rooms."
She frowned thoughtfully. "I guess all our family photographs are gone." She took a slow bite of the sandwich, staring at all the little pores on the bread.
"I'll set up a menu schedule for the house. I'm not an amazing cook, but I'm a solid one. Better as...hm." She seemed to lose focus for a second and forget what she was saying, then tuned back in. "I wonder if Dec and Nisha'll be okay as housemates. They're both at that delicate cooties age."
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:42 pm
Aki actually blinked as Raife swung into a new subject, speaking of Nisha and Declan. "I...hmm. You know, it's a big place. They could avoid each other. I suppose...even if they clash, that they're choosing to be together." Shrugging, she took a bite of her own sandwich, chewing for a while in silence.
"But I'll go, once everyone is settled. If you want." She didn't bother fussing about Raife's superpower theories. A sense of humor was a positive thing, on a day like this.
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:34 pm
Raife nodded, into her sandwich. "Okay. Thanks. Take someone with you though. It'd be nice if Levi was about, but anybody capable would be good. Superpowers or not, I wouldn't want to be alone in the woods there now." She took a sip of her water and shook her head.
"Thanks, really, I mean it. Thanks. This is more than generous. Taking me into your home, disrupting your daily life..."
She paused a moment.
"What is it you do now anyway? Are you still, uh, finding yourself?" She couldn't think of a better way to put it, and flushed a little, slightly.
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:12 pm
The points of Aki's ears dipped, but she still smiled at Raife's question. She didn't really want to talk about it, but again, any other subject was a good thing. "Me? More or less. It's...kinda like losing your job, and having to find a new one. But, you know. Spiritually. So..." Shrugging, Aki tore the crust off her sandwich, and nibbled at the strip. "Now I'm self employed!
"And it's really no trouble, Raife. Let's just get through today, and hopefully we'll have some answers tomorrow." She glanced out the window, toward the distant sea. "Maybe Levi will be home soon, I know that would brighten things up!" What would REALLY brighten things up would be having Mik home, but that certainly didn't need said...
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