Fantasy Code FERAL

[zCrookedz]

Jimbo grabbed the drink from Alec and took a sip, wincing a bit then set it down with a smile at Alec's comment.


"Thanks, haven't had any time to practice in a while. Not a lot of people like their cars taken on test drives once Simon gets done fixing them back in Detroit. Go figure."


Simon took hold of the glass with the fizzy concoction in it and took a long draught. He nearly drained the glass as he listened to Alec speak, when he set the glass down Simon looked up to him with a determined smile.


"Amber's alive, and if I know that woman she's giving those bastards the fight of their life. I wouldn't be surprised if they shipped her back to us in a nice neat bow begging us to take her back."


Simon's smile got a bit wider as he spoke of amber. He was throwing up defences, trying to make humor out of the situation. Something Jimbo picked up on all too easily now as he picked his drink up and took a sip. He closed his eyes and let the vodka roll down his throat and sighed after the slight burning had stopped. He looked back at Simon, still holding onto his smile as he finished off his first drink and sat the glass back towards the edge of the bar.


"Gonna need another one of those Doc, infact keep those coming till Jimbo here has to carry me out."


Simon spun around on his stool and looked around the room. Samantha and her dino had joined them, along with Gigi, who Simon had to smile at and nod to as he saw her.


"Real swanky place ya got here ma'am. Sorry about the mess with your limo."


While SImon was a bit distracted thanking their host, Jimbo looked back at Alec after speaking of strong. He too chanced a glance at Calista and then back at Alec.


"That little fuzz ball can do things with a computer i'm not sure a human could. She's got the knowledge, and she's got more determination than anyone to get Strong back, I would say that we have a pretty damn good chance of getting her back."


@SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Leandra was pleased to hear Alec's initial response to her joke, as she'd noticed how he didn't always seem to handle the stress of these events. Not that Leandra was handling them any better than him. She just learned to cover up her worry and pain with humor over the years. It was easier that way and she was good at cheering up others with her humor, which brought her happiness, even if it was only temporary.


Hearing Alec's response to her concern about his shoulder, Leandra rolled her eyes and instantly responded cheekily, "Yeah, and the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail said his wounds were merely flesh wounds. Look how far that got him. Now he's limbless!"


When Alec mentioned werewolves, Leandra matched his grin and said, "Well, I'd hope not. I don't think this world needs any human-animal hybrids in the mix of things."


The second Alec inhaled and mentioned the large scar upon her back, Leandra stiffened and instantly became mute, as she had no idea how to respond to him. She could hear the wolf snarling in the back of her head, but her thoughts and flashback were quickly interrupted when Xiao joined Leandra and Alec, kindly draping a blanket over Leandra's back.


Smiling gratefully at Xiao, Leandra soon relaxed once more, as Laohu lay beside her, nuzzling her slightly. The comfort of a cat beside her instantly brought Leandra back to reality and soothed her concerns, as she merely ignored Alec's question and hoped he wouldn't bring it up again.


As Alec began removing the shards from her abdomen and dabbing them with alcohol swabs, Leandra hissed in pain here and there, but was completely relieved once Alec was done and finished patching her up. Luckily, the cut wasn't too deep and would most likely heal within a few days without a problem.


Hearing Alec's talk about scars, Leandra merely shrugged at him and then was pleasantly surprised when Xiao began ordering both Leandra and Alec to get some much-needed rest.


Smiling at the girl, Leandra then said softly, "Thank you, Xiao. You're too kind."


Upon receiving her shirt back, Leandra quickly slipped it back on, wary of messing up her freshly-patched cut.


Relieved at the sight of the cops finally joining the team, Leandra glanced sideways at Laohu when he asked his question, as she was uncertain of how to answer him.


At the mention of a hospital, Leandra merely shook her head at Gigi, as she most certainly didn't need to go to one and definitely didn't want to. Leandra always felt like there was an aura of death at hospitals and they just plain out creeped her out. Maybe she'd seen too many horror movies.


When Alec finally let her clean up and stitch his shoulder, Leandra felt a sudden desire to stick her tongue out at him as if to say 'I told you so', but she refrained from doing so, as she needed to focus on the task at hand. Within a minute or two, Leandra was done and she quickly wrapped his shoulder again to make sure he was good to go. On the bright side, now he had, like, half a shirt on. That had to count for something, right?


@SilverFlight @crucialstar


Manjano and Falarion shifted their attention outside of the limo and soon exited, as the cavalry appeared to have arrived finally.


At the mention of hospitals, neither of the pair said a word, as they both felt fine enough to manage on their own. Falarion had some shards clinging to his fur here and there, but he'd luckily avoided getting any cuts.


Meanwhile, Manjano's was still bleeding pretty heavily and he decided to cut his losses, as he walked up to Leandra just as she stood up from the ground with a blanket draped over her shoulders, concealing her medic backpack that was on her back.


While Manjano didn't say a word to Leandra, she saw the cut within seconds and merely nodded at her brother before pulling out her stitching kit and within seconds of the pair sitting back down on the ground, Leandra had cleaned and stitched up the cut on Manjano's cheek. She also quickly cleaned the dried and smeared blood off of his face before silently getting back up and then making her way towards the nearest car to leave in.


Sighing after his sister wandered off, Manjano stood back up and briefly tried to find Beth to find she was no where to be seen. Cars were already leaving though, so he could only assume she'd already left.


Soon, the twins and their companions were standing just inside the lobby of Gigi's mansion, glancing around warily, as a rich home like this was surprisingly not something they were unused to. Problem was, it didn't bring back only good memories.


At the mention of showers, all four of them perked up. There was no doubt that all of them needed to properly clean up.


Quickly breaking away from the group, Leandra snagged her suitcase full of clothes and, with Luness on one of her shoulders, Leandra hurried up the stairs to the showers, warily using her uninjured hand to carry and pull the suitcase along.


After someone cleared out of one of the bathrooms, Leandra quickly entered and locked the door behind herself before letting Luness dismount her shoulder and stand on the bathroom counter.


Closing the drain to the sink, Leandra smiled at Luness, as she turned on the water to the hottest degree, letting it fill to about halfway before stopping it and looking expectantly at Luness.


Luness hummed, pleased at the sight of her own personal bath, and quickly climbed in before shuffling about in the water and partially diving in it a few times, as she let the water soak her feathers. Thanks to her being a phoenix and all, Luness had a high heat resistance and the steaming water felt heavenly to her, though Leandra knew she'd probably burn herself if she tried to touch it.


Leaving Luness be, Leandra quickly took a shower herself, grinning at the wide selection of shower gels, shampoos, and conditioners. Using whatever sounded remotely like nature or being in a forest setting, Leandra soon exited the shower and dried off before hissing in pain when her injured hand was rubbed by the towel. That wasn't good.


Luness' head popped up from the sink bath and she worriedly asked Leandra, "Dear, what's wrong?"


Seeing the decently deep cut on Leandra's palm, Luness instantly scolded her, saying, "Lea, why in the world didn't you show that to Alec and have him stitch it up?"


Sighing, Leandra said, "It's fine, really. I didn't want to bother him with it. He was clearly exhausted and ready to face plant. I couldn't trouble him with more of my little injuries."


"Little! Lea, that cut doesn't look like a 'little' injury to me."


Shrugging, Leandra began removing medical supplies from her backpack before saying, "It's fine, Lune. Seriously. I can deal with it on my own."


After a minute or two of scowling and hissing in pain, also making a few mewling sounds, Leandra finished stitching her hand wound and then wrapped it before doing a quick check-up on her abdomen cut as well. Seeing that Alec's stitching was holding up nicely, Leandra put a square band-aid over it to keep the stitches safe for now.


Just as Leandra finished putting away her medical supplies, Luness exited the sink and Leandra only had enough time to shout, "Wait!" before Luness shook herself about and water splattered everywhere and even on the mirror nearby.


Luckily, the water had cooled off enough so that it wasn't going to burn Leandra. Unluckily, there was now water every where.


Raising an eyebrow at Luness, Leandra then said, "Well, I hope they don't expect us to pay for any property damage."


Laughing in a musical tone, Luness then responded, "I'm sure they'll be okay with a little water damage."


Shaking her head in amusement, Leandra then quickly grabbed a hairbrush and got the knots out of her hair, though it only went a little past her shoulders so luckily there weren't too many knots to begin with. Blow drying her hair afterwards, Leandra grinned at her reflection in the mirror, as it almost looked like she had a lion's mane with how fluffed up, and somewhat straight, her hair was.


Leandra quickly changed into some pajamas, as she did assume they were going to bed soon. Donning her fluffy, black pants covered in cat faces as well as a thick, crimson sweater and some fluffy socks, Leandra soon moved her suitcase into her room with her other stuff before heading downstairs with Luness lazily flying after her.


As Leandra entered the bar area, following the voices, she paused uncertainly, as she knew she didn't want to be doing any drinking.


Amused by the drink orders by the guys, Leandra quickly thought of what she wanted to order and grinned crookedly at Alec, as she walked up to him and the others before saying, "I'd like to order some hot chocolate, preferably with mini marshmallows in it. Or is that too hard to make for you?"


Knowing fully well how easy hot chocolate was to make, Leandra merely wanted to add to the teasing of Alec's mixing skills.


@SilverFlight


As Leandra and Luness broke off to clean up on their own, Manjano and Falarion followed suit, though the pair didn't think twice about sharing the shower, as Manjano helped rub shampoo and conditioner into Falarion's fur, effectively cleaning him while also cleaning himself.


Raising an eyebrow at the selection before him, Manjano could only laugh when Falarion said abruptly, "Which smell do you think Gigi would like the most? Seriously!"


Rolling his eyes, Manjano thought, I haven't the faintest idea, mate. Just choose one.


Sighing, Falarion picked out some beach-y scent and soon was all cleaned up. Exiting the shower area to let Manjano finish up on his own, Falarion grinned when he suddenly shook himself, spraying water everywhere in a similar fashion to Luness. After all, Luness had learned that very action from Falarion.


After he was done, Manjano dried off and towel-dried his own hair, resulting in it spiking up a bit here and there.


Not caring too much about it, Manjano then towel-dried Falarion since his shaking could only get so much water off of him. Unlike Leandra though, Manjano didn't think twice about the mess.


Quickly donning some black sweats and a black muscle tank top, Manjano then went back downstairs to join the guys at the bar while Falarion broke off when he sighted Gigi without the get-up, resting on a couch nearby.


Nervously, Falarion approached Gigi, as he could tell she was clearly troubled by the recent events. Especially considering the badgers had been out to kill, not dog-nap.


What surprised Falarion though, was when Beth suddenly joined Gigi's side, worriedly asking if she was okay.


Shaking his head, Falarion continued over to Gigi and hopped up onto the couch on her other side before suddenly nuzzling her shoulder without realizing what he was doing until he'd already done it.


Blushing immediately, Falarion resisted the urge to jerk back in case he offended Gigi for stopping so abruptly. Instead, he slowly pulled back and then looked at her before repeating what Beth had probably already asked Gigi, "Hey, how're you holding up?"


@SilverFlight


Joining the small crowd in the bar area, Manjano realized he had no means of ordering a drink without speaking to Alec and so he instead made his own way behind the bar and quickly grabbed the first bottle of alcohol he could find. Glancing down at the name, Manjano noted it was a whiskey and didn't really bother looking for anything else before he retreated to a corner as per usual and took a big initial gulp of his drink.


@anyone in the bar area

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael huffed when the vehicle slid to a stop, pushing Cerci off his body as well as he could. "I'm fine," he assured the bear dazedly, then looked around. "Cedar?" he called.


"Here!" the bear slid down the trunk of the tree they'd nearly hit, having climbed up after assuming the men were going to attack.


((I'll just skip on to the house now.))


Bael looked around the "town house" with wide eyes, still somewhere between disdain and loving it all. It really was incredible, and he had to admit it. He couldn't help but be a little incredulous at the apology for only having four bathrooms upstairs. Then he remembered something.


"Where's Zoe and Eos?" He asked, though not to anyone in particular. "I needed to look at her shoulder -- would someone find Zoe for me? I need to get my things out so I have what I need -- I'm sure Gigi's pantry has whatever spices I need..." he kept talking -- though it wasn't easy to hear -- as he took off up the stairs and ascended them without hesitation, taking two and three steps at a time, not even breaking in the middle of his phrases.


It appeared all his tools had made the trip without damage, and there was an extra box. He studied it curiously for just a moment, then checked his tools. His mortar and pestle (which was carved with leaves and, on one side a pentagram -- not exactly Bael's first choice) came through alright, as did the satchets, the muslin bags, and his cast iron teapot. He set it all out, quietly checking each individual thing, then turned to the extra box.


He opened it up, and, after a moment of unwrapping whatever it was which had been wrapped in several layers of newspaper and packing beans, a wide smile crossed his face. He carefully took out the deep, purple-grey square, carefully running a hand across its surface and putting the unglazed teapot on the shelf. With it was a bag of black leaf, and a note. He grinned a little wider when he read it.


Bael --


Bael Julius Lake, how could you leave your Tu at home? Look how sad it looks! It missed you! Now, I'm sure you're missing home and I'm sure you've considered going out and buying that tea of yours but whenever we go out for a vacation and you do that, you always complain about how it just isn't as good without Tu. So I hope I saved you the trouble when you decided to do it again, because I imagine you're missing home by now.


After all, I know home's missing you, and I'd hate for you to have to miss us any more than you already do. I know I can't do much from here, but I'll do all I can.


Annabell





He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment and going to the desk to write a letter to send back. He set the teapot -- named "Tu", or rabbit, due to the image of a rabbit in the side -- beside him. He was still half-distracted though by the concern over Zoe's shoulder, and as soon as he finished writing and telling Annabell all he could, he stood up to go find his injured friend.


@Hel @DawnAntalios @BasicallyAnyoneWhoWantsToTalkToBael


Cedar was downstairs, wandering around and admiring the amazing building.


@AnyOneIfTheyWantToTalkToCedar

 

[Hel]

"Oh, thank you!" Wednesday said to Zoe, looking at her as the girl complemented her. She moved to support Zoe as she started to sway, ensuring she wouldn't fall and hit her head yet again.


"Woah... be careful, okay?" Wednesday said. Then Zoe asked about Bael, prompting Wednesday to look around. She thought she saw him over near Cerci and Cedar, and motioned towards him, helping Zoe over before they headed off to the mansion of a townhouse.


@DawnAntalios


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


Once they got to the town house Wednesday was once again a bit shell shocked, though not from battle this time, from elegance. It didn't seem the royal sort of elegance, but the house was none the less filled with far more expensive things than Wednesday had ever had. She looked around a bit amazed, and noticed Bael running off to explore, or something. She thought about following him, but realized that she may have become socially obligated to go take a drink with Simon and Jimbo. She wasn't sure if they were joking or not, about the drinks earlier, but these were the things that she tended to not think too much about.


She moved over towards where she saw a couple of others drinking, but then realized that it was Rin and Haku passing them out. She paused for a moment, her brain a bit of a scattered mess for a moment before she shoved the chaos aside. At this point she heard Duik's question, and perked up.


"I dance... I mean... I'm a dancer." Wednesday, perking up a little and walking towards the group over there.


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz (mentioned) @andujarprime


Cerci had followed Cedar, and ran up to him, playfully tackling him after a few minutes. "Hey! Whatchya doin' Cedar?" She asked, grinning some at the bear.


@Sleipnir

 

[SilverFlight]

Alec poured himself another shot and lifted the glass in the direction of his friends. "To Agent strong. May she give those Rogues a handful of Hell."


At Leandra's request Alec dipped his head behind the bar. "Um, I've yet to see a bar stocked with anything that doesn't come in a bottle. Sorry Lea, maybe there's some in the kitchen?"


Gigi overheard and waved a paw at a woman in modest dress taking clean sheets upstairs. The poodle said something in French and the woman turned and went into the kitchen.


"It will come soon." She promised.


Alec only noticed Manjano when he had made off with the bottle of alcohol, and laughed as the boy retreated like a dog with a stolen bone.


"Relax kid, I'm not gonna bite you. Look, come on over and sit with us. You don't have to talk or anything." He motioned at a bar stool. "Besides, It'll be easier to get you more drinks, you look like you need them."


@zCrookedz @andujarprime @Lioness075


Gigi smiled at Beth as she came to sat beside her. "You are certainly remarkable. Zose thugs would have gotten me if you 'adn't been zere."


The Feeling of something at her side made her turn in surprise. She blinked as Falarion buried his face into her shoulder. She shot him a coy smile.


"Why Monsieur Falarion, a wolf not only in name n'es ce pas?" Her tone was light and teasing, it was obvious she was touched by the gesture.


When he withdrew to ask how she was she placed a gentle paw on his.


"I am shaken, I cannot lie about zat, and...I believe you all 'ave something you might want to tell me? You are most certainly not ordinary fans after all."


@Flutterby @Lioness075


Duik bit his lower lip. Busted. Gigi was as smart as she was talented, even if they hadn't shown off their above average combat skills, he thought she would probably have figured it out.


"Yeah-heah, you know? Funny thing about that..er, guys? Anyone wanna take this?"


As Gigi's questions were about to be answered Duik looked enthusiastically at Wednesday. "You are?" He leaned over the mixer panel with a broad grin on his muzzle, then turned his attention to the bar. "Hey Alec! Give me a hard one." He shot a knowing glance at the man who returned it. Alec thought for a moment then snapped his fingers.


"Ok, 1941, Andrew Sisters. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy."


Duik barked with glee. "What? Oh no you didn't!"


"That's right bro, swing. Bet you can't match it."


"Oh-ho, you're on!"


Duik pulled up the song in the seemingly endless list of music saved on the storage device. He had already pulled his special headphones from his bag and fitted them over his head with one ear free to listen to the mix. He hit the button and the song began to play:

Spoiler

[media]

[/media]
That first trumpet note, grainy and faded poured into the air in surround sound. In a flash Duik's paws were moving, choosing the beat of a more modern song and matching it. Pulling a few more parts from other songs and overlaying them. Alec stood and watched proudly. When Duik was doing this, he looked the happiest anyone could see him.


"Come on y'all! Time to get down!" Duik raised a paw in the air and pumped it to the time of the beat. His white teeth flashed as his grin widened, he was clearly in his element. "Grab some people and dance!"


With a hind paw he kicked a switch and the room was lit up with coloured lights, swinging and flashing as the music played. They caught the disco ball which reflected them in tiny dots all about the walls.


Alec had to hand it to the hyena, he certainly knew how to command a party mood.


Even Calista looked up, she had just finished putting her program to work and it would take a while to do that. This was a welcome distraction. She trotted to the bar and with an adept leap she landed on a stool.


"Captain Morgan on the rocks." She ordered. "I'm going to need a drink if I have to watch all of you dance." The remark was a clear sign she was feeling better, for the first time since she had watched Amber vanish over the side of the cliff.


@everyone @Hel

 

[DawnAntalios]

Zoe smiled at Wednesday as she managed to stand up with the help of the girl. She, however, found that they were already on the move and probably Bael and the others have already rushed forwards as was instructed. As she pondered about these things Eos walked up to her, gently nudging her on her back and smiling at the troubled girl.


" Come, we should depart with the others. " he said as Zoe nodded.


" You are right. We should not tarry. "


With that she decided to follow the others, being transported to Gigi's residence.


The journey towards the gigantic estate was uneventful, she only felt a small degree of dizziness in the back of her mind and she pondered about the events that have happened. The attack - as surprising as it was - was not something she usually disregarded but this time she was certain that the target of these agents was the dog herself. Although there was always the possibility that they were indeed the focus of the assault but she did not want to make wild speculations. The more troubling thing which was in the back of her mind was the strange vision she had in the aftermath. It felt real... yet at the same time it was obviously just a delusion - one which is not usually summoned by the mortal mind. She looked at her injury and her expression turned sour. The wound was now small, barely visible now - yet it had a strange color around it. Eos peeked over her shoulder and spoke silently.


" You should take a look at that from close up. " he said, worry evident in his tone.


" I am fine, Eos. " Zoe retorted " We have no time for this. I will bandage myself up once we are at the mansion and it should be all right. "


And that she did. Upon arriving to the mansion she asked around where could she find a first aid kit and decided to patch herself up as best as she could. Using some alcohol to clear the wound she wrapped herself in a clean, tight bandage to cover her shoulder. Satisfied with the result she nodded and stretching her arms she decided to go for a walk.


It was then when she stumbled into Bael who she greeted with a warm smile, waving at the boy.


" Yo. " she said with a grin " You saved my ass back there again... I wanted to thank you properly this time. " she coughed, clearing her throat and smiled again " You mentioned wanting to go to have a coffee or tea... you may make the best teas in the world but none can match my expertise in coffee making! The endless hours of training demanded the finest of drinks so I have learnt how to make one... so if you happen to have the time, I am all in for that. "


She chuckled, tightening the bandage on her shoulder in the meantime.


@Sleipnir


Eos decided to explore the mansion, joining others in the meantime. He was fascinated how elegant and clean this place was but shortly afterwards his arrival he decided to head and drink something. He found others already preparing for a drink and while he favored no alcohol he managed to get himself some refreshing water. As Alec was making a toast he bowed his head in respect before speaking.


" I had the fortune to know Agent Strong but for a short time yet I believe that if anyone then she will prevail. She will endure, like a mountain she will never break. "


He stomped on the ground with his hoof, his eyes becoming determinate.


" By my antlers, I swear that I will not rest until we have Strong back with us! " he spoke, smiling at the others around them " And I believe that you too will fight to the best of your abilities. Know that it is an honor to fight beside each and every one of you. The Watch has chosen well, this much is certain. "


He drank his water and watched as the others were having their beverages and he remained silent for a bit. He knew that an extraction team was going for Strong already so they had only to worry about this mission... which just became complicated.


" I could not help but wonder if there was a correlation between this attack and the assault with the wolves. " he murmured " Were these... creatures from the same agency as those others? "


He shook his head.


" I am sorry, I did not want to ruin the perfect moment. Celebrate and bottoms up! You have earned a well deserved rest. " he looked around and pondered for a bit before something else jumped in his mind " Which reminds me... I am curious... have you ever had a... 'Soul Flare' before? It is a phenomenon we have experienced with Zoe before - we named it like this because it lit up in an instant, a moment of true clarity between you and your companion, in that moment it feels like your bond is the strongest - usually in moments of true tests, not necessarily fights but rather great obstacles you have overcome together. "


@zCrookedz @andujarprime @Lioness075 @SilverFlight

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael had just headed back down, carrying his mortar and pestle close to his chest with some different bags and things inside it when he ran into Zoe again. He tried to smile at her, but all at once he began to realize everything that had happened before. I might just kiss you for that.


We should have tea or coffee or something --


He felt his face heat substantially and he stared at her, opening his mouth once, closing it, hesitating. Then he managed. "Oh-- Yeah. The... Um--" Coffee. You're trying to say coffee. "The-- the... The coffee. Yes. I -- I, um, yeah, I'd still like that." He gave her a sheepish sort of smile before his more medical instincts kicked in and his attention was drawn to her shoulder. He switched modes with surprising efficiency, studying the bandage. "We need to take care of that. Have you treated it yet? I want to disinfect it and make sure it starts healing and doesn't bleed too badly." He began going over the possible treatments in his mind as well as the questions he ought to be asking. "Has it bled an awful lot? I mean -- more than you think it should? We need to make sure the wound is healing properly. Any heat or tenderness?" Infection was what really frightened him. He knew what that could do to a person, and it could really mess Zoe up if she did get a bad infection in her shoulder.


@DawnAntalios


Cedar pushed Cerci off with a huff, flicking his big ears. "Getting tackled by you apparently! What are you doing?"


@Hel

 

[Lioness075]

Hearing Alec's response, Leandra immediately blushed, feeling embarrassed for both her joke going over Alec's head and for the fact that she had no idea what kind of drinks bars actually had.


"Oh. Well, I guess if it wasn't already obvious before that I've never been to a bar before, it is now."


Rubbing the back of her neck subconsciously, a similar mannerism that both the twins shared when embarrassed or really nervous, Leandra then glanced over at Gigi and was relieved to hear that she'd managed to get some hot chocolate ordered for Leandra. It was definitely Leandra's most favorite drink in the world.


@SilverFlight


Hearing someone laughing behind him, Manjano twisted around in his seat to see Alec looking at him and then felt himself blush slightly when Alec told him to relax and that he wouldn't bite Manjano.


It wasn't like he was afraid of any of them per say, he just wanted to avoid conversation as much as possible. Yet, Alec told him that he wouldn't have to talk and instead could just sit near everyone, and closer to the drink options.


Sighing, Manjano moved from his corner over to a bar stool and sat down before promptly gulping some more of his drink.


@SilverFlight @anyone else in the bar area


Seeing Gigi's smile, Falarion instantly felt his face burning and it only got redder when he heard her response to his action.


Finding himself speechless once more, Falarion couldn't think of any response to her teasing until she redirected the conversation back to how she was feeling.


Yet, the minute Gigi asked about the real reason they were there with her, Falarion blinked and then awkwardly began looking at hte others, as he had no idea how to respond to her.


"Um, Gigi...you see..."


Stumbling through his words, Falarion frantically hoped someone else would jump in and explain for him.


@SilverFlight @anyone hearing this


Luckily, Duik instantly found a distraction for everyone to avoid answering Gigi's question, as dance music soon filled the room.


Hearing Duik shouting for people to dance, Leandra smiled widely and then scanned the room for a potential partner. Not wanting to possibly have Simon re-injure his leg, Leandra decided against asking him. She would've asked Rin, except she didn't really know the guy too well and Haku was a bit creepy to look at for too long. That left Alec, if Leandra was somehow going to manage to convince him to join her.


Despite them not having to pay for any of the drinks, Leandra grinned at Alec and walked up to him before holding out a hand and shouted over the music, "Hey, care to dance? Next drink's on me if you'll dance with me!"


Despite having never been to a bar in real life before, Leandra had certainly heard the phrase, 'next drink's on me', plenty of times in movies or even in video games.


Seeing the disco ball making its appearance and lights dancing about around the room, Leandra's grin only grew bigger, as she then looked back at Alec and continued to wait for his response.


@SilverFlight


Instantly cringing at the sound of the loud dancing music and flinching at the sight of the disco ball further lighting up the room, Manjano scowled and then grabbed his half empty bottle before leaving the room and sitting on a small couch just outside of it.


Taking another sip, Manjano then let out a sigh, as he sat forward and rubbed the side of one of his heads, the stress of everything seemingly only building for him while everyone else was having fun with the dancing and music.

 

[ManyFaces]

When the hyena asked her if she danced she hissed and slunk back to Samantha for warmth but didn't let her touch lest she be rewarded with a warning hiss,Samantha let out a dissapointed sigh and entered the room where everyone appeared to be dancing "What on Earth..." she said quietly not wanting to interrupt anything,she took a seat in the nearest empty seat and advised the dinosaur sit beside her.After some consideration of all the things going on Velora decided to forgive Samantha for her crime and laid her head down on the humans lap allowing her to gently stroke near her crest area though she did seem tense from the movement,but the stroking was getting to her as she started to slow her breathing and close her eyes at this point she was relaxed but not going to let her guard down but that was good enough for Samantha.Upon seeing Gigi she let out a sigh the poodle still looked beautiful without her makeup but she was definately disturbed by that joy ride,she hoped never to have a high speed chase like that again or to have some weapons if they did have to do it again,her mind was swimming with thoughs but at least everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves despite being roughed up,she was glad that they had time like this to sit back and relax "I still wonder why those people were after Gigi,Velora I don't know what she might know or have that would cause them to fling badgers and try to nearly kill us..." she said to the dinosaur "Not our problem unless it involves us...or if she has good food" she replied in a sleepy tone and covered where her ears were located so that she could muffle the music some





@SilverFlight

 

[Flutterby]

Beth smiled at Gigi, but mostly she smiled at Falarion. He was so sweet. Maybe he and Gigi would stay in touch, after all of this. When Gigi mentioned their cover story, Beth was pretty surprised. No one had told Gigi they were more than a bunch of fans? Wow. Maybe this job just got a little harder.


Her attention was diverted by the toast and Duik beginning to play some music. The sound was a little too loud for comfort, but she had to start getting over that. It was an interesting mix, interesting enough to make her want to dance like he suggested. But would anyone else dance? Would anyone dance with her? Even though it was a remix, it was still swing. People danced in pairs to swing. She glanced around the room, but found her hopes sinking. The girl was uncomfortable with most of the people in the room, mostly because they were male and she didn't know them at all, and the one person she had gotten to know so far had bolted from the room as soon as the music started. Not that she could dance with him anyway, it seemed that associating with Manjano would mean losing Totus.


Beth sighed, and mumbled an "excuse me" to Gigi and Falarion. She slipped out of the room, through the foyer, into the kitchen. Beth paused long enough to locate a bottle of water and then retreated into the garden. Not only did she dislike alcohol (and was still underage in the US), she didnt think it would be wise to mix it with the painkillers she had been given for her head and ribs. As Beth stood there, she took one of those pills because the aches were beginning to return as the adrenaline finally faded. She scanned the dark sky, searching for a flash of white that could be Totus. But she saw none, and ended up just looking up at the stars. She could still hear Duik's music, now at a more comfortable volume, and tapped her fingertip against her thigh. Where was Totus?


The owl soared as high as he dared, trying to clear his mind in the cool night air. He was hungry too, but he needed to be able to think clearly before trying to hunt. He was angry, which wasnt all that uncommon, but he was angry with Beth, which was harder for him than anything. What was she thinking?

 

[Lioness075]

Eventually finding the music too loud still, Manjano downed the last of his drink before tossing the bottle in the nearest trash can he could find.


Deciding that Falarion would most likely prefer to stay with Gigi for now, Manjano made his way outside, letting out a low yawn along the way.


Maybe it wouldn't hurt for him to just get some sleep. After all, he doubted anyone would come looking for him unless a new mission rolled in suddenly. Though, now that he thought about it, the team had barely gotten any sleep throughout these past few missions. Was he the only one feeling the sleep deprivation kicking in?


Letting the door shut itself behind him, Manjano couldn't help but flinch when the closing door echoed into the night. Despite the fight being over for now, Manjano still felt on edge.


Sighing and rubbing the side of his head as he felt a dull headache rolling in, probably from the stress of everything that had happened lately.


Unaware of Beth's presence in the garden, plus being half blind in the dark didn't help anything, Manjano soon wandered over to the first bench he could find, though he had to feel his way there for the most part.


It was in times like these when Manjano really wished Falarion was with him. The maned wolf rarely had any trouble seeing at night, even if he was half blind as well.


After sitting down on the bench, Manjano leaned back on it and then gazed up at the starry sky, letting his mind wander.


Of course, his thoughts went straight to Beth, as he began worrying that he was pushing her away too hard and too fast. It was just so conflicting. He actually really wanted to get to know her better and let her into his life. He especially wanted to finally have someone he could trust enough to speak to. He actually really missed speaking and he could tell everyday how it tore up Falarion. Being Manjano's companion, Falarion probably more than deserved to hear Manjano speak again, but Manjano feared what Falarion would think of him if he knew everything that Manjano had done. Leandra already hated him for the boyfriend incident, how could he bear telling either of them more?


No longer feeling relaxed, Manjano sat up and then hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees while he buried his face into his hands, clearly distraught.


The last time he let someone into his life, they only made everything worse. Better yet, how could he explain to anyone he was interested in that he still didn't even know what sexuality he was supposed to be. It was beyond confusing because his last significant other had been a guy. They had dated for about two years until the guy learned some secrets about Manjano and instead of discussing it, the guy broke up with Manjano and then was dating another guy within a week. How could Manjano trust another person after something like that? The best part, was that his ex had been actually cheating on Manjano with the same guy before he'd broken up with Manjano. Everything his ex had said to him had been a lie.


@Flutterby

 

[Flutterby]

Beth turned and looked behind her as the door opened. Her heart jumped, then sank. Manjano. He clearly didnt see her, probably because of his scarred eye. She watched silently as he moved about. It was clear that he was tired and having a hard time seeing in the dark. He sank onto a bench, seeming to lose himself in thought.


Beth moved toward him, scuffing her feet on the ground and crinkling the bottle in her hand to let him know she was there. "You look like you need something that you cant find at the bottom of a bottle." Beth said, stopping a ways away from him and turning in profile to look at the sky again. Cool air brushed the back of her neck, and she reached a hand up to push both her braids behind her shoulders. It was a nice night, but she might wish she had a sweater in a few minutes. "I mean that in the nicest way possible." She added, with a glance at him. She sighed, taking a drink of water. Beth screwed the top back on, and searched the sky again. Only black and silver starlight. "I was hoping Totus would be ready to come in, but no such luck. Maybe I should go in and try to dance with the others. Im assuming you came out here to be alone." Her eyes rested on him, guarded and distant, but still interested and kind. The young woman waited for a moment, completely prepared to head back inside.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Hearing approaching footprints, Manjano glanced up and then flinched at the sound of a plastic bottle being crinkled, but it at least told him which direction the person was coming from.


Tilting his head slightly to the side so he could see better with his good eye, Manjano hesitantly began to raise one of his hands, ready to arm himself in necessary, only to find his hilt missing. Glancing briefly down at his hip, Manjano blinked, as he suddenly remembered giving one of his daggers to Beth.


By the time Manjano finally looked up again, he both heard and then saw Beth, as she approached him.


Hearing Beth's words, Manjano's eyes drifted down to the ground in front of him once more, as he felt exhaustion washing over him from multiple sources. Beth was right though. He wasn't going to find anything by drinking more. Too bad, too.


As Beth looked skywards once more, Manjano warily glanced back up at her. Seeing her standing there and staying at the stars far above them, Manjano suddenly had a random thought, as he wondered if Beth knew any navigational skills using the stars. After all, hadn't she mentioned before about staying out in the woods for several years after something traumatic happened to her?


Despite the trauma that she surely suffered, Manjano wished he could've spent several years living in the wilderness and living off the land. It sounded amazing to him.


Brought back to reality by Beth's apologetic comment, Manjano shrugged at her, though she missed his action, as she seemed more than content to continue to watch the sky and the twinkling stars above. Perhaps she was hoping to see a shooting star?


At the mention of Totus, Manjano shifted his gaze skyward, but quickly returned his gaze to Beth, as he had realized dishearteningly that it was near impossible for him to be able to find Totus out in the dark like this.


As Beth mentioned dancing and going back inside, Manjano felt his heart skip a beat before beginning to speed up. He didn't want her to leave so soon and he definitely wasn't going to have a good night if he tried to spend it entirely on his own.


Manjano had learned over the years that despite his trust problems among other things, he really hated being completely alone. It was easier if he was drinking, but he actually really enjoyed being around others, as long as it wasn't more than two people or companions or even both at a time.


Looking sideways at the open seating beside him, Manjano hoped Beth could see him well enough, as he gestured at the open seat, hoping she understood that he meant for her to join him.


As his heart continued to race, Manjano actually began asking himself if he should speak up for once and ask Beth to stay. After all, if she missed his cue to join him, then he'd have no other choice unless he jumped up and grabbed her, though that only terrify her and ruin his chances for sure.


@Flutterby

 

[andujarprime]

Rin smiled when Alec handed him the mixed drink, then looked away after his comment about Haku's drinking alcohol. "Compliment of Takeda Corp..." He said with an angry look in his eye that quickly dissolved. He wouldn't let their past come up now, not in a bad way. Instead he just turned to Alec and shrugged, then raised his glass in a welcoming toast as everyone joined them at the bar and toasted to Agent Strong's resilience. He listened to everyone for a bit, intrigued by Eos's talk of a soul flare. He and Haku knew exactly what that felt like, the way he described it. He nodded "We have felt that, I think. A long time ago, our bond has been much stronger since then." Haku said aloud practically reading Rin's mind. He went still however when he overheard Gigi asking them who they really were. Were they going to blow their cover? Did it matter if she knew? They needed to keep her safe, maybe if she knew at least that they were here to keep things that way, it wouldn't hurt? He sipped his drink and waited. As the music that Duik was mixing began to play, he tapped his feet on the bottom rung of the bar stool, in rhythm with a basic swing step. He smiled thinking back to his early days, when his mother really thought that he needed to learn the classics. Ballroom dancing, Piano, classical music. She seemed to feel that those things would bring him away from the shrine, from his father, and towards the upper class world she had surrounded herself in. He was waiting for someone to begin dancing. He overheard Leandra ask Alec to dance and he smiled then turned to see who else was paying attention. He did hear Wednesday say that she was a dancer, he shrugged and gulped his drink down. Haku turned to him swiftly and smiled a sly snakey smile, that looked more menacing than anything. “Try not to embarrass yourself.” She teased as he stepped up to Wednesday, “Hey, um you wanna dance?” He managed to ask with only slight embarrassment, his face a little flush from the alcohol.


@SilverFlight @Hel

 

[SilverFlight]

When Gigi heard the music she turned around to Duik with bright eyes. The hyena nearly lost the beat sync.


"Come Falarion! As punishment for deceiving me, you must dance with me." There was nothing vengeful at all in her voice, nor was it a doe-eyed plea. She asked as if she were merely stating a fact.


She leapt off the couch with a fluid grace that would make a cat jealous and went to stand on the floor. The coloured lights making her look like her pop-star self again.The summoning look she gave the maned wolf was completed with a coy bat of her eyes.


@Lioness075


"Soul Flare huh?" Alec thought for a moment. Suddenly the memory returned of one such a time. The shadow of his father looming over him and Duik standing before him. He remembered the sound of a growl, the crack of wood and ended the memory there, blinking and looking back at the glass shelves, taking time to recover while he found Calista's preferred rum.


Once he had poured that and given it to the civet he turned back to answer Eos.


"I really can't say. You and Zoe definitely have your differences, but I get the feeling you two are tightly connected too." A redirect was always a safe bet.


@DawnAntalios


Just then Leandra spoke to him, she was holding out her hand.


Oof, Frying pan or fire? He asked himself. Staying with Eos might prompt questions he didn't want to answer, but he didn't much care for making a spectacle of himself either.


"You do not need to bribe anyone Leandra Sinciato," He said suavely, making a clear comment that she was pretty enough to get anything she wanted. After that his expression became a bit ore genuine. He poured himself another shot and, downing that, he skirted the bar counter. "I'll give you fair warning; I'm a terrible dancer."


"Lies!" Duik called from the mixer.


Alec made a face at him.


@Lioness075


As he led the way onto the dance floor he couldn't help but look towards the double doors. His mind drifted momentarily to Xiao. Since he was already going to embarass himself he may as well ask her to dance next.


@crucialstar


As the music filled his ears be picked up the beat and pulled on the little he knew about swing. He started into a fast-paced west coast step, mixing it with a few modern moves that were light and quick. Ending with a spin he held out his hand for Leandra to join him. "So, you gonna share about what sort of animal did that to your back?" He prompted slyly. He'd been holding on to that question for a while now.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Hearing Gigi, Falarion perked up and then sheepishly lowered his head before bounding off the couch to follow her. Alas, Falarion was far from graceful with his long and spindly legs, as he instantly tripped over himself and ended up face planting before sliding a foot or two.


Quickly recovering and joining Gigi on the dance floor with a bright red face, Falarion then nervously said to her, "Hey, uh, I'm not that great of a dancer. Y'know, long legs and clumsiness don't tend to go too well together and all..."


@SilverFlight


Hearing Alec's reply, Leandra's face instantly blushed a bit before she found her voice once more and replied, "Oh, um, well, I'll keep that in mind next time I ask someone to dance with me."


At the mention of himself being a terrible dancer and then hearing Duik's instant retort, Leandra smiled warmly at Alec, as she had a feeling that he was being humble more than anything else.


Giggling when Alec made a face at Duik, Leandra then was temporarily distracted as she wondered where Luness was right now.


Yet, she was distracted from her distraction, as she watched Alec get into the 'swing' of things (ba dum tss).


Amused by her own joke, Leandra grinned until suddenly Alec was in front of her and offering his hand.


Yet, before she could take his hand, Alec asked about the scar on her back. Of course.


Hesitating, Leandra then took Alec's hand before smoothly following his moves and dancing to the beat.


While her foster parents had been more keen on her academics and physical health, Leandra had saved up her own money on the side and would take dance classes every week. Swing had definitely been one of her favorites, though it required a partner, which she almost always seemed to be missing. After all, there was no way she'd convince Manjano to dance with her and Luness was kind of missing hands and some height for dancing with a partner.


Her mind quickly came back to the present though, as she startlingly realized she hadn't answered Alec's question yet. Whoops.


Sighing, Leandra slowed down her dancing for a moment, as she replied, "A wolf did it to me when I was fifteen years old. It was actually at that time that I met Luness for the first time. She kinda saved my life."


@SilverFlight

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon watched as the rest of the group filtered into the room as Duik began to play. He had never seen a DJ play before, let alone an animal DJing, but Duik was impressive beyond belief with his skills at the mixer. Simon simply smiled and tilted back his empty glass to let a piece of ice fall into his mouth. As he crunched on the ice he looked up to see Calista joining them at the bar, and Alec leaving to go dance. Simon smiled and peered over the edge of the bar to see the pottle of Jack Daniels Alec had used to make his drink. Simon reached over and grabbed the bottle along with a couple of shot glasses. As he poured the first one, he looked up to see Samantha and Valora. He poured two shots and held on up towards her with a smile.


"Care for a drink? Don't think we got any food out yet, but I bet if they knew they had a dino to feed they would get it out here quick"


Simon laughed at the thought of Velora scarring the servants into bringing her plates of food.


@ManyFaces


Jimbo set the nearly empty glass down on the bar and looked over to Calista as she too needed a drink. His foot tapping along with the beat of the music while it rested on his bar stool, Jimbo was beginning to feel the drink was slowly loosening up his hardened exterior that he tried so hard to keep under lock and key. With the music blasting and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves dancing or drinking, Jimbo got up from his stool and made his way over to Calista. He hopped up in the stool next to her, careful not to spill his drink and leaned against the bar watching the others.


"How's it going with the gps? Find anything useful yet?"


@SilverFlight

 

[ManyFaces]

Samantha took the glass and smiled "Thanks" she said and laughed "You know I never expected a hyena to be such a good DJ but I must admit he's really good" she said bobbing slightly with the beat of the music,she quickly downed the shot and shook her head rapidly,the taste was strong but it went down smoothly,she didn't drink very often so this was a treat.As soon as Samantha downed her shot Velora took the glass and began licking whatever was left out of it,she had a quick flashback of her time there was a plant that gushed liquid that made you feel woozy and tasted good,this stuff was not the same but it was decent the bad news was she was a dinosaur and her tongue got stuck inside the shot glass "Tun stu hep meh" she attempted in vain to speak,she did try to pull the glass off but her hands were not adept at pulling since she had no thumbs but at least she tried,the next step was screeching and whipping her head about trying to disloge the glass.As Samantha saw Velora whipping around she tried to grab her and hold her down so she could remove the glass "What were you thinking?" she said with obvious worry and anger,Velora only paid her mind for a split second before rubbing her face on the ground she appeared to be making slow progress with getting the glass off.





@zCrookedz

 

[Lioness075]

Luness eventually caught up with the rest of the group after having been distracted by the beautiful chandelier in the lobby and finding it necessary to fly around it and marvel at it. Human design and architecture never ceased to amaze her.


Hearing dance music in the bar area, Luness raised an eyebrow before cautiously gliding through the open doors to find Duik DJing and a few of the others dancing. Amused to see Leandra dancing, Luness was even more amused when she saw that the girl was dancing with Alec, who she'd clearly taken a liking to since they'd both excitedly talked about working around the animals and such.


Landing on the backrest of a chair beside Simon, Luness tilted her head to the side at the sight of Velora struggling to get her tongue out of a glass while Samantha desperately tried to help her. Such an odd pair those two were.


Glancing sideways at Simon, Luness then said, "Well, this team seems to be quite the odd assortment of people and animals mixed together. Anyways, how is your leg holding up, dear?"


@zCrookedz @ManyFaces

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon watched as Samantha downed the shot and he raised his own and downed it. Before he knew it he had down two more and was refilling his glass once more before looking up to see Velora had managed to get her tongue stuck in the glass. Simon couldn't help but begin laughing as he watched the dino and her companion struggle to get the tiny glass off her. Given the state of the music that was begin played, and how sporadic the dino was moving, Simon couldn't help but raise his hand holding onto the bottle of Jack and woot.


"Woooooo! Go Dino, shake that prehistoric thang!!"


Simon began to laugh to himself now, doubling over the bar and pounding on it with his fist for a moment before he righted himself and took a swig from the bottle, completely forgetting about the shot he had poured for himself.


He nearly missed Luness flittering down to the chair beside him he was laughing so much. After setting the bottle down with a satisfied sigh he looked over to the phoenix and then looked down at his leg. He smiled as he lifted his leg and set it down on the bar with a thud from his boot.


"Looks like its back up and runn'n at 100%. That, or I just cant feel the pain anymore. Either way, I can walk again. Gonna hav'ta find the docs when we get back and tell'm thanks. What 'bout you Lune, yer wing all better?"


@ManyFaces @Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Even from a few feet away from Simon, Luness could easily smell the alcohol in the air and what was no doubt in Simon's breath.


Instantly, Luness made a disgusted expression, though it looked more comical on a bird than anything else. What was it with guys always wanting to drink after dealing with intense things? Luness had always hated it when Manjano drank, even Falarion disliked it though he knew better than to say anything about it to Manjano. Things were always tense enough with that troubled boy.


Seeing Simon getting loud and cheering at Velora, Luness could only shake her head and wonder when enough was enough for Simon, drink-wise.


Once Simon settled down a bit, Luness flinched in surprise and even fluffed up some of her feathers when he suddenly lifted up his leg and just let it thud onto the table. Well then.


Raising an eyebrow at the fact that Simon probably couldn't feel the pain in his leg anymore, Luness then shook her head and then responded, "You might want to be careful just in case you only unaware of the pain, dear. Wouldn't want to ruin the doctors' work so soon and find yourself back on crutches, now would you? And my wing is doing fine, thank you. Whatever is in those special serums that Lea now has, it worked wonders on my wing and besides a little scarring, my wing is just fine. Now if the serum could make my missing feathers grow back in a pinch, then that'd be just lovely."


Pausing, Luness decided to redirect the conversation, as she asked Simon, "So, what exactly is your history with Agent Strong, dear? It was more than clear to me that the kidnapping of Strong hurt you far more than anyone else in this team."


Wisely, Luness avoided mentioning the loss of Strong or anything like it, as she didn't want to upset the large man, especially when he was drunk. Plus, it wasn't like Strong was confirmed as KIA. She was still considered MIA or even a POW, kinda. Not like they were exactly at war, but close enough.


@zCrookedz

 

[Flutterby]

Beth watched Manjano indirectly, knowing he was uncomfortable with direct attention. He seemed to be considering quite a bit, but eventually he gestured to the empty side of the bench for her to join him. She did, crossing her arms as she walked, almost silently now that she wasnt trying to be noisy. With a soft groan, she settled onto the bench next to him.


Beth stayed quiet for a moment. Then, she asked, "How much have you had to drink?" She turned her green eyes to his face. They were sharp, as if she was trying to see everything about him, but her expression was kind. "I only ask because I want to know how real this interaction will be. Ive been told.. that things that happen when alcohol is involved dont count, for those under the influence. Ive never had that priveledge myself." Her words could be taken as an accusation or insult, but she meant them entirely sincerely. Beth's calm expression wavered, and she looked down. Dont let your mind wander. Beth looked back to the sky as she regathered herself, and caught sight of a flash of white and tan circling. Totus must be hunting in the garden.


@Lioness075

 

[Hel]

Wednesday smiled as Duik started the music. It was a modern remix of a tune she'd done more than a couple of dance routines to when she was younger. She then heard Rin's voice sound from behind her and turned to look at the man. Wednesdays eyes got wide, as though she was a bit frightened of him, it was a small gesture, though. He was the one with the snake...


But it seemed that she wasn't here now, at least, so she offered a smile as she relaxed a bit. "Yeah, I'd like to dance." She said, offering him a hand. She knew enough of the style to keep up with however he decided to dance, for the most part, and was quite good at following the lead set by her dancing partner.


@andujarprime


(Sorry short post XP)


Cerci smiled at Cedar, but noticed his slight irritation. "I'm bored. And disappointed by the lack of a yard in this house. Where's your boy? Did he run off by himself?" Cerci asked him, nudging him playfully with her nose. By all means she should be tired after the accident and all that had transpired, but honestly she was feeling a bit invigorated and playful.


@Sleipnir

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon had lifted the bottle to his lips once more and was half way through a drink when he heard Luness' question. His throat caught, causing whiskey to shoot up into his nose a bit. He quickly threw his head forward and put the bottle on the counter quickly as he began to try and clear the burning liquid from his sinuses.


His head was buzzing to be sure, but the birds question was still all to real a subject for Simon, drunk or not. After he took a deep breath from his coughing fit, Simon looked up at Luness with a serious a face as he could muster given his inebriated state. He grabbed hold of the bottle and pointed at her with the same finger.


"That my little fiery, feathered, friends.......heh........is very priv-o-laged information. And I'm not sure I wanna talk about that with ya."


Stressing his words with inflections, and finding humor in the f words as he spoke, it was obvious it was becoming a bit harder for Simon to keep his inner thought within. After taking another drink from his bottle, Simon set the bottle down and stared at it as he watched the amber liquid slosh around within.


"Have ya ever screwed something up so bad ya didn' know if anything you ever did would fix it? I screwed up, left behind everything after what happn'd in Singapore. Worst of all I left Amber behind, never got to tell her how I felt."


He made little swirling motions with the bottle, the liquid swirling to the sides as he did, he just continued to stare at it as he spoke.


"I shoulda stayed Lune. I shouldna left her behind, shloud have told her before......."


Simon grabbed the half empty bottle and tilted it back once again taking a swallow and sighing as he placed it back on the counter. He wasn't paying attention to the music anymore, or his team mates dancing and having fun, he just stared into the bottle and seemed to become lost in thoughts for a moment.


@Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Manjano relaxed a bit when Beth sat beside him, relieved that he wasn't going to have to act desperate to get her to stay. He didn't want to look, well, weak in that sense.


At the question of how much he had to drink, Manjano raised an eyebrow at Beth, his blue eye and gray eye matching her gaze with a hint of amusement in them. Despite how hard he tried all the time to avoid meeting anyone's gazes, he found it almost irresistible to meet Beth's. Her green eyes held intelligence and a deeper understanding of perhaps something similar to what Manjano had been through. Granted, he'd finally understood what kind of pain Beth had endured before, even if he didn't know who exactly did it to her besides some vaguely mentioned guy.


Still, Manjano find himself almost searching her eyes for even a hint of the past she seemed so desperate to hide. Then again, Manjano was doing the exact same thing. But that was something Manjano had learned to be of most help in mental health counseling, which was where he'd majored in for college. Now if he could just find his voice again, then he could possibly help both Beth and himself.


As Beth continued on about why she'd asked about his drinking, Manjano let out a small sigh, as he fully understood what Beth meant. He'd met his fair share of foster fathers who loved to drink.


Seeing Beth's expression waver and then her gaze move away from him, Manjano bit his lip, as frustration began to build inside of him once more. He wouldn't get any further with Beth if he continued to hold his tongue. He also was slowly destroying his relationship with Falarion, as their trust wavered everyday due to Manjano refusing to speak. He knew the maned wolf was hurting from Manjano's lack of trust. A human and his companion should have insurmountable trust between one another, but Manjano was only straining their relationship. He also knew that his own twin sister continued to drift further and further away from him all the time. The pair could barely look at each other anymore and it was all because Manjano had withdrawn into himself and shut everyone out. It wasn't really doing him any good either.


Suddenly realizing how quiet it'd gotten since he'd gone into his own world as per usual, Manjano looked down at the ground in front of him before he sighed again and decided it was time to, well, get over himself. It couldn't always be about himself, right? He had to look out for others and not just himself and Falarion. That was what it meant to be on a team, right? He couldn't help Beth if he couldn't speak and struggled to communicate to begin with.


Exhaling slowly, Manjano then looked sideways at Beth and said softly, with a voice that sounded soft yet deeply injured and scared, "Well, it's a good thing that I've a strong tolerance for alcohol then. This is as real as it'll ever be with me."


@Flutterby