Re: Awkward 'Family' Reunion? - [M] Rating
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:19 pm
Woven Delights • Anaxas/Vienda
on the 22nd of Loshis, 2719 • during the night
C aina wanted to laugh. Poor Flo… She could imagine Flo now, in that same house she’d always lived in, with a husband and children and her family’s business to run.. there was a pang of jealousy echoing around Caina’s chest, when she thought of that. There had been a time, long ago, where Caina had wanted that. Someone to hold her, working alongside her father, and children that she’d spoil rotten. But all of those things were gone now, out of reach, and Caina wanted to laugh. Poor Flo? Poor everyone else.
Caina was saved from answering the loaded question by Tom’s arrival. She didn’t move as he entered, didn’t say a word; just remained knelt on the ground, eyes on the bandage as she finished wrapping it. She refused to look up, too terrified by what she’d see. Hatcher had never looked one of her victims in the eyes before, not really. Not when there wasn’t the shroud of darkness to separate them. And Ava’s backroom was too bright, especially for this time of night. Too warm, too cozy.. too much.
She still didn’t move, even as she heard the clink of glass against the wooden table, even as she heard him walk away and shut the back door behind himself. Only then, once she was sure that they were alone, did Caina glance at the table, recognizing the red ship and black sails on the label. It had been a common drink in the Rose, and one of the only ones that Caina had been able to stand when she’d first started drinking, at that age of 13. She’d never taken a liking to alcohol, hating the way too familiar numb sensation it spread over her limbs. Caina liked to be in control of her body. But when she did drink, Tom had always kept a bottle of Long Haul in the cabinet for her.
She stood suddenly, pulling her gaze away from the bottle and Ava’s now-hidden wound.
But Ava’s question still hung in the air, and Caina took several deep breaths as she thought.
With that, Caina grabbed her cloak, tying it around her throat but leaving the hood down. She stuck out in the harsh lamp light of the room, but would disappear as soon as she went out the door. Caina paused at the door, glancing back at Ava where she sat, and nodded at her before walking out. It was the best she could do, lest she break down there in that room. An apology, a thanks. A way of telling Ava that she wasn’t angry with her, that she wouldn’t tell Serro or anyone else what had happened this night.
Ava might notice that the bottle of Long Haul had disappeared from the table, only a small circle of rainwater left to show it was ever there.
Once outside, Caina shut the door and paused, quickly scanning the darkness for the new familiar form of Vauquelin. She stepped quickly, not caring whether he noticed her approach or not, and leaned against the brick and vines at her back. There was a quiet pop as she opened the bottle and then silence as she drank from it. Then, words. Well, word.
Caina was saved from answering the loaded question by Tom’s arrival. She didn’t move as he entered, didn’t say a word; just remained knelt on the ground, eyes on the bandage as she finished wrapping it. She refused to look up, too terrified by what she’d see. Hatcher had never looked one of her victims in the eyes before, not really. Not when there wasn’t the shroud of darkness to separate them. And Ava’s backroom was too bright, especially for this time of night. Too warm, too cozy.. too much.
She still didn’t move, even as she heard the clink of glass against the wooden table, even as she heard him walk away and shut the back door behind himself. Only then, once she was sure that they were alone, did Caina glance at the table, recognizing the red ship and black sails on the label. It had been a common drink in the Rose, and one of the only ones that Caina had been able to stand when she’d first started drinking, at that age of 13. She’d never taken a liking to alcohol, hating the way too familiar numb sensation it spread over her limbs. Caina liked to be in control of her body. But when she did drink, Tom had always kept a bottle of Long Haul in the cabinet for her.
She stood suddenly, pulling her gaze away from the bottle and Ava’s now-hidden wound.
“You should be fine for now. Might need to see a doctor in the morning.”
She spoke too quickly, voice harsh from the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. But Ava’s question still hung in the air, and Caina took several deep breaths as she thought.
“Call me what you must- although I’d prefer you didn’t discuss this incident with anyone else.”
Anyone other than the room’s current occupants and the ghost sitting outside, that was. She did not want Tom to know what she did- under any circumstances. But it was dangerous to use her real name, even if those that might care were far away from Anaxas. “My name is Marianna.”
She said after a moment- it was the name she used at the Inn, and at most business that didn’t require her to wear her current garb. It was Marianna’s blue dress tucked into her closet, and it was Marianna that had worked at a party during the Spring Equinox. With that, Caina grabbed her cloak, tying it around her throat but leaving the hood down. She stuck out in the harsh lamp light of the room, but would disappear as soon as she went out the door. Caina paused at the door, glancing back at Ava where she sat, and nodded at her before walking out. It was the best she could do, lest she break down there in that room. An apology, a thanks. A way of telling Ava that she wasn’t angry with her, that she wouldn’t tell Serro or anyone else what had happened this night.
Ava might notice that the bottle of Long Haul had disappeared from the table, only a small circle of rainwater left to show it was ever there.
Once outside, Caina shut the door and paused, quickly scanning the darkness for the new familiar form of Vauquelin. She stepped quickly, not caring whether he noticed her approach or not, and leaned against the brick and vines at her back. There was a quiet pop as she opened the bottle and then silence as she drank from it. Then, words. Well, word.
“Explain.”
It was quiet, but demanding. Offering Tom a chance to speak without interruption, without someone else there he might not be so open with.