(no subject)

[futures_of_ash]

Rachel was pacing. Light, predatory steps on the balls of her feet, footsteps silent and yet she drifted so quickly along the length of the bar and back.

Back and forth.

She wasn't wearing spandex, no, she wasn't on shift, hadn't the right to be until Archie decide if he wanted her reinstated after her world jaunt. No, she was wrapped neck to toe in leather dyed a rich, heart's blood red. Occasionally she ran claw tipped, gloved hands through her flaming hair, snarling at something, probably herself.

A few more rounds of pacing and Bar decided that it was simply enough, manifesting a napkin with a scrawled, exasperated note Go outside.

Released, the woman patted the polished wood just once and made her way to the lake door.

Yes, it seemed there was a telepath in a bad mood. Luckily, she was very, very good at shielding.

[Warnings for eventual slow Sleeps now!]

Comments

[pirate-gibbs.livejournal.com]

Outside, Gibbs looks down from the deck of the ship and sees Rachel in the general vicinity. He gives a friendly, "hullo, Miss Rachel" as goes about his daily business.

[futures_of_ash]

And Rachel paused, halting to Look at the man, literally scanning him from the top of his head, to toes, and back slowly. Not a heated gaze, or even a predatory one. It held...worry and something like panic before it gentled. "Hello Gibbs. You're in a good mood" she called back, rocking gently back and forth on her heels.

[pirate-gibbs.livejournal.com]

Gibbs catches something in Rachel's gaze, something disquieting, like the shadow he sometimes sees in Jack's bad moments. He chooses to let it pass without comment (as he usually does with his captain).

"Aye, guess that I am. I had a rather good week last week. Spent an evening with a comely lass." Though the details of that evening are a total blur.

[futures_of_ash]

[*facepalms* wrong icon above! Oops! Sorries!]

Disquieting would be a good term, certainly for those far closer to stable than she. The rocking back and forth didn't stop, but it slowed slightly, the sheer grounding effect of simple conversation helping. "A girl? Is she someone I'd approve of?" she teased.

[pirate-gibbs.livejournal.com]

"Of course not. She's an assassin! And she drinks better than any whore in Tortuga. Better'n me, in fact." He smiles as if these are virtues. "I like her."

[futures_of_ash]

"Some assassins are a good thing" she admitted. She knew a few rather good ones herself, one or two she'd trust far more than her life to.

"...you're such a romantic, Gibbs. You know that right?"

[pirate-gibbs.livejournal.com]

He snorts a laugh. "Miss Rachel, I have no romance in me. That's for younger men, and handsome ones, and for the honest. I just find them when I can - which is rare - and get 'em drunk and lay with them, that's all." Never mind that part of him is amazed that Belladonna would even look at him, and that he feels a lot younger than he has in ages.

[futures_of_ash]

She shook a finger, a gesture leaving trails and sparkles of flame in the air "Men with no romance in them cannot love the sea, Gibbs, nor can they truly dream. It's more than hearts and flowers you know"

"But I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. You were far past due."

[slayer_fray]

Just before she makes it outside, someone throws a bread roll at her from across the room.

[futures_of_ash]

Tightly wound telepaths, working on sorting through a bad mood...weren't always the best target. She sensed it, as it rolled end over end, nothing lazy in the movement, and bread roll or bullet, she didn't stop to differentiate. It rolled...and sifted to ash, torn apart in a blink as she turned, eyes wide and glowing as the gritty detritus dusted her face.

She slowly licked the greyness from her lips as she slowly relaxed from battle edge, to confused, attention drifting across the room until she managed to pinpoint Mel and arch an eyebrow.

[slayer_fray]

Mel grins, rather sheepishly, and lifts a hand in a wave of hello.

[futures_of_ash]

A hand moved, almost jerkily, smoothing as she reminded herself to act human...and gathered a puff of ash to blow gently in Mel's direction.

Teasing, kinda.

If one could bear the suspense of slowly wafting ash!

[slayer_fray]

She should probably know she doesn't have to act human around Mel.

Mel blows at the Ash, hopping out of her chair and heading towards the lake door. Because it's such a nice day, why not be outside?

[futures_of_ash]

Not around Mel, no, but she did try to remember when she was indoors, honest. Really. Mel came under a great deal of attention when she advanced on the lake door. Rachel looked her over from head to toe and back. A look that held weight somehow, and sadness...

But apparently she found what she was looking for, a small, bitter smile on her lips as she turned and held the door for her friend.

[slayer_fray]

Mel, for all her usual adventures, is holding up well. Underneath tiredness there's a flush of life she never really found when bound.

The appraising look is returned as she approaches, although perhaps not to the same extent, and she lays a hand on Rach on her way out.

[md_donighal]

[Note: For narrative purposes the ash-storm abates this is tentatively set between her interactions with Mel and those with Gibbs.]

The man in the golden armor and red cape settles lazily to the ground in front of her. "Miss Grey. It's good to see you again."

[futures_of_ash]

And the woman in leather and flame didn't hesitate an instant, she lifted over him, since he seemed determined to be a road block. She needed to move. "Donighal" she greeted simply, the words trailing in her wake.

[md_donighal]

"...I'm sorry. I seem to have caught you at a bad time."

[futures_of_ash]

"You seem to have chosen a bad time to obstruct she pointed out simply on the breeze. He could keep up, or not, she'd talk either way if he wished.

[md_donighal]

He's keeping up. "Whatever has you in the sort of mood where you assume that obstructing was my intention," he says, perhaps a little crisply, "I sympathize greatly, and if I can do anything about it, I will."

[futures_of_ash]

"No need to assume, you sat down in front of a moving person." she did recall that. Clearly. He'd been in her direct path even.

"No" she continued to run, moving far too smoothly for anything human, and far too energy filled to stop anytime soon. He was in a for a long run at her side it seemed.

[md_donighal]

[OOC: Ah. I see the source of your misunderstanding now. I meant "settles to the ground" in the sense of "drifts gently down from the sky". Sorry for not making that clear in the first place, but I didn't realize it'd been so long since they spoke that you'd forgotten he can fly. And this whole thing obviously got to me more than I realized, given that I tried to close this whitetext with a "small" tag.]

The way he sees it, in circumstances like these, running is for people who have to treat gravity as a law, rather than a guideline. As such, he's flying alongside her, keeping up without apparent effort. "I landed in front of a moving person, but that's the full extent of my mistake. I might not even have done that, if I'd realized how focused you were on getting to wherever you're going. Perhaps I should leave you to it, until you're fit for posthuman company?"

[unwraith.livejournal.com]

At some vague point after he left her, there's a brief disturbance (http://unwraith.livejournal.com/15233.html), and
then...nothing. Emptiness where the shadow had fallen, as the Door
closes behind him.

[first-sixth.livejournal.com]

[futures_of_ash]

[I never have an issue with slow time, late tags, or the like! I've a screwy schedule, so really, everything goes!]