(no subject)

[sunbaked_baker]

(OOM: Everything changes, and always too soon.)

There's a Sunshine sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, today, her knees pulled up close to her chest. She's wrapped her arms around them and rests her cheek against them. Her mug of tea on the end table has long grown cold, leaving a faded brown ring on the headline of today's Arcadian Herald. The newspaper sits there as untouched as the tea. The fireplace is also cold. Empty and dark.

She'd think it a pretty accurate summation of how she feels right now, if she dared to let herself think at all.

Comments

[scots_wolf]

"You look as if I should bring you muffins," Urquhart says, quietly, coming up from outside, where he'd been walking the dog in the sunshine.

[sunbaked_baker]

"That's a kind thought," she said, after a moment, lifting her head slightly to look up at him.

"But I don't know how much even delicious muffins could help against this."

[scots_wolf]

She needs a friendly ear even more than she needs muffins.

Urquhart sits down.

"What happened?"

[sunbaked_baker]

She straightens, reaching to take up her mug of cold tea, and pass along the newspaper under it.

The headline echoes the morning news broadcast. Four club-goers, found exsanguinated in one of the broken alleys of No Town. Confirmed vampire attack, the first in months for the area. Families notified, sanitized ashes to be returned to them some time this week.

The fact that today was also a holiday, celebrating one of the few major victories in the Wars, barely made the front page.

[scots_wolf]

"The vampires you drove out are coming back, are they?" Urquhart says.

[sunbaked_baker]

"They're more likely a different group," she says, quietly.

The ones they had faced, well, they had mostly rained down in little pieces.

"Taking advantage of the unclaimed territory."

[scots_wolf]

"Is anybody trying to make you go and take them down?" Urquhart asks.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Not yet," Rae replies. "But SOF was already there waiting for me when I came in to work this morning. Wanting to make sure their new toy is safe."

[scots_wolf]

"They're not letting you get on with your life, are they?" Urquhart says, shaking his head. "Bother."

[sidhe_king]

There is a soft rustle to one side of her as Finn plucks the daisy out of its holder on the nearest table, and with a twist of his hand turns it into a single rose bloom, sunshine-yellow and fully open.

"In exchange for a smile, lass?"

[sunbaked_baker]

She tilts her head to look up at him, hearing his voice. She is in much the same position she was in the day she woke at sunrise, outside, to find herself in a fairy ring and accompanied by a dog that was not a dog. Only today is not nearly as good a day.

Rae tries a small smile, though she is tired and sick at heart. "I don't know if I can smile enough to be worth that rose."

[sidhe_king]

"Any smile is enough to be worth it. What troubles you?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Just... bad news," she replies. Bad news and everything that it carries with it.

Rae reaches over to take up her mug of cold tea and hands the newspaper to Finvarra.

The headline is dire. Four found dead in No Town, exsanguinated, confirmed vampire attack, the first in months, SOF organizing an investigation, tested and sterilized ashes of victims to be released to their families some time this week.

[sidhe_king]

He takes the paper and reads, face turning somber.

"I'm sorry, lass. Is there anything I can help you do there?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"I don't know," she says, miserable and already exhausted, lost. "They're probably just... a gang's scouts, now. Testing the edges of what had been the territory claimed by the local gang."

"But they won't find the local gang, and they'll go back to report... so... well, New Arcadia is suddenly prime real estate."

[sidhe_king]

"Sounds like you need a fence." He can try to be lighthearted with that, but he knows all too well how this kind of war goes.

"Come and rest for a while. You can face this tomorrow."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Got a fence that will keep out unwanted vampires?" Because... well... apart from all the others, there's Con to think of.

"Thank you," she says, and she means it. The urge to run away from everything going on at home is strong, but she knows she can't. Rest, away from it all, feels as though it'd be a nice middle ground.

[killitwithfire]

A fireplace suddenly full of cheerfully crackling flames is probably her first sign that there's an Axel.

"What's wrong?" And would she like help killing it?

[sunbaked_baker]

The sudden fire startles her slightly, pulling her out of her dismal reverie. She looks over her shoulder up at him, trying for a smile. For her efforts, it barely looks like she does more than tighten her lips.

"Hey, Axel," she says, resting her temple against her crossed arms. "What's not wrong?"

[killitwithfire]

"Well," he says, picking up her tea, and heating it in an instant. "Your tea's not cold anymore."

[sunbaked_baker]

Picking up her tea may reveal the headline on the newspaper below.

Still, Axel gets an actual slight smile to show up on her face. "You, my friend, are a saint."

She knows it's not true, but context is important.

[killitwithfire]

The headline gets a glance, and a slight frown, but then he's flopping to his customary sprawl on the couch.

"I try."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Well, I'm grateful," she says, quiet, her hands wrapped around her now-hot tea mug.

"Need all the good will I can get."

[killitwithfire]

"Well, I don't have much t'spare, but y'can have it," Axel replies.

[sunbaked_baker]

She sips her tea, silent, troubled.

"There've been... new sucker attacks in New Arcadia. Probably by scouts of some non-local gang, seeing if the territory's really been left unclaimed."