Creekside Conversations

Down by the creek

Kassandra is currently in a clear area overlooking the creek. The elven woman is dressed in a bikini, her hair wet from swimming, likely. She currently has a katana and is practicing very slow katas, the blade moving languidly through the air as she practices cuts. Her back is to you.

Lilith moves softly, dressed in a light, airy spring dress, quite unlike her normally. She doesn't approach any further then scant eyeshot, well away from Kassandra. Her eyes are wide, her head half covered by the hood of her cloak, a light blue garment. She clutches a wide brass bowl filled with…something…and covered by a cloth.

The blade picks up speed in the air, moving faster than before, executing the same move but at three-quarters speed, then full speed, and then at a speed that is all but a blur in the air. Kassandra makes the same series of moves again and again, drilling them into body and mind by repetition, the faint breeze off the creek keeping her cool enough, although she is covered in a thin film of perspiration, a sign that she has been doing this for a bit now.

Lilith simply waits. She doesn't move, far off on the edge of the clearing, the warm breeze only occasionally ruffling her skirt and cloak. She keeps her eyes low, not watching. Not moving.

The twentieth time through the pattern at double-speed she will stop, panting, the blade coming to rest. She murmurs softly to herself, moving to retrieve the scabbard from the ground, eyes traveling over the blade before sheathing it with a quick click, laying the weapon on the blanket she has laid out several feet from where she was training.

"I know you are there." Kass looks up, scanning the tree line, her voice calling out. "This is a pretty secluded area, out here in Thistlewood, and cars make very distinct sounds pulling down the drive." She'll sink down cross legged on the blanket and wait, snagging a bottle of water.

Lilith drifts out over the grass, making no more sound then the rustle of cotton over the blades. She keeps her voice quiet. It's…a bit different. Not the strictly upper crust of before, nor the guttersnipe. But proper, with a hint of Cockney twang. Her voice, unadorned. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

Once you close you can see a picnic basket with a few bottles of water and some fruit. A pistol is clearly evident atop it as well, and of course the katana from before. Kass remarks, "You are not disturbing me. I'm just .. training, thinking .. just sort of sitting around, really. Aladriel was a bit upset, threw herself into her work. I'm staying out of her hair."

Lilith takes a soft breath. She stops, still some steps away. "You must despise me."

Kass's gaze drifts towards the wind playing in the trees, the gusts making leaves drift down. She says quietly, "Why must I?"

Lilith whispers. "I hurt Ally. I hurt you."

"You upset Ally. Your .. you got loud, and she got upset likely because I got upset. There is .. something. An empathic bond, or protectiveness at work, what have you." Kass shrugs, dismissing it as unimportant. She sighs, "You upset me, yes Lilith. I would have preferred a less .. loud .. way of resolving things." She chuckles faintly, "And stop standing way over there, I am not going to bite you."

Lilith steps a little closer, looking meek. "I'm sorry…I don't know what else to say, to apologize." She sighs, falling down in a graceful kneeling position. "I am sorry I was loud. Unfortunately I never tend to do things halfway…and I was hurting too much to make my peace silently. I should've left the room earlier, smashed some things, then I would've been moderately acceptable company."

Kass spreads her hands, shrugging. "Could have, should have, might have. In the end, this is the path we are on. You lanced a boil, it just happened to be a rather violent blow. I do not think going and breaking things would have fixed the overall problems, just the bad mood associated with them."

"I think .. by opening up, you can start healing." Kass snags a piece of grass, toying with it as she thinks, "You've kept a lot of things bottled up, and they are eating you from within. You've been less than honest with us, with yourself."

Lilith nods her head. "Yes…." she trails off a bit, still uncertain. "I don't know that it was my past that was hurting me…or maybe it was. I'm still figuring that out. And as to honesty…I've made a point of learning how to lie. Too well. You spend a lifetime lying to men, in body, face, expression…you start to believe it in truth."

"Lies are just another wall you build around yourself. It is when you start believing the lies and believing the stories that you tell, that is when you get into trouble." Kass smiles, "Ally and I, Sam, even Alexander I suppose, we aren't trying to hurt you. We aren't trying to control your life. But we can tell when someone is hurting, and we want to help."

"As far as your past, or present, or future being what is hurting you .. well, that is something to reflect on. You let loose a lot of venom and said somethings that make me think it is more than the people who hurt you in the past that you are upset about."

Lilith is silent for a long, long time after Kass speaks, her head bowed. After many minutes she finally speaks, not raising her eyes. "How do you mean?"

Kass lets her have her silent time, not pushing or speaking till she does, "You mentioned a great deal about how these two men .. I assume Samuel and Alexander .. have broken your hear, how you believe you'll never have what Ally and I have. Do you believe that you are unworthy of love? Or is there something else going on between you three. You are tense, Sam is tense, Alex .. when I see him, he is tense."

Lilith sighs. She seems to relax a little. "No, nothing like that…it's like this." She raises her eyes to Kass and smiles just a little. "I fell in love with Sam. It didn't work out, and I've made my peace with that. Alexander…he…convinced me it wouldn't work. He was most adamant about that. And now…he's always busy with work." She sighs again. "But you knew that. The current issue? Sam hasn't known the companionship of a woman for some time, and he needs that. Alex…he comes to bed, yes, and I love him, yes…but he doesn't treat me like you and Ally treat each other. Not a lot of…touching."

She sighs again. "It just hurts, after all he did to get us together. And now his mother has died, so that's why he's been in a mood lately…more distant."

"There is that. There is also the fact that he is a man, Lilith, and they are notoriously bad with feelings and touching." Kass shrugs, "Ally and I are .. well, we just are. We are odd for any couple, I imagine. We enjoy sitting atop each other and just being next to each other. It is who we are, it is how we express our love. I imagine it is nauseating to most people." She laughs a bit, shaking her head.

"But that is them, and we are who we are. I .. do not take this poorly, but I think trying to find something to replicate that, and I am not saying that you are, is a losing proposition."

Kass lets the little blade of grass go, watching the wind blow it off, "You are a good woman, Lilith, and despite what happened to you, despite recent events with Samuel, with Alexander, you are still a good woman and you deserve someone who wants you, who respects you, and who wants you for who you are. No lies, no fronts, no walls. For *you*. It is hard to remember that, given that you lie to men and they lie to you on a nightly or whatever basis, but at the end of the day you need someone you can confide in, someone you can be yourself with."

"You remarked that you felt on the outside the other night? I think .. maybe .. that it is because Samuel and I, and Aladriel .. we are just *being*. We aren't trying to .. to put up a front and pretend with each other. We've let each other into our lives, and that is *hard*, very hard. But it also creates the bond that you saw. You are on the outside because you .. you are still putting up walls, and that makes it hard both on us and on you. You know?"

Lilith eyes fill up with tears and she covers her face with her hands, just weeping silently.

Kass watches for a moment before moving closer, putting her arms around Lil carefully.

Lilith is trembling like a leaf as she weeps and weeps, tears dropping onto her lap. "Oh, Kass…I'm *lonely*, so bloody lonely. All the time. All the time!" A gasping breath and she continues to cry. "I don't mean something exactly like what you and Ally have. Just…just…something. A touch on my cheek. A warm smile. A kiss on the forehead or a stroke of my hair."

Kass just holds on, listening and nodding. "I know you do. I know .. and maybe soon, you can have that?"

Lilith cries softly, shaking her head. "No…no, I don't think so. I want to talk to Alex..but…" She weeps some more. "That why I still love Sam, in a way. The few times we've hung out together…he touches me, compliments me, and it just…touches something inside me." She lets out a weak laugh, brushing the tears from her eyes. "First man to ever make me blush, really."

She looks to Kass, finally. She's one of those lucky few who actually look good crying…a little red around the eyes, a little pale, tearstains still on her cheeks. "I know you might think I'm still mad over him, but I'm not. It's not Sam, really, or Alex…it's just this desire to be wanted. A craving that I couldn't, can't seem to shake."

Kass nods, "It is important to be wanted, to be held, to be told that you look pretty and have someone actually mean it. To have someone, anyone, look at you and really *see* you and not the clothes, not the make up, not all the pretend."

"I know, Goddess believe me I know very well what you are talking about." The elf is quiet for a moment and then says, "Samuel is a good man. He can be charming when he isn't channeling some gutterboy or putting on an act. I think you'd do well to be his friend. Hell, even friends with benefits. And maybe, with that, with just being for a while you can start to heal and start to find out who you really are and what you want. And maybe, just maybe, you'll find the person you are looking for and who is looking for you as well. Sometimes it takes a lifetime, you know?"

"You told me once that I had to let go and just fall. So do you, Lil. So do you."

Lilith face crumples and she starts crying again, curling up desperately on Kass, weeping.

Kass just holds Lilith for now, letting her cry herself out, not adding fuel to the fire as it were.

Lilith sobbing finally slows, then comes to a stop. She takes a shaky breath, a gasp, shudders, and pulls away a little, rubbing her nose on her sleeve in an odd, childish fashion. Another sniffle, and she once again looks red eyed at Kass. A faint, watery smile. "Thankee, Kass."

Kass nods, "I told you we'd be here for you, Lil." She scoots back, snagging a bottle of water and a towel, handing both over. "A little bit of temper isn't going to chase us off or make us run away."

Foot Washing

Lilith nods, taking another shaky breath. "All right…thankee again." Her voice slips back into it's lazier guttersnipe form. She takes the water bottle, sets it aside, and uses the towel to wipe her face. Then, pausing, she looks to the brass bowl she brought with her. She shrugs off her coat and takes the towel off the bowl, uncovering some glass vials and bottles, and carefully moves them out till the bowl is empty. Rising to her feet with the bowl in hand, she begins to step towards the river. Expression set.

Kass nods quietly to the thanks, looking curiously to the bowl and the vials. She watches Lil rise up and head to the water, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever are you doing?" The elven woman glances to the sunset for a moment, then back to Lilith. "Lil, get away from the water, it was *way* cold earlier and is probably colder now."

Lilith shoulders are set stiffly as she walks. Stopping by the river's bank, she bends over at the waist, her long braid flopping over her shoulder and rippling the surface of the water. She takes the brass bowl and gracefully skims it through the cold stream, filling it, and with careful steps turns and walks back to Kass. She's had some kind of posture training, to be able to walk like that without spilling a drop.

Kass frowns, watching Lilith now. "You can't drink that, you know. It will make you sick." She reaches for a bottle, holding it up. "I brought plenty, Lil…."

Kass is sitting on a soft blue blanket that looks like it has seen better days. Quite obviously not something of Benedicte's

Lilith expression is still set, but not the shield or the blank wall as she used to do. More that she's…determined. She raises her chin, indicating the bench while she waits and holds the brass bowl.

Kass rises slowly, eyes scanning the tree line a moment. She considers Lilith, then snags the pistol on her way over, the weapon warm even after the fading sun. She doesn't have any problems seeing, it seems, even with the relative dimness of twilight. "Alright, what is up?" She isn't brandishing the weapon, but rather is carrying it because she doesn't have anywhere else to put it, given the bikini.

Kass spins the gun around a slender finger like a gunfighter, looking at Lilith. She considers a moment, "My previous words to the side? If you pour that water on me I will drag you out to the center of the creek and leave you there." She smiles, sitting on the bench.

Lilith smiles a bit, but she still has that set, determined expression, only softened by the smooth lines of her face. She sets the bowl down by Kass, retrieves her towel and vials, and then…kneels…by Kass's feet. Taking the bowl, she moves it closer, and with gentle care, lifts one of Kassandra's feet. Moving it just over the bowl, Lil takes a little water into her hand, giving it a minute to warm, and then begins to trickle it over Kass's foot. Repeat. Several times.

Jester had been around the last few days after the run. He'd insisted on being helpful. He'd split logs for the fire place, it gets chilly out here in the evening. He cleaned out the sumps in the basement. He'd taken out the trash, made one of the meals. He'd earned his keep, seeming to just want to linger where the others seem to gather. Wanting to be around them when they're together. They slipped away earlier and now he treks into the woods along the stream to find them. He comes into view off in the distance, a figure approaching at a normal pace.

"What are you doing? Kass seems a bit taken aback, "Why are you doing that?" She doesn't quite jerk away, but seems confused, trying to wiggle back.

Lilith trembles a little. "I'm washing your feet." Her voice whispers, soft, girl like. It's like a foot bath, really, but more…meaningful, gentle. She softly pours the water, letting her hands warm the liquid, over Kassandra's other foot, getting out all the stuck on dirt and grass. "I just…want to try and…show you what I cannot say in words."

Kass shakes her head quickly, "No, you don't have to do that, Lilith, you really don't. I just want you to be yourself and .." Whatever she was going to say gets cut off as a sound, a motion, some scent on the wind maybe, catches her attention. She turns on the bench, her left hand coming up, questing, the barrel of a Savalette Guardian pointed in the general direction of what she thinks she heard.

Jester continues to approach, a small figure rising and falling with each step. He pauses and kneels, presumably tying his shoe. A hand raises to his face to contain a sneeze which isnt audible at this range but observable. Fast little fingers wrap the laces about themselves and pull them taught. He stands and stretches long into the air, taking a stick up from the ground with him and whipping it around skillessly to amuse himself.

Lilith lets Kass take care of it. She stubbornly continues the ritual, rubbing Kass's feet dry with an exquisitely soft, warm towel, taking time to fully dry and warm them. She feels…safe, here.

Kass's eyes are adapted to the dark but not distance. She frowns, turning back and muttering, "Deer. All over the place." She watches Lilith, not trying to stop her but clearly uncomfortable, tapping the pistol butt on the edge of the bench.

Lilith softly rubs Kass's feet dry, and then sets the towel aside. Taking a small, stoppered glass vial, she pours a small amount of scented oil into her hands…the same scent Ally uses. She gives Kassandra a quick, shy smile, and then gently begins to massage one foot, working the soothing oil into the muscles.

Kass watches Lilith work, fixing herself in place and not squirming. She bites her lip, giggling a bit as something tickles, but stays quiet otherwise. The fidgetting with the pistol stops as she watches the other woman, eyes speculative.

Anarky

From quite a ways off, the sounds of a young man singing to himself echo through the canyon. Initially, its a gshzy air quitar with accompanied mouth sounds and leads into the recent remake of Anarchy in the UK by the Deathsmiths. "IIiiiiiiyaman antichrista! Iiiiiiyaman anarchista! Don't know whatawant but I know howda getit." he pauses on the path and belts out after muttling the last phrase of the song "Cause IIIiiiiiiii wannna beeeeeee….Anarchyyyyy!"

Lilith rubs the one foot, and doesn't miss a beat as the singing starts. She just moves on to the next foot, gently rubbing. "Is…" she swallows, somehow sensing Kass's tension, without looking. "Is this all right, Kassandra?"

Kass starts to answer Lilith, nodding absently and then turns, pistol in hand again. "What the hell?"

Lilith sighs a little, but it's not unhappy. She smiles a bit, murmuring softly. "Anarchy in the UK. Sex Pistols. Late 20th century." She runs of the names and numbers without thinking, and finally finishes Kass's feet. Giving the woman another smile, she grabs a bottle of sterilizing soap and heads for the river. "It sounds like the boy…I'll be right back." She gets up and moves lightly to the river bank to wash her hands.

Jester is close enough where he can see the piece pointed at him, he instinctively flattens. He takes to the ground with the jerk of uncanny speed. In almost the same space of the instant, hes standing again and lurching to one side, his body leaving a trail in your vision as he moves; nearly appearing to be in two places at one. "Kass! KASS! NOOo! Don't shoot!"

Lilith looks over her shoulder. "It might've." She says quietly, then laughs softly.

Jester closes the range as his speed winds down, returning him to mundanely mediocre state. He moves toward the bench but doesnt sit, prefering to stand on the stage before it as if he will now offer the entertainment or at least the distraction.

Jester says "You can't imagine the day I've had."

Lilith glances to Kass at this. Her lips twitch. Where she might've been weeping before, laughter begins to sparkle in her eyes. She finds something very, very funny.

Kass chuckles a bit, "No, likely not." She looks to Lilith as if in agreement to the woman's laughter, nodding, "It has been an interesting day."

Jester pauses, carefully reading the reactions. "See, thats not fair…you can't play the Queen until hearts are broken." a clever Spades reference laced into the obvious romantic entangles that seem to plague this group.

Lilith looks up to Jester as she packs away the bowl, eyes still sparkling and a soft smile on her face. "You're a dear lad, you know that?"

"What sort of day have you been having, Elvis?" Kass asks quietly, pulling her legs up to sit cross legged on the bench.

Jester smiles pleasantly at that, he's one of those whos face swallows his eyes into thin little lines when he does. Its the Amerind side of his mutt-creed. "Your a pretty nova chica yourself."

Lilith looks away suddenly, kneeling to fumble with the bowl. "Thankee."

Jester asks prospectively, voice rising in interrogation, "Hows things?" he wonders.

Lilith murmurs softly. "Kass asked ye a question as well, Elvis." She glances back, more composed now, smiling again.

Kass shakes her head, legs coming down as she rises. "He was distracted by your hotness, Lilith. It happens, and you have to deal with it." She laughs a little, retrieving the weapon and glancing to the sky, or perhaps to the digital readout in her eyesight. "Almost time for me to make Ally break off working.”

The Story

Jester glances to Kass, "Man…check this out. Woke up this morning right? To be expected, tends to follow sleeping." he continues, "Only have this set of clothes with me here, forgot to bring my spare set. So I had to ride my bike into town, found a laundromat." he thumbs up, indicating an improvement. "Early as drek, no ones there, I figure I can wash everything and just hang out. You scan me? Everything." he smirks "So there I am, shivering in the 'mat while my drek washes. I'm like man….my pits smell like -hurt foot-. Nah-mean? So I'm like…I got soap and water right here." he pantomimes slotting the quarters. "So I slot up another machine for the water, one of the heavy top loaders right? Open the lid once theres water in there. I get in, start getting soapy…."

Lilith shivers slightly, from the chill and lack of cloak, now that the sun's gone down. "Aye, Kass, if ye want I can ma-!" She coughs and double takes at Jester, shocked. "Elvis! Good lord, why didn't you come to the house, you silly boy? We've got laundry facilities and a warm bath!"

I didn't just hear what I heard, did I? Kass sort of looks at Elvis, not hearing the start of Lilith's question as she sort of watches and listens to the pantomime and the man, eyes widening as she hears more and more.

Jester shrugs that one off, and continues "So I got my hair all sudded up, and I glance out the window and I see this lady about to come in. So I freaked out." he explains "So I did the only thing I could think of…" he pauses for dramatic effect. "I ducked down." he nods as if to confirm. "Yep, the lid slammed down and the machine started up. Cept I'm just a little too big for the thing to spin me, so there I am in water up to my fuckin nose. In the dark. With the frackin agitator thing flappin back and forth against my sack…" he flat palms. "Wait, it gets better…" but leaves room for reaction.

Lilith jaw drops. She then snaps her mouth shut, walks up to him, and gives him a good smack upside the head. Not hard, mind, but enough to ruffle his hair. "Bad bloody parrot! Ye'll not be doing that again, am I clear?" She scolds, bossy, yes, but you can't change someone over night. She's actually more worried and concerned.

Kass covers her eyes with one hand, moaning softly in horror. She peeks out at Jester, looking to see if he is just pulling her leg or not. She blinks as Lil smacks his head, murmuring, "Ok, well, that sort of trumps our day then."

Jester flinches his head sideward but lets it hit, since she's probably swing again if he dodged it. "Wait I ain't through!" he snerks "SO I'm in thi fucking whirlpool of death and suddenly the freaking turns into anger. I'm all like 'They are going to find me DEAD in here. I mean everything I been through, the story of my life. Headline: Idiot dies in washingmachine.' Hello no, I'm not going out like that. So I pop up outa the machine, soaking wet, spraying water every where and gasping for breath. Poor lady was at the machine next to mine." he lays his hand out flat across the ground "Slitch fainted. Layed her right out. She stayed there too. I just grabbed my kit and took off." he concludes "I wasnt gonna be there to explain that one."

Lilith grabs Jes's ear and scolds him some more. "Next time…next time…you are damn bloody well going to come to my place, you're going to hand your clothes over to the girls, and you're going to use either the guest room or my room's bath to clean up, is that understood? You can live on the streets if you want, but dammit, you're going to keep clean and not do something so..soo…argh!"

Lilith lets Jester go and crosses her arms, trying to be good.

"Well. Yeah. That was .. " Kass gropes to find a good way to classify it, turning to the ideas she uses when talking to Blindside sometimes, "That was interesting, there, Elvis, but maybe Lil is right, you can bathe at her place, or .. something other than in the laund-o-mat…."

Jester explains to Lilith "But Lil, if I went and had your girls do my laundry today, I wouldn't have this wiz story to tell."

Lilith wrinkles her nose in a cute fashion. "I don't care! I'm very tempted to give you the keys to me old apartment, so, Eris willing, you'll at least have your own bathroom and a warm bed to sleep in! Stay out all night if ye want, run around all day if ye wish, but ye should have a safe, dry place to lay yer 'ead! I know what the streets are like, it's no place for ye!" Cockney again.

Jester explains re-assuringly "I don't live in the stinking streets Lilith." he dismisses her worries with a wave of his hand.

Lilith peers closely at him. "Where do ye live then, Elvis?"

Jester explains grandly "All kinds of perfectly good places that nobody gives a drek about!"

Kassandra carefully extracts herself, heading back over to her blanket to collect her sword, blanket, and picnic blanket.

Lilith closes her eyes and sighs. "So, ye either sleep outside or in a coffin motel? That's no life, lad."

Jester opens his mouth as if to say something, probably something poiniantly challenging. Instead he breaths and says nothing, smiling instead.

Kass remarks to the night at large, "I am going to go home and see if Ally is ready to talk to me and or finish what we started in the hot tub but got distracted from." She tucks the folded blanket under her arm, the basket held easily, the sword tied around her waist.

Lilith opens her eyes and looks rather suspicious at his smile. "I say this 'cause I'm worried about you, Elvis. You're a friend, and yet I hear you say you're taking a bath in a bloody laundromat." She reaches out, touching his face. "We live in grand homes and you're still running around like a vagabond…." She looks to Kass and smiles a little. "I'll see meself and the lad out later, then…"

Lilith is standing with Jester. From the looks of it, she was obviously crying pretty heavily, but since that was already a while ago, it's mostly faded to a bit of redness about the eyes. Kass is getting ready to go back to the house.

Kass nods to Lilith, "Not trying to run you off, just .. she was upset, she wanted to work and be left alone. It has been hours, I at least want to check on her." Kass frowns faintly, turning to head up the trail.

Lilith sighs, and an uncertain look once again fills her eyes. Her hand falls away from Jester. "Yes…yes, of course. It's fine. I'll be by later to apologize to her as well…"

«Auto-Judge[]» Aladriel (#604) rolls Stealth:
2 3 7 13

«Auto-Judge[]» Jester (#10296) rolls Intelligence:
1 1 2 4 8 17

«Auto-Judge[]» Kassandra (#9777) rolls Intelligence vs TN 13 for "Ally?":
1 2 2 3 3 4 5 11 = 0 Successes

«Auto-Judge[]» Lilith (#8983) rolls Intelligence vs TN 13:
1 2 3 4 5 = 0 Successes

Aladriel

Ally's approach is from down the trail, as it were. Magical tracking isn't a super precise thing. Oh, it will get you to the place you need to go, sure, but not necessarily in the straightest path. Though how she would end up down the trail is anyone's guess. She approaches quietly in the forest, navigating her way with the aid of good old fashioned thermographic vision. Of course she's no troll. So its a wonder how she does it. And as it were, she doesn't exactly announce her presence at the first.

Jester nose twitches a moment, he glances toward a sound, but since Kass and Lilith are talking it probably goes unnoticed. He can tell theres an attempt to be sneaky, so he keeps his lips zipped about it. He asks, mirth in his eyes "So did you guys wanna see this birth mark I got, I gotta warn you though, its right next to my Wang." he begins to unzip almost immediately.

Kass nods absently to Lilith, "You don't ha .. ok, Lil." She doesn't argue, and it isn't her place to tell her not to. She shifts her burden, starting up the trail. She doesn't turn to look at anything near anyone's wang. The elf just marches on, carrying blanket, sword, picnic basket.

«Through the mindlink, Ally's voice floats in quite abruptly, "You're going the wrong way!"»

Lilith idly gives Jester another light smack, this one a little more playful. "I've already seen it, you goof. Don't be rude." She watches Kass for a moment, and then sighs deeply, mournfully. She moves to gather up her bowl, and eyes the river thoughtfully.

Jester shrugs wordlessly in Ally's direction, as if he'd tried.

Ally's observation of the goings on causes a smile to touch her features. She comes up behind Lilith but its not in an attempt to scare her or anything. Lilith and Jester just happen to be on her way to Kassandra. Jester sees her coming. For Lili Ally'll just be there, which is probably a bit startling in the forest. "Back here," Ally calls out towards Kass.

The elf turns, having slowed and looked around, something catching her attention. She squeals, dropping her various belongings and tearing down the path back towards Aladriel. "ALLY!" A blur in a white bikini, she'll pick up speed heading back towards the newly arrived mage.

Lilith ….YELPS and all but leaps straight up in the air. She then falls down in a flurry of tangled skirts and a flash of…well, shockingly enough, pink cotton panties. With hearts on them. And cute white lace edging.

Jester rezips quietly "Twice in one day." he comments as Lilith flutters.

Ally blinks as Lilith falls down right in front of her. She throws off her thermo-spell to wonder why Kassandra was showing through quite so vividly. Bikini! Oh my. Ally looks down at Lilith so she can carefully step over her, catching a sight of cute, girly panties on Lilith. Double oh-my!

Once over Lilith, Ally is quite ready and clear to be tackled in a hug or such. She's dressed with a small bit of weaponry, her forearm guards/weapons, a pistol on her right thigh and a katana on her left hip.

Kass is, well, defenseless as her weapons are back thataway. She does however have speed and momentum on her side but will slow down and refrain from knocking Ally over, settling instead for wrapping her arms around Ally in a tight hug. "Love! Are you OK? I was coming back, I wanted to let you work in peace and then Lil and I were talking and I lost track of the time!"

Lilith looks a little dazed as she tries to untangle her clothes and limbs. She's wearing a girly dress too, the white spring one with the yellow sash…she looks down at herself and wails in a remarkably cute fashion. "Oh GODS, I've got grass stains all over!"

Ally wraps her arms tightly around Kassandra and hugs her just as tightly, closing her eyes for a moment as she gets herself wrapped up in the embrace of the elf whom she loves so much. "Oh sweetie you don't have to worry. I just got a stroke of inspiration and I finished my spell. It's all done. And then I came to find you," beams. Ally spins a little bit with Kass to take a look at Lili who's acting well, not *completely* Lili-like.

Jester considers the moment in the physical story it tells. Lilith all apart, broken even for just a moment. Ally stepping over her crumpled form, the embrace an concern of Kass. Lilith left to consider her ruined clothes. Its a biting allegory, and its not lost on him as he watches quietly.

Kass whees a little as she spins with Ally to look over at Lilith. "It will wash, Lil. I have some chems that will eat blood, grass is nothing. Don't worry about it." She stays close to Ally, remarking quietly, "I like that top on you," to the mage. She still seems a little anxious but much calmer and a heck of a lot happier just seeing Aladriel, let alone having her near.

Lilith sighs a bit as she pushes herself to her feet, brushing off her skirt. "Oh, *bother*." Another sigh and she looks up, registers, and smiles a little awkwardly, if not…shyly…at Aladriel. "Ally, dear…I just want to say…I'm sorry. I am so sorry for what I did and said and I've had a goodly talk with Kass but I really…just…try to say the right thing."

Lilith fumbles and comes to a stop. She rubs the back of her head.

Jester smiles at Ally, to greet her without interrupting the intercourse between the women.

Jester muses in his best Valleygirl "Ohmagawd, awkward." as Lilith tries to make good.

Another shock. Lil doesn't step on Jester's foot when he speaks.

Ally unlocks one arm from around Kassandra so that she can open up towards Jester and Lilith. Jester gets a very friendly smile from Ally, while Lilith gets a bit more of a subdued one. But if there's any hostility within Ally, it sure is not showing. "It's all fine, Lili," she tells her. Kass gets a look from Ally, "Glad you like it. Haven't worn it for awhile. Its a little bit tighter than it used to be but its not terrible."

Lilith pauses for a moment, watching Ally. Unlike her normally cool, poised, confidant self, this one's a lot more…vulnerable looking. Tender around the edges. She closes her mouth and takes a step back, turning her attention away to grab at her brass bowl and lift it up.

Kass stays near Aladriel, as close as she can while letting her have her own space, watching without interfering. She just exists there, staying in the shadow of the cinnamon-haired young woman but almost glowing with happiness. She doesn't speak, just watching for now.

Jester places his hands on the top of his rump, behind his back and rocks on his heels defensively "So." he nods.

"It's good to see you, Mr. J," Ally finally greets Jester verbally, realizing she doesn't talk all that much to the man. "Whatcha think of our place?" she wonders as her eyes drift back down to Lilith, looking at her as though with new eyes.

Lilith holds the bowl close to her chest, and she seems to…linger now, on the edges of the conversation. For once she looks unsettled, a little scared even, a bit worried. But not speaking, not yet.

Jester addresses Ally directly. "Its really cozy, I can't believe how quiet it gets out here though. I couldn't hardly sleep its so quiet."

Kass says, "Lilith! Talk!" She giggles a little, swinging around behind Ally and wrapping her arms around her, laying her head against her back.

Lilith eeps and her eyes widen in a girlish fashion. "Yes'm!" She blinks and then looks to Ally. Colour just touches her cheeks. *Another* surprise.

Ally smiles at Jester and nods her head, giggling a bit as Kass moves behind her, hugging her that way. With Kass wrapped up that way, she carefully starts kinda waddling towards Lilith. "It does take some getting used to, but I really prefer it. Lets me think. And just enjoy the peace," she murmurs as she approaches closer to Lilith. "Lili? I'm not mad at you, y'know."

Lilith nods, clutching the bowl to her. "Aye." She takes a shaky breath, centering herself. Or trying to. "I just…I feel so awful. I've wronged you, and Kass, and I don't know how to say I'm sorry. So I was gonna come over and try to show…"

Kass laughs, the sound echoing off the trees, as Ally waddles towards Lil. She helps her along, the wind picking up and blowing a cold breeze off the creek.

Jester admits "Don't much care for peace." he waves out, intent on getting home for the evening by the looks of things. "Probably headin to my penthouse for the night. Unless anyones up for spades, hearts…egyptian ratscrew?" he points to Kass as if he knows she'll double take at that one, he smirks "Ahhhhhh. No thats a real card game, what where you thinkin? Dirty girl."

Lilith twitches. Nope. Not gonna smack Jester one. Be a good girl.

Kass gasps suddenly, perhaps about the card game. She keeps her face hidden behind Ally.

"Lilith, you're my friend, and I want to help you. It….everything, caught me off guard," Ally says softly, her voice light, contained and careful. "And I needed time to process all of that and figure out what to do. But I'm not mad at you. I'm not. And you have a lot of stuff inside you…and I know what, now. And you've gotten it out, now. So we can talk. Share. Try to help. Maybe dull the ache of old pains, and help you find new happiness?"

Lilith nods, tensing up slightly as Ally approaches. "I…talked with Kass. She…" Lil bites her lip, face paling a little as she whispers. "She let me cry."

Jester heads in the direction he know will lead him toward the road, eventually the house. There he will find his dented, smokey, scratched up Yamaha. He will glide his hand over its rumpled gas tank and he will think, 'Your good enough for me.' and in that moment the simple notion that he doesnt need expensive things to be happy will fill him full of enough joy to bring his eyes up to the heavens, and enjoy a moment of Ally's peace for what it is before ripping through the quiet with the sound of his jalopy as he putters off into the cool night air.

Ally puts her hands on Kass' arms around her, pushing down a bit to cue the woman into the fact that she'll soon be kneeling. Which is what Ally does, kneeling down very close to Lili. "I'm glad it helped, Lili. It's good to cry…it really is. And you're free to cry around me any time you like. It's not a bad thing, a weak thing or anything else. It's a really good, important thing."

Lilith blinks and looks down, trembling like a leaf again, the bottles and vials in her bowl rattling muffled underneath the towel. Her eyes fill up once Jester is gone, her lips quiver. "A-Ally…" A deep, shuddering sigh. "C-c-c'mon. Please get up…"

Kass sinks down with Ally, letting go so that the other can move freer. She stays close, however, letting Ally talk to Lilith without interference. She seems utterly distracted for a moment.

Ally tilts her head a bit as she considers Lilith and her quivering lip and sighing. She's not sure what else to say at the moment, so she does what she thinks she should. She moves in and hugs Lilith gently. "It's okay, Lili. Really."

Lilith whimpers a bit, and drops her bowl, gently, on the ground. She lets out a soft cry, the ache of an already battered soul, and clutches Ally tight, shaking with silent tears for several long moments. Much as she had with Kassandra earlier.

Kass slips a little to the side, resting her hand on Lilith's back, watching the pair quietly.

"You'll be okay, Lilith," Ally murmurs, her voice as comforting as it possibly can be, soft and soothing. "Your friends will protect you as best we can from new things, and help you through the things we can't. We're all here for you. And you'll be yours for as long as you want. We won't let anyone else take you ever again."

Lilith takes several deep, shuddering breaths as she tries to control the tears, coming down off another crying spurt. Her hug has strength, but she eventually loosens up, sniffling and leaning back. "I-I know…th-thankee, Ally." She wipes her nose on her sleeve…an absentminded, childish, and uncharacteristic gesture to make, for her. A weak smile. "This is so silly. I haven't suffered a quarter in my life compared to just about everyone else, and yet I can't seem to find an end to the tears."

Ally releases Lilith from the hug when she starts to lean back, but she stays close to the woman, gently shaking her head. "Don't think like that, Lilith. Don't compare yourself. This is…this is life. And you can't compare these things. You just can't. You've suffered and that's enough. You've as much a right to cry as ANYONE else. No matter who you are, what you do, what you did, where you came from… you're a person just like anyone else. At the core of us, each and every one of us is the same."

Lilith nods, listening meekly. "Aye, Ally." She sniffs and wipes her nose again. "I…I've never felt like this before. Had friends like this before. It's very, very offsetting, and I don't know what to think or feel or say anymore."

Kass sinks back, letting Ally fix. Ally is good at fixing, and Kass isn't as good, so she stays out of it, watching quietly.

"There's not always something to say, Lili. Not always something to do. Not always a show to put on, an attack to keep at bay. We're just ourselves, and that is okay. It really is. So just…just be yourself. If you're not sure who that is…we can find her," Ally murmurs softly, her eyes looking over Lili to Kassandra, even though the words are for the crying woman. "It's… good that this happened, Lili. Just don't be afraid to let it happen again. It's new, it's scary…but its a way to heal. Not the only way, but a good one. And we're here, and we're not leaving. Just remember, okay?" she tells the woman before carefully standing up and holding out her hand to Kass.

Kass rises to her feet, taking Ally's hand and coming closer, looking to Lilith quietly and then back to Ally. She nods quietly, maybe to the words, the thought behind them, or an unasked question.

Lilith sniffles again and nods, rising as well. "Thankee, again, Ally. I'll remember it well." She smiles, that same, shy smile as before, more true and genuine then the smiles she gave before…the ur-Lilith, the core of her, the girl that was never able to grow up.

She takes her bowl and hugs it close again. "I'll be back later, maybe tomorrow? I do want to do…something for ye, Ally. I just need to." Her accent is all over the board today, reflecting her mood, but this time…gone the propriety, but neither the Cockney, some other variant with less in common with London, perhaps, and more with the countryside to the southwest. If you were aware of English dialects.

Though she doesn't think the woman needs to do anything for her, Ally is well aware of the need to make things right, for personal well-being. So she doesn't refuse Lilith's offer, merely nodding her head. With one hand in Kassandra's, Ally offers her other to Lilith. "Come on then. We have to get you the cleaner for your dress. If we leave you you might end up out here all night and we make no promises for the cleanliness of your dress after that," she teases, trying to lighten the mood as she'll start, with Kass, to lead Lili back to the road

Lilith giggles softly, following them. She begins to murmur, under her breath.

Kass grins, following along happily enough towards where she dropped her things as they head up towards the road and back to the house itself.

March 05, 2009

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License