Jan had been sitting at the bar of the House of Pain watching the first song of the band that came after his own. They were some no named group with an easily forgotten cheesy goth tag and 'the look' that was the uniform for angst ridden dark music performers everywhere. They were supposed to be the 'next best thing'. He wasn't impressed; though, their bass player was actually pretty good. Jan wondered if the man would like a better job.
Turning back to his wine and his 'meal' for the evening, Jan smiled at the girl. She looked barely older than eighteen but she swore she was twenty one. Whatever, she was in here and that was good enough for him.
His phone went off and he was tempted to ignore it, Cherry, 'who names their kid that anyway?', seemed annoyed that he was even looking at it. When he saw who it was from, he flipped the phone open and gave the girl his best 'fucking deal with it' grin.
Nova wasn't making a lot of sense. His first thought was that she was drunk, but then she was usually more coherent than this while intoxicated. Jan pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it for a second when she paused long enough to....by the sounds coming from the device, kick the shit out of someone. That she was not alone was confirmed by the 'no passing out comment' and he paused to wonder what they taught her in college if she thought kicking was a good method for keeping someone conscious.
...Well, it would work if she wasn't kicking him in the head.
"No, not at all."Â? He gave Cherry his sweetest smile. "Where are you?"Â?
The blonde was furious; she got up off the stool, grabbing her purse, and made to walk away. Jan grabbed her by the wrist and shook his head. She looked down at the hand on her arm and then back up at him before deciding to sit back down.
He got the directions from Nova and figured the night was about to get far more entertaining than the one he had planned.
"I'll be there shortly."Â?
Jan flipped the phone shut before Cherry could slide off the stool again.
"Now, don't be in such a rush. Its my sister and she's got trouble with some guy."Â?
Inwardly he found this pretty damn funny; from the sounds of it, the trouble was not killing the poor bastard. He leaned close to Cherry, nibbling lightly on her neck and all seemed forgiven. Biting down, Jan held onto her as she swayed from the shock. A meal to go. Kissing the wound, he winked at her before heading out the door.
"Later"Â?
Family Bonding Time!
Nova sat on the hood of her car, holding her cell phone in her hand and looking out over the lake, a lovely view framed by lush trees and tall reeds.
Oh, and a tied up bleeding dude.
The nimrod, who was now awake, made a whining sound through his gag, which consisted of a tightly tied bandana around his mouth. Not all that effective, as he could still make noise, but at least he couldn’t talk while Nova was trying to think.
On the way over here she’d ended up throwing her mobile down halfway through scanning her numbers to get to Jan, when she heard movement in the back seat. Checking the rear view, she saw that her victim was awake and stirring. That wouldn’t do.
She was forced to scramble for something to clock him over the head with. Luckily, she came upon a flashlight, one of the big heavy duty ones, and that did the trick nicely.
Still, she didn’t feel right about getting back on the phone until they were parked and she was sure this idgit was under control.
There just happened to be some bungee cord in the back of her car – not such an alarming coincidence when one climbed rocks for a hobby – and that worked nicely to tie her little bristly headed moron to a tree. When she stepped back to regard her handiwork, though, she started to have doubts. The douchbag could die, and that would just suck on so many levels.
Damn, this could really go south in a hurry. She was in that thing she usually tried to avoid in spite of evidence to the contrary - the bad situation.
Deciding it was the only option, Nova bit hard into her wrist, building up a small amount of blood. Amused, she told herself that this was supposed to be the other way around, then tilted the dipshit’s head back as far as she could and let the blood dribble into his mouth.
He swallowed and began choking, violently. Nova stepped back and watched to see which way this would go, starting to feel a little scared, and was relieved when after a few more sputters the walking tool opened his eyes.
And immediately began belly aching. He wasn’t saying anything coherant beyond ‘oh god, let me go, please, let me go,’ but it was grating her nerves and so she’d found a way to shut him up.
Now she was tapping her foot on the license plate, hoping to god Jan would pick up. When she heard his voice at the other end she jumped up off the car and started gibbering into the phone.
“Jan? God, you’re there, good. Listen…I, uh…” Hmm. How exactly does one explain this sort of thing? “…got a little bit of a situation here. Think you could come and give me a…shit, hold on…” Looking over, she saw that her prisoner had fallen unconscious once more. Annoyed, she walked over and gave him a swift kick, hoping he was still alive. That blood should be helping but maybe he was worse off than she thought. “Hey. Wake up psycho. Nooo passing out!” Pleased with the grunt she got in response, she turned her attention back to the phone conversation. “Uh, sorry about that….anyway, you busy?”
Jan
18 years ago
Nova
18 years ago
See, that was what was awesome about Jan – he didn’t need to hear your whole life story and your mother’s maiden name before he’d step up and help a sister out.
“Aw, man, you’re the best. You know the old Mayor’s park? You come in through the southeast gate and take access road D down to the little pond. It’s cool, there’s no one out here. Oh, and think you could swing by the lab and pick up my big black tool box? And a change of clothes, if you can?”
And that was all Nova needed to say – Jan agreed to be there as soon as he could, no further explanation needed. With an overly exuberant ‘thanks, dude’ she hung up the phone and looked over at her captive goofball.
He stared back at her, and seemed to be holding up a little better than before. She could see white all the way around his eyes and he was sweating like a pig, or would be if pigs sweated, but she thought he’d be okay.
They had about twenty minutes or thirty minutes before Jan got here, maybe less if he made good time. It had taken Nova twenty five from the middle of the city but she’d gone slightly slower than the speed limit the whole way, paranoid she’d be pulled over.
“I guess we can get the easy stuff out of the way. Hey, buddy, you hear me? What’s your name, you sad sack of shit?”
No points for diplomacy here, she figured. When he didn’t answer right away she picked up a pine cone from the ground and threw it at him.
“Hey! Now might be a good time to pay attention, geez!”
The prisoner mumbled something garbled and unintelligible, and Nova immediately felt silly – he was still gagged, duh!
“I take that thing off you, you gonna scream?”
The dumbass gave an adamant shake of his head. Oh –no- missus, I’d –never-.
Yeah, right. Stupid question, she supposed.
“Look, no one can hear you. I’m only asking to save myself some serious annoyance.” Maybe not strictly true but she thought it was a believable lie. After another moment of staring him down in silence, she walked over to the tree and pushed down on the back of his head. He didn’t struggle, which Nova thought was either a good sign or a bad one, and didn’t so much as make a sound while she fumbled with the knot. It took her a bit to get the damn bandana off but she managed in the end, then backed off to regard brillo head once more.
“So. What’s your name.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he set his mouth in a stubborn line.
“Hey, it’s no skin off my nose to call you dickface or whatever, you might want to just tell me.”
Silence.
“Fine! You can just sit there and –stew-. I’m a build a fire and wait for my brother to get here.”
That said, she walked back to her car, in front of which was a circle of stones where campers could safely set up a small blaze. She began gathering small sticks for kindling, sparing a glance every few seconds to see how her silent pal was doing. She knew from experience that a passerby would only be able to see the fire if they were almost on top of the campsite, and she figured it was safe enough considering in all her time coming here no one had –ever- interrupted her.
“Aw, man, you’re the best. You know the old Mayor’s park? You come in through the southeast gate and take access road D down to the little pond. It’s cool, there’s no one out here. Oh, and think you could swing by the lab and pick up my big black tool box? And a change of clothes, if you can?”
And that was all Nova needed to say – Jan agreed to be there as soon as he could, no further explanation needed. With an overly exuberant ‘thanks, dude’ she hung up the phone and looked over at her captive goofball.
He stared back at her, and seemed to be holding up a little better than before. She could see white all the way around his eyes and he was sweating like a pig, or would be if pigs sweated, but she thought he’d be okay.
They had about twenty minutes or thirty minutes before Jan got here, maybe less if he made good time. It had taken Nova twenty five from the middle of the city but she’d gone slightly slower than the speed limit the whole way, paranoid she’d be pulled over.
“I guess we can get the easy stuff out of the way. Hey, buddy, you hear me? What’s your name, you sad sack of shit?”
No points for diplomacy here, she figured. When he didn’t answer right away she picked up a pine cone from the ground and threw it at him.
“Hey! Now might be a good time to pay attention, geez!”
The prisoner mumbled something garbled and unintelligible, and Nova immediately felt silly – he was still gagged, duh!
“I take that thing off you, you gonna scream?”
The dumbass gave an adamant shake of his head. Oh –no- missus, I’d –never-.
Yeah, right. Stupid question, she supposed.
“Look, no one can hear you. I’m only asking to save myself some serious annoyance.” Maybe not strictly true but she thought it was a believable lie. After another moment of staring him down in silence, she walked over to the tree and pushed down on the back of his head. He didn’t struggle, which Nova thought was either a good sign or a bad one, and didn’t so much as make a sound while she fumbled with the knot. It took her a bit to get the damn bandana off but she managed in the end, then backed off to regard brillo head once more.
“So. What’s your name.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he set his mouth in a stubborn line.
“Hey, it’s no skin off my nose to call you dickface or whatever, you might want to just tell me.”
Silence.
“Fine! You can just sit there and –stew-. I’m a build a fire and wait for my brother to get here.”
That said, she walked back to her car, in front of which was a circle of stones where campers could safely set up a small blaze. She began gathering small sticks for kindling, sparing a glance every few seconds to see how her silent pal was doing. She knew from experience that a passerby would only be able to see the fire if they were almost on top of the campsite, and she figured it was safe enough considering in all her time coming here no one had –ever- interrupted her.
Stranger
18 years ago
Ernest was not having a good day. He supposed this was just the thanks he deserved for doing a good deed. Lesson learned – when something gets fishy, get the fuck out and let the others fend for themselves.
The brilliant but put upon scientist, whose family was making every attempt to maliciously break her fragile little heart, was crouched in front of him, glaring at him like a specimen under a microscope. Ernest tried to move his arms and found that he was, of all the absurd things, tied to a fucking tree.
At this point, he would admit, he sort of lost it. Not much of a fan of things like bravery or pride, he wailed and whined to be let free, squirming and wiggling uselessly against the ropes. What the fuck kind of psychotic bitch keeps rope in their car?
Dr. Piestewa made no response to his caterwauling, instead turning her back on him and walking back to the car. Oh –god-, was she just going to leave him here? Wait! He was hurt and bleeding and…
…actually didn’t feel all –that- bad.
Still! That wasn’t the point – just because he’d been lucky and managed to not rupture his spleen when the car hit him didn’t mean it was okay to tie him to a tree and leave him for dead! He pointed this all out to Nova at top volume.
He was just feeling a little more sane – beginning to assess his injuries and trying to figure out how to get out of here, wherever here was - when Nova returned with a red bandana. Before he could pull himself together enough to vocalize a reasonable argument, he found himself neatly gagged.
Well shit.
Now she was sitting on her car (which was actually pretty nice, and he hoped he’d dented it and ruined the paint job when she’d hit him) and holding a phone. This made him uncomfortable; he had the sinking suspicion that this was only going to get worse.
He didn’t remember much of the trip over. The car came at him, and then everything went black. He woke up to find himself inside the car with Dr. Piestewa in the front seat, then a big cylindrical piece of metal came flying at his head…and everything went black again. He woke up for hopefully the last time, tied to a tree, his head throbbing and the steely taste of blood in his mouth.
All because he’d had to go and interfere. Just the thought was getting him all upset – he was vaguely aware of taking rapid breaths in and out, getting more and more worked up by the whole situation. Who was she talking to? What were they going to do to him?
The world started to go gray around the edges. No! He had to calm down but he –couldn’t-.
And the world went black once again.
He wasn’t sure of how long he’d been out this time, but suspected it hadn’t been long or he’d be in more pain from Nova’s sharp kicks. He simply groaned at her demand and closed his eyes, trying to even out his breathing, listening to the conversation at the same time. Why did she need new clothes? Was she covered in his blood? Ernest opened his eyes to check, morbidly fascinated by the thought, but no, she was just wet. Had she fallen into the water? And why the hell did he care?
Once she got off the phone he found that he would have preferred she stay on – now she was making it her business to harass him. Still, it was good to know where he stood – it was to be an interrogation, then. Well, an interrogation first.
It was probably in his best interest to talk, but then he’d clearly made a major error in judgment already and wasn’t inclined to trust it now. There was some piece of this puzzle he was missing, something that had made her lash out, violently, and escalate the situation to this extent. He’d predicted she would get upset, maybe even take a swing at him, but this…no, Nova was –much- more dangerous than he had anticipated, and maybe it would go better for him if he just kept his mouth shut. He shook his head violently when Nova asked if he would scream, trying his best to look afraid of her, which wasn’t really that hard of an act. His decision made, though, he kept silent even after she removed the gag. One point for Ernest, folks. He was starting to gain a little confidence, in fact, when he heard Nova’s next words and went cold all over.
Her brother. Oh. No.
He’d been double crossed – the brother and sister were in on it together the whole time! Oh, how had he not seen this coming! Panic overwhelmed him.
He was going to die out here.
Unless…he could keep it together. He focused on breathing, determined to not black out again, and thought things over. She hadn’t said which brother – that was one possible mark in his favor. But everything he knew said that she wouldn’t have called –any- of her brothers under –any- circumstances. And Honovi had said they were all in on it.
Okay, he was totally screwed.
He watched the flames from Nova’s fire leap up into the night and contemplated his impending doom until Nova crouched in front of him once more, staring at him with eyes that looked yellowish in this light, though her file had labeled them as hazel.
The brilliant but put upon scientist, whose family was making every attempt to maliciously break her fragile little heart, was crouched in front of him, glaring at him like a specimen under a microscope. Ernest tried to move his arms and found that he was, of all the absurd things, tied to a fucking tree.
At this point, he would admit, he sort of lost it. Not much of a fan of things like bravery or pride, he wailed and whined to be let free, squirming and wiggling uselessly against the ropes. What the fuck kind of psychotic bitch keeps rope in their car?
Dr. Piestewa made no response to his caterwauling, instead turning her back on him and walking back to the car. Oh –god-, was she just going to leave him here? Wait! He was hurt and bleeding and…
…actually didn’t feel all –that- bad.
Still! That wasn’t the point – just because he’d been lucky and managed to not rupture his spleen when the car hit him didn’t mean it was okay to tie him to a tree and leave him for dead! He pointed this all out to Nova at top volume.
He was just feeling a little more sane – beginning to assess his injuries and trying to figure out how to get out of here, wherever here was - when Nova returned with a red bandana. Before he could pull himself together enough to vocalize a reasonable argument, he found himself neatly gagged.
Well shit.
Now she was sitting on her car (which was actually pretty nice, and he hoped he’d dented it and ruined the paint job when she’d hit him) and holding a phone. This made him uncomfortable; he had the sinking suspicion that this was only going to get worse.
He didn’t remember much of the trip over. The car came at him, and then everything went black. He woke up to find himself inside the car with Dr. Piestewa in the front seat, then a big cylindrical piece of metal came flying at his head…and everything went black again. He woke up for hopefully the last time, tied to a tree, his head throbbing and the steely taste of blood in his mouth.
All because he’d had to go and interfere. Just the thought was getting him all upset – he was vaguely aware of taking rapid breaths in and out, getting more and more worked up by the whole situation. Who was she talking to? What were they going to do to him?
The world started to go gray around the edges. No! He had to calm down but he –couldn’t-.
And the world went black once again.
He wasn’t sure of how long he’d been out this time, but suspected it hadn’t been long or he’d be in more pain from Nova’s sharp kicks. He simply groaned at her demand and closed his eyes, trying to even out his breathing, listening to the conversation at the same time. Why did she need new clothes? Was she covered in his blood? Ernest opened his eyes to check, morbidly fascinated by the thought, but no, she was just wet. Had she fallen into the water? And why the hell did he care?
Once she got off the phone he found that he would have preferred she stay on – now she was making it her business to harass him. Still, it was good to know where he stood – it was to be an interrogation, then. Well, an interrogation first.
It was probably in his best interest to talk, but then he’d clearly made a major error in judgment already and wasn’t inclined to trust it now. There was some piece of this puzzle he was missing, something that had made her lash out, violently, and escalate the situation to this extent. He’d predicted she would get upset, maybe even take a swing at him, but this…no, Nova was –much- more dangerous than he had anticipated, and maybe it would go better for him if he just kept his mouth shut. He shook his head violently when Nova asked if he would scream, trying his best to look afraid of her, which wasn’t really that hard of an act. His decision made, though, he kept silent even after she removed the gag. One point for Ernest, folks. He was starting to gain a little confidence, in fact, when he heard Nova’s next words and went cold all over.
Her brother. Oh. No.
He’d been double crossed – the brother and sister were in on it together the whole time! Oh, how had he not seen this coming! Panic overwhelmed him.
He was going to die out here.
Unless…he could keep it together. He focused on breathing, determined to not black out again, and thought things over. She hadn’t said which brother – that was one possible mark in his favor. But everything he knew said that she wouldn’t have called –any- of her brothers under –any- circumstances. And Honovi had said they were all in on it.
Okay, he was totally screwed.
He watched the flames from Nova’s fire leap up into the night and contemplated his impending doom until Nova crouched in front of him once more, staring at him with eyes that looked yellowish in this light, though her file had labeled them as hazel.
Jan
18 years ago
Jan pulled up next to the Firebird and killed his engine. Taking the keys out of the ignition, he opened the door and stepped out of the truck. He reached into the backseat and picked up the pile of clothes he brought for Nova and the tool box she had requested, glancing at the spare threads that he had brought for himself but fervently hoped he wouldn't need.
He had quickly changed into non club clothes. There were no more straps,buckles and good expensive leather. Instead he wore a pair of faded jeans and had dug around in the closet for an old tee shirt that had seen better days. This one was black and boldly displayed the Def Leppard Hysteria Tour.
Nova was squatting next to a fire and seemed to be successfully ignoring some poor bastard tied to a tree. Oh yeah, this night was going to be interesting...
“Here, hope you like flannel.”
He waited until she looked up to toss the clothes at her and then knelt on one knee just outside the ring of stones and set down the tool box. Staring over the flickering flames at the thoroughly beaten man, Jan calmly questioned his sister.
“So want to tell me who Rodney King is there?”
He had quickly changed into non club clothes. There were no more straps,buckles and good expensive leather. Instead he wore a pair of faded jeans and had dug around in the closet for an old tee shirt that had seen better days. This one was black and boldly displayed the Def Leppard Hysteria Tour.
Nova was squatting next to a fire and seemed to be successfully ignoring some poor bastard tied to a tree. Oh yeah, this night was going to be interesting...
“Here, hope you like flannel.”
He waited until she looked up to toss the clothes at her and then knelt on one knee just outside the ring of stones and set down the tool box. Staring over the flickering flames at the thoroughly beaten man, Jan calmly questioned his sister.
“So want to tell me who Rodney King is there?”
Nova
18 years ago
Nova looked up when she heard a car approach and saw headlights through the trees, but went back to messing with the fire when she confirmed it was Jan. Ghandi still wasn’t talking but the way he was sitting was becoming infuriating. She had thought it would maybe be a good idea to just let the blood she’d given him take hold and kind of slow everything down but this quiet was only making her angrier.
She caught the clothes Jan threw at her and thanked him, standing up to pull off her cold damp tee shirt and put on the flannel. Not wanting to give the silent wonder a show, she started for Jan’s truck to stand on the other side of it, shouting over her shoulder as she went.
“He ain’t talking so much right now, though I guess that’ll change. Started messing with me in the Western Union and got awful personal for someone who doesn’t know me. I think he might know too much, if you know what I mean.”
She caught the clothes Jan threw at her and thanked him, standing up to pull off her cold damp tee shirt and put on the flannel. Not wanting to give the silent wonder a show, she started for Jan’s truck to stand on the other side of it, shouting over her shoulder as she went.
“He ain’t talking so much right now, though I guess that’ll change. Started messing with me in the Western Union and got awful personal for someone who doesn’t know me. I think he might know too much, if you know what I mean.”
Stranger
18 years ago
Ernest felt his guts curl up in anticipation when the truck pulled up, wondering what this would mean. If it was Honovi he was screwed, no question about it, but Choovio would be a different case.
And out stepped…neither. Did Nova have another brother he wasn’t aware of? He didn’t think that was likely but then stranger things had happened.
The ‘brother’ stepped into the light of the fire and he got a good look at him. He looked young – at first he thought college but at another glance he guessed high school, even. And he was carrying a black box…that was ominous. Wait…that kid was –white-. No question. Ernest was thrown – for the second time that day he’d misjudged his situation. Was not talking still the best course of action? And who was this guy Nova claimed was her brother?
He raised his eyebrows when NotAPiestewa referred to him as Rodney King. Could he have an ally here? The guy…kid?...didn’t seem sympathetic but he just might believe Ernest had never done any real harm, or at least nothing deserving of getting the shit beat of him and being tied to a tree.
Hmm, Dr. Piestewa was walking away…maybe he should test his theory, see if he had a friend? He spoke at a whisper, hoping this guy would hear him but seriously doubting Nova could.
“You’re not her brother.”
And out stepped…neither. Did Nova have another brother he wasn’t aware of? He didn’t think that was likely but then stranger things had happened.
The ‘brother’ stepped into the light of the fire and he got a good look at him. He looked young – at first he thought college but at another glance he guessed high school, even. And he was carrying a black box…that was ominous. Wait…that kid was –white-. No question. Ernest was thrown – for the second time that day he’d misjudged his situation. Was not talking still the best course of action? And who was this guy Nova claimed was her brother?
He raised his eyebrows when NotAPiestewa referred to him as Rodney King. Could he have an ally here? The guy…kid?...didn’t seem sympathetic but he just might believe Ernest had never done any real harm, or at least nothing deserving of getting the shit beat of him and being tied to a tree.
Hmm, Dr. Piestewa was walking away…maybe he should test his theory, see if he had a friend? He spoke at a whisper, hoping this guy would hear him but seriously doubting Nova could.
“You’re not her brother.”
Jan
18 years ago
Jan frowned at Nova's explanation. Did the guy know what she was? He'd have to wait to get a better story from her after she had finished changing clothes. How the hell did she get wet? Well how the hell did she come to be out here with some very banged up guy...
It was then that he noticed the front of her car. Did she know? How could she not know?! If Jan had not heard her just tell him that the guy was messing with her in the Western Union he would have figured that she beat him up for smashing in her car.
Looking a bit leery of the open flame, Jan stood up and dusted off his jeans to come over and squat next to the Einstein who messed with Nova. He figured that if Nova was angry...and he couldn't imagine her not being pissed off about her car, then someone would need to play the 'good cop'. He had the face for it, so why not?
Giving the guy a faint grin, he said.
"Quick one. Can't pull anything over on you. Its a long story but we consider each other family. So why has she decided to tie you to a tree? You cope a feel? Refuse to pay for dinner?"Â?
It was then that he noticed the front of her car. Did she know? How could she not know?! If Jan had not heard her just tell him that the guy was messing with her in the Western Union he would have figured that she beat him up for smashing in her car.
Looking a bit leery of the open flame, Jan stood up and dusted off his jeans to come over and squat next to the Einstein who messed with Nova. He figured that if Nova was angry...and he couldn't imagine her not being pissed off about her car, then someone would need to play the 'good cop'. He had the face for it, so why not?
Giving the guy a faint grin, he said.
"Quick one. Can't pull anything over on you. Its a long story but we consider each other family. So why has she decided to tie you to a tree? You cope a feel? Refuse to pay for dinner?"Â?
Stranger
18 years ago
Ernest couldn’t quite manage a friendly smile to return the kid’s, though he did give him a good showing of the whites of his eyes.
He probably deserved the sarcastic answer to his accusation, but decided that was an area where maybe he could show a little good faith.
“Hey, whatever you say man.”
Hmm, how to explain…he could claim she was a complete psychopath and beg to be let go but somehow he didn’t think their friendly rapport went quite that far. Whatever else had happened, this kid came out for Dr. Piestewa at the drop of a hat. He wasn’t going to buy the ‘she’s crazy, intervene and get her some help for her own good’ angle.
More to stall than anything else, he put on a pitiful expression.
“Wasn’t like that, man, wasn’t like that. Aw shit, man…more I open my mouth, the more trouble I get into…”
Would the truth be believed? More importantly, at this point, would the truth get him out of there alive? Somehow he doubted it. He suspected that Nova didn’t believe a word he’d said so far. Classic case of killing the messenger, really, but what could you do?
So that left an appeal to human decency.
“Look, I don’t even know what I said. Things, they just come out of my mouth and…shit, man, I didn’t mean nothin’ by it, I never do…I got a wife and kids, man, if anything happens to me they're out on the street. I won’t go to the cops or nothing, just let me out of here and all’s forgiven, I swear it, you’ll never see me again…”
Stopping to take a breath, he looked up with what he hoped were shiny tear-moistened eyes to gauge the kid’s reaction. He wished he could work up a good blubber but he was just too honest to goodness scared. Still, he thought his act was pretty convincing and the made up wife and kids were a nice touch. It helped that the part about not ever seeing him again was the gospel truth, or at least it seemed true at this moment in time. He’d be grateful just to get out alive, never mind the nagging voice that insisted he’d make the entire Piestewa ‘family’ pay for this. He knew he was too much of a coward to do anything but run – after all, look what happened when he worked up the guts to do the right thing?
He probably deserved the sarcastic answer to his accusation, but decided that was an area where maybe he could show a little good faith.
“Hey, whatever you say man.”
Hmm, how to explain…he could claim she was a complete psychopath and beg to be let go but somehow he didn’t think their friendly rapport went quite that far. Whatever else had happened, this kid came out for Dr. Piestewa at the drop of a hat. He wasn’t going to buy the ‘she’s crazy, intervene and get her some help for her own good’ angle.
More to stall than anything else, he put on a pitiful expression.
“Wasn’t like that, man, wasn’t like that. Aw shit, man…more I open my mouth, the more trouble I get into…”
Would the truth be believed? More importantly, at this point, would the truth get him out of there alive? Somehow he doubted it. He suspected that Nova didn’t believe a word he’d said so far. Classic case of killing the messenger, really, but what could you do?
So that left an appeal to human decency.
“Look, I don’t even know what I said. Things, they just come out of my mouth and…shit, man, I didn’t mean nothin’ by it, I never do…I got a wife and kids, man, if anything happens to me they're out on the street. I won’t go to the cops or nothing, just let me out of here and all’s forgiven, I swear it, you’ll never see me again…”
Stopping to take a breath, he looked up with what he hoped were shiny tear-moistened eyes to gauge the kid’s reaction. He wished he could work up a good blubber but he was just too honest to goodness scared. Still, he thought his act was pretty convincing and the made up wife and kids were a nice touch. It helped that the part about not ever seeing him again was the gospel truth, or at least it seemed true at this moment in time. He’d be grateful just to get out alive, never mind the nagging voice that insisted he’d make the entire Piestewa ‘family’ pay for this. He knew he was too much of a coward to do anything but run – after all, look what happened when he worked up the guts to do the right thing?
Nova
18 years ago
Nova peeled off her wet shirt and draped it over the rear window of Jan’s truck, shivering in the open air for a moment to let herself get good and dry.
And, of course, she wanted to hear what Jan and the titmouse were saying. It still took some serious concentration for her to get her perception to do what she wanted it to do, rather than just acting up of its own accord, but she could manage it a bit better than when she had started out.
She didn’t like the way he spoke to Jan – he was clearly a disrespectful fuckface – but that right there was a clue. He wouldn’t –dare- speak to anyone he so much as suspected was over half a millennium old, or at least that was her best guess. Jan could give as good as he got and she wasn’t worried that he would fly off the handle...in fact, she had a hard time imagining a situation where her brother –would- totally flip out. And he seemed to be taking this all seriously; a part of her had been worried he would laugh off the whole thing but it’d been worth the risk to get him out here. Already she was feeling a little less…crazy.
Though that was causing her to do things like lean against the truck and wonder what the hell she was doing while the dorkwad pleaded with Jan. Maybe she should just come out and…what, call this all off? Send him home?
No. He’d fucked with her, and now she was going to fuck with him. He was a lying weasel and she was going to…
Shit. What was she going to do?
She shrugged on the flannel over still damp skin and decided to wait another few minutes. Get calm, maybe let Jan try him for a bit, and figure out what happened next.
And, of course, she wanted to hear what Jan and the titmouse were saying. It still took some serious concentration for her to get her perception to do what she wanted it to do, rather than just acting up of its own accord, but she could manage it a bit better than when she had started out.
She didn’t like the way he spoke to Jan – he was clearly a disrespectful fuckface – but that right there was a clue. He wouldn’t –dare- speak to anyone he so much as suspected was over half a millennium old, or at least that was her best guess. Jan could give as good as he got and she wasn’t worried that he would fly off the handle...in fact, she had a hard time imagining a situation where her brother –would- totally flip out. And he seemed to be taking this all seriously; a part of her had been worried he would laugh off the whole thing but it’d been worth the risk to get him out here. Already she was feeling a little less…crazy.
Though that was causing her to do things like lean against the truck and wonder what the hell she was doing while the dorkwad pleaded with Jan. Maybe she should just come out and…what, call this all off? Send him home?
No. He’d fucked with her, and now she was going to fuck with him. He was a lying weasel and she was going to…
Shit. What was she going to do?
She shrugged on the flannel over still damp skin and decided to wait another few minutes. Get calm, maybe let Jan try him for a bit, and figure out what happened next.
Jan
18 years ago
Jan listened in feigned concern while casting the occasional glance over his shoulder in the direction of Nova. "Afraid"Â? she might hear him conversing with her prisoner. He hoped his dubious look suggested more contemplation over what to do than the very real belief that this guy was not the best liar in the world.
The part about getting in trouble when he opened his mouth might be a small taste of the truth. The kids though... what real parent would, in the face of crazed people willing to tie them up and beat the living hell out of them for something, admit to having a family first off? That would be like saying 'tell me you'll kill them first!' before I will say anything; let's cut this thing down to the really effective threats!'
He figured the guy thought he was young and stupid or he really did have something big to hide and that was the first thing he could think of to plead with.
Looking over his shoulder once more, he leaned closer and whispered.
"So, just tell her what she wants to know. You know? Then she'll calm down and I can get her to let you go."Â?
Yeah, not likely to happen but it sounded good. He wondered if Nova had thought this through to that end. How could she let the guy go after she'd hauled him out here? Course Daddy Dearest here would have to prove that he had been kidnapped and tortured and that might be a bit difficult. Besides Jan was sure they could pay for a good 'honest' lawyer if it were absolutely necessary....that is if the guy, after filing a suit, actually managed to live long enough for it to go to trial.
The part about getting in trouble when he opened his mouth might be a small taste of the truth. The kids though... what real parent would, in the face of crazed people willing to tie them up and beat the living hell out of them for something, admit to having a family first off? That would be like saying 'tell me you'll kill them first!' before I will say anything; let's cut this thing down to the really effective threats!'
He figured the guy thought he was young and stupid or he really did have something big to hide and that was the first thing he could think of to plead with.
Looking over his shoulder once more, he leaned closer and whispered.
"So, just tell her what she wants to know. You know? Then she'll calm down and I can get her to let you go."Â?
Yeah, not likely to happen but it sounded good. He wondered if Nova had thought this through to that end. How could she let the guy go after she'd hauled him out here? Course Daddy Dearest here would have to prove that he had been kidnapped and tortured and that might be a bit difficult. Besides Jan was sure they could pay for a good 'honest' lawyer if it were absolutely necessary....that is if the guy, after filing a suit, actually managed to live long enough for it to go to trial.
Stranger
18 years ago
Ernest squirmed against his bindings, trying to look pitiful and uncomfortable rather than as any sort of escape attempt. His eyes narrowed at the kid’s idea of advice – that was exactly what she wanted! However, he knew better than to think being stubborn would earn him any points. Leaning forward as far as he could, he whispered back, darting nervous glances over the kid’s shoulder.
“I already –told- her everything she needs to know…she’ll realize that when she’s calm and has a chance to fill in the blanks.” He was whining now but pride was out the window as well. “Look…maybe we can deal, okay? Shit, you don’t want to see me get hurt, right? You don’t want my death on your conscience? All I want it to go to somewhere far away and start over.” He licked his lips, thinking of what he could say next to this kid. The truth was, he didn’t know the guy from Adam and it was perfectly possible he had no problem with deaths on his conscience. Still…he could trust his research on Dr. Piestewa. He firmly believed she wasn’t the thug type. She had called this boy her brother, not her ‘associate’ or whatever bosses called their lapdogs these days. She’d done something even –she- couldn’t have predicted, got a little scared and called her friend. Yeah, this was still a deadly serious shakedown – Nova was clearly more unstable than he had guessed. But there was some small hope for a way out of this, if this kid knew how to deal with his ‘sister’ and if he could play the cards in his hand right. After all, he still knew something they didn’t know.
He looked up at the kid, trying to keep his expression scared.
“I don’t want to talk just to get killed for my trouble here man. I ain’t exactly the bearer of good news. So it’s on you man. Keep her from killing the messenger, get her to let me go, and you’ll have your information.” He let out a shaky breath, nodding at the kid to show his sincerity. He could only hope this guy would take his proposal to heart.
She was coming back.
“I already –told- her everything she needs to know…she’ll realize that when she’s calm and has a chance to fill in the blanks.” He was whining now but pride was out the window as well. “Look…maybe we can deal, okay? Shit, you don’t want to see me get hurt, right? You don’t want my death on your conscience? All I want it to go to somewhere far away and start over.” He licked his lips, thinking of what he could say next to this kid. The truth was, he didn’t know the guy from Adam and it was perfectly possible he had no problem with deaths on his conscience. Still…he could trust his research on Dr. Piestewa. He firmly believed she wasn’t the thug type. She had called this boy her brother, not her ‘associate’ or whatever bosses called their lapdogs these days. She’d done something even –she- couldn’t have predicted, got a little scared and called her friend. Yeah, this was still a deadly serious shakedown – Nova was clearly more unstable than he had guessed. But there was some small hope for a way out of this, if this kid knew how to deal with his ‘sister’ and if he could play the cards in his hand right. After all, he still knew something they didn’t know.
He looked up at the kid, trying to keep his expression scared.
“I don’t want to talk just to get killed for my trouble here man. I ain’t exactly the bearer of good news. So it’s on you man. Keep her from killing the messenger, get her to let me go, and you’ll have your information.” He let out a shaky breath, nodding at the kid to show his sincerity. He could only hope this guy would take his proposal to heart.
She was coming back.
Nova
18 years ago
Nova leaned against the door of the truck and listened to Jan and the dickburger have a little back and forth. Wow, this guy was…pathetic. She wasn’t sure if it was his whiny voice or her conscience that was making her feel a little ill – maybe a mix of both.
Jan was playing him like a fiddle, though it seemed this guy thought he had some leverage or something when he was tied to a fucking tree. That…might indicate that he thought Jan was just an impressionable kid. Maybe that was a good sign? He most definitely –wasn’t- trying to use his knowledge of their kind as leverage, which could indicate that he didn’t have any. That would certainly make her life easier, if this was just a personal matter and all of her kind wasn’t in on it.
Shit…she was still going to have to kill him, probably. She didn’t like that solution but she’d backed herself neatly into that corner. That pissed her off – this toolbox had rattled her cage and she’d –possibly- overreacted.
Yeah, hitting someone with her car and dragging him out to a deserted place in the woods just for mentioning her human father...that could be an overreaction.
Shit shit shit. She’d made a clean break, dammit! A clean fucking break…and still they were all just under the surface the whole time. Her father. Fucking Honovi. Useless Choovio…
She smelled like beer and tried to remember why while the pubic hair tried to ‘deal’ with Jan. Right, the forty…from the bum…
She blinked, realizing that her instincts had been right. This guy –had- been following her. She thought back to all of the times she’d felt that prickle on the back of her neck and ignored it after a glance around. Had she seen his face anywhere else, besides in bum’s clothes outside a western union? Sitting in front of the gas station? In the diner across the street from a dark alley where she had found a light snack?
God, was she going paranoid? She made a nearly hysterical laugh-like noise at the thought, then broke into a full out chuckle. ‘Just tell me what you don’t want me to know and I’ll tell you if I know it.’ How was she going to figure out if he knew? And Christ, was else did this asshat know?
Figuring he’d had enough of Jan’s nice kid act and needed more…physical encouragement, she stepped out from behind the car and approached the tree at a slow, almost drunk looking gait before crouching down in front of the hedgehog head.
“You talkin’, fuckface? Ready to tell us your name yet or do I need to start breaking fingers?” She looked to Jan, her expression sarcastically curious. “I start with the little one, right?”
Jan was playing him like a fiddle, though it seemed this guy thought he had some leverage or something when he was tied to a fucking tree. That…might indicate that he thought Jan was just an impressionable kid. Maybe that was a good sign? He most definitely –wasn’t- trying to use his knowledge of their kind as leverage, which could indicate that he didn’t have any. That would certainly make her life easier, if this was just a personal matter and all of her kind wasn’t in on it.
Shit…she was still going to have to kill him, probably. She didn’t like that solution but she’d backed herself neatly into that corner. That pissed her off – this toolbox had rattled her cage and she’d –possibly- overreacted.
Yeah, hitting someone with her car and dragging him out to a deserted place in the woods just for mentioning her human father...that could be an overreaction.
Shit shit shit. She’d made a clean break, dammit! A clean fucking break…and still they were all just under the surface the whole time. Her father. Fucking Honovi. Useless Choovio…
She smelled like beer and tried to remember why while the pubic hair tried to ‘deal’ with Jan. Right, the forty…from the bum…
She blinked, realizing that her instincts had been right. This guy –had- been following her. She thought back to all of the times she’d felt that prickle on the back of her neck and ignored it after a glance around. Had she seen his face anywhere else, besides in bum’s clothes outside a western union? Sitting in front of the gas station? In the diner across the street from a dark alley where she had found a light snack?
God, was she going paranoid? She made a nearly hysterical laugh-like noise at the thought, then broke into a full out chuckle. ‘Just tell me what you don’t want me to know and I’ll tell you if I know it.’ How was she going to figure out if he knew? And Christ, was else did this asshat know?
Figuring he’d had enough of Jan’s nice kid act and needed more…physical encouragement, she stepped out from behind the car and approached the tree at a slow, almost drunk looking gait before crouching down in front of the hedgehog head.
“You talkin’, fuckface? Ready to tell us your name yet or do I need to start breaking fingers?” She looked to Jan, her expression sarcastically curious. “I start with the little one, right?”
Jan
18 years ago
Jan considered the possibility that this guy had already told Nova what she wanted from him. It was not unreasonable to assume that his sister thought the guy had more information than he did but it really didn't matter to him. He had yet to hear what this was all about and though he was playing the nice guy at the moment Jan would get the full story of what was going on before the night was over.
His eyes rounded at the guy's statement of death and Jan shook his head minutely. Really, it would be a waste of blood but from looking at the slob, he'd let Nova eat this meal. The guy needed to think that he could live if he spilled what he knew and that really shouldn't be too hard to do; they just needed to be certain they were getting the truth.
Jan nodded his understanding and worked his glamour into his voice, weaving in a strand of hope. Everything could be okay, if you play this right.
"Look, I need to know what is going on so I know how to handle her. It'd help to be able to focus her attention elsewhere, if you see my meaning. Tell her what you know. It'll work out okay. She's not a killer."Â?
Usually... Jan leaned back as Nova came up. Giving her space to do whatever she thought would help the situation but keeping his glamour going for the sake of ease.
"Tell her, man. Let her know she can trust you and this would all end much better for everyone."Â?
His eyes rounded at the guy's statement of death and Jan shook his head minutely. Really, it would be a waste of blood but from looking at the slob, he'd let Nova eat this meal. The guy needed to think that he could live if he spilled what he knew and that really shouldn't be too hard to do; they just needed to be certain they were getting the truth.
Jan nodded his understanding and worked his glamour into his voice, weaving in a strand of hope. Everything could be okay, if you play this right.
"Look, I need to know what is going on so I know how to handle her. It'd help to be able to focus her attention elsewhere, if you see my meaning. Tell her what you know. It'll work out okay. She's not a killer."Â?
Usually... Jan leaned back as Nova came up. Giving her space to do whatever she thought would help the situation but keeping his glamour going for the sake of ease.
"Tell her, man. Let her know she can trust you and this would all end much better for everyone."Â?
Stranger
18 years ago
It was all Ernest could do not to panic when the ‘brother and sister’ regarded him side by side, both seeming to gang up on him to talk. For some reason, though…he still had a shred of optimism telling him that this was all going to work out okay. Still, he wibbled pitifully when Nova threatened to break a finger, even going as far as to take hold of the littlest one on his left hand. He shamelessly squealed like a little baby animal. Her eyes looked frighteningly cold and dead, a sharp contrast from her prior heated, angry expression, and it was hard to believe the kid when he said that she wasn’t a killer. He had no idea where his faith that he could make it through this was coming from but he decided, in that moment, that he was definitely going to rethink the whole business of a higher power.
“No no, you don’t need to do that, I’ll talk I’ll talk I’ll talk!”
Breathing hard, he looked between the two of them for a quick second and then spoke again in a terrified rush.
“Ernie, my name is Ernie, okay? You –know- everything else! Just don’t send money home and don’t believe your brothers about anything! –Anything-, understand? There, I told you everything, now let me go!”
“No no, you don’t need to do that, I’ll talk I’ll talk I’ll talk!”
Breathing hard, he looked between the two of them for a quick second and then spoke again in a terrified rush.
“Ernie, my name is Ernie, okay? You –know- everything else! Just don’t send money home and don’t believe your brothers about anything! –Anything-, understand? There, I told you everything, now let me go!”
Nova
18 years ago
Nova nearly snorted at the doodlebug’s pathetic display of cowardice and had to look down at the ground for a moment to keep a straight face. This guy was worse than freakin’ Evans! She didn’t dare look at Jan for fear that would give up the whole game.
Not that this was a game, exactly. She couldn’t forget she had a life in her hands, however pathetic, and however much it would make life easier if she could just not worry about that aspect of things. It was surprisingly easy, though, to detach herself from the situation enough to take the meathead’s little finger between hers and prepare to snap it. Should she get a wrench? Nah, fuck it, she didn’t want to get up and risk breaking the moment.
She finally allowed herself a smile when her buddy Ernie started blubbering it all out. Looking to Jan with an impressed expression, she gave him a wink that she hoped conveyed her ‘good work’ sentiments, then leaned in closer.
“Aw, Ernie, baby, we’re just getting started here.” Rocking back on her heels, she got comfortable before asking her next question. “How long have you been following me?” That one she guessed she could work out for herself but she wanted to prime the pump with some easy stuff first, see how truthful and cooperative he was going to be. Wanting to catch Jan up on what the deal was, she added, not looking away from Ernie, “This guy comes up to me in the western union and tells me my father’s not dead and not to send my…” She practically had to spit the next word “family…money. Oh, yeah, we’re just warming up, pal.”
Not that this was a game, exactly. She couldn’t forget she had a life in her hands, however pathetic, and however much it would make life easier if she could just not worry about that aspect of things. It was surprisingly easy, though, to detach herself from the situation enough to take the meathead’s little finger between hers and prepare to snap it. Should she get a wrench? Nah, fuck it, she didn’t want to get up and risk breaking the moment.
She finally allowed herself a smile when her buddy Ernie started blubbering it all out. Looking to Jan with an impressed expression, she gave him a wink that she hoped conveyed her ‘good work’ sentiments, then leaned in closer.
“Aw, Ernie, baby, we’re just getting started here.” Rocking back on her heels, she got comfortable before asking her next question. “How long have you been following me?” That one she guessed she could work out for herself but she wanted to prime the pump with some easy stuff first, see how truthful and cooperative he was going to be. Wanting to catch Jan up on what the deal was, she added, not looking away from Ernie, “This guy comes up to me in the western union and tells me my father’s not dead and not to send my…” She practically had to spit the next word “family…money. Oh, yeah, we’re just warming up, pal.”
Jan
18 years ago
Jan watched dispassionately while the guy's attention was on Nova. He arched both eyebrows at her and smirked before their new friend looked back his way. This guy really was on the sad side; sure no one wanted to have something broken but the blubbering was unnecessary.
It would seem his sister's toy was named Ernie. That wasn't so difficult. Now if he'd just be so cooperative for the remainder of the 'interview' then they'd all get along fine. He reached over for a nearby stick and started poking the fire from a distance, letting Nova continue her questioning.
Frowning at the mention of Ernie following Nova, Jan figured there might not be much hope for the guy seeing daylight again. Depending on how long the guy had been watching her there was no telling what he might have seen. It was unlikely that she did anything terribly indiscrete but they needed to find out for certain.
He looked up at Nova in surprise at the mention of her human family.
"You're father?
Jan then turned back to Ernie and spoke calmly.
"That doesn't sound random to me, my friend, I think you better explain what's going on here."Â?
It would seem his sister's toy was named Ernie. That wasn't so difficult. Now if he'd just be so cooperative for the remainder of the 'interview' then they'd all get along fine. He reached over for a nearby stick and started poking the fire from a distance, letting Nova continue her questioning.
Frowning at the mention of Ernie following Nova, Jan figured there might not be much hope for the guy seeing daylight again. Depending on how long the guy had been watching her there was no telling what he might have seen. It was unlikely that she did anything terribly indiscrete but they needed to find out for certain.
He looked up at Nova in surprise at the mention of her human family.
"You're father?
Jan then turned back to Ernie and spoke calmly.
"That doesn't sound random to me, my friend, I think you better explain what's going on here."Â?
Stranger
18 years ago
Ernest squirmed nervously when Nova leaned in closer, though there was no hope of getting away. He hadn’t really expected her to just let him go and figured he’d end up spilling the whole thing but now she was just straight up giving him the creeps. He wished the kid would do something to restrain her but he didn’t really seem to even be worried about what his ‘sister’ was doing. Maybe that was a good sign.
Probably not, though, knowing his luck.
He took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of himself as his eyes darted back and forth between the two. He’d already pissed off Nova and it looked like the kid was getting annoyed to, which wasn’t cool – said kid might be his last hope.
“Look, it’s really complicated.” He squirmed some more, distinctly aware of his own discomfort now. Oddly, he actually thought he might be more aware of his bindings because otherwise…he was feeling a little better. When he’d first woken up he was convinced he had internal bleeding and a host of other problems, but now he felt…kind of okay, all things considered. “Just…look, yeah, I was following you, I followed you for a couple of weeks after I tracked you down but it’s not like you think.” He grew a little nervous at Nova’s shift in weight but plunged on ahead, realizing now was the time for some fast talking. “I was hired by your family, to track you down and find out about you. That’s how your brothers knew where to send the letter, and how to reach you – through me. Only…it was all a mistake, I know that now, that’s why I tried to –warn- you…” He let himself trail off, looking up at the pair with imploring eyes and hoping he’d given them enough of a hook to maybe reel them in and cut the crazy violence out of the equation.
Probably not, though, knowing his luck.
He took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of himself as his eyes darted back and forth between the two. He’d already pissed off Nova and it looked like the kid was getting annoyed to, which wasn’t cool – said kid might be his last hope.
“Look, it’s really complicated.” He squirmed some more, distinctly aware of his own discomfort now. Oddly, he actually thought he might be more aware of his bindings because otherwise…he was feeling a little better. When he’d first woken up he was convinced he had internal bleeding and a host of other problems, but now he felt…kind of okay, all things considered. “Just…look, yeah, I was following you, I followed you for a couple of weeks after I tracked you down but it’s not like you think.” He grew a little nervous at Nova’s shift in weight but plunged on ahead, realizing now was the time for some fast talking. “I was hired by your family, to track you down and find out about you. That’s how your brothers knew where to send the letter, and how to reach you – through me. Only…it was all a mistake, I know that now, that’s why I tried to –warn- you…” He let himself trail off, looking up at the pair with imploring eyes and hoping he’d given them enough of a hook to maybe reel them in and cut the crazy violence out of the equation.
Nova
18 years ago
Man, this guy was scared shitless. Nova might have laughed if she weren’t still trying to keep up a hard ass image. She rolled her eyes when the dipshit gave her the ‘it’s complicated’ line. Like she hadn’t heard –that- before – so typical of men who didn’t want to explain themselves.
Jan seemed kind of lost, which was understandable since this was damn confusing, but before she could explain more Ernie went on to actually answer her question. There’s a shocker – maybe this guy knew what was good for him after all.
She could believe that his name was Ernie and he’d been following her for two weeks, longer if you counted him picking up the trail. The rest of it…she wasn’t so sure about. So much hinged on the question of whether or not he knew what she was, and that was the one thing she couldn’t ask directly. There wasn’t much point in wondering if he’d told her human family the truth about her, though the thought made her feel a little sick to her stomach.
“I’ve had a little family drama in the past week or so,” she admitted, mostly for Jan’s benefit though she didn’t want to risk looking his way. She couldn’t say why, but she was starting to feel less in control of the situation and was feeling edgy about losing her hold on things. Her features hardened as she spoke again. “What do you think? Do we believe him?” She stood, making as if to pace, then turned swiftly and swooped down, getting right up in the sneak’s face and planting her knee dangerously close to the ever sacred family jewels. After staring him down for a long moment, she smirked and reached into his left pocket, where she’d noticed a bulge that had damn well better be his wallet.
Heh, some luck at last. She pulled out the brown leather Fossil and stepped back, collapsing neatly to sit Indian style on her rear end and flipping through his personal items with absolutely no reverence.
“Not seeing any pictures of kids in here….-that’s- not your wife…library card good anywhere in Arizona…wow, what a shitty photo…huh, your name really is Ernie…ha ha, look at the cute little PI business cards…hey, what’s this?” She looked up at Jan, her expression incredulous. “This guy donates to the national wildlife federation.” For some reason that was really funny, even though it all was starting to feel pretty wrong to her. She’d beat the crap out of a…dork. A pathetic dork who, on any other day, she might have talked to like a normal guy before taking out to her car and drinking her fill. And…hell…he liked small woodland creatures.
Yeah, something didn’t feel right, and she wasn’t sure if it was her conscience or what, but it was making her uneasy. Unfortunately she didn’t handle being uneasy very well – it tended to make her want to kick things.
“So you’re telling me you spied on me for twoish weeks, got a bunch of information on me that you sent back to my family, and now…what? You’re feeding me some story about my father not really being dead and telling me not to listen to my brothers. How do I know this isn’t part of some con you’ve got going?”
She could actually think of a lot of different ways his story could end up making sense but she didn’t want to feed him ideas to spin more bullshit. She’d known enough manipulators to understand that they wanted to make you think you’d come up with all kinds of brilliant ideas on your own. No, she wasn’t giving him an inch.
Still, going over what he’d said, there was one thing in particular that stood out. She darted a quick glance at Jan before speaking, in a casual tone now.
“Wait, what letter?”
Jan seemed kind of lost, which was understandable since this was damn confusing, but before she could explain more Ernie went on to actually answer her question. There’s a shocker – maybe this guy knew what was good for him after all.
She could believe that his name was Ernie and he’d been following her for two weeks, longer if you counted him picking up the trail. The rest of it…she wasn’t so sure about. So much hinged on the question of whether or not he knew what she was, and that was the one thing she couldn’t ask directly. There wasn’t much point in wondering if he’d told her human family the truth about her, though the thought made her feel a little sick to her stomach.
“I’ve had a little family drama in the past week or so,” she admitted, mostly for Jan’s benefit though she didn’t want to risk looking his way. She couldn’t say why, but she was starting to feel less in control of the situation and was feeling edgy about losing her hold on things. Her features hardened as she spoke again. “What do you think? Do we believe him?” She stood, making as if to pace, then turned swiftly and swooped down, getting right up in the sneak’s face and planting her knee dangerously close to the ever sacred family jewels. After staring him down for a long moment, she smirked and reached into his left pocket, where she’d noticed a bulge that had damn well better be his wallet.
Heh, some luck at last. She pulled out the brown leather Fossil and stepped back, collapsing neatly to sit Indian style on her rear end and flipping through his personal items with absolutely no reverence.
“Not seeing any pictures of kids in here….-that’s- not your wife…library card good anywhere in Arizona…wow, what a shitty photo…huh, your name really is Ernie…ha ha, look at the cute little PI business cards…hey, what’s this?” She looked up at Jan, her expression incredulous. “This guy donates to the national wildlife federation.” For some reason that was really funny, even though it all was starting to feel pretty wrong to her. She’d beat the crap out of a…dork. A pathetic dork who, on any other day, she might have talked to like a normal guy before taking out to her car and drinking her fill. And…hell…he liked small woodland creatures.
Yeah, something didn’t feel right, and she wasn’t sure if it was her conscience or what, but it was making her uneasy. Unfortunately she didn’t handle being uneasy very well – it tended to make her want to kick things.
“So you’re telling me you spied on me for twoish weeks, got a bunch of information on me that you sent back to my family, and now…what? You’re feeding me some story about my father not really being dead and telling me not to listen to my brothers. How do I know this isn’t part of some con you’ve got going?”
She could actually think of a lot of different ways his story could end up making sense but she didn’t want to feed him ideas to spin more bullshit. She’d known enough manipulators to understand that they wanted to make you think you’d come up with all kinds of brilliant ideas on your own. No, she wasn’t giving him an inch.
Still, going over what he’d said, there was one thing in particular that stood out. She darted a quick glance at Jan before speaking, in a casual tone now.
“Wait, what letter?”
Jan
18 years ago
Jan looked from Nova to Ernie to Nova and back again. So she had family? Huh.. well he should have expected that; she was so painfully new as to pretty much be a human with fangs. The guy had followed her for several weeks... which probably wasn't so bad unless he managed to spy on her feeding somewhere. Course, maybe he thought she was into some kinky shit and he wanted to change his allegiance so his sister might be willing to get jiggy with him too. Some people were into the rough treatment; Ernie here could be a closet masochist in need of one half crazed Hopi dom.
The family sounded like real asses though, assuming he was getting the facts straight.
"So let me see if I have this right. Her family wanted you to find her, watch her and send info back on her. Then they what? Cooked up a scam so that the good scientist would send them money?"Â?
Jan gave Nova a level stare.
"Excellent! So when are we going to your relatives for a holiday?"Â?
He was only half joking. Jan had no problems going and playing a part in order to make people's lives miserable, especially people who gave Nova a hard time. Unlike her human kin, He took his relatives seriously..and Nova happened to be his favorite sister.
Seeing Nova getting upset and knowing they really needed Eddie to just answer the question without wibbling on what to say, Jay laid a hand on the man's shoulder. He looked over at his sister and said.
"Calm down. Ernie was just getting to that. Weren't you?"Â?
The family sounded like real asses though, assuming he was getting the facts straight.
"So let me see if I have this right. Her family wanted you to find her, watch her and send info back on her. Then they what? Cooked up a scam so that the good scientist would send them money?"Â?
Jan gave Nova a level stare.
"Excellent! So when are we going to your relatives for a holiday?"Â?
He was only half joking. Jan had no problems going and playing a part in order to make people's lives miserable, especially people who gave Nova a hard time. Unlike her human kin, He took his relatives seriously..and Nova happened to be his favorite sister.
Seeing Nova getting upset and knowing they really needed Eddie to just answer the question without wibbling on what to say, Jay laid a hand on the man's shoulder. He looked over at his sister and said.
"Calm down. Ernie was just getting to that. Weren't you?"Â?
Stranger
18 years ago
While Ernie wasn’t exactly thrilled about Nova searching through his wallet, the look on her face when she discovered his Wildlife Federation membership card did give him another spike of hope. One of the things her brothers had been able to tell him about her was that she had liked animals as a girl. He didn’t know if that was still true – all kids like animals, or at least Ernie had always figured as much – but it might be just the tiniest advantage.
Then the questions started firing off again. Shit, how was he going to make them believe him? Not telling the truth was slowly being eliminated as an option but between a fear of Nova killing the messenger and of pretty boy not buying this he wasn’t sure –that- was an option either.
He felt downright sick when Nova asked about the letter. Did she really not know? Were there letters –he- didn’t know about? He had been counting on that knowledge to help convince her he was telling the truth and knew what he was talking about, and now it turned out he was terribly wrong. He gave the ‘brother’ a bewildered look, realizing he was only going to look uncooperative –and- up to no good if he didn’t come up with an answer.
“Um…the letter…Yoki wrote you from jail, that’s…you didn’t get a letter? Asking you to come down?”
Nothing made sense if that letter wasn’t in the picture and he was starting to wonder if he might be getting played on both sides or something. He couldn’t imagine what game they might be running but he was certain he didn’t have the whole story.
Then the questions started firing off again. Shit, how was he going to make them believe him? Not telling the truth was slowly being eliminated as an option but between a fear of Nova killing the messenger and of pretty boy not buying this he wasn’t sure –that- was an option either.
He felt downright sick when Nova asked about the letter. Did she really not know? Were there letters –he- didn’t know about? He had been counting on that knowledge to help convince her he was telling the truth and knew what he was talking about, and now it turned out he was terribly wrong. He gave the ‘brother’ a bewildered look, realizing he was only going to look uncooperative –and- up to no good if he didn’t come up with an answer.
“Um…the letter…Yoki wrote you from jail, that’s…you didn’t get a letter? Asking you to come down?”
Nothing made sense if that letter wasn’t in the picture and he was starting to wonder if he might be getting played on both sides or something. He couldn’t imagine what game they might be running but he was certain he didn’t have the whole story.