[Canada Day 2014] Just another day (Serenity & Lorelai)

[Serenity]

She nodded her head even though she was taken note that she kept touching her stomach. Perhaps if there was something wrong it was something she didn't wish to say so close to everyone else. In that she wouldn't be able to blame her, there were tons of people and most of them would not likely care regardless. Biting on her lower lip she turned to look towards the front, the driver was letting some people off, but she was unable to tell if it was those who were healthy and fine or those who were hurt.

Losing her eyes she took a sniff of the air, there was some blood within it from at least two sources, “Seems someone is hurt...” she said in Chinese as she placed a hand on Sethos head. Lowering her voice as she turned back towards Lorelai  “It's fine, I do not tend to seek the names of those around me when doing that sort of work anyways. Seems like a much wiser move to me.” That way if they get caught she would be unable to say anything about them and most of all they about her.

Smiling she shook her head slightly, like most she believed the first name should be said first, instead of one's family name. "Ai'shi is my last name... well unless we were in China. Then it would just be Shi.” she took a deep breath to try and calm herself as she felt someone else push by her, towards the front, instead of waiting. Once they were through she spoke again, “You may call me Serenity....”

She shifted her weight from left to right as she tried to keep her mind calm, she had to think of something else to say something to keep them talking but her mind wasn't really focusing like it should. “So... you heading to do a bit more work again?” of course she had blurted it all out instead of saying the words calmly but she had tried to slow it down with very little luck and thus left herself wondering if she should repeat it or hope for the best that she caught the words clearly. The only other thing she had to worry about was if she had said it in English instead of Chinese or French.

[Lorelai]

Lorelai blinked and then peered a little harder at Serenity as she tried to focus on what the woman was saying. Aisha wasn’t her name, Serenity was; well at least that’s easier to pronounce, she thought to herself. She hadn’t really been following the explanation as to why she’d said her surname first but she’d nodded politely as if she’d understood every word. The quickly spoken question was very almost lost on her too but she took a moment to think through what had been said and then replied.

“Oh. No. I was sleeping and I…” she paused and looked around, suddenly realising that she hadn’t seen Leo since she left the apartment. “I guess I had a bad dream. I didn’t quite feel like sleeping after that and so I’m going to visit my girlfriend at work to see if she can chase the nightmare’s away.”

It was a stupid thing to be telling a perfect stranger but it was slightly better than the truth. Telling Serenity she awoke to find an apparition in her room and so was going to see CC to see if she was in fact crazy didn’t sound like the sanest of plans. To her the plan had its floors even as it was quite likely that CC would agree to her being crazy without even considering the event itself. She and CC could quite easily be from different planets, so different as they were, the only thing that really connected them was their unusual love for one another and the more natural love they shared for their unborn child.

“Are you going to a party?” she asked noting the outfit Serenity was wearing.

It wasn’t an unreasonable question as the majority of people about them seemed to be coming back from, or going to a party. It was relatively easy to discern which was which as those that had been to the party tended to be inebriated, while those that were just setting out for the night tended to be sober. Serenity struck Lorelai as being relatively sober; not that she knew the woman to judge such a thing, but she saw no evidence to the contrary in her posture or speech.

[Serenity]

She nodded her head slightly as she thought about it. She had nightmares herself, normally about her Uncle though or the death of her family members. Still she understood the idea of wanting someone to comfort you and make things alright. The only thing she really had no way of getting comfort from was her ghostly stalkers. Still she had been clear of them for awhile now and hopefully this time it would be for good but deep down she knew that wouldn't be the case, if she even mistaken one for being alive they would likely follow her, but she had gotten little clues to it, watching people, seeing if they had a shadow or reflection, those sort of things, course didn't mean they couldn’t be a vampiric in nature but she somehow seemed to be able to tell most times who was and who wasn't a vampire... she just wasn't sure how she could.

“If she is unable to help, my grandmothers taught me a bit about sleeping potions... well they're really teas... still they help.”She felt a bit stupid saying that, what person would want to take teas or potions from someone who they hardly knew. Sighing mentally she thought about what her grandmother McCoy would say before repeating it word for word almost. “Also your dreams, even nightmares may be trying to tell you something. You should see about trying to figure out what they wish to tell you.” she wasn't sure how to fix things about your past horrors that was something her grandmother would simply tell her she had to learn not to repeat but that didn't make things better.

She looked down at her dress for a moment, before looking back at Lorelai, “Oh... no... I tend to dress like this...” she looked back down at her dress for a moment, “Is there something wrong with it?” what she really wanted to know was that why someone had been grabbing her, was it the sort of dress that proper ladies shouldn't be wearing? Maybe it looked worse than what she was able to see so it looked like something for a Halloween party. She tried to see for herself but it was to hard to bend let alone really move to see. She would be able to do so if she was elsewhere, but she was pretty sure, bending backwards to see if your dress was torn on a bus was not a wise move.

[Lorelai]

“Oh no. No. Not at all. The style suits you,” she gave Serenity and easy smile. “It’s just it’s late and you look like you might be dressed to go out for the evening and…” she cast her eyes over the crowd about them. “It looks like a lot of people are either just going out or have been out too long.”

The sentence could have perhaps been extended, as she had observed that Serenity didn’t appear to have been out to long herself, hence asking if she were off to a party. It was of course possible that the woman was teetotal and had been out a long while and just wasn’t any worse the wear for it as she’d been drinking sensibly. In an effort to change the subject she then brought the conversation back around to tea. There was no real need to switch the conversation from what it was but having said what she did she began to wonder if she came across as judgemental of those that were out having a good time , that and it was polite to comment on what had been said.

“You said something about tea. I like tea. At least I like green tea. The regular kind. My mum used to brew some herbal teas from time to time that were supposedly cures for every ache and pain. I wasn’t always keen on those though. I am however now wondering if I should have been paying more attention? Making lists of ingredients and things.”

Thinking of the family home had her jabbering away like an idiot and she as soon as she was aware of the fact that her mouth had run away with her she stopped talking and offered a semi-apologetic smile. It was about this time that the conductor said something about setting off in the shortly and something about a detour via a hospital. Lorelai wasn’t entirely sure even where they were; she’d been planning to get off at the next station to try a different cash machine but it was entirely possible that she’d zoned out and missed it entirely what with all the thoughts running through her mind. While it may not have appeared as such in that moment, Lorelai was more of a thinker than a talker but having been almost intimately acquainted with the woman before her due to the accident, a few words were necessary and helped to ease Lorelai’s discomfort. Fidgeting on the spot, she pushed one hand up the inside of her woollen jacket and began scratching at her arm absentmindedly.

[Serenity]

She lifted her eyes up, so she didn't look wrong or out of place. She sighed in relief to this fact. She knew she should keep up to fashion and she thought she did that well enough but she was never sure, what she thought good fashion wasn't always what people around her thought was good fashion... to much skin in most cases but then she had always been easy to burn, even as a child, though she had to admit as a child she didn't burn as easily as she did as a teen and even later as an adult... but none of that even compared to how easy she would burn now. It had been one of those little things in her life that had not changed all that much from when she was alive. She stayed indoors, traveled when it cloudy, raining, or later in the evening. Harper Rock had that going for her at least, most days it seemed more cloudy than not, though that may very well be the fact they were in that part of the country.

Slowly she began to look around more, and of course the more she looked, the more she felt her chest tighten and the heavier her breathing became until she finally closed her eyes tight. She was sure that Lorelai meant drinking and partying none of which she herself did, “No, I do not drink... well I would have sip when my father offered at one of his business parties, but that was just proper behavior... both going and the sip of wine. Honestly I'm a rather boring person...” the words came out hushed but not so rushed this time. Still it wasn't a lie, well minus perhaps the boring person part if you knew about her lab and research... and side projects but she kept that locked away from just about everyone around her. Slowly she opened her eyes and tried to focus on Sethos as he licked her hand soothing her.

“My Grandmother Shi, was big on Chinese Folk medicine. She grew up in that time period where it was more important than real medicine. I think she hoped I would bring the two worlds together here, but I stopped...” licking her lips she slowly met Lorelai eyes, but her mind tried to stay away from the thought of all the people around them, “Then my mother and my Grandmother McCoy had their own...” she wasn't sure how to really place them they took things from all over the place. Not believing in any one God or anyone Goddess, no one religion. It was simple to say that they believed in everything and tried to follow the overall teachings that they held.

“I am sure if they were here, they would all tell you that tradition is important... and thus it is for the young and their children to keep it strong.” she thought for a moment of the little boy that was in China now. The boy she had claimed to be her child, and had faked papers for even though it was far from the case. It would make him the heir and thus in time she would assure her 'new' place as a hidden shadow of the Shi family. Still... it was easier to have the child raised at the time with his 'family' who would not know the difference, and if they did well it was hard to deny papers as solid proof of otherwise. The boy of course was of her bloodline but she was unable to touch living things without apparently taken the life from them. So she had given the boy up... shaking her head mentally she looked back towards the front of the bus. "We must never forget where we came from and who came before us afterall." she was sure her grandparents on both sides would approve of that statement even if they would approve for different reasons altogether.

She refused to look again, but she began to shift her weight still and and Sethos kept doing his best to comfort her while she felt trapped on the transit. “I hope they let us out... I think it would be best to walk... I don't do so well in enclosed places” or crowds really, she was fine in enclosed places when it was just her there... add one person and it started to started to result in issues. Turning back Lorelai she smiled, "Besides I think it might be faster to walk at the rate we're going." which was not going at all.

[Lorelai]

Lorelai stayed quiet and listened politely as Serenity began to speak of family, tradition and loyalty. Although they obviously came from different cultures, this was all something she could also relate too. For a moment she felt almost guilty for abandoning her family the way she did (as that was how they saw it), and yet she knew the day that she walked away that she was doing what was right for her. Lorelai had never imagined just how fortunately timed her escape had been or how perhaps the fates had conspired to bring her and CC together. Had her mind not been so engaged with what the woman before her was saying, she might have realised that CC was already more to her than just her girlfriend, she was family. They had made a home together, she was carrying a child that they would raise together and she was already more attached to CC than anyone she’d previously dated. Chalk and cheese as they were, they somehow worked, even when they didn’t.

“I would not mind walking, truth be told, however… I’m not entirely sure where we are. I live south of the river you see and I rarely need to venture as far as Cherrydale. I think I fell asleep on the train with my eyes open. Do you ever do that? I might not be explaining myself well. You know how you can be there but not be there. I think my mind was elsewhere and I missed my stop. I was heading towards Coastside. I think I even got on the wrong train to begin with.”

Lorelai’s cheeks flushed with colour at this admission. Anyone could have done what she’d done while tired, and tiredness probably did play a small part in what had happened to her that night, that, pregnancy and fear that was. She’d not seen Leo in the crowd about her but she had a feeling he was nearby. What she was feeling however was the ghost of a little old woman who was standing somewhere nearby. Lorelai was so unpractised in this new art, that she had no way of knowing that the frail looking woman was no longer.

“Family are important but I think it might be nice to make some of your own traditions. That’s part of the reason I came to the city in fact. To follow a different path than the one that was expected me,” she said as she turned her attention back to Serenity.

[Serenity]

That was a good question, where were they? Where she stood she was not able to really see out the windows to know where they were at. For someone who had an IQ of 154 she tended to lack a great many things in that department, for example, social skills, and she was easily lost if things went out of place she was also pretty bad with names. Still she was sure if she was outside in a less stressful placement she likely would be able to figure out where they were at. Yet at the moment, all she seemed to focus on really was all the people around her. Taken a deep shaking breath she looked down at Sethos, “I am sure if we make our way off the transit, I could take you where you need to go.” Well she didn't know all the businesses but she would at least be able to take her to the nearest transit. Not that she wouldn't be able to learn all the names and where they were. It was simply that she desired to focus more on what she thought was important... her studies mainly. Some of which she wouldn't be able to share with anyone... due to how she performed them. Evil men should do something to help mankind... so why not use them to make mankind better?

Turning to look at Lorelai, “New traditions are good to have, as long as we do not forget the old as well.” she wasn't sure how much she should share with her but after what felt like a long moment she looked at her and smiled. “My family had different traditions depending where I was at. I enjoyed taken part in many of the traditions... and my father who believed heavy on tradition of his ancestors believed that it was simply a tool to improve oneself and that sometimes you had to break with the old, not forget it, to forge a better future. Yet if you forget and do not acknowledge your history, those old traditions that you were due to repeat it...” she looked down at Sethos as she petted his head. “It's why humanity keeps making the same mistakes over and over again” and she believed what was really the downfall of vampires in the first place they didn't learn from their human lives and believed that simply a jump in the food chain made them smarter... and more godly. Yet only the Gods were godly and even that was questionable at best.

Lifting her eyes up to Lorelai she smiled, “shall we see about making our way to the front so we are able to get you to your girlfriend? Coastside is not to far from where I need to be.” well it was further than she wanted to admit but she also was in no hurry she had many hours still ahead of her. If all else failed and she really got overwhelmed she would get Wolffyn or Odin to bring her home.

[Lorelai]

“Oh I’ve heard that kind of thing said before, that those that don’t learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them. I believe that’s what you were getting at. I can understand that completely. I can honestly say that I will never forget the manner in which I was raised and that it will definitely shape my future.”

Lorelai didn’t want to continue along this line of conversation as her past was what she was trying to escape by coming to the city. CC of course helped in that; mainly as she didn’t like Lorelai talking to anyone but her. Serenity had offered to help her find Coastside and this was an offer that Lorelai was more than happy to accept, seeing as she was a rather trusting person. It didn’t occur to her that such a slight female could be any danger to her.

“I wouldn’t mind disembarking actually,” she said rubbing at her temple again. The atmosphere on the bus was getting to her a little, as there were so many people crammed in all together and the place was still a little chaotic. “I’ve got a bit of a headache and some fresh air might be nice.”

Lorelai began making her way off of the bus and as she did so, she passed the little old woman. She tried to avoid her but was pushed in her direction by someone else that had backed up into her without looking. In the time it took for her to encroach on her space, Lorelai was preparing herself for the impact and yet none came as she fell through her. The sensation made her shiver and having apologised to the spirit, (though it might have seemed to those around her that she was apologising to the man), she quickened her pace. Once off the bus, rubbed at her arms as if the night wind was chilling her, and tried to compose herself; whatever was going on had to have an explantion…she hoped.

[Serenity]

She nodded her head slightly, in a way she was indeed saying that but in another way she was trying to make say to her, one's past, one history, even the history they did not live themselves had to remain, had to be shared... you didn't have to do those things or live through them or return to them even but you had to keep a hold on them and share them with the future as well. Though she had simply nodded, she knew that those of the Western World were not like those of the Eastern World and she knew it better than anyone due to her bloodline.

“Seems like a plan then...” she really did want to get off the Transit more than anything else right now. She made her way very carefully through the crowded bus, pass the old woman who no one was speaking too or acknowledging, or well almost no one. Lorelai had, or perhaps she hadn't and it had been the man... but she wasn't so sure. Once outside she noticed that the old woman had followed them. She was sure she hadn't given any sign to the woman to follow, slowly she turned her eyes towards Lorelai, “Are you alright?” she seemed cold but the weather seemed fine to her. “We can backtrack to my home and get you something warmer to wear.”

Turning she looked around at her surroundings, she was in luck they had made it to Honeydew and she knew this general area rather well, she used to have to take the long walks up to the Estates from here before they had built the Cherrydale Transit. They were pretty close to the Station Net Cafe “It's a bit a way, we're in Cherrydale... there is a Cafe just around the comer. I can buy you something warm to drink on the way to Coastside If you don't want to get something warmer from my place.” if they walked, they could always attempt another transit ride as well, not to say she could try to drive, not that she was very good at it.

The old woman however smiled, she didn't say anything just stood there smiling. Sighing she leaned over, touching the elderly woman's face. She knew it would look weird to Lorelai and anyone else who was watching who didn't know better. “Time to move on...” she whispered in French before absorbing some of the old woman's soul and she disappeared in a glitter of golden sparkles. She always believed that by taken in the energy that kept them tied to the world she was setting them free. She was sure that she wasn't destroying or killing a soul, only freeing it from being trapped.

Without acknowledging the old woman's passing she folded her hands in front of her and smiled at Lorelai and walked down the sidewalk. Sethos popping his head out of the bag she carried him in as she walked away from where the old woman had once stood.

[Serenity]

She wasn't sure if Lorelai would follow her, after all had she not just sent a spirit away. A spirit that only a very few would be able to see... and not one that was based on spirits summoned... true some were able to see a spirit here and there, the ones that she found were more powerful. Still she felt unsure at the moment.

Perhaps the old woman had been one of Lorelai ancestors, she mentally shook her head, no she was sure if that was true she would have been at Lorelai's side and the girl would never had gotten trapped on the bus itself... unless she had upset her ancestors... that would be likely but the old woman had not looked mad or upset in any way.

Sighing softly she turned to look at Lorelai, should she say something about what happened or simply look like a werido about it? The girl had been to a raid, most likely even seen those fangs laying about. She likely knew a bit about things not being what they seemed. Besides had she even looked she would of noticed that not one during the raid had she ever gone to a computer or opened up a laptop or anything. Then again she had made sure no one was around when she did they did move about from time to time and, if she recalled correctly she did the rituals. Nodding her head mentally she made up her mind to tell her the truth about it. Well part of it.

“There was a little old woman, she seemed to be fond of you... she was on the transit but got off... I sent her to her afterlife...” she left out the 'I think part' as she wasn't really 100% sure on it. “They look like normal humans... well not always... a lot of the time. They do give little hints about not being really there. No reflection in glass, or mirrors, no shadows...” then again some vampires didn't either. Herself included on the no reflection or at least she saw a reflection but it was only part of her soul and no one else seemed to see it. “The wind also doesn't touch them nor the rain... and most of the time... to me anyways... they look the way they did when they died...” she turned losing her eyes, "It's better to send them off... the male ones like to watch you shower, or appear in the bath with you... or sometimes in your bed..." she muttered under her breath the last bits in Chinese, she had some awful awful time with the spirits. Still she was trying to learn to cope with them... still it resulted in her screams and freak outs... and of course there were always the ones that seemed to know how to stay out of her reach.