Holiday Ball! [December GM Event]

[Mortll]

[for_peace][/for_peace]
[against_sirens][/against_sirens]
Mortll wore a smile on her face it was far from what was going on inside of her head of course she was pleasant and nice that was something she had long ago used as a wall ... she had once told Doc she could be cold maybe he had believed her maybe not. He probably had cause even his callous *** wouldn't have triggered what might happen if she did loose that last little bit of what was holding her together. Her ability to put up barriers was probably a good thing for the city at the moment.

She had stared out for the bar but had been stopped a few times with comments on what wonderful flowers. She smiled nodded and commented. Her progress stopped in its tracks as she saw Docs approach and he made himself at home there " **** " she stopped looking around she didn't even want to be around him anymore. Then the freaky little Elf with the glasses was announcing the Yule log ... Mortlls eyes narrowed and her hand went over her mouth a silk hanky was fished out of her clutch ... What the elf was saying and doing and what looked like Runes on the log had Mortll heading toward the door. Mortll knew a spell when she saw one and she had no intention of having one land on her. She saw the familiar sway of her favorite gypsy heading outside a bit in front of her ... Of course she wouldn't stick around for that either Mortll thought with a laugh as she caught up to the other woman calling out in her mind to Zodiac ~ Hey Zo wait up ~

[Elizabeth]

Tag: Alaric

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Yes. No. I actually do not know... Elizabeth confessed in return to Alaric's thought towards her, eyes moving towards him, noticing his frown. Careful, the woman you are speaking with is a Siren...and they currently are looking for a way to close the rift. Supposedly. She added in, because it was fair that he know. She would want to know the same, if she were in his position. And there is also a thief, two, or more among us to boot. Something else she would appreciate knowing, if she did not already know, thanks to Doc.

She did not miss where Alaric's eyes had drifted to, all too aware of where Doc was and the people he was mingling with. Did it bother her? She had told him to mingle and he was doing just that. So, no, it did not bother her. But did it bother Alaric? Hadn't she seen him conversing with the woman at the Halloween event and another time before that? Interesting. Her attention shifted from what was going on at the bar, figuring it was Alaric's business, and leaving it at that. Their eyes met again, and all Elizabeth did was lift her shoulders and offer the other elder a smile.

The Yule Log did not interest her either, everyone had secrets, but it was theirs to keep. Everyone had mistakes too, but it was their's to learn from. No inanimate object would solve secrets or mistakes, besides, hadn't she seen something mystical about the log as she passed by? Something close to Runes? Which made her wonder how Bancroft got his hands on such a log and knew about Runes if he were just an ordinary human. There was always more to him than what met the eye and tonight, Elizabeth was certain of it. Walk with me? She suggested, suddenly open to sharing her thoughts about tonight's events with the other elder, not because she was worried about Alaric, but worried about everyone here as a whole.

[Bohan]

“Elves giving away money?” His eyes darted around with interest. All of the expense in it was rather obvious. “Let me guess…” He paused while she stuffed something in his pocket. An arm slid around her shoulder. “You gave it a name didn’t you?” His eyes dropped to fix on her own. She had that kind of heart. Even her plants, those that survived her less than green thumb, were given names. “Clarence?” He took a guess. Wait. That wouldn’t likely be the name. She had an air fern named Clarence. That was the one that lasted the longest. Two years and one trip to summer camp. It succumbed to a bunk mates spilled Ovaltine. Clarence was long gone and she never used the same name twice. “Sorry. I should have remembered.” He pulled her into a hug and his bottom lip disappeared between his teeth with a firm pinch. He still could be the biggest idiot she knew. “Ferdinand?!” He was saving *** now. “I would think there is a snowman out there waiting for that.”

“As long as you don’t try any of your set-ups. I have a few reasons for that we can get into later.” He figured that would leave her curious for the evening and it was his intention. Months were between them and he had yet to fill her in on what wasn’t proper to share over the phone. Once he did he doubted she would be trying to hook him up with anyone again. “The rich can always have more friends and they have more wall space. Excess wall space is great for art. Let’s see what we can do. You see her anywhere?”

While Ainsley went about trying to spot her in the sea of sparkle and glitz he commandeered three brilliant flutes full of high end spirits and prepared to meet the one who had his sister’s eye.

[Game Master]

R O L E P L A Y + P R O M P T + ! ! !

It seems those crazy elves are at it again!

Of course with the hustle and bustle of activity, and with so many big faces in the crowd, it's easy enough to miss even the vibrant, near glimmering coloring of the helpers in their costumes. The bells are the only real give away, and even those are easy enough to ignore with the beautiful play of music from the string quartet and all of the conversations ongoing.

In their arms, they carry wooden boxes with red handles, which read 'toymaker's tools', though closer inspection will reveal that each box is filled with adjustable skating blades, and they are on their way outside - past the courtyard, and past the gate. They travel past the fenced in circle where the free reindeer rides are being given, and out to the man-made pond which has frozen over still and flat.

Rather than announce this new feature, the ice skating, it seems they have decided to let people discover it on their own! Though before they are 'open for business', they set up some flood lights on stands, which are operated by independent batteries, so that the ice itself is illuminated enough so as not to be dangerous.

[The Yule Log will only be active for two more rounds! Those who have posted since the last prompt will receive 2000 RPP per post they made. Information requested per Mordechai's use of appraisal will be sent shortly. If I missed anything, let me know! <3]

[Amalea]

[for_peace][/for_peace].[for_sirens][/for_sirens]

Tagged: (spoken) Azraeth, Every
(telepathy) Azraeth, Doc, Every
(mentioned) Ayuka, Elizabeth, Mordechai

Every’s description of Harper Rock six years ago had been spot on. She was well aware vampires had been more in the closet so to speak back then which had made her position of knowing they existed, even if she worked with them to preserve their masquerade, precarious. That the woman had been forced to take her classes online seemed to be common among the nightwalkers for more than just the obvious reasons. She had been fascinated by the woman’s discussion of her major and career path. It had been interesting; she’d have to ask her about it more sometime.

Her eyes danced across the room as she silently sought out those she knew. Doc and Elizabeth were still by one of the bars having some sort of discussion if she was correct. As nothing was going completely haywire, aside from the sound system, she was left to assume it was a pleasant conversation. Perhaps the English woman was attempting to talk him into mingling with the rest of the guests; Goddess knew it’d be the perfect time to at least get his name out there in advance of the elections if nothing else. If Liz couldn’t convince him, she’d take a shot at it later.

The screech of that inferno megaphone caused the red-head to glare in the direction of that elf. Her allergy-induced headache was bad enough without the added pain of the high pitched noise. A mental promise was made to herself that if she heard it one more time that elf might find the device shoved in a very uncomfortable place. Granted it wasn’t likely his fault that the sound system wasn’t working, but shouldn’t someone be working on figuring that one out? A tap on a wine glass to get attention would be far preferable if the system was to be down the entire night.

The announced reindeer rides held no interest for the woman. She couldn’t ride a horse so attempting to ride a reindeer, even in such a controlled environment, was out of the question. The stream of guests heading for the door shortly after the speech was also a deterrent. There was no desire to go stand in a line outdoors that might take an hour or two to get through. No, if she was going to venture outside, it would be to build a snowman; if she got the chance, she was going to do so. It had been far too long since she had had the opportunity. The frozen feet she’d end up with would be worth it.

The message from Doc had caught her off-guard. Did mayors that threw these types of balls typically attend the entire thing or did a singular appearance usually suffice? Having no experience in this arena, she had no idea; perhaps she’d make an inquiry of Ayuka if the woman rejoined her. The Asian seemed like the type that would know. She, herself, had only expected the man to make a brief appearance and perhaps a statement before disappearing so hadn’t been too concerned on his current absence. More telling, in her opinion, was the lack of presence from his staff overseeing the event. There was no way these elves were in charge if they couldn’t even do something about the stereo system. Never mind that there didn’t seem to be anyone mingling to get the pulse of the party so things could be adjusted on the fly. Noted. Seems more suspicious none of his staff seems to be on hand as I doubt these elves are in charge.

The continuation of the conversation after a pause had been unexpected both in timing and content. Idly, she had to wonder how that question had even come to mind. Had Liz said something that made him question or had he stuck his foot in his mouth in regards to a comment of hers? Her eyes scanned the crowd again, noting that the couple had broken apart with Elizabeth joining one group and Doc was now at a different bar from the original at which she had spotted them. Her eyes narrowed for a moment. Better a boyfriend than a boytoy. It was part in jest and part serious. Boyfriend would be infinitely better than being considered the woman’s boytoy and she really hoped he knew what it meant as she didn’t want to have to explain. Man friend, I guess, would be accurate, but you’re correct it sounds horrible. Significant other is also correct, but since you don’t like that… uh, how about suitor? Frankly, she thought that one sounded dated, but he had asked for options. I supposed there’s ‘bae’ but that’s a little too hipster and desperate for you. How about ‘beau’ or ‘paramour’? She’d happily admit she’d broken out the thesaurus for this. But in all honesty, you and Liz need to find a term that works for both of you. Together.

Her eyes continued their journey falling on the small group that contained her new acquaintance as well as the recent addition of Elizabeth, who seemed to be having back. Ayuka seemed to be doing well in the group from where the blood thief stood. She had recognized Alaric earlier and she had to admit she had no idea who the woman was, but the other man seemed familiar. It took her a couple seconds to place where she had seen him before; the camping trip soon popped into her mind. Jude, she thought he had said his name was though she was terrible with names and had met a handful of new people that day so it was likely that she was completely wrong. She had to admit Ayuka seemed to be in her element which was to be expected for a public relations representative for a fairly large company. Honestly, she missed the woman’s company even though she’d only been gone a short while.

Her thoughts were brought back to her brother as he spoke into mind. It took everything in her power not to burst out laughing at his reply to her playful comment about rings. She should have known he was a Tolkien fan. Despite his jest about the One Ring, she could tell he was serious about his intent. She was pleased he had found someone which was a greater incentive to get to know her fellow human. She couldn’t help but have a bit of fun with him in return. The One Ring, huh? Wouldn’t that be a collar in today’s society? A perfectly innocent look was kept on her face as she waited about twenty seconds before continuing. Seriously, though. He seems like a great guy and I can’t deny he makes you happy. You’re quite the pair.

It wasn’t overly surprising that he had taken her dissertation of her pseudo relationship with Ayuka in stride. After all, he knew first hand that she wasn’t about to go down without a fight if things went south. She was also fairly certain that he had picked up on how careful she intended to be in light of the potential danger. That she was human was certainly likely a point in her favor with the siren; she wasn’t competition for humans nor was she, at face value, posing a threat to the city. She could understand the siren’s dislike of vampires for that reason; she didn’t like the idea of the two groups at odds but she could understand both sides. She supposed it was quite like how she could see both sides of the human-vampire divide; she wasn’t truly a member of any group.

A soft sigh escaped her lips at the thought as she felt that arm snake around her; she was more than happy to oblige the man. A good hug was never amiss; it was a warm, comfortable feeling to be securely snuggled in to the dragon. ”I will,” she commented softly to the pair after Every added her own comment; though she had to concur that there were enough of them present to deal with an issue if it arose. ”How tonight goes will likely dictate what occurs next, honestly. I have to admit I’m curious as to why she sought me out first despite there being ‘higher class’ society members present. She gave him a small smile, ”I won’t go anywhere private until I know her better if things get that far.” It was a promise she had every intention of keeping even if she had a suspicion she would be safe with Ayuka anywhere. Fate was a ***** not to be tempted. Besides, she wasn’t going to worry her brother or any others unnecessarily. She cared too much for each of them to do so.

Quietly, she thanked the elf for the stocking she was handed. Perhaps she should have brought a bag with her after all with all the treats and goodies being handed out. She’d save it for later to go through as Azraeth’s dissembling of his gave her a view into what to expect. Chocolate was a wonderful addition to the stockings that she’d be sure to savor later; though now she was curious what had been in the vampire-specific stocking. She’d have to ask Doc or Elizabeth later, assuming one of them had grabbed one.

The question caught the red-head off guard. She had forgotten that Christmas Day was only a couple hours away. ****. Had she gotten gifts for everyone? Her staff was done; their gifts had been given at the party a few nights ago and bonuses were scheduled to go out in their next check. But the others? She wasn’t sure now; her mind was drawing a blank. She could recall going over gift ideas for Doc with Elizabeth several weeks ago, but that was the extent of it. A stop home after the party before she went shopping would have to be in order; she was not going to be caught without gifts! In truth, she wasn’t surprised to have forgotten. She knew it was Christmas time; it was hard to miss, of course, but it had always been just another day to her. Her mother had made certain of that before the red-head had moved out and after she’d come to Harper Rock, she had always just worked at the Necropolis each holiday. This was new to her; it was different. It was another first, she supposed; a semi-proper Christmas celebration. Or as it had been put at the Thanksgiving-disaster, a new tradition all their own. She could work with that as anything new was certainly preferable to what she knew of holidays. It’d also help the fact she really didn’t know much about the usual traditions.

”Quiet sounds wonderful after the extravagance and gathered masses this evening, honestly. I think we have the same planned though I have to admit to being fuzzy on the details.” She was sure something was planned; she’d have to check with Elizabeth later to see what was what, but knew there was no way that the holiday was left to chance with the English woman involved. Thanksgiving had been a testament to that, though she knew there would be no opportunity for a repeat of that disaster this time. ”I’m not quite sure why Bancroft thought it’d be ideal to hold a ball on the eve of the holiday, but to each their own. Certainly the timing could have been better; the gifts gathered tonight would have to be hurriedly sorted and distributed in time for tomorrow unless they were just intended that each child would just pick one. It was an option, but a poor one in her opinion. Wasn’t it better to attempt to tailor the gift to the child? More time would have been ideal for such a scenario.

The announcement of the lighting of a ‘Yule log’ confused the red-head. Wasn’t a yule log supposed to be a rolled cake decorated like a log? What were they going to do? Bring out a large log cake and flambé it? Her eyes sought out the announcer elf whom she was surprised to find at the fireplace with a rather large log that he was talking to and pouring something on. What the hell? Perhaps the elf had had too much eggnog. Who the hell wanted to talk to a log? Especially in this crowded arena where one could be overheard; she wouldn’t put it past the press to publish any such confessions or secrets that they happened to stumble upon. If she was going to do any unburdening, it would be to a well-paid, very discreet psychologist; not a log. If it wouldn’t have landed her in the emergency room, she would have been inclined to take as many of the roses as she could and toss them in; but she had learnt the hard way that was a rather bad idea years and years ago. No, she was stuck with those inferno blooms all around her. Just wonderful; she didn’t want to have to add Christmas as yet another holiday she had to stay away from public areas.

As if she felt the eyes fall upon her, she looked up in time to notice the giant killer glancing in her direction. She hadn’t even known he was in attendance not having heard whisper of his arrival as she would have expected. Though, she had to admit it wasn’t likely that he had entered through the main doors; attention wasn’t really his style from what she knew of him. He was more of a low-key kind of guy even if his stature didn’t lend itself well to that venture. It seemed to be her night for looks as she caught the smirk Elizabeth was tossing her way, though she suspected that was more in regards to the thought that had been brewing in her mind since their return from Las Vegas. She’d have to catch up with the elder later to see what was new. She was sure it would be a most interesting conversation as most of theirs had been as of late.

She smirked lightly as Every’s message slid into her mind. She totally concurred with the woman’s thoughts and she had a few tricks up her sleeves as well. As she waited for Azraeth to start his explanation, she replied to the woman. She knew a bit of the couple’s history, but Az was a great storyteller so she was sure this was going to be a treat and a half. Hopefully, she’d be able to make it through the impromptu storytime before she needed to duck out. She also needed to find a way to disappear for 10-15 minutes and not be missed. That would take some thought, though she supposed the old standby of ‘there was a line for the ladies room’ was an option. She just really wanted to get her hands on those meds before she ended up with red raccoon eyes. That was definitely not an ‘in’ look this season. ******* roses.

[Flynn]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Tagged: (mentioned) Azraeth, Mordechai; (spoken) Tiamat

Choosing to cut back through the crowd was possibly the worst idea Flynn had ever had. First of all, it meant that he was once again dealing with too many faces, too many bodies within close quarters. He wasn't a particularly tactile person to begin with, preferring to keep his personal space...well, personal. Azraeth being the one and only exception to that rule, because he had made a habit of breaking it since day one. For that reason, the vampire had gone so far as to refer to himself as the Paladin's personal bubble. Which, in hindsight, probably worked out for the best. A...minor incident in the previous weeks had demonstrated fairly well the reactive nature of his clingy boyfriend when it came to others getting just a little too close. At least, when he was nearby, others were more likely to keep their distance. And second, he honestly had lost Tia, and was essentially relying on hope alone that he came across her.

Regardless, he had already started in on his attempt to catch up with Tia, and the effort wasn't about to be wasted. More than once he would be forced to weave around the festive helpers as they seemed to scurry from place to place, doing their best to keep up with the room and the expectations that were no no doubt placed on them by the man of the hour...who seemed less and less likely to show as time passed. Not that Flynn had any particular care to meet with the mayor, but this was supposed to be his event, after all. They were putting in some work. Flynn could only hope that they were getting paid nicely for their efforts, especially on Christmas Eve, of all nights.

Thankfully, he wasn't wandering throughout the crowd for long before he finally spotted the woman he had been searching for. She was situated near the outskirts of the group, scanning the crowd with the concentration of an artist on the minor details of their latest work. It was a rather serious expression for someone meant to be enjoying a party. Of course, Flynn didn't know her to any great extent. For all he knew, that was simply a part of her personality. Whatever the case may be, he finally broke free of the crowd with a sigh of relief, glancing over his shoulder as the mass of bodies seemed to immediately close the gap he had vacated from. The Paladin shuddered, quickly moving further away to station himself at Tiamat's side. "For a woman at a party, you look far too serious." The words passed his lips with a small smile, an attempt to be clear that he was joking. Even if he really thought she did look far too serious.

Taking the pouch she had given him from his pocket, he gave it a little toss into the air, only for it to drop back down into his palm. Curious, green eyes turned to the woman at his side. "I won't try and give it back, if you think that's why I'm here. I'm not the type to question the...gifts...of others," he commented, his head tipping to the side. If someone felt it necessary to give him something rather generous, he knew it would be a pointless endeavor to try and deny taking it. One vampire in particular was notorious for extravagant gifting, and it would appear that Tia was much the same. "You know it's unnecessary, though, right? I didn't ask for payment for a reason. I have no need for them, and I certainly lack the skill in crafting a damn thing from them. I would rather they go to good use, and you are more than capable. That's really all I need to know." At that point, he pocketed the pouch once more. "Thank you, but in regards to our future business...you keep the coins, and maybe, I ask for an IOU, someday. Purely weapons related, of course. "

A hand slipped out, palm up. An offering. "Fair?" As he waited for her to either accept or reject the negotiation, he smirked. "And, maybe you can tell me just why it is that you do seem so interested in the crowd? People watching, or something a little a more devious?" Towards the end of his question, his attention shifted to scan the room much the way that he had seen her do, landing on the giant of a vampire he had met only recently. The one that seemed to trust Flynn about as much as he would trust a con artist. Which was to say, not at all. Maybe he would venture that way, see if he could remedy that impression, or...maybe not. It seemed a it like poking a bear with a stick.

[Doc]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

The thought from Amalea caused him to smirk. She suggested the term ‘suitor’, that one had merit. Then she mentioned the word Bae. Bae? **** no. sounded like a word a toddler would say because they couldn’t say ‘Babe’ or ‘Baby’. Hipster? It wasn’t hipster, it was lazy. Paramour? That one did not fill him with confidence either. However, Beau. That one also had a formal, and respectful air to it. Doc sent Amalea back a telepathic reply, ~Suitor or Beau. Thanks Kid. I like both of those. I will do as you suggest and get Lizzie’s view on them.~

Since he had been speaking to Ari, she may have thought the smirk he wore because of Amalea’s ‘Bae being a desperate word for him to use’, was really about her ‘apology’ comment. He did admit he felt a sense of cynical humor as her apology comment. But he did not express an opinion. He knew her struggle was real, and her coming here, to this event, was startling. Startling enough to make him feel a twinge of guilt. A twinge that he immediately shut down, and shoved into a dark pit, as he received a telepathic thought from Lizzie.

The thought, told him that at least the Mayor wasn’t hurt and bleeding somewhere in the mansion, as best she could tell. However, the Mayor could be dead. On ice. A victim of the Siren? But that would be too bold. Too noticeable, even if the Sirens were about to stage a coup to unbalance the power of the Vampires. The absence of the Mayor was noticed, and not just by him. By others as well. However, he needed to move and act as if nothing were untoward.

So, as Ariadne glanced at the Yule Log and made her suggestion, he also turned to look at it. “If that is your wish, by all means, Let us go forth.” He gestured toward the direction fireplace and the tossed back the rest of his bourbon, and set the empty high ball tumbler on bar top. He then fell into step beside her. With the Elves up to some other activity now, the Yule Log had an opening as the crowd drifted off to see what the Elves were doing now.

As he and Ariadne stood before the Yule Log, they didn’t say much. Perhaps she was lost in her thoughts as much as he was lost in his. His thoughts included some interesting thoughts from Zodiac. She madea good case. A case that needed testing, in a few moments. Doc turned to look at Ari, “May you have good health, wealth and productivity in the year ahead.” It was the traditional greeting he had heard all his life at this time of year, said in rote, because it was expected. However, for Ari, he meant the words. If anyone deserved a good year, it was Ari. He leaned toward as though he were going to kiss her cheek, and then paused, saying instead in a lowered voice, “I’m going to go have a smoke.”

Giving her a polite smile, he headed toward the front door, to join Zodiac on the porch for a cigarette. As he reached the door, he had already fetched the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and was tapping one out. He then led it to his lips while fishing for his lighter. The cigarette held in his lips, the pack tucked away and the lighter coming to life, as he strode out the front door to smoke. He moved across the veranda at the entrance of the mansion to join Zodiac. He leaned against one the columns, as he took a drag. “Good crowd this evening..” the typical unnecessary party speak one might say to a stranger at a party.

[Kaelyn]

Cider was definitely not what she wanted. Cider was not going to calm nerves. But she didn’t get a chance to request something different, seeing as a cork had flew right past Ari and hit Kaelyn directly in the shoulder. Looking past Ari, she tried to see where this had come from. Some boy was holding a freshly opened bottle, fizzy stuff coming from the top. He was the one with the poor aim. Just as she was being handed a glass of cider, Doc was making his way towards them. Awkward and probably a painful situation. However, not something she wanted to interfere in. This was something she had been told not to interfere in many times. With a quick peck to Doc’s cheek and a smile, she slid past the two, spoke into Ari’s mind ‘I’ll leave you two be, but I’ll be around all night if you want company.’ and headed over to the guy who had ‘shot’ her with a cork.

The blonde held the cork out to the guy behind the bar. “I believe this belongs to you.” Her lips were pursed a bit, more in annoyance than anything. This was a brand new dress, one Ari had picked out for her. Like hell if she was going to have it ruined by someone who didn’t know how to handle a bottle of champagne. Weren’t people who worked these things supposed to be like experts at that anyway? “You should probably be more careful. Lots of breakables around here, expensive fabrics, important people.” Kaelyn couldn’t help but smile a bit to herself. If it had hit anyone else, it may have been a bit funnier.

Eyes followed Ari and Doc as they made their way away from the bar and towards the Yule Log. Her thoughts once again reached out, this time to Doc ‘Hope everything is well. Love you and hope to see you after the ball sometime soon.’ Her focus then turned back on the guy she had been speaking to a moment ago.

[Noelle]

Noelle just smirked at his comment...his argument about her compliment of sorts. “Well guess what. Fighting for yourself keeps you around, which keeps you here for me, so it’s still an amazing quality to have.” A quick kiss was pushed to his cheek and then her hand slid down to find his and lace her fingers with his. She started to weave in and out of the people, trying to make her way towards the door that lead out back to where the reindeer rides were happening.

Once through the doors, she took in a deep breath of the cold air around them. It was much better than the room inside that was quickly filling with the smells from the Yule Log. Between the smell from that, all of the bodies packed together and the sounds of voices all around, it was quite overwhelming. She had never done well with large crowds, typically staying to the shadows and as far out of sight as possible. This bit of fresh air would do them both some good.

[Ariadne]

The Yule Log cast a warm glow as she stood, lost in thought for a moment as she tried to place the runes carved in the log. She couldn't place any of them, but she tried to commit them to memory before they were consumed by the flames. It was nice, this moment with Doc. The two of them quietly standing and lost in thought. It reminded her of the long nights they had spent in the tree, before everything had gotten complicated. Those memories caused some hardened resentments to melt away, which was fitting given Doc's well wishes. She found herself agreeing with his seasonal greeting.

Before she knew it, Doc's face was near hers and he mentioned something about going out for a smoke. Everything felt like it had happened in the blink of an eye, but she nodded as he left. "I wish only the best for you, Doc. And please, remember that you are welcome to visit at any time. I would be pleased to see you again." The emotions that he'd been giving off were oddly complicated and tactile, swirling around her felf arm and hand like a glove. Ari returned to staring at the fire and sipping her drink as Kaelyn's message popped into her head, possibly a little late. Kaelyn had always been rooting for the two of them, but she was afraid that the time for all of that was past. Now was not the time for that conversation though.

Now, just the fire was enough.