Path of the Vampire forum

<Raven Talius> [t] I don't know if you can read this, but I'm going to be gone for a long while... Especially if I have it my way. Don't come looking.

<Clover/Jesse> [t] No. Stay just long enough to have a chat. And then you can do what the **** you want. Where are you?

<Raven Talius> [t] Clover? That doesn't sound like you. I'm around, just not around in Limbo.

<Clover/Jesse> [t] Yeah. Where are you?

<Raven Talius> [t] I don't feel like talking. I'm irritated.

<Clover/Jesse> [t] Please?

<Raven Talius> [t] Near QZ where I normally am.

<Clover/Jesse> [t] Okay. It's not Clover. It's Jesse. Clover's with me, though, and I know she wouldn't want you to disappear. So this is my last effort to make things right. Please, tell me where you are so we can come and talk to you?

<Raven Talius> [t] I'm outside the QZ barrier.


‹Jesse Fforde› As soon as Raven replied, Jesse headed toward the Quarantine Zone. It was a large area, and the perimeter of it could take a while to traverse. Really, telling them that she was outside the QZ barrier wasn’t much to go on. Jesse sighed, ignoring any other messages coming through on Clover’s phone in favour of talking to Raven first. He paused for a second, considering, before replying.

[t] There’s an abandoned shop on the Western edge. Next to Sanctuary apartments. Meet us there?

The girl had said she didn’t feel like talking, and this could all be a waste of time. She could choose to walk away if she wanted to. She could choose not to meet them. Although it would be easy to summon her (maybe), or track her down, Jesse would prefer if she came of her own volition. After he sent the message, he kept hold of Clover’s phone even as he wound his arm around her waist, pushing a kiss against her temple. He picked up the pace – it wouldn’t take long to get to the abandoned shop. “I’m going to try one last time…” he said, even though he was unsure if Clover even had any idea about what was going on.


<Raven Talius> A sigh caressed her lips as her phone vibrated in her pocket and she checked it to see another message from Jesse. “Bloody Jesse,” she mumbled under her breath and pocketed her phone again. Silently, she began to make her way over to the shop, less than inclined to go. She didn’t understand why he was making such a bloody fuss over this. It was between her and Doc. No one else. She was a loner and that was all there was to it. A handful of steps brought her to the front of the shop and she open the door with her left hand. The woman pushed in through the door and let it closed behind her as her steps echoed upon the tiled floor. Why did he choose here? She wondered before she made her slow way over to a corner and situated her back against it.

She was tired and she highly doubted that there was anything Jesse could say that would change her mind. However, it was for the sake of Clover once again, that she even bothered to show up at all.


<Clover> They went from sitting next to one another to traversing the streets. Clover assumed their change in scenery, and their change of pace, had something to do with the text messages coming through on her phone. Raven. Yes, Raven had been texting. The words had been a jumbled mess, all of the letters looking as if they were only the beginnings of a brand new language. The atmosphere at the party had taken a nosedive, and Raven had walked away, yet again. The girl was always quick to walk away. Clover wondered if she and Jesse were chasing her childe; she hoped that they were chasing her childe. Despite Raven’s sassiness, and her all-around attitude, the woman had something. Why else would Clover have sired Raven? That was the million-dollar question.

“To,” Clo struggled. That was close enough to what she’d heard, and she didn’t try for more. She’d been reduced to a lower level, at least when it came to language. When they reached the shop, Clover opened the door--chivalry wasn’t dead--and looked around the abandoned shop. Spotting Raven wasn’t too difficult. Clover just lifted a hand to wave at the woman.


‹Jesse Fforde› Jesse frowned at Clover, and didn’t attempt any kind of conversation on the way to the abandoned shop. He’d wanted Clover to be there to act as a kind of balm, a witness. Maybe he and Raven could have a proper conversation with Clover present, one that didn’t devolve into argument. She had beat the two of them there, Jesse noticed. Clover had opened the door and he had relinquished his hold on her, shifting away from her once they were indoors. It was a tactic. They were not a united front. He didn’t want Raven defensive before they’d even started.

“I think we should try to just… start fresh, yeah?” he asked. Too much had happened, too many arguments. They hung there like yesterday’s bad news, colouring everything in a negative way. Jesse had thought that he would stop trying. When people walked away, he’d told himself he’d let them. If they gave up on him, then he could just as easily give up on them.

“Just let it all out. Every problem you have. Why did you walk away tonight? Why do you keep telling Clover not to come looking for you?”


<Raven Talius> Another sigh caressed her lips and her brown hues spied Clover and Jesse who walked through the door. Raven lifted her only hand to return the wave to the two before she slid her hand into the pocket of her leather coat, a coat she wore for appearances sake. Her gaze watched Jesse for a moment and she listened to his words. Why the hell would he want to know? It was then that she knew that she was too tired to argue and a shake of her head was given. “I walked away because I’m tired of fighting with you Jesse, because every time I seem to make a decision you’re there saying no. Clover already thinks that I’m a liar after I told her what happened and I don’t know why you seem hell bent on me not meeting up with Doc later.”

Raven shook her head as she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. “You and him have no business being in mine and his business. He is willing to give me what I need in spades. I need pain Jesse and you just don’t seem to get that, always making everything personal and about what you want.” The words continued to pour from her lips as if she just had to tell him. “Ever since the first night that I had almost died, everything has been grey until pain came my way and then the world came alive around me.” She paused so then Jesse could let that sink in before she spoke once more.

“I don’t want Clover to come looking for me, because one day I will be killed and it will be my fault. I can’t trust that any of you will handle the situation properly and I can’t trust that when I do need it, that you guys will be there. I can’t trust anyone especially since my twin destroyed that for me. I try to keep family distant because I don’t know how to act as a family and because I don’t want the past to repeat. Everything is just a ******* mess.” The woman shrugged off of the wall and began to pace, her single hand came up to tug through her red and black locks in frustration. “All I want, all I need is pain and Doc can provide that for me. Why can’t you see that? Clover doesn’t have to do a damn thing with me and you can have her full attention. I just need you and the family to stay out of it.” She stopped in her tracks then as she exhaled before she looked back to Jesse. “Just stay out of it.”


<Clover> Clover didn’t need enhanced empathy to get the general feel of the conversation. There was some level of exhaustion, or maybe a touch of resignation. Clo did all she could to read body language, an alternative to deciphering Raven’s jumbled words. She understood her name. She understood small words. What she grasped couldn’t make the picture whole. When Raven closed her eyes, Clover raised her hands and massaged her temples. The open wound on her head still ached, especially when she tried to concentrate too hard, when she was overwhelmed. Raven was saying something important, and Clo didn’t have the mental capacity to understand.

What if Raven was leaving the city? What if Raven decided to kill herself? What if. There were so many scenarios that the dull ache transformed into a steady cadence of throbs. Raven couldn’t leave them. Raven was leaving them. Clover failed as a sire. Again. “Nn,” she tried and failed. Frustrated, she just clenched her fists at her side and watched. She waited. She tried to glean something more from Raven’s behaviors, but there was nothing more. They were both upset. Raven was frustrated. And Jesse was the one left to try and reassemble the pieces, while Clover waited for her wound to mend itself, while Clover felt sorry for herself.

Kaelyn used hugs, and that’s what Clo tried. She didn’t wait to get permission; she didn’t move with hesitation. Clover moved forward and closed her arms around Raven. Please don’t leave me, the hug communicated. Or maybe it communicated the need for patience, some sort of last-ditch effort to stop time and put everything on hold. It was a hug. Clover hadn’t mastered them, so she didn’t know the extent of its powers.


‹Jesse Fforde› Jesse listened – he had calmed down, somewhat, and could now listen with a level of patience. He was prepared for an argument, and had not expected Raven to actually lay everything out on the table for him to examine. The words curled around in his head, his tongue pulling at his bottom lip while he thought of a response. It needed to be a good one; it needed to be a reasonable one. He needed to make his words help Raven to understand why he acted the way he did – and that sometimes, he acted tempestuously. Just like everyone else, he was prone to mistakes.

The sound of Clover’s voice caught Jesse’s attention before he could say anything. Her reaction reminded him that he wasn’t doing this for himself, he was doing it for her. It was his fault that she couldn’t form words right now, that she couldn’t contribute anything more than a hug. And he knew how adverse Clover was to hugs; he knew that it meant a lot. That she was trying, in her own way, to communicate her wants and needs. Jesse nodded.

“I understand how it seems that way,” he started. Yes, he could see how his reactions to Raven might appear selfish. “I also know what it’s like to have one’s trust stomped all over. My own sire tried to make me choose between two things I deeply cared about, and when I chose wrongly, she cut me out of her life completely. Maybe it was the wrong choice, in the end – I chose to give my trust and loyalty to two people who eventually did the same thing. Everything that I did wrong eviscerated every good that I’d ever done. Eventually I realised they didn’t want friends or family, they wanted serfs. When I left them, they reacted in such a way that I would never think of returning. It’s why I’m here, head of my own bloodline, and relying on no one else but myself,” he said, slowly.

‹Jesse Fforde› “Doc… is part of that faction that I left. I’m sorry for denying you what you need, Raven. I was wrong to do so, and I’m willing to take it back. I take it back. We can give you what you need. If Doc touched you, I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from hitting him. No one harms my family and gets away with it. I know that faction – I know what they would do. They’d know I attacked Doc with malicious intent and they would come after me. And then there’s Ursula, there are the others who wouldn’t let that happen, they’d get involved. They’d die too. I wasn’t denying you anything for my own gain. I was doing it because I could see what the consequence could be for the family. Yes, sometimes I act selfishly, especially when it comes to Clover. I’m sorry for that. But most of the time, I don’t do **** for myself. Everything I do, I think of the family first.”


<Raven Talius> Raven had been surprised by the hug and she honestly didn’t know what to do in response. It was strange to say in the least that her sire had given her such a hug. In fact, she had thought that Clover didn’t exactly want her around especially after Clover had thought that Raven had lied. It was a reaction that she didn’t know how to handle and slowly her only hand came up to wrap around the woman in her own hug. A tired hug, but one non-the-less. She had stayed away from Limbo for days now and her arm was slowly growing back but it still had four days to go. Well, that was what she estimated given the amount of time it had already taken to heal.

Jesse spoke then and she lifted her gaze to view the man and a shake of her head was given. “Then don’t get involved if Doc does lay a hand upon me. Besides, it was my error on my behalf and he has every right to do so. He wants his pound of flesh, then he can take it. I took it upon myself to step in and defend my sire. I also challenged him, so therefore it is my business and not yours. If I am injured in the process, then so be it.” Her arm tightened around Clover as a sigh caressed her lips. The comfort of her sire seemed to work somewhat, but she knew that there were many things left unsaid between Clover and Raven.

“The family shouldn’t get involved because of what I did and said. It’s my own problem and I want to deal with it on my terms, Jesse. Doc may be from a faction that you used to be in, but you severed that tie so there is no need for you to step in on my behalf regardless. Don’t get involved, let me handle it as I see fit.” A pause followed her words then as she lifted her gaze to look to Jesse. Raven wanted nothing more than for him to stay out of it. “Look Jesse, I haven’t felt like I am a part of your family from the beginning. So I don’t know why, other than for Clover’s sake, that you would go out of your way to protect me. I want this and I don’t see why the family needs to get involved when it’s my problem and my problem alone.”

Her lips pressed thinly then and deep down, she knew that she had been grasping for something to do outside the family. To be able to keep her mind off of what wasn’t really accomplish-able in the family that she was apparently a part of. “I’m will not trust Doc, not at all. Truthfully, because for some reason I cannot lie, I don’t know what will happen if I do meet up with him. Death and severe injury is a likelihood, but it’s something I want for myself. It will help distract me from everything I cannot accomplish here in your family. I say your family, because it doesn’t feel like I’m a part of your family. I’ve been the outsider ever since I turned and I’ve felt like that ever since.”

A shake of her head was given then. “If it will put your minds at ease, I will stay at Limbo, but I also want to meet Doc on my own terms with the guarantee that you will stay out of it, Jesse. If he hurts me, which face it, is a likelihood, then I want to trust that you won’t retaliate because it is what I want.” She felt that she was missing something, an explanation of sorts, but for now, she couldn’t for the life of her, figure out what it was.


<Clover> There were plenty of things she could have said, or she should have said. She would have told Raven to stop, to shut up, to find some alternative way of getting kicks. Clover would have offered anything and everything. Maybe because it was Doc, since Clover didn’t like Doc; in fact, Clover would have had a lot to say about Doc. Her misunderstandings and mutism saved the three of them, honestly. Clo would have lost her temper and accused Raven of wanting to be Doc’s childe instead, and in jealousy, Clo probably would have cast Raven off. As it was, Clo thought that Jesse and the head injury factored into the problems. Clo thought that Doc might have played a lesser role. There were little blessings in disguise.

The hug itself was no different than any other hug. There were no fireworks or dramatic music to fill the background or to form some backdrop. Clo held onto the hug until she couldn’t deal with the closeness anymore. The hug had served its purpose. Without speech, she could only communicate with gestures, and she hoped Raven understood the hug’s meaning. Clover wanted more time to heal herself, time to redeem herself, time to talk to Raven, time to reason with Raven--there was so much to do, and the wound had days to go. As it was, Raven would probably have her arm back before the hole in Clover’s head mended itself.

“Want,” Clover agreed, picking a random word from amongst the mess. The word came out in a rush, as if she were unsure of what she was saying and just wanted to get something, anything, out there. “Then.” Did those words even make any sense together? Clo stood in front of Raven and patted the woman’s cheek. “Clover.” Yes, that was perfect. That was a full sentence. Wasn’t it? “That. This.”

Repetition was the beginning, and she recognized the landmark. To her, she made sense. She wanted Raven to stay. She wanted Raven to stay with them and be okay with them. Clover wanted to tell Raven to forget about the past and just be happy with what they had. Instead, Clo strung together random words.


‹Jesse Fforde› There was plenty that Jesse could have said in regards to Raven not feeling like part of the family. That was not their fault, but hers. She’d been full of attitude since the beginning. How was she supposed to feel welcome, how was anyone supposed to want to make her feel welcome, if she spoke to them the way she’d spoken to Kaelyn earlier? Every time she’d been around the family, she’d made it clear she’d prefer to be anywhere else. Jesse bit back the response, however. He let it slide. He could be patient, and Raven had agreed to stay. So long as she stayed, the rest could be figured out in time.

“I don’t expect anyone to feel like they’re part of the family straight away. ‘Family’ implies closeness and trust. We’re a bunch of strangers; I don’t expect people to pledge absolute trust and loyalty upon a first meeting, though I do expect them to try. To at least get to know everyone before giving up on them completely,” he said. She hadn’t yet responded to the fact that he’d offered her what she needed. In regards to the current situation, it was probably too late.

“I’ve been vampire for four years. Doc has been around longer, I think – or just as long – and well trained. You are barely two months old, if that. I admire your tenacity, I admire your willingness to face the consequences, and I admire you all the more for having Clover’s back. I have reservations about allowing you this because he will slaughter you. Clearly, you care about Clover. Think about what it will do to her – how she will react,” he said. He wasn’t saying no – he was merely asking Raven to think about it. To think about how her actions affect others.

“However – if I give you this, if I let you do this, can you promise to try? For Clover’s sake. Clean slate between you and I. Come back to Limbo – talk more. You don’t have to give your trust immediately, but can you at least give the family a chance rather than assuming we’re all going to toss you into the gutter the first chance we get?” He moved closer to Clover, now – he didn’t quite understand what she was trying to say, but he understood the sentiment. She didn’t want Raven to go anywhere. She didn’t want Raven to die. He laid a hand on Clover’s shoulder, giving a slight squeeze – to reassure her that he was trying.


<Raven Talius> Clover had pulled away before she spoke broken words and Raven frowned as she tried to decipher them. She felt Clover pat her cheek then and it was then that she felt lost with the communication between them. What exactly was she trying to say? That Clover would be happy if Raven did stay at Limbo? Raven had already figured that, but she felt that the woman was also trying to say something else, something that just wasn’t quite whole in nature. A sigh caressed her lips and she lifted her single hand to tug through her locks once again. Did Clover really care about her that much? As much as she seemed to be trying to convey, most of the translation was lost in the process, but she hoped that she had translated most of it correctly.

Her gaze moved to Jesse and watched him approach to put a hand upon Clover’s shoulder. A sigh parted her lips and for once, she realised that Clover worried about her. Raven who had never known anyone to worry about her before. It was strange and she honestly didn’t know what to say for quite some time. Clover had become what could only be described as a mother in a way. She cared and was someone who worried about her safety. Clover had even gone into what could only be described as hysterics when she had accidentally cut off Raven’s right arm. Strange indeed and her gaze looked to the door. Doc would more than likely kill her, it was most likely a certain outcome. However, she never backed down from promises and she most certainly did not back down from the challenges that she made on her own free will.

“It will be ok Clover, honestly, everything will be fine now.” She said softly before she looked back to Jesse and nodded her head. “I promise that I will return to Limbo and I promise to try to give it all a chance.” She bit down upon her lip as she searched the man’s face looking for a lie within his eyes. “I also promise that between you and me, there will be a clean slate. However, this is all provided that you give me this chance to sort this thing out with Doc on my own grounds and that you do not retaliate should he severely injure or kill me. You are not to go near Doc thorough out this whole event between me and him.”

<Raven Talius> She held up her hand to stop him once again, "I do however, need you to lie to Clover for me..." She shook her head as she looked away once again. "I can't lie to her and in the event should I die... can you make something up for me? I don't want her to worry too much about me while I'm... Dead."


<Clover> With Jesse’s hand on her shoulder, Clover knew, for certain, that he was doing her the biggest imaginable. He was doing something to talk her childe down from the edge. There was nothing she could ever do to repay him, nothing she could ever say to properly convey her gratitude. And then they were talking about her. She heard her name. She recognized and understood her name. When Raven looked away, Clover turned to look at Jesse, as if she expected him to slow everything down and draw her a picture.

Always impatient, Clo couldn’t prevent the frown from forming. There were plenty of questions, yet again. Why were they talking about her? Was it bad? Was it good? Were they conspiring? Were they talking about the fact that they could say whatever they wanted and she was none the wiser? The expression, her brows furrowed, lips pursed, made her look like a child in the midst of a temper tantrum, but she didn’t even notice, or she didn’t even care. She reached out and poked Jesse’s side. “Clover,” she stated, motioning between Raven and Jesse. And that was it. No more words. She didn’t have time to grasp at any of the repeated words, and she couldn’t blurt them out. There was a flash of panic on her face, but she swallowed her anxiety like a bitter pill and just crossed her arms over her chest. Let them talk about her. She didn’t care. She didn’t have to know everything said.

Clover did worry though. She cared. She cared a lot. To be hers, people had to matter, on some level. She’d slipped Crimson a severed head, just showing him that she thought of him. And Raven, well, Raven got a bird, one recently liberated from a zoo. Losing people, in any fashion, hurt. There were open wounds for every person that walked right out of her life, and Raven insisted on dancing back and forth, trying to shove space between them. Clover figured she’d just start summoning the woman, but Clo also danced along the same line. Why force Raven? If the woman didn’t want to be there, didn’t want to be bothered, then why force her? Right. Because Clover cared.

“Dead.” The word felt thick on her tongue and the roof of her mouth. It was familiar, perhaps in a good way, more likely in a bad way. Clover couldn’t tell, so she mumbled the word a few times to try and draw some meaning. “Clover.”


‹Jesse Fforde› Jesse nodded, though he couldn’t allow himself to be relieved just yet. There was no reason why Raven had to even confront Doc; Doc might not even show up to the time and place that Raven had specified. Kaelyn wouldn’t be happy about it, would she? Surely, she’d prevent such an outcome. And if Raven died, Jesse would have to do his best not to blame Kaelyn; if she’d never invited that ******** to the party to begin with, none of this would be happening right now. There would have been no arguments; there’d have been nothing for him to say no to Raven about. But this conversation might not have happened either, and he might not have been able to extract such a promise from the unruly fledgling.

Except, Raven was asking something of Jesse when Clover was standing right there. It was obvious that she had a lack of understanding, a lack of a way to communicate, but she wasn’t completely out of it. She was alert, and she was awake, and she as trying to understand. That much he could tell. She repeated the words – her name. Dead. She understood that much, and she would remember. Slowly, he nodded.

“You can meet Doc on your own terms. But take into account that he’s a slimy ********. He might not kill you, but he might try to sway you against us,” he said. He laughed – he wondered whether such antics would even work on Raven. Was he really that smooth? “Whatever you might think, you are welcome here. Clover cares about you, so by default, so do I. You are a member of Fforde, and as such, you have my loyalty,” he said, warily. It wasn’t often that he got so sentimental, but it was a requirement. “And remember what I said – you can get what you need from us. As for lying to Clover – I think you underestimate how much she understands. If you die, you’re not going to be alone. We can come and help you. She’ll want to do that. I won’t let her retaliate. We won’t. As a matter of trust,” he said with a determined nod.


<Raven Talius> Gave a firm nod of her head towards Jesse and managed a small smile. “Well that’s all that I can ask. I’m hoping that my trust isn’t misplaced in this scenario, but we shall see.” The woman hardly doubted that she could fully turn against Fforde, especially considering that Clover was within the clan. Her sire meant something to her and that was as good of an anchor as any. As the thought of her sire passed through her mind, she looked to Clover and managed yet another smile. Raven had hoped that Clover wouldn’t be able to pick up too many details of their conversation, but that was a given. She had picked up the word 'death' which wasn't great, but at least she hadn't picked up the whole conversation. “It’s fine Clover, everything is ok now. Jesse and I have worked things out… Mostly. Everything else will be worked out along the way.”

She slid her hand into the pocket of her coat and angled her head towards the door. “Perhaps we should go home now. I will meet you back at Limbo due to the fact I need to pick up Red..”


<Clover> The smiling put her at ease. She had enough faith that Raven wouldn’t lie to her. And she knew that Jesse wouldn’t lie to her. For the moment, she deemed things complete. She had to assume that everything had been resolved and they were free to go home. Raven’s attention to the door only fueled the certainty. Everything was fine. They were okay. Raven wasn’t going to leave her; Raven wasn’t leaving so soon after arriving. For a moment, Clover considered offering a hand to Raven, but that was too much. The hug had been more than enough.

Instead of pulling at words, Clo smiled back at Raven and then at Jesse, as if to say that she’d done everything on her own. The hug had done everything, really. Jesse just had to add a few words in, sugarcoat it all, and wrap it in a bow. She would have told him as much, but her silence probably won her more points then. Instead of taking Raven’s hand, Clover took Jesse’s hand. They were leaving. If Raven was leaving, there was no point in staying. They could go anywhere, do anything. Clover lifted her free hand and waved it in front of Jesse’s face, leaving it in front of his eyes and then moving it away. She still had a surprise, and the surprise required leaving too.


‹Jesse Fforde› Jesse had no idea who or what ‘red’ was, but he assumed it meant blood. She had to go and feed? Fair enough. If she meant anything else by it, he assumed he would find out, eventually – when they met back at Limbo. He nodded. They’d said what they needed to say and they’d agreed on what they needed to agree on. They could each give a little, and everything would be okay. Although he probably wouldn’t be able to relax until after this Doc debacle was over, he could at least begin to try.

Clover very firmly got his attention, then – first by taking his hand, and next by waving hers in front of his face. He turned to her with an inquisitive frown. He’d been leading her around the place, forcing her to leave the ruined gathering, dragging her here – he figured now she thought it was her turn. His eyes narrowed and he nodded again.

“Yeah. I think she wants to go somewhere. We’ll meet you back at Limbo,” he said. “Thank you. For agreeing to talk,” he said. She could have refused as soon as she found out it was Jesse texting her, rather than Clover, but she had come anyway. And for that, he was grateful. He reached into his pocket, then, pulling out his tome – showing it to Clover. Would they tome back, or did she have other plans? The rest of the evening was in her hands.


<Raven Talius> Raven watched Clover take Jesse’s hand, but not before she noticed how happy Clover was once she thought that everything was now ok. At least Clover didn’t really know that Raven had still yet to visit Doc. She would just have to get onto the computer and email him. Oh how much she dreaded using such a contraption. A nod was given to Jesse as she heard his words, “I’d do anything for Clover and you just happen to be her lover or boyfriend. Whatever you two want to call each other.” She turned her gaze to the door once again, “I just got tired of fighting with you. It wasn’t good for Clover seeing us at each other’s throats all the time.”

Finally, she lifted her hand and waved before she moved to slip out the door, closing it behind her before she began to make her way towards the Quarantine Zone area. She had left her bird resting upon the rooftop of the Corvidae Flats. First she would gather the bird, no matter how much he protested and would make her way back to Limbo where she would get set about sending off emails. Or, perhaps she would hunt first before returning, the woman was hungry after all. No less, she would work it out as she went depending on how she felt. The whole event with Jesse and Clover had worked out far better than she thought it would, at least now she could face Doc without having to worry too much about what the Fforde family would do.


<Clover> She watched as Raven left. There were more words exchanged, meaningless little things, and then the door opened and closed. Just like that, she and Jesse were alone. Clover had to hope that Raven wasn’t going out to find more trouble; then again, Raven was--well, Raven was Raven. After a long moment of silence, Clo tore her eyes away from the door of the shop and shifted her attention back to Jesse. The surprise was a key to a new apartment, but the first part of her present had been rejected. Moments ago, she’d wanted to surprise him, but she changed her mind. She decided to do something absolutely mundane.

Where they were going, they didn’t need the tome. In fact, Clover didn’t have her tome anymore. She’d lost the tome to the waters near River Rock. More than likely, the tome had been taken by the current, forced along the waterway and buried beneath the rubbish lost at the bottom of the river. Clo pointed to the door, rather than the tome, and tugged on Jesse’s hand. They needed to follow in Raven’s footsteps, following her pathway from inside the shop to outside the shop. After there, Clo intended to have them blaze their own trail, wherever that took them. They were going for a walk. Walking had helped her, when tensions were high, and she wanted the help again. She wanted to smoke a cigarette and stroll along the darkened streets.

“Time.”