The Lyons Roar- Lyonel's Personal Record

[Lyonel]

Not sure how much I will use this or not but what the hell. I have all the time in the world to kill. I arrived a couple weeks ago. Maybe less than that. The town I stopped in Harper Rock is in Canada. I wasn't planning on staying. Just wanted to take enough time to get a plan figured out. Fast thinkers around here. Leave it to them to help you out. They seem to have an answer for everything. Don't have to worry about the **** storm I left back in New York with Pops. I have to keep my eyes open and my attitude in check. Learn to use it or lose. Kind of like joining the marines like Pops said would be good for me. Except the motto, "Leave no man behind" means something totally different here. There are more dead bodies laying around than there was in the last war I remember reading about back in New York's newspapers. Don't ask if you don't get it. You sure as hell don't want to know.

I noticed my sleep patterns changed almost instantly. That is okay. The excitement is at night anyways. Keep your eyes open and you see a lot. Its like a whole other world and you can't believe you or it is there. The bodies are timeless. The minds dark and methodical. Here you don’t have to choose. You can enjoy it all. I hang out in places where before I wouldn’t be caught dead. Imagine that?

I am getting stronger every night. Only took crashing outside one night too long to give me the burn to make me believe. I have a line I am responsible to be a part of. Tytonidae all the way. Wolf is the guy who decided I had something to offer the darkness. He is short on words but knows what the hell he is doing. Was a little to get used to. Not used to that. Never had a sibling. Now I have several. Sisters that are so damn hot they are to die for. Brothers that make you feel like if you survive their wrath then you are going survive anything. Watching all of them with their powers makes you want to get stronger. Its like watching some dark paranormal twisted display. They work like piranhas or a pack of wolves combined when they focus on something. The kill is quick. Nothing stands a chance. I admit I had quite the attitude when I arrived. Brother Schade tolerated it because he has more manners in his thumb than I do in my whole corpse. Brother Drake introduced me to being humble when it got out of hand. We shared three ribs over it and now its all cool. It is what family is for. To keep you in line.

Sometimes it smells like rotten milk and **** around here sometimes depending where you are. I guess the allurists forget their food expires since it cant kill them anyways. At least that is what I am thinking. You learn to live with it. All allurists can chill. I am not talking about you, just your neighbor.

Met a few females that make things more tolerable. Just because it is techincally dead doesn't mean it doesn't work. That was a relief to find out. It is wise to watch your neck even with the smallest prospects. You have no idea what you can get yourself into if you aren't paying attention. Can't say that enough. It is all good though. Really good. Can I say that again? Good.

Joined Velox Nocte. I owe my *** to Wolf so I need to keep it real in there. Have some expectations to live up to and jobs to do. I guess this is a start. I will be on later, when I can get back into the cafe.

[Lyonel]

Reading over my last entry. Damn. Talk about having your a** handed to you to remind you that you are dead and can be again. I wasn't watching my back enough. Got a bullet in the head to serve as a reminder. I am walking but can't see for s*** either side. My peripheral vision is f*****. I no doubt will get b**** slapped before it is healed. Women with guns is more prevalent than white teeth around here. You get shot for taking a curious look at whats underneath...and that was with an invitation. This is one time I am glad my a** isn't wearing a toe tag and sitting in a morgue. You can heal and get to return fire. That is if you are feeling lucky. This punk was asking for the bullet. And I sure as hell don't feel that lucky, not yet.

Got a second wound that is compliments of the sis, Dia. That chick is one that can make your night brighter or a total hell. Pick which side you want to be on with her and take your chances. She scored a nice sword off some loser gangster and tried it out on me. Trying to be cool so I taunted her to use it. Yeah, that worked out nice. Now I sound like a ancient percolator when I talk that needs to be put out of its misery. It felt great to have cut me first. Twisted as it sounds. Not like it isn't going to happen again. You get used to the idea you are a walking pinata around here. Every a****** cares a bat ready to take a swing. One huge bloody f****** party.

I have been crashing when the sun blazes in. Found some nice back rooms in clubs, taverns and whatever to clean up in and hold down a corner. Working to get enough to get a place of my own. Either that or a bullet proof vest.

I will be back later. I got s*** to do. I keep moving and try not stay in one place too long. Pops was right. You will never get anywhere sitting on your a** or standing in one place too long. This place will teach you that before you have a chance to step off the bus.

[Lyonel]

I made it back. This time I can see and I am not stuffing my neck with whatever I can find. The bullet wound to my head finally healed.Talk about messed up. A huge lesson learned there. I thought I would never get my peripheral vision back. Nice to see what is coming from the side. It sucked walking around blind to whatever was around me. I still see Lelantos face whenever I get hard but that is understandable. The b**** shot me when I was like a rock so I guess it is one of those things that will take time to work itself out. Could have been worse. I try to keep my hands out that family line and I can walk without blinders on. Seems reasonable to me. It would help if it was full of ghastly hags. Hot and deadly is more like it. Janelle seems to not mind. Can't cage that sweet chick.

I have been growing in strength. I feel it. Not really visible but I feel it all the same. I took up smoking. Damn cigarettes are like weeds around here. Every bad a** has a pack to go along with their attitude. They seem in demand since you can sell the unused packs. I decided it cant kill you if you are already dead so why not? Got to have something to do when you walk around looking for trouble.

Getting to know the family more. Everyone is cool. They do their own thing. You find them here and there and its never boring when they are around. Each have their own way and that keeps it interesting. Nice to know if you need help there is someone there to guide you or tell you to f*** off when you need it.

I traded my leather jacket for a hand made protection necklace. We will see what its real potential is. I wear it around my neck. Seems my head is needing the most protection so far. It could be cursed and strangle me. Around here you never know what the f*** to think. I figure it can only do so much damage if it does. Its a step up from wearing a blade at my neck for saying hello. My French still sucks and I am reminded of that almost nightly when Crouching Kitten comes around. Hope the leather is serving her well. At least helping with breaking her repeated falls. Might find her a hammock. She needs something instead of that plank she is so attached to perching on. Maybe a helmet.

I will check in sooner than last time. Big brother gave me an idea that just might work for my lower difficulties. I would say it is worth a shot but I will settle for relief from that face haunting me. Only way to find out is to jump back into the saddle and try riding again. Happy trails to me? We shall see. Later.

[Lyonel]

I know its been awhile. Anyone reading this will know that. Myself included. I learned a lot since I last sat my a** down. I hardly paid attention to how long I have been away from the computer. Hardly missed it but still. In case it all changes tomorrow like it did a couple months ago this space will remain and will say I was here and s*** happened.

Where have I been? Hunting of all things. Yeah, not at all what I would have seen myself doing but its actually under rated. I can see why Pops had a set time each year he liked taking off with a different kind of gun in hand and left his badge behind. Something about facing the wild things and taking a tumble or two. Getting your hands dirty, your body f***** up and tearing apart what exists on the same basic principle you do to see another night. It grows on ya. I go into Harper Rock once a week and cash the stuff in and the bank is growing.

When I am not channeling Grizzly Adams I am hanging in a cabin. Kicking back surrounded by nice furnishings, reading and learning to hack. Its coming along okay. Not the best but its like anything else, you gotta learn sometime. I find it makes you stronger if it doesn’t take you down.

Haven’t seen much of family beyond the sire. Holidays came and went. It is hard to say I was lonely because I wasn’t. I don’t feel that anymore really. Not sure if I feel much of anything. I think its part of the being the walking dead thing. Not going to have to worry about need, pain, or love. Most of that has faded with relief. I am farther from being the mortal I once was every night that fades. I keep it real, only concern that stays is for the family I now claim to be a part of. Beyond that nothing else matters. I take things as they come and don’t sweat the rest. Keep things simple and nothing to worry about.

Not a whole lot more to add. Wait, I got cool gifts from the family and went shopping for them. That was kinda different. I didn’t expect to wrap gifts this year after dying and waking with a set of fangs and killer gut ache. As twisted as everything else is around here, I went into the city for a bite to eat and after robbing and zombie killing I went Christmas shopping to celebrate a holiday that no longer serves a purpose in my head now that I exist on blood but whatever. It is what it is. Not sure what this year will hold but I tossed out the idea of an resolutions. I got a long time to f*** everything up and an eternity to put it all back together.

I better head out. Got s*** to do. Hey , if family is reading this...I am still working to make as much happen as possible. I am getting stronger and wiser. Don't give up on me. I am gonna always be around when you least expect it.

[Lyonel]

Checking in as I sit in the cabin. Sometimes I wonder how the h*** I stay upright and walking. Trouble finds me even when I don't look for it. Maybe its that karma being a b**** thing and f****** up with the underground club back in New York and Pops finding out. I bailed before he could hear his only son was involved. In the end I got what I deserved. I can hear him now, "Serves you right punk." Pops was a different breed altogether. Man always was honest, lived clean and was an example you could never live up to. It took dying to find out how off track I was and how right he was.

Here in Harper Rock I keep to myself hunting and out of the politics or what ever there is going on. Seemed to be working well for me. I build my bank while getting stronger. I stay out of the way of drama and whatever. Leave it to female distractions to get your a** into trouble.

Its my fault. I never was great with how a female mind worked. Now I am pretty sure I don't want to know. It took too much time to figure it out when I gave it a try so I took to the hunting grounds. When you live in the woods you don't have that issue. Everything is simple on that primal level. That I can understand. I think it’s the way I am wired. No drama, tears or expectations. If I want it then I hunt it down and take it. No discussions or bartering.

Unfortunately, I had a moment of weakness and headed into town. Much of when I first arrived was filling my mind. Leave it to a clouded mind to mess up the better judgment. Now I am in back up plan mode thanks to a few brain farts and holes in my body. I was better off chasing the beasts on four legs than the two legged variety.

Came across crouching kitten and didn’t even have time to discuss things between us. Not that there was anything to discuss. She has more physical history with choir boy than she does my hands. Probably best. She was wearing a bounty I had no idea about and had the bounty squad shooting her up before we got in our hellos. That sucked. I was ready to forgive the fire she set to everything I own and call it all good. I wanted to see if we could get somewhere with communication since her English had improved since she was on vacation and my French was finally above embarrassment level. As I said we didn’t get past hello when bullets started sailing. She gave me that look and I knew she wanted it to end. There was no chance with the hits that were landed on her. I aimed and my first kill left her blood all over me. That sucked a**. Talked to Chad. He seemed to understand.

Just when I was ready to clean up and pack my bags and head back to the hunting grounds the door was rattling. I realized things went from bad to worse. At the door spouting off was none other than a female that looked almost identical as Cyn. Turns out crouching kitten came from a large litter. This chick is ten times the hell cat Cyn is. Venomous mouth and total lack of respect for anything. She was fortunate she was related to Cyn or she would have been exiting via stairs face first. Long story short I have some insane village full of wacked out Lao possessed Broussards chasing my a** down to avenge sending Cyn to shadow realm. Cyn never mentioned they let out more than just her. I told Abelle that I wasn’t going to take s*** from her or any of her family. I already picked up a better gun.

That all is followed of course by a chaser of idiocy. Made a attempt to get in on a bounty and found the dude was like superman and missed. Glad I did. Turns out he leads two lines and isn't fond of his tailor wardrobe getting messed up. The bounty proved to be a personal one and not a smart idea at all. I got in touch and took my hits in turn and now I sit and wait it out. Lesson learned. Women. You bleed and struggle and you still cant figure them out. Family is on the up again and that makes everything worth it. When you have family nothing else can bring ya down. I am outta here. Will check back in soon.

[Lyonel]

I can see I am about as attentive to this journal as I am to returning calls. I fail at both. I accept it. Pretty much means my social calendar is comparable to that of a hermit. Again, totally acceptable. I am content as one could be given the circumstances. I am committed to the hunt of the unwanted and whatever else seems to be in need of help disappearing. Just doing my part and it helps to kill time that otherwise could make a sane man go nuts. Other than that I make it from point A to point B then back again. Nothing more than that to do for the moment. Perhaps I will build up an empire from the dirt I stand on with my own hands. Until then the scum in the sewers keeps me strong and the reflexes fine tuned. A few raids have been happening and when they come up it sharpens the skills even more. Just a few random thoughts to build on later.

Holidays. It is that time of year and really not feeling the holiday cheer. I figure if you can’t appreciate those you are supposed to throughout the year then why suddenly paint on a smile and hand over a box with a hideous bow and say they are special because a date on a calendar jumps out at you? That seems more like delivering the message, “I’m lazy and it took this long to notice ya. If you take this gift I won’t feel like an a**.”

I can cop the attitude that I rather just hang with Chip and get the inventory ready to go to the shop. Perhaps the extra 10% I will get will make it seem like Christmas. Last night I stuck a bow on the top of Chip’s jar. That says happy-happy-joy-joy. He didn’t complain. Who needs to chop down a tree and stick sparkly annoying s*** on it and sing like its going to make the world change to seem festive? Blood, money, some twisted up sheets doing the wild thing now and then and wall to wall weapons. What else does one need in the land of the walking dead?

More. More of what I am still trying to figure out. Feels like something, scratch that, many things are missing. I accept it won’t come to me easily. Have to do the work to gain the reward of awareness. Work in progress here. Beyond that what does one need?

Family. Fine. I admit it. I’m being an a**. It isn’t the first time. I am sure I will be confessing it here again a few more times. Family is huge and you learn to re-wire your thinking when you are faced with the reality that what you had before you stopped breathing, if you remember it, is gone for good. If you are one of the fortunate few to find others that tolerate you in this god forsaken ice box in the middle of no mans land Canada, you sure as h*** can count them as family. I remember how cool that was and still is. I won’t get a chance to admit it anywhere else but if there was a Christmas wish to be had, that is mine. The family back that was there when I first realized I was not going back home to New York. All those who took me in as their own.

Delilah. She has been quiet but she moves and grows. I don’t know what made me the lucky b****** that has her linked to me, but I am grateful. Made her a room in the new place. I had a grin the other night thanks to her. Could tell she had been there. It wasn’t likely long but the point is she was there. It made my night. She is even more quiet than I am. Still trying to figure out how to bridge that and form a bond. She deserves to have the gifts I am responsible for her not getting from those who loved her before she and I crossed paths.

Guess I will be the idiot holding several boxes with a hideous bow and wearing a ridiculous grin. For now random wtf rant is over. Time to head out and do what I do. Back later.

[Lyonel]

Warning. This entry was made on the cell. Decided it was that or play some of these lame games until I nod off. I suck at video games. Proved that after the insane gaming system that was installed up in my West Apartment. Didn't know the first thing about how to even turn it on. Needless to say, the thing collects dust. Correction. Both the system and the apartment collect dust.

Went into another raid. Currently there. Place has a catchy name. Spacious. Hard to believe the s*** that has control of it right now. It will be over soon. Someone will grab the boss by the nuts and take them down. Won't be me but I am in doing what I can to clean up what I come across. I admit I am feeling awesome that I made it to the fourth floor. That has win all over it. I can admit it here since no one will see it that I know anyways. Was running around looking for the boss and was ready to claim the place. Did that for a good part of the day then ran face first into the door leading to a fifth floor. So glad no one saw that s*** happen. Would never have heard the end of it. Having your a** handed to ya with a finishing toss back down is always humbling. Took out several before some meathead had what it took and showed me the front door. Wisdom and strength gained. That is all I can hope for. Got up and am going after another key. Between raids and sewers I am in my element. Hope it ends soon. Still have shopping to do.

I have a huge project I decided to start. We will see if I learned anything at all growing up the son of a detective. If not there is the Old Man. Always something to learn from him about business and guns. Having a bit of a crunch in furnishing the office space. Hooked up with a decorator. Until that is complete its fruit crates and plastic lawn chairs. That is what it is supposed to be though. Earn what you get. Can't fully appreciate what is handed to ya. Oh, get this. I was called a Private Dick. Not sure if that is a good thing or not but I know who to go call if it wasn't. Women. Men. Their tongues are as sharp as their swords.

The choice of going into business was inspired by a gift of a turtle from a stranger of all things. It was handmade and simple but said a whole lot more than seasons greetings. Best gifts are those you never expect or know you really needed. The bonus of friendship came with it. Another win.

Getting ready to take another run through the fort. Back later.

[Lyonel]

Just making a few notes while I have a moment to spare. A few changes have taken place. Stronger, faster and wiser? I am thinking it is something like that. Mark me down for all of the above then. I feel like I have more energy than I know what to do with. That may decrease as the other new changes require more work and effort on my part besides unfolding lawn chairs and shaking hands. For now I am making use of it and trying to build something worth having my name attached to.

I have a business and a direction all my own. It is turning out to be profitable for those I hired. People are getting paid and my bank account isn't screaming every night at business close like it used to. I am sure those that stuck with me are happy to finally have something in their pockets besides air. I am glad they are sticking with the agency and not bailing out. I was notified that payroll sent the first paychecks out and that was a high point for me. It meant I was not going to have to sweat out explanations as to why they were showing up the last couple weeks without pay. Can only do that for so long before your office is finally empty. I will be the first to say they are worth whatever it costs to have them on board as part of the team. Without them it would be me, Amira and Chip who currently sits in the company closet.

Looking at the aspects of the business to make it more successful. I have some thoughts on getting the morale up. A few hours of relaxing at a club perhaps. A trip to the Champagne room with some hot blood warming the lap? Throw a contest to track down my decorator who is MIA? All these things sound like something that would definitely boost the morale. I also may slip on over to one of these local bookstores and find a book on business management and success. I could ask the Sire but that is too simple and really I want to be able to say I did it on my own. Besides, the best way to learn is hands on with trial and error.

For now I need to head out for a meeting with the advertising rep. Guess there is some new packages available that can save me a few aches and pains in the budget. Remains to be seen. Every time I walk in there I end up paying more and finding less results. May look for that book I need after the meeting depending how it goes. Back later.

[Lyonel]

Back again. I know I am slacking on updating this journal but duty calls and there is always something half done and somebody waiting. All the time in the world at your disposal hardly makes a difference when you are responsible to keep the doors to a business open and those that dwell within paid and happy campers. Without the team I have I think I would be screwed. I got damn lucky. Not going to see it as anything beyond that until enough time afloat proves the Goodship Lollipop we are clinging to isn’t going to sink. I am doing all I can to keep things running smooth. I don’t sweat the bumps along the way. I figure its all good and lessons that need to be learned.

The agency really is the most fragrant place in Veil Tower. It’s what I hear anyways since I can’t smell the fruit as much as I can taste the citrus still hanging in the air when I walk in. Someone lost looking for a cappuccino wondered if a potpourri shop was opening nearby. That says something. After that I took a few spare hours when things quieted down and gathered up a delivery dock full of wood crates waiting to be picked up and recycled. More crates were not hard to find since Amira chased a rabbit back into the industrial buildings and was barking at the pile of wood by the time I found her. I could have gone and picked up furniture or brought in what I had at my places but I figure at some point the place will be decorated as planned and when it is there will be a bonfire afterwards. I found the down time productive. Good thing Jolie was still up and had a friend that was still sober with a flatbed truck.

Nailing boards together reminded me of when Pops used to head straight to the garage after his shifts at the station and spent the first couple hours after work in the wood shop he made in the back. He was proud of what came out of that time and small space. I admit there is something about creating with the hands that makes you more aware of what is about you in general. I can appreciate that. Let’s hope the crew in the office feels the same way. Desks, chairs, conference area and I even came up with a lobby before hitting the sheets and calling it a day. Jolie was a sweetheart offering up her dining table and miscellaneous cushions and lamps. She knows I am good for it and seemed more than happy to help. It is functional and sure as hell beats the stench of cheap plastic and the miserable squeak of it as it stretches for mercy beneath your ***.

Outside business doing alright there is a new place that opened up that keeps your skills up to par and gives you a chance to see if you have what it takes against whoever is up for sparring. I lost and won a few. Always someone stronger and faster than you to put you back in your place. A few of them were in heels and a dress. Women here are a totally different species. They will rob you, kick your *** and check you into a corner before you land a hit. It seems everyone is a superhero and isn’t afraid to die in Harper Rock. Young or old it doesn’t matter. Just when you think you have it figured out and the odds seem in your favor you get taught over confidence was your gravest error.

I had a serving of humble pie the other night. Topped with two rules I was a firm believer in for garnish fed back to me. 1) No dating family. I broke that one before. I am guilty of it yet again. 2) Never get hitched. I haven’t stepped up to the alter. Not yet.

However, I did ask someone to give the idea of being permanently attached to me some thought. It wasn’t long after that when I woke up to my crotch on fire and bleeding in the sewers. The Old Man was nearby and likely got the idea of what I wanted to talk to him about privately. Rocket science class paid off and I put two and two together when I heard his voice. Being a man of his word, Wolf gave me a lead bullet for a reminder. I asked him about a year ago to do me a favor and kick my *** if I ever thought about breaking my own two self-imposed rules. At the time it worked and it kept the temptation down. So recently I found everything changes no matter how set in your ways you are. Leave it to the unexpected to turn everything upside down and make what you thought was just fine into some wonderful sense of perfect. She is amazing. Couldn't say enough about her here without running out of time. In the end the talk with the Sire after gunfire ceased went well. I stood my ground and he reminded me any pain comes to her I die. I think it’s a pretty clear understanding we have. Works for me. What happens from here on remains to be seen. I am taking his advice and letting the party crashers of happiness have the engagement time to try tearing what we have apart like a $2 tissue paper piñata. If it survives that then it was meant to be. I am a betting man. I would wager what I have on it lasting.

That is all for now. I will be back sooner or later. Things to do, people to chase down.