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Post by jarahamee on Jan 13, 2018 22:45:02 GMT -6
Cassius gave him a skeptical look but did not push his luck in asking any further about the favorite food. He had serious doubts about the veracity of the statement Aaron had produced, but also saw the fallacy of asking him more on the point either. It did help him decide on his drink choice though. And maybe a nice fruit salad. He seemed like a fellow who would appreciate some pancakes? Cassius himself was more of a hardboiled egg sort and enjoyed his fruit slices and bacon when he remembered to buy it. He paused just a moment and then decided to ask him a real question. Perhaps that would be more useful than asking him about pleasurable things like food and drink.
"Right."
Cassius hesitated, pausing on the door-frame as he leaned into it slightly. His dark eyes were bright and focused, now that they were all business again. Cassius squares his shoulders and stands a little taller. Their recent failure, his barely-rescue of Stenson, the killer duo; vampire and wendigo was it? He pondered a second further, thinking of work, and then looked down at Aaron thoughtfully,
"I faced a vampire not long ago, and nothing I used on her worked. A new vampire, doesn't abide by the rules, hunts and kills with the Wendigo fellow. I think you may have met with her before. Went into combat with her recently; it was a serious situation but she shrugged off blessed bullets like they were nothing. I had a shotgun but I feel like it would not have been much better. Can you suggest something more effective?"
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Post by MP on Jan 18, 2018 21:25:19 GMT -6
The scratch of the nib came to a sudden halt at the question. Aaron looked around, and his eyes were clearer now, more present. It was not a healthy expression. He stared at Cassius with the fixed, teetering look of a dog sighting a rat, and he seemed to struggle to find the words.
"She's a Gangrel," he said after a moment. "Blessings don’t work on them - they're not Aligned. Stake the heart to subdue them. Use sunlight or fire to ward as a last resort. They won’t cross that. Ash in seconds." He faltered a little on the one word, no matter how he tried to hide it. But the thought of the flames was pushed aside by the sickly anger and the blood-soaked memory.
"She was there when Sara was..." He trailed off, unable to say it.
"Where was this?" He asked, looking up. "How long ago?" Quiet though it was, his voice had the same ugly edge as his expression. His knuckles had whitened around the pen.
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Post by jarahamee on Jan 19, 2018 1:01:29 GMT -6
Cassius thought back on what he said, backtracking. Not a pleasant subject even if it was work related. Not after what the vampire did to Sara. He had not thought of the connection at the time, but putting the pieces together. He frowned just a little. Finding better methods of how to deal with her had been on his to-do list and this did help, but he did not want to pursue it by any unhealthy fixations.
"Not recently. It was not my case but I was called in for back-up and I was close. It was (he names the location and sighs softly). I am always reminded that we have a lot on our plate at all times. "
Cassius watched Aaron's face. From one unhealthy subject to another was not quite his aim but sometimes he did not think about what he said before he did. And that had truly been a disaster. Stenson injured, a kid dead, a car destroyed, defeat for both of them at the hands of their foes. They had barely escaped with their lives and had not been able to stop the crime or apprehend the criminals. Still, it was not fruitless, the pair left behind plenty of evidence. And now that he had the potential to use firebombs it might be a better deterrent.
He paused in the doorway, glancing back towards the kitchen. Humans appreciated more light, but he always liked the murky gloom of the main room over bright natural sunlight. And Aaron's fruit salad was waiting to be made over there.
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Post by MP on Jan 19, 2018 15:45:38 GMT -6
An old encounter. The tension eased from his shoulders. She wasn’t close then. Wasn’t coming back for Sara. And if she tried - if anyone tried, he reminded himself - the shifter was still under Isaac’s protection. She couldn’t be safer.
He nodded, more to himself than to Cassius, and forced out a low breath. The paranoia still lay knotted in his chest, but he at least knew it for what it was. He forced himself to resume his writing, producing warded slips for each of the windows. When that was done, he set the pen down and sat double checking his work. His penmanship was careful, precise - work the witches would have been proud of. And for a moment he heard the familiar voice, teetering through its false calm: Aar, get the - get the windows. Please. I’ll take the doors, alright?” Aaron put down the wards and left for the guest room, unable to stomach the sight of them.
He stood looking around at the alchemical clutter. The bed squatted behind it all with the guilty air of an intruder. Not knowing what else to do with himself, he set about unpacking, dropping his unopened case beside the mattress. Done.
Another staring minute of silence. There was nothing left to do, except maybe deal with his coworker. And he couldn’t summon the heart for that. With no ideas left, he eventually seated himself against a sunlit patch of wall, hands resting on his lap, his legs stretched tiredly out as if he might nap there. Aaron was not magically inclined, and he didn’t set much store by the little ability he had. Still, the sunlight was a soothing presence, a familiar weight against his magic. He was content to sit there for awhile, simply sit. He stared and thought and - though he tried not to acknowledge it - listened to the outer rooms to keep track of Cassius.
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Post by jarahamee on Jan 19, 2018 23:56:27 GMT -6
Cassius slipped out into the dim main room and across to his kitchen. Aaron had seemed to relax, but now was lost in thought, and maybe that was better than being worried for his life. Or maybe he still was, but in less of a pressing sort of way. Maybe the human survival instinct sat in the back of his mind. He tried to remember what that was like, but only felt the vague sensation of heightened senses. It made him feel more alive and keen, but only felt unpleasant, like an upset stomach to some.
He worked on the food. Maybe something to cheer him. He fried eggs in a pan, forgetting to ask Aaron what he wanted. Maybe he should cook the yolk just in case he hated sunny side up, but sunny side up was cuter. At least that was his understanding. He decided to keep it just a little soft. He could always cook it more if he needed to. While the eggs cooked, Cassius brought out his fruit and began to cut them into fine pieces, removing seeds. Oranges, apples, pineapple, melon, sliced grape and strawberry. These were acceptable breakfast foods weren't they?
He turned over the egg and then produced a second pan to cook the bacon. Hopefully Aaron's religion allowed it, if not, there was more for him to eat. Just a few more minutes. He adjusted the heat and checked the eggs again.
He poured a tall glass of orange juice and paired it with a mug of coffee. Black, but he made sure to accompany it with some cream, then pulled out the tray. He was no professional cook in any sense but he did like when things looked professional.
Finally he arranged the plate and walked over to Aaron with the tray. He did not smile, but seemed rather pleased with himself as he walked back into the room. He admittedly was looking a little foolish, his scarred bare arms exposed, sleeves rolled up, wearing an apron that had the image of a cartoon wolf with a knife and fork in hand. On the tray was a plate with food face: two sunny side up eggs with a fruit cup nose and a bacon mouth. Above it was the cup of coffee and cup of orange juice.
"I hope this is ok."
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Post by MP on Jan 29, 2018 21:18:27 GMT -6
Footsteps approaching. Cassius again. Aaron looked up as the doorknob turned, reluctant, just wanting to be left alone. It was an uncomfortable feeling - he knew it was ungrateful, unacceptable even, considering the circumstances. But that was how he felt. He got to his feet a little stiffly as the door swung open. It wasn't for politeness or even paranoia. He just...felt safer standing.
The door swung open, scarred arms pushing into the room. Aaron's flat expression fell a little as he saw the breakfast plate. Embarrassment, discomfort, something close to shame flickered over his features. He didn't want to be...cared for. Hated when they made a fuss. Especially when he was a guest in someone else's home.
Pull yourself together then, retorted the bitter thoughts. Get up and start pulling your weight. But he didn't know what to do other than take the platter. His voice returned belatedly.
"Thank you."
He wanted to add that it wasn't necessary, that Cassius shouldn't trouble himself - that he should at least eat something too. But the words felt ungracious to say. Aaron looked down at the plate to see a pair of wobbly yolk eyes and a bacon smile. He snorted abruptly, an almost laugh twisting in his throat. The food, the stupid wolf apron, the whole situation - it was just...ridiculous.
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Post by jarahamee on Jan 29, 2018 22:08:13 GMT -6
Cassius grinned; the expression made him look all the more wolfish for it. He was all angles, shadows and harsh lines and it showed best in this dim lighting, but his body language spoke of the cosmic joke of being here, now; one of the greatest warriors to have lived in Rome, the son of the wolf, was now standing here, serving his coworker breakfast. It was the grin of someone who understood the ridiculousness of the situation he was in. And what was this whole thing for, if not to make someone laugh. He placed the tray in front of Aaron carefully, seeming not to mind that whatever might have caused the problem.
"Glad you like it. I will leave you be. I can cook the eggs more if you would prefer that."
The scarred man looked at him as if expecting him to make a request, even if that request might be to leave his presence. His black eyes shone with the amusement of someone who just brought a secret birthday cake, and he seemed all the more delighted for it. His cartoon wolf, cute and stylized, seemed a strange contrast with his sharp cheekbones and dark eye-sockets. His lean arms seemed striped with the marks of his scars crossing back and forth. Some thick and textured, some flattened to his flesh.
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Post by MP on Feb 4, 2018 12:15:21 GMT -6
"It's fine. Thank you," he said again, beginning to feel repetitive. He looked down at the plate and picked up the fork, not wanting to appear ungrateful. Then he hesitated. Was Cassius going to stand there and watch him eat? Maybe it was a werewolf thing. Aaron looked uncertainly back at his coworker, at the gleam in the black eyes, wondering if this was some kind of joke. If it was, he didn't get it.
"Uh," he said, the sound trailing off.
Cassius seemed to be waiting for something. A dismissal maybe. Aaron didn't know what to say. It wasn't the awkwardness of the situation or the numb sense of gratitude. It just felt wrong to ask a person to leave as a guest.
"You're not eating?" he asked finally, both curious and cautiously hopeful that Cassius might be about to leave to cook his own portions.
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Post by jarahamee on Feb 4, 2018 18:10:59 GMT -6
Cassius shook his head like a dog or wolf might shake off flies, and turned away back towards the living-room in a half-circle, satisfied with what had been done. If he had mobile ears, they might flick but the decidedly dog-like emoting was strange to see a human perform. In either case, he seemed satisfied with that dismissal, and the peace of mind that he did not need anything else at this time.
"I ate this morning, but I'll have at the rest of this fruit and some tea. What do you want for lunch?"
As he strode off into the living room, Aaron heard him thumping around and the sound of curtains opening with great gusto. Things were being moved around, perhaps, because of the guest in the house, and perhaps, to make it more appealing for said guest. In either case, the shoving-across-the-floor sound being moved around lasted for about 30 minutes before they stopped again. The partially opened door between the living-room and Aaron's room revealed a significant increase in light in the distant room.
"Is the temperature of the house ok?"
He called from the far reaches of the house somewhere. Aaron might have noted, he did not remember to eat the fruit he had sliced some time ago. Maybe he would eat it later. He seemed busy making things more human-friendly.
Should Aaron come out to use the bathroom, he would notice the livingroom appeared to be more brightly lit than before, with curtains open, the reading area of the living-room seemed to also be better lit, the dining-table had a tablecloth on it, and the floor now appeared to have a rug over all of the marks drawn on its surface to increase the "cozyness" factor. There was fresh tea sitting in a teapot in the middle of the table. If it was not until much later, there was no Cassius to be seen though the sleeping form of the Beast is curled in front of the fake fireplace.
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Post by MP on Feb 6, 2018 23:45:35 GMT -6
"This is lunch," Aaron retorted, equal parts amused and exasperated as he avoided the offer. It was past noon already, and he usually skipped that meal anyway.
The agent finally relaxed as the door swung closed, glad to stop speaking. After a few moments he dug into the first of the eggs, as discreetly as he manage. He didn't feel very hungry, but Aaron ate dutifully, not wanting to offend. He hadn't expected someone like Cassius to be so...hovering. It was a relief that the officer seemed content to leave him alone for awhile - even if it did mean uncomfortable thumping and shuffling from the next room over.
"Is the temperature okay?" Cassius called, and Aaron choked slightly on the last bite of fruit cup. How did they always manage strike up a conversation just as your mouth was full? He resisted the pointless urge to hold up a finger in a 'hang on' gesture and focused on downing the last of the food. That done, he gathered up the plate and took it to the sink to wash. He didn't make eye contact with the officer, but his reticence had finally buckled under this last straw.
"Cassius, I'm fine," he said, trying not to sound as exasperated as he felt. Muted, the sentiment came out as something closer to a sigh. "I don't need anything. Really. Don't go out of your way."
A little too late for that, he thought, looking for where to put the now-clean dishes. Furniture had been moved. Sunlight streamed into the apartment, highlighting dust motes and bits of...dog hair?...drifting in the air. The place didn't feel like it was used to the light. Aaron appreciated the thought - in an vague, obligatory sort of way - but he'd much rather Cassius go about things normally. He needed to put a stop to the coddling before it became habit. If this kept up, he thought he might go crazy.
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Post by jarahamee on Feb 7, 2018 1:58:13 GMT -6
As Aaron walked into the living room, the Beast lifted its head from in front of the unlit, probably fake, fireplace to watch him with luminous green eyes. The dark-colored mass of his thickly furred, yet thin body made it difficult to discern individual details from this distance, but it was easily recognizable. It was a sight that would have jogged primal fear in most ordinary men, especially the faint, bone-glint of the long fangs set in his jaw. When Cassius had changed was unclear, but likely why he stopped talking to him some time ago. One who knew him well could not help but see a faint familiarity between the intent, yet aloof expression of the animal, and his own as a man. A large and dusty-looking book was open in front of the huge, monstrous wolf.
The sink was clean and empty. There was a dish rack for drying set up in the other side of the same sink. A dish filled with oranges, apples and bananas sat out on the counter in the kitchen. Two clean cups sat near the tea kettle waiting to be filled should Aaron feel the need. The tea mixture smelled floral, perhaps. Likely not what anyone would have expected someone like Cassius to brew. The table was wide enough to seat about six people, but he would note, it had only two chairs, perhaps for the rare guest he received here.
A small bird perched outside of the window and sang a lonely song to the frosty afternoon outside the now-visible window. Aaron, perhaps may be able to sense that those who are outside cannot see inside due to the charms placed on the windows here. Who knows if it was here beforehand, or was installed before Aaron came to help protect him.
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Post by MP on Feb 7, 2018 15:45:28 GMT -6
Aaron paused at the luminous stare, reminded uncomfortably of moonlight glaring off another pair of green, animal eyes. Cold and intent and predatory. In spite of the urge to bristle, maybe because of it, he looked back into the beast’s eyes, waiting to see what Cassius would do. Would he speak? Go back to his book? Wait for Aaron to drop his guard and - no, that was the paranoia talking. What then? What did he want?
Aaron waited until the silence began to grow awkward. Then he dropped his gaze, setting the clean dishes into the drying rack and turning wordlessly back toward the guest room. He felt the lurid eyes on his back as he closed the door.
It was quiet after that. He didn’t sleep - the hush through the door wasn’t the restful kind of silence - but there was no sound of pacing or other movement beyond the occasional stir of fabric. Mostly he sat in the sunlight, thinking of nothing, feeling only its warmth on his skin.
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Post by jarahamee on Feb 8, 2018 1:10:44 GMT -6
The day stretched on to night. The sounds of pages turning were heard intermittently, then the shelf was shuffled, before more pages were turned. Sometimes things fell quiet entirely. Had Cassius drifted to sleep? Had he transformed back in the meantime? In the evening, someone came to the door to deliver two things: A package and something like a grocery bag filled with food. Cassius waited as an intent canine, now in a still impressive, but less terrifying form: A black german shepherd wearing a "service dog" vest. His lurid green eyes had taken on a softer, dog-like appearance, and even if it was an illusion, it made quite a difference.
He carried the parcels softly in his mouth, placing one bundle down in front of Aaron's door, then placing one in the kitchen, before poking Aaron's door with a large paw. If he opened it, he would find some casework that needed additional research from the backlogs, and some triangulation studies. The work matters were buried beneath a large number of books and files on wards and hexes that could be cast by most laypeople, and spellbinding paper. In it as well was a brand new towel so that Aaron did not have to share any of Cassius' own.
Cassius then took the second, refrigerated bag to the kitchen, and appeared to return to human form to place the food on the table. Chinese food. Stir Fry chicken and beef. He figured, who could go wrong with such a selection. He then poured Aaron some tea for dinner, before putting his own plate on the table, and digging in, mixing rice into the noodles and vegetables in a most uncultured sort of way. He could not go about making every meal for Aaron, at least in a competent way he was comfortable sharing with others.
So the days and nights went on. Cassius brought a computer into the living room (Who knew he had one), a prehistoric laptop, and materialized a pile of work-related research books and paperwork while he allowed Aaron to take his space. He drank many kettles worth of tea and coffee. The paperwork appeared to disappear somewhere, likely back to work, and books were replaced with new ones. Food varied from day to day, and the wards were freshened. In the evening, he worked out with a bar over the top of his door, and a set of weights that must have been hidden in his room somewhere. He then did endless push ups. Though he did not seem overt about it, after a few days of remaining inside, he looked...cabin-feverish.
Aaron's hair was sacrificed to the God of protective flame. Cassius slept in the time when he did not work, work out, or cook in his new German Shepherd form. He seemed ever alert when Aaron made his way into the kitchen, and sometimes padded over as if to offer wordless company. When he was a man he always seemed to be willing to speak, but had the sense Aaron would have preferred he stayed silent. So focused on work he remained.
After many days he asked:
"Do you want to see your lover, Sara? I am sure she wishes to meet with you."
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Post by MP on Feb 12, 2018 2:32:17 GMT -6
Perhaps Aaron kept busy. Perhaps not. It was difficult to tell, since aside from their silent meals together and the usual thanks thereafter, he kept to himself. The guest room was often closed, the once-agent quiet inside. Every so often the click of keys or the rustle of paperwork could be heard, and sometimes the sigh of fabric, but these were few and far between. When he did cook for them or renew the wards or even attempt work, it was with a kind of listless obligation. The initial panic might have faded, but the agent was clearly not himself.
Nights were worse. Not overtly so, at least to an outside observer. But the quiet in the guest room was often too tense, to hushed to be sleep. And sometimes in the very late hours, there was a scuffling through the door. The sudden sounds of sheets, of irregular breathing. Always faint, always fading back to that hushed quiet in another moment. Sometimes it was a normal, dreamless sleep, but not last night. Fatigue showed in the dark circles beneath Aaron's eyes as he nursed a mug of coffee that morning. The caffeine was badly needed. It also went to waste at Cassius' words.
He spluttered abruptly into his mug, hand rising instinctively to protect the rug from the mouthful. When his breathing was slightly more controlled, he looked up.
"I don't know if that's safe yet."
Aaron's voice was slightly hoarse from the drink, or maybe from disuse. The tone seemed as flat, as quiet as ever, but he sounded sure of himself.
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Post by jarahamee on Feb 13, 2018 1:47:40 GMT -6
Cassius did not bother to rouse him during his time alone, he needed time to himself, and focusing on work always got him in a better mood. He would have liked to be on deployment, but could not ignore the tone of the messages he got from the department. They were searching out their traitors. Why and how this had happened, and the question of who or who not could be trusted. It was best to be distant and protect this man from any more suffering, but he needed time to relax. He tried to make meals that had variety, and when he could, he offered tasks to help keep Aaron on his toes, making the house safer, making the interior more difficult to see, making it brighter and more welcoming.
Sometimes he wondered if a glamour of a forest on the inside would have done some good, but then again, he reminded himself, he was not a good enough mage to make anything like that worked. Persons with inherent and natural powers were fortunate. He just happened to be well-read, in the scheme of things. Perhaps a flicker of magic lay dormant in his nature but he could not be sure. Maybe that was the key to his use of the Beast, but he felt like that might not be true either. The Beast seemed to have a life all of its own. A terrible half-life.
As the nights wore on, and Aaron seemed to be getting no better, he hatched a plan. A plan to bring some spirit back in this man. He checked with the higher ups first, to make sure it was a feasible plan, then he plotted in truth. A visit from his lover would bring him joy, make him feel wanted. Maybe he would leave them alone to have some private time.. but not too alone or he would be violating his orders.
As it was, when Aaron asked the question, he grinned in return. Unfortunately, the expression looked horrendously predatory on his face, even if it was unintentional. Could he help himself anymore? He hardly noticed, but thought maybe the expression might have been what made Aaron choke. Then he realized, it was the question itself.
"It is as safe as it could be. We are meeting in another safe-house, with her protection. I have a transformation potion to keep you safe. Change your scent and your feel. I hope this would not be something undesirable."
His grin faded and his grimly scarred face returned as he waited for Aaron's answer.
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