Bunker Break-in (Moana/Ari/Bunker-buddies?)

[Salandis]

Moana awoke. It was the early morning after Halloween, if only barely, and she knew the sun would still be some hours away from rising. Her memory was vivid on what had happened, torment all, and she knew why. Somewhere, somewhen, a creature of her kind needed aid. She had promised that ancestor, and fuly intended to keep that promise of aid… somehow. Beyond that, though, she recalled every moment of agonising torment because finally – finally! - she understood.

When she first slumbered in Wathais she had chosen a tasteful public park with a river motif, slumbering gently in the waters. Now that she was employed by Mal she rested, when she had to, in one of the many watery spaces in club R.E.M. Awaking in to darkness had never bothered her before, but now it brought an unwelcome chill. She poured herself into form and walked into the topside bar, closed and empty at this hour. Yawning a mouth that showed impossibly large teeth, she took a selection from behind the bar. Shrugging into a coat, she scribbled a note for the opening staff, holding it to the camera so security would see it too. When opening rolled around someone would make sure it got to the boss, and that mattered a bunch, but not as much as what she was doing now.

She walked out the door into the darkness and moments later was in a cab, heading out into the night. Among other things that she had picked up while working for Mal she had learned where Ari had been living – some of the locations, at least. He hadn’t been at work, he likely wouldn’t be at work for a while, and this was a conversation she wanted to have while the memory was fresh.

The cabby wasn’t really happy dropping her off in the middle of a mountain road as false dawn was colouring the horizon, but he also didn’t try anything. As Moana strode off into the cold autumn forests she slipped into the form of a Stag – hoping Marchelute wouldn’t be hunting – and headed off to the bunker at speed.

The sun was finally edging over the horizon as she found the bunker entrance at last. Getting in wasn’t really easy, but manageable for someone who could become misbehaving water, and once she was inside she carefully made her way through the upper floor. She was really hopeful that none of the other roommates – bunkermates? - would be awake, but she knew living in this place was transient for some.
There was really no telling who was or wasn't in residence, aside from Marchelute himself.  

Fortunately for her she found Ari relatively quickly in what appeared to be the main lounge room. He was curled up on a couch, the TV quietly murmuring at him, a blanket loosely clutched over him, asleep. She settled down gently next to him on the couch and lightly shook his shoulder. “Hey, kiddo. G’morning, rise and shine, we made it out.”

[kilnarak]

Ari hadn't really been dozing all that long when a hand on his shoulder gently shaking him woke him. He made a reluctant sort of noise at the shaking, then sighed and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. The hand was cool and small - not Marchelute. Raine?

"'m awake," he mumbled, then blinked as the voice that spoke was... decidedly more feminine than anyone he expected to find here. Ari squinted at the woman sitting beside him, then did a double-take of sorts. "Ah, ah... M-Moana...? What are you... Why're you here?" He was confused and a little concerned - no one from work had ever made a house-call. It worried him a bit - had he done something wrong to warrant it?

"Did... Did Marche let you in...?" That felt... wrong. Marchelute would be here if he had, wouldn't he? He looked around a moment, confused, then reached for the remote to turn off the tv - the sound had been soothing to go to sleep to, but now it was only distracting. He had dreamed about Moana, hadn't he? He couldn't remember, his head was still fuzzy, and his worry about this sudden house-call made him nervous. He knew he'd had nightmares, at least. The shifter fidgeted, pulling the throw blanket about his shoulders like a shawl. "He uh, he didn't did he...? What-What's this about...?"

[Salandis]

Ari stirred slowly from sleep, honestly a lot more... peaceful than Moana had expected.  At that point she started having some suspicions on just how he had decided on the remember/forget scale, but either way she felt herself a little obligated.  "Marche let you in?"  He asked, and Moana actually kind of felt a little bad at breaking in.  Still, ringing the doorbell here at Dawn?

“Uh, no.” Moana smiled crookedly. “It’s not even really dawn yet, so I let myself in. Didn’t want to wake up the entire place if I could help it.” She stretched pulling a tall bottle of a top-label rum from apparently nowhere. “I’ll plan to be gone again before anyone else is up, I just wanted to bring you a drink and a thank you.” She grinned, gesturing at the place with the bottle. “So where can I find a couple of glasses? I’m sure you have milk somewhere too, you know I can’t drink any of this.”

[kilnarak]

"Oh. Uh. I uh, I guess that makes... makes sense. I uh. If he wakes up I'll just tell him I let you in..." A drink and a thank you...? His brows furrowed slightly, uncertain as to what he was being thanked for. At her request for glasses and milk to drink, he blinked, startled, then scratched the back of his neck and got up. "Right, uh. Here let me... The kitchen's just over here but uh. You can just... chill... there? Should I- Um. The. The remote... if you wanna, you know, watch anything. I'll uh. I'll be a minute!"

He stumbled over his words a bit, a slight embarrassed blush touching his cheeks. He turned quick and headed for the kitchen, just down the hall and in a door to the side. He knew his way around well enough, and he retrieved the glasses first - nothing too fancy - before going to the fridge for Moana's milk. He poured it in one, then brought them back out.

When he sat on the couch again it was a bit more careful, self-conscious. He was still in pajamas, his hair mussed. He offered Moana her glass, then fidgeted with his own. "So uh. Why... why thanks? I didn't... I didn't do anything really...?"

[Salandis]

Moana took the proffered remote as he got up to go to the kitchen, but opted not to put anything on. Instead she took off the heavy coat she had brought and pinched the blanket instead, curling up under it on one side of the couch. Her eyes lit up when the milk arrived, and she took the glass and sipped appreciatively.  Full cream even, the good stuff.  “Oh, I’m sorry. I always forget if people want mixers or not.” She made a face, sticking out her tongue. “Jade never lets me serve at the bar. I’m good with drinks, but terrible at remembering things like that for friends and regulars.”



She poured a dollop of rum in his glass anyway, and then sat back in her stolen blanket. “I guess I owe you an apology more than a thank you,” she said slowly, “Or maybe both. But you don’t remember much of last night, do you? Maybe nothing at all.” She looked at him searchingly. “I wouldn’t blame you at all," she added.  "You’ve been stressed all month for tonight, and it was nearly as bad as you would have expected.”

[kilnarak]

"I uh. Jade usually makes me mixed drinks but this is fine." Ari held his glass steady while Moana tipped the bottle into it. Once it was poured he took a small sip, letting the rum warm his throat, and settled a bit awkwardly on the couch. "You uh... you owe me an apology...?"

He fidgeted with the glass, taking sips now and then as she spoke. He remembered nightmares. And he knew the cursed night had just passed, so he could gather that the nightmares were because of that. Something had happened, but he only remembered brief snatches of it. "Y-yeah. I uh. S-Some of the time I remember more but l-last night... It just feels like I had a nightmare. Like um. Like running from something..." He frowned slightly, glancing down at his glass and swirling the liquid inside it.

"I uh... You were... You were there then? I don't... I don't remember. It... it's been something like that though, every year since I... since I came here. Whatever, uh, whatever it is... it must not like me, huh? Or... maybe it likes me too much?" He managed a chuckle at that, although the sound rang a bit awkwardly. He considered the glass a moment, then abruptly drained it.

[Salandis]

Moana raised one eyebrow as he drained the glass, and then poured him more, leaning over him to top up his glass. “Well, the only other occasion I remember was much more like a bad dream,” she remarked. “This year was decidedly different, though. Importantly, we seemed to get to choose if we should remember or not.” She sipped again at her milk, trying not to stare too appreciatively at his mussed-PJ look. “Of course, If you remember even a little when you chose not to, it might indicate that whatever happens can’t quite clear out those memories – which is probably why you’ve been having a bad few years.” She rested her hand lightly on his arm. “You have my sympathy for that, and I’ll see if anything can be done to better protect you from these grim events.” A moment passed, and then she leaned back again on the couch.

“Anyway, the thank you.” she curled back in the blanket, looking at him over her milk. “See, you were there to warn us – let us know in advance how bad things could be, when at first we only seemed to have some pretty basic puzzles.” Her mind replayed that first puzzle room, the tasks that hindsight made seem so easy, almost lulling them into thinking it would be an easy challenge. “So, for that, I owe you thanks.” She smiled warmly at him, lightly tapping his glass with her own. “Thank you, Ari. It was a hell of a time, but your presence kept us on guard and your advice turned out to be spot on.”

[kilnarak]

Ari accepted the top up, keeping quiet while Moana answered him. He fidgeted slightly, nervous, then glanced down to her hand when she reached over to touch his arm, tensing just slightly. All of this about the curse, and him here alone - and he was alone, wasn't he? He had forgotten somehow, in the confusion of waking up and half remembered nightmares - how long had it been since he had been offered such comfort? He shivered slightly after a moment, then shifted his weight to lean slightly against her as she took her hand away, lifting his glass to sip at it again and glancing aside awkwardly.

"I uh. I'd-I'd appreciate it. I uh, I never... before I came here, nothin' like this happened. With-With the nightmares and..." He trailed off, falling quiet again as she spoke again. He managed a smile at the cheers, though it wavered slightly. "M-Maybe nex-next year I'll just... I'll stay at the club or... or something. It's... it's probably better than staying here alone..."

[Salandis]

"Next time" Moana said, "You will be welcome to stay at the club. With all the wards around that place..." She trailed off. "I might talk to the Boss," she said musingly, sipping once more from her milk. "There has to be some kind of deal to be cut." Her eyes unfocused a moment as she seemed to drift, before turning to look once more at Ari.


"So I owe you an apology also." Moana finished her milk and set the cup down with a firm click, the blanket shrugging off behind her.  "See, from the night we just left, you - you lived. You survived and left, out of our little group," she looked at him searchingly as she continued, "But you were the only one that did, that began where we did. I think others got away, but... but I didn't."