Post by No Face on Dec 31, 2019 23:45:52 GMT -5
Aurelia blinked. She looked at Avery. To Felix at the window who had been grinning a few minutes ago. "Um... what?" There had been a second before where Aurelia felt a shiver pool down her spine. Something cold, deadly cold, passed over her. It was then Jefferson oh-so-casually announced the vampires arrival. Her senses tightened like a spring ready to jump. Already she began to move as well as she could
"Shit," Avery said, rising before Aurelia began to relax. "Felix?"
Felix shook his head and shifted in front of the window.
I want Whitmoor to have a look at part of it, Seth told Tomlin as if there had been no pause. And really, there had not been. The subject changed just as fluidly: Get the Flynns and McDowell out of the way.
Pause.
And whoever that female is.
Have Eli look at what, now? Tom took a deep breath and sighed. "No, Seth, you can't kill the nice redheaded lady," he said in English. Ethan was looking up, too, not towards the windows.
Forebearers protect us, indeed. News from Tomlin that 'he' was back brought Liessel back into the room fully. She was still huddled quite tightly under that blanket, and would have drawn further back into it if it was at all possible to do so. It wasn't, but she wished it was. Her head lifted, and she looked Avery's way, and then turned her head toward where she knew Felix was standing, then looked back to Avery again. What did they do now? Slowly, ready to spring up and into whatever action she needed to be taking in the situation, Liessel slipped first her right foot down to the floor and then her left.
Aurelia was up. The blanket a forgotten thing on the couch. One hand placed on the armrest for stability. She looked at Avery. To Felix. And then her good hand went to her pendant. "Will the wards keep him out?" She asked, swallowing down the lump of fear that boiled up her throat.
"Not exactly," Felix told her.
"Tomlin!" Avery turned and shouted at him.
This is not a game, Jefferson, Seth told him. Get them out of my way right now.
Tom glanced at Avery. "The oath. Get her to say it. Under God, I accept the responsibilities and duties laid unto a lawful servant of His Arbiter On Earth. Only truth shall pass my lips." He stood up and stared up at the ceiling. Standing defiantly. "You can't kill her. Killing her will end our alliance with the Flynns and we need them. For once in your damn undead life, shut up and listen to me."
He was improvising on Aurelia's behalf. Possibily the Flynns'... It was hard to tell. But it was a good argument, he thought.
With her feet on the floor, she was up and standing, making a quick crossing with the blanket still around her to Aurelia's side. She offered the other woman the shelter of it, the warmth that she had been keeping so close to her body, and her right side for balance and support. "Here, let me help you." This was possibly the worst place to be in the room right at the moment, given what she was hearing from Tomlin, and what she'd just heard during the conversation, but to the depths with all of that. It wasn't in her to turn a blind eye.
Aurelia's eyes darted around the room in search of something sharp. Her hair pin was gone. Either left in the hospital or lost on the stone. She needed something sharp. "Run into the kitchen." She whispered into Liessel's ear. "Get me a knife. Hurry."
"Wait--this is not--" Avery was trying to think. His right hand had done a little thinking for him: his gun was in it.
Apparently Felix was on the same wavelength; he had two huge guns in his hands. He did not, however, look half as panicked as his brother did.
Avery spun on Aurelia, opened his mouth--but then was, just as quick, looking at Tomlin again, demanding in a hiss: "Will the words work? Will they work!"
Tom was the eye of the storm right then... He was perfectly calm. He didn't stand in anyone's way, he didn't pull guns, he didn't try to help. He simply stared at the ceiling. "If it was you, I'd say its guaranteed... But for her, won't know until we try."
Aurelia got a sharp nod from Liessel before she was off, rushing for the kitchen. There was no time to lose here, and she moved as quickly as she was able. The blanket she had worn over her shoulders was left behind in the quickness of her movements. If Aurelia didn't take it, it would be left to fall to the floor in the midst of Liessel's mad dash, revealing the heavy cotton nightshirt she'd been offered to replace the layers of a dress that was likely still drying.
"What will this oath do to me?" She snapped. "What does it mean?" His 'maybe' guarantee was not good enough for her. And if this was to bound her to the organization, then the deal would be off either way. She'd already had enough unwanted ties to deal with.
He gave her a look that was slightly baffled. "Identify you as a servant of the Arbiter in a way that he's literally bound to recognize? It doesn't make you a Frontiersman, doesn't make you loyal to her, doesn't mean you have any particular allegiances. You say-- 'oh look, I'll do it!' just to get him off your back and that's all it is. Jesus, and you people think Americans are dense?"
No more words from Seth.
He was in range, which almost certainly meant that under normal circumstances he would already have been in the room.
Avery hated every second of this; stress was coming out his pores. When he saw Liessel running for a knife, his heart broke a little more. Rarely did he lose control, but he had not been in control for hours. What had his goal been again? Safeguard Aurelia?
Felix was only marginally less calm than Tomlin, and that margin was measured by the fact that his weapons were out. Tomlin--Avery could have smashed his face in, right about then.
The knife had been for her. Some of Aurelia's magic was a complex one. Blood magic, while potent, required payment. She had no open wounds to scrape from. The cut on her lip had closed. Short of sinking teeth into flesh, the knife was the next best thing.
Her eyes darted around the walls and doors. As they did, she looked at each person within the room. The Flynns, Aurelia knew they would go down swinging to protect her. Eddie as well. Liessel, too, seemed at the ready for her defense even though they'd just met hours ago. Ethan she wasn't too sure. But she didn't think he would do something to make things worse.
Avery.
Felix.
Liessel.
Even Ethan.
They would fight with her. Fight for her. She knew that then. A decision was made.
"Under God, I accept the responsibilities and duties laid into a lawful servant of His Arbiter On Earth." She spoke. "Only truth shall pass my lips."
The knife had been for her.
"Ha! Thirty yards!" Felix said, riveted to the window, guns in hand.
Aurelia's eyes darted around the walls and doors.
Stop this dancing, Jefferson, --Seth's words, for Tomlin Jefferson alone, rimmed with a little frustration, but also a swift reorientation.
She looked at each person within the room.
I won't let you make this mistake, --Seth, again, for Jefferson, again.
The Flynns...
"Oh," Felix said, looking suddenly dismayed, backing off a step from the window--and then darting back to it, to peer down.
Avery. "If he touches her, we're through!"
Felix. Looking down at the floor.
Liessel. Returning with the knife.
Even Ethan. Frozen before the clash of would-be allies.
"Under God," said Aurelia.
Don't do this, Jefferson!
"... I accept the responsibilities...."
It won't work.
"Below us!" Felix snapped.
"... and duties laid unto a lawful servant of His Arbiter On Earth...."
"The wards enclose floor and ceiling, right?" Avery demanded.
"Of course, but--" Felix was cut off by a fearsome shake from the floor beneath their feet.
"Only truth shall pass my lips."
The shaking stopped.
Fool, Tomlin would hear.
"Shit," Avery said, rising before Aurelia began to relax. "Felix?"
Felix shook his head and shifted in front of the window.
I want Whitmoor to have a look at part of it, Seth told Tomlin as if there had been no pause. And really, there had not been. The subject changed just as fluidly: Get the Flynns and McDowell out of the way.
Pause.
And whoever that female is.
Have Eli look at what, now? Tom took a deep breath and sighed. "No, Seth, you can't kill the nice redheaded lady," he said in English. Ethan was looking up, too, not towards the windows.
Forebearers protect us, indeed. News from Tomlin that 'he' was back brought Liessel back into the room fully. She was still huddled quite tightly under that blanket, and would have drawn further back into it if it was at all possible to do so. It wasn't, but she wished it was. Her head lifted, and she looked Avery's way, and then turned her head toward where she knew Felix was standing, then looked back to Avery again. What did they do now? Slowly, ready to spring up and into whatever action she needed to be taking in the situation, Liessel slipped first her right foot down to the floor and then her left.
Aurelia was up. The blanket a forgotten thing on the couch. One hand placed on the armrest for stability. She looked at Avery. To Felix. And then her good hand went to her pendant. "Will the wards keep him out?" She asked, swallowing down the lump of fear that boiled up her throat.
"Not exactly," Felix told her.
"Tomlin!" Avery turned and shouted at him.
This is not a game, Jefferson, Seth told him. Get them out of my way right now.
Tom glanced at Avery. "The oath. Get her to say it. Under God, I accept the responsibilities and duties laid unto a lawful servant of His Arbiter On Earth. Only truth shall pass my lips." He stood up and stared up at the ceiling. Standing defiantly. "You can't kill her. Killing her will end our alliance with the Flynns and we need them. For once in your damn undead life, shut up and listen to me."
He was improvising on Aurelia's behalf. Possibily the Flynns'... It was hard to tell. But it was a good argument, he thought.
With her feet on the floor, she was up and standing, making a quick crossing with the blanket still around her to Aurelia's side. She offered the other woman the shelter of it, the warmth that she had been keeping so close to her body, and her right side for balance and support. "Here, let me help you." This was possibly the worst place to be in the room right at the moment, given what she was hearing from Tomlin, and what she'd just heard during the conversation, but to the depths with all of that. It wasn't in her to turn a blind eye.
Aurelia's eyes darted around the room in search of something sharp. Her hair pin was gone. Either left in the hospital or lost on the stone. She needed something sharp. "Run into the kitchen." She whispered into Liessel's ear. "Get me a knife. Hurry."
"Wait--this is not--" Avery was trying to think. His right hand had done a little thinking for him: his gun was in it.
Apparently Felix was on the same wavelength; he had two huge guns in his hands. He did not, however, look half as panicked as his brother did.
Avery spun on Aurelia, opened his mouth--but then was, just as quick, looking at Tomlin again, demanding in a hiss: "Will the words work? Will they work!"
Tom was the eye of the storm right then... He was perfectly calm. He didn't stand in anyone's way, he didn't pull guns, he didn't try to help. He simply stared at the ceiling. "If it was you, I'd say its guaranteed... But for her, won't know until we try."
Aurelia got a sharp nod from Liessel before she was off, rushing for the kitchen. There was no time to lose here, and she moved as quickly as she was able. The blanket she had worn over her shoulders was left behind in the quickness of her movements. If Aurelia didn't take it, it would be left to fall to the floor in the midst of Liessel's mad dash, revealing the heavy cotton nightshirt she'd been offered to replace the layers of a dress that was likely still drying.
"What will this oath do to me?" She snapped. "What does it mean?" His 'maybe' guarantee was not good enough for her. And if this was to bound her to the organization, then the deal would be off either way. She'd already had enough unwanted ties to deal with.
He gave her a look that was slightly baffled. "Identify you as a servant of the Arbiter in a way that he's literally bound to recognize? It doesn't make you a Frontiersman, doesn't make you loyal to her, doesn't mean you have any particular allegiances. You say-- 'oh look, I'll do it!' just to get him off your back and that's all it is. Jesus, and you people think Americans are dense?"
No more words from Seth.
He was in range, which almost certainly meant that under normal circumstances he would already have been in the room.
Avery hated every second of this; stress was coming out his pores. When he saw Liessel running for a knife, his heart broke a little more. Rarely did he lose control, but he had not been in control for hours. What had his goal been again? Safeguard Aurelia?
Felix was only marginally less calm than Tomlin, and that margin was measured by the fact that his weapons were out. Tomlin--Avery could have smashed his face in, right about then.
The knife had been for her. Some of Aurelia's magic was a complex one. Blood magic, while potent, required payment. She had no open wounds to scrape from. The cut on her lip had closed. Short of sinking teeth into flesh, the knife was the next best thing.
Her eyes darted around the walls and doors. As they did, she looked at each person within the room. The Flynns, Aurelia knew they would go down swinging to protect her. Eddie as well. Liessel, too, seemed at the ready for her defense even though they'd just met hours ago. Ethan she wasn't too sure. But she didn't think he would do something to make things worse.
Avery.
Felix.
Liessel.
Even Ethan.
They would fight with her. Fight for her. She knew that then. A decision was made.
"Under God, I accept the responsibilities and duties laid into a lawful servant of His Arbiter On Earth." She spoke. "Only truth shall pass my lips."
The knife had been for her.
"Ha! Thirty yards!" Felix said, riveted to the window, guns in hand.
Aurelia's eyes darted around the walls and doors.
Stop this dancing, Jefferson, --Seth's words, for Tomlin Jefferson alone, rimmed with a little frustration, but also a swift reorientation.
She looked at each person within the room.
I won't let you make this mistake, --Seth, again, for Jefferson, again.
The Flynns...
"Oh," Felix said, looking suddenly dismayed, backing off a step from the window--and then darting back to it, to peer down.
Avery. "If he touches her, we're through!"
Felix. Looking down at the floor.
Liessel. Returning with the knife.
Even Ethan. Frozen before the clash of would-be allies.
"Under God," said Aurelia.
Don't do this, Jefferson!
"... I accept the responsibilities...."
It won't work.
"Below us!" Felix snapped.
"... and duties laid unto a lawful servant of His Arbiter On Earth...."
"The wards enclose floor and ceiling, right?" Avery demanded.
"Of course, but--" Felix was cut off by a fearsome shake from the floor beneath their feet.
"Only truth shall pass my lips."
The shaking stopped.
Fool, Tomlin would hear.