Jan 03 15:12:32 106 PA
From Chronicles
A good bit of snow tumbles downwards, whipped around by the blustery wind. The clouds nonchalantly drift across the sky, unconcerned, but careful to keep eachother at arm's length.
The snow falling softly outside reminds Tirzah that is good to be inside sitting behind a boring desk, playing solitaire, really. Discrete dressings cover gashes on her forehead and cheek, apparently fresh. She sighs and passes another afternoon, waiting for the end of her shift. Tomorrow would be better, another night shift in the fog. As yet another foolish rich guy wants to say he's seen the undead and lived.
Tirzah's shift is coming to a close, which few would know. Sebastien may well be one of the anointed handful. Dropping from his horse, the crunch of boots and steel plates gently clanking against one another might be heard moments before the door opens, emitting a knight in shining armor! The visor's up, but it's otherwise well-sealed. Sebastien waves at the disapproving look of the shift supervisor, and takes up a position near the door. Eyeing Tirzah silently from across the room.
Tirzah looks up from her solitaire as the door opens, automatically putting on her customer service smile. And to her credit it doesn't falter when she see's its Sebastien. Silently she hopes he's going to ask for the 'Fog tours' Jelani has been advertising. She'd get a stern reprimand if anything happened to a client on a trip, but this just might be worth it. "Hello." She greets in a forced bright tone.
"Sal--" Sebastien begins, and takes a step forward, ducking his head to peer at Tirzah. "The children have returned?" he asks softly, his footfalls quickly closing the gap so that he stands opposite her desk. "Or is it that you have chased them to their homes without me?" The young man sounds genuinely concerned. But, you know, not concerned enough to pull his helmet off to get a better look.
Tirzah cocks her head at Sebastien. As usual he's not making any sense. But maintaining her impartial facade she just maintains eye contact and her smile. Patiently she'll wait for him to fully explain himself. While she does she imagines various ways she can circumvent his armor to crisp the gooey center. Her smile widens.
"What happened?" Sebastien asks, pointing at the bandage. "This is no shaving accident! Is it that you finally chased these gang members back to their lair to reclaim your sword? Or is it that they came to finish the job?" He ducks his head, cursing softly in French as his shoulders square up. "Waiting. They were waiting for your to be vulnerable. I let you down."
Tirzah shakes her head, letting the smile fall away. "Well yes, you let me down a while ago. But these wounds aren't from an attack directed at me. I was at the hospital for the fund raiser when the bomb went off. Pretty sure the same gang is responsible though. They're called Clash." She explains patiently, managing a civil tone.
Sebastien's eyes go blank at that, his breath steady. Most of his expression hidden away, as his eyes unfocus. His voice is soft when he speaks again. "I have been out of the city today. A bomb. 'Clash.'" He steps back, fingers of his left hand clenching into a fist, low at his waist. "This was how it begins," Sebastien speaks softly. "The dead rise. A war begins. And the Coalition comes to sweep what is left away. I see this, when I close my eyes."
Tirzah shrugs, unconcerned. "From what I heard at the scene this kind of thing is a regular occurrence from Clash. Its hardly a war beginning. More like i visited an existing battle field. It was kinda like work. But maybe the vision is referring to the war to the north. Though I doubt the Coalition will come after us while they engage Quebec."
Sebastien ducks his head, and narrows his eyes at Tirzah. "You think this is the end of it?" he wonders. "The hospital is staffed by the gangs. Most of the people hurt in this neighborhood are gang members -- and so they will be the victims as well. Something like this, there will be a reprisal. An escalation." He falls quiet a moment, hand resting unconsciously on his sword hilt as the young knight glances out at Sara. Tirzah may not have to wait for the fog to do him in after all.
Tirzah shakes her head slowly. "Oh its not the end of it. Now I know which gang has my stuff. Narrows it down a lot. There will be reprisals, Kid was there with a younger girl who had a striking resemblance, she didn't make it. Kid almost gutted the wrong guy in her furry. No, I don't think it will go unanswered, but its a far cry from 'war'." She explains casually. "Besides, I thought you devoted yourself to someone else."
Sebastien nods once. "I love someone else, mademoiselle. This does not mean that I dislike you, nor does it lessen that I said I would keep you safe from these people. I meant that. And that these people attack a hospital, this puts them on my radar even if they do not hurt the people I care about." Rapping on the counter, Sebastien says softly, "If you learn of where they are, tell me." As he starts for the door,
Tirzah shrugs, ok with letting him go then. "Alrighty. You'll know when I know." She states simply, hiding the pain she still feels when he says he loves someone else. Her anger at him was slowly dimming. She still resented how instead of coming back to her he just saw it as an opportunity to move on. She didn't like to lose. Sighing she looks at the clock, time to start closing up. Also noting she should put fresh dressing on the slashes before she goes out into the biting cold.
The door swings open to admit the light auburn haired woman, "Tirzah?" She calls into the store before her gaze begins to sweep the front pair of the store to see who's about. She'd heard about the incident, but the details of who was injured in the action.
"She is inside," Sebastien speaks to Sage, reaching to clap the woman on the shoulder as he passes on by, walking for the out of doors. And his horse! Sara awaits.
Tirzah recovers her bright customer service smile, but its actually genuine for Sage. "Right here." She says brightly with a welcoming gesture. "Would you be interested in one of our nightly 'Fog tours'?" She asks jokingly while she starts closing things up for the day.
A nod is given to the man in passing as Sage turns to see Tirzah when she speaks, smiling softly when she notices the woman. "Fog is fog..." She replies, with a hint of a tease. "I heard about what happened in the hospital... well, some of it, at least." She considers the other woman, "Any serious knicks?" She asks.
Tirzah shrugs and gestures to the dressed slashes on her forehead and cheek. "Two cuts, mostly superficial though they do sting in this cold. Others weren't so lucky. Kid got a chunk in her leg and the little girl she brought with her didn't make it. It was quite a senseless act really, I don't understand why they'd bomb a fund raiser. They killed children. How could anyone knowingly help in that?"
With the gestures to the forehead, Sage gives a faint nod. As the woman goes on to speak of the other aspects of the bombing. Sadness touches her features, subduing some of her natural personality. "Violence doesn't always make sense." She says softly, "And, if the girl with Kid is who I think it is... nothing good will come." She sighs softly, giving a gentle shake of her head. She takes a breath before looking back to Tirzah, "Would that I could do more... but, perhaps I can do small things like help with those cuts of your's."
Tirzah nods, welcoming the offer. "Alright, was going to do up a salve for them after work but if you're got something on hand I don't mind." She says as she moves out from behind the counter to sit on the couch for better comfort. "No I guess it doesn't. I just didn't expect an outright bomb, no hostages, no threats, just a coward with explosives. How sick can you get? And I'm not liking this recurring issue of not being able to do anything about what happens around me. Its just not fair." She vents, showing her comfort in Sage's compassion.
"It will take a couple minutes to prepare..." Sage says softly, following the other woman towards the couch and settles down on it. She gives a sad smile, "Life often isn't fair." She replies, "Its what we do with the opportunities that we can do something about that counts." She pauses, "Perhaps you can tell me about what I missed... good and bad." She offers, before she closes her eyes as if to concentrate on something.
Tirzah shrugs laying her head into Sage's lap so she can do her thing. "I dunno, I was there having a hot dog and talking to Ky. Kid was there too, the girl kid got was getting some cotton candy. A new propane tank was brought up for the funnel cakes. That got me all tense as I didn't realize they were cooking with propane. I thought why does he have a propane tank. But then he handed it over to the cook and I figured all was fine and let my guard back down. Then boom. I captured the guy that brought the tank but he was just another worker, the tank was there with the others, undistinguishable. The security there said Clash was the gang responsible, and all the leads ended there. It was the hospital so those that lived got care right away." She reiterates patiently to Sage.
With her concentration on other matters, Sage doesn't seem to react to other woman's choice of head placement. She lets the other woman speak about the incident, giving only faint signs that she is listening. She doesn't say anything for a while until she opens her eyes. "No need to blame yourself." She says at long last, before she turns her attention to the task at hand. She removes any bandages that obscure the wound. "Let's see here..." She comments, before she brushes her fingers across the wounds that Tirzah has. Her fingers acting like erasers on the wounds, leaving nothing but smooth skin in their wake. "There..."
Tirzah nods at the advice of not blaming herself. "I know I shouldn't. But that's the same name Kid gave in suggestion to the thugs from the deli. And I hate feeling helpless." She notes with deteste before sitting up to pull out her compact and check her.. "They're gone.." She gasps, truly amazed.
A faint nod is given the woman's comments about being helpless, "An opportunity will likely come when you least suspect it." She says softly, "But, I'm not sure how to deal with gangs myself, alas..." She shrugs faintly as she's not sure how she could help there. Then, she smiles at the other woman's reaction. "So it would seem..." She replies, bemused.
Tirzah hugs Sage in appreciation. "Thank you." She says softly to here friend before letting go. "From the conversation Sebastien and I had I just have to tell them where they are, and he'll go take care of things. But even though I hate how he left me hanging like he did I don't think I could let him die for my honor." She notes with a slight giggle.
The smile grows a little warm as Sage returns the other woman's hug, "You're welcome." She murmurs in response, before she considers the other woman as she speaks. She raises a brow faintly, "Are you two going to...?" She isn't sure how to ask the question, before she chuckles faintly as the other woman giggles.
Tirzah shrugs not knowing what Sage was leading to. "He loves someone else. and I'm jealous. I thought I could devote myself to him and he would return the favor. I was naive. But knowing that doesn't make it hurt less.. I really don't like to lose. Its probably for the best that I still don't know who it is he found." She pauses reflecting at her openness with Sage with a slight grin. "But it wasn't love. He was just my first, I wanted it to be special, significant. He couldn't see that."
"Ah..." Sage replies as the other woman speaks of the relationship with the young knight. Her expression becoming thoughtful as she considers the words and the woman that speaks them. She reaches over to brush her fingers lightly against her cheek and offers a small smile. "Not everything works out as planned." She notes, "But, if it wasn't love... why are you jealous?" She asks, raising her brow slightly.
Tirzah looks at Sage like she asked the obvious question of the century. "Because he was mine and he was fun to be with. But now I cant be with him like that, and I don't want to settle for that. I'd rather have none of him." She explains simply. "Its like not allowing me to add sugar to chocolate any more." She adds, an analogy she's sure Sage can understand. "I'd rather switch suppliers. If thats not too heartless."
Sage doesn't seem to mind the look as she simply waits for Tirzah to elaborate on her thoughts on the matter. "And yet, some would prefer never to have him as their's..." She gives a little wink, smiling faintly before shrugging. "There will always be another store selling chocolate... and perhaps tastier at that." She says, "And, do you have your eyes on a particular supplier?" She asks, "Another strapping young lad?" She teases lightly.
Tirzah snickers at Sage. "Well there is another user of the arcane who performs in the park sometimes. he has some impressive tricks, and is a pretty handsome lad..." She trails off on purpose, trying to torment Sage. "But... He's just nice to look at. I need someone I can relate to. Confide in. Someone who'll come see me at the end of my day and let me release all my tensions without any objections. Hard to think of anyone more perfect than that."
When the woman begins to speak of a performer in the park, Sage's mind recalls the performance she noticed in the park. "Cassius?" She asks, as she begins to consider how the two of them would look as a couple. It almost distracts her away from the other woman's next words. She tilts her head as she brings attention back to the woman sitting with her. She smiles with a bit of mischief, "You'll let me know if you find someone like that, right?"
Tirzah nods in agreement. "Yeah I think I have. But I don't know what she wants yet. Kinda have to be patient and supportive until she feels comfortable enough to tell me what she needs. Until then I'll just be there for her as a good friend. As supportive and understanding as I can manage." She explains, the facade breaking slightly as her grin keeps getting wider.
The playful teasing seems to slip off to the side as Sage considers her friend with quietly, before reaching out to touch the woman lightly on the cheek. "You mean that?" She asks softly, seeking clarify in both answer and emotion within the other woman. She becomes thoughtful as she thinks back to things the other woman has said in the past.
Tirzah flushes at Sages touch to her cheek, her grin relaxing to a smile. "If that's what you need right now. I'm here for you regardless, you're always there for me." She says softly with a slight tremble of adoration. "Just tell me what you want Sage, let me do more for you."
Sage's fingers move lightly against the other woman's cheek in a gentle caress and a smile comes as the other woman flushes in response. After the other woman speaks, she draws a deep breath before letting it out. "Its hard when I have put others ahead of me on a number of occasions..." She explains, "... perhaps..." She pauses to glance around as if to remind her that they are still at the woman's work place. "... we can talk somewhere else at some point." She pauses, "And, I'm sure you had things to do after work too."
Tirzah shrugs it off. "Well I can wait for you to get comfortable with wanting something for yourself." She offers as she stands to stretch and finish closing up. "And I was just going to go home and nurse my wounds. But that's been cleared up." She pauses to mouthe another thank you. "You could come over if you like. Up to you." She invites as she grabs her keys and bag, ready to head out.
Sage nods, before offering the other woman a soft smile. A thoughtful look coming into her eyes, as if beginning to think of something that she might want. When the other woman gets up, it takes a long moment before she rises from the couch herself. When she looks over to the woman to notice the mouthed thank you, she only smiles with a touch of warmth. "I was thinking of getting something to eat." She mentions, as she begins to move towards the exit. "But, I suppose your place would have something to eat too."
Tirzah nods with a grin. "And someone to cook it for you, cant get much better than that." She notes as she leads Sage out of the agency so she can lock up. "What are you hungry for?" She enquires warmly to see if she should pick something up on the way. Tags: sage, sebastien, tirzah
