View source for Log:After First Blood, Some Wrath

{{ Log
| cast = [[CB_Alexander|CB]], [[Cerise Hodgson|Cerise]], [[Franklyn_Garreau|Franklyn]], [[Green|Green]], & [[Haruki|Haruki]]
| summary = The immediate aftermath of [[Log:The_Pretty_Lights:_First_Blood|The Pretty Lights: First Blood]] scene, where these unlikely comrades are forced to face the realities of what just happened - and try to come up with a likely explanation of events.
| gamedate = 2017.08.31
| gamedatename = 
| subtitle = "...Oh I see... ...I see you..."
| location = [[Majesty Records]]
| categories = Changeling, Mortal, Thaumaturge, Psychic
| log = Cerise stands when Franklyn does. Again, she offers out a supportive arm, but this time she's not forcing the other woman back down again. She gives her head a shake, answering softly, but bluntly, "I don't. I looked. I didn't see anything. If it was a spirit ... they were hiding maybe?" 

Cerise's lips pull down at the corners, frustration at her own limits causing her expression to harden. Then eyes flick back to the two women, "Um, Amanda, right? I think we should get you and your friend to the ER, just to be checked out, but ... can I look at you first?" Cerise's eyes land on Franklyn. She's asking this time, not ordering.


Once it's clear the smell has disipated Haruki closes the shop door and goes in search of tissues for the two women, and the first aid kit, if it's marked. Might as well try and be of some use. He isn't asking questions though. Nope. None of his business.


Frank goes up, and Green goes down. The woman just flops into whatever seat Cerise had put Franklyn in. Flops, and then remembers herself, and adjusts to sit straight back and legs crossed at the thigh. She watches Franklyn, then she looks over to Cerise. Her lips press into a thin line. "It wasn't here. It wasn't on the other side. It wasn't a spirit. I had my beloved Noise check," she says. Whatever that means! 

Which, Franklyn might note at any moment that the static fog is back! Where'd it go? It's now staying really close to her phone. Oooo broken electronics what a ''treat''! 

Green looks back to Franklyn. "Breath, love. Deep breaths. We'll find who did this to us. We'll-..." And she stops, just as that murderous look starts to cross her eyes. Right! Not alone! And so her smile is back. She reaches up to wipe at her nose. She pauses, to eye the wet spot on her sleeve. "Ah, well," she says. Nothing the matter! Back up to Cerise. "You can look at us. But we are ''not'' going to a hospital," she says. Speaking on Franklyn's behalf, it would seem. 

And yes, Haruki! There's a first aid kit right there by the counter, easily displayed.


Haruki hands over the first aid kit to Cerise. The tissues to Frank and Green to wipe away the blood. "You want a drink? Water? Something stronger? You might want to fix your makeup." Yeah all that bleeding is bad for makeup.


"NO." Franklyn is really good at repeating her lines, this time with more feeling. Poor Cerise gets the brunt of her borderline-irrational Discontent. "I am NOT going to the FUCKING HOSPITAL."

...Franky girl, use the inside voice. She points and points and waves a hand in Green's direction; a theatrical miming of 'listen to what the good woman says!!1!', errors in getting her point across and all.

Pacing back and forth, Franklyn's hands lifted to wipe at her face again and again, dipping her head up and down in repetitive little movements. Huh. Franky looks like she's in pain, and also? Suspicious? When Cerise offers to help her, the poor woman is subjected to a sharp, bloody-eyed squint -- arms drawn up close to her chest, like she was a very skeptical t-rex.

"What do you want to do that for?" Damn. Paranoid much or what? Franky, yer covered in blood, and Green says it's okay... At least she's not punching or kicking or biting? All she's doing is repetitively bobbing and running her hands through her hair, then over her shoulders, down her arms, like a weird little tic.

What the fuck just happened? Franky and Green have blood on their faces - Green is sitting in a chair, Cerise is near by looking concerned, and Haruki is leaving his guard post at the door to look for a first aid kit. There are no other customers, and Franklyn's phone is broken on the floor.

So. Something weird just happened.


Um...okay.

So C.B. left the store, earlier...and he went all the way down the block so he could yell at his agent in peace. He missed fucking everything. When he returns -- all hell has clearly broken loose. He stops, stares at each person in turn, and yells at the top of his lungs -- okay, not the very top of his lungs, because C.B. can yell PRETTY damn loud when he wants to -- but close.

"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED IN HERE?!"


Oh yeah, Cerise can be firm when she needs to be. She swivels her body so that she's facing Franklyn, while her right hand gestures in vague little circles in Haruki's direction, for some reason or another. With the other hand she lifts a finger, responding, "One - It's what I'm trained to do. You were in medical distress, and I can help, and you should let me."

Cerise lifts another finger, her voice firm and decided as she continues to speak, "Two - You are able to control some sort of visions and see things. That is something that I would like to learn." She lifts a third finger, "Three - something is attacking you. If they win, then I can't learn from you."

It's CB's shout that causes Cerise's gaze to break from Franky. She takes in a breath watching him re-enter and then lowers her gaze, folding arms over her chest. Her voice is gentler as she says, "Mostly, it's the first thing, that you may need help and I can give it."
 

"Franklyn," Green says, affecting the tone of a etiquette school headmaster. Or maybe an English play director. "Composure," she says, and makes a little gesture, and puts on a smile. Really, like she's giving notes to the actress. 

Her eyes swing back to Cerise, as she takes a tissue from from Haruki. "Thanks, love," she murmurs. "There's a little fridge, with bottled water, behind the counter," she adds, as she dabs at her nose. "Now, then, Ms Hodgson..." 

And then CB is yelling. Green's eyes go wide, and then a wholly offended look crosses her features, as she stares at the man. "Ben!" she scolds. "Quit faffing about! We've had a bit of an incident but all's well. So please, if you're going to yell, kindly sod off." Pause. "I've a headache."

"If anyone asks gas leak or blocked drains." Haruki replies to CB. It's most certainly not what happened unless you're an oblivious mortal. He did deliberately not say it was actually what happened. "The store's closed." He goes off to get the water for Franklyn and Green. Painkillers should be in the first aid kit he gave Cerise.


Franklyn belatedly looks at Haruki -- so suspicious! -- her blood rimmed eyes narrowing. "...My makeup is fine." This is not true. Her no-makeup-makeup is actually ruined. Doesn't stop her from grabbing that tissue from him as she paces by, jumping with alarm as C.B. suddenly bellows. Her expression? Pained.

So much pain.

Franklyn give Cerise a squinty eyed look of - yes that's right - further suspicion as she walk by en route to Green. "Well aren't you a calculating, cold hearted bitch." Sharp - and yet, those words are fond? Almost. Nearly. Franky points at Green. "Help her first."

Then she's turning to look at Green -- putting a hand on her shoulder, briefly /squeezing/ before she carries on, "Compose yourself - we're in this together, right? I feel like we were just fucking t-boned by a fucking semi." Franklyn moves away from her witchy companion, and ends up striding towards C.B.

There's blood all down that shirt of hers - his? Well she's wearing it, so hers. "...Haruki is burying his head in the sand." Then she leans up and speaks quietly with the author, a hand resting on his forearm for a moment, twisting as she moves her weight from foot to foot. Her bit said? She's already trying to move on -again-. Franklyn just can't seem to keep still!

Franklyn tilts her head back, adding quickly: "And my fucking PHONE! UUUGUH!"


"Oh yeah, I can SEE that all is well!" C.B. exclaims to Green, but at least he's not shouting anymore. He's already moving in the direction of the bleeders, though he pauses to frown at Haruki. Mightily. "Give me a /fucking break/, Haruki. I'm not an idiot. Obviously something else --" He pauses to watch, listen to Cerise for a moment or two, brow furrowed. He shakes his head, not getting involved in that yet. Besides, Franky is coming his way. He pauses, listens to her, brow furrowing more. Whispers something back to her, one hand on her forearm.


Haruki frowns as he's accused of burying his head in the sand. He doesn't try and rebut it though. He's been around them with exploding icecream tubs and branded psychics, dead bodies, and now this. It's all perfectly normal. Right? "I said if anyone asks." He points out to CB. "I've no idea what actually happened. People don't tell me things." He frowns deepens and he looks at CB, suspicious suddenly.


Cerise watches Franklyn as the woman moves to Green and then walks away. There's no argument given, not this time. Cerise just steps up to the British woman and allows one hand to open the first aid kit on the counter. She rummages through it, giving a sigh at it's contents, before setting it aside. And thus begins the manhandling of Green. Cerise takes the woman's chin, moving her head from side to side and appearing to look closely at the woman's eyes. Cerise at least appears to know what she's doing. "You're fine. I still wish you'd go in for an MRI." Cerise drops her hand away and steps back. This time it's her phone that goes off with a chipper little beep. She looks down at it and frowns. "I need to take this, but I want to talk to the both of you." She wriggles a finger between Green and Franky, and then ducks out that front closed door.


Franklyn comes to her, and so she smiles up to the other woman. Nevermind the pain. A touch from Franklyn almost always draws out a sweet, adoring smile from Green. "Thank you, love," she whispers. 

And then there's everyone else! "Haruki's right," Green says, with a sweet smile on her lips, as she looks right at CB. "Gas coming back up from sewers. Causes headaches and foul smells," she tells the man. Which, 1, she was obviously bleeding and 2, she's lying. "And that's exactly what everyone will tell, should someone come asking," she adds. And with that, she does flick eyes towards Franklyn. Got it, Frank? 

Cerise finally comes to look at her, and Green just smiles. "Dote on me all you want, love," she says. Of course, this is not some intimate encounter, but Green weathers it with dignity and grace. Soon as she's declare fine, she flashes another smile. 

Then it's back to CB. "See?" she asks. "Fine. And nothing for us to do save close the bloody shop for the day and go home." Because, well, home is where she can do things!
 

With her forearm touched, Franklyn does this weird little spin around C.B. as if she was tethered to him - murmuring something to him en route. Why can't she just stay still?! She just can't. Whisper, whisper, murmur, murmur. This isn't rude, right? Besides, Green's all engaged with whatever Cerise is doing. 

Medicinal Manhandling. Yeah. Franky leaves 'em to it. Ignoring that request for a talk...

As if Franky was a forthcoming and warm, personable woman. Hah! As Haruki speaks, Franky sighs and rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Grumpy gus! Why so cranky? Haruki hasn't done anything, and yet she looks at him as if he did, for a brief moment. Then? A huffy sigh as Green speaks.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Franklyn gives a vague flick of her wrist, then actually holds her fingers up in a 'W' for Whatever. "This is bullshit. I am furious. My FUCKING /phone/. We've got to go to the store immediately."

Franks. Yer covered in blood. /Again/.

 
"Yeah. /I/ asked," C.B. reminds Haruki, pointing at himself. He eyes Cerise as she heads out, his gaze all squinty and suspicious. Then back to the assembled. Green? Boy, does she ever get a scowl. "You're really in top form today, you know that?" Not a complient. Not at all.

Then Franky's saying more, and he puts both hands on her arms this time, so he can murmur still more.


Haruki offers Green a faint smile. He is looking rather uncomfortable though, especially with Franklyn and CB glowering at him. Anyone else might take the hint and leave. He sighs as Franklyn and CB whisper to eachother. "Are you two together? The newspaper seems to think you are." And by that he means Enid of course.


"Sorry, Mr. Alexander. I've a splitting headache, and dealing with a series of rudely asked questions for you while you play whisper-whisper is hardly something that's going to get me chuffed," Green says, as she finally rises back up. She heads for the counter, wherein she grabs her handbag from behind it, and then turns about. She starts then for the door. "I'll come back later to close up properly," she says. Eyes on Frank. "Coming now, or later?" she asks the woman. Because, well, Franklyn and CB are right by the door, anyways. And Haruki's question? Well, she's not going to comment on that.


"Don't be so hard on yourself - we can't know everything." Franklyn muses to C.B, patting him on the arm. She looks about ready to say something else, and then... Then she hears Haruki speaking to her.

Franky's eyes narrow, and she slowly turns her head and stares at the poor little Magician.

At first? At first Franklyn merely looks miffed, but there's this... This creeping kind of intensity about her as she stares: mouth closed, blood dried across her face, chest expanding as she breathes in through her nose and starts to slowly -- so slowly -- move away from C.B. - she's not looking at him, she's not looking at Green, she's only looking at Haruki.

All of her attention. All of it. Every single last drop of Franklyn Garreau's blood-rimed attention, fully focused on Haruki as she slowly -- so slowly -- starts walking towards him, her hands held loose by her sides, but her fingers twitching, again, slowly.

"...Oh, I see..." Tap, step, tap. Her words are soft, but it's the intensity of that -expression- that carries real weight. It is not a nice look. Has Franklyn ever, once in her life, had a nice look? Maybe she's always looked like she was about to raise hell. "...I see you..."

Poor Green. Franklyn ignores her, as a hand is raised, beetle shell green nail pointed at Haruki -- j'accuse! -- while a smile creeps up over her face. Guess what: it's super fucking mean. "How about you and me step upstairs for a minute, Haruki? How about you ask me some questions in private? Yeah, yeah you and I should talk..."


Well, C.B. turns /beet/ red when Haruki asks that question, but UNLIKE certain other people here, he neither ignores nor does...whatever it is Franklyn is doing. It looks like he's about to say something, but he just closes his mouth and sighs. "Sorry my ass," he snarks at Green, and then...and then...

What the /hell/ is going on here? Oh, no. C.B. isn't going to abide by this.

He steps forward and places a hand right on Franky's j'accusing finger. "Franky. Stop it. Leave him alone, alright? It's just a fucking /question/. Enid brings this shit out in people." He mutters something else under his breath, something like 'toldja she was a menace.' Then he's continuing on, those blue-silver eyes fiercely moving between Frank and Haruki. "Don't worry about it," he tells the latter. "She's obviously stressed out, and tired, and you know, she needs a new /phone/." He tries to tug on Franky's shoulder, on her arm, to get her to move towards the door. "C'mon, Frank, let's get out of here so Green can close up shop."
 
 
Fear. Haruki's eyes widen as Franklyn confronts him and he tries desperately to work out what it's about and he jumps to a conclusion and really the last thing he wants to do is go anywhere with Franklyn when she's looking so scary. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise that you were. I won't flirt anymore. I'm sorry." He's not making eye contact and his hands are trembling and he's looking at the ground. "It was just... he's cute and clever, but I won't anymore. We're just friends." He looks relieved at what CB says and nods.
 
 
Well. That's weird. Green's attempt to usher everyone out is stopped as Franklyn turns back on Haruki, and she looks upset. Really upset. Like, upset in a way Green's never seen before. And so her eyes flash a bit wide, and she blinks a few times. Franky rains silent fury upon Haruki, and Green is actually frozen for a moment. When she finally breaks out of it, CB's already moving to handle it. So she stops. Then she looks over to Haruki. Oh, God, what is happening. Did Franklyn really just threaten a tiny asian man for flirting with her boyfriend?! 

"We... should go," Green says, her voice far more quiet. A touch of pleading to it. "We can keep... working on this... from the house, Franklyn," she murmurs. "Whenever you get done with your-.. With CB," she says, ever so gently. Of course, the level of seriousness Green seems to have put into this quiet little plea seems to suggest she's pretty sure it's not just about her boyfriend. No. Green would be ''all over that'' were it the case!


Who has zero chill? Franklyn has zero chill -- she's shrugging off C.B's arm on her shoulder, deflecting Green's pleading, and just descending down upon Haruki like some kind of slow moving storm front. Only she's just a human! How bad can a human be? How bad could Franklyn get?

Maybe some little inner part of her psyche is asking Franklyn that, because she's about an inch or three away from Haruki when she suddenly just stops, blinks down at him, then takes a step backwards.

Oh, the suspicion in her eyes doesn't fade, but just like magic, all that tempestuous threat is turned off.

Franklyn's just some bloody eyed woman with a dirty short staring at him, exhausted and upset and fed up and skeptical and sighing as she squints at him. "...You should go now."

HEY! Isn't Franklyn like, always going on about not being jealous or possessive or anything but chill af pomo boho 6th wave free love flower child? Wow, what a fucking hypocrite.

Turning away from Haruki, she puts her hands on her hips and looks from Green to C.B. and back again -- expression all expectant, and like what just happened didn't happen. "What's next? Should we go for a drive? Go shooting? Library? Coffee?" Franky! Yer covered in blood!


C.B. turns /even redder/ when Haruki explains, because...well. It's not what he was thinking at all! C.B. is a very smart guy who can be incredibly dense about certain things, and he now looks embarassed and confused, blinking at the other man with wide, electric eyes.

Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths. He lets out a slow sigh through pursed lips. First things first, to Green -- he frowns and shakes his head. "I'm not leaving her right now, no. You don't get to just lay claim to her like that, Green. Franky will do what she wants." Which means she may very well choose to slough off C.B. in favor of Green, but. He'll accept that, if it comes to that.

And then...back to the woman of the hour. /Boy/, does C.B. look confused. Like I said, he was going somewhere else entirely with all of this, and now that he realizes what's going on, he just looks totally bewildered. Franky shrugged him off, but he pats her on the arm again. And then...there she is, looking at him. "Why don't we get you cleaned up, first? Then the phone store. Right?" See? He listens. Or something.
 

Haruki's shaking, not doing eye contact at all and he's just waiting for Franklyn to do her worst. To hit him or something he cowers, flinching back from her. He doesn't even realise until he's holding his breath until Franklyn tells him he should go. And can he even get his legs to move, can he move at all. Run. RUN. Take a breath. He gasps in some air and he stumbles towards the door, almost tripping over his own feet and he's definitely not looking where he's going as instincts kick in and something snaps. It's full blown panic that drives him outside and he starts to run. Car horns blare as he dives straight into traffic, narrowly missing an accident and he just keeps on running.

 
Okay, Green might need to physically intervene now. Because this is getting ''ugly''. But, then, Franklyn stops. Ooookay. Green blinks, but she's not going to think too hard about that. There's now a very upset Haruki to consider. But, no, because she's too busy turning to stare at CB entirely puzzled. "Sorry...?" she asks, missing that at first. "Mr. Alexander, she's not an African nation I've set my Imperialist sights on," she says, giving him a rather strange look. She stares for a moment longer, then just shakes her head, and sighs. 

Attention shifts back to Franklyn. Green's apparently just going to let Haruki run off into traffic! Some friend she is. But, then, she did just have her brain melted. "Love, whenever you're done with CB, come back to the house, please," she repeats. "I can give you something that will last until you're done getting cleaned up, running errands, whatever it is you're off to do," she says. "If you want it," she adds, with hopeful smile.


As soon as Haruki leaves -- the /very/ moment he's no longer in their immediate vacinity -- Franklyn? Looks like a huge weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She actually takes in a deep breath of air, like she was waking up after a evening spent camping under the stars and gazing out at the most beautiful sunrise over a perfect lake. Refreshed! Revitalised! Relaxing!

In the background there is the chaos of cars honking as Haruki narrowly avoids getting hit by a car. Does Franky seem concerned? Not in the slightest. It's like she doesn't even consider that poor, sweet Magician worthy of basic human rights.

Who =is= this person?!

Hands still on her hips, Franklyn looks... Confused when she glances from Green to C.B.: whats the big deal?

"...Mmm? What am I getting?" Eyebrows raised, Franklyn lifts a hand to absent mindedly rub at her cheek, some dried blood flaking off, and she goes 'oof', like her sinuses are hurting her. "Phone store, and then shooting, and then we'll go to Green's?"

Because Franklyn is just living in some delusional irrational dream land, where everybody can get along while doing exactly whatever crazy shit she wants, right? Right. Apparently so.


"Are you /sure/?" C.B. says to Green, gesticulating with one hand -- an arc of lighting sparks off his fingers and zaps into the floor. He scowls as it seems like Green is not listening to him whatsoever, but...what else is new with these two ladies, really?

And then there's Franky, all...different now. C.B. blinks. Then he squints. Thinking, that's what he's doing. He presses the side of his index finger to his lips and just holds it there for a moment. Contemplating the weirdness (not so much Wyrdness) that is Franky.

Did she say /we'll/ go to Green's? Ceebabes sighs and rolls his eyes, but he saw that coming. Really, he did. He nods, trying to usher her out. "Okay, okay, fine. You really want to do all that before you get clean? You look like an extra from some Roger Corman movie." Never you mind the fact that his shirt is stained -- he clearly gives zero shits.
 
 
Yes, Green is going to ignore what she's rather obviously branded as ''CB's nonsense''. Which isn't to say it is, but Green definitely thinks it is! She'll only look his way again when Frank says ''we''. She looks aside, to CB. There's a faint frown, though it looks to be more concentration and contemplation, rather than sadness or disatisfaction. Finally, she gives a faint nod. "All right," she says. A look back to Frank, then back to Ceebee. "Ben, love, I understand you're concerned. But there are some things that you just cannot help us with. But if being in my home while we work will help you... I'm happy to have you," Green says. A pause. "You just cannot spend the night." For reasons, obviously. 

Green looks back to Franklyn, and huffs. "He's right. You're a bloody mess. Properly bloody," she says. But, still, Green doesn't seem to care. Rather, she's diving into her handbag and pulling from it some rather expensive eyeliner. She takes the cap off, puts it on the end, then steps forward, to Franklyn. "Do ''not'' wash this off," she says. And then she grabs hold of the open collar of the woman's shirt, pulls it back, and then applies eyeliner pencil to flesh. Right over the clavicle. Oh, look how she draws on Franklyn's flesh in that black pencil! So pretty! 

A few whispered words, and then Green draws back, to look at the pair. "Right," she says. "Don't dally, that won't last more than few hours," she says, with confidence. Then she flashes a smile. All done, it seems!


"Fine, I'll go a shirt inna second, and go wash my face..." Franklyn looks less than pleased at the prospect of washing her face in the shop's bathroom - but hey, she probably didn't want to bleed from the eyes and deal with all this crazy shit, either. As C.B. stares at her, she just mimes 'what?!' at him, then attempts a smile. Kinda grim - not the expression, but the bloody face thing. Ugh. Intimidating? Ugly? Weird? All three? 

She leans in as Green goes to write arcane symbols across her collarbone -- tugging her shirt aside, so she can offer a better canvas. Zero shame, Is she wearing a bra? Damnit Franky... "Thank you Miss Green, I appreciate your sentiment." She pauses for a brief second, then oofs and rubs at the side of her head with a shaky hand. She seems puzzled, preoccupied even. Is she bummed out at the lack of sleep over? Worried about life? Guilty about scaring poor Haruki?

"...Who's Roger Corman?" Franklyn asks finally -- but she's also on the move, heading towards... Where ever it is she needs to go to get her whole messy deal in order.
 

"What happened to all this being just a gas leak?" Yeah, C.B. actually has a somewhat crazed look on his face as he says that, because his eyes are wide and he grins with about as much sarcastic insanity as he can muster, showing off those missing teeth near the back of his head. Then he just snorts and rolls his eyes, starting towards the door. A quick glance over his shoulder, frowning, as he watches Green write on those arcane symbols, but he doesn't ask.

As he pushes his way through the door to the outside, he lets out a very loud exclamation of frustration because, christ! Franky doesn't know who Roger Corman is. Just shoot him now.


"I'll be home in... a few hours," Green says. "Text when you've gotten your new phone!" she calls that way. Seems she is going to close up proper, at all. Soon as the two are out, she'll lock the door, and then get back to work.
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