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Post by Kasen Rowe on Dec 9, 2009 0:55:11 GMT -5
continued from Just South of Nowhere____________ The ride had taken a little longer than he'd guessed, but he wasn't surprised. It had, after all, just been a guess. The man eased the car into the station, an old decrepit looking place, it's neon sign reading simply "Gas". He parked as gently as he could. Despite agreeing to Sarah's promise to wake her up, he felt almost guilty now about doing so. She'd been exhausted and shaken, she obviously needed some sleep. The sun was nearly set now, the December season shortening the daytime to an almost ridiculously short length and the darkness made it feel much later than it was. Kasen scratched his fingers through his short hair with a quiet yawn looking to his quietly sleeping companion. In her relaxed state she looked even younger, he thought. Too young to be dealing with insanity like what they'd dealt with that afternoon. Evening. Whatever it was. With a sigh he shifted in his seat, twisting so that he could reach the folder that he'd tossed in the back. Somehow the papers had remained mostly inside and he was able to easily snatch it up. With another look Sarah's way he decided simply to get out. If the opening and closing of his door didn't wake her, too bad. He'd buy her some coffee and give it to her when she did get up. Kasen got out and closed the squeaking, protesting door behind him and stretched, taking a moment to examine his new surroundings.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Dec 9, 2009 20:50:00 GMT -5
She was dreaming of Christmas. She knew it was a dream because her father was there. Anna was little more than a toddler, giggling and clapping her hands delightfully as Dad helped unwrap her presents with many gasps and exclamations to make the moment even more exciting... as though a four year old needed any help getting excited about brightly wrapped presents. Her mom was sitting nearby on the couch, oohing more demurely in appreciation over the presents Eve was old enough to know had not come from Santa, no matter what the gift tag said. She wasn't about to say that - not with Anna in the room, anyway. Her little sister still had a few more years to bask in that jolly fantasy.
The room was bright and warm, the fireplace crackled, and her parents' old Sinatra record played Jingle Bells cheerfully in the background. The perfect morning; she never wanted to leave.
A sudden thump shook her from the fantasy, her head twitched violently in automatic response, slamming hard against something smooth and cold. Cold... everything was cold, all of a sudden. She rubbed her hands across her arms, squeezing her eyes shut determinedly and trying to return back to the warmth and security of her long-lost memory.
After only a few seconds she gave up - the chill was too bad, she'd need to get another layer on before she could get any more rest. Her eyes drifted open and she reached blindly for her bag as she blinked the bleariness of sleep from her eyes. And then she saw the gray sky, just a few hints of pink and orange flickering through the cloud-laden horizon.
Her body went still, every muscle tensing so suddenly that it hurt.
Oh God... the sun... sunrise? Was I asleep all night? Did I... She shuddered once, violently, and then went on trembling as one hand drifted slowly, almost dreamily, to brush across her cheeks, her lips, searching for the remnants of crusted blood. Kasen's blood. She didn't feel any. Was it sunrise? Her eyes were fixed, unblinking, on the point in the horizon where few flecks of sunlight floated, wishing for a sign to tell her which direction she was facing. East or west? Damnation or respite?
There was no taste of blood on her tongue, her fingernails were smooth and clean. She hadn't clawed out a heart last night... if there had been a last night. And she was still seated in the stolen car.
But I still don't know for sure. I could have scared him off. I could have... licked my fingers clean for all I know! I need some sort of-
And then, in an instant, she had her sign. In the blink of an eye, as if by magic, the last hint of light before her faded. The sky darkened. Night had come.
She allowed her eyes to drift shut, breathing in a much needed sigh of relief. And then, as her fear of what might have happened slowly dispersed, it was replaced by another emotion, just as damaging.
Kasen hadn't woken her up. He had promised, and instead he had wandered off and left her here, asleep. What did he think he was playing at? She shoved the car door open, slid herself out and slammed it shut again, storming toward the little station shop.
Maybe her wolf side hadn't ripped Kasen apart, but her human side was about angry enough to.
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Dec 10, 2009 17:45:14 GMT -5
Kasen looked around the lot as he zipped up his coat, adjusting the hood from the sweatshirt underneath. There's wasn't the only car in the lot, he noted taking several steps from the car. There were a few others, a few prospects as well...
He hated to steal yet another car... But the car they had now had not only been shot up, but would now be more noticeable to authorities and had already been seen by the Hunters... On the other hand, of course, if they stole a car from a gas station there were likely to be reported pretty quickly.
Maybe it wasn't a good idea to take a car from here, he decided with a sigh.
Suddenly a car door slammed somewhere behind him, startling the jumpy man. Kasen spun around, hands clenched into ready fists, ready to take a swing at the Hunter who must have followed thim-
-Only to see his traveling companion exiting the car. He relaxed.
"Oh, it's you," he said with a sigh. Then he noted the furious look on her face and tensed again wondering what was in store now for his already disheveled, disorganized, and disturbed existence.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Dec 17, 2009 12:50:49 GMT -5
She heard his voice come from behind her and jumped, before swiveling to find him standing casually on the other side of the car. He looked tired, and maybe even a little unhappy to see her awake. What, had he been planning on ditching her here? Had she ruined his plans by waking up and discovering him before he could run off?
Well, if she hadn't woken up, well. Then he would've been really unhappy, wouldn't he?
"What was that?" She could barely keep the edge of hysteria out of her voice as she pointed wildly at the car. "That... You said you would wake me up when we got here. And now here we are and you left me, let me just keep on... You can't do that! You have no idea..." She was going to pop a vein if she kept going on like this. That's what her dad always used to say...
Oh God, Dad. In a few minutes Kasen could've ended up like Dad.
She paused, drawing in a long breath, hit the top of the car for good measure, and then spun away to regain her bearings.
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Dec 29, 2009 0:16:44 GMT -5
Kasen was flabbergasted. That really was the best way to put it. Of all the reactions he could’ve anticipated from his companion, this insane outburst had not been one of them. His mind was still trying to figure out how to read her reaction and whether she was having some sort of sleepwalking nightmare or if she hadn’t taken her medication or something when his mouth seemed to speak on its own, angry, it seemed, at the fact that she was angry at him.
“What are you on about?” he exclaimed -at her back since she’d spun away. “I let you sleep a little longer, so what? Most people would kill for a break after the hell we’ve just been through.”
Kasen got a grip on himself after that. He had felt himself getting a tad angrier than he should be getting. Exhaustion and nerves… he could blame it on that, but that wouldn’t be the whole truth. Her strange fit had only been the final straw, that last crack in the glass that had begun breaking at the Roadhouse.
“I really don’t have any idea, do I…” he muttered echoing the girl’s words a bit more spitefully than he meant to. She was his first traveling companion in quite some time and though it had only been a day, a long, crazy day, he’d enjoyed her company after they were done trying to kill each other. But then she’d turned out to be one of Them. Someone connected to the Supernatural world he’d been made to loathe. She'd mentioned it herself vaguely back in Riversfield and confirmed it again at the Roadhouse. Cursed or something.
Oh, like you’ve got no ties to this ‘Supernatural World’, Puppet?
Why couldn’t his inner voice just pick a side and stick to it?
With a scoff and a dismissive wave of his hand, Kasen turned away from her and began to make his way to the convenience store section of the gas station to simmer down.
“I’m going to go get you your stupid coffee since you hate sleep so much,” he replied gruffly.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jan 26, 2010 13:07:12 GMT -5
She spun back to face him as he moved away, and in her anger she barely noted the way her lip curled and teeth bared, as though ready to dive at him and tear into his flesh. It was instinctual - the urge to fight rather than speak, as though the wolf within her didn't actually sleep, but prowled beneath the surface, whispering to her waking mind and egging into supporting its own agenda.
The image flashed before her eyes – knocking him to the ground, clawing her nails into his flesh, and raising her head back to howl at the dawning moon…
The notion shocked her, and her returning snarl caught in her throat, freezing her in place while Kasen disappeared into the station's shop.
This wasn't the first time that this had happened - that she'd felt the urge to behave more like an animal than a human while she was still conscious and supposedly in control. She wasn’t sure what to think about it – hadn’t allowed herself to much think about it – and had always ended up dismissing the violent urges as the kind of feelings any angry person would have. Maybe she did have slightly more vivid imagery in her angry thoughts than most people did, but then, she lived a slightly more violent life than most people did, anyway.
Was it that, though? Was it realistic, logical, safe to just assume that her anger was normal? Or were the Hunters right, and her wolf instincts would eventually get the better of her, no matter what she did to fight it?
Had she been a lost cause from the moment the wolf had sunk its teeth into her?
No. She refused to believe that it was hopeless. So she had a few violent instincts – she’d take an anger management class. For now, she settled for drawing in a few steadying breaths and heading toward the station, herself. She would have to apologize to Kasen – it wasn’t like he’d known what he’d done. But she still had to somehow get him to understand that he could not do it again.
How soon before he figured out what “just don’t ever, ever let me fall asleep after sunset on a full moon night, ok” meant?
She grimaced, pushed the shop door open, and glanced around for her companion.
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Feb 2, 2010 11:45:28 GMT -5
'What is it with my luck and people?' Kasen wondered as he entered the shop. 'They're all crazy!'
This Sarah girl was crazy. Those people at the Roadhouse were crazy. That employee in Riversfield with her nutmeg and easy scowl was crazy. The people who'd chased him out of Kentucky were crazy. That pyro from Wyoming had been a real nut. Heck going back even further: his brother was crazy and his parents were at the very least odd.
He sighed frustratedly then glanced towards the counter where an employee stood. He was an older man, tall, round, and ill kept. His clothes looked like they hadn't been washed in ages as they were wrinkled and smeared with stains, the most notable of those being the very large yellow one across his front. Mustard, Kasen found himself thinking as he noted the half eaten sandwich on the counter. The employee was glaring at him and for a second he was at a loss for a reason. Then it dawned on him that he'd probably heard his argument with Sarah.
'Not that it is any business of his,' Kasen thought. He almost asked where the man kept his coffee, when he spotted it on the far wall. Without speaking to the man, Kasen gave a small nod, keeping his expression neutral instead of angry, then moved to the far wall. The last thing he wanted tonight was more trouble.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Feb 7, 2010 18:49:09 GMT -5
The station's store was nearly empty - just Kasen and an unkempt counter man who was looking less than pleased at the business the pair were bringing to his otherwise deserted establishment. His sour look turned from Kasen to Eve as she stepped through the door, and she fought the urge to shrink back from his look, her lips tightening into a nervous, thin-lipped smile. He blinked at her, continuing to scowl in such a way that brought the image of him shaking a fist in the air and declaring the whole world "hooligans" to mind as she pulled her eyes away from him and strode quickly to the other side of the store, where Kasen stood.
"Hey, look," she started softly as she sidled up beside him, "I'm sorry I freaked out a little out there. There's just a lot going on that you don't-"
Before she could get any further, she was cut off by a voice pointedly clearing its throat from the other side of the store. She paused, and glanced over to see that the store clerk's pinched face had managed to take on an even deeper frown since she had started speaking. He rubbed a hand idly over his shirt as he glared the pair down, leaving behind a faint yellow stain that matched the large drip already covering the front his shirt.
"What are you two muttering about over there, hmm?" When he spoke, his voice struck Eve as a bad parody of Severus Snape from those Harry Potter movies she'd seen before her whole life had gone insane. (...Come to think of it, it was shocking that she could even remember something so trivial as Harry Potter now...) "Trying to plan a little heist, no doubt? Well, no need to bother." He aimed his thumb significantly at the corner of the store nearest to the door, where a camera blinked little red flashes every other second. "I've got security."
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Feb 9, 2010 0:02:14 GMT -5
Kasen heard the bell above the door jingle as somebody else entered the store. He didn't turn around. Keeping his folder held between his arm and his body, Kasen pulled two large Styrofoam cups from a stack and considered the coffee briefly. The small shop didn't have much of a selection: a sloppy looking pot of decaff and a slightly less gross pot of caffeinated.
He reached for the caffeine when the thought finally hit him. In all the insanity of running for his life he hadn't really had time to process it before. He had information. He actually had leads! This was the first time in ages it seemed and that this information had come from an 'expert' in the field... This was gold. Granted he hadn't had time to look it all over yet, but there had to be something there.
Kasen thought he should smile or smirk, but he found with surprise that instead of the fury that tended to accompany a new lead on the cult, tonight he felt nothing. No anger, no sadness, no determination... Just emptiness.
He tipped the pot over one of the cups automatically as he looked inward with a sense of fear at the absence. All these years it had been there. He'd had times when he'd felt lost, when he nearly convinced himself it was a hopeless quest, but there'd always been something.
Then something moved at his side and he started in surprise before realizing it was Sarah. He gave a quiet sigh and reached for a napkin to soak up what he spilled. The girl began an apology, but before she could get too far, the man behind the counter behind him spoke. Kasen turned slowly to see him better as the big man motioned to a security camera and Kasen found himself growing annoyed again.
"We're just here for some drinks, man," Kasen replied.
Another stranger making accusations and treating him with suspicion. Typical. With a scowl, Kasen finished pouring the coffee and approached the counter.
"You can really draw people in, can't you. With that winning personality of yours, I'm surprised this place is so desolate," Kasen added with dripping sarcasm. He placed the drinks down, added a couple granola bars from beneath the counter and a map of the surrounding area, then looked back to Sarah.
"You want anything else?" he asked darkly.
Though he looked at the girl, Kasen could almost feel the glare from Mr. Mustard Stain. Apparently he didn't like Kasen's tone and as such didn't seem to be making any moves to ring up the items, but it wasn't like the guy was going to refuse money, right?
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Post by Eve Vardell on Feb 9, 2010 12:15:48 GMT -5
Eve's shocked gaze transferred from the mean store clerk to Kasen as he stalked up to him, scowling and on the verge of a serious rant, himself.
"You want anything else?"
She shook her head mutely, half surprised that he was even still buying her anything at all. Judging by his demeanor she would almost expect him to ditch her out here with the mustard-stained man and drive off by himself.
Note to self - don't wake up grumpy around Kasen. He does not handle it well.
Glancing past Kasen, she saw the aforementioned store clerk drawing himself up to his full height (which was a good several inches taller than Kasen) and puffing out his chest like a rooster ready to crow.
"I will not be selling my goods to thieves. I saw you muttering and I heard you shouting outside. What else could you be but thieves or upstart crooks?"
Eve glanced at Kasen, unsure how to even respond to such twisted logic.
"Look... that doesn't even..."
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Feb 9, 2010 16:57:17 GMT -5
(OOC: "He does not handle it well." Heheheh, no he doesn't! )BIC: Kasen's eyes widened in surprise at the nonsensical man behind him. He looked at Sarah, trying to make sure that he hadn't just misunderstood, but he then noted that she was looking back at him with that same confusion. He opened his mouth to respond, hesitated, then as Sarah finally spoke; "Look... that doesn't even..."Kasen finished the thought, "...Make sense!" Kasen turned back to the guy with lifted eyebrows and was only momentarily put off by the inches the employee had somehow added to his height. "Dude," he started as civilly in tone as possible. Though as an afterthought maybe 'dude' hadn't been the right opening. "We are not thieves." Lie! And yet he'd said it quite straight-faced. "It's just been a really long day. What we were discussing is none of your-" "Nope. Don't care. We've been robbed before. I think I know robbers when I seen 'em," the mustard man replied. "Yeah... We robbers all look the same, after all." Kasen knew it was the wrong thing to say even as he said it and he winced as the employee's eyes widened in victory. Kasen was usually very good at working his words to work for his benefit. It was a skill that had helped him avoid suspicion and the police for years... 'Guess you've got to slip up some time.' "I knew it!" The mustard man uncrossed his big arms dangerously and stepped closer to the counter, and to an alarm no doubt. If this place was high tech enough to have an alarm to signal the cops way out here... "Look, it's called sarcasm, ok?" Kasen glanced towards Sarah, half in apology at the bad judgment and half in question of what to say.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Feb 15, 2010 16:17:21 GMT -5
Of all the places and situations that Eve had expected to get into trouble today, a short coffee stop at a gas station had most definitely not been one of them. Forcing a smile from with a very genuine desire to keep the peace, she crossed the room slowly toward the counter.
"Look, sir, we're really, honestly not thieves. We're just here to pick up a few things, which you can ring up for us and we have absolutely every intention of paying for. I'm really sorry if our argument out there disturbed you, but this is all really just a very silly misunderstanding."
She knew even as it escaped her mouth that she'd used the wrong word, and was already wincing as the man began to puff himself up indignantly.
"'Silly? The well-being of myself and my establishment is silly to you, is it? Upholding the law and protecting my investments is silly?"
Eve opened her mouth, but found no room to apologize or explain, as the man went barreling right on.
"Don't think I don't know what you are. You're a runaway, by the looks of you." And Eve's mouth snapped shut. Her eyes darted to Kasen, and then away again to the man, who was continuing to ramble on with the wild momentum of one who had been waiting for weeks for someone to pounce on and complain to. "Too many kids just run away these days, no sense of responsibility, just jumping in a car with the first shifty looking older man they see. Whole town-fulls of people running off in the dead of night to become TV stars and musicians and hoodlums causing a ruckus in respectable establishments..."
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Feb 17, 2010 23:57:07 GMT -5
Kasen winced. ‘Shifty’? Really? Logically that had already been established when the nutter accused them of being thieves, but it sounded harsher when said straight out and in such a context.
He rubbed the leather armband around his wrist and took a moment took a moment to collect himself and size up his adversary as the man rambled on. The man’s notions about his customers had all supposedly started because of his and Sarah’s ‘suspicious’ arguing outside and their muttering in here. He’d immediately declared them thieves and taken every opportunity to twist their words to prove his point. Simply apologizing was not going to work here and sarcasm was not going to help. The guy needed someone to scold so… the best way out of this was to act as if they were not people he could scold. Which, since he was sure he and Sarah both looked decently bleary eyed, bruised, and disheveled, would be difficult to pull off. So they’d have to deal with this quickly and assertively.
“Sir,” he interrupted in a much more cordial tone than the tired, sarcastic, and angry one he’d been using. “I understand your reasoning. It must be difficult being all the way out here. You probably get all sorts of upstarts that want to cause you trouble.”
Kasen steepled his fingers (still balancing his folder under his arm) and paused just long enough for the new attitude to sink in. He noted the confused anger and saw that the man was preparing another barrage of verbal abuse so he continued quickly.
“And yet you face these… hard times head on and come out here to work anyway,” he replied, ending with as much fake good naturedness and enthusiasm as he thought the touchy mustard man could take. At the same time he turned and slipped his hand slowly into his pocket while making sure that the man couldn’t see him do it from that angle.
“You provide an invaluable service to the weary travelers of this highway,” he continued as he turned back to ‘Mr. Mustard’, the money now visible in his hands. “And now, thanks to you, my friend and I will not go thirsty or hungry tonight.”
While he finished the last of his ego boosting, he counted the last of his dollars and held them out in the employee’s direction. Moment of truth...
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Post by Eve Vardell on Feb 18, 2010 16:19:50 GMT -5
It was hard to keep a straight face as Kasen played up the exaggerated admiration and flattery for all it was worth. She would've expected such a touchy guy as this mustard-stained man clearly was to have taken the words as a mockery, but he surprisingly seemed to be placated by the words.
...Or maybe it was just the wad of cash Kasen held up that calmed his fighting spirit.
"Well," he snapped, but his indignant tone seemed much weaker, suddenly. "I suppose there's no problem then if you're gonna pay. Just keep your hands where I can see them and no vanishing before I get my pay. Vanishing," he muttered, and Eve quirked a brow at the repetition of the term. "Like it's big news. Like we don't all know where they're going. Running off to Hollywood to become pop stars 'cause that's what they see on TV..."
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Feb 23, 2010 23:51:14 GMT -5
Kasen's brows creased just a little in curiosity as the man brought up the story of vanishing people a second time. What did that have to do with anything? And how was he supposed to respond? He could ignore the direction the conversation had taken, but that might upset the Mustard Man. He could feign interest, but the simple act of Kasen speaking might set the man off on an angry name calling, cop alerting tirade.
Kasen found himself nodding to the mustard man's story as if in an understanding agreement. The guy was surely exaggerating. 'Townfulls' of people didn't just disappear. The guy probably had one of his own kids run off or something. The counter man gave a big 'harrumph' and snapped the money out of Kasen's still waiting hand and began separating the few bills that Kasen had had, grumbling to himself.
"You're not headed out to Hollywood, are ya'?" the mustard man questioned, leaning to the side to look past Kasen to his companion. "There's nothin' out there you know. Almost nobody makes it. An' ya' gotta sell your soul if you want to!"
Kasen did his best not to roll his eyes as he awaited his change. He really wanted to reach for his drink, but he decided that the less he moved the better.
"Probably left that out when they took away thems Dakota folk," the mustard stained man continued.
Dakota? He wasn't sure why that struck him particularly, but for some reason it reminded him of the Roadhouse.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Feb 25, 2010 13:17:07 GMT -5
Eve smiled tightly and shook her head as the counter man addressed her with the Hollywood question. He really seemed to have some personal issues to deal with, and Eve didn't think she and Kasen were the ones to help him out with that. She had enough to deal with at the moment... like staying conscious and figuring out what to do next. The Shield hadn't worked out, the Roadhouse could have gone better, and now not only she but also Kasen were at dead ends in their searches.
...And Molly might be back on her trail. Couldn't forget that cheerful tidbit.
But she'd been brought up with politeness and manners instilled in her at every turn, and when the man mentioned Dakota so pointedly, so clearly wishing for one of them to inquire further, Eve would've had to bite her own tongue to keep her from replying,
"Dakota? Has something happened there?"
The Mustard Man's head shot up, half-done sorting out the change, and promptly dropped it all back into the cash register as he exclaimed, "Has something happened? You young people; too caught up in your own personal dramas to bother noticing the problems of the world. Like it would kill you to pick up a newspaper every once in a while."
He reached over the counter and swiped up a black and white paper laid in a neat rack beside the gum and candy selections. His whole demeanor had brightened suddenly, as though being able to reprimand Eve for her ignorance had just lit up his entire evening.
"See that? Front page news, not that you'd notice even that. Too busy with your head in the clouds, eh?"
The newspaper, from what she could make out in his waving hands, featured an article titled "No Haven in Haven Valley", with the sub-title expanding on a mass of disappearances that had taken place in small Dakota towns over the past several nights.
Eve's heart clenched. The last two nights; both full moon nights. If a werewolf was in the area, it would have no problem snatching up hapless villagers and dragging them into the woods that most likely surrounded these small towns. The bodies wouldn't be found for days - weeks even. She held out her hand.
"Can I... do you mind if I look at that?"
The man beamed.
"Right. Now you're interested, are ya? 'Course you can see it. That'll be an extra $1.50."
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Feb 26, 2010 18:43:17 GMT -5
Kasen tried not to scowl as his change was dropped back into the cash register, but his mood changed to true curiosity as he recognized the front page of the paper. He frowned for a moment before he recognized it as one of the articles he held in his folder. Kasen took a step to the side and opened up the folder he'd been holding on to.
It was still wet from being dropped onto the snowy parking lot of the Roadhouse, but luckily the printing hadn't smudged. He checked quickly to make sure the entire article was there as the Mustard Man watched him suspiciously. As if somehow, looking at a folder of papers that Kasen had had since he'd come in was somehow illegal and harmful to his establishment.
"We've already got that article, thanks. Just haven't had time to read it yet," Kasen said with a look to Sarah who'd seemed interested in the paper. "Plus I'm very nearly out of money. Just my change and that's it."
He gave a concerned, but interested frown. "So, did you know anyone from there?" he asked in an almost conspiratorial tone. It seemed unlikely, but it was always possible that the Mustard Man might actually know something that wasn't in the article.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Feb 27, 2010 2:13:19 GMT -5
"We've already got that article, thanks."
Eve's lips parted, her eyes going wide. He was looking at the pieces of file he'd recovered from the Roadhouse.
"You mean..." She trailed off; the answer to her question was obvious. He'd gone to Ellen looking for connections to that Cult of his, and they'd come up with Dakota. Harvelle's bunch were smart, and Eve might not know them well, but she'd never heard of them steering a Hunter down a goose chase before... which meant there was almost definitely some kind of supernatural element involved in these disappearances.
She felt a twinge of guilt as Kasen mentioned how low he was on cash - Eve had basically an unlimited supply, thanks to the magic of plastic and a guilty mom - but then, he had offered to buy. She'd pay for dinner, she supposed...
"So, did you know anyone from there?"
Interesting question. South Dakota wasn't exactly around the corner, but if the shopkeeper did have some personal stake in the disappearances, it might explain his sour attitude.
...No such luck. His sneer returned as he reached into the register, digging about for Kasen's change, which had gotten mixed in with the pennies in his earlier excitement over the newspaper article.
"'Know them?' Of course I 'know them.' See them passing through every day. Drifters, layabouts. No jobs and hardly enough money to pay for gas 'n coffee. In fact," After meticulous counting, he finally dropped the proper change on the counter next to the coffee and leveled his gaze with Eve. "You probably know more of 'em than I have, huh? I saw the way your eyes lit up when you saw that article. Missing home, are we?"
She'd had enough. Maybe his obnoxious attitude was getting to her, maybe it was plain exhaustion, or maybe he'd just hit on the part of her that really did miss home. Eve rolled her eyes, reached forward, and grabbed her coffee cup.
"Sure, sir. I'm a runaway. I'm self-absorbed when I'm not interested in the news, and I'm hiding something when I am. We're also both underhanded thieves; even though we paid we must be swindling you somehow, and I'm sure you'll figure it out the second we drive off, huh?" She shook her head, turning to Kasen. "Can we get out of here, please?"
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Feb 27, 2010 18:22:14 GMT -5
Well, it looked like his companion had finally gotten to her last straw. He gave the girl a nod. He was quite ready as well. It seemed that the man knew nothing of use after all. Kasen dumped his change into his pocket and with an overly enthusiastic "thank you" just to annoy the man further, he grabbed up his snack and drink and headed for the door.
The Mustard Man was left grumbling behind the counter. Kasen was sure he overheard several grumbling protests and name calls, but he didn't look back. He was eager as well to get out of there and take a good look at that article. Something was going on in South Dakota. Ellen of the Roadhouse had come through on that account. Whether or not that had anything to do with his 'mission' had yet to be determined, but there was only one way to do that.
But what of Sarah?
He glanced at her questioningly past his cup of coffee, the folder burning in his hand.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Feb 27, 2010 23:10:19 GMT -5
She didn't think she'd realized quite how oppressive the atmosphere had been in that store until she was back out in the open air. She drew a long breath, enjoying the feel of the icy air in her lungs - the way it seemed to send sparks into her brain, nudging her flagging senses awake. The sky had darkened considerably while they'd been inside, but with coffee in hand and the crisp winter air, she felt confident she would be able to make it through another night.
A hint of a smile touched her lips and she glanced over to Kasen, only to find him already eyeing her questioningly. Her gaze flicked to the folder in his hand.
"So, South Dakota, huh? Only a few hours north from here; if we wanted, we could make it tonight, no problem."
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