Chase
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Post by Chase on Feb 9, 2010 20:34:05 GMT -5
Blood was thrumming in his ears, and he pictured the streets in shades of crimson as he stalked from the park, toward the barely substantial call of warm bodies.
Hell, he missed the cities. Back in New York, in LA, Chicago... he could walk the streets any time of day and find someone to cut on whenever he got the itch. It would be quiet and clean, some too-clever-for-their-own-good know-it-all was always cutting through some dark alley or other. He could get his stress out and leave behind the mess to be blamed on gang violence, but here... here would be tricky.
It was the middle of the day, which left all potential kiddie targets tucked away at school. Not to mention that kids would be... boring. Not like a lot of people were ever really a challenge for him, but why make life even duller than usual by picking on people who were specially designed to be nothing more than tiny little victims in the first place?
Which pretty much left meandering young adults too dumb to be at school and too privileged to have a job, and overweight business execs enjoying an extended lunch break.
Peachy.
He approached the intersection sporting the town's little market, in time to see some perfect cliche of a little old Granny come out, a brown bag in each arm. Her hair was pale gray and wisped out around her head in ghostly curls, she peered at the sidewalk in front of her with half-moon glasses, and if ever a granny did totter this one did, seeming on the verge of wobbling to the ground each time she lifted a foot.
He froze, watching the woman's slow, unsteady movements. His hand twitched in the direction of his hidden blade, and a hint of a smile quirked the edge of his lips.
And then, quite suddenly, the old woman swiveled her head, caught his eye, offered a sweet smile, and said, "Hello there, darling. Would you mind helping an old lady with her groceries?"
And Chase shook off his bloodlust, nodded, and jogged across the street to take the woman's bags.
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Feb 19, 2010 12:00:31 GMT -5
She wasn't sure whether or not she should follow him. In fact, whenever she thought about that look on his face, that sudden expression of shock and malice (and she wasn't the kind of person to use outdated words like "malice" lightly) she started kind of leaning toward not.
But how could she not follow him? He was different, special, like her. He was the only person in the whole world who knew her secret, and he'd still accepted her despite it. Because of it, even. And more than that, he was her friend, and friends didn't abandon friends just because they suddenly freaked out and started looking like they wanted to strangle a kitten.
Christian.
There was something about that word, that slip of the tongue, that had sent him running. She wouldn't be a good friend if she didn't try to find out what that something was. And, besides, he'd left behind his jacket, which she fully intended to use as an excuse when she caught up to him.
His head start and determined stride had placed him several streets ahead of her, and he maintained that lead until he stopped suddenly, across from the general store. Alonna didn't care to consider what had made him stop, and was only glad for the chance to catch up. She hurried forward, only to freeze just as quickly as an elderly woman smiled and beckoned him forward like an old friend.
Apparently whatever bad mood had taken over at the park had left him, because he moved forward to greet her and take her shopping bags.
Alonna paused, suddenly indecisive about approaching the pair. Who was this person? Why had Chase never mentioned her? The answers eluded her, and not knowing bothered her might have only ten minutes before. So instead of going forward (like a sane person, she chided herself silently), she stayed back and watched their interaction with a critical gaze.
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Chase
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Post by Chase on Feb 21, 2010 14:41:03 GMT -5
The old woman sighed, a prim little escape of sound, as Chase took the bags from her hands. For all appearances, he was relieving her of a hefty burden, so he was more than a little surprised to find that the bags could hardly have weighed a pound and a half, altogether. Glancing down, he quirked a brow at the feather-light contents: cotton swabs and old-fashioned linen bandages, boxes of Kleenax and a fist-sized container of rubbing alcohol.
"I think maybe you could've handled this by yourself, Grams."
The woman smiled over her spectacles.
"Perhaps, but it's the thought that counts, my dear boy." Chase rolled his eyes as he began down the quiet street, keeping in step with the woman's slow, careful pace.
"I don't know - I've always put more stock in appearances."
"Well, if the intention is there," the woman offered, "it will be sure to shine through in your actions."
"Hell, I hope not," Chase replied with a smile, and the woman chuckled right along with him.
"You're young, and have a lot to learn about life, dear. No matter the situation, the best way to get what you're looking for is to be honest. Sooner or later, lies will begin to eat through to the surface."
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Feb 23, 2010 0:16:18 GMT -5
Alonna was too far off to hear anything that was being said, but even from where she watched across the street, something about the interaction struck an odd chord within her. The longer she watched, the less this seemed like a random Good Samaritan act, and the more like... they knew each other?
She frowned a little, trying to decide if she had ever come across this woman before - in passing in town, in the diner, and came up blank. Not that that meant anything. Her town might've been small, but she wouldn't claim to know even an eighth of the people who lived there by sight. How did Chase know her... and what about her had sent his mood reeling so violently back in a positive direction?
Confused, curious, and a little reluctant to interrupt whatever was going on between the pair, she hung back, trailing at half-speed as they moved down the opposite side of the street, and debating whether to just go home and return the jacket some other time.
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Chase
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Post by Chase on Feb 23, 2010 18:12:41 GMT -5
The comment would've troubled Chase more if he actually took any of the Granny's pseudo-wise-woman yammerings seriously. In his book, though, honesty could be used at most in small dashes, like a sprinkling of salt to add spice to an otherwise tasteless meal. Spread on too much, and you'd start to choke on it.
Which is why he should never have uttered that damned name...
The woman squinted at him through the sunlight, expression still shining with that frustrating, all-knowing smile.
"So anyway, Chase, how did your little date go?"
His pace faltered, and he turned to search the woman's gaze. Her smile and eyes remained as innocent as her question. He wanted to strangle her. Freaking old people...
"Would that possibly fall under the category of 'none of your freaking business'," he questioned carefully. The woman huffed, stopping and facing him as well.
"Don't fault an old woman for wanting a little vicarious excitement, boy. And anyways, I was just wondering because the girl in question seems to be quite eager to see you again."
Great, and now Granny thought she was psychic. Where did they find these people, really?
"And what makes you say that?"
"Because," Her eyes moved past him and traveled down the street the way they'd come. "She seems to have come running after you. In my humble experience I'd say that means it either went very well, or very poorly."
Come running... Chase turned quickly, following the woman's gaze.
"Alonna?"
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Mar 17, 2010 14:24:53 GMT -5
She almost vanished in the heartbeat that the old woman glanced at her. A rush of panic, a sudden desire not to be noticed, was the best way to get her gift up and running in a pinch. That was how she'd first discovered it, after all; that day she'd heard Brendan calling to her from down the street and known that he was the last person in the world she wanted to talk to, and then watched him pause, puzzled, looking straight through her. As though all at once she'd vanished from sight.
Crazy, huh?
Luckily, she'd gotten a little more control over the power since then, and with an effort of will she managed to keep herself whole and visible despite the "kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar" feel that rushed over her as the woman said a few quiet words and Chase spun to meet her gaze as well. Not that going invisible would've helped her around Chase, anyway.
Her lips quirked in a nervous, apologetic smile. Apologizing for what, exactly, she wasn't sure. He was the one who'd pulled a Hyde and stormed off with no explanation, after all. Still, sneaking after a person who clearly wanted to be left alone warranted some kind of an explanation, she guessed.
She jogged across the street and came to a stop near the pair, shifting uncomfortably under twin gazes.
"Hey, um. Sorry, it's just that you... well, you left so quick and I decided that... I mean... You forgot your jacket." She held out the dark denim nestled in her arms like a peace offering. "I... didn't know when we were seeing each other again so I thought, best to return it right away. You know."
She trailed off again, awkwardly, before shifting her smile to the unfamiliar woman.
"I'm Alonna, by the way. Nice to meet you."
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Chase
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Post by Chase on Apr 10, 2010 9:55:16 GMT -5
If it hadn't been vital to stay on the girl's good side, he would've taken the jacket and told her to buzz off. What had happened by the park, that moment of weakness, had caught him completely off-guard. If he hadn't known unequivocally that it would lead to a slow and torturous death, he would have scrubbed the mission right then.
But he'd had a few minutes to calm down since he'd stormed off, and he couldn't have come up with a better opportunity to start over with the girl if he'd planned it. It didn't matter how they'd gotten to this point, it only mattered that she had been concerned enough about him to want to make sure he was alright.
Still, before he could take advantage of the opportunity to humbly apologize for his behavior, the old woman jumped in.
"Alonna, how very wonderful to meet you. Dear Chase here has mentioned you quite often – says that you’re the only thing that makes this small town less dull, and-”
Alright, there was complimenting the girl, but this was laying it on a bit thick. No reason to get nauseating about it.
“Hey, Granny,” Chase cut in sharply. “Remember that whole thing where you don’t talk in public?” He squinted through the sunlight at Alonna, and rolled his eyes to take the bite off his words “I… never said any of that. She’s just… you know old people and their medications.”
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Apr 15, 2010 21:53:27 GMT -5
It was kind of cute, she decided, the embarrassed little defensiveness... or it would've been, anyway, if it hadn't been part of the second violent mood swing he'd had in less than ten minutes. His stalking off had severely shaken her and she wasn't about to let it go just because he'd suddenly perked up again... especially because it was seeming less like she knew him by the moment.
"Granny?" Both brows raised as she glanced between the pair. "You haven't said anything about having relatives in town."
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Chase
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Post by Chase on Apr 15, 2010 22:56:21 GMT -5
"Family..." The word burned like holy water on his tongue. "Oh. No, she's not..." The old woman cut into Chase's stammering response, smiling cheerfully.
"'Granny' is just the delightful nickname Chase came up with to remind me how old I am." And then she reached up and patted his cheek. His cheek. It took everything he had not to twitch violently, and only slightly less not to send her flailing to the concrete.
It was getting painful; physically painful for him to stand here. The fact that the little Princess had come running after him was a good sign, but it also left him without the opportunity to therapeutically rip somebody's heart out. He was still seething inside from his own slip up and he wanted nothing more than to make some random passerby pay for it; but he hadn't come as far as he had within the organization without managing to be flexible. He offered Alonna a faint, embarrassed grin.
"Yeah, this is actually Mrs. Forrester, my landlady. She's renting out one of her rooms to me while I'm in town."
"And he has been such a Godsend to an old lady since he's come here, doing so many little chores for me around the house, and livening up the place on top of it. Since my grandchildren all moved off to bigger and brighter towns let me tell you, it's been far too quiet and lonely in that little place alone."
"And I've told you, I'm happy to help out where I can. In fact," aiming a pointed look at the aging woman, "there was no need for you to come out shopping by yourself. I would've been glad to take care of it this evening."
"Don't be silly, dear. I was just picking up a few items. And if I hadn't come out I wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting darling Alonna here, would I?"
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Apr 15, 2010 23:15:27 GMT -5
Alonna couldn't help laughing a little at that. The "Granny" nickname was certainly fitting - the woman reminded her of every sweet old grandmother from every family movie she'd ever seen.
"Thanks," she said, still beaming at Mrs. Forrester's catchingly cheerful attitude. It was really no wonder that Chase seemed to have shaken off whatever mood he'd gotten into since meeting up with her. "It's so nice to meet you, too. But, um... Chase, do you mind maybe talking for just a minute?"
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Chase
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Post by Chase on Apr 15, 2010 23:31:01 GMT -5
She just wouldn't let it go, would she? Both women were looking at him expectantly now, and he took a moment to the groceries about in his arms a little before realizing he was stalling. Pathetic.
"Uh, yeah. Sure. Granny, do you mind...?"
If nothing else, she could at least et a hint pretty quickly. "I should probably start making my way back, then, hmm? After all, with your long legs you'll speed off ahead of me and disappear if I don't get a bit of a head start." And then she did that ridiculous cheek patting thing again, before turning her attention to Alonna, giving a goodbye so heartfelt that you'd have thought they'd spent a weekend getting to know each other rather than all of thirty seconds, and turning to shuffle off down the street.
Chase could have wrung her neck... if only she weren't such a useful cover.
He didn't watch her move away, focusing his attention quickly back on Alonna instead. She was still holding the denim jacket, looking a little like a lost school girl, but she didn't seem as nervous or suspicious as she had before. The old woman really did have her uses after all, but now it was Chase's turn to finish cleaning up the mess he'd made.
"So... about what happened back there..."
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Apr 15, 2010 23:55:08 GMT -5
She waited for a moment for him to continue, twisting one sleeve of the jacket nervously in her hands, but he trailed off and stayed silent, seeming unwilling, or unable, to talk about it. Drawing in a short breath - she hadn't forgotten his expression back there in the park, and it had scared her - she decided to take the first step.
"We had a great lunch back there, Chase, and I ended up getting to talk about something I haven't told to another living soul. Honestly my head is still spinning from that; that somebody knows... that you know. And that I'm not the only person who's... like this." She found her eyes darting downward shyly, and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear before forcing her gaze back up. "And it was so easy to talk to you about it. It would be really nice to know that you trusted me enough to talk about whatever's bothering you."
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Chase
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Post by Chase on Apr 29, 2010 21:46:54 GMT -5
Hell, they were going to have to start getting mushy now, weren't they? All sweet and doll-like, and guts spilled out on the sidewalk for anybody to walk by and step on. He hated it. It made his insides writhe.
For the good of the mission.
"Yeah, I shouldn't have run off like that. It was, you know, a good lunch. I might have a little more experience in this kind of thing than you do, but it's not exactly a picnic for me to go opening up about myself either." This was strangely hard for him to say, maybe because it was uncomfortably close to being honest. He forced a laugh. It sounded forced, which, if he were to be perfectly honest, he hadn't entirely intended. "Especially because it's hard not to admit what I know without sounding like some kind of stalker freak. So thanks for not running away on me. ... You know, like I did."
She wasn't a stupid girl. Naive, a bit of a sheltered princess, but not stupid. She'd paid attention while he talked and she knew when he'd stopped, what had shaken him up. Maybe Granny was right about this - a boldfaced lie wasn't going to help him here. He averted his eyes, gritted his teeth, sucked in a sharp breath through them - for the good of the mission - and muttered,
"The people I lived with, my... family. They called me Christian. That name is a reminder of a lot that I don't want to be reminded of, alright? I didn't mean to say it. I won't be saying it again. That ok with you?"
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Apr 30, 2010 0:43:07 GMT -5
She'd guessed that Christian must be his name, somehow - what else could she have thought? - but it was good to hear him say it outright. A dozen more questions wanted to jump from her tongue, like why did he hate the name Christian? Where did "Chase" come from? How come he had started out referring to his family as "the people I lived with"? (After all, as much as she loathed her own mother, it would never have even occurred to her to deny their relationship altogether) Still, she managed to hold her tongue.
He'd told her this much, and it had clearly taken effort. She shrugged, a smile touching her lips.
"You know what? Families suck, ok? Universal truth. Let's just consider that whole subject case closed."
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Post by Chase on Apr 30, 2010 1:06:01 GMT -5
Huh, imagine that. That vague confession had gone over a lot easier than he'd thought.
"Sounds good. And look, we really should talk more about this, soon. There's some more stuff I should let you know about the whole... you know." He pushed his hair back from his face, smirking. "I feel like we should have a code word for this or something."
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Apr 30, 2010 1:23:32 GMT -5
Alonna laughed, feeling for the first time like she was back with the Chase she'd known before the whole "Christian" incident (as she'd taken to thinking of it).
"And now we're back into the comics talk, are we? Though I guess having code names would be better than talking about our..." She glanced around conspiratorially and lowered her voice, leaning in. "...Our superpowers on a public street." She paused for a moment, contemplating, and then shrugged. "I've just been calling it my gift."
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Post by Chase on Apr 30, 2010 1:55:35 GMT -5
"'Gift,' huh?" That was a pretty optimistic view, though he guessed he shouldn't have really expected anything else from the Princess. He wondered if she'd feel the same way if she discovered that her wonderful gift had come from a mouthful of demon blood. "Well, gotta say, as secret code names go, that one's pretty tame." He paused, rolling his eyes up in mock consideration. "But... I guess it's smarter to be seen talking about a few people's 'gifts' than an Archangel Project or something." He glanced back down the street, to find the old lady shuffling down the street with very pointed slowness.
"Anyway, I should probably get back to Granny. I'm really kind of half expecting her to topple over with all those groceries on her own."
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Apr 30, 2010 2:17:56 GMT -5
She followed his gaze back toward his landlady and smiled at her slow but very determined struggle to make it down the road while juggling her goods. She could only hope she was that tough when she got to be her age. And she also hoped she'd have some nice younger "grandson" around to keep her from having to prove it.
Sighing dramatically, she lifted a hand to wave him away.
"Alright, nice excuse. I guess you'll get to escape without hearing my mockery for that 'Archangel' suggestion, then. Oh, and don't forget your jacket."
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Chase
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Post by Chase on Apr 30, 2010 2:30:17 GMT -5
"Ah, yes. The jacket. The one and only, very important reason you followed me all the way down here."
He smirked, and then took it without waiting for answering jibe. Despite the strange winter heat, he slid it back on. He wouldn't be able to hold it as well as the bags.
"So anyway, I'll give you a call later, alright? We should really talk again soon, about... gifts."
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Post by Alonna Swanson on Apr 30, 2010 2:37:59 GMT -5
Her heart jumped a little bit as he used the word, her very own special, secret code word, for her very own, not so secret, special power. She beamed.
"You seriously have no idea how good that sounds. Talking about it, I mean. And I still have about twelve million questions."
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