Milk and Roses (closed for Apollo Wilde and Rajura)

'Sounds...sound,” Cash said, trying to sound like he had an inkling of understanding. He gave a nod though and focused on what he could understand.

“Alright. Got cha, think of home. I can do that.” He still didn't sound like he had much confidence in the entire idea, but then again Cash wasn't that good of a liar. It didn't seem to matter much though, his input was of little value and he really had nothing to offer besides just smiling and nodding. When she spun and swelled up on him all of the sudden Cash instinctively flinched, though instead of bringing his hands up to his face he tightened them around hers. Wait, how did they get there? They weren't suppose to be there, for a moment he honesty thought it was his doing, though her chanting caught his attention before the idea could go too far.

“There's no place like home,” He muttered, furrowing his brow as he attempted to focus and project a mental image of his apartment. The process of actively thinking about a specific thing was harder than he anticipated, especially with her glowing and muttering and...well...the glowing part was the most distracting part. Though her touch was also just a little bit distracting, too gentle and surprisingly soft, or at least softer than he expected. What did he expect from this hard ass? To be made of stone? His mind began to wander once more though as quickly as she started to stagger and fall into him was more than enough to bring him back around. He met her look with one of his own, concern etched perfectly over his features. His hands tightened on her by instinct alone, tightening as he felt the undeniable pull of someone needing to be held in an all too intimate fashion. Then she gasped his name, made that sound in the back of her throat that was a gasp and continued to speak. He'd heard it before, usually online by someone totally faking it, but when she said it he couldn't help but tighten his grip further and feel a radiant flush take him over. His lips parted and he fully intended to say something, not that he had any clue what he would say in this moment. His thoughts were everywhere, here and now, all over her, only sparingly focused on what he was suppose to be thinking about.

When she barked Cash snapped, a familiar sensation taking over him. He could relate with that tone, it was far more similar to the one she had been using all night already. “Alright!” He barked back, glaring at her in a vain attempt to assert some control. “I'm thinkin', for fuck's sake!”

Cash closed his eyes and clenched his body entirely, the muscles in his limbs tensing up along with his hands that clutched desperately at her own. He wasn't sure what to do other than think, though when he thought of home it wasn't the two bedroom apartment complex he shared with Ashley Higgins, a girl that pretty in a dumpy kind of way, but more so the place he fondly remembered as 'home'. Home was a red trailer with a screen door in a nondescript trailer park, with a fat man in a Hawaiian shirt (unbuttoned of course) that looked like a cheap knock off of Captain Lou Albano. Besides the wide and welcoming smile the only thing of note was the complex patterns of tattoos that seemed to cover every inch of flesh that could be seen, very similar to Cash himself. That was where all the power came from, that impressive source of arcane energies didn't actually come from within as it did for most practitioners of magic. Most forms utilized some what of taping that energy, which relied on at least a basic understanding of the force that one was tampering with. This, the intricate lines of the tattoos acted more like a lattice work to bind the energy from an outside force, sucking it up and storing it much like a battery. Each separate tattoo, while unique in its own right, was connected with intermingling lines of arcane script, creating a link, a circuit for the trapped energies. All Cash had to do was focus on one particular tattoo, which could involve simply touching it or mentally focusing upon it to bring out the desired effect. Each tattoo was tied to a separate and unique effect, in essence a specific spell tattooed right into his skin. It was utterly worthless to anyone that didn't have some way of tapping the energy and releasing it, much as Bernadette was all too quick to learn.
 
Trailer park?

She didn’t know of any trailer park in the city.

But the damage had already been done.

Unable to contain the sheer power that flowed through her, the spell was effectively cast - and the ground opened beneath them in a hail of gold. So quickly did it happen that she didn’t even have time to shriek before they were both hurtled ass over teakettle into the void.

She had no idea how long they fell. Darkness suddenly gave way to sunlight, brown scrub grass and…was that a plastic flamingo? The next thing she knew, she was landing solidly on firm packed dirt, the breath knocked out of her. Too dazed and burnt out to register where she was, she simply lay there, spread eagle on the ground, blinking. Well….wherever she was, the sun was out. And there was an actual plastic pink flamingo next to her. So…she hadn’t lost her mind.

With a groan, she struggled to roll over onto her side. Every muscle screamed at her in protest. Pressing a hand to her forehead, she struggled to clear her focus so she could at least figure out where the hell she was.

Fuck.

Her abilities were well and truly fried. Placing her hands under her, she swore. Her malas, the loops of beads that surrounded each forearm, were shattered. Her arms were covered in tiny nicks and burns from where Cash’s powers had overloaded them. She looked down at her outfit, and felt her face burn. Apparently in the burst of energy that shattered the malas, a fair amount of shrapnel had kicked back and cut long swathes into her outfit. One false move, and her left breast would be entirely exposed. Grumbling, she sucked in a deep breath, and struggled to stand. She had to get up. Had to focus - but the minute she found her feet under her, they were gone again, and she flopped back hard onto her ass in the dirt.

Her vision swimming again before her eyes, she shook her head to clear it. Looked around her. She was in a place that she’d never seen before. It was definitely a trailer park….but it didn’t feel like anywhere close to where she knew.

“Cash…?” Her voice was weak, light. She nearly fell over again, just from the effort of saying his name. “Cash?” She tried again, forcing her voice to be steady and louder.
 
Cash really did hate teleportation in any form. Be it from spells or portals, it always ended up the same. The sense of vertigo this time was far more intense than he recalled experiencing before. It was going to be a damn shame if that perfect burger came back up in a brutal hörk session. He managed to stick the landing as the earth suddenly came back up underneath him, though he lurched forward as his knees gave way. Both hands came to rest upon his knees as he stood there hunched over, finding just enough force of will to resist the sense of nausea. Thankfully it was short lived and after a few deep breaths he was thinking straight again, well as close as he could get. Still, there was a nagging sense of lethargy as he stood up, like he was winded from running at full speed for several minutes.

It took him far too long to realize where he was. Then again he never really thought he'd see this place again, let along get zapped there by a spell jump started with his own juice. The ugly plastic flamingos were still there, along with the faded and chipped red exterior of a sizable but unassuming mobile home. A small porch along with a back extension were built off of the original single trailer, giving it a quaint look complete with cheap plastic deck furniture and a three legged barbecue. Everything looked old and unattended, like it hadn't been touched in years. Bernadette was all but forgotten as Cash rasied up from his hunched position and let his gaze drift over the mobile home and it's surroundings. The overwhelming sense of nostalgia was only over shadowed by the ache of his heart. He wanted to smile at the vivid memories came to mind, though could just as easily frown when less favorable ones resurfaced as well.

“The fuck...” He managed to say, hands coming to rest upon his hips as he stared long and hard at the side of the mobile home, as if something would change, leap out at him, attack, maybe green him or hand out girl scout cookies and lemonade. Cautiously he took a step forward, only to flinch and sharply step back when he heard his voice echo in the still, humid air. At first he didn't recognize it, though once she regained her focus and managed to belt it out a little bit steadier Cash quickly came crashing back down to reality. He searched for her briefly, only to find the woman on her ass, looking like she just took a tumble out of the shit tree and hit every branch on the way down.

“Holy shit fuck. You look like ass,” Cash stated needlessly, though he didn't just stand there and gawk. All too quickly he was upon her, first taking a squat next to her before tugging on her right arm and slipping his shoulders underneath it. For a brief moment he thought about just picking her up, though even in her seemingly weakened state he knew her pride would find a way to make him pay for the indignity.

“C'mon, get yer ass outta the dirt. I dunno how the fuck we got here but I guess we can consider ourselves lucky I still got a key,” Cash helped Bernadette to her feet, keeping close and more or less only offer support when she needed it. The few steps up the porch seemed to take forward, only when they got to the screen door did Cash reach into his pocket and fish out a keychain. There was only one key on it, though he had enough trinkets jangling from the other end to choke a goat, maybe a pony. He flung the screen door back and waved the keychain in front of the door. Then nothing. Cash glared at the door and muttered to himself before he started to pick through the trinkets one by one, letting them drop down on the big metal ring. After letting several drop he found the one he was looking for, an ornate trinket that was vaguely shaped like an old timey key, the circular head sported two horns and a glinting ruby eye in the middle. While certainly key shaped, it also certainly didn't fit in any keyhole of a modern door. But Cash wasn't going for that, instead he raised it up near eye level and held it aloft towards the door. After just a few moments the ruby began to shine with it's own inner radiance. Just for a moment before there was an audible click of a lock being thrown open.

“Huh. Still works. Lucky me,” He muttered before turning back to Bernadette and offering his hand back to her. “C'mon, almost there.”

The inside of the mobile home was surprisingly clean, a stark contrast to the outside that told a story of several years of neglect. The temperature was comfort, the lighting soft and the furniture, while slightly used, was of decent quality. It was little more than a big living room connected to a kitchen, along with a small hallway leading into darkness. The living room was where Cash guided her, straight to the brown corduroy couch that sagged in the middle. There was the faint scent of tobacco all around, which brought out a nostalgic sensation, at least in Cash. He paused long enough to look around the room, taking it in. He was visibly effected by it, the look on his face was a mixture of sourness and longing.

“I guess we can crash here for awhile...how long does it take to get yer juice back? Or can you just tap back into mine?” Cash pelted her with questions as he tugged the coffee table closer and promptly sat down on it. Behind him was a wall full of VHS movies, covering nearly ever genre and almost every classic imaginable. They were all neatly ordered on bookshelves that covered the entire wall, the occasional odd trinket or artifact poking out from between genres. The TV in the corner looked positively ancient, a bulky number that would take two to lift or even adjust. Cash found himself looking around once more, his gaze finally settling upon it. He grew quiet, his typical self showing just briefly when he spoke. But now he was far more quiet and reserved, sullen even.
 
Fire flickered in her eyes, and she was prepared to say something snide to him in rebuttal to his comment about her appearance (because of course she looked like ass! She knew that! And as bad as she knew she looked, she felt a million times worse), but was stopped as he knelt beside her. Maybe her vision was still blurry, or that the surge of magic she’d tapped into from him had actually done some permanent damage, but…he looked…not that bad as he helped her up. Maybe she’d even go so far as to say he looked…handsome.

For a moment, she just stared at him, speechless. A faint hint of a blush spread across her cheeks, before she shook her head, trying to clear it. Which ended up being a disaster: she was trembling on her feet, and then her feet weren’t under her anymore. Thankfully, he’d let go to fumble for the keys, and she didn’t actually take him down with her. When he turned to face her again, she was on the ground, struggling to get back up. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the effort, and though she normally was an ace at masking her actual feelings / strain from using magic, this had simply shattered all of those limits. When her eyes met his, there was a helplessness there that she couldn’t hide. The corners of her mouth twisted down. She wouldn’t ask for help. She couldn’t.

With a bitten off growl, she forced herself back to her feet – and took one shaking step after another towards him. What was only about a foot felt like five miles, and by the time she made it back to his outstretched hand, she was soaked in sweat. Collapsing onto the couch, she promptly fainted.

_____

An endless ribbon of blue, the ocean stretched out in front of her. It’d been ages since she’d seen the sea. The sand was white velvet under her feet, and above her, the sun filtered through leaves of vibrant green. Inhaling, the air was rich with the smell of salt, the decay of the forest, and the succulent smell of blossoms. Stepping forward, she slid her feet into the surf, watching as the foam lapped at her ankles. She wanted to sit, to enjoy this for a bit longer, but there was something in the distance. She squinted, raising her hand to shield her eyes. It seemed that there was…an island? No, not quite an island, but a city. A beautiful city, out where the ocean faded from pale blue to a deeper violet blue.

Cold fingers raked across her chest, and she backed up, stepping out of the ocean. Something was wrong. The sky, once sheer blue, began to darken, and the hairs on her arms stood up. She looked down; realized she was in her Hunter’s attire, her malas intact, resonating with the flickering of the magnificent city in the distance.

__

She jerked awake with a small gasp.

It took her far longer than it should have to register that she was completely naked on the couch. Slapping her arms over her chest, she sat up, curling in on herself from the pain and sheer fatigue that even that small motion brought back to her. As tired as her body was, the brief rest from her passing out was enough to spark her brain back in motion.

That was some serious magic.

She’d never been so drained of chi that her enchanted garb simply flickered out of existence. And in the long history of the Manos, she couldn’t think of a single mention of the same thing happening. And that power! Like a magnet, it drew her in, from that simple touch. Beckoned to her. And could have quickly devoured her, mind and soul, adding her considerable skills to his. Did he realize that? Or was it something that she’d done wrong? Very well could have been the latter…he didn’t seem the type to drain others. Not with that self-righteous attitude.

“…Ai-yah,” she whispered to herself. She was way over her head.

Modesty cast aside for self-preservation, she stretched her hands out in front of her. The occasional perfectly round burn marred the skin, as well as several small cuts. They hadn’t healed. Tentatively, she reached down inside of herself, tried to focus in on the life inside of her, onto that small coil of power in the pit of her stomach…and felt it respond, a light flickering. With a sigh of relief, she dropped her hands. Her chi was still intact (well, of course it was; she was still alive), but wasn’t strong enough for her to try and cast any sort of spell, healing or not.

“Guess I gotta norm it up for a while,” she said, again to herself, with a bit of a sigh. With the malas gone (the only part of her Hunter’s garb that remained regardless if she was “transformed” or not), there was no way she could humor amplifying what little power she had to heal herself, let alone get them out of their current situation. She studied the palms of her hands, taking in deep, slow breaths. She had to focus, first and foremost. The natural instinct was to panic – who wouldn’t? She was stark naked in a completely foreign place and her magic was inaccessible. And no cell phone.

Well. First thing was first – she needed clothes.
 
After a few moments of complete silence Cash drew his gaze away from his surroundings and back to his new colleague only to find her completely zonked out. She passed out where she first flopped down, her body more or less on display for him. It felt slightly wrong to ogle her when she wasn't conscious, though Cash let his gaze linger for just a few moments longer than was appropriate. He wasn't getting answers from a passed out naked woman, that much he knew. So he did the only thing that he thought was appropriate. With a sigh he slapped his knees and hoisted himself back up to his feet, his gaze finally slipping from her and once more drifted about the room.

“Nah, it's cool. You rest, I got this...” He muttered to himself, one hand sliding up through his hair, pushing it back from his eyes that still moved around the room. After a few long moments of inner debate Cash stepped away from the couch and disappeared down the dark hallway. He could see the vague outline of the hallway, though he didn't even need that to know where he was going. Cash could walk the length of the trailer, dodging the furniture and walls with supernatural instinct. Well, not really supernatural, more like he had just done it so many times in the past that it became second nature. Cash stopped at the first door he came to, a worn yellow plastic sign declaring to 'Keep Out' still hanging from it by a nail. He hesitated for just a few breaths before he grabbed the knob and pushed the door open. The air was still and hot, the dust swirling in the sudden movement of air from the door's movement. It danced in the thin yellow rays emanating from the partially closed shades, bathing the entire room in an ancient haze. Unlike the living room, this room showed its age, the posters on the walls of various 90's grunge and alternative rock bands were faded and everything else was covered in a thin layer of dust. The sight brought another bout of bitter sweet nostalgia that gave Cash pause. He was unable to pass the threshold for several long moments but after a deep breath he steeled his will and took a step forward. It was like stepping into the past, for a brief moment the bitterness was gone, replaced by the familiar sense of eagerness he displayed in his youth. If Bernadette thought he was a hot head now, if she could only see him as a reckless teenager.

Cash spent far too long in his old room, going through the items that remained of his time here. They were few and far between, mostly comic books that had unfortunately not lasted the test of time and the occasional book. He had tried to read most of them several times before giving up, Cash never could focus or sit still long enough to get through but a few pages at best. They had remained behind when he finally left, most of them exactly where he had left them. After sifting through a few dusty books and one adult magazine that had seen better days (it was the mildew that made the pages stick – hand to God) Cash remembered just why he had decided to venture in here and risk a stroll down bitter sweet memory lane. The drawers of the old dresser always stuck, he'd have to give it a shake and a tug to get them going along the track. It took him a few tries to get a hang of it once more, once he did he found just what he was looking for. There were a few articles of clothing still remaining, many of them still in decent condition with minimal moth or mildew damage. He rifled through a couple drawers and fished out a few shirts and a pair of gray workout shorts. He had no idea if any of this would fit, though the idea of going in to confirm any measurements he thought of did cross his mind a time or two. But Cash was above getting his jollies on unconscious women even if they were smoking hot. He stopped at the hallway closet and drew out an old quilted blanket and a sponge pillow still with a white pillow case. Whatever magical effect that was keeping the living room clean and tidy obviously affected the hallway as well since both pillow and blanket were in excellent condition.

Cash tried not to look as he wandered back into the living room and dropped the pile of clothing onto the coffee table, the pillow and blanket tossed onto the couch beside Bernadette's unconscious body. He hesitated for just a moment before he finally gave up and leaned in over her. Not for a causal grope or a nice hard and long stare, but to drape the blanket over her as best he could. It was more of a toss really, he didn't want to get too close lest she snap awake and then slap him around like he was in a Looney Tunes episode.

With all that settled Cash now had time to think about priority number one: food. He initially recalled that he had in his possession a to-go box with one of those blessed burgers, yet to his dismay he couldn't find a trace of it. Nothing outside, under the trailer or anywhere else. He finally gave up after a few moments, the idea of that perfect burger floating in the ether for an eternity making him truly depressed. His stomach rumbled as if to throw salt into the open wound, so fierce was it that he was sure it could wake even Bernadette. Thankfully it didn't but neither did it help his current situation, which was swiftly becoming a problem. He wasn't sure why he was so famished, maybe it was a side-effect of their little teleporation experiment. She had said she would absorb some of his power, so it somehow made logical sense to him he'd get hungry afterwards.

Even though he knew it was folly he checked the fridge and the kitchen cabinets anyway, only to confirm his suspicions when he found them bare save for the sadness that filled his heart. There was only one thing to do and Cash was hesitant only briefly to pursue it. He knew the area pretty good, well enough to remember the local gas station down the street right next to a fast food burger joint. He settled upon the idea despite his misgivings about leaving Bernadette by herself. That was a problem he had a solution for, a pity she wouldn't be able to see his ingenuity in the face of adversity.

Cash shrugged his jacket off and tossed it onto the coffee table, revealing the corded muscles of his arms and shoulders. The intricate lattice work of tattoos covered both arms, hints of objects and tattoos overlaying that framework obvious even from far away. He brought two fingers of his left hand over to his right shoulder to tap at the skin directly over a curious rune. It looked a little bit like kanji, or at the very least a minimalist style representation of a cat. As he tapped it the tattoo gave of a subtle violet glow before a bolt of zig-zagging energy leapt forth into the air. It zipped around for just a moment before landing onto the nearby coffee table without a sound. As the radiant arcane energies dissipated the form of a cat appeared from the glow. At first blush it looked like your typical house cat, black with gray stripes running down from head to tail. Yet that was here the familiarity stopped, its eyes were a vivid shade of violet and there was a blaze of white upon its chest, like that of an eight pointed star. Its tail was exceptionally long but thankfully there were no rocking chairs it had to worry about.

“Hey Felix,” Cash said nonchalantly, reaching out to give the cat beast a scritch behind its ear. The feline's opposite ear twitched and a minor look of annoyance drifted across its features.

“I really wish you'd not do that,” The feline said in a soft and lilting language that Cash knew to be Celestial, the language used by those beings that many considered angels and the like. Funny thing was that Cash didn't speak Celestial, yet he could understand the feline perfectly. Such an odd thing that just seemed natural to him he didn't give it a moment's thought.

“But all kitties like pets,” Cash sighed, giving the feline, Felix, a sad, mocking pout. Felix let out a little rumbling hiss of annoyance, his violet gaze narrowed upon Cash. At least until he noticed the slumbering woman nearby.

“Cash. Why is there a naked woman passed out on the sofa?” Felix asked, the annoyed look turning incredulous.

“It's a long story. I'll fill yah in later. Right now I just need you to watch after her, Hmmkay Lil Buddy?” Cash said, already backtracking towards the front door. Felix, while obviously annoyed by it, did nothing but sigh and bowed his head lightly in defeat.


“I'll be back in two shakes of a...somethin' that you shake!” Cash was gone and the door slammed shut before Felix could gather his wits for a retort. Not that there was much to retort back to. Instead he just sighed and glanced back at Bernadette, his head slowly shaking.

“What a moron,” He sighed.


---------------


The purple eyed cat sat upon the coffee table and watched Bernadette rouse with that uncaring look cats often gave. His ears twitched briefly, perking to the sides before they shifted in the direction of Bernadette, listening to the noises she made and every word she spoke.

“Unfortunately, you're as far away from normal as you can get,” Felix responded to her words, unmoving from his spot upon the coffee table near the clothes. “Sorry to startle you, but Ca--” He paused, only to make a face like he was about to hork up a hairball. “Master Curio had to step out and he asked me to watch over you. I believe he left this stuff out for you...” He pawed at the pile of clothing beside him. It was no doubt at this point she realized she wasn't dealing with an ordinary cat. Her existence knowledge of other worldly creatures would easily allow her to figure out just what he was, a Silvanshee, a type of celestial outsider that hailed from another plane of existence. His type was often refereed to as Agathion, a type of celestial creature that, while still good, had little regard for the cosmic struggles of law against chaos. They were often negotiators and meddlers for the cause of good, though rarely seen on the material plane without being summoned. That was easily enough explained with the fact she could understand him completely without knowing the language he spoke, just one of their supernatural aspects, often referred to as Truespeech, which allowed all Agathions to be able to speak with any creature that had a language itself.

“Pardon for the lack of introductions. I'd tell you my name but I don't think the human tongue can properly pronounce it. Cash has taken to calling me Felix. I'm not sure why but it makes him grin when he does it. I believe it's some kind of insult, but it works perfectly fine, so feel free to refer to me as such,” Felix spoke rather eloquently, at least for a cat, he even bowed his head humbly in her direction, though her current state of nudity didn't seem to phase him in the slightest.
 
She squeaked - though it was more in surprise to hear a strange voice than the fact that it was a “cat” speaking.

“Better ‘Felix’ than ‘Fritz’,” she said, with a small smile. “I’m Bernadette Mano.” She inclined her head towards him in a small gesture of respect. Though she had never seen one of his kind up close, she knew enough to offer him his proper deference. While moving still hurt, it was getting easier. It was still with some effort that she stood up.

To his response to her “norm” quip, she ruefully chuckled. “I suppose you’re right.” She reached towards the pile of neatly folded clothes. Unfolding them with a soft snap of fabric, she turned her back to the ‘cat’, pulling the shirt on. A thin line of silver, faint as fishing line, rippled from her left shoulder blade down to the bottom of her right hip. “What I meant is that my chi is pretty much nil. I’m rendered to a normal human being.” She held out her hands again, flexed her fingers. “In a sense. If my chi was gone, I’d be dead. I think…or I hope, rather, that I just got overloaded. I’m about to find out for sure, though.” She pulled on the shorts. She looked like a kid playing around in her older brother’s clothes, but fashion wasn’t important right now.

She gave him another small smile. “Although most times, I’m a ‘normal’ human as it is. Just more in touch with this,” and she placed her hands over her stomach. “The way that chi moves, flows. Prana. You know. Life energy.” She was talking to talk, really - to ease her jangled nerves. Realistically, she figured that such a creature would know who she was, what she was about, and the extent of her magical capacity - and largely not care. She reached behind her, and undid her hair. “I’m going to go outside.”

___

Walking outside had taken her longer than she thought, but it was easier to move with each step. The sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky - apparently she must’ve fallen through in the afternoon. Across the horizon, the sky was fading into the deep orange that was characteristic of sunsets in the Southwest. Well, maybe she wasn’t that far from home. At least they were in the same region. She padded lightly across the scrub grass in her bare feet - her footsteps slowly stopping in their up and down, and became more of an easy glide. One foot after another, her movements began to ease from stiff into graceful. Her breathing deepened, and her eyes closed. Her hands slipped in front of her, formed a circle in front of her chest.

Faint as a whisper, nature began to speak to her. The flow of water in the grass. The dirt that soaked up the sun during the day. The mist of the clouds high above her. The flow of life, all around her, from the ants that crawled across her feet to the birds in the air high above her, spoke back to her.

Lost in the voluminous waves of her hair, she lost herself in the soothing motions of T’ai Chi. Felt the energy of the living world around her, flow into her and flow out of her with each deep breath. And as she moved, her magical aura shifted and grew, her body drinking in the deepening orange gold of the sunset. As she moved, as she exhaled, her breath slipped from her in a whisper of gold smoke, returning the energy from her body back to the world around her. Her palms began to glow, illuminated from the inside. But still she followed the movements, the forms she learned since she was old enough to stand, her hair flowing about her body.

It was only when the night grew chill that her movements stopped. She seemed a new woman - her minor wounds healed, standing up straighter than she had before. Looking down at her fingers, she made a fist. Opened it. Closed it again. Then began the trek back into the trailer. Opening the door, she sighed. “I still need malas.”
 
Felix watched her with those large violet eyes, impassively watching with the typical cat look of indifference. Despite being an otherworldly being of considerable magical might, he had some natural tendencies like any other feline. His long tail swished out behind him, flicking left and right quickly, the thump echoing through the otherwise quiet trailer. At least when she wasn’t talking. If he knew the difference between Fritz and Felix those purple eyes didn’t give it away. He did tip his head when she mentioned her name, a small acknowledgement that was at least respectful.

“Very well,” He added as she headed for the door. Before she even got the screen door open though she felt the rush of air beside her and then the sudden presence of ‘something’ all too close. To her left was Felix, floating near chest level, held aloft by the same magical force that gave him life. It created the subtle breeze that followed him, a little whoosh of energy, just a tingle like short before lightning strikes. His tail slithered behind him through the air, coiling and curling, the tip flickering and fading in and out of this reality. As curious as the feline might be, he did not disturb her. As she moved out of the trailer he followed, despite his general feelings towards Cash he could not disobey a direct order. But that was a discussion for another time. Silently he floated about, feeling as much as watching her as she went through the motions, drawing into herself as she sought out what remained of herself after the ordeal.

While still not part of the material plane, Felix was very much a part of nature in a sense, more a primordial essence of the wild given shape and conscious thought. He felt a resounding reaction to this moment, an undeniable sensation of drawing him in closer. The feline floated in lazy circles around her as she focused, offering a comforting purr to assist her in finding the inner peace she needed.

“Mere trinkets,” Felix scoffed as they returned to the trailer, for the first time those purple eyes narrowed slightly and he swooped in as they passed the threshold. He slid before her, under her chin like a piece of silk, brushing up against her skin in an affectionate nuzzle, which was only prolonged by just how long his tail actually was. “You don’t need to rely on such things. You are stronger than you give yourself credit.”

--------------

Cash returned shortly thereafter. He made his presence known all too easily, the loud clomping of his boots against the ground, the loud crinkle of plastic bags and the muttering of his own voice. As he got closer it became clear that he wasn’t mumbling to himself but…singing.

“…-stop me, don’t stop me! Have a good time, good time…don’t stop me, don’t stooop me, aaaah!” He sang, rather off key, oblivious to the world around him and anyone that might see him. There was a certain peep to his step that wasn’t there before. Of course that might have something to do with the half-empty energy drink can that was in his left hand, the right clutched several plastic bags that bulged with items unseen.

“Oh yeah, alright!” He added with flair. He continued to sing, his boots thudding louder through the scrub grass, louder upon the front steps where he paused for just a brief moment. There was some shuffling, more bag rustling and one epic air guitar display. Cash played the solo in his mind, going from memory since he had no idea where his cell phone ended up. Who said he couldn’t remember anything?
“Ooh, I’m burnin’ through the sky, Yeah! Two hundred degreeeeeees, that’s why they call me Mister Fahrenheeeeeit! Imma travelin’ at the speed of liiight. I wanna make a supersonic man outta you!” Cash shoved the screen door open violently and skipped inside, dramatically pointing as he finished the line, only to find that Bernadette wasn’t actually asleep. Of course, the rational thought might be how could she sleep through such horrible singing…but Cash was in the moment dammit. Or at least he was till his eyes fell upon her. They went wide for just a moment before a flush overtook his entire face and he nearly walked right back outside. Whatever remained of his pride kept him there, though he just stood awkwardly for a few moments until his brain finally caught up.

“Uh…Oheya there. Wakie wakie, huh? Hope yah kept yer hands off snakie. Er, anyway. I went out…obviously. Got some stuff, water, shit like that. Oh. And food. I lost my magic burger, total drag, right? But hey Sanic ain’t so bad. I mean put enough chili and cheese on anything and it’ll go down smooth. At least for a few hours. But I got antacids so we’re good.” Cash talked a mile-a-minute there, quickly brandishing the bags before he walked into the kitchenette and sat them down. He had grabbed gallon of water, some toilet paper, the mentioned antacids the latest edition of People magazine. The other bag was from the fast food restaurant he had mentioned. It was greasy burgers, tater tots, chili dogs and regret.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a bit of everything. Chicks like People, right? And foot longs,” Cash said with a smug little smirk and a waggle of his brow. Well, that embarrassment didn’t last too long, did it?
 
Felix hadn’t been a distraction during her steps. If anything, she found his presence incredibly soothing - something she responded to by letting her fingers graze over his form as he undulated under her chin and neck.

“Maybe,” she sighed. “But the malas weren’t exactly mine. Family ‘trinkets’,” and there was no venom in her voice, “handed down from Mano to Mano. Grandma’s gonna kill me when she found out I broke these. We’ve had them for generations.” And, if breaking the malas were the only thing that she had to worry about, she’d be a lot more panicked. Now, it was just one more thing added to the top of the shit list. “Without them, I-”

She couldn’t even finish her thought before Cash’s voice came booming through, and she winced mightily. Prying an eye open through the caterwauling, she gave the violet cat a sympathetic look, then let out a long sigh. At the very least, this meant that Cash was okay - and that he hadn’t suffered any from their little ‘trip.’ Whatever doubts she might have harbored were instantly dispelled the minute she laid eyes on him. Before she could comment on the impromptu serenade, he was talking about the food. Normally, she would have refused, but her stomach flat out snarled at the prospect of anything in the neighborhood of edible.

“Oh…thanks,” she mumbled, following him into the kitchenette. She briefly eyed the magazine with complete disgust, before sighing again. Then, she stopped, and stared at him. Really stared at him. Hard enough to make it awkward.

“Cash, what is your deal? Why are you doing this? You’ve made it pretty clear that you hate me. And you can’t weasel your way out of this. I want an explanation, right here, right now.” With each word, she stepped closer to him, effectively cornering him. By the time the last word left her lips, they were standing chest to chest, and she had him pressed against the wall of the kitchenette. “You think you’re so much better than me, too! What did I ever do to you?!”

Was it fair?

Nope.

Was this happening because he was there?

Pretty much.

But all of the questions that had been nagging at her had to come to a head at some point. And, to be fair, she wasn’t being directly hostile to him - just “intensely inquisitive.” She was betting that he wouldn’t touch her. In the short time she’d “met” him, he was pretty adverse to close physical contact. Which (not as fair) she was using to her advantage right now. He’d have to literally pick her up or shove her aside to get past her now. Or do something unexpected. Either way.
 
Cash accepted the thanks and for just a moment thought that things would be alright. But by then he could feel her eyes, like they were trying to bore through his skull or something. He turned back to her though didn't say anything, since the look more or less told him she wanted to say something. Or so he thought, the silence went on for several long moments and by the end of it Cash was already squirming in his boots. He was almost to the point of blurting out something, anything to fill in that devastating silence. She beat him to the punch, and it felt very much like a punch. With a sharp jab she started in on him again, pow. What was his deal? At first the words didn't register, or at least he didn't make the connection that she was referring to.

“I'm sorry? I didn't know you weren't a Queen fan...” He started, looking towards Felix who still floated nearby. The cat shrugged as best as a float cat could do, his purple eyes lingering on him apathetically.

“I'm more of a Prince fan,” said the floating purple cat. The irony of the statement eluded Cash, but he had more pressing matters at the moment. Bernadette was moving closer, if she ever looked like a predator stalking her prey it was then. Sure she wasn't really angry, or at least as hostile as she was before, but that intensity of her stare and the clarity of her words put Cash on edge. Yet along with that there was this...tingle that ran up his spine. He wasn't sure what it was, dread? No. Fear? Nah. More like...anticipation? He didn't have time to define it, not as she forced him back against the wall. He had taken a step back, then another, and another till he thumped hard against the wall, his hands instinctively coming up in front of him. That didn't stop her, she kept on in until she was all but pressing against him, his hands moved in time to lightly brush off her shoulders before he held them up at his sides and cringed.

“Hey. Fuckin' chill, will yah?” Cash shot back angrily. There was a familiar sense of ire when she spoke to him like that, like she had back at the bar. But beyond the words and the intense gaze Cash felt something else. He wasn't sure how or why, but there was a flicker there as she spoke, a ripple of energy that shot up into the air and whipped out to coil around his head. For a brief moment he felt the urge to know just what he was thinking of, what was his 'deal'. That wasn't coming from him, he knew that much for a solid fact. As to where it came from, how he felt it or even why he had no answers. It didn't make any sense, Cash never experience a sensation like that before, the empathic flicker that only intensified the closer she got.

“Hate is a strong word,” Cash finally said, after a long moment of screwing up his face as the range of emotions rushed through him. He went from confusion, to anger, to confusion again, then for a second exhaustion.

“I don't hate you. But yer Gam-Gam didn't give me much choice tonight. I'm sure this is just another day in the Mano family. But not for me. And...yer kinda mean,” Cash said it so sincerely that for just a moment he showed a hint of the person behind the defensive wall of humor and sarcasm. Just for a moment.

“...But. Yer still a human being. I might not like you...all of the time. But I don't hate yah. Yer just...intense. Like a lot.” Cash went to raise his hands again, more of a 'I surrender please just back the fuck off' gesture than anything. But he went a step closer, despite his typical desire to keep his personal bubble intact, he reached for her. Not a mad grab or an angry shove, but a gentle touch of his hands on her shoulders.

“Just dial it d-” Cash started, though as his hands made contact with her there was another flash, another tingle up his spine that he wasn't expecting. For a moment there was an undeniable connection, some kind of bond that he couldn't explain. It was intense, but not in a bad way. He felt goose flesh dance up his forearms as the tingle turned into a ripple. His gaze locked on her face, no more glancing to the side or not meeting her look full on, which was his customary reaction.

“...Foods gonna get cold. Shit's nasty if it ain't pipin' hot...” He stumbled a bit at his wording, his hands tightening for a brief moment to squeeze her shoulders. Yup, they were still there. He wasn't sure why but it didn't feel so awkward now. Far too familiar to be right, maybe she had taken more than just a bit of his power.
 
Warm.

He was so, so warm.

Lost in his touch, Japanese slipped from her, natural as water flowing from a stream. It was her first language, after all. From the touch of his hand on her shoulders, even through the fabric, she could feel the vibrancy of the prana, life energy, that flowed through him. His grip tightened, not unkindly, and the warmth that eased into her increased.

She had a million things that she could say to him, that she was prepared to say to him, to defend herself, her grandmother – and in that slight tightening, all of it was unimportant. She stood still, unsure of what to do, other than to yield to every fiber of her being that screamed at her not to break contact. Slowly, she reached up – placed her hands over his, and squeezed, gently. The thin flicker that existed between them flared, a momentary starburst of sweet energy. The channel opening wider between the two of them, there was a surge of life, before it evened out.

Yeah. Something happened. Something changed.

Her tongue thick in her mouth, she struggled to speak. This was still Cash, wasn’t it? The absolutely infuriating hunter that always barreled in, his mouth running a mile a minute, sloppy, haphazard, foolish…but this was also the same man who had stood up for her, who looked after her.

And, for a long breath, she was quite overwhelmed.

“I…” she started, licking her lips. Looked for the words. “I don’t like you a lot of the time either.” It was lame. Horribly lame. And they both knew it. “But I don’t hate you, either.”

In fact, now that I’ve gotten a good look at you, I find you infuriatingly hot and it is totally screwing with my perception of you - could you not? Please just start wearing a paper bag over your face or like a full body paper bag because oh my god those arms.

She summoned the strength to look up into his eyes. Had it always been this hard to look at him before?

She felt the flutter in her chest slide lower to her stomach the minute she made eye contact.

“I..I’m sorry,” she finally choked out – less because she didn’t want to apologize, but more because she was just simply lost in him. She hadn’t felt like this since…since…the first time she’d seen elf nobility, and how their regal beauty had left her dazzled. In her age and her experience since then, she’d long assumed that such a spark was lost to her, something only to be recaptured in the stacks of shoujo manga she read.

“This whole thing…got started on the wrong foot,” a fumbling smile crossed her lips, “I..uh..well…Let’s start over. I’m Bernadette Mano, the 109th Hunter of the Mano Line. I’ve trained my entire life to do this…and really haven’t done anything else. So sometimes I may be a little… ‘intense.’” The last part was said with a more solid smile; she’d taken his jab and rolled with it. It was a fair criticism – and one she’d heard many times before.

Her hands were still on his – and every moment they lingered, the urge to run them farther down his arms, to pull him closer, was getting harder to fight. It was an urge that confused and mortified her (he was still a stranger! She couldn’t do this; it’d just be weird. Weirder than usual.) – but also demanded that she give in and just do it. It was beyond the physical – though she found him attractive, there wasn’t the flare of lust that she had come to expect. This was something…more like finding a missing piece.

She swallowed hard, frozen in place.
 
Of all the things she could have done he wasn’t expecting this. When her hands touched his, Cash instinctively tensed, a sharp flinch of his muscles as the warmth radiated up his arms and through his core, his brain, filling his senses with so many sensations that he felt a brief light headedness. He didn’t wince when she did it, if anything the look on his face softened considerably. He returned the squeeze and stood there with nothing to say even as his lips remained parted. But he wasn’t the only one that couldn’t find the will to speak, she mimicked the same feeling that he was experiencing. For once Cash had nothing to say, his typical knee jerk reaction to crack a joke or nitpick just seemed out of place.

When she began to speak Cash gave her his undivided attention. For once his mind wasn’t racing a mile a minute with a thousand different thoughts; it felt so odd to be so intently focused on one thing, one person, and her of all people. He should have expected what came past her lips, though there was still a sense of dread when she confirmed that she wasn’t particularly fond of him, most of the time at least. She was quick to add to the thought though, something that quickly slapped aside his inner defensives from rearing back up. Then she apologized. Wow, really? He really must have heard that wrong, had to. Or maybe there as more to it…like I’m sorry but you’re a complete dipshit. That sounded more logical, though as he waited for her to finish the sentence he was left hanging. He met her gaze easily, or so it seemed for the first few moments of contact. It wasn’t the sudden overwhelming sense that hit him but more a building sensation that tingled in his stomach and slowly fanned out. It pushed his heart up into his throat, cutting off any attempt Cash might have of retorting. Which was probably for the best, this was Cash after all. The smile sent him for a loop though, his stomach was the one doing the loops though. He felt his own lips twitching and drawing out into a nervous smile, small and unsure of itself. He finally found his voice and he used it to take a breath and let out a subtle huff of laughter.

“That’s putting it mildly. You did throw a giant ass werewolf at me,” Cash shot back, though it was far from the mocking tone he used, more playful with no intent to annoy or offend. “Nice ta meet cha, Bernadette Mano. I’m Cassius Curio, first of his name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of –alright I’ll stop. I don’t know what I’m doing. I barely know where I come from, what I’m capable of or even if I have a purpose. All I know is that I can’t sit by on my haunches while innocent people get hurt by those monsters. But today’s made me realize not everything out there I don’t understand is a monster. I’m hot headed, kind of a jerk, but I can make a killer omelette.”

So it was harder to stop the babbling than he thought. Cash stopped himself from going further, biting down on his bottom lip briefly in a coy manner. He laughed again, more nervous huffs as he swallowed and found himself unable to look away from her. His hands tightened briefly before the right slid away, only to rise up and capture one of the unruly strands of her hair. He slowly coiled it about his finger, only to let it go as it bounced back from his grip.

“You got a lot of hair,” He started, though the brief respite from staring so intently at her helped him focus. “I kinda like it.”
 
That look of his was enough to undo her.

The flutters in her stomach increased, and she could feel her cheeks heating up. And still between them flowed that inexplicable current, seeming to warm her further as her stomach became a nest of butterflies. Try as she might, she couldn’t bring herself to pull away from him, to add the distance that would only be polite. As he reached up to toy with a coil of her hair, she was still, her breath caught in her throat. Internally, her mind dissolved into a scream.

“To be fair,” her voice sounded far away to her – and how she was able to even string a sentence together was entirely escaping her- “you set him on fire first.” Somewhere in her brain came the command to smile, and she did, the expression as shy and unsure as his. “I want to hold you,” she blurted out – and then turned such a shade of red that even her brown skin couldn’t hide it. Once it seemed that her brain realized it could make her mouth work, the filter was removed. “Oh, god, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to blurt it out, but I can’t…” her eyes darted down to his chest. It seemed like she could see the magical energy flowing through him, a shining circulatory system. “I have no idea what this is.” She sounded lost now.

“I’m out of my depths.” It was an admission and realization. “I don’t know if I should be scared or excited or what but I just…” She managed to draw her hand from the one still on his shoulder, and reached up to cup the sides of his face in her hands. The feel of his skin thrilled her fingertips, sent golden sparks dancing. Standing on her tiptoes, she touched her forehead to his. As much of the Mano practice was fed by Indian and Chinese principles, the gesture was two-fold. On one hand, it felt the natural action to take, and on the other, it was a connection of chakra points; touching her Ajna point to his. In laymans terms, she was connecting their ‘Third Eye’, essentially linking the flow of energies between their intuitive points.

“I just want to keep touching you.”

Her words were a caress of warm breath against his lips. As strong as the impulse was to kiss him at that moment, she somehow managed to wrangle that back, swimming through this new connection, willing her own chi back into his body, a repayment, of sorts, from what she borrowed from him. No spell was needed; the touch, her own desire to do so, were enough to bolster it.

At his comment about her hair, she actually laughed. It was enough for her to take her forehead from his, easing the flow of energy. "Thanks," it was hard for her to not suddenly want to start twirling it around her finger. "I..kinda like your eyes. They're pretty. Never really got to look at them until now." She looked back into his face, and her laughter faded, replaced by a feeling she wasn't quite sure of.
 
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Cash started to chortle when she commented on him setting the werewolf aflame right from the get go. But then she went ahead and did something crazy, so much so that Cash was left speechless. He felt the warmth radiating off his cheeks, the sudden sharp and intense shiver that ran up and down his spine.

“I...dunno,” Cash managed to get out, not that it helped the situation any. He blinked slowly, trying to find some focus though once his gaze reopened and he was looking down into her eyes yet again any resemblance of focus flew out the window.

“I don't wanna let go,” He managed to get out, which felt like an awkward eternity in his head. Even after it felt like it wasn't enough. He swallowed heavily, his throat parched and tight. He was trying to think three steps ahead when he couldn't even focus on the one he was taking. It all went downhill from there when she touched his cheek in that gentle fashion, then leaned up and pressed her forehead to his. Cash visibly trembled at the touch, a slight but sharp intake of breath escaped as she leaned in. His hands faltered and slid from her shoulders, only to trail down her arms briefly before they continued downward. He wrapped them tightly about her waist, only to tug her closer. He didn't smash her up against him, though there was little doubt that he didn't want to. The touch of their foreheads was a far more intimate and intense feeling than he expected, so much so Cash let out another little strangled sound deep in his throat. He calmed within seconds, the opening of his chakra releasing the stress from his body and the doubt from his mind. He gave in then completely, lingering in the moment, in her as she spoke softly, tickling at his lips with her breath. It was a moment build for a kiss, soft and sweet, feather light like the touch of an angel. In a way they did, or so Cash thought. There was no denying the intensity of that initial contact and the touch of their brows. He had fiddled with her hair since it was everywhere and he was just too curious not to play with it. They shared a little respite from the intensity, a little bit of laughter that was made easier since they weren't actually looking at one another straight in the eye.

Cash tilted his head back as Bernadette did the same, his gaze drifting open to meet hers once more. Those stormy gray orbs shifted slightly as they trailed over her face, taking it in and seeing it honestly for the first time. He blinked in an exaggerated fashion when she told him she liked his eyes, only to cross them slightly.

“What? These old things. Well thanks, I did grow them myself,” Cash teased, his smile widening briefly as he let out a small huff of laughter, though it died down all too quickly, along with the smile as they locked eye contact. His arms tensed a bit, tightening around her waist. He felt another tingle up his spine as well as a sense of urgency. For what?

“Yer not...waiting for me are you? Am I...” Cash swallowed again, perhaps misreading the look on her face and the moment entirely but he was pretty sure he saw the sign. So he did what he thought was natural for the moment, he tilted his head to the side and leaned in closer, craning his neck to place a kiss to her lips, or at least that was his intention.
 
“Waiting for you to do wh-”

His lips covered hers, muffling the rest of the question. Warmth poured into the crown of her head, flowed through her body, spinning and stimulating each of her chakras. Feeling the spin of the wheels of her chi deep within her chest, all she could do was drink him in, pressing her lips firmly to his. Warmth quickly escalated from a gentle feeling to an intense flame.

And that’s when things went spectacularly wrong.

“Wrong,” at least, by ‘First kiss’ standards.

Like trying to contain lighting in a bottle, energy promptly exploded between the two of them. Maybe not “exploded,” as the results weren’t as severe as when she first tried to get them to teleport – more of a violent shove. When she opened her eyes again, she was on one side of the kitchenette, and he was on the other. Dazed, she sat there, blinking hard.

Well, at least she wasn’t in pain, like the last time she felt energy like from. If anything, she felt like she was on an incredible sugar high. Every cell in her body was singing, and when she stood up, she was surprised to find that her feet were still on the ground and she hadn’t gone shooting through the roof of the trailer.

“Did…did you just push me?” She was shoving curtains of her hair out of her eyes, a dead ringer for Cousin It as she did so. She wasn’t angry – far from it – she was just utterly flabbergasted. She held out her hand to steady herself. With as light as she felt on her feet, it was good to feel like something was anchoring her. “Oh my god I am so lost right now, you have no idea.” The severity of the statement, the sheer fear of being over her head was instantly mitigated by the insanely charming girlish giggle she let out right after she spoke. Slapping her hands over her mouth didn’t help – she started laughing harder until tears came to her eyes.

“Oh my god what is even happening right now? Can you feel it? Like, if I let go of this counter, I’m totally going to float away.” If they hadn’t just gone through…whatever THAT was, she’d come off as drunk, high, or both. “Can you see it?” Peeling one hand free from the counter, she held it up. In time with her pulse, currents of faint gold trembled from her hands, mini Aurora Borealis around each finger. Her hair was caught in an invisible current now, floating about her face and body. “What in the world is happening to us? This is so weird, even by MY standards, and I’ve seen a troll marry a succubus. Do you have any idea how weird THAT was? The reception, though? Amazeballs.”

Clinging to the counter for dear life, she was making her way back to him, her eyes alight. “And I didn’t even lose my clothes this time! I can’t wait to tell Grandm-“ She stopped, as if realizing, for the first time, really realizing, the circumstances that had lead them to this particular trailer in the middle of nowhere. “Shit. Shit. Shit. The shrine – we were supposed to go back to my place! I think I can get us back, but this is going to be a hard one to explain.” As reality was seeping back in, the mingling glow from her was beginning to fade, slipping back into her body.

“Where are we, anyway?” She’d made it to his side of the kitchenette again, tentatively lifting one hand, and then the other, from the counter to stand on her own. Even with the realization that she would have a ton of explaining to do, and that –hell, the shrine!- there was something serious waiting for her once she got back home, just looking at him was enough for her to want to fall into his arms. Seriously – what WAS up with that?
 
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