All these things if I were King would all appear around me.

[ravenous-liam.livejournal.com]

near the river on Sunday, September 13th
afternoon

Boss's been on edge a bit, I think. Seems like it, anyway. Don't blame her, really. Duelin's a big thing. Never seen a duel. Wonder if maybe she'll let me be there to see it. And deal with that jackass if he manages to win. I shake my head and get up out of my chair, sick of staring at these papers like they'll suddenly say out loud what's printed on them so I can understand it.

I step out onto the porch and pause to light a cigarette before settin' out on Main. My hand reaches to my belt, automatically checking for my cuffs and my gun. They're there--always are.

When I reach the river, I pause and take in a deep breath of air before putting the cigarette back and inhaling the fumes. Still no clue what to do about the gods. No idea what to do about all of it.


[OPEN to Julia.]
[CLOSED.]

Comments

[julia-marshal.livejournal.com]

“You’re insane!”

Nanshe bless me, we are in the mud!

First he starts this by asking me what I want, as if confusing me with this sudden change of our friendship wasn’t enough, now he’s demanding what I think about it. He didn’t even give me a chance to answer before he’s splashing about on Main, mud coating that star on his chest and pretty much the front of him.

Even before I hit the ground, I am grinning at his craziness. I only wince once I land on my sore knees, and quickly flip so I’m sitting on my rump in the mud, now as fully coated as he is.

"Wasn't bad,"

I groan and put my hands up to my face again, only then realizing how dirty I am. Which pulls another laugh from me.

“Stop it! Just stop talking!” My stomach hurts from both the nervous reactions and now my giggling. But my pale blue eyes hit his hazel ones, greener now that he's happy and I’m reassured of at least a return back to normal for us.

"I promise."

This time the little look of pleasure that warms my features that had been frozen by what I will now refer to as, ‘the accident’.

“Good.”

"Of course, if you wanna practice...."

I snort out a laugh and pick up a handful of the dirt and throw it at him, trying to skitter away quickly on my hands and knees.

“You are disgusting!” I yell, moving back to where we had been standing. The water above hitting the small puddles and splashing more droplets of mud onto me.

“You hear me!” I can hardly get any words out, for my laughing now. Apparently it’s contagious.

But I don’t answer him…not directly anyway. Perhaps that is something I will be keeping to myself.

[ravenous-liam.livejournal.com]

She always did have a good arm, I think as I wipe the mud from my face. "Sure, now I'm disgusting," I say standin' up and brushing at my clothes best I can. Walkin' back to where I keep my stuff's gonna be interestin' so covered in mud. "You don't look so great yourself," I tell her and laugh again.

[julia-marshal.livejournal.com]

I stand up and roll my eyes at him. I don’t even want to look down at myself, because if I look half as horrid as Liam does, I’m in bad shape.

"You don't look so great yourself,"

I stick my tongue out at him, and instantly regret that as I taste the dirty water on my lips, making a scrunched face in reaction.

“Gee, thanks.” My words hold just the barest notes of sarcasm, but the amusement is still there.

As he brushes himself off, I start to take stock of what exactly I have on that is ruined. I can hardly see anything for the mud and muck, except for the blemishes of blood at my knees that make me a bit woozy to look at.

Sure, it can’t be that bad, if it was I would have noticed long before now, but still…

“Liam.” My voice is a little more serious now.

“I think I want to go wash off the blood.” He knows how I get with my own cuts and scrapes. Anyone else, I would have patched it up no problem. Mine? Well, that is a horse of a different color, I once passed out when I got a cut on my forehead from jumping down from the trees in the park with him and it bled into my eye.

I put a cold hand out to grip him as the color drains from my face.

Shouldn’t it have stopped now? I can’t swallow any harder than I do with that thought. On second thought…maybe I am going to get sick…

I blink up at him from behind the mask of mud. My fun is over, for the moment.

“Will you clean it up?” I know, it’s pitiful. I know it even as I say it, if I had been home I would have begged for one of the sisters to do it, I have no shame when it comes to dealing with cuts.

“Oh dear...I hope I don’t puke on your shoes…”

[ravenous-liam.livejournal.com]

Jule looks down at her knee, talkin' about washing of the blood and that look comes on her face again like she might pass out. Seen that look before. “Will you clean it up?" she asks, gripping my arm while her face goes white.

"Sure, Jule," I say, already moving to pick her up in my arms. By the time she threatens my shoes I've got her legs swung up gently over one arm and her back against my other. At least if the sheriff comes looking for me, I look like I'm working. "Yeah, pukin' on me might not be as fun as you think," I joke, juggling her and her violin case, and start movin' toward the abandoned apartment building. After a bit of walkin' and me checking to make sure that Jule's still breathing OK, we get to my place--one of the few rooms with a full roof and runnin' water still. I hesitate a second, tryin' to figure out where to put her, then finally set her on the bed. "You OK, Jule?" I ask, setting down the case.

[julia-marshal.livejournal.com]

I barely pay attention to the walk. Right now, I concentrate on breathing though my nose and out of my mouth, and not choking on all the little rain drops that are wrecking havoc on everything around us.

Liam, talks to me as he walks. I almost protest at being caught up in his arms, like most women would. Thoughts of how heavy I am play in my mind, then vague whimpers interrupt from me as responses, so I figure until he drops me on my bottom, I should be okay.

My eyes are closed until we reach his place; I had half expected him to take me home, so I'm surprised when we aren't there. I’m set on the bed, most of the mud washed off from our walk in the rain to here, if it hadn’t been, I would have felt bad about ruining his bedding.

Even so, I look up at him forlornly.

"You OK, Jule?"

“Yeah.” I do NOT look back down at my legs.

“I know it’s a lot of trouble, but can I…How long have you been here?” I look around the room for a bathroom, and am glad to see one. And even though I still feel ill, I can’t help my curiosity.

“I need a shower...” One thought interrupts another and so on. Liam is pretty good at going with the flow, since he’s used to it. Nanshe bless him.

I stand, abet weakly, already starting to shed the jacket he’s given me and even going so far as to fold it so I can set it down at the foot of the bed.

“Can I use yours?”