The first fight?

[Boy]

Boy had not been working all this while. There were no new corners of the houses exterior that had been scoured and replaced with new, clean, solid boards. There was no sign of tracked mud or machine grease, or even cleaned tracked mud and wiped off machine grease. There were only books. Dozens of books. Wendy's books, gathered in a sort of book nest, all open with their pages facing the outward, all being flipped through at different points in time. Perhaps his curiosity had gotten the better of him, or perhaps he'd simply decided it was time to feed his brain. Whatever the reason the living room had now been turned into a study, and Boy was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. As one book was set down another was picked up and leafed through gently but thoroughly.

[Wendy Berber]

*Soft cursing at the door announces her arrival home. Yes. Cursing.* Godamn door. Stupid and needing greased. Grease you.. unf.. *She all but falls into the foyer as the tall kin puts a shoulder to the wood to assist her entry.*

[Boy]

His head pops up from his reading and one particularly heavy book snaps shut. He's looking in the direction of the doorway, straightening his back as he sits. He doesn't get up. Doesn't go to greet her at the door. He just waits, looking rather expectantly for Wendy to notice him.

[Wendy Berber]

*She straightens and brushes herself off, heaving a heavy sigh and looking around. Her eyes light on Boy in a nest of books, and she offers a smile that turns into a slight wince. She moves toward him in the living room. * Hi. You decided to read them um.. all at once?

[Boy]

He nods slowly. Once. "I'm trying to find something. Not a whole lot of time. I thought you could help but--" A pause. A swallow. "You didn't come home."

[Wendy Berber]

I'm sorry. *Wendy flushes, swallowing.* What do you n-need help with? *She tucks shaggy hair behind her ears and moves to sit on the couch, picking up some books and setting them on her lap.* I um.. I left a note. Dietrich had a package.. and then.. he was really upset. And we t-talked. *Wendy had left the house in one of the garage sale shirts she'd originally bought for Boy. And come home in far too large olive drab.* These are um, all the occult books?

[Boy]

Another nod, and while he doesn't make room for her among the books he doesn't seem against the idea of her sitting. But the books no longer haver attention. He's got that intensely curious look in his eyes as he stares. Its not undressing. It's more like disecting. Like if he could strip her down and see what made her tick with just his eyes he'd have done it already. Every move she makes, he watches intently. "What'd you talk about?"

[Wendy Berber]

*Wendy's hands go clammy under his scrutiny. Did he Know?! How could he know? Dietrich had said he wouldn't tell... Her face falls slightly as she diverts her eyes to the book i her lap.* I'm sorry I wasn't here w-when you n-needed me... *Ink blue eyes peer through cat eye glasses as she nibbles her lip.* We talked about wh-what was bothering him... and about my family, a little.

[Boy]

"And this took all--" The voice was harsh, too harsh even for him it might seem. His brow quivers strangely. Was that anger? Worry? Confusion? "You've been gone all night." He starts, relatively calm again, only he's not looking at her. He's looking at the little bit of floor between them. "To another man's home. That's not your shirt. That's not my shirt. Is there anything you need to tell me, Wendy? I'll believe you, if you say there's not but...don't make me guess."

[Wendy Berber]

*Wendy flinches like she's been slapped, staring at him and blinking a little, as the chill prickle of shame crawls along her spine, ducking her head and hollowing her shoulders. She shakes her head adamantly, red and trying to find the words. * B-Boy?! No! No.. not not-nothing like that. I-we No. ..Dietrich offered me wh-whiskey, and It b-burned and I only had a few sw-swallows and I threw up. And then.. there's stuff I need to talk about w-with you. Later m-maybe? *She's burning up with shame and vague dread, flipping open a book in an attempt to help.* ok? Its.. not like that .. how could it be?!

[Boy]

She could see his shoulders squeeze as his eyes burned a hole in the floor. Or would, if they could. Eventually he sighs. "I believe you." He says quietly. He doesn't say I need to or I really want to. Not out loud anyway. "There was someone here last night. In the basement." He picks up one of the books and starts leafing through it again, this time looking for something.

[Wendy Berber]

Ok... um.. *She swallows hard, looking at titles and frowning.* so.. n-not normal I'm guessing.. cause.. all of th-these are on supernatural..stuff

[Boy]

He nods. "I think he was dead. But...he wasn't in the skin lands. He was here. Only he wasn't. Here, see." He opened the book to an illustration. One side had a dark background littered with skulls and bones and a dark winding road. The other was a regular looking victorian city, shaded more brightly. And in the center stood a woman split down the middle along the same lines of the background. Only in the dark panel her body was solid and healthy, and in the bright side she was skeletal and wispy. "Like this. Dead in one world. Whole in the other. But...stuck...between the two of them."

[Wendy Berber]

Ghosts... *She nods, recognizing the photo.* um.. spirits stuck in b-between for one reason or another. un-f-finished business. *She stands, approaching him like she was almost certain he's bite her. She ventures a hand to his shoulder as she looks over the book in his hand.* S-so.. did he talk or give any kind of m-message?

[Boy]

He most certainly doesn't bite her, nor does he shrug off her touch. He watch her hand on his shoulder for a moment, but doesn't say anything about it. "He talked. A lot. He said he was scared. He said something was hunting him. And..." Here his hand slackens a bit and his eyes squint. "I remember seeing something a while back. There was a girl near Grant Park. She was running. No, she was being chased by something. Only...no one else could see her. None of the people. Not Marrick. No one else. And then she was gone. I wasn't sure I actually saw it. I thought..." He shakes his head, not quite willing to finish that statement. "He said I was less closed off. That I wasn't like 'the others'. I think he came to me because of Gabbie and Travis. Because I have them even though they're...."

[Wendy Berber]

*Wendy's face falls as her touch is met with indifference. She purses her lips together and withdraws silently. A soft swallow as she listens.* yeah m- maybe. So.. something is scaring p-people and ghosts?

[Boy]

"Hunting." He says with a shake of his head. He says they do things. The same things, over and over. Only when this thing comes for them...What horrible thing could terrify something that's already dead?"

[Wendy Berber]

There are um.. ghosts that eat ghosts.. m-maybe its something like that? *She murmurs quietly, standing away from Boy.* do you um, want me to st-start research right n-now?

[Boy]

She can see the sudden tension in his shoulders. Ghosts that eat ghosts. A hunt. That would explain it, wouldn't it? "Umm...No. You don't have to." He stands now, and starts gathering the books, still not looking at her directly. "Have you eaten? I'll make us some breakfast. Whiskey is even worse the day after. Especially on an empty stomach."

[Wendy Berber]

(wp)

[Wendy Berber]

Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 2, 10, 10, 10 (Success x 3 at target 6)

[Wendy Berber]

Wait.. *She blurts, keeping tears in check as she moves toward Boy, lip bit with the effort not to suddenly bawl...* Boy?! *She drums up desperate moxie and wraps her arms around him if he'll let her.* I'm so s-sorry. Please don't be mad... I just delivered a package and we t-talked..

[Boy]

For a moment he stands stock still. He's tense and solid, but he doesn't fight her off. He just stands there, being hugged. And eventually he melts. His arms slowly return the embrace, holding her closer to him. "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you."

[Wendy Berber]

*Wendy exhales breath she was unaware until now she'd been holding, curling close as she melts against him.* Can. can we just go have b-breakfast now. Tell you what we talked about l-later? kay? *Spindly hands smooth over his shoulders as she sigh.*