[D5 EA] Stray (Stray’s Townhouse)

[Marcus Kendall]

"Well, why not have a little dance, hmm? Might as well enjoy the moment since these kinds of events in our lives seem ... so terribly rare." This was in response to his first comment, figuring correctly that Marcus was wondering what Tiffani would do. He was dancing with her, after all, but there always remained that niggling little sense of doubt - is he dancing with her just to be polite? Or did he really want to?

But when Marcus asked her how the visit with the king went, she suddenly became a little ball of energy. "Oh my god, you should've been there. It was bloody brilliant!"

She gets excited enough to take her hands off Marcus's claws, placing them both flat against his furry chest as if he were any other man. "He was a lot nicer than I thought he'd be, being a king and all, but first he read us some poetry, he found me a job, I even got to use the internet for the first time. I couldn't believe it ... no more Soviet Union? And ..."

Tiffani talks a mile a minute wrapping her dainty hands around a claw on each paw again, still moving to the rhythem of Chantelle's song while telling Marcus about all the things she found out that had happened since 1985, how the king welcomed her in the Autumn court, the poetry ... and every other little detail - at least for as long as Marcus lets her prattle on.

"If you don't mind." the beast chuckled, being his usual self, sounding more like a hyena than a human. So they danced, though their dance likely resembled more a hectic gait than a dance proper. "Was it?" Marcus murmured, sounding surprised. The emotion hung around him, reminiscent of a scent of cheap champagne.

As she touched him, he took a step back, his confusion evident. Not long ago she had been resentful, afraid and event hateful. Today, she was carousing like she was one of the spring-kissed. Marcus frowned, tilting his head to the side as he tried to make sense of Tiffany. "Found you a job? That's nice? What you are going to do now then?" he had few questions of his own, even if her seemingly sudden change left him perplexed.

[Chantelle Rossette]

Sensing Marcus’ confusion, Chantelle placed her hand on his arm, a fleeting gesture of reassurance as she ended her dance and her song to see what Jack wanted to give her.

[Jack Doyle]

He lifted the box up to her.

"You already know what's inside, but I wanted to give them to you now." he said. "It's thanks to you, that we're all here. That I have a real home again. Thank you."

[Chantelle Rossette]

Happily, Chantelle leaned down and hugged Jack tightly, “dank you, mon petite.” She nuzzled at his temple with her beak, “none of dis be possible witout you or Marcus, or even Tiffani. We family now.” Straightening, she gracefully—and gratefully—accepted the box, opening it excitedly to examine the boots within.

“Oh! Dey perfec’, T’Jack! You did such a goo’ job!”

[Tiffani]

"If you don't mind." the beast chuckled, being his usual self, sounding more like a hyena than a human. So they danced, though their dance likely resembled more a hectic gait than a dance proper. "Was it?" Marcus murmured, sounding surprised. The emotion hung around him, reminiscent of a scent of cheap champagne.

As she touched him, he took a step back, his confusion evident. Not long ago she had been resentful, afraid and event hateful. Today, she was carousing like she was one of the spring-kissed. Marcus frowned, tilting his head to the side as he tried to make sense of Tiffany. "Found you a job? That's nice? What you are going to do now then?" he had few questions of his own, even if her seemingly sudden change left him perplexed.

Tiffani abruptly stopped talking when Marcus stepped back from her touch, her face mirroring that of the wolf in her state of confusion. Apparently the dance was over - as was Chantelle's song - and her hands dropped limply to her sides. All she could do was blink up at him before she too stepped back, away from him and the temperature around her faded into an uncomfortable chill. She had been ... rejected ... or so she presumed. Hopefully Marcus knew she wasn't necessarily flirting with him ... but no matter. The way the giant wolf reacted to her touch said more than she ever wanted it to, and none of it was good.

"Well ... " she said in soft tones like the autumn leaves whispering quietly in a breeze, "yes. It isn't much. Just working in a coffee shop, but the pay is actually more than fair considering it's not exactly rocket science. Plus I'm enrolling in college for the spring semester."

The room was large, empty, and the acoustics echoed, she noted dully. It wasn't home just yet, but it soon would be - or so she hoped.

"As for what I'm going to do now," she shrugged one of her small shoulders, "I don't have any plans to do anything, really, except work and, well, whatever else happens, I guess. I mean, it's not as though I have a full social calendar, ya know? But at least I'll be able to contribute, help pay the rent and utilities - split four ways, it won't be too expensive. I was even able to get a few weeks' advance on my paycheck so I can buy a few things, so I plan to go shopping some time tomorrow."

Normally she would be thrilled up to her eyeballs to shop - what teenage girl wouldn't? But she didn't sound all that thrilled. Then she saw Chantelle put her hand-wing on Marcus's arm. She knew there was something between them, something Tiffani did not have, but she couldn't quite figure out what. Seeing that simple touch reminded her that, despite the motley, not everyone was truly equal in the eyes of all. No one ever touched her that way. She looked down at her hands as if they carried the plague. No ... not ever.

"I'm sorry," Tiffani said quietly. Whatever an extremely deep sorrow smells like, Marcus would catch the scent in spadefuls. "I didn't mean to touch you like that - I was just - happy - and I overstepped."

[Chantelle Rossette]

Before Marcus really had a chance to answer, Chantelle gave Jack an apologetic look, and swept back over to the other pair. The egret was almost catwalk-model-tall, and she used that height to move up behind Tiffani, placing her hands on the young woman’s shoulders, lightly wrapping her wings around her. “What’s dis? Today is no day for bahbins,” she knew the fun wouldn’t last, but she didn’t want it to be over yet.

[Jack Doyle]

"Agreed." Jack nodded, as he followed Chantelle.

[Tiffani]

Chantelle's sudden embrace startled Tiffani - genuinely startled her to the point where Chantelle could feel her flinch. But it only lasted less than a second; once she realized what was happening, Tiffani closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the tactile sensation of the soft feathers against the parts of her clothing that left her skin bare. Then she reached up and held Chantelle's arms - one arm in each of her hands.

"I do have a question ... and I hope you don't mind me asking but ... what are ... bahbins?" She said the word slowly like people do when wrapping their lips and tongue around a word they have never before spoken. "Sometimes its hard interpreting an American accent further compounded by a Cajun accent so ... I'm probably being rather stupid, but ..."

Tiffani chuckles softly, leaning her head back against Chantelle's body, that same scent of lilacs wafting up from her spiraly hair. "But whatever 'bahbins' are, I'll try not to ... uh, do them. Or say them. Or whatever I shouldn't do with them."

She smirks, though Chantelle may not see it since she is standing behind Tiffani.

[Chantelle Rossette]

Chuckling, “bahbin? mais, I guess li’ bein’ sulky, makin’ a sulky face,” she explained, unable to think of the word ‘pout’ in that moment.

[Marcus Kendall]

Tiffani abruptly stopped talking when Marcus stepped back from her touch, her face mirroring that of the wolf in her state of confusion. Apparently the dance was over - as was Chantelle's song - and her hands dropped limply to her sides. All she could do was blink up at him before she too stepped back, away from him and the temperature around her faded into an uncomfortable chill. She had been ... rejected ... or so she presumed. Hopefully Marcus knew she wasn't necessarily flirting with him ... but no matter. The way the giant wolf reacted to her touch said more than she ever wanted it to, and none of it was good.

"Well ... " she said in soft tones like the autumn leaves whispering quietly in a breeze, "yes. It isn't much. Just working in a coffee shop, but the pay is actually more than fair considering it's not exactly rocket science. Plus I'm enrolling in college for the spring semester."

The room was large, empty, and the acoustics echoed, she noted dully. It wasn't home just yet, but it soon would be - or so she hoped.

"As for what I'm going to do now," she shrugged one of her small shoulders, "I don't have any plans to do anything, really, except work and, well, whatever else happens, I guess. I mean, it's not as though I have a full social calendar, ya know? But at least I'll be able to contribute, help pay the rent and utilities - split four ways, it won't be too expensive. I was even able to get a few weeks' advance on my paycheck so I can buy a few things, so I plan to go shopping some time tomorrow."

Normally she would be thrilled up to her eyeballs to shop - what teenage girl wouldn't? But she didn't sound all that thrilled. Then she saw Chantelle put her hand-wing on Marcus's arm. She knew there was something between them, something Tiffani did not have, but she couldn't quite figure out what. Seeing that simple touch reminded her that, despite the motley, not everyone was truly equal in the eyes of all. No one ever touched her that way. She looked down at her hands as if they carried the plague. No ... not ever.

"I'm sorry," Tiffani said quietly. Whatever an extremely deep sorrow smells like, Marcus would catch the scent in spadefuls. "I didn't mean to touch you like that - I was just - happy - and I overstepped."

It was more that the beast had no expected the touch, not after the bitter words the other day. Not when she had been so hopeless and focused on herself. He had expected her to eventually sort herself out, most changelings seemed to do so. He had not expected her to be on his skin, so to speak. And so, confused, he had stepped back, not knowing how to read her. The confusion hung around the beast like a man on gallows. "That's good, isn't it." Marcus sounded earnest, his ears perking. The beast's feathered tail sneaked out and up, flaring out a little, the eyes intent on the beast itself. "Never went to college. Not that smart." there was a hint of bitterness in his tone, the emotion all too evident to the changelings around him. "Even if I was, can't really write with these." the beast brought his paws up palms first, revealing the inch-long claws jutting from his fur-covered digits.

"Eh, is ok." the confusion seemed to ease, even as the beast moved to scratch himself, his claws finding a sweet spot behind his ear. Flakes of lichen fell on the near pristine floor. "People don't really touch me." Shrugging, Marcus offered Tiffany a grin - pushing his fanged maw close to her. She could see the rows of the sharp, white teeth. While his fur smelled like flowers, his breath was putrid and sickly. "No harm done."

Before Marcus really had a chance to answer, Chantelle gave Jack an apologetic look, and swept back over to the other pair. The egret was almost catwalk-model-tall, and she used that height to move up behind Tiffani, placing her hands on the young woman’s shoulders, lightly wrapping her wings around her. “What’s dis? Today is no day for bahbins,” she knew the fun wouldn’t last, but she didn’t want it to be over yet.

Marcus watched Chantelle embrace Tiffany, remaining almost expressionless. He tilted his head slowly to the side, exhaling loud enough for the others to hear. He too had no idea what bahbins were, but as luck would have it, neither had Tiffany. "So yeah." the beast growled, hoping that his explanation would suffice. He took a further step away from the egret and the fairest, trusting Chantelle to take care of the situation.