Topic: Wrapping it Up

Tavarius

Date: 2009-08-08 10:24 EST
Tavarius reluctantly trudged down the streets of Ghost Town, still wearing those jeans and that shirt that he'd found after his fight with the creature called Spaz. The Penny Moon hotel came into sight, looming before him, it felt like a courthouse. Like he was going there for his final conviction.

He paused outside the door, staring up blankly at the windows, a thumb running along his jaw. He sighed as he bumped against the door, hesitating, half in, half out. The trickster swallowed the heavy lump in his throat.

"And the jury rules...guilty," he muttered bitterly under his breath, shouldering into the hotel. Those stairs never seemed longer, than they did when he walked up for what he figured would be his final stretch. He didn't think he could accept her offer of another room there.

Tavarius finally paused outside Madison's door, knuckles rasping lightly. He half-wished she wasn't there, just so he could have an excuse to come over one more time. The trickster waited then, hand lowering after the knock, eyes staring at the door, through it, as if it and the room beyond didn't exist.

Madison Rye

Date: 2009-08-08 10:47 EST
The door opened almost immediately, finding them standing opposite one another with more than just a doorframe between them. Madison stepped aside and gestured for him to come in, her smile tight.

"I put your things on the dresser. That's everything I could find."

Curls were tucked behind her ears as she lowered her eyes, pressing her shoulders into the doorframe. The longer she waited, there was more and more space and words growing between them. Madison had countless threads that were building into a great fabric that was now stitched around her heart as she slowly lifted her eyes to fix him with, to watch him with dismay.


"Someone tried to claim the reward on my head two nights ago." As if to explain part of her silence to him. "I was shook. I was not in any place to discuss ...", and there came that word she hated to wield, because it was too soon; it had only been a single week of being "together", and because it had already ended, but she dealt it anyway, carefully. "Us."


Hands slid down along her slides, where fingers pulled at the large cuffs of her untucked blouse and pulled them over her knuckles in a fidgit, a habit she often succumbed to when awkward. She looked away from him and tipped her head back to the wall, finding that her words were hard to get out. That her throat physically hurt with the confession. "I told you before this all happened, with the murders, that I'm trouble at the moment. I thought okay, I will give this a chance, because you were so ... ", and the rain dancer moved away from the wall and walked towards him, to take his hands, to fill them with hers, and hold on. "I've seen the articles, I understand what has happened. I know you aren't responsible, with intent, but it is not just about what you've done. It's about the fact that I'm just in no place to protect you. It is selfish of me, and stupid, to even consider sharing my mad, wild life with someone. Not while my head is being served up. I don't think you realise how serious my predicament is."


Hands tightened about his, brought them to her chest.

"You are a friend, and I love you Tavarius, I love you very much, but I cannot be with you. You need help. You need someone that can give you that time. That energy. That care. I cannot be at your side. Not when I'm close to being dragged out of here like a trussed up colt. I can't give you what you need. I have to be honest with you and myself, and if I stay with you I'm lying to us both. I am living beyond my means. I've already spread myself too thin..."


Lowering their hands, she gently and very slowly untangled their fingers, her eyes wet and shimmering. "Get that help. I'll come visit you. But right now, I'm no good." Cupping his cheek she stood on the balls of her feet and embraced him fiercely, then stepped back, flat on her soles and bowed her head. The weight of truth seeming to make all the walls close in. To fill her with the heat of release, with the chill of admitting what she knew to be true: She would be taken back to Lofton. She knew it in the bones. She also knew she could not love like she dreamed of, that circumstance and consequence had ruined her. That she was incapable of being that woman he needed. And it stung inside her chest. Stung so much she could hardly breathe.

Tavarius

Date: 2009-08-08 11:23 EST
He stood there for a few moments, just staring past her and into the room, at the bed, under it. It was only a few days ago that he was sleeping there, and now this. Stepping forward, Tavarius crossed the threshold, putting up that blank expression he'd mastered just the night before.

He listened, letting her speak without interruption. With each word closer to her conclusion, his throat and chest tightened, his lips dried. The trickster had never found it so difficult to return a hug as he did then.

"Good, you've explained, now it's my turn," he didn't look at her at first, but looked over at his things on the dresser, choosing his words carefully.

"There's nothing to protect me from. Nothing to help me with. It's been resolved. I have nothing to run from," it took him a moment, but he finally leveled that blank gaze on her. "

"You read my note, the one with the flowerball, didn't you?" he smiled wryly at her. "I'm not changing that," he crossed the room, his first instinct to sit on the edge of the bed. A week was too short a time to form habits, yet he already had one he had to break.

"When they come for you, I'm going to be there. Because you're wrong. Everyone needs to be protected and helped. I've gotten mine already. And do not say it's selfish. We need someone to share our lives with. I don't want to argue it. But I'm not just going to disappear and let you run off, doing all those things," he reached out and picked up his coat, running a finger over one of the sleeves.

He sighed, slipping the coat on. "I just want to be able to talk to you again, if that's all I get, I'll manage," again, a wry smile was offered, knowing that managing, would be harder than he made it sound. "I don't think you understand how serious am. I want you to do me a favor," he picked up his goggles next, pulling them over his head to dangle at his neck. "It's nothing big. Just, think about what you're telling me now, what you're saying is selfish, wrong, or impossible to do, before you decide. We all need to do something for ourselves," he rubbed his chin, grabbing that belt of knives next.

"You're no exception."

Madison Rye

Date: 2009-08-09 09:17 EST
His words like tiny arrows, darting through her mind. She nodded and followed him over towards the bed and looked down at him, her lips curving into a warm smile. "You're always welcome here, and I want to talk to you, I want us to be friends, but I need some time. It has been all so intense. I need a break."

She crouched down before him, searched his face. Squeezed his knee.

"I'll keep my eye on you. Don't forget that. But you need to put yourself in the hands of doctors that can help you. You are traumatised. It's no wonder, really. You've been on the run, as I have."


Drawing up again she moved towards the door, held it open and turned to look at him. Rue sketching her features. "I've got to get some rest. I'll chat to you later. Okay?"


It was just as how it had been with Clyde. Having to be cold. But she could not keep the Trickster here, she would not tease him with a promise she didn't know that she could keep. What good was she to a man if she was dead?

"Get some rest, Angel."

They both needed it. Precious sleep. Precious peace.

Tavarius

Date: 2009-08-09 16:17 EST
He didn't move right away, but sat and thought. Arguing, he could do that all day and still not sway her. It frustrated him to no end. But the trickster was developing the handy skill of hiding these emotions. Tavarius looked up at her, offering a faintest smile in return.

"Doctors can't help me," he explained, standing to gather up the rest of his things. She didn't understand, Tavarius didn't need help at this point. He only needed time to think and relax. Something he hadn't done yet.

"Take care, Madi. I'll see you soon," and with the last of his things stuffed into his bag, the trickster ambled toward and out the door, quietly padding through the Penny Moon's hallways.

Madison Rye

Date: 2009-08-09 19:24 EST
Madison stood listening to the sound of his footsteps in the creaking darkness of the hotel.

And for a moment, she imagined that was what her heart sounded like, and gave a hollow smile in the dusk of that room.


The door closed on him, and that dream. The gunslinger moved to her bed and returned to shining her gun. Her love affair was with that piece of sterling in hand. She felt a sad honesty towards that truth.


When had she become such a machine?

In her heart of hearts she knew her destiny was likely forever that woman in the fields, in that nebula of danger, alone with bullet, chasing down the endless dawn. They had sympathy for the devil, and she wanted none of it.


The plains of her spirit were a ghost town. No wonder she had ended up here. No wonder she fit so well.