Nica was pacing again. The well worn carpeting of the narrow inn room was beginning to show signs of the rut her boots were making. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She was coiled tension, a spring ready to pop. Despite the good start to the morning, training had not gone well and like usual, she was left feeling dissatisfied and anxious. Typically, Daniel had to split his attention between multiple students at once but one on one, he was a whole different beast. Demanding and relentless, he didn?t let her give up even when she was well past the point of exhaustion.
?Ye should get some rest.? Niamh offered her sage advice from her sprawl on the bed. In comparison to Nica?s bed, it was a rumpled mess compared to the Nephilim?s militarily precise creases but man was it comfortable. One leg was left to hang off the side of the bed, shoe still on, while the other crooked at an angle, shoeless. She watched Nica pace while chewing at the edge of her thumbnail.
?I don?t need rest,? Nica snapped, stopping to squint at the blonde. Her pause was brief though and soon her feet got to moving again.
?Really, I sorta disagree. But awrigh?, whatever ya say, princess.? Niamh shrugged and felt around for the television remote again. Maybe she could watch the Jerry Springer show again for what must have been the five hundredth time that day.
Again Nica stopped, this time at the foot of Niamh?s bed, squarely between the werewolf and the TV. Her hands settled at her hips and she set her shoulders as she scowled at the woman. ?Do not call me that.?
?What? Princess? S?never bothered ye b?fore?? The blonde shook her head, sitting up and setting the remote aside. Springer could wait. ?Ye don? think yer bein? a li?l o?er sensitive do ye??
?I?m not being over sensitive! You just, you wouldn?t understand,? she answered, her shoulders dropping. Her mouth was dry and her head ached. Really she should have done something about it but?
?Ever the martyr, ye are, Nic.? Niamh?s laugh lacked humor. Swinging the other leg over the side of the bed, she set her elbows against her knees and looked aside at the frustrated Nephilim. ?Oughta call Loverboy up, maybe work some?a that frustration out.?
?Don?t bring him into this and don?t start that martyr **** again. I?m doing my duty, there?s nothing wrong with that. And there?s nothing wrong with being annoyed at how things are playing out while doing so. You don?t get to judge me for that.? Nica stood firm, her chin lifted with the indignation.
?Don?t kid yerself, ye enjoy yer sufferin?, b?cause the greater yer woes, the greater the payoffs right? Somethin? ?bout temperin? ye in fire? Stronger fer yer sufferin??? It took a lot to make Niamh bristle but sure enough, she rose to her feet and rolled her shoulders. There was an edge to the look she gave the angel blooded woman, one she couldn?t quite shake off. She moved to step past Nicanora. ?I?m not doin? this.?
Nica sidestepped between the beds, blocking most of Niamh?s path. ?You?re really going to pull that card? You don?t get to spew **** like that and then turn tail and run, Nee.?
?Naw, now it?s you that doesn?t get ta call me tha?. Look, I don?t know wha?s up yer arse lately, but I?ve done nothin? but try ta help ya in any way I can. Thought that migh? buy me a li?l more consideration than yer sort normally give us dirty Downworlders.? In the room?s dim light, the yellow in her blue eyes seemed brighter, almost reflective when she glared at the shorter woman. ?Now lemme by. I need ta get some air or somethin?.?
Nica had no answer to that, her jaw tight and her shoulders tense as Niamh pushed past her. She didn?t even turn around as Niamh scooped up her backpack by one strap, slinging it over her shoulder and starting for the door. It wasn?t until the door shut behind the blonde that she looked, staring hard at the aged wood as though perhaps if she squinted hard enough she could see through it.
Niamh didn?t look back either, hurrying out of the confines of the stuffy room, down the dingy hallway, through the quiet lobby and out into the slowly falling night beyond the front door. Normally she could handle the moody Nephilim?s attitude with ease but tonight it just set her on edge and she couldn?t explain why. Once she made it further from the inn and cast a look toward the horizon, she figured out exactly why. A full moon was rising, its sister, while not full also, still flanking it with all of the ominous influence that one would expect for one in her position. A colorful curse spilled from her lips and she considered going back to the inn. Back to hostility, which would only make things worse. She couldn?t do that. Instead, she reached out to the only other ally she had in the entire city.
need sumwhere secure 4 the nite
u know of anywhere?
((Thanks to Nicanora for the collabo!))
?Ye should get some rest.? Niamh offered her sage advice from her sprawl on the bed. In comparison to Nica?s bed, it was a rumpled mess compared to the Nephilim?s militarily precise creases but man was it comfortable. One leg was left to hang off the side of the bed, shoe still on, while the other crooked at an angle, shoeless. She watched Nica pace while chewing at the edge of her thumbnail.
?I don?t need rest,? Nica snapped, stopping to squint at the blonde. Her pause was brief though and soon her feet got to moving again.
?Really, I sorta disagree. But awrigh?, whatever ya say, princess.? Niamh shrugged and felt around for the television remote again. Maybe she could watch the Jerry Springer show again for what must have been the five hundredth time that day.
Again Nica stopped, this time at the foot of Niamh?s bed, squarely between the werewolf and the TV. Her hands settled at her hips and she set her shoulders as she scowled at the woman. ?Do not call me that.?
?What? Princess? S?never bothered ye b?fore?? The blonde shook her head, sitting up and setting the remote aside. Springer could wait. ?Ye don? think yer bein? a li?l o?er sensitive do ye??
?I?m not being over sensitive! You just, you wouldn?t understand,? she answered, her shoulders dropping. Her mouth was dry and her head ached. Really she should have done something about it but?
?Ever the martyr, ye are, Nic.? Niamh?s laugh lacked humor. Swinging the other leg over the side of the bed, she set her elbows against her knees and looked aside at the frustrated Nephilim. ?Oughta call Loverboy up, maybe work some?a that frustration out.?
?Don?t bring him into this and don?t start that martyr **** again. I?m doing my duty, there?s nothing wrong with that. And there?s nothing wrong with being annoyed at how things are playing out while doing so. You don?t get to judge me for that.? Nica stood firm, her chin lifted with the indignation.
?Don?t kid yerself, ye enjoy yer sufferin?, b?cause the greater yer woes, the greater the payoffs right? Somethin? ?bout temperin? ye in fire? Stronger fer yer sufferin??? It took a lot to make Niamh bristle but sure enough, she rose to her feet and rolled her shoulders. There was an edge to the look she gave the angel blooded woman, one she couldn?t quite shake off. She moved to step past Nicanora. ?I?m not doin? this.?
Nica sidestepped between the beds, blocking most of Niamh?s path. ?You?re really going to pull that card? You don?t get to spew **** like that and then turn tail and run, Nee.?
?Naw, now it?s you that doesn?t get ta call me tha?. Look, I don?t know wha?s up yer arse lately, but I?ve done nothin? but try ta help ya in any way I can. Thought that migh? buy me a li?l more consideration than yer sort normally give us dirty Downworlders.? In the room?s dim light, the yellow in her blue eyes seemed brighter, almost reflective when she glared at the shorter woman. ?Now lemme by. I need ta get some air or somethin?.?
Nica had no answer to that, her jaw tight and her shoulders tense as Niamh pushed past her. She didn?t even turn around as Niamh scooped up her backpack by one strap, slinging it over her shoulder and starting for the door. It wasn?t until the door shut behind the blonde that she looked, staring hard at the aged wood as though perhaps if she squinted hard enough she could see through it.
Niamh didn?t look back either, hurrying out of the confines of the stuffy room, down the dingy hallway, through the quiet lobby and out into the slowly falling night beyond the front door. Normally she could handle the moody Nephilim?s attitude with ease but tonight it just set her on edge and she couldn?t explain why. Once she made it further from the inn and cast a look toward the horizon, she figured out exactly why. A full moon was rising, its sister, while not full also, still flanking it with all of the ominous influence that one would expect for one in her position. A colorful curse spilled from her lips and she considered going back to the inn. Back to hostility, which would only make things worse. She couldn?t do that. Instead, she reached out to the only other ally she had in the entire city.
need sumwhere secure 4 the nite
u know of anywhere?
((Thanks to Nicanora for the collabo!))