Topic: Hunters: Dreams and Anguish Bring Us Together

Riley ORourke

Date: 2011-01-21 12:28 EST
The Marketplace had shed its holiday decorations and was now covered in dirty snow piles and dagger-like icicles. Riley shivered violently and pulled her coat tighter around herself. "Somewhere warm, eh?" She was, of course, referring to the Mystery Honeymoon Place in a ham-handed attempt to get David to reveal the location. "Is it north or south of the equator? Wait, maybe I should ask if it's on Earth first, huh?"

David glanced over at her and flashed a little grin. "It's on Earth," he confirmed, but that was all he said about it. He wasn't about to give away any more details, or risk ruining the surprise.

"Hmmm," she said, steering them towards the cheerfully-warm looking book/bake shop. "North or south of the equator?"

He hadn't been to Teas'n Tomes in a while. Not since he last talked to the figure skater, in fact. He wondered how she was doing. He'd invited her to come have dinner with them after the holidays, but hadn't seen her since. He nodded. "North or south of the equator."

She stomped a Christian Louboutin encased foot and pouted. "Daviiiiid," she whined. "Which is it? Unless..." Her eyes flashed. "Does it stradle the equator? Ooh!" She jumped up and down, clapping her hands gleefully. "It's the Galapagos, isn't it!"

He snickered at her little whine. Most people wouldn't even believe she knew how to whine, let alone actually did so. "Where the giant tortoises are?" He paused for a second, wondering if he should answer her, or stick with the 'I can neither confirm nor deny' schtick. He shrugged. "No, not there."

She frowned and went slowly, thoughtfully up the steps and tugged open the shop's door to the peals of tiny silver bells. A sharp inhalation brought to her the scent of coffee, cinnamon, caramel, blueberries, cranberries, pecans. "You know what?" she said to David as she looked around for Aurelia.

"What's that?" he asked as he followed her inside. It always smelled so good in here, it was hard not to smile when you walked in.

She spotted Aurelia Dupuis and waved to her, frowning slightly at the unexpected presence of the man with her. Then she turned back to David, a little smirk on her lips. "I wanna move in here," she said in a hushed voice and winked at him.

He snorted. "I think the owner might have something to say about that."

Gesturing to the pair to join them, Aurelia smiled her calm, confident smile, glancing warmly to Matthias as Riley's eyes flickered to him. "Please try to be patient with them. They will be more resistant than Rhys was."

"Mum's the word until they ask for assistance," He smiled reassuringly. "I will be on my best behavior."

"Feh," Riley said decisively in response to David's comment, and then made her way between the stacks to the small table where the witch was standing. She gave Aurelia a smile and stuck out her hand. "Bon soir, Mademoiselle. Comment ca va?" Any day Riley got to bust out the French was a good day in her opinion.

Aurelia's smile lit up in delight at Riley's greeting. "Ah, bon soir, Mademoiselle O'Rourke," she said happily. "Oui, tres bein, merci. Et vous?" Switching back to English for the benefit of David, whom she was uncertain knew French as well as she did herself, she continued, "I hope you do not mind; we have taken the liberty of having tea brought to the table already."

"I'm doing well, thank you." Riley smiled at the tea service and nodded. "That's fine; thank you." She glanced sidelong at David and then took a seat at the table, directly across from Aurelia.

While Riley was talking to Aurelia, David offered his hand to the unfamiliar man with her. "I'm David," he said. "I don't think we've met."

"I'm Matthias," he smiled warmly and shook the man's hand. "I don't believe we have. The pleasure's mine." He nodded then and pulled his hand back gracefully to tuck it and the other behind himself.

Riley nodded to Matthias and gave him a smile. "So you're Matthias. It's nice to meet you." See? Riley could be polite and nice. Despite rumours to the contrary, she had impeccable manners

"It's very nice to meet you, too, Ms. O'Rourke." He bowed his head politely then turned his attention to Aurelia.

Lowering to sit down as well, Aurelia glanced once to Matthias before resuming her focus upon the couple who had joined them. "How may we help you, Miss O'Rourke?"

Once the ladies were seated, Matthias lowered his tall frame into the chair he'd been occupying previously. As promised, he was on his best behavior. As they spoke, he began to pour the tea into the delicate porcelain cups.

David seated himself next to Riley, resting his arms on the table. He'd let her do most of the talking for this part; she had a better idea of what they needed.

Riley took a deep breath, glanced at David again for a moment, and then plunged in with both feet. "Well... Uh... God, this sounds utterly ridiculous, but... I need to know what you told Rhys. Rhys Bristol, that is. He's... He's labouring under the impression that he's an angel?" The doubt and disbelief were heavy in her voice. Indeed, her tone was dancing precariously on the edge of accusing them both of planting that ludicrous idea in Rhys's head.

Matthias' head bounced in a "well, he is" kind of way, but he refrained from speaking. A glance to David. "One lump or two?" The tea kettle was sat into it's cozy and he picked up the sugar bowl and tongs.

Aurelia nodded slowly, her expression nothing if not open and accepting. "I see," she said softly. "And is it his belief in his angelic status, your disbelief in it, or your uncertainty as to the true existence of heaven and hell that is causing you pains, mademoiselle?" The question was put with no accusation or discomfort, merely a genuine curiosity.

Riley ORourke

Date: 2011-01-21 12:29 EST
"Just one, thanks,? David said to Matthias. Aurelia's question had covered pretty much all of the bases at once, quite a feat.

Riley let out a tiny, sardonic laugh. "All of the above?" She shook her head and sat back a bit, crossing those legendary legs and tugging the hem of her skirt down a bit. "It's not that he doesn't believe that bothers me; it's more that he does. He's...he's convinced of it, you see? And I'm afraid... well, I'm afraid that Heaven, Hell, angels, demons... the whole shootin' match just doesn't fit in my worldview."

Matthias nodded and set to the task of placing a sugar cube into David's tea cup. One for Aurelia, then he held the tongs poised over the sugar bowl with a lifted brow towards Riley. "One or two?"

Aurelia nodded thoughtfully, considering how to approach this without upsetting Riley any further than she already seemed to be. "Tell me, Riley - I may call you Riley?" she paused to ask for that permission before continuing. "Tell me, do you believe in good and evil?"

"Two, please," Riley said to Matthias with a smile and then turned back to Aurelia. "Riley's fine." Aurelia's second question drew a frown. She was silent for a while, musing on the topic. At last, she shook her head slowly. "I don't. I believe in...choices. I'm a Buddhist, you see. There's not really evil or good; there's choices."

"What then, is a man who chooses to murder innocents?" Aurelia asked swiftly on the heels of Riley's assertion, grateful that Matthias wasn't leaping in with a dramatic display of angelic prowess yet. "Or another, who gives his life to save another? Are they mere choices, or do those choices make them good and evil?"

Matthias nodded, and placed the tongs down. His hand flattened over the sugar bowl and two cubes floated towards his hand. Then his hand moved over Riley's cup and just as gentle as you please, the cubes dropped into the steaming liquid. As deep in conversation that they were, he doubted that she'd notice. He then put the bowl down and picked up his cup for a sip.

She shook her head again. "There is no black and white, I'm afraid. There's shades of grey. Someone who murders is still capable of being compassionate and acting with that compassion towards someone else,? she answered, thinking for a moment of Judah Bishop. ?Just as someone who's given his life to save someone else was still capable of being selfish and greedy and hurting someone before his death."

David noticed, though only a slight life one eyebrow betrayed that fact. This discussion between the women was something he and Riley been through before, too.

Matthias quirked a half grin in David's direction. "Have you heard of devas or dharmapalas?" He asked conversationally.

He shook his head slowly at Matthias' question. "I don't think I have." He gave a little shrug. "I never paid much attention to religion before I met Riley."

"I see." Aurelia took a sip of her tea, smiling faintly, and took a left turn at the traffic lights, conversation-wise. "Tell me, what was the nature of the creature which possessed Mademoiselle Shantalaine?" she asked calmly. "Do you truly believe that it, and it's accomplice, were capable of anything that would not do harm to others for their own gain?"

Riley shrugged a little and folded her hands together, setting them in her lap. "The Pretas, or Hungry Ghosts, are people who through their own choices are sent to the Hungry Ghost realm. They are beings who have uncovered a terrible emptiness within themselves, who cannot see the impossibility of correcting something that has already happened. Their ghostlike state represents their attachment to the past; thus they live out lives of unfulfilled cravings and insatiable demands of impossible satisfactions until they learn better."

Clearly, this line of discussion was not getting anywhere. "Very well then. Riley, do you believe that I am holding this teacup?" the witch asked suddenly, holding up her cup between them.

Riley nodded. "And though I'm not a Zen Buddhist, but Mahayana, I understand that perception is everything. What we perceive the world to be is how the world is, right?"

"Seraphim, Cherubim, devas, dharmapalas or malaikah." He turned his smile to Riley, his hand went to rest upon Aurelia's shoulder. "Call them what you will, Ms. O'Rourke, angels do exist."

Riley's eyes narrowed a touch, becoming coolly polite. "I'm not here to debate religious or philosophical subjects. I'm here to figure out what you said to Rhys that convinced him that he's an angel."

"Technically, the word is was. He traded in his wings, so to speak." Matthias's legs crossed and he sipped his tea again. He looked to Aurelia. Too much?

"Seeing is believing?" Aurelia's smile returned with gentle confidence, her hand reaching to lay gently upon Matthias' arm. The message was obvious ... this had to be approached slowly. "I do not wish to shake your personal beliefs; only to show you that reality contains these extremes of good and evil. We told your Rhys nothing but the name of his guardian. He is the one who called to her; she is the one who told him of himself. Matthias is a guardian such as Rhys once was."

Riley ticked a look at Matthias and then at Aurelia, her expression having long since slipped into that unreadable neutral mask for which she was famous. "Was. An angel. Past tense. Why would he trade in his wings, as you say?"

"There are many reasons for such a decision," Aurelia said quickly, trying to prevent Matthias from blurting out the truth. "Rhys knows why he chose to fall; it is not our place to share what is his."

Matthias gently moved the hair from Aurelia's shoulder and he smiled. "Why do people, angels, werewolves," he turned a pointed look at Riley. "Why do they do anything? Love. He was in love."

Frowning, Aurelia levelled a stern look on Matthias, who had been expecting a kick under the table, but the look was enough to keep his mouth closed except while sipping tea or munching on a biscuit.

Riley had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and the blood drained from her face, leaving her pale and sickly. A certain Tarot card reading she'd witnessed in New York City two years ago sprang to mind and she whispered, "Oh, no."

Riley ORourke

Date: 2011-01-21 12:30 EST
His thoughts raced back to the conversation they'd had with Rhys, remembered him saying that he'd done it for her. Under the table, he put his hand on Riley's knee and gave it a gentle squeeze when she paled.

Alarm touched Aurelia's face as she watched Riley turn pale, and she reached across to touch the other woman's hand. "There is no fault, no guilt," she said firmly. "You cannot make such a decision for another person. He chose his fate for himself; you carry no burden for it."

Riley shook her head back and forth, over and over, trying to deny the facts that were slowly lining up like a firing range in front of her. It was no use. The facts of Rhys's behaviour, his recent adamant insistence that everything he'd done was all for her ? it was insurmountable. "It's true," she whispered. "He gave up...Heaven, for me. And...I've sh*t all over his sacrifice." She stood slowly, murmuring, "Excuse me," and went quickly to the ladies' room.

"The past cannot be changed," Aurelia was speaking in a low, but urgent voice. "You know this. Feel whatever guilt you must, but move past it. For your own sake, as well as for others. You need to be free of the ties of the past, for the gathering storm which is approaching."

David watched her go, sighed faintly. "It's been a rough couple of weeks," he said by way of explanation...not that it explained much.

Matthias sighed and put down the biscuit he'd been nibbling on. "Well, that went over like a turd in a punch bowl."

She sighed softly as Riley made her escape, lowering her hands to her lap. "I understand, Monsieur Lo," she nodded, lightly smacking Matthias' leg under the table. "She cannot hold onto this guilt, though. You and she, and Rhys, are facing something that you must be united to overcome."

David sighed again, gave a little shrug. "I'm not really sure we can be united. There's a whole lot of baggage to handle." He shook his head. "Every time Rhys sees us...Riley and I...together, you can see the pain in his eyes like someone just stabbed him in the gut. He still loves her. And Riley...she feels like she gave up on him. She moved on, thinking he was gone...and then he came back. And then there's me." That was enough said, as far as he was concerned.

"Who said it was Riley he was in love with?" Matthias'd been smacked, time to do damage control.

"He did, more than once,? David answered. ?We just didn't know what he meant."

Matthias shrugged and picked up the biscuit. "I tried," then nibbling commenced.

"Rhys is not who he was," she told David firmly. "Riley is not who she was. She loves you; if I have heard the gossip correctly, she is marrying you. Do not step aside for something which cannot be again. Riley needs you to be strong for her."

"I'm not stepping aside," David said immediately, firmly. "Never even considered it. That's not the issue, though. The problem is three of us trying to work together. They can't seem to say two sentences without fighting, and me...I just try not to make things harder."

As Riley splashed water over her face, as she stared hard at her reflection in the washroom's mirror, so many things suddenly became crystal clear. The Tarot card reading in New York had shown that she and John had been twin souls since their souls had come into being; they'd been reincarnated together as siblings so many times. But the girl had said that Rhys hadn't had a past life; this lifetime was his first. And then there was the issue of Patrick. Lycanthropes couldn't bear children and yet... Divine interference? With a growl that would raise the hackles of anyone who overheard it, she strode out of the ladies' room and went back to the table, eyes flashing with anger, the long-bottled up anger that had been stowed away since she lost her baby. "Fine," she said without preamble as she retook her seat. "Rhys is an angel. There's a Heaven and a Hell and even f*cking demons. How do I kill them?" 'I', she said, not 'we'.

"How do we kill them," he corrected, standing when she came back, concern written all over his face. He sat down and reached to take her hand.

Aurelia glanced up as Riley came back into view. "I would appreciate you not referring to demons as f*cking," she said softly. The phrase clearly hit a nerve. "And you cannot fight them alone. I do not know who you are facing, but you needs must speak with this Lailah of Rhys'. She is the one who knows how to defeat your enemies, if anyone does."

When Riley returned, Matthias rose just a bit from his chair, then sat back down when she did. His brow raised and his arms folding across his chest. "Which do you intend to kill?"

She frowned at the rampant display of chivalry and then shrugged. "I've got a list. I know at least three of their True Names. I'll start with them and work my way down."

Aurelia stood up. "One moment, Mademoiselle. Each demon, or demonic race can only be killed in a specific manner, often unique to themselves. If you do not manage it on your first attempt, you will not live long enough to try again. Do not rush into things, please."

"And I have to talk to this Lailah to find out how to kill them?" Riley's eyes narrowed unhappily. Patience was not her strongest suit.

"You will need her help," Aurelia said quietly, slowly lowering to her seat once more. "I do not think even Matthias knows what you need to know." She looked to her partner curiously.

"I don't." Matthias answered quietly. "I mean, I am sure I could find out. But getting it from the source is much better."

Riley ORourke

Date: 2011-01-21 12:32 EST
"And this is all you can tell me? That I have wait around for some...what'd you say she is? A guardian? I have to wait around for her to show up, and maybe she'll know what I need to know, and maybe not? Christ," Riley muttered and dragged a hand down her face, exhaling sharply.

?She'll know and all you have to do is speak to Rathanael and he'll call her. Do not question Aurelia. She is here to help you."

"In any way I can," Aurelia added to Matthias' words. Any way she could might also include going demon to do a little investigating for them, if ever they needed it, but she had no idea how to broach that subject.

"Rathanael?" Her brow arched; the name was unfamiliar, yet had been mentioned twice so far. Clearly it was important.

"Rathanel is Rhys Bristol's true name," the witch told her quietly.

"That's the name he went by before he traded in his wings." Matthias sighed softly. "It's really not that horrible of a thing, Ms. O'Rourke."

"Here's what I don't get," David said suddenly. "If Rhys really is...or was...an angel, why does he have a guardian angel?"

"I have a guardian angel." Matthias shrugged. "Everybody does whether you know it or not."

"His angel name." There was absolutely no inflection, no emotion in those words. Riley would chew on that later; for now, she turned to David and then back to Matthias. "Why would an angel need a guardian angel? That seems...redundant."

David nodded. "Exactly." He had a hard time buying the idea that everyone had a guardian angel. If they did, some of them were clearly not doing much of a job at it.

"That's a simple one. Everybody has their bad days. It's good to know you've somebody to turn to. I talk to mine daily." Matthias gave a shrug. If they didn't get it by now that they were talking to an angel, well they wouldn't ever get it.

"Riley ... David." Aurelia's voice was very quiet, gentle as she spoke. "Would it help you both to see an angel, and a demon?"

Riley glanced at Matthias. "I sorta get the feeling I'm looking at one of them right now, right?"

Aurelia smiled. "Would you like to see his wings?" Matthias reached and took Aurelia's hand and squeezed it. Then he turned his attention to Riley and smiled with a nod.

"No. That's... No, I'm good. You?" Riley asked, looking over at David, a brow raised.

"I live in RhyDin," David said dryly. "Every day, I see six impossible things before breakfast." Then he snorted. "Sometimes I even do them. It's not the belief in demons I have problems with, it's figuring out how to stop them from killing us."

"And why. There's a prophecy. Do you know what it says?" Riley fixed Aurelia with a look.

"There are basic ways to ward them from entering your home, or your mind," Aurelia offered confidently, back on ground she was most comfortable with. "That is one area I can help you with." She shook her head to Riley's question. "I have heard nothing of a prophecy."

"Salt, right? In front of all the doors and windows?" Aurelia's next words brought that frown back to Riley's face, though. "No one does. And getting a straight answer out of Rhys lately is like...pulling teeth from a dragon." Only in Rhy'Din could one say that and mean it literally.

Aurelia nodded. "Oui, salt is a good barrier. I can give you charged crystals to set around the boundaries of your home which will emit a sound should evil approach; I also have a pair of dream crystals still at the shop which will keep your unconscious minds from being attacked."

Riley snorted. "Where were you six months ago?" She glanced at David, a brow raised in inquiry. Did they want all of that?

This was exactly the kind of thing he wanted to know about; real, physical objects that would help them against the demons. It was the cop in him, he knew, that made him want the demon-killing gun, but in this case, he was willing to go along with it. He looked to Riley, nodded. "That would be great," he said, turning back to Aurelia.

Aurelia nodded. "They are yours," she said firmly. "Free of charge. And as I say, any help I can be to you both in this will be my pleasure."

Riley nodded, too. Then she plastered on a sincerely contrite smile. "I'm sorry if I offended you. Either of you."

"No offense taken," Matthias lifted the back of his hand to his mouth as he had biscuit in it. "It can be... unsettling to some. You've handled this quite well."

Shaking her head, Aurelia smiled to Riley. "When you have a demon for a mother, the phrase 'f*cking demons' is a little distressing," she chuckled pleasantly, hoping like hell that little reveal wouldn't get her pinned against a wall with claws and a gun.

Riley ORourke

Date: 2011-01-21 12:33 EST
"Thank you," David said to Aurelia. He hesitated for a moment, then pressed on. "Is there...do you know a way to hurt them? I understand that it's really hard to kill a demon without a lot of work, but maybe something to give them pause if we get attacked. If it was just a physical fight...," he broke off at Aurelia's revelation, shooting a quick look at Riley.

Riley blinked and she repeated, "A demon for a mother." Her voice was emotionless, bland, just like her face. Her nostrils flared as Jaguar woke and took stock of things.

Aurelia's expression calmed, and her gaze flickered between both David and Riley with quiet confidence. "There are two sides to every coin," she said quietly. "I choose not to be the demon. I choose." Matthias sat up and he put the biscuit down. He eyed Riley cautiously and put his hand onto Aurelia's thigh.

Jaguar would have dearly loved to have made a snack of the pretty witch's face, but Riley reminded Her that this woman saved two of their closest friends and their building. Jaguar was just gonna have to suck it up and play nicely. Riley nodded. "I understand. Believe me; I understand."

Relaxing slowly, the witch let out a slow sigh of relief, laying her hand over Matthias' to squeeze gently. "Merci ... thank you."

David relaxed a bit, nodding. Aurelia couldn't have chosen a better way to explain it that made sense to both of them.

"Well, I suppose that we've wasted enough of your time. Thank you...for meeting with us and for...slapping me upside the head, too." Riley gave them both a little lopsided smirk.

Aurelia chuckled softly. "It was our pleasure, mademoiselle," she teased with playful mischief before she grew serious once more. "Please remember, both of you - if you need us, for anything at all, call our names. We will come to you."

"Huh. Better than a cell phone." She slid her chair out and stood, reaching across the table to take first Matthias's hand and then Aurelia's.

Matthias's grip was gentle when he took Riley's hand, and the squeeze even more gentle. A smile then as he reached for David's hand and shook it.

Rising with them, Aurelia slid her hand into Riley's and over to David, nodding to them both. "I wish you both every happiness on your upcoming nuptials," she said fervently. "And a safe path to walk together."

"Congratulations. Name your son Matthias?" He joked and then, maybe not.

She gave Matthias a sad smile, said goodnight, and then tucked her arm through David's as they left the shop. She cuddled closer to him than was perhaps necessary. Just chalk it up to the cold.

"That's a wish I can get behind," he said, nodding. Matthias' comment had him glancing at Riley, but he didn't say anything else. He hugged her close when they were outside, though.