Christmas “Celebration”

[Tatyana]

For awhile after the fight at Almaz, Tatyana had been elated. She was going to be living her dream - fighting on stage for people. But soon enough she was reminded of what time of year it was. It was hard to escape it. Christmas was everywhere, and Tatyana fucking hated it. A Christmas party had been the catalyst for Sofia turning into a complete vindictive bitch and blaming her for all her rich girl problems. Then dad had died and things just got worse. She couldn’t even go see his grave - it would take her into Konstantin’s territory. They could go fuck themselves. 

People said mixing drugs and alcohol was something you shouldn’t do. They could fuck themselves too. Tatyana had a pill earlier and had been saving her thievery earnings for her yearly bottle. Most people celebrated this time of year. Tatyana tried to forget. Her wandering took her into the red light district, bottle of rum in one hand. She couldn’t remember for sure what day it was - December 23, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or the day after. It didn’t really matter. It was also dark, which in Moscow during this time could be anywhere from 4;00 Pm to 9:00 AM. That didn’t really matter either. 

Tatyana kept feeling like something was following her, but anytime she looked it was gone. It could be paranoia. It probably was. A moment later she thought she saw some drones flying around. Maybe that was it. She didn’t know. Strange enough though, she found her power. She’d been unsuccessful at embracing it, but now under the influence, it came to her naturally. She grabbed it just in case, even if she wasn’t sure what to do with it. 

Tatyana turned a corner and the world spun. She leaned on a building to keep from falling, then turned her back to it and slid down the wall to sit. She had to sit for a bit. At least until the world around her righted itself. It would probably be awhile. She took another drink from her bottle. Christmas sucked and all she wanted to do was bury it.

[Ashton]

It was fucking cold outside. And he didn't have Nox's little trick to stay warm. It had to be so handy. Though it came with its own difficulties he was coming to find out. But it was dark. He was still busy learning some a routine to audition at Kallisti with. While he could easily get a job, just because he knew Nox, he wanted to do it right. And Nox was helping him when he could. The club was on fire and he didn't want to stick around. Not that it wasn't enjoyable, it just wasn't the same when it was full of strangers and he wasn't on stage yet.

Hayden's bar was open to the soft public but Ashton didn't drink. It made things weird. It was the holidays though and it did make him want to. This was the first Christmas he could remember that was actually fun. Nox was making an effort to ensure they all had a good holiday. Even he didn't like them, he had lots of reminders.

Ashton just walked. He'd picked up the habit from Nox, he walked the perimeter of the secure neighborhood. He wasn't checking on anything, he didn't even know what to look for only knew it's boundaries. It was safe here, and beyond it well who knew what Atharim lurked around the corner looking for an easy kill. Not that Ashton was easy but still, they didn't know that.

A woman leaned on the building taking a swig of her covetted bottle. He hadn't remembered seeing her before, so he should probably stay away, but she didn't look like the kinda person who was out to hunt the unsuspecting. He knew that look -- he was that look.

He stopped at the edge of the sidewalk away from her. "You okay?" He asked concerned, his voice tilted with concern and warmth and non-violence. It was a habit he'd picked up working for the Blackthorns -- she was exactly what they'd be expecting. It was funny how that happened. Though he was only trying to pay it forward.

[Tatyana]

Tatyana slid down to sit on the ground. Judging from the cold, she was probably sitting in snow. That didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Someone approached and Tatyana blinked her eyes at him, trying to get them to focus on whoever it was. Instictually, she pulled her bottle of rum close to her. People always tried to take her drugs or booze from her - always saying "she'd had enough" or "you don't need it." Tatyana knew. They just wanted to steal her things.

He spoke to her, but it was hard to make out. It would probably be easier he decided to be upright or sideways, but she got the jist of it. He wanted to know if she was okay. Maybe a trick to get her things? She didn't know, but he didn't approach or speak with harshness.

Her unfocused eyes looked at him. "Everything's great. A-okay here. Never been better." she said, her words slurred. "Just celebrating. It's Christmas right? Maybe...what day is it?" She looked away for a bit, then returned her eyes to the man. "To the baby Jesus, the one who came to save us all." She raised her bottle in a toast and then took a gulp.

A bit of incredulity came into her voice at that. If there really was a god who sent a savior, the world wouldn't be such a shitty place. A just God wouldn't have taken the only person who mattered to her away. She shivered at the thought, or maybe she was just cold.

"You know it's cold. This keeps you warm," she said raising her bottle again. "Want a nip?" Tatyana really didn't know why she offered. Maybe part of her remembered this was a time for giving. Maybe it was simply because he simply asked how she was.

[Ashton]

Yeah this would have been a mark that's for sure. An easy one too. Ashton knelt down from where he was so she didn't have to crane to look up at him. "I'm good thanks. Inside a building also keeps you warm." Ashton looked around there were places they could go. The tunnels, Nox's house, Hayden's bar. Only the latter seemed appropriate. Bring a drunk lady into a home he was worried about being kicked out of didn't sound like a good plan. And the tunnels were only so warm -- they did get warmer as you went deeper, but that was just because the air was so far from the surface the temperature didn't change.

"I know a place where you can get warm and have some more if you want to go. He might even let you stay the night." It was called Safe Harbour after all. It was a safe house for monster hunters like Nox, but if it wasn't in use yet, Hayden might let her stay in a warm bed. It was as she said Christmas time.

[Tatyana]

Tatyana shrugged as he refused her offer, and took another swig as he mentioned that being inside would also keep you warm. Of course it would - if you had a place to be inside. She could have been at the church, but then again, she wasn’t exactly thinking clearly.

She scoffed a bit at his mention of a place she could go. ”This guy gonna do that from the kindness of his heart? That kind of shit isn’t free. What’s the catch?”

"No catch. He runs a safe house. Though not usually for normal folks. But it's the holidays, he might if I ask."

Tatyana was hesitant. Why? Why would he or his friend help her? No one ever gave a shit about her until Zeke. It was perplexing. But regardless, it was hard to turn down a warm room. ”Fine, but still think you’re bullshitting me.”

Tatyana moved to stand, but as she did, the world began to spin again. She slipped a couple of times before she felt the man’s hands taking her arm and assisting her in standing. She leaned against the wall again for a bit. ”A gentleman…a rarity,” she said, her voice surprisingly sincere.

She leaned for a few moments, allowing the world to right itself. ”Alright - let’s go meet this paragon of virtue.”

((Ashton with permission))

[Ashton]

Ashton laughed. "He's no paragon of virtual." Safe Harbour wasn't too far. And while Hayden hadn't truly opened the bar yet, he'd been having soft open nights where he pulled in investors and the like smoozing the people who paid the bills. He knew that he was always welcome. As were any of Nox's brood. It was family after all.

He didn't go in the front door. He didn't even knock on the side door as he pulled it open and helped the woman in. "Hayden, you busy?" He called from the entry way stomping his feet on the mat to get rid of any snow he might track insice. "Have a favor to ask you."

A voice called out "Behind the bar, Ashton. You aren't interrupting anything." But the way he said it made him think that maybe he was interrupting something.

Ashton nodded and took off his hat as he walked past the bathrooms. "Follow me." He rounded the corner to find Hayden and a man dressed in a fine suit sitting at the bar. He looked oddly familiar, though probably only because he looked like a slightly older version of Hayden. His brother? "I didn't mean to interrupt."

[Hayden]

Ethan showed up at his door step. "Father told me I should stop in before heading home." is what he'd said when he knocked on the bar door.

Hayden let him in. He was neither pleased nor upset by his appearance here. He rather expected it since their father was funding most of the rebuild.

There wasn't a fight, just some buisness. Mostly drinking and reminiscing about their childhood. Hayden heard the side door open and knew it was one of Nox's. They were the only ones who made themselves at home. Though to be fair he told they they were welcome anytime.

Ashton called out and Hayden's eyebrow rose, what did the Siren want? He didn't drink so it wasn't that. And they rarely talked...

He came in from the side hall with a drunken woman at his back apologizing for interrupting.

"You aren't interrupting anything. What did you need?"

"I was wondering if you could spare your extra room for her tonight. She was just outside Nox's permitter and it's the holidays. He'd not want anyone to die from frost bite."

"I suppose. Though this isn't a normal thing. You know what type of people are here."

"Yeah I know. But you aren't on their radar right now are you?"

Hayden shrugged. "Most don't venture into Nox's safe haven, so I doubt I'll get any anyway."

Ashon grinned at him. "So you could do this. for me?"

"You'd owe me."

"I expected to sing for my supper." Which for Ashton he probably meant it for real. He was a Siren after all.

Hayden poured Ashton a lemon with water -- a thing Ashton had picked up from Nox apparently, and looked at the woman. "Hayden. How about we get you some coffee to warm up."

[Tatyana]

Tatyana followed the man through the streets. It would have been easier if he hadn’t been zig zagging his way. It wasn’t far though. The building he took him to looked like a bar. He took Tatyana in through the side door. That seemed weird.

As it turned out it was a bar. That didn’t bode well. Bartenders tended to not like her. She got kicked out of bars quickly usually because she brought her own booze in and refused to give it to them. They didn’t like her bringing in her own liquor. They wanted her to buy, and they assumed (correctly) that she couldn’t pay.

Tatyana heard little of the conversation between the two men. Catching only the one man telling her “rescuer” that he owed him. Nothing was free. Tatyana still had no idea what the cost would be for this. She didn’t for a second believe what he had said about their being no catch. There always was a catch. Even Zeke had told her she owed him for getting her in the ring. At least he was up front about it.

She moved to the bar and found a seat, struggling a bit to get into the bar stool. It would have been easier if she had set down the bottle first, but she didn’t want to let go. The bartender, Hayden, would take it away if she let go. She looked around the room after she sat down, her eyes wary and suspecting. It seemed unfinished, but close to it. Maybe it wasn’t open yet. That didn’t matter though. Hayden got the hero a water with lemon and introduced himself, offering coffee. It was always coffee. They wanted to sober her up. She didn’t want to be sober. Sober meant she’d have to feel things. Thankfully she had an out for that.

”Tanya,” she offered the shortened version of her name. ”Cant pay for coffee. Don’t need coffee.” she said, completing her search for traps in the building and finding nothing. She placed her bottle on the bar, holding it with a white knuckled grip. ”Got my warm up drink here.” She couldn’t deny that she felt cold, but in the warm bar that would soon be remedied. She had her coat, well used, but functional in as well.

[Hayden]

Hayden nodded. "Coffee is free here." It was the same at Harbour House. It was actually the same in all Sebastian owned bars, saloons and pubs. His father beleived in sobering up those who needed it without extra cost. Less liabilities if you could help with the potential problems.

Ethan stood up from his bar stool. "I'm heading back Artemida tomorrow. I'll tell mother and the girls you said hi.".

Hayden chuckled. "I'm sure Mia and Ivy really care that I say hi." Ethan just waved and ignored his comment. Theirs was a strange relationship with Ethan being his biological father and all. And the heir to his father's fortune should Ethan pass for whatever reason before their father. It was a mess Hayden didn't really want to think about. Which is why he found himself in London and now Moscow. Away from the family bullshit.

"You are free to continue your drink, but I can make you something that will both warm you and keep your buzz if that's what you'd like."

Ashton didn't sit down. "I don't think she trusts us." There was a hint of a question in his voice. An offer of sorts. "Can I run the Kareoke machine?" He asked as if it wasn't a ploy, like just a kid doing a thing.

Hayden nodded. "Sure. Though not too loud." He said. Hopeing Ashton caught his meaning. He didn't want to be carried away by the song either. He would have to ask Nox if there was a way to limit that response -- surely the Atharim had means of discounting the song of a Siren should they hunt one.

Ashton flipped on the Kareoke machine and picked a song. It was actually the song he'd heard the first time he'd met Ashton. The night he'd met Seven. Hayden thought to himself, I should call Seven. It had been a while. Maybe invite him to the grand opening.

Ashton started singing with a soft lull of trust to the music of "Closing Time" by Semisonic. He had a good voice. And it wasn't just the Siren song. It was filled with calm and trust, but nothing too overt. He wasn't trying to convince her to let go of the bottle. Just to trust them.

[Tatyana]

Coffee was free. That’s what he said. Tatyana doubted that. There really wasn’t a reason to doubt it, but Tatyana lived in a world where you didn’t get something for nothing. The younger man who had brought her here mentioned he didn’t think she trusted them. She scoffed. Of course she didn’t trust them. Why would she trust them? At least he wasn’t taking her rum. He even offered a different drink. If she asked he’d probably say it was free. It wouldn’t be. She just wished they would be up front with the cost.

She took a swig of rum as the hero walked over to sing karaoke of all things. That seemed odd, but different strokes for different folks. It didn’t really bother her any. He had a decent enough singing voice too. Th change in her mind was as it immediate, even if she didn’t recognize that it happened.

Tatyana felt different about these two men. Everyone else had either ignored her or scoffed at her as she’s had walked the street, but he had stopped to ask if she was okay and brought her into the warmth. Hayden had invited her in and offered coffee. When she had refused, he offered something else. He’d told her that he wouldn’t keep her from drinking. It had been a long time since she had felt it - truly felt it.

Trust. Tatyana had no reason to trust them, but right then, she did. For a second something else shown through. ”You know - having a song that’s starts with last call is not the best way to sell the idea that you’re not gonna keep someone from drinking.” she said with a slight curl to her lips. She took another drink. ”What kind of drink are you offering?”