Regrouping

[Damien]

Damien reclined in his leather chair like a lion resting in the sun. He looked between Elias and Asha. "Well, that was certainly something,"
he said to nobody in particular.

It had been a strange turn of events. Manix dead for some unknown reason, the crew long gone. Apparently, they were bad omen's now. Damien had been described as many things in his life, but this was new. It had a nice ring to it, if only his enemies believed it. It wasn't practical if potential allies were scared away.

He fixed his eyes on Elias. "What do you want to do now?"
It was the boy's affair. Damien was along for the ride and perhaps find out more about those meddlesome fellows that tried to kidnap him. "I could requisition a ship in Mexico. They like me much better than the people of Moscow."


To Asha he smiled and winked. She seemed to take the events worse than Elias and himself. Or maybe he was imagining things. She might very well be as hard as that spider Spectra Lin. That possibility was equally thrilling to contemplate. "I think you would like Mexico, my dear Asha. It is quite nice now the fighting has stopped. Children play in the streets of Mexico City once more."



Edited by Damien, Oct 14 2016, 08:52 AM.

[Elias Donovan]

Elias sat deep in the sofa, his head nestled against the cushions, arms folded across his chest. Across from him, Damien was comfortably perched, brainstorming their way forward. Behind him, near the door, was Elias' and Asha's discarded bags. Moved again. Elias told Tony he had his own place. Asha all but moved out of that scummy apartment. For one night, one night, Elias found comfort. There was a sort of peace within the victorianesque home Manix built in his compound. The feeling was reminiscent of his time in Wellington. Sitting on the beach and studying for bio exams felt like a lifetime ago. All gone again. "Serves me right,"
he mumbled to Asha when they boarded the train.

His foot tapped, flaking bits of dried mud and dirt into the carpet from his boot. That beast was still out there. Elias could feel it heckling him, taunting him. It's prize beckoned. "We need another ship is all."
He shrugged. Mexico wasn't exactly a renown naval power. Did the country even have ships? "And a kickass trained crew. And weapons. And map systems. And coordinates. And..."
he bit his tongue then, chewed on the inside of his cheek. "So that should be easy, since the mighty lord of Mexico proclaims it so."
Elias shook his head with mock reverence.

But he was just irritated. The loss of the deal stung. Not to mention the training he was missing now. It meant one thing. He had to duel with Damien if he wanted to practice. Something he very much did not want to do.

[Ashavari]

Asha had curled herself up in her chair, hands tucked into her sleeves, arms draped across her middle. Death and grief were powerful things, and the taste of it was still ash in the back of her throat. She'd been unprepared for its bite, and less so for the dark eye of suspicion cast in their wake that morning. Bad omens. The horrible, bleak tendrils of that aspersion echoed another older memory, one that squeezed her heart in its fist. She craved comfort from its touch, but receded into herself instead.

Elias blamed himself. Frustration simmered from him, his words bladed as they discussed what happened next. Losing a home bothered her far less than the manner of their departure; she was used to drifting, and she didn't think Nox would begrudge her use of Aria's apartment if they needed it. As for the rest, she had no useful suggestions, so remained silent, contemplating the vastness of the ocean and the sharp need that punctuated Elias's need to solve this riddle with concrete answers.

Damien radiated the calm of a lazy predator, unperturbed by the events of the past few days. She should have been grateful for that strength, but it mixed queasily with everything else -- or maybe it was just that she was shy of leaning on his emotions, and made an effort to distance herself. She recalled the sudden snap of his anger all too well; that deep unfathomable rage that had funnelled away just as quickly. He casually winked at her, and she felt the rush of heat to her cheeks. The weight of his attention always seemed to fluster her.

"Mexico. A ship. It's a start."

[Damien]

Well, Elias and Asha were certainly gloomy fellows. Perhaps that's why they got along so well. For Damien however, the solemn mood was wasted. What was done was done, they were alive and strong with the world at their feet. What use was it mourning their misfortune? That Manix fellow was clearly disturbed, what happened to him was none of their concern.

Suppressing a sigh, Damien gave the maudlin pair his best smile. "There are other ships, other crews just as good and less prone to accidents such as we faced. Of course, Mexico is hardly a naval superpower. However, travelling to Mexico is but a step to our goal. If no Mexican ship meets your standard, Elias, we can use my influence to find a ship and crew that will be suitable."


Damien paused before laughing. "Unless you want to ask the Ascendancy for one of his ships. From my conversation with him, I doubt he would be willing though."