The Will To Live (Sanctuary)

[Penny]

Penny was concerned about Anita. The man on the other end had called her a hero, and to Penny, she was. She had literally saved her life. It sounded like more though. She had worked really hard and saved a lot of people. But right now, Anita just looked exhausted. The man who had done the magic was done now. The warmth that had surrounded her had dissipated. It wasn’t cold, but it felt different now. Quillion was tired too, but in a different way than Anita was. Penny was grateful, and she had noticed the small curve of his lip as she had reached out to him. He had appreciated her gratitude.

He offered Anita a room. ”I think I’ll take you up on that as long as Penny is good.” Penny nodded at Anita’s look. ”Got a wallet? I can give you my contact in case you need me. If not I’ll be right next door.”

Penny pulled out her wallet, and for a moment realized that when she had been stuck, she’d forgotten all about emergency services. She really had been lucky that Anita’s crew had come by. She got the contact of all the medics should anything be needed. She was okay with Anita leaving. As soon as she could rest she would appreciate the solitude. She had a lot to think about and grieve, and for some reason, being alone seemed appropriate for that. The medic Yuri helped Anita to her feet and escorted her to the next room before returning. Apparently they were going to help the people here.

Penny also thought that magic users had to register. She thought she saw that it was law. Maybe it wasn’t. She didn’t know, but she’d rather not get in trouble. She could ask one of the adults, but right now she was scared of what she could do. She wasn’t ready to tell someone in person. There were those Atharim people who didn’t like people like her - or people like Quillion.

Quillion had used magic. Maybe he could help her. Or maybe he couldn’t. She didn’t know. She wasn’t ready to say she could do it, but that didn’t stop her from being curious about magic in general, and maybe she could pick up a few tidbits.

Penny looked at Quillion and smiled at him. ”Thank you again. My name is Penny.” she brought her hand out for him to shake. An actual introduction. ”You used magic? Was it your magic or was the coin magic? she asked pointing at the drawer he had put it in. Her teachers always commented on her curiosity, and it was sufficiently piqued.

[Quillon Hawke]

He decided to sit on the edge of the bed, not too close to crowd Penny but close enough to chat. “I’m Quillon,” he offered to shake her hand now that she seemed more stable. It was a relief, but really, the reason for sitting was fatigue. The Luminar had grasped much more of the Veil than Quillon had and never seemed so tired, perhaps it was just the stress of the day.

“The magic, yes. We call it the Veil. There’s something separating the world everyone knows and what only some people know. When we reach through it, we call it piercing the Veil. And when we channel it, it’s walking in the veil.”

He glanced at the drawer, “The coin is more of a talisman. The Luminar says it’s easier to veil walk when we have something to focus on. I know it’s a lot to process. How are you feeling now?”

[Penny]

Quillion took her hand and she smiled at that. He sat on the bed, but wasn’t crowding her. As he explained the veil to her, she sat up. The blanket over Penny slid down revealing the too big clothing she was wearing she thought the medics had her clothes that she could put on when they were warm enough. They had found these clothes in the room. They were probably Quillion’s.

But what he said was intriguing and added so many more questions. Did they think the Ascendancy gave them the power to walk the veil? Is that why they worshipped him? Who was the Luminar? Can anybody use the talisman or was it dependent on who made it? Does it matter? How does walking the veil work?

How does it work?

But she couldn’t let out the barrage of questions without being rude. Quillion had asked how she was feeling, and that needed an answer. ”Im okay. I thought I’d never be warm again. The snow got too heavy. My reading tree fell and the house collapsed.” the words came out unbidden. She needed to say them and Quillion had asked the right question to make it happen. ”I was stuck. It was so cold. I thought I was going to die. Mom…” She didnt finish the sentence, but could stop the tears and the soft sobs that began. The two medics sat down, offering comfort. ”Next thing I know, Anita was crawling through the rubble and pulling me out.”

Penny wiped her eyes in vain. Her mom was dead. She knew that, and it hurt. ”I miss my mom.”

[Quillon Hawke]

Quillon hadn’t expected such a dramatic story. His eyes widened the more that Penny explained, and when it dawned on him how that story was ending, he was white as a sheet.

Quillon wasn’t exactly a warm and fuzzy guy. Calliope always brought that part out in him, but he wasn’t heartless either. This girl was crying and for very real and traumatic reasons. “Oh my god, Penny!” He didn’t know what else to say so he just hugged her until she was ready to let go.

[Penny]

Quillion didn’t say much he didn’t need to say much. The hug was so much more than any words could say. Penny wasn’t even aware of how much she had needed the hug until he pulled her in. She held on tight, her hand gripping his shirt tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder and the intensity of her sobs increased as she did.

Penny wasn’t sure how long she sobbed into his shoulder. Quillion didn’t let go, so she didn’t either. When the sobs finally subsided, she separated slowly and wiped her eyes. The medics were there. Any of them would have done the same. Quillion had been closest and had reached out. She was glad regardless.

”I made your shirt all wet,” she told Quillion, forcing a smile. It wasn’t an apology as much as it was a thanks. She hadn’t done anything wrong.

But Quillion had helped her get warm and he had hugged her when she had needed it. It endeared the man to her. She was comfortable with him now, and as scared as she was, she wanted to tell him. She wanted to know what she could do. But she was still scared.

Penny looked to the medics. ”Could I talk to Quillion alone please,” she asked. It wasn’t an issue of trust. She trusted them all. She just felt it would be easier to say to one person rather than three.

The medics gave her a nod and stood, stepping outside the room. For a moment she was silent, summoning her courage. She traced a pattern on the blanket, and softly spoke looking down ”When we had to abandon the ambulance and were working our way here, it was hard for them to move. The snow was high. I knew if we got to the building we’d be safe. I was scared that we wouldn’t make it, but knew the building was safe. Then the warm light came. I felt it in my stomach. And then - the snow in front of us melted.” she turned to face Quillion. ”Quillion…was that the Veil?”

[Quillon Hawke]

Quillon was incredibly uncomfortable. He was always uncomfortable around crying people, especially crying girls. So he just let her do her thing and once in a while rubbed her back, knowing that sometimes felt nice. When she peeled away finally, making a little joke about his shirt, he looked down in mock horror. “It’s alright, everyone knows I am prone to weeping from time to time myself.”

He pat her on the shoulder and got up. This was his room after all, and while he was wearing his Veilwarden outfit, the shirt beneath it was just a regular t-shirt. So he got up and rummaged through a drawer to find an alternate. While the medics cleared the room, he quickly changed into a fresh one and hung up the veil warden robe on a hook to let it air out while Penny shared her story.

When he turned back, his expression was one of being impressed. “Yes, actually, it sounds just like that Penny. If it wasn’t you, then it might have been one of the medics too. As soon as I can, I’ll ask Callie or Nora to talk to you. They’re both nice. Would you like that?”

[Anita]

Anita was forced to sleep, and quite frankly, she was okay with that. Penny would be okay and she had Anita's and the other medics' information just in case. She was small, but old enough. Hopefully she would be sleeping anyways. Anita knew it would take awhile to get to sleep, so she checked her wallet. There was a multitude of messages.  She hadn't checked it during the storm.

"Sky - respond to all text messages "Sorry - I was busy with work. I'm safe and fine. Going to bed now." The AI was a wonderful tool.

Even after all of that, she still had two notifications.  A call and voice mail from Hayden. Hayden never called her. She checked the message and gave him a call.

Hayden answered. Hey Anita, You alright? Not stuck I hope."

"“My crew and I have shelter at the Sanctuary of the Ascendant Flame. We’re safe. My ambulance is like buried by now. I’m…not great. Can’t remember the last time I slept. My boss just informed me we set a record for number of calls responded to. I literally haven’t stopped since this mess started. And I now have a 14 year old girl in my care who is recovering from hypothermia and I’m 99% sure she’s now an orphan and homeless.” Her voice breaks slightly. “I wouldn’t count this among one of my best days ever.”

""I hear that. Sounds like my day -- without the saving other peoples lives. I got a 10 year old who has stole a gun and a knife and threatened Nox's life. He's not here, he's off someplace else -- and here I am at his house with his family playing the responsible one when he's out fucking doing whatever fucking he wants." Hayden sighed. "Sorry, I got a drug addict in the basement with two kids who don't belong her -- one hates Nox, the other adores him. I gotta call CPS even though Nox has been trying to get them help. She nees more help than he can give her. You need to stop by when this shit is gone. I could use some adult time."

She chuckled a little bit, the sound strange to her ears. “yeah - adult time will be nice. Unfortunately the best I can do is send you some nudes for motivation - after I get some sleep.” She paused. Her voice turning serious. “Sounds like a very troubled little girl. I take it that’s why you called.”

Hayden laughed. "I wouldn't say no to the nudes. But yes, that's why I called. I need a good contact. Someone who won't split the twins up. And who knows about ptsd from trauma from supernatural creatures. I know Nox has Second Chances but I don't think he'd send them there himself, he needs that push."

“I don’t know too many people at CPS. I just file the reports. But I can talk to Cor - my chief - he works closer with those folks than I do. I need to talk to him about this girl I rescued anyways. Can’t bear the thought of her going to some state orphanage. She’s special. Like Nox and my brother special.”

"When you talk to your chief then don't forget to mention Second Chances. Ana and Liv can help but they won't back up against Nox, so I'm gonna have to do that just for these kids."

“I will. They’re special needs - it isn’t the first time he’s done this. It’s all by the book - he just knows the loopholes in the law and who to make sure gets the paperwork so it ends up where he wants it to. He has kids himself - and wants kids to be sent where they get the help they need rather than where it’s convenient. Second Chances might be good for Penny too - that’s her name - Penny. I’m not sure she knows what she did - but I don’t think she knows how to control it. She kept talking about the “warm light” being gone.”

"Sounds like channeling to me. Nox really needs to find a place to teach all these folks that isn't a burlesque club. I can't image anyone outside the Blackthorn kids who'd even be remotely comfortable with the situation. But that's another thing he won't listen on. Those kids need to be away from the things that traumatized them not immersed in it."

"“I’m sure it was - she cleared a path through the snow that got us to shelter. There has to be schools or something for this stuff popping up somewhere. I just hope someone can help her figure it out. She seems like a really good kid. But she’s dealing with trauma too. She watched her mom die.” She sighed. “You know them better than I do. You think second chances can help her?”

"Absolutely. That's what it's there for. Why Nox created it. He can't take all the kids he would if he could though."

“Sounds good. This kid saved the lives of me and my crew. I don’t know if she knows that she did or not. Need anything else? If not - I could use some distraction. Anything. I won’t fall asleep until my mind stops racing. And I need to sleep.”

Hayden chuckled and his voice went deep and he told her all the things they could be doing right now.

She laughed. “You’re a terrible man, Hayden. Trying to get me all hit and bothered when I can do anything about it. She may be asleep, but I'm next door to a minor and she could walk in anytime.”

He chuckled. "So am I, two actually -- more would walk in any moment. Not even in my own bed."

She sighed a contented sigh. “So you’re getting both of us hot and bothered and we can’t do anything about it. Dumb ass. I know we talked about some pretty heavy stuff, but it was really good to hear your voice. I needed that."

"Me too. My too grown minor reminds me often that I need to take care of myself too. And hot and bothered, love, is a perfect way to be -- dreams will be good and when we see each other we can do all those adult things we can't do now. If she gets sick now, she'll be dead before the end of the day, so pray she doesn't get a fever. It'll be weeks before she's sick if it's her first time."

"That’s good to know. Right now she’ll stable, but we’re gonna continue monitoring for now.” She yawned. “Gonna try to sleep. Thanks again. Let me know if I can help more. Chief may want to talk to you - can I give him your number?” She got his answer and wished him goodnight.

Anita didn't take any clothes off.  She just dropped onto the bed. She was exhausted. They might be able to help her here too. Quillion could channel. Men and women were apparently different though. She wasn't religious, but as long as they didn't take advantage of the girl in her pain, she'd be okay. She didn't know.  It was something to think of when she could think clearly.

[[OoC: with Hayden]]

[Penny]

The Veil. Penny had veil walked. Quillion said it might have been one of the medics, but she knew it had been her. The warm light had been there. She had seen the magic work. Then it was gone after the snow melted. She hadn't been able to find it. Quillion changed his shirt and she looked away while he did. She was respectful. "It was me...I'm almost sure it was me."

He had confirmed that it sounded like the Veil too. But he was going to turn her to over to someone else. Another girl. But as she thought about it, maybe it was different for boys or girls. Maybe he couldn't help so much. He wouldn't abandon her after letting her cry. "Yeah, I think I'd like that. I never felt anything like the warm light before, and I'm a little scared of it, but I don't want to hurt anyone."

[Quillon Hawke]

He nodded in approval. Penny had been through a lot. He knew that it was going to be a devastating day for her, but if she had been the one to melt the snow, she was likely facing the Sickness sometime in the next few days. He knelt by her bed, "I might be able to walk you through some exercises that sometimes help people touch it again, but it's easier if you're with another girl. You rest up as long as you want, but I should probably get back and see how everyone else is doing out there. It is going to be a long day, I think."

He turned by the door, "tv is on that wall if you want it," he pointed across from the bed. It wasn't a fancy system, but at least she could lounge if she wanted.

[Penny]

Penny nodded in understanding. It would be easier to have another girl to learn. But she needed to rest a bit. ”If it’s better with another girl I can wait. It would probably be better for me to rest first anyway. And you got a lot of people to take care of. I’ll be okay for now.”

She looked at the TV as she pointed. She likely wouldn’t use it. She didn’t watch a lot of TV. She preferred books and gardening, but it was a nice gesture. He was being a good host. ”Okay. Thank you Quillion. For everything.”

Penny waited for him to leave before she stood up. Her clothes from before were there. Dry and room temperature. She changed into them and folded Quillion’s borrowed clothes neatly and placed them on the dresser. She’d try to remember to let him know they had been worn. They weren’t really dirty,  but she had still worn them.

She then got into bed and took out her wallet again. She looked up “Magic Registration” and found the site. She didn’t remember if she legally had to do it or not. It wasn’t something she would have thought before. She would have just asked mom. But mom wasn’t here anymore. She didn’t know the answer to most of the questions, so she simply responded “I Don’t Know” to a lot of them.

She was going to try to sleep, but wasn’t really that tired, so began to open an ebook on her wallet before she changed her mind. She sent a post to the scroll about finding her dad. She’d probably get a lot of weirdos responding, but maybe she could cipher them out. Maybe she could find her dad and they could be a family. If not - she was likely headed to an orphanage. She didn’t know much, but the stories were never good. With the post done, she opened her book and began to read. Maybe she’d feel tired in a bit and take a nap while she waited for Nora or Calliope to show up.