Things are not the Same

[Keira Kelly]

Lucy slowly uncurled herself from the corner, sliding out from the shadows, not as willing to let go of the defensiveness as Dante was. Misdirection was one of the oldest tricks in the book and she was determined not to get caught off guard. While this was probably just normal cat antics, Lucy wasn't going to take anything for granted. She kept her claws and teeth ready as she slowly moved towards the window that Dante had looked out. She probably normally wouldn't have been this nervous but being inside this small building with very few exits unnerved her more than usual. She glanced out, seeing one of the trash bins on its side, and at least one feline still stalking around it, claiming its territory and share of whatever spoils someone had tossed out.

She stared at the animal doing its own thing for some long moments, wondering if getting some might be a good idea, whenever she managed to get a safe-haven of her own. Animals had better senses than people.. even than the Lost... well, at least than some of them. It might be an idea to have some though as an early warning system. Perhaps she would look into that when she had her own place then, she decided. She kept looking out into the night as she began to speak. "I suppose I must get used to these sounds of the city again." she said. Her home with Tommy had been in a slightly more exclusive area where ferals and other things were far less common. There had been less to fear... other than Them.

She shook herself, attempting to rid herself of the shiver of fear she was feeling and forcing herself to turn back to her friend. She normally would have tried to give him a relieved smile but she didn't feel up to it, not after the emotion of learning about Tommy and then the sudden scare. She tucked her wings back around herself as she sat down once again on the chair. She thought back on what they had been discussing but decided it was best to pick a new topic, the reason she had met with Dante tonight. "I received the new identification tonight." she told Dante. "My new identification. They managed to keep my name it seems but forged the rest. Now I will likely have to see about finding some employment..." She was hesitant about this; she came from wealth, had married a man with a good job and hadn't expected to really have to ever work. She didn't know what skills she had and likely much would be decades out of date. "I don't even know what I might possibly be satisfactory at..."

[Veli Alvar]

Dante began to bite the nails on his left hand, starting at the thumb as Lucy spoke. He had a hard time keeping still with nothing to do for too long. It seemed to match his 'air persona'; air is chaotic and scattered. Lucy seemed to be taking the correct steps towards integrating herself once more into this reality. Dante was lucky to have been away for only 4 years.. well 2 years in this world. He came back to a familiar setting, practically the same setting, with some new-found technical skills, no less. Lucy got dropped into an entirely new world.. not being able to possibly comprehend the technology available in this day and age. That would fix itself soon as she got into her own groove, so to speak.

"You definitely need some sort of skill." he said, his voice a bit muffled from him biting his nails. "If nothing pans out the way you want, there is always cash register duty in a retail store." he said finally taking the hand out of his mouth. "You don't need much to sustain yourself here; you will live alone so all you need is a small apartment like this. Until you do that you are more than welcome to stay here for the time being if that suits you at all." he added. Dante didn't mind having Lucy stay over at all, it's not like he stayed in the house much anyways.

[Keira Kelly]

Lucy watched Dante's almost nervous behaviour with a detached interest as he spoke to her. They seemed to be opposites; Dante was almost twitchy as he sat there, never stopping moving in some way while Lucy was stock-still, almost a statue of flesh and bone. In her mind, moving so much would only draw attention. It was best to stay still, stay high and stick to the shadows. She forced herself to stop watching the nail-biting and concentrate on what her friend was suggesting. A shudder ran through her at the thought of working at a register in a big shop. "I.. don't think I could do that.." she replied slowly. Her own nervousness came out in the tone of her voice. "Too many people.." she said, looking more fearful. Having all kind of people around, looking at her, interacting with her... no, she would rather be alone. It was safer that way. "I would rather quiet, at night... perhaps outdoors..." she offered. Maybe Dante could think of something that would fit what she preferred.

She nodded. "When I can, I will find somewhere suitable." she answered cryptically. She paused though when he offered for her to stay here. She knew she couldn't accept; this small place, it didn't have nearly enough exits and it was too.. in the open, she thought. She didn't feel safe within the walls. She didn't exactly feel safe at the freehold either, with so many others around but at the same time, she could lose herself in the crowd. If it was ever invaded, it would be easier to slip out. Before the pause became awkward, she forced herself to speak. "I appreciate the offer very much." she said, knowing what it must take for Dante not only to have invited her over tonight but to offer to let her stay. "But I think I would like to become as self-reliant as possible in a little time as I can." she answered tactfully. "And I would not impose upon you. Perhaps, let us just discuss forms of employment?" she added, trying to change the subject.

[Veli Alvar]

Dante nodded at Lucys respectable decline of his hospitality. It was indeed small but he felt the need to throw it out there just in case she didn't want to return to the Freehold. The Freehold was decent but it was crowded and individual needs weren't met on a consistent basis; in fact, individual needs were met possibly only 30% of the time. It was a good place to be in if somebody felt alone though. He met a lot of Summer Court Lost in the Freehold whom he had made friends with. It is essential for Lost to be in the company of others in the same kind; no mortal could ever understand what they had gone through.

"Understandable." he said. Lucy refused to work behind a cash register as a final option. "Well, the most obvious I can start off with is: you have to be good at something.. anything. From there we can gauge potential careers." Dante told her. He believed Lucy had skills fit for a job, whatever it may be. In fact, all Changelings that return from their awful time in Arcadia have to have gained some sort of skills that translate into the mortal world fit for jobs of any kind.

[Keira Kelly]

Lucy frowned, shaking her head. "I was never formally trained in anything really. It wasn't exactly expected of me.." she explained. "We were well off and.. Tommy being an officer, had a handsome income as well." As she spoke, she kept glancing over towards where the earlier excitement of the cat fight had erupted outside, as if she wanted to keep watch over there. She was actually keeping an eye on all the various means of ingress into Dante's abode, which was a usual pattern for her no matter where she was. Back at the Freehold, she'd often done the same thing. When she hadn't been keeping to herself.. no, that was a lie. Aside from Dante, she had only really kept to herself for the most part. She'd made connections with members of the Winter Court because they were by far the most practical-minded when it came to hiding from the Gentry, but she'd mostly stayed on her own. It was more astute to say when she wasn't sleeping or doing some other task in the corner she'd occupied, then she had often found herself roaming the building the Freehold used and keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary.

She frowned again. "Are there any jobs which you can think of that I could do at night?" she asked. She showed her sharp teeth slightly in an almost inhuman gesture, it was neither a smile nor a grimace, almost more akin to a yawn but it wasn't that either. She closed her eyes, fragments of memory coming back to her. "I.. I watched. Sat and watched and waited.. I think. In the darkness." She opened up her glowing, orange eyes again. "I remember being on guard, protecting... I think.. fighting?" she said. She knew that she could fight.

A few days after being back, some humans had attempted to mug her in the street. There had only been two of them but she had surprised herself at laying one down in short order. She had pounced on the downed one, tearing at him and even biting. The other had run off at seeing her behaviour and it had only been through the arrival of some other people that had driven her away from doing worse. The man had survived, she thought, but she knew it could have been much worse for him. She had almost tried to feed on his flesh, something that horrified her when she thought about it now. Before she had been seen, she had managed to make a speedy exit up a building but her own actions, both in her defence and what had happened after shocked her.
She shook her head slowly. "I can fight." she said quietly. "I can protect."

[Veli Alvar]

Dante looked up to the ceiling as he pondered on job options for Lucy. The night was home to 24-hour fast food and pharmacy chains as well as nightclubs. He alternated his view between Lucy and the ceiling, trying to come to a final decision. "Well, the night clubs won't use you for intimidation. It isn't just you either - women are pretty much never hired as bouncers. However, you can get yourself a job working at a 24-hour fast food or pharmacy chain as a security guard." he mentioned as he stared at Lucy for a while. He nodded.

"Yep. You can handle yourself and there's rarely any people that shop in the night time so you won't be having to converse with... mortals. Hell, there's places that wont even need a resume so long as you can prove you got fight in ya. "

Dante sat back in the futon and looked at his grey, rough hands. Being with Lucy reminds him of how drastically his life has changed. Thoughts ran through his head like a train, posing all sorts of questions.. like why it had to be him. He clenched his fists at the thought of being found by.. the Others.. it filled him with so much fear and anger.. he started to shake a little bit, nervously. After several deep breaths he relaxes, scratches his head and awaits as Lucy makes a decision.

[Keira Kelly]

Lucy thought hard about what Dante was suggesting. She was glad that he thought a club a bad idea; not only was it not really proper for a woman but in addition to that, she would have to interact with many people and.. she quite disliked that idea. The more people she encountered, the more chances of other Lost or those associated with the Fae. Someplace quiet, dark and empty were more fitting. "I can prove that I can do whatever they may need." she replied. "I'll not fail in my duty. I can guard." she said, showing her razor teeth. She paused a moment, wings stretching out and settling back in again. She'd grown up and lived in London where it had been a transport thoroughfare, much as Gloucester was. "What about warehouses?" she asked, looking up with her glowing eyes towards Dante. "I've seen many down upon the river. I'd imagine they might offer employment?" she suggested. An idea came to her, however detestable it was: if they already had a night security guard, Lucy always had the option of scaring the unfortunate soul off the job. Dropping her mask before them in the middle of the night would easily do the trick if it came to that. At one time in her life, she would never have even thought of such underhanded tactics but now... well, she did what she needed to to survive. If they refused to hire her, she would repeat the procedure with everyone they did hire until finally no one but her would dare apply.

She returned her attention to Dante again. "I came across another Lost last night." she told him eventually. "She is from the same freehold as us; a white Draconic with green hair?" she said, wondering if Dante remembered her. "I.. don't know what to make of her. She was rather.. forward..." she added. She didn't trust the Draconic despite the woman having bought her a meal. Dante, she trusted as much as one such as her could trust. They had exited Arcadia together and survived.. adapted back into the world as best they could together. She knew not the true motives of Elleonorah however and she thought it prudent to tell her friend about the meeting the previous night. "She said she likes to get to know.. other Lost.." she continued. Her wings began to flare out. "Has she yet approached you? Have you heard of this Elleonorah?" she asked him.

[Veli Alvar]

Dante thought about the prospect of Lucy working night shifts in a warehouse... she fit the bill perfectly. Virtually zero human contact and it was a pretty easy job all around. Gloucester was not particularly known for its thieving population. "Warehouses are perfect for you. Hell, you might not even need my help in applying for an overnight position in one of those." he told her - glad that they could come up with a solution to her problem.

However, at the mention of the other Lost.. he peered over his shoulder which gave him a view of the window where the commotion was coming from, and looked around the room. He felt a little uneasy but he really didn't know why he felt that way. He finally turned over to Lucy. "I've not heard of her.. I may have seen her in passing at the Freehold... are you sure she's not... one of Them?" he asked. It was hard to trust Lost that you haven't met at the Freehold or had history with... they could be out to get you back.

[Keira Kelly]

Lucy stretched her jaw open, not meant as a menacing gesture, just a stretch, it it showed well the razor-sharp, serrated teeth she had at Dante's mention of 'Them'. Her wings opened further, curling around in front of her slightly, like a gargoyle about to envelope an intruder. The whole display was almost an involuntary reaction though, defence through intimidation. She couldn't help it. Her eyes swept the room quickly, looking in every corner, every shadow for any hint of the Dark Man or anything suspicious. She would rather die then be caught again. Her brow furrowed and slowly she shook her head, shoulders turning in a slight shrug. "Aside from those of us who came through together... can we ever be truly sure of anyone?" she asked in reply. That was to huge extent her outlook on life now: trust was not something that could be given away freely. They'd all learned how quickly everything they had could be taken away in one violent action and Lucy for one knew she had to always be constantly vigilant and cautious to avoid it happening again. "I don't.. think she's been at the Freehold all that long, longer than us yes, but.. not back a long time. She is Fairest but.. by what she wore, I do not think it would have been the kind of life I would want to return to..." she added.

She knew well enough that perhaps a Fae master could send their pet back with promises of not having to return, of being released if they served them for a time back in the real world... Or at least she assumed so.. She had no evidence if the Draconic could be such a mole or not but she would remain wary. "I do not know if we can trust her." She wished she could trust as easily as she once had but.. the stakes were too high. "I am not saying that we can't; I just.. don't know...." she added with a worried look. She glanced down in thought. "Perhaps if you met her... An arrangement someplace crowded, someplace safe... at night...." she suggested. She was partial to the night, embracing the shadows and the darkness as any Darkling and her powers were strongest at night which made her feel all the more safe.

[Veli Alvar]

Dante knew all too well that his time in the mortal world could end in a relatively short time had his Fae decided it was time for him to return, forcefully. Although he would put up a hell of a fight, Fae were not to be underestimated by any stretch of the imagination. Their allies would very likely be just as scary.

The freehold was the safest place to meet anybody he was unsure of; there were way too many Lost so if any Fae or their associates were to make their way through and reveal themselves.. they were as good as dog meat. He gave a piercing stare at Lucy with his yellow eyes. "The safest place I can think of meeting her is at our Freehold.. there I can judge whether or not she is sincere." he said. Not only did he want to feel safe, but his Beast buddy was most likely still residing there and he wouldn't mind speaking to him after all the time they've spent away from each other.