Forums » General Roleplay » When Darkness Falls too Fast

Cici looked a little uneasy now. He was too jump, "Dawn, can you make his chamomile?" She pointed Stirling to a seat at their table and went to pour the kettle, "Do you want sugar or cream?"

The table was covered in text books and pages of writing. THere was a simple, cheap netbook charging on there as well. It looked like it might be the only computer in the house too.

Dawn looked at her mother, then at Stirling and went to the man and whispered in his ear, "How'd you get her down here so fast?"

Sterling sighed and shook his head. "No cream or sugar, I'll just have it straight." Like he needed a sugar rush on top of everything else.

At Dawn's whisper he smiled a little more easily and settled himself across the table from Cici. "She just needed a moment to collect herself," he murmured back and shrugged. Certainly it was nothing he had done.

He accepted his tea when it was ready and brought it to his lips to cool it off. It smelled...amazing. His eyes landed on one of the textbooks near him and he scanned the title curiously. "What are you two studying?"

Dawn sipped her tea, "I'm in the sixth grade. I skipped a grade because I'm so smart." It was adorable, her pride in her intelligence - at least to Cici.

"I'm taking nursing. I just need a job where I can make enough money to pay back my student loans. I wanted to be a doctor when I was younger, but it's too much hard work." She put her arm around Dawn when she sat down, "Besides, I got something far more valuable than a fancy pair of letters after my name." She kissed Dawn's forehead, "You've gotta get to sleep. You have that field trip in the morning."

Sterling nodded. "A good education is important. And so is the ability to heal others." He sipped his tea, finding it cool enough to drink without burning his tongue.

"Well, if Dawn is going to bed, I should be leaving as well." He set the empty teacup down and started to rise, feeling almost...reluctant to leave. He squashed the feeling. He wasn't here for pleasure, just to see that his job was done. "Thank you for the tea, Dawn, it was good."

Cici looked at him, "How about you stay and I'll make you something to eat, as a thank you?" She nodded at Dawn when she went upstairs, "Sweet dreams sweetie. Only read a chapter." She turned to Sterling, taking his hand in hers for a moment, "You look like you could use a few minutes to sit down. It's the least I could do."

She stood up and got to looking in the fridge and then the freezer for a moment. There wasn't anything fancy in the house, "How about some corn on the cob, beans and a small steak?" It was supposed to be saved for her birthday, but she could give up coffee for a week to get herself a new one. It's not like she really needed a steak, anyhow.

Sterling hesitated, unsure if he should accept or not. It was clear they didn't have too much, but it might be rude to pass.

"Are you sure?" he asked, glancing outside. It was late and very dark. Most places would be closed now anyway and besides, he could probably figure out some way to help them. "That would be... I would like that."

Since he was standing though, he shrugged off his trench coat to drape it over the back of his chair with a clatter. He winced; those would be the stakes sewn into the inside. His dark, short-sleeved shirt and jeans revealed how fit he really was, though he didn't boast bulging muscle, he was certainly toned.

"Do you need help preparing anything?" He asked.

Cici turned to look at him over her shoulder, nearly dropping the steak. She thought his face was good looking and now she wanted to run her hands over his chest. She didn't like overly ripped guys, but she imagined his stomach would be nice to touch.

She just looked at is chest for a moment.

No! No! No!

She shook her head, "How do you like your steak?" She grabbed the corn and a can of beans, kicking the fridge door closed.

"How do you like it?" he asked her. Figuring at least they could split the steak in half.

He did move some of the books aside, clearing the table off to make use of himself.

(ignore this double post)

"Medium." She left everything for a moment, "Let me check on Dawn real quick." She went to the bottom of the stair, seeing the light was out and she came back and resumed work on the stove. She looked over at Sterling, "How do you earn money?"

"Bounties," he replied readily enough. "It pays well enough." Well, more than well enough--he could have retired years ago, but he liked the thrill of the hunt. And with the three--no, four--he'd just staked, he'd be getting another paycheck soon.

"Are you working in addition to studying?" he inquired, stacking the nursing books together in one pile and Dawn's in a separate pile. And then looked around to see what else he could do. Dishes maybe? He could set a table.

Cici nodded, opening a cabinet, "I work part time at the hospital as laundry staff. It pays the bills, but the hours are kinda messed up. I only get to see Dawn in the evening now, since I start work at 3, but thank the lord she's responsible enough to make her own breakfast and head off to school!"

She pulled plates out of the cabinet above her head placing them on the table, "Do you want more tea? We have milk too, and water, but no juice. It's bad unless there is pulp and Dawn hates pulp."

Sterling intercepted the plates, placing them at the cleared spots. "You must be very proud of her. She's mature beyond her years. And tea will be fine."

He was starting to settle down a little, the warmth of the house and Cici's pleasant chatter stirring his memories of what it was like to live in a house again, rather than constantly roaming.

Cici smiled at him, "Cutlery is in that drawer." She pointed and checked on the steak and corn, giving the beans a stir and filling the kettle again, "Well, I think if she were any different I would not be doing this. Dawn is the lig-"

A blood curdling scream rang out through the house and Cici dropped the kettle and bolted up the stairs, food be damned.

He'd gone to fetch the knives when the scream pierced the air. He spun and sprinted after Cici.

"Wait! Cici!" He grabbed a stake in passing his jacket and armed with a steak knife and a stake, he was half a step behind her on the stairs.

Cici found her daughter sitting up, sobbing into her blanket. Instead of going to her mother's arms though, she went to Sterling, climbing out of the bed with her PJ's on (decorated with kittens, of course!), and buried her face in his chest, holding his shirt with both hands.

Cici blinked at Dawn, and then at Sterling. That was a strange sight indeed.

He slowly lowered the stake and knife, and set them aside. There was nothing here, just a couple of nightmares, though his heart still jack-hammered in his chest. He took a deep breath and put his hands on Dawn's shoulders.

"Was it a nightmare?" he asked, his voice rougher than usual. But concern was etched into his face. He glanced sidelong at Cici, unsure what she would make of this.

Dawn nodded, holding onto him tighter, "The vampire got me and bit me in my dream. I was so scared 'cause you didn't come to save me."

Cici bowed out - she wasn't needed here and the food would burn. She walked down the stairs and went to work putting food on places and sliding them into the oven, heating some milk.

Dawn clung to him, sobbing louder still, "I didn't like you 'cause you were a man and men aren't nice, but you're nice and I'm sorry I was mean to you earlier."

Sterling sighed and moved with Dawn to sit at the foot of her bed. He kept an arm around her shoulders, feeling that she needed the physical contact to keep her grounded.

"It's alright, Dawn. I don't take it personally. You and your mother have been very kind and very brave." He reached to wipe the tears from her cheeks; his calloused hands were surprisingly gentle. "I'll stay until morning, if it means you both sleep well. Will that make you feel better?"

Dawn nodded, "Promise you'll be here in the morning?" She moved to lay back down, yawning quietly. She was out before he could promise, but she knew he would be.

Cici came upstairs with the milk, "Oh, you got her settled." She gave Stirling a soft smile.