D-0

The room he stepped into after being granted the verbal admission was dimly lit. Dark shades were drawn over each window to block out the last dying rays of the early evening sunlight. It was just past dinner time, between 6 and 7 pm. A small desk lamp on the nightstand radiated soft light filtered through a crimson shade while a single candle on the center of the rectangular coffee table provided a bit of additional ambient illumination. This was the room he'd been told to come to; second door on the right... The room of the man he'd been told to simply refer to as Ace. "Knowing him, he'll either welcome you with open arms, maybe keep you on a probation status, or maybe he'll hit you with a chair and tell you to never come back... Depends on how it goes. Good luck." The bartender's cheerfully spoken words were still clear as crystal in his mind but yet, Jack showed no signs of nervousness or concern. How bad could it really be? After all, Dane was a fairly laid-back, amiable kinda guy...and aside from having a bit of a short fuse, no ill word had been mentioned by the barkeep when it came to the subject of Ace. Not that they had really discussed him at great lengths, but the one thing that Jack did know without a doubt in his mind was that this group of people was his ticket to the help he so desperately needed right now... his ticket to freedom. Now was his chance to make an impression, but how could he do that if he didn't even have the first clue what to expect?

The music from the downstairs jukebox was nearly completely silenced when he closed the door behind him. Beyond the smooth, glossed surface of the ebony coffee table sat a male figure in a large armchair facing toward the door from which he'd entered. It took Jack's single-eyed vision a moment to adjust but from what he could tell, the man had one leg raised, ankle propped against the knee of the opposite leg. Each elbow rested on one armrest while fingers of both hands interlaced in his lap. A mane of red hair much more vibrant than Jack's own long, copper strands, crowned his head and a pair of eyes that almost seemed irradiated by the candlelight stared him down in a feral, predatory fashion. On the coffee table in front of the man, glistening in the warm, dancing flame-light, was a revolver the likes of which he'd never laid eyes on. Yet, Jack knew almost instantly what it was. A box of cigarettes and an ashtray rested beside it. The man looked almost as though he was posing for a picture-perfect role as the next great antagonist in a James Bond flick. And maybe, just maybe, he actually was posing for something... On the soft, deep red comforter of the king-size bed there lay a girl; an alabaster-skinned, teenage girl, on her stomach while she sketched and scribbled away in a journal or a sketchbook of some sort. Her long, white tresses were pulled back into a messy bun and skewered by two of her drawing pencils as though they were chopsticks. The top half of her petite frame looked to be comfortably wrapped in an oversized, red hoodie that almost concealed the black shorts she wore. Shapely pale legs stretched out behind her, ankles crossed over one another with subtle elegance. Who was she? There was just no way she could be related to Ace, so judging by how casually she was lounging about the group leader's bed, Jack assumed her to be some sort of romantically involved play-thing; Ace's very own, personal, walking, breathing, living embodiment of an exotic carnal fantasy that he could have again, and again, and again on a whim whenever he so pleased... Of course Jack would jump to the perverted conclusions first... It was just the way in which the gears in his head tended to turn. And what better way to pay a man of status a compliment than by complimenting the women he liked to keep around? "Wow... Nice pair of legs..." Jack began by saying before turning his single, left, aquamarine eye back to the seated man. "Guess being the boss has it's perks, huh?" Jack's vision had adjusted to the low-light situation enough by then that he could clearly observe the other redhead's expression promptly stiffen.

Jack felt his airways tightening as though that death-glare now directed at him had reached out to personally choke the breath right out of him. "Why don't you skip your sad attempt at foreplay and sit the fuck down. You're here because you want something, right? So I'm gonna give you one more chance to move your lips again and hope you'll tell me something that's not a waste of my time. You've got five minutes. " Ace's voice was like a low growl; quiet in volume, yet resonant and dangerous. Jack swallowed down the lump that had built in his throat and slowly traversed the lowlit room to the only obviously unoccupied sitting place, which was the small, black, microsuede couch that sat parallel with the long edge of the coffee table. One last single-eyed glance was short to the fair-complected girl on the bed before Jack returned his attention to Ace and composed himself. Usually his demeanor was so incredibly relaxed that most people thought he was permanently stoned, but there was something about this guy, and this atmosphere that just caused every fiber of his being to tingle with an air of caution...like he was walking a razor's edge over an ocean of lemon juice. It was almost like he was at a loss for words... like one little slip could ruin everything he hoped for. God, he really didn't want to get hit with a chair...especially THAT chair. "Why don't you start with your name. 'Cause trust me, you don't want me to make one up for you..." That voice seemed to have lightened up the slightest amount, as did the male's expression. Maybe he was trying to coach him along a little through this situation that seemed to have gone from 0 to intense in less than two minutes. Jack's aquamarine gaze steadied on the other man while he reached up to swipe at a strand of copper that had strayed too far from the bangs swept over the eyepatch he wore.

He cleared his throat a bit before he spoke. It helped him focus his thoughts. "Jakov Eisen... Eerrrr... just Jack is fine though." People had a tendency to mispronounce his name as 'Jack-off' entirely too often, so he preferred to simply be called Jack. Ace shot him a glance of intrigue and unlaced his fingers so that he could prop the side of his face against his right hand. Thus, Jack continued. "I... talked to Dane about your group... Division Zero. Well, I came to ask if you would have a spot open for me. I'd like to join you." Jack kept his view trained on Ace who looked to be growing weary of the conversation already. God, he really could use a cigarette right about now. The palms of his hands were beginning to feel clammy, and he realized that he'd been idly stroking at that scar across the palm of his right hand. "And what exactly makes you think that you'd be a good addition to our little family here?" This was when Jack's aquamarine eye shot down to that unique revolver that rested on the tabletop. From where he was seated, he actually had a much better view of it now. The copper-haired 22 year old paused for a brief moment to gather his thoughts. "That revolver you have there... It's a Mateba 6 Unica, also called a Mateba Model 6. It's one of the few recoil operated auto-revolvers ever produced. The 6 'o clock firing position gives the weapon recoil reduction and minimal muzzle flip. Made exclusively in Italy, it stopped being manufactured in 2005 and is now incredibly hard to come by, especially that 8 inch barrel, .454 Casull you own. You have a very rare and equally lethal piece of mechanical art in your possession that might be just as difficult to come by these days as a person who can repair it if something were to break...." Jack paused for a moment, only to direct that single-eyed gaze back to Ace, but just as he was about to speak again, the larger redhead cut him off. "That's enough... Your five minutes are up." That soul-piercing glare had made a comeback. "Now get the hell out of my bar." Jack held his breath, lips slightly parted. Now what?? Had he been too direct with the guy? What the hell was his deal anyway?! A myriad of thoughts raced through his head. God, he needed a smoke... But if this was the turnout, then so be it, right? He wasn't about to get defensive and start an argument in the man's own bedroom...especially if it meant risking the chance of having that hand-cannon of a gun shoved in his face... or being hit with a chair. Nope, that wasn't something Jack really wanted to go through at this point. And thus, the one-eyed, copper-haired young man calmly stood from his seat and with a sense of dejection looming over his shoulders, turned to quietly leave the room in the same manner in which he had entered it a few minutes ago. He'd already opened the door when he heard that low growl of a voice at his back once more. "One more thing before you go... Your right eye... Was it an accident?" The question caused a brief chill to descend the length of his spine while the lids of his functioning right eye parted slightly. "No..." A single, calm and quiet response was the only one given before he left the room.

Within the room, beyond the door that had been closed once again, Ace's lips curled into a small, almost satisfied smirk while golden-green marbled eyes wandered over to the albino princess. "I see..." Was it a gesture of mockery, or was the ex-hitman actually putting a crude jigsaw puzzle together in those thoughts of his?

At any rate, Jack made his way back downstairs, trying his best not to appear disappointed, though when Dane asked his how everything had gone, he couldn't help but tell him the truth. The barkeep honestly didn't act as surprised as Jack might have anticipated, and only a few more words were exchanged before the single-eyed young male said his thank-yous and farewells before he left the bar completely. Once outside, Jack reached into his pocket, plucked out a cigarette and lit it, allowing the soothing fumes to fill his lungs. What should he do now? How was he going to get by? He needed this more than anything right now and somehow he'd managed to fuck it all up... Jack was about to take his first steps to walk away when he remembered something that Dane had first said to him when he'd inquired about Division 0... There was a spot for anyone with the right amount of determination, ambition, and commitment... That's what he'd said. Eyebrows furrowed, shifting the dark patch of protective fabric over his right eye the slightest amount. This was it... he couldn't just leave and give up. If he did that, it certainly meant that he was done for. Everything he lived for now would be ripped from him by the people he owed...the people he feared... No, he would have to find a way to convince Ace one way or another, but he couldn't just waltz right back into the place he'd just been told very firmly to leave... That wouldn't prove commitment, or ambition, or determination; it would just make him look disrespectful and petulant. And with that that tempest of thoughts raging through his head, the one-eyed young man took a seat on the doorstep of the Mockingbird Pub. This is where he would sit, and wait... for however long it took to prove his worth... Come rain, or cold, or hunger... he didn't care. It couldn't possibly be worse than the fate in store for him if he couldn't come up with enough cash in the next 20 days...";

Chad had been on a mission. A legit one at that. Oh yeah sure it wasn't anything big and he wasn't getting paid for it but that didn't really matter to the youth. Nope instead he was doing it as a favor. An old friend of his had approached Chad in the hopes that the boy could help him locate an old family member. So packing up his bag Chad had let Dane know what was going on and allowed Ace to know he was going to be gone for a few days. He had missed the arrival of Jack by only a few hours.

Time passed and Chad didn't think much about home while he was working, catching naps when he could and munching on small bits of food when the urge to eat struck him. Four days, it had taken him four days to find out his target had actually moved out of state to elope with someone else. Information gathered and delivered meant the end of his hunt. Suffering through a yawn Chad lazily kicked down against the ground to build up a bit more momentum and speed as he glided along on his skateboard. Dressed in simple jeans, a tatty pair of shoes that were to comfortable for him to honestly want to replace and an over sized hoodie with the sleeves pushed up the youth looked like any other juvenile delinquent skipping school.

And unfortunately thanks to his stature and more than often incorrectly guessed age the young man was forced to keep the black beenie low on his head as he took short cuts and back ways to avoid the eye of the local police. Granted a quick call to the house would quickly get him out of any trouble, he hoped, it still didn't mean that he wanted to even begin to dip his toe into those kinds of waters.

Another few kicks were given before Chad's body crouched slightly and leaned towards the left so as to urge the board under his feet to cut at a wide angle around a street corner. Slipping down into the street and then up on the following sidewalk Chad would hop off, take a few steps to slow his mode of transportation down and then tap the ball of his foot on the back curved end. The action had the front popping up off the ground to allow slender fingers to wrap around the tip. Whistling to himself he would turn into the back parking lot of the Mockingbird.

Slipping into the kitchen door at the back Chad would bee line it right to the fridge which found him rummaging through it to a drink that Dane had practically gotten him addicted to. Melomel mead, a glorious blend of wild honey and fruits, this one was heavily flavored with mango and peach which left a satisfyingly fresh sensation after the fluid was allowed to slide over his tongue. Sighing in pleasure Chad would grin to himself before he slipped out of the kitchen, a wave of his hand given to Dane along with a short "I'm home." Taking the stairs two at a time he would peek into his room first to make sure Vera wasn't in it.

He honestly was going to have to figure out what to do concerning the living situation. While it wasn't fully uncomfortable sleeping in Ace's room on the couch Chad wouldn't mind having his own space back, he was to self conscious about the fact that nothing in that room was his. Rooming with Skylar was completely out of the question, the guy was honestly tapped in the head as far as Chad could tell. And it wouldn't be proper to share a room with Vera, at least in his eye's. So that only left one option for him, the basement. Granted if he tried to do that Dane was gonna loose some storage space but then again he knew something that neither Ace or Dane knew about that sub level.

Along the far wall was a false panel. That panel popped out to reveal a door behind it..a door which led to a secret room. Chad remembered how Malkavich used this specifically for his more shady deals as well as to house a safe which contained all of the clubs funds. It was still full as far as he could tell. Not much time had been spent trying to figure out how to open the sophisticated piece but it wasn't as if it was going anywhere. Moving towards his dresser Chad started to swiftly change as he contemplated what all he would need to turn the moderately sized hidden room into an actual livable space. He needed to check and make sure it was vented and had fresh air flow, if it could hold heat, if the electricity was wired in with the rest of the buildings. So many things to do.

Once clothed in fresh articles Chad would replace the heavy white headphones over his ear before starting to have a strange mixture of techno, party, rock, classical and pop music. It was currently blaring something catchy with an audible beat to it, a beat that he subconsciously matched his steps to when coming back down the stairs with a large heavy folder and several books in his hands. It seemed that it was study time for him again. Migrating towards the table that was reserved specifically for the D-0 family Chad spread his collection out over the wood surface.

Seemed he wasn't only studying generic subjects this time around though. Nope he had several different blue prints for some sort of construction, prints he had bribed a Cipher worker for. The books were on different metals available to be worked with, another was on gun mechanics. There was a couple on electrical wiring and a heavy book about computer programing. Flopping himself down on his chair Chad would adjust the pillow he always had there for comforts sake and pulled out his reading glasses. Perching the delicate frames over the bridge of his nose the youth started to flip open one of the books while a notebook and pen were grabbed.

Several hours were spent like this before something occurred to the skinny male. "Oi Dane. Who's sitting out on the front steps?" He had noticed the stock of copper strands when he first had come home but hadn't thought anything of it or paid much mind but it was just starting to sink in that the body those strands belonged to was still out in front of the bar in the same spot. When Dane explained that the guy had been there for three days, today being the fourth those lavender eye's would just stare at Dane "And you didn't make him go away? God why do I have to do everything around here." He grumbled before pulling his glasses off of his face and dropping them to the table.

Getting up he would walk around behind the bar before grabbing a weapon he had set back there personally, a heavy metal bat. Grasping the black taped handle he would tap it against the ground before pulling his headphones down so they dangled around his neck. Wearing that trademark black beenie it was combined with a long sleeved deep red shirt where a black t-shirt rested over it. Cargo shorts hung just below his knee's with his sneakers, a dark gray, tying everything together. His hoodie had been tied around his waist so the fabric draped down over his ass and legs.

Swinging the bat up to his shoulders Chad stomped his way to the front door before stepping outside. Rounding on the stranger a slender eyebrow was lifted before both furrowed. The guy was asleep! Grunting in frustration a hand slipped into his pocket. A cigaret was pulled out to be shoved between his lips, a lighter setting the tip alight. That lighter disappeared and in its place between his fingers a quarter appeared. Dancing the coin over the back of his fingers for a few moments Chad would puff idly on his cancer stick before suddenly tucking the coin against his pointer finger and with his thumb nail pressing against the other side. A minor movement, a flick of his thumb had that metal disk flipping rapidly through the air before it struck sharply right between the other males eye's.

Chad would just stand there and wait for the reaction, another coin would be flicked if the first didn't do the job of waking the other but once there was a sign of life Chad would pull his smoke away from his lips before allowing the bat to fall to the ground, hitting with a loud audible clang while his fingers shifted from the taped grip to the end. "Who are you and what the fuck are you doing littering up my front porch?"

The last thing she remembered before she came to live with Division-0, was being huddled in a corner, blinded, starving, and hellfire spread along her back. She remembered when Ace arrived and killed the light. How dark that room was. How disgusting and unsanitary it was. It was destroyed, so why and how did she return? It was dark, cold, and muggy. The moisture in the air made her feel sticky and clammy. Where was Ace? Chad? What about Dane and Skylar? This had to be a dream. Didn't she go to bed after finishing drawing Ace and throwing shit at the eyepatch man? The feeling was all too real. All too familiar. The raggy, dirty sheet she once used as a dress draped wrapped around her, feeling no where near as comfortable as the clothings the boys bought her. She was confused, and fear slowly began to take over the confusion, and even slight curiosity that dwells in the back of her mind. Fingers grazed along the paint peeling walls, though quickly coiled at the sound of laughter from two men. Could that be Ace? Chad? No. Too deep to be Chad's laughter, and too high pitched to be Ace's for either one of those men. She wanted to be home right then. The twisting feeling in her gut grew stronger and stronger the closer the steps got. Tears began to mist her ruby eyes. She remembered this feeling. She remembered living in total fear and agony for... hell, she couldn't even remember how long. She clutched her chest tightly, heart racing and feeling as if it would burst out of her chest. They were heading her way. They were near her door, teasing one of the captive girls they had at the time. She looked around for an escape, but she already knew there was none. One way in, one way out, and that was through the rusty old door. A few more steps, and they were just outside, rattling the door to unlock it. A shout caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe; her throat felt too tight to take in oxygen. But then, he door was pushed over and two men wondered in. One with a lantern, and both with guns drawn from their halters. Her eyes widened while the objects where sat down and hands went grabbing at her limbs and rags for clothing. She felt it; the tight grasps that would leave bruises, and heard the rip of her clothing. It wasn't a dream!


Her head popped off the pillow with a loud, shrill screech of a scream. Sitting up, hunched over a little bit with a racing heart and cold sweat. She brought her knees to her chest, arms looping around them to hug them close while face hides itself in her blanket covered knees. Shoulders shook slightly, small whines escaped from the muffled sound of soft sobbing. She felt the same; twisted on the inside, weak, scared, and even lonely. Ace was just in the next room, but she couldn't find herself to leave her own.

נυѕт α ∂яєαм

Vera was terribly afraid of the dark most of the time. Usually, a small light sat near the bed casting stars on the walls and ceiling, along with those glow-in-the-dark stick-on stars along her walls, just around the doorway. The room was very dark without that cheap star-light turned on. A stuffed Jellyfish was quickly gathered up from beside her, hugging the plush to her chest. Her shoulders stung a bit from the quick movement, having a light burn and skin peeling from the previous state, but it was ignored, or at least she tried to ignore the annoying feeling. Whines and whimpers left the girl, curling tighter to grip on the stuffed plush. The boys bought her a few stuffed animals, all in which she slept with, but “Mr. Jelly” was her favorite. It was just a dream, she thought as she pet the soft material of Mr. Jelly.


נυѕт α ∂яєαм

After he had said his goodnights to Vera, the redhead returned to his bedroom without giving the unexpected visit from the man called Jack earlier much more though. Instead, as he stripped himself of his knee-high boots and shirt, his mind lingered on Chad. The youth had left that afternoon to take care of a favor for an old friend and wouldn't return for a few days. And thus, Ace couldn't still his mind enough to be able to fall asleep quite yet. Not that he didn't have complete confidence in Chad's capabilities. The kid could take care of himself as far as he was concerned. Yet, something clawed at the core of his conscience that left the ex-hitman unsettled. After all, the last time Chad took off on his own little mission, the 'Diamond's incident' happened...

Ace spent a couple of quiet hours browsing the internet as well as Cipher's various databases (at least the ones he was able to access from his personal laptop). Jakov Eisen, or any variation of that name, yielded no results which either meant that the guy had no real criminal history, never got caught, or he'd given Ace a fake name. No matter, the redhead wasn't too concerned with it. Getting a little bored, Ace lit up a cigarette and ran a quick search on Dane just for the hell of it. There had to be SOMETHING on here... the two of them used to get themselves into all sorts of trouble when they were younger. 'Tresspassing, public intoxication, underage drinking, vandalism..... public indecency?' Ace chuckled a bit, curious as to how the bearded sniper had gotten himself saddled with that one. Tapping his chin, he pondered a thought momentarily. What if he ran a search on himself? How in-depth was the Cipher database, really? It had produced quite an extensive file on Chad, after all... Deciding to humor himself, Ace ran the search. A few minutes later, the engine delivered results. A pierced auburn eyebrow raised as lids narrowed over golden-green eyes. His name, date of birth, eye color, race, blood type, list of relatives...it was all there along with a nice little list of offenses: 'Public intoxication, tresspassing, destruction of private property, theft, and arson...' But where was the rest of it all? He knew full well that there should be more. A harsh stream of smoke was forced from his lips as eyes wandered curiously down to the bottom of the digital page. 'Additional Information Available'. The small text caught his attention and he moved the mouse cursor to click on the 'access' button. The action popped open a small new window. 'Access Locked. Enter Clearance Code'. Ace blinked. "What the fuck?" He rubbed irately at his eyebrows. The only clearance code he knew was the one he used in conjunction with his ID tag to access the restricted sections at Cipher Headquarters, like the armory. Maybe that would work... Long, slender fingers danced dexterously across the number pad of his keyboard as he input the 6-digit personal clearance number and tapped Enter. 'Access Denied'. Eyebrows furrowed. "Well, this is weird..." he mumbled to himself before snuffing the spent cigarette out in the ashtray on his bedside table. Why the hell couldn't he access his own records? Maybe it was a system in place to prevent members of Cipher from gaining potentially incriminating background information about other fellow-members... And if Ace himself didn't even have access to his full criminal history records, then that must mean that only Carmon and possibly also Sterling were the only ones able to view it. Not that it really mattered all that much when it came down to it. Carmon already knew everything there was to know about his days before his involvement with Cipher Corps, and Sterling wouldn't be able to make any connections between him and the Cavallone crime family just by taking a gander at his records on file anyway.

Ace straightened his posture. The metal tags on the chain around his neck produced a faint jingle as they struck his bare sternum. Leaning forward over his laptop for so long was starting to put a strain on his back, and as the hybrid fluidly moved into a stretch of stiff muscles, he heard that harrowing scream pierce the silence through the brick walls from the bedroom next door. There had been nights in the past when he'd been able to hear Vera whimpering in her sleep, though nothing ever quite like this. Ace lowered his arms as the silence took over once more. He paused, sat very still, half expecting to soon hear the sound of her footsteps racing toward his room... but that wasn't the case. It remained perfectly quiet. Maybe it would be best to check on her. Maybe she had hurt herself somehow? Or perhaps it was nothing but a terrible dream. Whatever the case may be, Ace lifted himself from the bed and made his way into the hall and to Chad's room where Vera had taken up residence. Dane's door actually cracked open, though when the barkeep stuck his head out sleepily to see what was going on, Ace simply gestured for him to go back to bed with a wave of his hand.

Vera's door was partially ajar. He'd noticed that the girl didn't like it when doors were latched behind her. The redheaded hybrid pushed the door open just enough to let himself slip into the pitch-black room. Wasn't there usually a night-light near the bed ever since they figured out that the albino youth feared the complete darkness? Yeah, he'd remember it being on earlier, casting those little ambient stars onto the brickwork of the bedroom walls. Was it broken? Ace allowed for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before stepping forward to where he knew the bed to be. "Hey... you okay?" His voice was barely a whisper. The small, alabaster girl was huddled into a shivering ball, clutching her soft jellyfish plush from what he could make out in the shadows of the night. Why did he even ask her? He knew that she probably wasn't going to respond anyway, and thus he closed the distance to the edge of the bed until he was able to see her with much more clarity. "Have a bad dream, princess?" And with those gently whispered words he'd sit himself down on the edge of the bed, keeping a focused, curious gaze fixed on the pale-haired girl wrapped in shadows.

The sound of footsteps made her stomach twist in a different way. More nervous than fearful. Was that one of the boys? Did she cry aloud? She didn't know, honestly. She didn't hear herself. The nightmare got to her, and had it not been so dark, she would have just huffed and puffed, then gone back to sleep. There was one prop to having no lights; she couldn't see the door nearly closed. That was a good thing, as well as the fact the dark covered up the soft tent of pink on her cheeks that blooming from embarrassment. Surely they would think of her nothing more than a little kid with childish fears! The insecurity she felt as of late was torture for her; they took care of her when she was burned up, but what would happen when the last bit of his burn had healed up? Would they ship her off to some unknown place, or back to where she came from? With what little time she stayed in this cozy little home, she liked it here. The boys were nice, they payed attention to her, kept her well fed, hadn't harmed her in any way, gave her a place to sleep, healed her, and protected her.

ℓιкє α ƒαмιℓу

The outline of man that walked through the door was fuzzy, but the shape gave the character away; Ace. She almost instantly felt relieved, but she didn't uncurl just yet. It was still black... but Ace was there, so nothing could get her, right? Nobody would sweep in and snatch her away, not with the boys around. They wouldn't allow that! Though, despite how calm she got when Ace settled himself down, she still felt sick to her stomach. That fear still lingered in her gut, but it was pushed aside for the time being. The nickname 'Princess' was something she grew fond of very quickly. She liked it, a lot, it made her feel like... part of the family! Even though she wasn't, not officially, probably not ever if they found where she came from in the first place. She finally, after a few moments of gathering herself, uncurled and moved to hug against the redhead's side. He was a big man, a strong one, which made her feel more at ease. Against his chest she nuzzled, hiding her face. Though, she nodded, forehead slightly rubbing against his chest. She did have a nightmare. A vivid one, though, she couldn't tell..


….ηιgнтмαяє....
….σя мємσяу?...

Her head to the side, staring out into the darkness as fingers curled to grip onto the man's skin, though keeping her nails from harming him with her little death grip. She saw a darker shadow in the far corner of the room, then it was gone in a blink. Her cheapo nightlight sat nearby; flat with a bulged plastic top, stars and a moon cut out so when the light shown through, it casts stars on the ceiling and walls. It comforted her. It wasn't too dark, but dark enough for her to sleep soundly. That little light flicked on with an audible click from the top being pressed down. The door, as well, slowly creaked open to lightly thump against the wall. Vera didn't seem bothered, in fact, she snuggled in closer to the redhead. Her belly growled loudly, making her squirm against Ace. She was hungry. Very hungry. She couldn't help that her mind wondered to the copper haired man on the front porch... he should be hungry by now. Maybe, even with those disgusting comments, she could visit him, and feed him. She could be nice, even to perverts. Vera reached over to turn the side-table lamp on, then slid off the bed to skitter out of the room with Mister Jelly still clutched in her hand. Ace's shirt draped off of her so loosely, it was the perfect nightgown. Soon, she'd fill it out a bit more, once she gained the weight she needed to return to a healthy status. Bare feet padded along, aiming for the kitchen to hunt something down to fill up on. The stuffed animal was sat on the counter while she went through rummaging through the cabinets, attempting to find something easy, like that Tuna Helper. She really liked tuna.

Ace watched the young girl uncurl herself and scoot closer. When she latched herself on his side at first, it was almost like he wasn't really sure what to do with himself. It was simply that foreign concept of providing comfort to another human being that he wasn't quite clear on how to properly execute. Ace lifted one of his arms to allow for the girl to crawl up into his lap once he realized that's what she wanted, and then that arm lowered again, this time placing his palm flat against the middle of her back. She was wearing one of his shirts. Vera's thin little arms wrapped around him felt so much colder than his own skin. Eyes lowered, looking down to the pale face pressed against his chest when she nodded in response to his question. "Hey, it's all right. You know I wouldn't let anybody else hurt you...none of us would." As his fingers moved to play with a few strands of her silvery-white hair, the ex-hitman could have sworn that he felt as though someone was watching them. It was that odd, electrifying sensation that set the senses on edge even though there was no reasonable explanation for it. He'd been feeling it rather frequently as of late, come to think of it... but usually Ace just wrote it off as habitual paranoia; trained hypervigilance even.

"What happened to your..." The redhead was cut off mid-sentence when the light on the nightstand clicked and suddenly sprung back to life. A pierced auburn eyebrow lifted. The mood and star cut-outs cast their ambient light onto the walls and ceiling, instantly warming the room's atmosphere. Shortly thereafter, Ace's eyelids narrowed, watching as the door opened until it hit the wall behind it. He probably wouldn't even have seen it had the light not come back on. "Huh... well, that was a little weird." He mumbled more to himself than to Vera, who still kept her fingers pressed against the bare skin of his sides. A short-out in the cheap night-light's wiring, maybe? A draft from the hallway that pushed open the door? The logical solutions began to list off systematically in his head. He'd have to talk to Dane about it in the morning. Maybe a window need to be re-sealed somewhere.

The audible growl of the girl's stomach brought his attention back to more current events. Vera surely didn't seem bothered by anything other than her own body telling her that she needed food. Ace chuckled a little as he watched her slide from his lap with that oversized, gray t-shirt that hung down to her knees. She snatched the jellyfish plush from the bed, before promptly padding barefoot out of the room and into the hallway. Huh, guess she was determined to get some food no matter what time of the night it was. Not like it mattered. The kitchen was downstairs, but Vera had been shown where all of the light switches were located so that she could find her way whenever she wanted to get something. Ace lifted his frame from the bed and slowly sauntered after her, mostly just to make sure she made it to the kitchen without any problems. After that nightmare she'd had, she might still be feeling a little frightful...but she looked to be doing just fine on her own. At last, Ace lifted his hand to the back of his neck and scratched at the soft tufts of red that grew there. "Hey, if you've got everything you need, and you're okay now, I'm gonna drag my ass back to bed." He said, standing at the bottom of the stairs that connected the main bar area to the upstairs living quarters. "Come let me know if you need anything else or if you get scared again, okay? If not, I'll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams." And with that, Ace waited for a nod or any form of acknowledgement before making his way back to his bedroom to finally get some sleep.

On that first night, Jack sat and watched the sun vanish over the rooftops of the city. Every hour he waited, the temperature dropped a bit. Luckily, these late-spring nights didn't fall below 55 degrees for the most part. therefore, that olive-drab, calf-length canvas jacket with its tan fur trim he always toted around would be sufficiently warm. Too bad Jack wasn't anywhere close to tired enough to be able to fall asleep on the doorstep of the Mockingbird Pub. For christ-sake, he looked like a hobo, or someone who'd been kicked out for being too intoxicated. Oh well, the copper-haired young man wasn't too concerned about his image at this point. What he was starting to worry about though, was the growling in the pit of his stomach...and the fact that there were only 3 cigarettes left in his pack. There were still a couple of late-night restaurants open in the surrounding blocks, and the smell of food lingering on the city-breeze wasn't doing his will-power any favors. Would he be able to leave and grab a bite without anyone noticing? No no, that wouldn't do. Best keep his mind otherwise occupied.

So there he sat, long fingers with black painted nails dexterously braiding together a cord made from a couple blades of grass and reeds he'd plucked out from the cracked concrete sidewalk. He'd managed to tie off the ends with a loose string pulled from his jacket and wound around the braid. Yep, the guy got resourceful when he was bored, and usually even the most mundane of things could potentially become objects of entertainment. As he turned the little grass braid over in his fingers, his thoughts lingered on that girl in Ace's room. She really hadn't seemed too pleased with what he'd said either, considering she'd pegged him right in the chest with her eraser at the time. Most likely, he'd assumed the wrong thing about her, and managed to offend not only Ace, but her as well. Great. Jack sighed, hoping that he'd get a chance to apologize at some point. But that would have to wait. As far as he knew, no one inside was even aware that he was still sitting out there waiting... Waiting for what? A second chance? Acceptance for showing persistence? Ha, yeah right... Persistence? More like desperation. Another sigh swept through his lips while he idly wound the braided string of grass around his index finger a couple of times. This was going to be a long night if he wouldn't be able to pass at least a couple of hours by sleeping.

Her little episode was completely forgotten when food became her main concern. Though the fear of darkness still remained, she was much more comfortable with how responsive Ace was, as well as the man nearby when she shuffled off through the dark to get to the kitchen. No biggie! However, during the route from point A to point B, Ace decided to abandon ship. Boo! She didn't argue with the man, instead, she dragged her socked feet across the floor in small shuffles to attach herself once more to the tall redhead. Thin arms squeezed around his waist, giving him a tight hug before wondering off to the kitchen. Now, tuna time. Mr. Jelly was sat on the counter while she went to work, fishing out four slices of bread, a bowl, and the ingredients. Tuna, Miracle Whip, and Pickle Relish all mixed together and distributed evenly onto two slices of bread, with another blanketed over. One of the two was sliced in half, then all pieces placed on a plate. Ace wouldn't be relaxed for very long, since Vera waltzed her way in with the plate in one hand and Mr Jelly in the other. She navigated her way to his bed, where one half of the cut sandwich would be placed on his head before the young girl shuffled back out. The thought of being around the copper-haired man made her grumbly, possibly because of his smooth remark from earlier. That didn't stop the young girl from waltzing her half-naked self out in the cold to settle beside the one eyed man. He was given the whole sandwich while Vera settled herself upon the step beside him, knees tucked close to her chest within the protection of Ace's shirt. She examined her sandwich for several seconds before taking a large bite, and silently did she eat along side the man that embarrassed and offended her before. She said nothing, and whatever comments he spewed from that gaping hole in his head would seemingly be ignored. Once she finished her sandwich, she stood, took the plate – even if he was done with it or not, but left him the sandwich – and left for inside with her Jellyfish at hand, where she would climb into Ace's room and curl up next to him like a feline, cuddling close to get warm.

The next day was a boring day – Ace seemed to be doing important things of some sort, rather it be personal or work related, so Vera decided to have a day to get to know her new little family. After washing up and slipping into a light blue, mid-thigh length sundress one of the boys bought her, which she liked quite a bit, Vera wondered into Ace's bedroom. A thin finger tapped her chin slightly, pondering over what to search first. Ah! The closet, of course! She shuffled on over and began to rummage around. After a few short minutes of searching, she found the... strangest of things; porn, porn, a leather collar, handcuffs, and more porn. She placed the found items down on the floor for a few minutes or so, then continued her search. A few pictures were fished out. Ace, Dane, and some strange face she'd never seen before. She put the question of 'Who' it was in her mind, then set the photo own. She grabbed the magazines and written smut novels to steal away as she then goes to dig through Dane's bedroom. The man was mystery to her, still, so what better way to get to know him? Probably actually be around the guy, but nah, that was too boring. This was fun! She began to snoop through his room, only to find some pictures of the same unknown man, cigarettes, and guess what? Porn. Of course, porn. Hah! Men. She stole that stash, as well, though it consisted of something different than the kinky stuff Ace had. No blood-play, no bondage, but drawn Anime girls. Okay, then! She stole a cigarette or two from his stash and returned to Ace's room with the stack of adult materials. Yes, she was young, but did she care? No. Vera gave zero shits, shits that never existed to begin with! The alabaster skinned girl made herself a nest, fetched herself some sweet tea, some Club Crackers, and settled down with the all the items. Like a book, she read through them. Not even bothered.

She hadn't expected Ace to return from a shower so shortly after she settled, but she didn't pay him any mind. It seemed he didn't either, at least until he did a double-take on the open closet door, then on Vera. She looked up from one of his articles of choice staring him dead in the eye. For several long moments, they just stared at each other before Ace broke the gaze to look at what she held. He pinched the bridge of his nose, said something Vera quite obviously understand by the clueless look she gave him. Quit speaking foreign languages, Ace, it's weird. She then returned to browsing through the pictures after sending him a small smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his mouth open, but she cut him off with a raised hand before he could say anything. She wasn't a child, Mr. Red. She knew exactly what she was looking at. Ace continued to stare at the young princess before proceeding to do as normal. The day went on as normal; Vera hustled about, napped, stalked about, bothered the boys, watched TV, and other things.

It was at night, after everyone had gone to bed, when she tip-toed out of her bedroom to greet the copper haired man outside once more. Second night. She settled beside him with a blanket at hand, bottled water, and a small bag of chips. She tucked her robe around herself, hiding the black nightgown underneath as well as keep herself warm. Burr. It seemed each night was getting colder an colder, which was the reason she brought the blanket. She still hadn't said a word to the man. Why would she? She hadn't even spoken to her saviors yet, so she would not speak to some pervert stranger lingering around on their doorstep to prove himself. Ah, but she thought he was somewhat nice. He hung around. Determination was attractive to Vera. She lingered around a little longer than the night before. During this time, she gave him a cigarette or two she swiped from Dane and Ace's rooms, as well as a lighter who's fluid was almost out, so it wouldn't have been missed if the man didn't have one of his own. Then, once the cold became too much to bare, she stood and left for inside, leaving the man with the heavy fuzzy pink blanket. Like last night, she crawled into Ace's bed afterwords and curled up with him like a little cat.

The next day consisted of nothing much, other than Vera catching a small cold and having been forced to stay in bed all day. Who's bed? Not her own, but of course, Ace's. Ahh. Dane probably would flip out, Chad was gone, and Ace was the only one around who would not mind her lounging all up on his bed. Towards the evening, she finally got up and around, shuffling this way and that before slipping outside to see the eyepatch once more. She settled beside him, without a sound, and rested against him. A blanket clutched tightly around herself, though somewhat snuggling into the copper-haired man's side. She, of course, brought her jelly plush, which was clutched tightly against her chest. Ah, it was chilly, but being bundled up like that warmed her right up. She turned her face to nuzzle into the man's arm. What was his name again? She couldn't remember. And when she tried to bring the name from memory, Chad showed up. Oh! She perked up staring at the shortest male with big eyes and a slightly red nose from being rubbed raw. Then, a smile stretched across her face. Chad's home! Maybe he ha been home and she just hadn't seen him? Either way, there he is, and he would have gotten pounced on by a sickly princess had it not been for the comfort of a blanket and a somewhat cushioned arm to lean on. A hand appeared from behind the blanket, wiggling her fingers at the shortest man of the household. Welcome hooome!~

The first night really hadn't been so bad since the unusually pale girl with those ruby-red eyes had brought him a little something to eat. He truthfully had no earthly idea how she could have even known that he'd been sitting out there. None-the less, he was glad for the company, despite the fact that she didn't talk, not a single word. Taken aback at first by how little she was wearing, Jack made sure to apologize for jumping to conclusions about her, at least that's what he'd assumed had happened earlier that day. The sandwich was welcomed with a smile and a brief " D' you make this? It's good!" Before it disappeared in his mouth like he was some kind of ravenous animal. As a token of thanks, Jack offered the silent, half-naked girl the braided cord of grass that could easily tie around one of her thin wrists. That is, if she would even allow the slightly blushing copper-head to fasten it for her. Once she'd disappeared inside again without ever mentioning her name, Jack was finally able to catch some sleep. He slept until the first rays of the morning sunlight trickled over the cityscape and the mail-man almost pegged him in the head with the daily newspaper. Jack had almost forgotten where he was at first, but seeing the lovely tile and brickwork of the overhang under which he sat, he remembered. It was shortly thereafter that Dane stepped outside in a deep green robe with a mug of coffee and a cigarette between his lips. The dark-haired barkeep looked rather perplexed to see that young, one-eyed man still perched on the steps with the daily paper unfolded in his lap. Jack was reading the news. What else was there to do, really? "Back again already? You know we're not open yet, right?" The other said in his usually light-hearted tone. Jack nodded and handed the newspaper up to him. "Not back...Still here. But either way, I know." Dane raised a curious eyebrow. He hadn't left yet?? Seriously? What was with this guy? "Damn... Uh, you want some coffee or something?" Jack shrugged and adjusted the coat over his shoulders. " 'S no big deal, really. Thanks though." Dane took the news paper from the 22 year old, finished his cigarette and then stepped back inside only to return a couple of minutes later with a mug of steaming coffee. Jack took it with words of thanks, then proceeded to ask the bearded bar-keep about Vera. Mostly why she didn't talk. It wasn't revealed that the girl had snuck him some food in the middle of the night, since he wasn't quite sure if that might get her into bad standings with Ace and the rest of the group. But Dane didn't really seem to have any very conclusive answers for the younger male, simply offering a shrug. "She just doesn't talk... to anybody. We don't know why, but it's just how she is." That was all he really had to say about the subject before he stepped back into the establishment. Jack was alone for the remainder of the day. A few people stopped by, asking a couple of questions about the place... someone else asked if he'd locked himself out or if he needed a lift someplace. Other than that, nothing exciting took place.

The second night had started out a little worse. Jack's cigarette supply had run dry and his craving for the nicotine far outweighed the previous night's desire for food. Not only that, but it seemed like a cold front was pushing itself through the area. Hopefully it wouldn't cause thunderstorms or something. Oh well, at least he was under an over-hang, right? He'd be sheltered from the worst of it if it did come down to it. But once again, to his surprise, that ghostly-white young lady of the house seemed to know exactly what he wanted and/or needed. This time she wasn't just wearing a T-shirt that looked like it was swallowing her. She was wrapped tightly in a heavy pink blanket. Aside from Jack's quiet, "Thanks, you're a life saver" , no words were exchanged between the two while one cigarette was puffed on and the others stashed away for later. Any questions he had for the young lady would go unanswered if he addressed her with them anyway. Dane had said that she didn't speak to anyone... not even Ace? It was rather peculiar. Shit, he hadn't even asked Dane what her name was! Jack sighed and once he'd realized that the ruby eyed girl had started to shiver, he'd tilted his head of long coppery strands, lips tugged into a faint smile. "Hey, you look like you're freezing.... I'd say I can keep ya warm, but you probably wouldn't like that too much..." Well, she didn't throw anything at him this time, but she did get up to go back inside. At least she'd left him the extra comfort of the blanket. Dane came outside again in the morning to get the daily paper, again with a cigarette in his lips and this time, two mugs of coffee. Questioning Jack about the blanket, he let slip Vera's name by accident. "Guess she likes you... Or feels sorry for you. Who knows.... I told Ace you were still out here. He didn't say much, but at least he didn't have me tell you to leave ." Dane offered Jack a shrug. Yesterday had been a bit of an odd day for the barkeep, it seemed. They had finally finished up with the installation of the steam sauna, and the basement was still a bit of a mess so he'd cleaned that up only to find that someone had been in his room. Things were moved around a bit, but nothing was missing... from what Dane could tell yet anyway. He probably would have asked Ace about it if it hadn't been for the simple fact that ever since Chad had left, the ex-hitman seemed to be a bit on edge; not sleeping well, and generally irritable. Jack folded up the pink blanked and handed it back to Dane before he stepped back inside. He'd probably looked like a really interesting hobo sleeping with that thing draped over him all night. But he was glad to have had it, otherwise he might not have made it through the coldest hours.

On the very last night, the girl named Vera didn't come to visit. It wasn't nearly as cold as it had been on the second night though, so once again his coat provided him with plenty of warmth. He wondered where she might be. Maybe the others in the house were getting angry with her for bringing him things every night. Maybe they thought that, like some stray dog, if he wasn't fed and left alone, then he'd go away again. Once again, his determination ran thin. The following day, Dane came outside for the newspaper again, and as he had been doing, brought Jack a cup of coffee as well. "Thanks. 'S Vera all right?" He held the coffee mug between both hands, letting the warmth radiate through each digit tipped with black painted nails. Dane ticked the newspaper under his arm and offered him a nod. "Yeah, she's just got a little cold, so we told her she better stay in bed all night. But she'll be all right." The one-eyed male nodded, sipping the steaming beverage. He felt bad. She'd probably gotten sick from sitting out in the cold with him the last couple of nights. It was easy for someone to catch something if they weren't used to being exposed to the elements all the time. The day passed fairly quietly. There were a few more people out an about than normal, which always marked the beginning of a weekend. Sometime in the late afternoon, after Jack had run across the street to take a leak in the bathroom of the little breakfast diner, he decided that from both hunger and sheer boredom, a little nap was in order.

The afternoon sunlight was shining just perfectly into the little overhang, and wrapped him in a comforting, radiant warmth. Who knows for how long he was sleeping like this; drifting from dream to dream. He didn't even feel the weight of the young alabaster-skinned girl when she came outside and leaned against his sun-warmed sleeve. Jack was completely oblivious of the world. Copper strands of his bangs swept across the patch of his right eye. Chin was propped into the palms of both hands and his whole body leaned with his left side against the brick facade of the building. Fingers twitched every once in a while at various noises in the environment, but there was nothing that really seemed to wake the exhausted redhead until..... 'PING!!!' The sound from the metal bat striking the coin was an audible one, though it wasn't until that coin collided with the center of his forehead that Jack's single, aquamarine eye flew wide open. Startled, bewildered, confused, and scared, his gaze rested still out of focus on the kid who stood before him with a bat slung over his shoulder. It was then that he realized that Vera was crouched beside him as well. What the hell? When did she get there? Oh god, he hadn't been home in a couple of days, so those loan-sharks must have sent somebody out to track him down... make sure that he wasn't trying to skip town without paying them off first. At least, this was the most logical conclusion he jumped to right after being startled out of his state of dreaming. Damn, that shit had hurt too... what the hell had he been hit with?!

Rubbing at his forehead, the one-eyed redhead jumped to his feet, and though he nearly stumbled a little, he took a slightly defensive step out in front of Vera. Honestly, Chad's words, let along his question toward him hadn't even registered in his groggy, tired mind as of yet. It had gone completely over Jack's head. "No, no, no, no! I don't know what they told you, but I still have two weeks! Two full weeks, ya hear me?! So until then, stay the hell away from me!" Arms flailed for a brief moment until he glanced down and saw Vera's head peek around him, waving toward the short, ashen-haired young male with the bat like they knew each other. Jack blinked once or twice. "Wait a minute... you... you live here? ... Huh, guess that makes you part of D-0 too." Jack breathed a small sigh of relief, rubbing at the tender, red spot on his forehead one last time before he swiped some long copper strands out of his face. He couldn't believe how short this guy was... but the fierce look in those uniquely colored eyes told him that this was someone who's bad side you'd never want to see. "You're pretty lucky...." He began by saying. Guess he owed him an explanation since no one else seemed to have informed him on why exactly he'd been out here, loitering on their doorstep. "I was curious about joining up and working with you guys, so Dane suggested that I go and talk to your boss about it. But I guess I managed to piss him off, so he told me to get out of his bar." Jack shrugged and sighed, shifting his single-eyed gaze between Chad and Vera. "Hate to admit it, but frankly, I got no other options right now. Figured maybe if I stick around long enough out here, he'll wanna talk to me again and I'll get a second chance." God, he wanted a smoke... and a shower. Normally he was so used to smelling like the oil and metal of his workshop. Hands covered in grime and small bits of blood from where he'd nicked himself on something. But that distinct smell had faded quite and bit, and now he just looked and smelled like a shower could work wonders for him. "Look, I get it if you want me to leave... but unless you call the cops, or beat me unconscious with that bat and drag me into the street, I ain't moving from this doorstep." The guy's dead-pan glare was chilling, that much was for sure. Jack couldn't help but let his focus wander to the scar across his left eye. It was on the opposite side as his own, and Jack was curious how he'd gotten his. As much as the weaponsmith hated the prospects of getting arrested or beaten senseless, he wasn't about to budge, not even when the threat of those prospects was now staring him right in the face while wielding a metal bat.

Ace, although slightly taken aback by having found Vera on his bed, browsing through his and Dane's porn collection like it was a stack of Sky-Mall catalogs, it really wasn't anything that he felt was a cause for concern. The girl was curious, why not let her explore a little? The redhead had allowed her to keep Dane's, but decided it would be best if his own collection stayed in the safety of his own room. To keep Vera from making that angry, brooding face, he told her that she could look at them whenever she wanted to. Hey, they were his after all, no need risking them getting lost in the black-hole of a teenager's bedroom, right? Not to mention Chad would prolly flip his shit if he found those in there...

Dane had at some point or another come to inform him that the one-eyed redhead was lingering on their front steps. He'd been curious about whether or not the guy would show up again, though as it turned out, he had never left to begin with. The thought of going down to have a word with him rolled around in his head for a short while, though then he decided against it. Cruel as it might have been, he really just wanted to see for how long Jack would actually stay there. His money was on no more than three days. Hell, if he did stay longer than that, he either had an iron will, or was deeply desperate. "Just leave him out there for now. I'll figure out what to do with him later..." He had told Dane with a dismissive wave of his hand before rolling over on his bed in attempt to continue the nap that had been interrupted. At least that time he hadn't woken up with a random sandwich on his head... that had been a very odd surprise... Tasty, but still quite odd.

He tried to keep himself busy over the next couple of days; catching a nap here and there, but never really quite falling into a deep sleep even when the little porcelain princess came and curled up against his side late in the night. A couple of his cigarettes had gone missing, though he didn't bring it up to anyone. He was fairly certain that he knew where they were going to...or to whom anyway. If it hadn't been for his knowledge of Jack sitting outside their front door, he might have thought that Vera was secretly starting up a smoking habit, but Ace could tell that wasn't the case. Every time she'd crawl up into his bed, the whole room dark except for the light from the TV, his lips curled into a little smile. Maybe this fellow called Jack wasn't a bad addition to their family after all... and by letting him wait out there for as long as his persistance held up, Ace had seemingly given Dane and Vera time to form their own opinions about the guy as well. Quite ingenious, really.

When Vera woke up sick on the third day, Ace and Dane both decided that it was best if she didn't run around too much, or go outside for that matter. Dane at one point even fixed up a tray of hot soup and honey-lemon tea, which he told Ace to bring to her. The redhead tilted his head and raised a pierced, tired eyebrow at the barkeep. Dane simply responded with: "You know she'd like it best if you bring it to her. And besides, she's in YOUR room." And thus, without much of an argument, the ex-hitman obeyed and brought the tray of stuff up to the sickly princess with the red nose. At least it seemed to make her feel better. She was keeping herself entertained with DVDs, and drawing, and the anime channel, but the couple of times she did sneak downstairs for a snack or drink, Dane asked her to promise not to go outside that night, and to wait until daytime when it had warmed back up again.

Ace was catching a power-nap on his couch when Chad returned home. He didn't even notice, considering the little two-bit terror didn't stop by his room to say hello or anything. For a few more quiet minutes, his mediocre sleep went uninterrupted. Then, the front door slammed. That had his eyelids flutter open. Pupils constricted in the center of golden-green marbled irises. 'God damn it, now what?!' He thought to himself while grumbling quietly. Though that internalized question seemed to be answered rather shortly thereafter when he heard Dane's voice calling up to him from the bottom of the stairs. "AAACCEE! There's about to be an episode of Bum-Fights on our doorstep... I think Chad's gonna wail on the copper-head! Ya might wanna get down here with the quickness!"

The redhead blinked. Did he just say Chad was back? Well, as much of a relief as that was, he probably shouldn't let him beat the snot out of their potential next recruit... As fun as Trial-By-Chad might be to have watched.... Ace slid himself from the couch and lifted his arms with a well-needed stretch. There wasn't really much of a rush. If Chad really was at the brink of taking his wrath out on Jack, then either the guy deserved it, or Dane would surely step in to do something about it. Either way, a visit to the bathroom was needed first. He had to piss like Seabiscuit and also wanted to splash some cold water over his face to help him look less like the zombie he currently felt like.

The short male stood there with a face showing he had no time for games or bullshit. The bat rested comfortably over his shoulder while fingers adjusted the grip they had on the handle. This guy, Chad wasn't enjoying the fact that this guy apparently had been littering up the front of his home. He was not about to start letting hobo's drift on in. Chad used to be one of these people which meant he knew exactly what would happen if he couldn't keep them away from the Mocking Bird establishment.

His head tilted to the side in curiosity as well as wariness. You never knew when one of these guys had been chipped at a little to hard by life. Two weeks for what? What was this guy hollerin on about? He was trying to figure it out, working over the reasoning for the cyclops's reaction when he saw it..or better yet hear. "Vera!?!?" What the hell was Vera doing out here with this..this..stranger?! Lips tugged into a tighter frown as lavender ghostly eye's started to bore a hole right through Jack's head. The simple fact that it looked like the two of them had been napping TOGETHER out on the front porch...the idea of this copper haired one eyed freak had even come close to touching the petite and relatively silent girl. Big Brother Mode Activate.

Teeth ground together before suddenly that pint sized body was in motion. The bat swung nicely from its resting place over his shoulder before it clacked down hard against the paved surface of the ground. Another swing was taken this time swipping at Jack's side. But though the attack was made rather viciously it seemed that the only reasoning behind it was to switch up their positions. The body would naturally react to brutality and attempt to protect itself against harm. That was what Chad played on so as to wedge himself between Jack and Vera. That bat was held out for a moment before it was once more slung over his shoulder as a hand reached out behind him to softly pat Vera's shoulder.

He would listen silently for several minutes as an explination was finally given...of course this was somehow one of Ace's messes..and here Chad was having to clean up after it. "If Ace told you to get lost then take the clue ass hat." The youths voice growled, rumbling deep in his chest before the bat was used to point. "And if you've been clinging around here like dog shit for the past few days it looks like its gonna be my responsibility to clean it up." This was exactly something he had been looking for. Borning recon work was..well..boring. Maybe this could get the blood pumping. "Vera...you and Mr. Jelly go inside please." Without Dane or Ace right there that very minute it meant he could probably start something.

"So your not leaving no mater what huh? I think I can meet up with that challenge. I've had a boring week and your about to make life a little more exciting ass wipe." He wouldn't actually try to seriously hurt the guy..maybe some really bad bruises...like really really bad...no broken bones..though a fracture could happen. Fuck it Chad didn't care. The guy was being stubborn so it would be his own fault if he got hurt during this. Suddenly it wasn't the bat that was swinging out by Chad's leg, snapping sharply at Jack's thigh just above the knee cap. The moment his leg came down enough for balance the bat was used, this time aiming for the other leg.

Since the forgotten-named man fastened a hand-made bracelet around her wrist, she hadn't removed it. She fiddled with it lightly as a commotion broke out. Jack shot up, leaving Vera to roll forward, thankfully catching herself. Shortly after, she stood after ditching the stuffed jellyfish and the blanket. Dark blue plaid fuzzy pants hung low on her hips, keeping her nice and warm though the black tank-top didn't do her much good. Ah, she was almost flattered when Jack went to protect her. How cute. She almost didn't notice his blabbing! She was hopeful Chad would calm down after seeing her out there, but oh, no, that only made things worse, apparently. Her eyes widened a touch as Chad turned into some sort of Mama bear, getting aggressive and all that sorts. Now, instead of being near the eyepatch man, he had been replaced with Chad, whom she clung to like an affectionate cat when her shoulder was patted. Fingers curled into his shirt, leaning against him a bit. It seemed this didn't last long when she was told to go back inside with her stuffed animal. Ah, she wasn't a fool. She knew Chad was going to get rough, so for once, she disobeyed his instructions even though he said please. The harsh language didn't help Chad's case. At all. The princess stepped aside though, keeping her eyes locked more on the short-stuff rather than the tall, lanky copper man. She didn't want Jack getting hurt, she didn't want Chad getting hurt. In fact, she'd rather just go inside with all of them, put on a movie, and have a pizza. It seemed Chad was all bark and no bite, at least, until he made a move. The hair on the back of her neck stood up on end when Chad decided to attack the man, which lead the young girl to throw her weight forward and ram into Chad's side with a loud grunt sound. Ow! Son of a bitch! She still had a light sunburn on her shoulders, and hitting the man like that hurt like hell. She seemed to ignore it, though loudly yelling at herself mentally for pulling such an act. Her once delicate features were twisted into something stern, unhappy, and down right pissed. Luckily she got there before Jack got a bat taken to him, or at least she hoped so. It was sort of a blur, but she had one thing on her mind. A hand came up, fingers straight and pressed firmly together. She swiped her hand from shoulder shoulder quickly, glaring at Chad with heat she never had before. A clear sign to 'cut it out'. She settled herself between shrimpy and beanpole, arms crossed over her chest and feet planted firmly on the ground, facing the shrimp. Vera didn't like to do that. She felt bad almost instantly afterwords, but she needed to do what was right! Even if that meant turning on her friend. This should hold things up until Ace gets his zombie butt out here and help her out. Her head turned, looking at jack with a raised brow in question. 'You okay?' she asked with her look, brushing ruby eyes across the eyepatch, then the rest of his face. It wasn't long after when she lost that tough-girl stance, all because of a coughing fit and a sniffly nose. Her cold still lingered around, which totally sucked. Her immune system was still trying to get back on track, so keeping herself from getting sick, and getting rid of said sickness, was very hard. She hunched over a bit, shoulders semi-slouched but tense with the coughing and heaving. Even though, she still didn't stand down. She kept her firm footing, which was enough for now. It took her a moment or so to hack up her lungs, and oh so lady like did she spit the mixture of saliva and flem to the side. Better. She needed to get inside, but of course, she wouldn't if Chad remained a threat to her new found “friend.”

Once it had been established that the short-statured individual was actually a member of the household and NOT, in fact, someone the loan-sharks had send after him, it made a lot more sense how very protective he seemed to be getting of Vera. Were they maybe siblings?? Prossibly, but either way, Jack could very clearly tell that Chad was not in the least bit happy about the ruby-eyed girl being found out there with him. Hell, it wasn't like he'd known that she snuck out again. And there he was, just minding his own business and taking a nap... At any rate, the tensed jaw which accompanied the younger male's narrow-lidded death glare of piercing lavender eyes caused Jack's airways to almost close for a second... a similar effect he'd suffered when Ace had glared at him in that manner. This feeling was then reinforced by the audible, metallic clank of the bat when it struck concrete. Shit... at this rate maybe dealing with the loan-shark's enforcers was starting to sound more pleasant in comparison. From what he'd experienced thus far, it was really easy to piss these people off.

Jack's body did indeed move, commanded by reflex the second he felt the blunt metal object touch his side. Vera was obviously quite familiar with the aggressive young male, and thus, he didn't stand in the way of letting Chad position himself protectively between them. Watching the white-haired doll of a girl in her comfy 'lounge about' attire latch onto the other male, it only drove his suspicions home that this guy must be her brother. He probably would have felt slightly sentimental if it hadn't been for his current situation. Jack took several steps backwards, just out of reach of the bat's tip that was pointed in his direction. A single, focused, aquamarine gaze was cast down the length of that metal object until Chad shouldered it once more in order to listen to what else he had to say. Despite this, Jack kept his footing planted in a somewhat defensive stance as he proceeded to explain his situation.... though something in hindsight told him that he should maybe have explained it a little bit better... His first clue to this set in the moment that the scar-faced young male instructed Vera to take her stuffed animal and go inside. Hell, at least he had the decency to give the girl a chance of getting to a safe place before shit got ugly. Jack's second clue that he definitely should have chosen his words a little wiser was the mention of a 'challenge' in the bat-wielding kid's growled retort. No no, he definitely wasn't trying to challenge anyone here.

"Ah, c'mon, can't we just talk about this?? I really didn't mean ta..." Arms were momentarily lifted into that typical 'surrender' position, waving the slightest bit with a sheepish expression painted on his features. But by that point, it was already too late it seemed. Jack cut his sentence short as the single eye observed Chad's first move toward him. God, this wasn't gonna be pretty. He really didn't want for any of this to end with a confrontation like this. He'd hoped for something much more... well.... diplomatic. Jack wasn't very fond of the thought of getting into a fight with this kid... but even less so was he fond of the thought of just becoming a human Pinata in the middle of the city sidewalk. Jack took another half step back, and whilst preparing to take whatever blow Chad's attack would surely land, instinct and anticipation had him reaching one hand under his olive-drab canvas coat. There might just be a split-second margin for him to reach the only weapon he'd carried with him, clipped into the back-waist-band of his pants.

Though it seemed that the oncoming bludgeoning was interrupted very promptly, and highly unexpetedly. At first, the only thing Jack saw in his present state of single-eyed tunnel vision was a flash of white that collided with Chad. He'd moved fast...damned fast actually, but it looked like she still beat him to the punch; so to speak. Then he watched the small, delicate frame of the albino girl step in front of him, sternly and fiercely demanding that this be put to a stop. Lids parted in both shock and awe. Usually girls were always the ones to stay on the sidelines of a physical fight, but rarely did they even throw themselves right in the middle with attempts to stop it from happening...or continuing. Sure, ya got those girls who desperately tug at their significant others in a bar-brawl, crying and begging for an end... But no... This tiny, seemingly frail doll of a girl had just fearlessly put herself right in the path of the two men. Had they raised her to be like this? Jack blinked, finally realizing that she'd turned her head to focus those ruby red eyes on his face. Though her question was as unspoken, her expression allowed him to capture the gist of what she was trying to ask, upon which his copper head of hair rose and fell in the gesture of a reassuring nod. The corners of his lips twitched into a small, appreciative smile.

A small, pleasant breeze swept swaying strands of bangs across the dark eyepatch. When his focus shifted from Vera's youthful, pale face to the ashen-haired young ruffian on the other side of her, Jack realized by an idle twitch of his hand that thanks to Vera's interception, he'd actually manage to draw that rather unique looking knife he'd been concealing. Held loosely between curled digits was a black metal grip with ridges that conformed to the natural shape of the hand. From each end protruded two silver, straight, serrated blades, each about 4 inches in length. Aquamarine gaze shifted again, this time to the few people who had stopped to stare like this was some gang-fight going down in the streets of New York... That sheepish look was starting to creep back over Jack's face and he was just about to open his mouth to say something when he heard the door of the pub open, from which Dane the barkeep then proceeded to lean with a rather disgruntled look drawn across his face.

One of Dane's hands rested on one of the double doors, holding it open, the other was curled into a loose fist. Both sleeves of the deep green button-down were rolled up past his elbows. "Oi! That's enough! Will you two hot-headed imbeciles quit making a scene already?! The bearded male's voice carried a tension that was unlike him. But Dane did speak with a certain urgency when he growled his command for the two to stop. The last thing he wanted was cops getting called and snooping around the place. His follow-up words were spoken in a somewhat softer tone, yet it was obvious that he wasn't joking around. " You can beat the crap outta eachother all you want later, but for now, calm your shit and get inside... all three of you." Why the hell was Vera involved in all this anyway? Wasn't she in the middle of it all?! Amber eyes blinked a couple of times before he shook his head in that 'nevermind' sort of gesture, holding firm to what he'd just addressed the three with and waited for them to compose themselves and come inside. There was some explaining to be done and some resolutions due... and it seemed that Ace was just then also descending the stairs to join the fun, one step at a time.

Normally Chad would of been able to handle anything that came at him but then again he never had to deal with anything quite like this. He had felt something when Vera's tiny fingers clung to the deep red fabric of his shirt. It was an odd yet familiar sensation and it would take him several minutes to realize that maybe, just maybe, he had begun to classify the once lost little girl as something more than just a fellow live in. These thoughts would have to be examined carefully at a later date though. Chad's blood was racing and if asked the young male would of admitted that he wanted the fight.

The attack was launched with eagerness that had apparently blinded him to the upset nature of the female who only moments before steppedto the side. His bat had been only a hairs breath away from striking when that minor weight slammed into his side. Any other time it wouldn't of phased him yet Vera's thinking caught him mid stride in that speedy rush. Automatically Chad knew what was going to happen when his center of gravity shifted. Two choices have to be made swiftly, fall on his face and get a bit of road rash or fall against the side of the building... with his back. A minor shift of weight, a slight twist of hips and suddenly his normally aching back lit up with a bright fiery wave off agony. A sharp hiss escaped before it was cut off and the clattering of metal against concreat signaled how, for a brief moment, fingers had gone lax enough for them to lose their grip.

Fuck that had hurt it went beyond just pain but as per his habit Chad just stuffed it away, mentally rolling under the fire. Unusual eyes widened minutely when he saw how Vera was defending the stranger. Lips opened and closed several times causing a lovely fish out of water image before he heard as well as watched Vera began to cough wetly. Everything else was forgotten while he took the necessary steps to bring him to her side. "Hey, you ok?" Jack was ignored for the time being as that fierce attitude simply vanished. It would be a stunning contrast to the soft caring mind set he was now demonstrating. Hands came up to gently grasp the sides of her head only to be followed by his forehead settling against her own.

"You've got a fervor." That's face pulled away from Vera's as he took a good look at her features. A small shake of his head occurred as he came to the conclusion that she must of caught the cold that was starting to float around the city. It probably didn't help matters that her immune system was more than likely still compromised, making it all the more easy for Vera to get sick in the first place. Suddenly Dane's voice resonated from behind him causing Chad's attention to shift targets once more. At least he had the decency of looking ashamed and sheepish before he nodded.

Bending he gathered up the bat before a gleam of light striking off of metal snagged his sight. When he saw what was being gripped in Jack's hand that chilling breath choking gaze slipped back over his features. "Put it away." The words came out in a gravely sounding growl and the intense based would continue until the tall ( did he live in a city of giants!?!? ) male caused the unique weapon to disappear. A tight nod as the only response the stranger would receive before he was once more paying almost exclusive attention to his albino companion. "Come on, what do you say to a lazy day with me? We can watch a movie or something in your room." Your room, it technically was still Chad's yet he had willingly surrendered it for her use.

He would return back inside, replacing this bat in its hiding place behind the bar, his mind flitting from one thing to another as he tried to remember what his mother used to do when he feel ill. A stock of red hair attached to a slow moving body was spotted when Ace came down the stairs. "Mind telling me just why you let someone use our front door as his personal roost after you already told him to get lost?" Chad grumbled while crossing arms over his narrow chest. 

"Also why is Vera outside in her pajamas when she is obviously sick?" This question didn't hold the same heat in it as he looked towards the girl. "And when did she get sick?" He had only been gone what three days? Four? Well that didn't matter to much honestly. It was endearing how he acted around Vera not even realizing he was behaving as if she really was his sister. Granted most people who didn't know them would be inclined to think they were related, such as Jack had, thanks to the similar coloring the two shared. "Anyways, once we're finished with this..." Chad tilted his head towards the man he had almost beaten. "...I need to take a shower."  Dane might not notice the faint pitch to his voice but Ace would be able to pick up on it. The smallest hint that not only was the short guy frustrated and upset but also beyond being sore at this point.

His back was killing him, throbbing in time to every beat of his heart and the
pulse of his blood. Thoughts of the comforting warmth coupled with the consideration of taking a half dose of his meds so he could relax with Vera if the girl wanted his company. Shit. He still had all his books and other items, brought from upstairs, spread over the table in their corner of the pub. Fuck it. Chad could clean it up later, he just couldn't bring himself to care right now.

Ace stepped from the final stair and into the main room just as everyone had piled back inside. One hand reached to scratch at his stomach beneath the fabric of his shirt while the other arm was given a decent stretch. He'd managed to make himself look at least slightly less zombie-esque prior to coming downstairs, but those usually piercingly fierce and vigilant eyes wandered to every individual almost apathetically as he followed a sluggish, yet direct path to a nearby bar-stool. That was... until they came to rest on Chad, who promptly approached him with a demand for answers. Apathy turned to something a bit harsher and more speculative while those golden-green marbled eyes almost seemed to study the youth. It was in this fashion that Ace listened to each inquiry calmly and quietly. When it seemed that no one else wanted to be the first to chime in, that stern countenance lightened as he couldn't help but let the corners of his lips twitch into a little smile.

Despite the chaotic appearance of this entire situation (save for the cold their little albino princess had contracted), everything seemed to have played itself out rather nicely, he thought. Ace didn't speak until he had plucked a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, letting lids slip closed the moment he took his first drag. "Welcome home to you too..." He began by saying, as smoke curled past lips that still retained that almost malicious little smile. It faded away, however, once those eyes re-opened and found their focus on Chad yet again. Ace truly was relieved to have the kid back safe and sound, and if he hadn't been feeling so damn tired, it might have actually been more obvious that a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. But as answers were requested, so then, should answers be delivered without wasting much more time. It might have been rather difficult for anyone else to pick up on Chad's hint at the physical discomfort... but Ace had spent enough time around his adolescent companion to know what it meant when he actually openly announced that he needed to go for a shower. Shit... did he get himself hurt while he was out? He hoped that wasn't the case, and Ace briefly found himself struggling to hide the hints of concern that tugged at the back of his mind.

He forced it to the back-burner and just continued on with the subject at hand. "...Sure, I'll tell you. But first, I wanna say that I'm pretty proud of you all." That resonant voice of his ceased again briefly as he took another drag form his cigarette and shifted his weight in the bar stool, resting one elbow on the polished, oak surface of the bar top. "First of all, I didn't tell him to 'get lost'... I told him to get out of my bar... which he did. And when Dane told me that he was still sitting outside the morning after, I figured the guy is either one card short of a full deck... or he's gotta be really eager to get on board with us for whatever reason.... Me letting him 'roost' on our front porch, as you put it, allowed for one of two things. The first one being that I actually got to see him demonstrate patience... persistence, and self discipline. People you meet for the first time always try to tell you they're soaked full of good skills and qualities... Usually nothing but lip-service, and if bullshit were music, they'd be a big brass band... So I wanted to actually see him do something, instead of just yap about it." Those golden green eyes shifted pensively between Chad and the lanky one-eyed young man with the olive-drab coat. While taking another drag from the cigarette he tapped the index finger of his right hand against the bar top, signaling for Dane to grab him something to drink. All this talk was drying out his pallet, and he didn't like it.

Once Dane had moved, and the edge of the tobacco cylinder was tapped against the side of the nearest ashtray to rid it of the ashes, Ace returned his attention to the young male who had apparently taken on the role of guardian to the Mockingbird Pub. "The second thing it allowed for was to let the others get to know him a little better too. I might be the one making the final decision in the end, whether he gets to stick around or not, but I don't think its fair unless everyone has a chance to form their own opinion..." Dane had slid himself behind the bar quietly and worked his magic to fix the redhead a rum and coke just the way he liked it. Ace brought the glass to his lips and soothed the husky set of vocal chords with the delightful liquid before finishing his train of thought. "...with that said, I hope you trust me enough to know that I would have personally sent the bastard face-first to go play in traffic if he'd been any kind of a threat." Those summer-meadow hues began to look much more lively than before, and had regained quite a bit of their usual focused, calculating qualities. "As for Vera... " That gaze shifted to the young, albino doll of a girl who, despite her generally quiet and meek demeanor did, without a doubt, have quite the mind of her own. "... she got sick yesterday, we had her stay inside and get some rest...told her to stay warm..." Broad shoulders rose and fell in the gesture of a shrug as he took another drink and snuffed out his cigarette. He wasn't about to mention the fact that the girl had spent most of that day curled up on his bed, nestled into his comforter. "Apparently something else was more important... She's a survivor, a cold's not gonna kill her. But when was the last time she really got to make any kinda real decisions like that for herself, eh?"

Finishing the last remnants of the mixed drink in the short glass, Ace ran long, slender fingers through his mane of red hair, accompanied by a deep sigh. "But, I think now that this is finally getting settled, she'll be a little less rebellious to rest up. Besides, I think she was worried about you anyway." His body leaned slightly in the chair, letting the side of his head come to rest in the palm of his hand, elbow still resting against the glossed bar top beside the empty glass. He still needed to have a word with this Jack character... but before any of that, getting things calmed down between the ones he shared his life with was the main priority.

Vera honestly hadn't meant to cause Chad any harm what so ever, but it seemed she may have rammed him a little too hard. Guilt flooded to the brim almost instantly afterwords, especially seeing him ram into the wall like that. She thought for sure the boy would lash back at her for that, and when Chad stepped closer, she couldn't keep from trembling. She remembered very little about her life in her previous situation, but she remembered disobeying, and pain. Lots of agonizing pain.

She expected to be slapped, or shoved to the ground, or yelled at, but no. Her eyes were closed tightly, as if she was prepared for impact, though the smooth voice, soft touch of hands against her skull, and the light pressure of another forehead against her own made her visibly ease up. Her once tense, stiff shoulders slouched in ease. What was this? She misjudged Chad, obviously. Being as aggressive he was with Jack, she was sure he'd be angry with her for stepping in like that, and possibly hurting him on accident. That obviously wasn't a case. Sense when was the last time someone didn't punish her for disobeying like that? Quite some time, if she remembered correctly. Ah, but she couldn't remember that far back at all, nor a lot about the time during her captivity, or before it... if there was even a before. Her hands still slightly trembled from the scare, though her fingers managed to curl back into the front of the boy's shirt for a few moments, at least, until Dane showed up. It tugged her attention away from that almost tender moment between her and Chad. Oi, Wolfman! She moved from her spot to gather her blanket and Mr Jelly, slinging the fabric over her shoulders and tucking the stuffed toy to her chest tightly. She was unaware of Jack's weapon until Chad said something, but even still she took hold of his other hand to lead the Beanpole inside. It took her some time to ponder over Chad's offer of a lazy day. But she'd been lazy all day, and she wanted to play now! But, Chad was probably tired... hm. She then nodded in agreement towards the shrimp, smothering down the urge to bounce around in order to spend time with one of her boys.

Inside of the Pub was much warmer than the air outside, so stepping in the cozy place made her relax and sigh, even shrug off the blanket to clutch close, along with the toy. She had a lighter grip than usual, probably because she wasn't feeling too well and couldn't muster up enough to actually want to cling to Jack like a leech. Ace arrived shortly after, and the huge hole in Chad's mouth went flapping. Though, it was cute seeing him concerned for Vera. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, rather than shivery and achy. Maybe the boy finally got used to her? Perhaps he started considering her more than the room thief? Obviously! Or, at least she hoped! The little princess shifted her weight to and fro, one foot to the next with a small smile on slightly chapped lips. Oh, but she didn't Chad's attitude towards Jack, which she sort of understood, but then again, for some odd reason, she expected politeness from everyone around her, which usually sets herself up for major disappointment.

Ace's words sort of left her puzzled, but she didn't really think much of it for the time being. Once the redhead stopped talking, she rushed out of the small crowed, aiming towards Dane's room to steal his Polaroid, then Chad/Her room to grab her sketch book and a marker. Hopefully Shrimpy was still down stairs when she came scrambling back with both camera and pad. The camera was sat on the bar, then she climbed aboard on a stool to scribble down on it with the black sharpie. Once she found it suitable, Vera slid off the stool. Jack was given the sketch pad which had “ Monsieur Jackov, nouvel ami." written in bold black letters. She wouldn't take if's, and's, but's, or or's. The camera printed out the photo, which she stashed ontop of her book once it returned to her care. Soon, the picture came to life, which she marveled at happily. A small giggle left the teenager with a satisfied hum leaving her throat. Perfect! That would go in her small collection for sure!

It was then she went back to marking on the paper in a quick fashion, however, this time was for Ace. A small note, stating a simple thing:

“I like him. He's nice, so he's mine now, too.”

Too? Ah, yes. The boys were hers, she claimed. Only once did she write that to Ace a few days ago, complaining about not having a lazy day with “her boys.” So quickly had she grown so attached of all of them, even Dane, whom she barely even knew! She only saw Carmon once, when she was found, and yet she already had a weird, strong like for the woman. She was labeled “Miss Pretty” on several occasions during her note-passing to Ace or Chad, along with Dane as “The Wolfman”, Ace as “Mr. Red”, and Chad as various names, like “Shrimpy” and “Short stuff.” Hell, she even called him “Crabcake” in a note! Oh, the nicknames!

She then added: “He made me this.”

Ace was shown the grass bracelet, before she took her book back. The 'Princess' thought that would be enough to express her opinion. So, her things were gathered up to haul them all back up to Ace's room, where she'd crawl back in the small nest she made to snuggle down and gawk over her new picture.

It really hadn't been his intention for anybody to get hurt on his behalf. He felt pretty bad about all of it; about Vera catching a cold from sneaking out every night, and also about Chad getting himself knocked into the brick wall when Vera stepped to his defense. The impact looked to have caused the territorial young male quite a bit of discomfort. It was mostly for this reason that Jack became very muchly compliant when the scar-faced youth growled for the twin-bladed weapon to be put away. Nor did he put up any resistance as the young albino beauty took hold of his arm and lead him toward the door of the bar. A squeeze applied to the handle of his weapon, and a simple push of a raised notch along a track at the back of the grip allowed the blades to retract back into their safe confinement before the whole thing was clipped back to its previous hiding place at the back of his pants. Hopefully he'd be able to return home again without having to draw it again today... But that remained to be seen. He was prepared to get his ass thoroughly chewed out for all the trouble he'd caused with his stubborn, insistent decision of camping out under their overhang like some stray cat, or desperate hobo.

As Vera lead him over the threshold, he didn't dare say a single word. Was it even okay for him to come back inside just like this? Jack tried to calm his mind by putting his trust in the thought that Vera probably wouldn't be pulling him into the open room with such confidence if it wasn't. A single aquamarine eye rested on the albino's ruby eyes momentarily as if to confirm that this was really okay, before that gaze darted to Chad the moment he brushed past them and rounded the bar to let that metal bat disappear somewhere behind the counter. It was then that his attention was drawn to the cork peg-board beyond the bar, to which quite a few polaroid photographs had been pinned. From where he stood, Jack couldn't tell exactly what, or who they were of, but he wasn't left with much time to inspect them further before he caught sight of the tall, larger redhead at the bottom of the stairs. Ah crap... here we go, he thought to himself, time to get verbally butt-fucked without lube... If Ace would decide to throw him out again, he was almost certain that Chad would be more than happy to see him out the door with that metal bat ready in hand this time. The kid already looked like he'd been chomping at the bit to take a swing at him before... 'All right... better stay calm, and don't say anything fucking stupid this time....' he thought to himself as he watched Ace sleepily find a seat at the bar.

Jack was actually about to open his mouth and apologize to everyone for having been such a huge nuisance, but before he could even get a word out, Chad approached Ace with his rather forward question. And hey, it was actually a pretty good question too, one to which Jack wouldn't mind hearing the answer himself. At first, he simply stood there awkwardly, like he was on trial or something. Wait a minute.... Ace was proud? What the hell of, exactly?? He'd listened very attentively up until the point when Vera slipped away from his side and darted past the bar, up the stairs. Jack hoped she wasn't upset, or going to be sick or something... It was then that the single eye spotted, for the first time, the scattered books and other papers strewn across the coffee table in that little sitting area right in front of the set of big windows overlooking the sidewalk. It was a lot closer that that peg-board he was trying to sneak a peek at before... and as it turned out, far more in the line of his personal interests as well. A book on gun mechanics?? Really?? Oh man, this was pretty awesome. Those blueprints were absolutely captivating as well... so captivating, in fact, that Jack momentarily zoned completely out of the conversation and began taking small, scooting steps toward that table to have a closer look. Having only one functioning eye was somewhat limiting. Depth perception basically went out the window. At least Jack had managed to get accustomed to it. The human brain truly was an amazing machine when it came to adaptation.

By the time Vera had come back downstairs with the camera and the sketch pad, the copper-haired weaponsmith was already fawning over his findings, completely and utterly in awe of those blueprints that had been laid out on that table. "Holy shit... is that a customized Mossberg 590?? Wait a sec... this is....Where'd you get...."

*SNAP*

"Ow...." That flash completely blinded him for a second and he had to rub the back of his hand across that single eye a few times before the bright spots stopped encroaching on his vision. 'What the???' He was handed a note written in unique handwriting by the alabaster doll of a girl that he had to squint at before he could even decipher his own name... and that was really the only thing he could make out. The hell was this? French?! The girl spoke French?! No wonder he couldn't communicate with her in any way shape or form... she didn't speak any English!... At least that was what he deducted from the note he received. Shit... could he even ask anyone what it said? Oh god... how far into Ace's talk had he stopped paying attention in order to focus on that absolutely magnificent bit of instructions that lay splayed out on that table? FUCK! He really shouldn't get so distracted... ADD much? Nah, he was just incredibly passionate about certain things, and this had simply caught him completely off guard. Jack held the piece of paper between fingers tipped with black painted nails, staring at the letters as though they might jump off the page and attack his face at any second. God, he was so lost... lost in the conversation... lost with this girl.... Shit... just lost in general was probably a good enough way of describing him at this point in time.

When he finally lifted his eye from the page, he watched the girl climb up onto a chair beside Ace, scribbling something else onto the same pad she'd torn the previous paper from. Aw fuck.... he really should have paid more attention. What was she telling him? It felt as though the world ceased turning for an instant... like his heart stopped beating... like the breath escaped from his lungs. Should he just go ahead and bolt for the door? The thought was tempting.... but instead, he decided to stay just where he was. As awkward and uncomfortable as this was now, he felt without a doubt that this strange collective of individuals had something special... something that was worth seeking out... being part of and defending.

((shitty post is shitty. If I forgot anything, let me know.))