age of innocence

He chuckled some, “I do. I have a younger sister who came from Cambridge. She’s a bit of a hot head and comes off a little rude on first impressions. But uh don’t let it fool you. She does have a softer side buried down somewhere.” His voice took on a some what bitter tone before clearing it away. “Do you have any family here?” Kealen asked as they started heading back towards 73rd street.

“Kealen.” He smiled. “Everyone’s walked right by where they were going at least once. It happens. If you’d like I can walk with you?” He offered. 

“So Kaelen do you have any family in town? I know a place like this could be horrible without knowing people first and I’d love for you to walk me. Help keep me from completely passing by for a second time and bothering some other poor soul.”

“I have a better idea, but you’re going to hate it. So you’ll buy me one? I’ll go anywhere for two to be honest.”

“Oh tell me your idea, I’m sure I’ll love it as long as it doesn’t involve bodily harm towards myself or others. Hm, would you go with me to the hospital to pick up some last minutes things to drop by that free clinic on 73rd?”

“… Fine. I’m not swimming, though. And you’re paying for my Klondike bar.”

“Well if you have a better idea, I’m all ears but I do know how much you enjoy chocolate.” 

Jess’s nose is red, the lining of her eyes pink. The young werewolf couldn’t help but feel relieved when she felt the comforting warmth the other girl brought along with her. With an ever so slightly raise of her head, Jess blinks a couple of times before nearly jumping right out of her seat. This girl, she had an unremarkable resemblance to her sister-in-law. Wait —- Didn’t Micki say she had a twin when they first met? The brief shock washed over her and Jess allows herself to smile, no, she actually laughed at her own foolishness. This must be Jane, the reason for Artemis’s middle name. 

“Oh my god, I-I thought you were Micki! Allergies. Yeah, thats a good idea.. I’m Jess, by the way! Thanks.. for the tissues.. I didn’t bring mine along.”

“I always bring extra, you just never know.” Jane offers smiling at the girl before taking the seat beside her, digging into her purse to offer a small granola bar. Usually eating something helped calm her own nerves and she hoped the same affect would be had with Jess. “Jake’s sister Jess right? I’ve heard a lot about you as weird as that may sound, I’m Jane.”

There was a long pause after Jane spoke while Elijah thought to himself, all too wrapped up in retrying to decipher her tone. Finally, he set down the papers for a moment to focus on her more acutely. “Excuse me if I’m wrong – I’m normally pretty terrible at reading women – true or false: it appears as though you’re trying to entice me into asking you to… Hang out? Dinner? Bar? You have to help me out here. I’m oblivious.”

Following his own questioning statement, Jane held a pause of her own. Mouth hanging slightly open as a pink blush covered her cheeks, the hue of embarrassment. “I uh no I meant um, I’m sorry I didn’t mean too come off so uh well I’m going to stop talking for a second.” Shutting up she dropped her gaze, adverting to anything but the man now paying full attention to her. No wonder she’d never gone on any actual outings before, even just as friends. “The organizing thing, was there anymore boxes I could carry in from the storage area for you?” The quick change of subject had her working her own bottom lip between teeth as she nervously glanced up at him.  

“Formerly a werewolf,” Lycus responded immediately to correct any confusions. He sighed, leaning his head to the side curiously while he starred. “Congratulations are in order, then,” he said, taking a step forward with a hand lent out to shake her hand. “No, trust me, Jane. The pleasure’s all mine.”

Oh, oh. Swallowing past the dry lump forming in her throat, Jane offers the man named Mathias a forced smile. “Oh formerly? I’m not sure if I should say I’m sorry or congratulations as well.” The mans tone was slightly curious, just barely rubbing her the wrong but she choose to ignore that. It was probably just her past experiences forcing her to be biased. “So you were saying I remind you of someone?”   

“We’ll see,” Eiijah stifled a smile, wiggling his eyebrows daringly at the girl. Letting out a brief exhale, he began to shuffle through a folder of papers for his newest projects. “You make that sound like a bad thing,” he began, reading a few lines of text before suddenly looking back up at her, concern dripping from his features. “Is that a bad thing?”

Wiping the frown away from his face, Eli cleared his throat to change the subject. “You know, it’s not like I’m old, or anything. I’m younger than I look – mentally, anyway. I am much more fun outside of the office.”

Elijah’s comments about his physical age differing from his mental earns a laugh from the blonde as she leans back, shaking her head all the while. “Now how would I know that? The only time I’ve ever seen you outside the office is when you insist upon walking me to car after late shifts.” Which in a city like New Orleans was probably for the best, strange things always happened after nightfall. And it really wasn’t that she was afraid of making new friends, usually Jane thrived in social situations. No it was more the fact that every new stranger she met in this city would probably come with strings attached, a monstrous past included and she wasn’t sure she so ready for that.