Inner Mind

[Erlind]

It is late. It is much later than I meant for it to be, but it couldn't be helped. She waited. How very patient, but I doubt she will stay up late enough for anything to happen tonight. I wander inside and sit on the arm of her chair.

"Come in. Sorry I'm so late."

 

[Suzuha]

It seems fate isn't so kind to let their paths cross this evening. As she stumbles towards sleep, she hears a faint urging to return but knows the time has passed already. She resolves to return another night, though. Her planning won't go to waste, she's certain.

She blows him a kiss across time and space, filled with hope for his wellness and future opportunities, then sleep takes her.

 

[Suzuha]

Ethereal, she manifests only enough to produce a clean, white napkin that she folds into a quarter and along one edge she writes "Hope You're Well" in bold, clear lettering with a black marker from her satchel.

Then the napkin is folded again into a triangle, then another centre-line fold followed by a twist and four pulls and she lays the resulting shape on a table near where he sometimes sits.

The shape looks somewhat like a ship with four sails, the inscription following the line of the hull on the side facing him.

She kisses her fingers and touches them to the sails, then smiles at her whimsy as she discorporates to find sleep.

 

[Erlind]

A quiet night with a little more writing still due I return home. A message of well wishing waits for me in an elegant form. I smile and leave it as it is. The morphic nature of this place seems to have changed a little, not too much, but a little.

I return to the bar and pour a frothy root beer into an icy mug. Inside sheaths of frozen soda have clung to the side of the mug, my favorite part of this drink. The mirror refuses to show me still as I take my drink. I've checked since last time and other mirrors still bear my image, but this one seems stubborn. I take a drink, lean on the bar relaxed, and think on the work I still have to do, writing and otherwise.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Drives by and leaves love...

 

[Erlind]

I nearly drop the damn soda all over myself before setting it on the counter. A hint of someone, a flash. I search, but there is nothing, but what has already been left for me and what comes from me. All I'm left with after my search is a feeling and I know Luna was here if only for the briefest of moments. I miss her, but decide trying to hunt her down in out there in the night would bring me no closer to her. If she wants to find me she knows where I am.

I go back to the bar and slowly let myself become lost in thought again, my favorite state. Lost. At least I have rootbeer.

 

[Suzuha]

Quietly, her presence drifts into place. She peers around in her catlike way, but all softly softly in case he's sleeping... or should be sleeping, for that matter.

 

[Erlind]

A wisp of what I am arrives in the Inner Mind, its me, but I am half transparent and easily distracted. When I step out of the shadows the shadows seem to step with me as if they are trying to aid in the obvious illusion.

"Good morning, Suzuha. As always you're more than welcome, but I'm afraid my focus is elsewhere at the moment. I didn't want you to think yourself ignored though so I stopped in. I should have gotten to my post for you tonight, but I had an odd array of things bidding for my attention. I will return to it, likely tonight."

I step back, here to listen if she needs me, but attention obviously drawn elsewhere.

 

[Suzuha]

"Tush," she chides with a smile, "you're posting plenty for me. Thank you. I was just popping by to see how you are but it sounds like you need to keep your attention on elsewhere so please don't let me distract you."

Ruefully, "Besides, I'm supposed to be working, so I'd best get back to that. Fortunately, working for myself has the advantage there's never anyone looking over my shoulder."

She grins and winks. "I'll leave you to it. I may be around late, my time. Half a day or so. If you happen to be. If not, I'm sure we can catch up soon."

A little wave, a blown kiss, she evaporates back to her own world.

 

[Erlind]

I drag myself in looking half dead. I'm not sick just tired and pissed off. I half fall into a comfy green chair and put my feet up. My eyes are only half open and I don't even really bother scanning the room as I normally might. I'm awake, but I only sit there lost in thought on the edge of sleep and not willing to close my eyes and let it come.

"Stupid early formation," I grumble to no one. Out side the wind howls on and inside the fire spits embers as at some point some nice cedar was added to it, but I am just tired.

 

[Suzuha]

From far away, she senses that he has returned. Perhaps the wind carried a certain smell of him, or perhaps enough of her had been in this place frequently enough of late to just feel a sort of energetic nudge at his presence, like the change in pressure when one opens an outside door to a room you're in.

She's feeling pretty out of sorts herself but the faintest of slivers of self are drawn here on an icy gust. Maybe she'd feel better here? Though, equally, maybe he'd feel better if she kept herself to herself this eve? A little late, now she has left a trace of herself here.

 

[Erlind]

I passed out in my chair. It took almost no time at all for it to happen and I feel like I missed a lot already. I hate sleeping. I'm still tired, but that's besides the point. Hell, I shouldn't have even been asleep then. Wrong time. I've missed a Suzuha. I wonder who else I've missed.

Eyes open, but for the moment I remain in my chair.

 

[Suzuha]

"Morning sleepy," she murmurs through the ether, appearing much as she accuses though much calmer than earlier. Just eyes, ears and a bleary smile.

 

[Erlind]

"Morning Suzuha. Feeling better? You seemed a bit out of sorts last night."

I wipe the sleep from my eyes and sit up in my chair smiling at the almost person that has found her way here.

 

[Suzuha]

She steps into this reality fully formed, though pajamas seem to be the order of the day again. "Yep, feeling better, thank you. Just a day that got worse with every happening, but they just turn up from time to time. C'est la vie."

She slips into her chair and pulls up the blanket, curling her legs up onto the seat beneath her. "Can't say today is entirely going to plan either. There was supposed to be working but I'm stuck behind a discussion with people who aren't available today, it seems, so that'll have to wait. Impromptu day off, I guess."

She shrugs, smiles a little. It's not a big deal.

"How're you doing? I sense that you've been dealing with some stuff this week."

 

[Erlind]

I stretch a little before hoisting myself up out of my chair. I head over to the corner bar whose mirror still ignores me and lean over it. Coffee cup I stole from Hell and I pour myself a cup of steaming Jo before turning around.

"Not so bad really. Mostly just surprisingly busy. I don't normally stay to busy, but the right people keep showing up at the right times. Life has had its little frustrations, but nothing a little sleep at the wrong time can't cure."

I take a sip of my coffee and change chairs to a red one near hers.

 

[Suzuha]

She chuckles, "You almost seem like you treat sleep as an optional extra, to be squeezed in after everything else is done. That said, I sympathise."

Her belly grumbles loudly, "Ah, yes, breakfast. That was the thing that I was supposed to be seeing to. Are you awake for a bit longer? I can't tell whether you're coming or going."

 

[Erlind]

I shrug and tell her, "Sometimes I can't tell either, but yeah. I should be up for a bit."

Now that my coffee has cooled I take a deeper drink. Its only the last six months or so that I've started enjoying coffee really, but the bitter taste is now an easy comfort.

 

[Suzuha]

Her presence remains but her essence disappears for a while only to return with the scent of smoked bacon.

"I'd offer you some," she says, "but I don't know how substantial it'd be after phasing through time and space."

"You still enjoying our story?" She introspects a moment, "I feel like I've not been giving you the most exciting opportunities in it as yet, but I think that's just about to change."

 

[Erlind]

The scent of crisp bacon fills the room. I've already had my own breakfast, but it makes me tempted to hunt down more.

"I think it was important to have them act as a normal master and student for a while before anything happened. I'm definitely excited for what's coming up though." There is a devious look in my eyes.

"I can't wait to see how things play out next especially."

 

[Suzuha]

"I have to admit that I have something of a plan," she grins. "I think you know the outline, but do you want any more specifics?"

Her grin widens, sharpens even, "Also, I think there's quite some fun to be had with our power dynamic the other way up from our little tryst, no?"

 

[Erlind]

More coffee. Bitter and wonderful before I set the mug down. I get up and move again, this time to the arm of her chair.

"I want the details, but I can wait for your posts. I think they'll be better that way. As for what happens after the warehouse. Someone will need to control Ildon or things could get a little too interesting a little too quickly."

 

[Suzuha]

"Control, eh? He's getting a little wild, is he?"

She ponders, amused. "Fine, I'll keep the specifics to the time. Who knows, it might turn out different than I expect. I think, though, it'll be our first chance at an action scene more than the talky stuff to date. Should be interesting. Should also keep my post length down, which has been creeping back up again. I really don't intend it to, but the writing runs away with itself sometimes."

She rolls her eyes.

 

[Erlind]

"Ildon has his wild streak I suppose, but seeing his master hurt, especially Seren, isn't exactly going to be good for his balance. As for long posts. I enjoy reading them so I don't see the problem. Besides things should even out soon. I'm not too worried about it."

 

[Suzuha]

"Coolio. That's good, I'm glad. I'm looking forward to this next bit. I feel like everything we've written to date has been substance to lead us here. It's going to be good."

She smiles and stretches, "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but work is now calling my name again. Not so much of a day off after all. Thanks for the chat. You around later or over the weekend at all? We missed our chance to play last time but I'd still like to, if you're willing?" Just for a moment, she has a predatory look. Are those teeth sharp?