See the devil on the doorstep now, my oh my

[cyfor]

Cy is back in Grant Park, chunnering away to herself while she digs around the base of Buckingham fountain. She is looking for her sunlight-marble. She distinctly remembers having it here--though whether she had it here when she went with the fox or whether she had it here when she was left is an open question.

Aniki is wandering Cicero after the

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[thrillofthekill]

Vincent comes into the common room, hands in the pockets of his suits. He hasn't slept since last night. He spent hours getting rid of the bodies of those CLF members and even longer taking care of Ariel's body. Since then, he's had Mitsuki orchestrating the business end of Ariel's estate over speaker phone with whatever passes for bureaucracy in the hotel business, because when there's no lawyers available, Mitzi's just as good. Of course, there's not much he can really do about any of it and they don't have access to any of Ariel's private affairs, so eventually it's become a 'wait-and-see' game as far as who gets the hotel now is concerned.

And, apparently, there's a kid who needs to talk, so that's why he's here, foregoing sleep to keep on working for the greater good.

"Wouldn't have pegged you for a painter," he muses, stepping up behind Ruvin to examine the painting a little more closely.

[changingtheodds]

Ruvin twitches in surprise when he speaks, sending a few drops of green flicking across the cloth. She bites her lip, cleans her brush, and smooths the droplets into the painting--a stripe of moss fountaining over the side of the wall here, a tree spreading thin branches between the buildings there. Only when the mistake has been incorporated into the image does she clean her brush and set it aside.

And as soon as her focus is off of the work, she blushes and looks at her lap. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, I just... It wouldn't have felt right. Leaving the spots."

[thrillofthekill]

Vincent smiles in a tired, amused manner and stands back, watching her work the mistakes into the painting. It's kind of a fascinating way to fix mistakes, honestly- turn them around and make something out of them, rather than stumbling over them. Girl's clever, that's for sure.

"It's fine- sorry I startled you. Neat way to handle that though." He gestures to the painting. "Some people'd call the whole thing a bust after somethin' like that, but you made it work." He tilts his head to the side. "Hell, it even gives the paintin' a little somethin' extra."

He pauses, unconsciously checking one of his large black wings to make sure all of his feathers are in place for no reason other than it gives him something to focus on for a second. "You needed to talk?" He asks, after a moment.

[changingtheodds]

Ah. Yes. Ruvin bites her lip and nods. She starts to get to her feet and then winces, almost falling over. Her legs are asleep. She should have figured, staying that still for that long, but it still takes her a bit by surprise.

She squeaks, balances herself, and eases upright again. "It... Ariel. She... Last night, after I..." She's not sure where her thoughts are. Again. Even after focusing so carefully for so long.

That's unacceptable. Ruvin closes her eyes, settling into the space she uses when preparing to paint, or when cleaning her tools afterward. Even with that stillness, it's hard to say what she needs to. It comes out frail and quiet and she can't look at Vincent as she speaks. "I think it's my fault."

[thrillofthekill]

Vincent stares at her for a moment and then shakes his head. "No, no... Come on now. No sense actin' like that. Weren't nobody's fault. Just a case of bad fuckin' timin'. Blamin' yourself for stuff that you ain't got no control over's just a good way to make yourself crazy."

Vincent should... Learn to take his own advice.

[changingtheodds]

"Her ward-- he saved me, in the park. He brought me back here, and she left with him. You said--that's how she died, wasn't it? Keeping him safe. If I hadn't... If I'd listened--"

Wargh, she's going to cry in front of him again. She rubs her arms even though she's not cold. Even quieter, "Robin... I don't... He's going to hate me now."

[thrillofthekill]

Vincent rubs his head forehead, wincing. "Kiddo, Ariel's a guardian angel and that kid was like a walkin' magnet for trouble. This was gonna happen one way or another and hatin' yourself for it is damn pointless."

He grimaces at the mention of Robin. "And Robin hates everyone and everything in general, but if he's gonna hate you for somethin' is stupid as that, he's more of an asshole than I thought he was."

[changingtheodds]

She bites her lip, nods. But at the comments about Robin--

"He doesn't." She looks up, earnest and surprised at herself for it. She hardly even knows him. She doesn't have the right to make judgments like these, really, or the room to. "He's just... he's very angry. And. Very sad."

Yes, she's doubly surprised at that. She looks down and blushes a bit more.

[thrillofthekill]

Vincent drops his hand to the side and blinks a few times. Damned if he's ever heard anyone say anything like that about Robin, of all people.

"Don't let him hear you sayin' that," he grins a bit. "He'll probably burst a blood vessel."

[changingtheodds]

She bites her lip to hide a tiny smile. "Perhaps, but... he's been--" Well, kind isn't the right word, but it's the closest thing she can think of to describe it. "He's helped me without having the need, and he's... tried to keep me from harms way."

For all the good it's done. For all that she's actually listened.