There is nothing that competes with habit, and I know it's neither deep nor tragic.

[nothingsodivine]

There's a saying where Des comes from, "If the world's falling to hell around you and, suddenly, everything goes quiet and not because someone went out and trounced the Big Bad, then things are about to get worse."

It's been really, really quiet here lately. This is making him more than a little twitchy and while he's learned his lesson about

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[anjelsword]

Aniki just so happens to be wandering the opposite direction of Des. While she's not wearing her sword, it's definitely close in her thoughts, should she need it. And--well, would you look at that. She recognizes Des from her time as Horse Monster of Grant Park, though he obvious wouldn't know her. She pauses as he goes by, then turns around and falls into step next to him.

[nothingsodivine]

Des arches his eyebrows for a moment, looking down at the girl, turns back to continue walking, wondering if maybe she's just going his way and will totter off when she gets to where she's going, and realizes that... No, that's probably not the case.

Well then.

"...Do I know you?" He asks, after a moment.

[anjelsword]

She stretches, yawns, and shoves her hands into the pockets of the stiff 'jeans' she's still not used to wearing. At least she's got herself a heavier coat now, though she's still wearing her Tortall-made boots. Fortunately they seem more like a fashion statement of some kind than medieval artifacts.

"Think human thoughts, lad, it'll come to you."

Have fun with that one, Des.

[nothingsodivine]

Des stops short and just stares at her for a moment, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

He mimics her pose and rocks back on his heels, still chuckling and shaking his head in disbelief. "We-ell! It looks like someone figured out how to shake the horsehair and feathers. I never did get your name, sparrow."

[changingtheodds]

Ruvin is back in the park, despite the CLF's apparent attraction to trying to KILL HER whenever she leaves the Conrad. (Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. Maybe.) She spent her requisite time staring at the place where the first attack--the first deaths?--happened, and now is just meandering, thinking and focusing on the sidewalk in turn. It's in one of her sidewalk phases that she bumps into Sark, rather literally.

"Oh." She looks up. Ruvin is the poster-child for Doe-Eyed Surprise. "My apologies, I... wasn't paying attention."

[sarkraticmethod]

Say anything you want about everything Sark isn't good at (especially since that's what gets emphasized here, given that there are very few opportunities where he can properly show what he is good at), he does have good reflxes and he catches Ruvin by the shoulders about the moment she bumps into him.

"Clearly," he says. His tone and expression are blank so it's hard to peg that as being an annoyed 'clearly' or a casual one. "May I advise not watching the sidewalk in the future? It's rarely helpful in navigating."

[changingtheodds]

She looks down again. She probably knows the sidewalks better than she knows the actual park at this point. "Yes. My apologies."

Something in the bushes rustles and she jumps, animal instinct reminding her of the clanking, foliage-tearing smoke creature that came pouring out of the woods during the fight.

[sarkraticmethod]

Sark hasn't been around the park when the park's exotic wildlife has decided to make itself known, so a bush rustling to him is... Just a bush rustling. Probably a squirrel or something. He looks down at Ruvin, what little emotion can be seen on his face translating to, really now?

"Well. You're certainly a bit on the jumpy side, aren't you?" This would be the part where he shrugs and walks off, but he doesn't. She's a scared, young girl. Perhaps there's something to be said about helping her... Oh dear God, he sounds like Vaughn. That is so not what he signed up for.

"And is there a particular reason for that or are you just easily startled by bushes?" There. No one said he had to be nice about being helpful.

[amuseamused]

Jennifer Rose is in an absolutely wonderful mood right now, because she has time to visit the park again and her new coat finally came in. It's pink wool, and yes, it has ruffles. And bows. And it's shaped so that it doesn't smoosh her petticoat! It's the best coat ever.

Oh, and one of her professors gave her a huge compliment on her last assignment.

In other words, she's practically dancing along the path she's on, and not really watching where she's going because she's too busy admiring the beautiful, wonderful, glorious day.

[sarkraticmethod]

Well, if there's one person in the universe who seems to have no problem with just 'going with it,' this girl seems to be fitting the bill to a T. Sark sidesteps out of her way to avoid being crashed into, which probably wouldn't do much for his mood and might put a damper on hers and watches for a moment with an inclined eyebrow.

Impulsively cheerful or at least something completely contradictory to what he is... Well, he certainly doesn't strike up conversations with bright, cheery young girls. (No, they usually start up conversations with him.)

"Well, if you don't mind me saying so, you seem excessively cheerful."

...Striking up conversations of any kind would require Sark to actually know how to talk to people, outside specific roles. Taking up a role requires him to actually know the reason he's doing it, hence... Awkward conversationalist.

[amuseamused]

Jennifer Rose smiles in greeting. "It's a beautiful day. Why shouldn't I be cheerful, especially if I've finished enough homework to take the time to enjoy it? I'm Jennifer Rose. It's nice to meet you."

She curtsies because it lets her show off her coat. She's also perfectly aware that this person probably doesn't care about her coat at all, but that's not the point. The point is that she likes her coat.

And yes, she's become accustomed to random people starting conversations with her. It's a side effect of the clothes, though usually the random people are little old ladies admiring the lace or something.

[sarkraticmethod]

The cheerful optimism. It burns. Never mind that April is and has been that cheerful and he has no problem with it from her. That's April. Possibly, part of Sark's problem is that he's so naturally adverse to people that he keeps retreating further back into his comfort zones.

"Julian Sark," he responds, figuring he might as well just... Go with it now that he's initiated the conversation. "And I suppose I'm a bit preoccupied with the cold to appreciate it."

He may have been born in Russia, but he didn't spend all that much time there. Cold is cold and warmer times really should be around the corner. Right now, however, it feels like Siberia fell out of the Rift.

[duology]

Ace is bored, bored practically out of her mind. The city has been dead silent. No CLF, no street scuffles, no interesting news, no deaths. She knows it's the calm before the storm, because that's what it always is, but the calm is also always the most boring part of any war. Or whatever the hell this is.

She wants shit to go down. She's never exactly been a fan of chaos, not in the way that Dev is, but if chaos is inevitable you might as well at least be part of it. Or get yourself a front row seat. Never mind that it will give her and Dev an excuse to kill people.

But in any case, it's quiet for now, and Ace is attempting to alleviate the boredom by carousing the streets, going from park to park as that's always the best way to find yourself some monsters. She's heading for one of the smaller ones she frequents when she spots a familiar face, albeit sans golf club this time.

She's heading toward him, so once she's close enough she raises a gloved hand in greeting, smirking a little. "If it isn't the Huntsman. Not got your axe

[nothingsodivine]

Des turns to look at her. Well, hello familiar face! "You know, in my world, I know there's this guy who'd be really pissed off to hear you callin' me that. One in every generation- Huntsmen, that is. Go around, slaying monsters, freakin' the Fae out. Say they're blessed by dragons too." He chuckles and cracks his knuckles over his head. "'Course you can actually say all that about me too, so they can suck it."

And that was the world's most convoluted hello in the history of ever.

He smiles. "The little lady told me that I couldn't go huntin' with a golf club anymore. Guns are better anyway. Not that I'm huntin' today, actually."

Not really, anyway. If trouble comes... Well, trouble comes.

[duology]

And that makes Ace smile, a rare, genuine one. She actually comes dangerously close to laughing, but that would cause the Apocalypse, so it's probably good that she doesn't.

"Dragons, huh? And here I thought I'd heard everything. No elves and hobbits, I hope."

She tilts her head and shrugs, then reaches into a pocket and pulls out a DumDum lollipop. Mystery Flavor, score! She unwraps it and pops it in her mouth.

"Too bad. Here I was hoping for a hunting partner. Little lady is right, though."

[nothingsodivine]

"Dragon now," Des corrects with a slight twist at the edge of his grin that threatens to turn the expression into a grimace. He shakes it off. "And no, just Fair Folk, which are worse than elves. At least elves don't run around cursin' the fuck out of people."

He glances around, notes that there aren't people in the area, and steps a bit closer. "And the game you're huntin' isn't the big, face-eatey kind, is it, I wager?"

[cyfor]

Cy has been pacing the halls of the Kashtta after her third (unsuccessful) attempt to get very far from its doors. Its constant psychic presence is a combination of annoying feedback and really itchy, so every once in a while she sits down and scratches furiously behind her ears.

This maybe have led to two small bald patches.

She's back in the lobby again, now, quartering and requartering it on a path for the door. Perhaps it's time for attempt number four.

[nothingsodivine]

Des saunters into the Kashtta like he owns the place, the lobby suddenly treated to a trill of some kind of 80's rendition of 'What's New, Pussycat' that Des is pretty sure doesn't actually exist and causes him to stare in disbelief for a few seconds.

"Oh come on. Now you're just fuckin' with me!"

He'll be with you in a moment, Cy. He just has to cuss out the door first.

[cyfor]

Cy has made it to the doors! Which are singing now. She stares at them, then up at Des, and sits next to his foot.

"Singing the old songs, calling them new. Where's the exit, Desiree? The coaster's climbing the hill and I'm ready to jump."

[nothingsodivine]

Des leans down and scoops her up. "There you are. Saved me a lot of trouble, being right here. You'd think you knew I was comin'." He strokes her ears and winces a little at the bald patches.

"Does that mean you're ready to come home, huh?" He gives her a little scritch under the chin, chuckling a little. It's hard to tell how much better she is, but she seems better than what she was anyway...