homeless_pard | Ghosts of the Past

Entry tags:

jason au,
starter

Ghosts of the Past

Who: Beryl, Nat, a reporter?
When: Once she's back on the low level MMA circuit, before the looking at buying a place.
What: Being...traced?

She adjusted the tape along her hands and smiled loosening up a touch in her corner. It was good to be back honestly, she'd taken four out of five matches so far and things were doing okay. She was getting her rhythm back, and she could see Nat sitting in the stands, that delicate mix of apprehensive and delighted to watch her. She could get the mixed feelings honestly, they made sense...

...but she was belatedly glad her boy was tall yes. Else she couldn't have picked him out so easily with many of the 'fans' choosing to fill the bleachers near him. She blew him a cheerful kiss before sliding her bite guard back in and ignored the honest to gods flashes going off as she turned her back to eye her opponent. A lot of sports enthusiasts and writers actually went with real cameras instead of cellphones so it could get a little bulb happy out there.

Given where the majority of the crowd was, well, the photography had to be getting great shots of her opponent's form...and her ass. Great, Nat was going to scrapbook the shit out of any magazines she ended up in and it would be nicknamed the 'hot in spandex' book or something by Eric and Lani. It made her snort a laugh, which pissed off her opponent, making him swing just a touch wide so she could bend and lash her heel into his hip, then her knee to his chin ad he buckled. TKO.

She grinned, adrenaline singing through her as she turned to beam at Nat, and caught another faceful of flashbulbs. Bah. "Excuse me, Beryl? Are you Ms. Beryl?"

"Hey, yeah, but I'm busy," she snorted ducking under the ropes to go to Nat for a kiss before hitting the showers! She barely registered the unassuming man muttering an apology and just flashing a few more pics before she was happily padding to the showers. Charles was going to demand she try that move on him again in a few days as they practiced so she didn't bother trying to poke him now. Let him go home and grump about getting old to his teens, who'd reassure him and make him a protein shake before he got a beer. He was a good guy, just competitive as shit.

After Beryl was safely away the man wove carefully through the crowd to smile hesitantly at Nathaniel, "hey, can you spell her name for me? I want to be sure to get things right but she...I guess she doesn't do ringside interviews huh?"

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Looney was positioned in the shadows just outside Nat and Beryl's bedroom. He was barely visible but for the shine of murderous intent in his eyes, but even if you missed that you couldn't miss the growling.

Jason had come up behind Khemrys and nearly jumped out of his skin at that. He glared at Looney in exasperation. "Fucking cat, scared the shit out of me." He nodded towards the bedroom as he started down the hall, "Probably in there...Cat, you come at me I will eat you."

A deep hiss came from the dark room and Jason froze with surprise. Looney returned the hiss towards the room and grumbled again.

"Nat?"

The response was a deep rumbling growl.

Khemrys didn't even pause once Jason pointed, she just brushed past Looney, offering a hiss of her own, and stepped into the dark room, pendant blazing into golden, honey rich glow, "Nathaniel I must see her if you wish her well," she noted, firm in her element.

Looney was getting way to many pissy people in his personal space so he took a swipe at Khem's skirt as she brushed past then hopped up to the kitchen counter to return to growling. COME AT HIM.

Jason shot the cat a glare for daring to swipe at his wife. Then he fell in behind Khemrys, being extremely on guard: his wife was pregnant and while he wasn't going to pull her away from healing someone (as if he even could), he wasn't going to let someone hurt her. Not even Nat.

He felt along the wall for a light switch. "Nat, light coming on," he warned, then flipped the light on.

Nathaniel was crouched low in a corner beside the bed with Beryl cradled in his arms. She looked fairly cozy the way he had her tucked up with a blanket around her, but he...he was naked and covered in blood. He hissed again, but there was uncertainty there when the light from Khemrys's pendant found him. He licked his lips, his eyes darting from Jason to Khemrys.

"Jesus," Jason murmured when he saw him. "Nat. Let Khem help. Please."

Nathaniel's eyes locked on Khemrys, his resolve wavering.

Khemrys crouched gently within arm reach of Nat and Beryl, looking at his eyes soberly, "Young lord Nathaniel I come to do Gunnora's work." And that was a calling not even keyed up shifters would keep her from for long honestly. "I see she sleeps, and she shouldst not with how you feel and so we must see her to waking yes?" At the least.

At the very least.

"Do tell us what occurred, it will aid much in her treatment."

LOONEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT YOUR GLARE JASON! AT ALL! As the sounds of fruit falling out of the bowl on the counter could attest.

Nathaniel tightened his grip on Beryl, pulling her closer against him. "They tried to take her away," he rasped.

"Who tried?" Jason asked.

Another growl crawled from Nathaniel's throat. "The reporter. And the men. Her family sent them." Desperation flashed in his eyes. "They'll send more."

"She is not going anywhere," Khemrys soothed, reaching out to gently touch his fingers on Beryl's blanket. "She'd not care for such, and none wouldst allow her taken by force." Now or later, none of it would happen.

"It seems...she was drugged mayhap?" To still be so deeply asleep? And you saved her?"

"A shifter dose!" he spat out wildly. "A fucking shifter dose!"

She drew in a surprised breath, nodding, "then please Nathaniel, allow me? She is stronger than a human, but it cannot be good for her." At all. "They must have truly feared her."

Nathaniel hesitated, eyes darting around again. Jason was hoping it wasn't to try to bolt with her.

"Nat," he tried in a comforting voice, "You got her away safe and we're not going to let anything happen. Why don't you tuck her into the bed so she's comfortable when she wakes up, ok?"

Nathaniel licked his lips nervously but slowly eased forward to his knees, still clutching Beryl tight against him. "She hasn't woken up yet," he whimpered.

She slid her hand from Nat's hand to Beryl's shoulder when he shifted, nodding gently, "I know Nathaniel, but you'll need to be calmer when she wakes else she'll take up her weapons and go hunt..." she was proactive about those who frightened her love!

That said her eyes slid to golden as she felt through Beryl's system slowly. Heavy dose indeed. "My Jason we'll need hot water, stripping the drug from her will burn fluids and salts..." she had teas to help.

Jason nodded. "I'll get some started; 'll use a pot if they don't have a kettle." Not that he'd judge: the only person he'd ever seen own a kettle before had been Richard.

Nathaniel was trying to settle Beryl into the bed, but he was still having a hard time letting her go. By the time Jason was back, Nathaniel still hadn't moved away from her.

"Nat?" Jason called gently, "Why don't you come with me and get some of that blood off you so you don't get it all over the bed."

Nathaniel frowned and it was clear he wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea.

"Come on. I'll help and it'll be quick and you can be right back in here with her." He held a hand out to Nat, who still hesitated but gave a questioning look to Khemrys.

Khem was sitting on the bed by Beryl when Jason returned? But she smiled at him, then Nat, "blood holds power, Nathaniel. Trace Gunnora's sign above the door and none who intend harm can enter the bedroom in your absence." Especially since he had slain others in protection, the blood needs not be wasted.

"And when you are clean the third bag with the red knotting, to steep. You know how to do so," she assured softly. "My lord Jason is learning but you are kinder with your teas and tisanes," she chuckled softly.

Edited 2024-04-27 04:39 (UTC)

Nathaniel looked visibly distressed as he tried to move away from the bed. He could feel in his bones the truth to Khem's words, so the moment he was out of arm's reach of Beryl he hurried over to begin scraping blood off of his body and drawing Gunnora's symbol. Thankfully the apartment didn't have high ceilings so he didn't need to get a chair...

Jason stood waiting beside him, turning his attention away only once to send Khemrys a proud, loving glance. Nathaniel finished and began to turn back towards the bed, but Jason caught him and gently guided him back to the door. "I know, Nat. Trust me, I know. Let's do this quick and we'll get you back in with her."

"That is well and well done Nathaniel," she smiled when she glanced back at the door frame. As proof an amber light glowed softly, reassuring against a dark night of the mind or soul, when he completed the last stroke. When it went live though there was an annoyed sounded chirrup from the kitchen counter and then a spate of rapid fire sneezing over STRANGE NEW SMELLS.

That was not her concern though, she turned back to Beryl, tracing fingers over skin to find the injection point. Easiest to draw the poison back out from there.

Jason smirked at Looney's reaction, muttering to himself. "Keep your evil ass out, too, fuzzball."

He turned the shower as hot as he could get it and ushered Nathaniel under the spray. Nathaniel crouched down to the floor, hugging his knees to his chest as Jason began carefully washing the blood off him.

Which revealed some of his own injuries. "Motherfucker," Jason said in disgust as he looked at the angry red laceration around Nat's throat. "They brought silver?"

Nathaniel growled quietly. "Yeah."

And several other irritated cuts across his neck and shoulder. They must have whipped the thing at him before getting it around Nat's neck. And then his side....Jason tenderly cleaned the area. "You shouldn't need stitches but it doesn't look like it feels good."

Nathaniel offered a silent shrug.

"You see them again and we'll beat the shit out of them." Jason offered.

"They're dead." Nathaniel was staring off, his chin resting on his knees. He seemed to be struggling to say something, then at last choked out. "I might be in trouble, Jay..."

"No." Jason said firmly, though his eyes widened at Nathaniel's admission that they were dead. "Look, Asher called me and I know he's not gonna let anything like that happen. I mean, he's got centuries of practice hiding shit like this from humans, so don't worry about that."

Nathaniel didn't answer, but Jason wasn't going to push him: if he had been the one to kill those guys, this was huge for him. He finished cleaning Nat up and helped him to his feet, wrapping a towel around him. "We'll get your hair braided and out of the way after you get back to her, ok?"

Nathaniel gave a slight nod. "Thanks, Jay," he murmured.

It was a good ten minutes or so later when Beryl jerked, milky, gritty and blood streaked fluid leaking from her arm, "NAT!"

Khem laid a hand on her chest and pushed her firmly down into the mattress, giving her a look, "he's alive and well Beryl. You are NOT to move until such time as I am done tending you. Then I shall tend the silver marks upon him." He just would not have taken getting treated FIRST very well!

"Where?"

"My Jason has him in the shower. You will stop wiggling else I will let you sleep once more."

Beryl growled at her, "let me up!"

Khemrys snorted and sent a trickle of power that made Looney chirrup and come trotting in to LAY ON HER CHEST.

Nathaniel heard Beryl's growl and shoved Jason to the side, rushing into the room. "Beryl?" he asked anxiously. "You're awake!"

Jason followed close behind holding out Nathaniel's dropped towel. "Dude, you're dripping everywhere and now my wife is staring." he teased gently, "Put the towel back on."

"Khem is pulling gunk out of my arm!" She noted, half lifting her arm until she hit Khem's hand.

Looney growled softly and stretttttched paws up to lightly prick claws on her shoulders. BERYL WAS NOT SUPPOSE TO MOVE NOW.

"Fucking hell Looney..." Beryl groaned, using her free hand to fuzzle said cat's head. "Babe...babe you look shattered..."

Nathaniel either didn't hear Jason or didn't care (likely the latter); he was already crawling across the bed to Beryl. "I was worried, they gave you so much and you weren't waking up," he babbled.

She tangled a hand in his wet hair as soon as he was close enough, "sorry to scare you babe..."

"The hot water," Khemrys sighed, looking pleadingly to her husband. "They'll hear naught we say now."

Jason smirked at that. "It'll be my best tea yet." He pursed his lips to blow her a kiss and disappeared from the room.

"Are you ok?" Nat continued worriedly. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Red knotted bag, two pinches!" she called after him, then eyed Nathaniel, "two cups." Seemed the best idea to get fortifier in them both.

Beryl dragged him close for a kiss and sighed, "no babe, fight in the alley, needle to the arm, then more fighting in the van until you got there."

Nathaniel sighed against her lips, feeling relief rushing through him. "You are so strong, babe. You held off a shifter dose for so long and still fought them."

Jason came back with the two cups (he could listen sometimes!) and set them on the dresser. "Still steeping but I figured you'd know better than me if it was ready."

"Look what they did to you..." she growled, fingers finding the marks on his neck under the wet hair. "Fuckers. Dead? I know you came..."

Khemrys smiled up at her husband and touched his wrist before returning her attention to drawing the dose. Sadly, fighting and moving with that in system spread it out faster so...

"I don't care about that," Nathaniel said, but he didn't pull away from her exploring fingers. "I'll be ok; I was more worried about you." He paused and gave her a faint nod to her question.

Despite the worrisome night, Jason couldn't help but smile at her touch. He always felt such pride and awe watching her work...

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