inqdeirdra | The Gang's All Here

[ Two weeks after ~~Gio~~ Elias checks in with her as he is wont to do each and every year, Cisco finds herself making the trek from Thailand to Singapore. She checks in with Methuselah first, reporting in to Wiseman Jafelice about her activities in the last year, and gathering as much intel as she can manage on the status of the rest of the world. It has been two years now since Russian and Africa went dark, communications resurfacing to reveal Grendal and the Watcher in the Dark. There is a moment, mid-conversation with Halo where mention of her peers comes up, but it passes and Halo lets her go, wishing her well until next they speak again.

She wanders out, is about to go past the gates of the Methuselah Headquarters when she hesitates and redirects herself to a nearby bench and lights up a cigarette. She isn't sure if Singapore's no-smoking policy is still in place, but within the HQ, at least, she can spy several of Methuselah's operatives taking cigarette breaks as they huddle in small groups, sit at benches or stand with their tablets in hand.

She's halfway done with her second stick when a familiar voice catches on her ears and her head snaps up, eyes scanning the area to find Deirdra Max-Reyes speaking with two young hunters -- one boy and one girl.

It's been a little short of seven years since Cisco last saw her blade mate, but Deirdra has changed little, and she looks much like she did that day they first met in 2012 when a handful of Wolf's Choice, on Aidan Clayce's orders, took time to look out for her until her first Storm allowed her the ability to change from human to fox.

It's a punch to the gut to see Rico and Allegra, all grown and garbed in the colors of their conspiracies, and Cisco calls out before she can think twice: ] Deirdra.

[ A more than familiar voice catches Deirdra's attention as she is speaking to her kids. She looks around and spots Cisco - and she can't believe her eyes. ]

Okay kiddos, I need to catch up with a friend. Feel free to look around. [ She gives a small smile and waves them off.

Now. Cisco.

She walks up to her with the traditional Deirdra straight face, but her arms open to a hug as she comes closer. ]

Cisco. It's been a while.

[ It shouldn't surprise her, it really shouldn't. To belong to a blade is to belong to a family, and Wolf's Choice had been the first blade to find her in the Dark Hour all those years ago, a lost little thing utterly clueless over the World of Darkness. They had been the ones to teach her to be strong, to be brave in the face of the things they would later fight -- all of them, the Rockin' Rollas, as well as members of the Pack as well.

If there is a moment of hesitation when Cisco finally steps close, her arms coming round Deirdra in a tight embrace, it is because she knows she cannot stay, because she will need to leave soon and who knows when their paths will cross again? ]

It is, [ her voice quavers ] so good to see you.

[ Deirdra pats Cisco on the back once before pulling away. She certainly did not expect to see Cisco here. Though she misses her blademate so much, it seems a bit bizarre.

It's been 8 years.

Time always seems to move fast for Deirdra - between doing tasks for Eli, Methuselah, Netsach and Zangyaku, plus spending time with her family as well as teaching at Balamb, where it all began.

Still, seeing Cisco for the first time. In 8 years. It rings in her head for a bit. Despite how busy she's been, the duration of 8 years wash over her again now that Cisco's in front of her. It even feels like it's been longer than that.

She's happy, but also slightly mad at Cisco for just disappearing like that. Still, she's not one to judge. She never has. She waits for people to come to her. Anyway, family, right? You never question their decisions and reasons, but you have all the right to snap them back to reality.

Anyway. ]

You have no idea how nice it feels to know you are well.

[ Nobody runs away just because. There must be a valid explanation to this, something big she's hiding from. She wants to ask, but... In due time. ]

I trust you've been busy with whatever it is you've been doing.

Edited 2014-02-05 15:30 (UTC)

[ She doesn't realize that she's actually holding her breath, waiting for Deirdra's reaction, but the Riskbreaker goes on to comment on things as if the time in-between were as mundane as the weather, and Cisco finds that she can finally breathe.

She runs her fingers through her hair, looks away and then back, offering a sheepish smile. ]

Pretty much. [ It's a vague enough response without it taking away the truth of things. She still does things for Halo, seeks out wandering Changing Breed, offering them safe places to stay or potential new homes -- it's a job that demands for her to be ready to pack up and move out, so she has been busy.

She nods in the general direction of the main office where she'd checked in just half an hour before. ] Just finished checking up with Halo, my hunting grounds are solidly within the Southeast Asian continent, but it felt right to check in given the way things are everywhere else.

[ There's a moment's hesitation before she ventures forward, voice soft: ] Is everyone-- [ Okay? Deployed overseas? If so, then where? These are the things she should be able to ask without it feeling like she is asking too much. But eight years is eight years, and with the exception of Gi-- Elias, who checked up on her yearly after promising to keep silent about what he knew of the direction her life had taken, she had cut herself off effectively from the others. ]

How bad is it?

[ Her gut knows the answer. She'd seen the news about Africa and Russia when Grendal had first reared their ugly head. But she has to ask. ]

[ Deirdra's face goes dark at the mention of everyone. Her blade mates, her husband, her biological kids, her Balamb kids, her other companions in Zangyaku, Netsach, Methuselah and the Midnight Riders. There isn't a single day when she does not worry about them. It's even more difficult now that they're all doing their own thing, constantly separated from each others' guarding eyes. They were smack on the start of Grendal's aggression and... ]

Everybody's pretty much all over the place. [ Her tone is angry and sad at the same time. No use hiding it from Cisco. I mean, it's Cisco. No need to hide anything from her. She lights up a cigarette and takes a puff before she replies to Cisco's question. ]

It's nice to know we've got you on board somehow though. Need all the help we get.
[ She looks down at her feet, kicking the cement floor. ] I can't begin to explain how bad it is.

[ Her eyes go up to Cisco's face, and she smiles. ] It's nice to know that you're alright, though. You had us worried.

[ She tries not to swallow and look away when Deirdra comments It's nice to know we've got you on board somehow though. Because she knows she's not, not in the way that she should -- out there, offering her skills as best as she can and helping out where she is needed. Not now, not while her children are so young and in need of guidance. Not when she can't see a way for her to come back without spilling all her secrets all at once.

She does drop her gaze though, when Deirdra smiles and there is a moment that it all nearly comes spilling out: how much she misses them, how sorry she feels about having stayed away for so long, how she's not so sure about what she's doing anymore because her relationship with Darren is beginning to weigh down on her and sometimes she wonders why she's still with him outside staying because of their kids.

She manages a smile though, and when she speaks, her tone is convincingly sincere.

She hates herself for it. ]

You know me. Always rolling with the punches.

[ Her gaze turns to the general direction of the twins. ] Rico and Allegra look good. Are you all on assignment here, or is this just a stop-over?

[ She can't help but notice the little signs that Cisco's giving off. Is she trying to tell me something?

She doesn't bother though. She'll fess up when she really wants to, and when she needs to. She'll let this pass for now. ]

Mmhmm, thanks. They grew up... really fast. Today's one of the few free days I have, so I brought them here to see the base.

[ Never mind what she's hiding. At least she's okay. I'll wait.
Nevertheless, she lifts an eyebrow, as if telling Cisco I know something's up. but she's smiling. ]

I'm sure you're doing fine with whatever it is you've got going now.

[ She catches the look that Deirdra gives her and for a moment, she feels like the world around them are walls that could close in. But her blade mate doesn't press and she can breathe again.

She'll have to go soon. The temptation to say more is already there, already tugging at her and threatening to become something that she can't resist. ]

It's good to see you. All of you. [ If she sounds regretful, it's sincere. She wants to stay, but she can't. Not yet, not now.

She reaches out then, curls her fingers around Deirdra's wrist and gives the other woman a gentle squeeze. ] I need to go. [ And she knows she shouldn't, but-- ] I'll see you soon?

[ Something at the back of Deirdra's mind wants to make Cisco stay, but she's always been the type to let people do what they want first. You can't control the people you love. She repeats to herself.

She brings a hand up to Cisco's left shoulder and give it a reassuring squeeze. ]

That's okay. You know where to find me anyway.

[ Short pause. ]

Just don't take too long. Best of luck to you.

Edited 2014-02-11 03:57 (UTC)

[ She gives Deirdra a light peck on the cheek then, a murmured ] Happy hunting, Deirdra, [ before she turns to go.

She hesitates -- only a little -- and then she turns back, giving the other woman a long, tight hug before she backs up with a lifted hand and turns to head out the gates, shifting mid-way into her fox form and bounding off for home. ]

[ She returns the hug and whispers in Cisco's ears: ]

Happy hunting to you too.

[ She watches until Cisco's vanished from her sight and sighs before turning back to return to her twins.

Come home soon. To your real home. ]

The Gang's All Here

Waking the Dead 1.5 : A Decade Lost : September 2037, Singapore

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