shadows everywhere [chloe]

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

For the first few months after moving to Manuka, Claude hadn't been able to sleep through the night. She would toss and turn, every single night, plagued by nightmares. Whenever she closed her ears, she could feel her skin burning under large, fat cigars, feel the lash of a whip along her back until her skin tore off in long strips, could hear the names and the laughter of the people watching her endure the torture. She could see the crooked, yellow teeth and gold crowns of her captors as they smiled at her in a way that always made her stomach ill, could smell the rotten meat and liquor on their breaths and feel the harsh stubble of cheeks as the men in the camps tried to kiss her, felt the pressure of hands on her slim hips as they held her down...

She'd wake with a jolt, in a cold sweat, clawing at the sheets, sometimes having even ripped them to shreds in her sleep. Like she was still trying to escape. Claude wondered why they kept happening, because she was free now, wasn't she? She had killed the only person other than her mother and the women in her mother's coven that had ever actually been kind to her, and had made it to Manuka. The witch had gotten a job with a kind boss who seemed to take a strange sort of liking to her, and paid her very well for her hard work and dedication. Even though she didn't live in a fantastic apartment, it was a roof over her head, and escape from the forest floor that she'd slept on for most of her life, without even the luxury of a blanket to cover her broken, bleeding body. She had food in her stomach, for the most part, and even though she didn't know how to cook or anything, she could afford that luxury and didn't have to get slop that the gypsies fed to their pigs, scraps of pheasant and other birds that barely satisfied her, or stew that smelled of sweat and dirty laundry.

The nightmares had ceased, for a little while, and it had been months since Claude had experienced the same, interrupted sleep. She had been up for quite a few hours, going over different recipes in her potion book, writing down new ideas for potions that might work if she bought the ingredients from Chloe, and stayed up much later than she normally would since the next day was Sunday, and the shop wasn't open on Sundays. When she had finally gone to bed, it was nearing midnight, and even though she was warm and comfortable, she kept seeing terrors behind her eyes whenever she closed them. It was a strange thought to Claude, when she thought about going to Chloe's apartment, because she really lived so very close to the shop. Claude never wanted comfort, never sought it out, but a part of her... trusted Chloe.

The jaguar had demons, too, and maybe she would understand. So the witch tugged on some sweatpants, shoes, and a hoodie and raced out her front door, sprinting to Chloe's apartment and bounding up the steps to her private door, since the store entrance was closed. She knocked until the jaguar opened the door, feeling a bit obnoxious, and Chloe certainly looked surprised to see her when the door was open. Claude spoke first, hoping that she wasn't unwelcome here. ”I... couldn't sleep. Nightmares. I know you're probably sleeping, busy, something, but... could I come in? Could you maybe... I don't know, get me drunk or something?” Claude laughed, a little bit broken, a little bit ashamed of herself. She was stronger than this, wasn't she? She had chased the nightmares away with booze in a bar on more than a few occasions, but had never allowed herself to get drunk. Too many people. Not safe. But here was Chloe, someone she knew, someone who maybe even understood her, and maybe she'd be able to help. To the witch, it was worth a shot.

OUTFIT:

[/color] Here![/blockquote][/justify]

[CHLOE TASIA BROOKS]

Saturday evenings were one of her favorite times. She got to relax at home, and recollect. On tap for this evening were some movies, after a fantastic, easy dinner, and possibly passing out on the couch. Sure sure, it wasn’t the epitome of a good time, but for the packed life of the jaguar, it was heavenly. Though, to be perfectly honest, her life had been a little less crowded by work, as of late, since she had finally been convinced to hire an employee. Claude was quiet, brusque and efficient, which actually worked quite well with Chloe’s constant demand for perfection. Yeah, there was room for mistakes, a couple times, but she liked things in a particular way, and the witch’s easy acceptance of such a… well, she’d been called ‘high-strung’ before… Hm. Yes, her easy acceptance of Chloe’s rather high-strung expectations was a load off of the busy shifter’s mind. But what had been eased at work had almost been replaced by some romantic-esque entanglements. Ugh. Not something she had expected, but these things just sort of happened, it seemed. But tonight! Tonight, it was all about sitting at home, like a bum, with no expectations.

She was halfway through her second movie when the brisk knocking hit her door, and her brow furrowed in confusion as she stood up and quietly padded to the main entrance to her home, and pulled open the thick slab of wood. Surprise colored her features as she noted her slight employee standing on her porch, looking rather embarrassed. Huh. Um. Well, that was certainly unexpected. The shifter was about to open her mouth and say ‘hi, what’s up’ when Claude launched into a little mini-speech about nightmares and getting drunk. Oh. Yeah, that she could relate to. She’d achieved some closure, in her own personal nightmare, but she didn’t know the witch’s story. The jaguar could tell, of course, that there was some darkness in her history, much like there was in her own, but they had never discussed it. Still, they had something of an understanding, because they were both traumatized, they were, in a way, safer than the rest of the world. She trusted Claude not to turn and stab her in the back, and she expected the reverse was true, based upon the fact that the woman was standing on her door, almost asking for help. Not exactly, but it was likely as close as the slim brunette was every going to get.

’Yeah honey. Sure. Come on in. Was watching a movie, actually, but nothing really important.’ She moved her nimble body out of the way, leaving space for Claude to move past her, and then closed the door. Her bare feet carried her silently back to the living room, and sat on the arm of her sofa, looking at the petite brunette. ’As for the ‘drunk’ part… you wanna start that now? Or wait a minute? ‘Cause I’ve got more than a few samplings of booze in there we can work with.’ And she did. She bought the stuff in bulk while she was at the liquor store, and it lasted forever in her house, since she was usually her only house guest. Nowadays, she sometimes had Kendra over for dinner, but her sister was her own spirit, light and happy, and free to flit about as she wished, knowing Chloe would always be there to watch out for her. But still, the jaguar was mostly-ish solitary, so the alcohol lasted. And it seemed that would come in handy this evening, given Claude’s professed goal…

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clicketh for clothes!

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

The witch should have known that Chloe would be accepting, even when she showed up at the jaguar's apartment in the middle of the night. Their working relationship was solid, and Claude knew that she was definitely strained when it came to forming any other kinds of connections, so she was grateful for Chloe. The shapeshifter had darknesses, too, and even though they had never talked about these things with one another, both women seemed to know and respect that they were both survivors. This was part of the reason why Claude had gotten up the resolve to actually go to Chloe's, knock on her door, and ask for shelter and alcohol even when she could have stayed home and dealt with it herself as she always had before. The witch was strong, and probably stronger than most people gave her credit for, just because she was hard and robotic during her interactions with others. The fact that she also had no real 'close' friendships or any sort of romantic relationship would also probably make her odd by most people's standards, but Chloe never judged. The woman never judged, never asked, never pushed – even from the very beginning of their working relationship, where Claude had all but shown up on her doorstep and demanded to be hired, the woman had seen something in her that made the young witch feel like she was actually worth something, and more than just the combined power in her honed skills, which were immense.

Claude nodded once she had gotten her words out and Chloe welcomed her inside, putting the other woman's conscience a bit at ease by saying that she wasn't up to anything important – movies and relaxation, it seemed. Still, Claude didn't like to be weak or vulnerable, and felt like if there was any sign that she was going to be an imposition, she'd go back to her apartment. No harm done. Once she was inside the warmth's of Chloe's apartment, she heard the door click closed behind her and jumped a little. Yeah, she was still definitely on edge from the nightmares, which had been more severe and graphic than she had experienced in a while. Although, she had no idea what caused them or what it meant, she knew that she preferred to push them out of her mind, especially since she was in a space that she seemed 'safe.' And safe spaces were incredibly hard for her to find. ”Will you join me?” Claude asked, a little surprised with herself with the request. Of course she wouldn't force Chloe to drink with her – as far as the witch knew, there were no immediate demons that she needed to chase away. Still, she thought that she might feel bad for consuming her boss' liquor alone. ”I mean, if you just want to get me drunk, you can, and I'm all right to start whenever, but...”

Claude's violet eyes fixed Chloe's, a little more needy and vulnerable than she had ever wanted to be, and the witch kicked herself mentally for allowing herself to get to this point. ”I don't want to be alone tonight.” It was a truth that she never thought she'd say aloud. The witch crossed her arms, then leaned down quietly to take off her shoes, since it seemed she'd stay a while. Still, there was no judgment, and she even was brave enough to offer a booze preference. ”You like wine, don't you? Unless you want to drink like I do at the bars, in which case... do you have whiskey?” Alcohol was a bitter, awful thing and she wasn't a fan of it. Wine was tolerable, and there were a few drinks that had been recommended to her that were less bitter, mixed with fruit and other juices that made the entire beverage more tolerable, but really, when Claude drank – it was for a purpose. To escape. It wasn't healthy, but it was a way for her to heal in silence, which was what she preferred. Most of the time.

[/justify]

[CHLOE TASIA BROOKS]

What an unusual way to have an evening interrupted… Never in a million years would Chloe have anticipated her antisocial little employee to show up at her house, uninvited, in the middle of the night. The jaguar couldn’t say she minded, particularly, as she hadn’t been doing anything important and didn’t mind Claude’s company, even if it was quiet and reserved. That was just in her nature, like a saucy disposition and a penchant for plant life was in Chloe’s. At least Claude didn’t have any quirks that annoyed her… Yeah. Not one. Strange- wait, no, the jaguar didn’t like that she smoked. The scent of the stuff bothered her sensitive nose, and made the sassy woman want to smack her upside the head and be like, ‘what the hell is wrong with you? Killing yourself with tobacco and tar…’ The little witch wouldn’t care though… Either shrug it off or retaliate unexpectedly. Either way, it wouldn’t inspire her to quit her filthy habit. It wasn’t something that turned Chlo into a raging bitch or anything, ‘cause what the witch did with her life was her business, but it was something that still kinda irked her occasionally. That was Claude’s choice though, stupid as it was.

As was her choice to get drunk off her ass. Personally, Chloe had never witnessed such an occurrence, but she had suspicions, sometimes, about the way Claude coped with things. It wasn’t like she ever came right out and said something, but the jaguar was pretty perceptive. Sharp eyes, and all that. But again, the witch’s free time was her own, and it never interfered with work. The jaguar knew that there had to be things that could keep Claude up at night, though, just like there were for her, though she rarely, well, almost-never, really discussed such things. She just did things to distract herself, after. Shifting and running until her body just couldn’t anymore usually did the trick… or more recently, um, fucking Adam until there weren’t any brain cells left in her head to think of things. Yeah… that worked really well. Especially when she was too tired to leave, and actually slept with him? As seemed to be happening more frequently, lately. Huh. Not tonight though. He had something else to do, evidently, and now, so did she. A witch to console with alcohol. A witch who wanted the jaguar to join her. Well… okay. Wasn’t like they had somewhere pressing to be the next day, anyways.

’Sure witchlet. No reason to be drinking my good stuff alone.’ She gave her companion a soft smile and chuckle, clearly teasing, as Claude continued to be shy and awkward about her having such a temporary weakness. Really, it bothered Chloe not one little iota to see that robotic disposition crack a bit, and if drinking with her would make her feel better about it, the shifter wasn’t opposed. Besides, it’d been a while since she’d cut loose in that particular fashion. Or had platonic company… ’Well, now you don’t gotta be. ‘Scool. We’ll get well and truly hammered, and pretend we don’t know who we are anymore. I don’t do it that often, so prepare to be amazed.’ The grin Chlo delivered was mischievous and fun, and she shooed Claude into the kitchen, after the witch removed her shoes, and sat about rummaging through her pantry for the alcohol she kept in the back, cool and dry. Her employee requested wine, and Chloe was torn, for a moment. But white wine, chilled and fun, just felt too festive for their goals, so she pulled out a dark bottle of red, and popped the cork, the spicy-esque aroma drifting out while she got some glasses. ’Yes. Wine. Drink. Talk. Which bar’s your preference, to start? Simple question. Start small.

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

Claude wanted to feel weak for showing up at her boss' apartment unannounced, because she was so fond of her own self-preservation, and admitting a weakness was practically akin to giving up by her own standards. However, even from the beginning, the witch had sensed something in Chloe that told her that they were more similar to each other than she would have ever liked to consider. Even though she couldn't feel emotions for others and sympathize with any plights they might have gone through in their pasts, Claude wouldn't wish bad things to happen to someone just because she had been tormented, among other things, from the time she was a small child until she had reached adulthood and been bought into freedom that still hadn't felt free enough for her to bear living with it. Yet, she was oddly grateful to have Chloe, who had likely suffered in a similar way, to bother in the middle of the night when she couldn't sleep. Truthfully, Claude hadn't known what to expect when she showed up at the jaguar's doorstep. There was a thought that she might get turned away, because it was late and even though neither of them had work in the morning – the shop was closed on Sundays – she wondered if maybe her boss had company or just better things to do with her evening. Well, really it was night.

Claude didn't usually comment on many things, because most weren't her business and the other half of the time she just didn't care, but she had noticed a man – werewolf – hanging around Chloe more and more frequently. There was something about him that she never really cared for, and knew enough of him to know his name was Adam, but didn't really pay any closer attention than that. If Chloe wanted him around, that was her business. But Claude was surprised when the jaguar had just let her inside, listened to her ramble about not sleeping and preferring to get drunk, and then offering her sanctuary. This would be the second time Chloe had, in essence, taken Claude in during her time of need, and the meaning of that had not escaped the witch.

When her mother had been alive, Claude recalled the woman teaching her that kindnesses were to be treated as a debt to be repaid just like any other good or service because even though people frequently chose to give them out as a selfless gesture, nothing was ever free. When Claude stepped inside the shifter's home, she made a mental promise to one day repay the debt she now owed to Chloe, and in more ways than replenishing whatever alcohol they consumed during the course of their night. ”You don't prefer to drink alone?” Another common factor that they both seemed to have was independence, and a dislike of most peoples' company. Claude was more determined to be alone than Chloe, but she had noticed that the jaguar didn't seem to take a liking to many others, and once she did like them, it usually didn't happen for some time. And Claude respected that. ”I would assume there's comfort in being able to get so 'hammered' that you forget who you are. I haven't felt safe enough to ever do that... but I guess tonight's a start.” Safe. That was something that Claude rarely ever felt, and yet with Chloe, she knew she was. Another debt to be repaid.

Claude went into the kitchen upon Chloe's direction after leaving her shoes behind, then watched her boss retrieve a bottle of red wine, which was something she didn't drink often, but enjoyed, and then poured them two glasses. ”The Dive Tank is one I go to frequently enough. Nobody can beat me at pool there, and most just leave me to my own devices, which is appreciated. Do you ever go out to the bars?” Simple conversation. She appreciated what Chloe was doing – she couldn't just rush into the real reason why she'd come here, after all, though she expected that topic would come up eventually. Claude sipped her wine and leaned back against the counter. ”I can bring the wine into the living room if you'd rather sit. If that's okay.” She didn't want to move them out of Chloe's comfort zone, or invite herself somewhere that she wasn't wanted, but the idea of sitting, staying still for a moment, was very appealing to her, and she hoped that Chloe would accept.

[/justify]

[CHLOE TASIA BROOKS]

Something about opening the door to a traumatized Claude reminded her of finding a soaked, scared kitten on her porch. Now, okay, so the woman wasn’t feline. But there was that same standoffish nature, that same propensity to raise hackles when threatened, and the same pitiful, terrified look in the eyes. And Chloe… she had a soft spot for kittens. Maybe it was ‘cause of the fact that she was a jaguar, but she really didn’t know. Whatever the case may be, she had no desire to throw her kitten out on its hiney just because it was late at night and the shifter usually appreciated her alone time. Heck, sometimes being with Claude was closely akin to being alone. So it really wasn’t a big deal to let her in and, lo and behold, help get her drunk. Join her, even.

The witch’s face was occasionally an inscrutable mask. She didn’t let emotions peek through there with any frequency, because… well, Chloe didn’t really know why. The woman knew she kept her emotions close to her own chest because to let somebody see everything was dangerous, it was a weakness to be so vulnerable with another being that you didn’t trust. In a strange way though, she actually did trust Claude. A bit strange, to realize that, but it was a truth nonetheless. Another reason to let the woman in for whatever comfort she could find in the depths of the jaguar’s apartment. Maybe some, maybe none, but she was more than willing to let the woman try. Maybe that hopeless little expression she was currently wearing would fade. Apparently, she thought alcohol was going to be conducive to that, so why not join and indulge her? Especially since she’d asked. ’Usually, I prefer my own company, in all things. But drinking alone can get boring. And there’s something to be said for company you can actually appreciate, especially when you’re drunk.’ The smaller woman shrugged, and nodded as Claude essentially confirmed what she said, with interest. And something in her actually… warmed? Something, as the witch expressed that she felt safe with the shifter.

Chloe didn’t feel well and truly safe with almost anybody, and to hear that she inspired such a condition in this fragile being- who didn’t act so fragile all the time- was somehow oddly moving. So she easily kept her light attitude with Claude as they moved into the kitchen, allowing the jaguar to retrieve a nice bottle of red and pour a couple glasses, passing one over to her companion. ’I can’t believe you’ve never been that drunk, witchlet, when you’ve just expressed being something of a fan…’ Her eyebrows wiggled as she teased, and started some other easy conversation, purposefully avoiding the whole ‘nightmares’ bit. It was never so easy to devolve into talking about what was bothering you. At least, not in Chloe’s experience. Truth be told, she practically never talked about the things that bothered her. Hence, she wouldn’t force such things out of Claude this early. Just wasn’t right.

’Why am I not surprised that you’re okay in the Dive Tank?’ She chuckled softly and shook her head, taking a small sip of her drink before continuing. ’Also, I didn’t know you were any good at pool. Maybe we prove that sometime. And to be perfectly honest, no, I avoid the bars. I’m not a fan of people, and bar typically equals people.’ Chloe shrugged a little, leaning against the counter, talking to her companion in softer tones, just… chatting. A new experience, but not unpleasant. But Claude wanted a change of scenery, and the jaguar was more than happy to accommodate. She nodded, rifling in her pantry for some chips and in the fridge for a dip she’d made a couple days ago. ’Lead on then, Claudette, and I’ll bring snackage. Of course it’s okay. It’s a living room. That’s what it’s for. Don’t be silly.’ She settled into her armchair gracefully, curling her legs underneath her, relaxing into the soft firmness of the furniture with a sigh. Grabbing up a remote, she clicked on some soft, funky middle eastern music that she’d been listening to earlier, while she was doing some more paperwork, and started bobbing her head a little. ’You even like music, Claude?’ It was just the first question that occurred to her as she, ya know, turned on some music.

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

It seemed that many things that 'normal' people seemed to value just weren't Claude's cup of tea – friendships, romantic relationships, intimacy... she did her best to stay away from those sorts of personal connections, because in her history, she had known nothing but sorrow surrounding the instances where she had allowed herself to get too close. Even though she no longer understood what it was like to love another person, she did have memories of herself as a child, and the feelings that surrounded those memories led her to believe that she had loved her mother. Memories of her only friend, Aleksander, also led her to believe that there must have been a fondness that revolved around that relationship as well. Or, at least, there had been a fondness before the gypsies caught Aleksander trying to escape in his animal form and captured him, skinning him and leaving Claude with a bearskin coat made of the boy's flesh. That had been the only thing to keep her warm on cold winter nights in the forest, but so often Claude had wanted to discard it and freeze to death. Freezing to death, though it was an unpleasant thought, was something that she had considered to be merciful, mostly because she knew the gypsies wouldn't ever allow her to die unless it was on their terms.

For a time, death had been something that Claude had clung to – an idea that seemed like salvation, but now that she was on the other side and had her freedom, all she wanted was to survive, by any means necessary. Yet, showing weakness tonight, even to someone that she trusted, felt like failure. The witch almost cursed herself internally for showing that she was weak and ending up on the jaguar's doorstep, because she had come further than most people would ever experience, and now asking for help was almost like regression to a time where she had been dependent on the mercy and kindness of others. Chloe had never been cruel to her – in fact, the woman had been anything but cruel, and still Claude hated that she showed a sign of needing anyone for anything. But there she was, asking to be intoxicated via the woman's personal supply of alcohol, just to escape the nightmares that she couldn't seem to survive for another night alone. ”I'm not aware of what I'll be like when I'm well and truly intoxicated. Normally, I won't allow myself to lose control... you won't make fun of me if I'm ridiculous, will you?”

Perhaps if Chloe knew how hesitant she was to ask for any kind of assistance, she wouldn't think less of her. If the jaguar knew what a struggle she was having, if she knew the internal turmoil that the witch was going through to even consider showing up on her doorstep... perhaps she would continue to be kind instead of mocking her for showing a humanity that she had hoped to suppress, making herself more robot than person. The insecurity in her violet eyes must have been obvious, because the subject changed to Claude's personal outlets – where she went to drink, when she did drink. The bars were mellow enough, and she never felt unsafe in public, mostly because she kept to herself and made it obvious that she wanted to be left alone. More often than not, people were willing to oblige her, probably because she limited her number of drinks and seemed like the kind of person that might become dangerous, if the wrong buttons were pressed. While she had never been tested since she had earned her freedom, Claude knew that she'd rather die than become a victim, but more likely she would kill to maintain her precious freedom. ”I've never had any problems there. A few people have approached me and carried on a conversation to the best of their ability, and once...” Claude said, considering whether or not to tell Chloe about the blonde woman who had kissed her. ”Mostly, people are smart enough to leave me alone. But if you're good at pool, I might take you up on that challenge.”

Claude settled into Chloe's living room after she had gotten permission and tentatively took some of the snacks that were offered. The witch knew Chloe wouldn't lie about her being welcome, but still there was a part of her that would always feel like she was encroaching on someone else's space, since she had not shown up there on an invitation of the other woman's own accord. The witch sipped her beverage and felt her body start to relax, then responded to her boss's question about music. ”Generally, I prefer silence, but sometimes I can find music that I enjoy. There are some traditional pieces, with strings, from my home country... they soothe me when my mind gets too restless. But this isn't bad.” Then, Claude decided that it was impolite not to ask any questions or really participate in this conversation. ”What outlets do you enjoy for relaxation?” If she was overstepping, Chloe would tell her – of that, she was sure.

[/justify]

[CHLOE TASIA BROOKS]

Chloe was an older sister. It was as intrinsic to her nature as being a jaguar was. And while Claude wasn’t her little sister- Kendra comfortably held that spot all on her own- there was some carry-over to the witch that had become her employee. Even though Claude and Kendra had practically nothing in common. Her sister’s sweet heart and kind disposition were nothing like Claude’s blatant disregard. But she had gotten Chloe to care about her, and that was enough common ground for the jaguar to keep an eye on her. Now, the brunette didn’t need looking after, she was enough of a spitfire in her own right that the shifter didn’t have to keep tabs on her. But when the young woman was with Chloe, the jaguar watched out for her. And now that Claude had come to her on her own, with something legitimately wrong? It had raised enough of those ‘big sister’ instincts to gladly welcome her employee into her home. Would they ever be friends? Who knew? Certainly not Chloe. She’d bet, were she to ask Claude, the brunette wouldn’t know either. For now, the feline was her shoulder to lean on, and Chlo would take that seriously… by trying to lighten the other’s mood, at least a little, if she could.

First step appeared to be booze, per her witchlet’s request, which didn’t bother the slightly-older woman in the slightest. After they finally picked one, they started to actually talk about things. Random, likely-inconsequential things, but it was what Chloe was going to consider be the foot in the door to getting the young woman to talk about what was really bothering her. She’d said ‘nightmares’ when she’d shown up on the porch, but that wasn’t exactly descriptive. Children had nightmares about amorphous, unreasonable things. Adults… they had nightmares about life. About real happenings, or an incident that could potentially happen, or history… When the jaguar had nightmares, it was about her past. Claude had the same look in her eyes sometimes, that haunting of something that she couldn’t quite shake off. It was rare, few and far between that Chloe ever caught her with that look, but she’d been wearing it a little while ago, face drawn and almost-scared. The jaguar, in those times, didn’t resort to alcohol. She resorted to exercise, or gardening or something productive. It was just in her nature too, she supposed. To use that excess energy for something useful. To keep herself in control all the time. To do something that impaired her judgment so much just felt wrong to do, as often as she had those dreaming remembrances. But every once in a while, like she seemed about to do with Claude? Not really a big deal.

’Of course not. What’s the point of doing it with somebody you trust if you think they’re gonna make fun? Please. And I don’t get anything out of making fun of people.’ She shrugged, shaking her fluffy ponytail, along with her head. Well… there was one person she enjoyed making fun of, but that was more because he was occasionally a jerk to her, and she liked his reactions, more than anything else. There was no way she’d do that to Claude, especially not when she was feeling the way she was. Nope. She’d pump her full of chatting, snacks, and drinks until she calmed down enough to sleep. And possibly on Chloe’s couch, if it went too far. At least she had Chloe’s couch. Were she at the bar- even though she was comfortable there- she wouldn’t have a place to rest and really relax. ’Now, how do you manage that? People seem to think that bothering me is a good idea. Especially when I’m annoyed or cranky. Most of ‘em end up regretting it, but there was once…’ Her voice trailed off, much like Claude’s had, and they both seemed to get caught in a particular memory for a moment. The jaguar looked up, catching the witch’s violet eyes. Yeah… maybe they’d talk about those later. She cleared her throat and smiled softly. ’If you can emit that ‘don’t talk to me,’ aura, I’d be happy to let you try and kick my ass at pool.’

There was music after that. Soft stuff, meant more for background noise than main subject. But it was another good, neutral subject to talk about. ’Sometimes, sitting in silence lets my mind wander too far, think about things I’d rather not. What do you do with silence anyways?’ Her head tilted and she sipped her wine, genuinely curious. It was likely that Claude had worse things to contemplate than she did… how did she deal with silence? As for Chloe’s outlets, well. ’There are lots, to be honest. I run, fight, garden… Sex is good. Um, cooking sometimes… Dancing. Things that take some focus and some bodily movement.’ She shrugged, hoping that was something Claude to respond to. Hopefully without complete disdain…