#Fiver:Elaine

[springbandit]

"It's okay to have doubts. But, you can trust me. If I saw something bad from you, I wouldn't be able to hide it. When things are that bad, I don't have much control over anything. You're not the problem, but, you could be the solution. Try to hold onto that." Either of them getting particularly wound up wasn't going to produce anything fruitful. He knew that. "It's not unnecessary if it makes you feel better." He continued to follow her, a little more physically awkward as he went indoors. "Tea sounds nice. Thank you." He looked around, trying to take in his new surroundings, a small but constant sound of a heartbeat filling his ears. "It's a very nice place you've got here. Do you normally live alone?"

@fcrafcrtnight

"YOU'RE RIGHT. I'M AN IDIOT. I'M DOUBTING HIM. I'M DOUBTING ME. US. IT'S NOT.. I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT." shaking her head. she had promised herself that something like that wasn't going to happen, because.. yes, jake had his issues but so did she. and she loved him for it. in fact, she loved him more for the fact that he was just like her, in.. so many ways, but still.. BETTER. "only if something comes up. as you said, i don't want you to torment yourself in an unnecessary way. you know? it's what we said. we look out for each other," and wasn't that precisely how she had always wanted things to be? yes, it absolutely was. she grinned a little bit. "no need at all. just come on in. i'll make us some tea?" @springbandit

[springbandit]

❝ what’s wrong? are you scared? ❞ (Fiver & Elaine)

"Well...no. Yes. No. I mean..." Fiver stumbled over his words, eyes wide and breathing beginning to quicken the more he focussed on what he was feeling rather than just letting it come and go. "What...What have we done?" A shiver ran through him, his vision swaying and dripping with no real sense behind it, not that he could focus on it right now even if he'd wanted to. "Are...Are you really sure this was the right thing?" He looked up at her with eyes pleading for reassurance, beginning to redden from strain. "What happens now...? We can't just...leave him there."

@fcrafcrtnight

[springbandit]

"i woke up in paradise... but my heart feels like it’s gone missing." (Fiver & Elaine)

Fiver tilted his head, the words stirring something inside him. A weight pressing on his chest that wasn't quite his own. He fidgeted with his jacket, unsure how to respond, but, knowing he had to say something. "I...I think I understand." his voice was soft and clearly unsure. "Sometimes, even when things seem perfect, something inside feels...wrong. Like you're missing a part of yourself." He could feel his cheeks heating up into a gentle blush, not really sure why. Embarrassed, he looked around the room for a distraction. "It's not just you. It's common. Maybe...Maybe it's an easy fix. I don't know."

@fcrafcrtnight

[springbandit]

❝ i’d like to go home and drink ‘til my face stops hurting. ❞ (Fiver & Elaine)

"That doesn't sound like a good idea..." Fiver wasn't exactly sure he understood, worried he was taking her too literally. But, he didn't want to seem foolish in asking for clarification, either. He wasn't aware if Elaine knew he wasn't quite human or not, and he didn't feel having to add that explanation into the mix would help anything. "If you really must go home and act out, I insist I come with you. We'll do whatever you want."

@fcrafcrtnight

[springbandit]

Fiver shook his head softly at first. "I don't know anything about a Jake. I just...someone you know must be connected to him. I see the raven around you. That's all I know." But before he could say more, Elaine's grip on his arm tightened, and a terrible jolt surged through him. His entire body stiffened, his breath hitching sharply as his eyes glazed over, wide and unseeing. The vision seized him like a storm, dragging him under. Fragmented images filled his mind: a cage door slamming shut, the sound echoing painfully in his ears. Feathered wings thrashing violently, struggling against the bars of their confinement. He saw ravens descending on a fellow raven, tearing it apart piece by piece. His lips trembled as he groaned, his voice cracking under the strain of what he was experiencing.

"They're coming to take him away!" he rasped, voice distant and strained. "He won't last another night in that room." He screwed up his face, putting his arm over his eyes as if shielding himself from a blinding light that burnt to be exposed to. Then, suddenly, his voice shifted. The cadence changed completely, foreign and authoritative, as if he were someone else entirely. "He needs to be on bedrest. At least until the generators kick in." A moment of silence passed before another voice spoke through, firm and tinged with frustration. "You know as well as I do, he'll never agree to that." And then the first voice returned, insistent and urgent. "You have to speak to him, Gale. You're the only one he might listen to."

The vision snapped away just as violently as it had come, leaving Fiver gasping and trembling. His knees buckled slightly, and he braced himself against the nearest thing he could find to keep himself upright, blinking rapidly as he tried to find footing in reality again. His wide, fearful eyes turned to Elaine, his face pale with confusion and a little bit of embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry." he stammered, voice weak and unsure. "I don't know what came over me...or what it all means. It was just...there, and then it was gone."

@fcrafcrtnight

"ISN'T THAT THE POINT, THOUGH? SOMETIMES.. ALL OF US HAVE TO DO THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT SEE AS GOOD.. FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE LOVE. THAT'S WHAT MATTERS, ISN'T IT?" because she would have done anything that some may have considered wrong. for her family? for the people that she did love - no matter how few they were? nothing was too much. she'd kill for them. she'd die for them. wouldn't she? yes. her heart nearly stopped at that, as she glanced in his direction. "JAKE? IF YOU SAW THAT RAVEN WHEN YOU FIRST TALKED TO ME.. YOU MUST BE TALKING ABOUT HIM. tell me," not realising she was not gripping his arm. tightly, at that. almost desperate to make things right? something like that, yes. "please. i may have fucked up things with him already, but.. i don't want to see him hurt. i can't. i won't. whatever you know? whatever comes to you? please let me know." nodding. "i want to help you. but we start with jake. i need to know he's safe." @springbandit

[springbandit]

Fiver's expression brightened slightly at Elaine's words. "I like them too," he said softly, his tone carrying a hint of warmth. "Though, I'm not very good at coming up with tricks, myself. They're key to our survival, though. Not everyone can rely on brute strength. Sometimes, cleverness is all you have." When Elaine turned pale at the mention of caging, his gaze softened and he was quick to shake his head. "Oh, no, I didn't mean...not literally. That would be terrible." he said earnestly, "I just meant...like, keeping the raven under supervised care, to keep it safe until it's strong enough to fly again. That's all. It's when they're left alone too long, left to their own devices, that they tend to pluck their own feathers out. They're social animals. Losing their flock can be devastating for them." his words trailed off as he considered the weight of what he was saying, his gaze drifting to his shoes.

Elaine's reassurance about John Kramer pulled him back to the present. He hesitated, but the girm yet protective tonei n her voice gave him some measure of comfort. "Alright," he said softly, nodding. "I'll go. As long as you promise to keep me safe, I'll trust you." His wide eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of nervousness and determination. "We go by the will of the Black Rabbit. If this is where he leads me next, then I have to go." He glanced briefly toward the door, fingers twitching. "Shall we?"

@fcrafcrtnight

"I LIKE THE TRICKSTERS. THEY KEEP EVERYTHING FUN. AND.. I SUPPOSE THAT'S TRUE. EVERYONE NEEDS IT, DON'T THEY? A LITTLE BIT OF WARMTH EVERY NOW AND THEN?" it was what jake did for her. she had always felt so.. cold in the past and now, she had him. he had brought the warmth to her life and no, that was not something that she'd ever be able to repay him for. not right now and not ever. but perhaps she could.. by keeping him SAFE right now. which was precisely what she was going to do but she found herself being protective over fiver as well. perhaps in a certain way, right? yes.

"i'm not.." she turned pale for a second. "i'm not doing that to jake. caging him? no. i've been caged my entire life. i know what that's like better than most people. i'd never do that to him. never. HE DESERVES.. SO MUCH BETTER." considering his question. no, she couldn't say john kramer was a good man. he was not. "he's... he can be reasoned with. he won't be unpleasant to you as long as i'm there. promise." she found herself placing her hand on his arm, nodding a little bit. she felt.. protective over him? maybe. was it because of who he looked like? yes and no. she just did. "he'll listen. i'll make sure he does. SHALL WE?" @springbandit

[springbandit]

Fiver frowned, "You've met him? So you know? How can you...?" he furrowed his brow. "Fine. We can focus on the fox. For now." he hesitated, nose twitching as he thought. "But, if you really do know, maybe you can help me trap the rat. Not hurt him, just...keep him caught. That way, when I have more time, I can figure out what to do."

Fiver felt Elaine’s palm press against his, her touch sending an immediate jolt through him like a bolt of lightning. His body stiffened violently, eyes going impossibly wide as the world around him began to disappear. The hum of the university faded into nothingness, replaced by a deafening cacophony of flapping wings, harsh caws and the relentless scraping of chains dragging across unseen stone. His knees buckled and he fell heavily to the floor, trembling. His vision lost to the dark watercolour haze that overtook him.

As his vision sharpened, he found himself in a grand, oppressive throne room. At the centre, sat the raven. Its feathers were slick with ink that bled onto the stone floor below. On either side of its perch were two faceless royals sat upon thrones. The raven flapped its wings violently. Its feathers were ragged and torn, plucked and cut away. Ink splattered the ground with every movement, pooling at the base of its perch. Fiver tried to get closer, but the raven cawed angrily, making him flinch. The bird's eyes pinned him in place and then with a violent jerk, it tried to swoop down at him.

Fiver stumbled back, gasping as the raven faltered mid-air. Its wings couldn't hold it aloft. It fell, dangling painfully from a thick chain that wrapped sorely around its ankle, binding it to the perch. The raven's cries turned desperate, wings flapping harder as though it could fight free of its chains. Fiver reached out to try and help, but before he could touch it, the raven screeched in terror, feathers bursting outward like shrapnel. The room exploded into chaos, the laughter of the faceless royals few louder, cruel and mocking. "We can't let him leave," one of them intoned, their voice deep and ringing around the room. "If there's no ravens in the tower, the kingdom falls." The others joined in, laughing harder, the sound merging with the raven's cries and the grotesque tearing of feathers. Fiver's vision was overwhelmed with bloodied plumage, ink pooling like tar, the caws that grew sharper and louder until-

Fiver gasped sharply as he snapped back to consciousness, his body drenched in sweat. His trembling hands clawed at the ground beneath him as he tried to steady himself, his entire frame shaking violently. The phantom sounds of the raven's cries and the mocking laughter echoed in his mind. "The raven. He was chained...He...He was being kept there. His wings...something plucked his wings. And his foot," Fiver whispered, recalling what he'd seen. "It's chained. He tried to fly, but, he fell. I tried to help him...I tried." his breath hitched as tears pricked his eyes. "They won't let him go, Elaine. They said if he leaves, everything with fall apart."

He looked at her desperately, searching her face for answers, for something to make sense of what he'd seen. "It's not...not....safe. It's not safe. He's hurting himself trying to survive." Fiver swallowed thickly, eyes darting to the empty space around them, as if expecting the raven to appear. "What do we do?"

@fcrafcrtnight

"NO, NO, YOU WON'T BE. OKAY? NEITHER OF US ARE EVER ENDING UP IN ONE OF THOSE THINGS, YOU HAVE MY WORD ON THAT. IT'S JUST.. WHAT HE DOES TO OTHER PEOPLE." and she was going to leave the fact that she had seen one of those traps work from up close, because.. it wasn't necessary to say it. she couldn't say it. she wouldn't say it. right? shaking his head. "because i've met him, okay? he was an insufferable little man that did not want to be helped and smelled horribly and just drank. trust me. he doesn't want our help and right now, it sounds like you should focus on the fox, no?"

was she just trying to take his attention away from the rest? from that stupid little man? if elaine were to be honest, she had no idea of why it was that he annoyed her so much, but he just.. did. he absolutely, absolutely did and honestly, just.. ugh? clearly. "still? i.. i thought that we were getting somewhere. somewhere good. he seemed alright and i just--" had this all been for nothing? what if she couldn't save him? what then? she nodded immediately, placing her palm against his. "please." @springbandit

[springbandit]

"When people are angry, that's when they need help the most," he muttered again, almost hypnotically to himself. "It makes sense, but...what if the help they need is more than anyone can give? What if they're angry because they know that too?" he hesitated, his voice squeaking a little at the very end as unease began to creep in. "The serpent...he's gone missing. He was supposed to be in the best place to get better, and now...now it's even worse than before we even tried because now nobody knows where he is." he sighed, shaking his head as a sadness hung over him. "Do you think...do you think he's too angry?" The question hung heavy between them, Fiver wondering if one's own mind was the very thing stopping them from succeeding, how could they kill that without killing the person along with it. However, he knew he wasn't in the right state of mind to have these conversations and was worried dwelling on them would only bring visions that he didn't want to have to experience, and so, he pushed the conversation onward, passed the roadblock of reality. "Y'know, I've been learning to cook." he said, tone soft but tinged with a boyish pride. "It's nothing fancy, but, I think I've really gotten to terms with nettle soup. Maybe, if you're free sometime, you might come by my apartment and give it a try? It would be nice to have some company down there." He trailed off, a faint pink tinge creeping into his cheeks as he ducked his head slightly. "Only if you want to, of course. I just thought it might be nice."

@fcrafcrtnight

"SOMETIMES, IT'S NOT ABOUT SAYING WHAT HE NEEDS. IT'S ABOUT.. TRULY NOT KNOWING HOW TO." did she know that better than most people? yes, she did and yet.. she didn't want to say it out loud. the last thing that she wanted was for fiver to ever look at her differently, because.. how could she ever want such a thing? she didn't. she was never going to, was she? absolutely not. "that's precisely what it is. sometimes, all that we can do is try and.. i hope that i've made it so you know that you don't just have to be alone while doing so. yes?" grinning, as she squeezed his shoulder. "you can be damn sure that i never will." @springbandit

[springbandit]

Fiver nodded, though his movements were small and hesitant. "Alice," he echoed softly, the idea grounding him a little further. "If she cares about him, maybe she knows where he might go. Or, at least she might be just as worried as I am." his brows furrowed. "I hope she hasn't given up on him. Nobody deserves that." He glanced up at Elaine, confidence steadying him more than he'd expected. "You think your people can really help?" There was a faint, almost childlike hope in his voice, fragile but sincere. "I don't know how to find her, or where to start, but...if you think this is the way, I'll do it. I'll try." He swallowed hard, voice quieter now. "Thank you, Elaine. For not giving up on me. For helping."

@fcrafcrtnight

"ONE AT A TIME. IT WOULDN'T BE GOOD TO JUST.. GET IT AL MIXED UP, YOU KNOW?" elaine shook her head, because.. right now, she wanted to help. right now, she wanted to help with everything that she had and.. yes, that was it. she felt protective over him. she wanted to make sure he was okay.

"alright. the sheriff first, then. we should talk to his girlfriend. she ought to be looking for him too. and besides? i think that we can find him. get my people out there." everybody will keep suffering.. his words kept going through her head and right now, she was afraid. she absolutely, absolutely was. @springbandit

[springbandit]

"People who need help the most don't know how to ask for it," he repeated softly, though it didn't bring him the same comfort as before. "But...who would ever ask for this?" He swallowed hard, "I don't like it. I hate it, actually. But...I don't see any other way. I can't even find him, let alone help him. And every moment he's out there, alone...in the cold. He's only getting worse." He shook his head, frazzled by the whole thing. "If you say this is the only way, then I trust you. But..." He looked up at her with wide, pleading eyes. "It has to be quick. And painless. And I can't-" his voice broke, "I can't see it happen. I can't have that burned into my mind. It's already hard enough to tell what's real and what's not. I can't add this to it."

@fcrafcrtnight

"I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN. SOMETIMES, EVEN WHEN.. THEY DON'T TRULY DESERVE IT." case in point, that little bitch. no, elaine wasn't about to admit it out loud - he deserved better than to be caught in that mess and like any mother would, she wanted to protect him from it, but.. god, she still did hate her. and no, no one was about to convince her that she wasn't behind parker's disappearance. that he wasn't hiding away somewhere with her? oh, she thought so. "remember what we said the other day? sometimes.. people need help and don't know how to ask for it. maybe it's the case with him. his condition.. it's pretty bad." shaking her head. "and sometimes, it's what we have to do. when it's the only way. when it's to help someone. you know?" wasn't that what she had done about parker once? yes. "of course. and anyone would be hesitant, too." maybe not her, but.. @springbandit

[springbandit]

Fiver's smile wavered slightly, her perspective unsettling, yet difficult to refute. He nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right," he said, gaze drifting to the ground for a moment. "I don't think most people mean to be bad. They just...don't think about what's in their way. And sometimes, they destroy things without even realising it."

He shifted uncomfortably at her question about the others, nose twitching at his tried to put the mess of tangled images and feelings into words. "I know there are others. I've seen them in my visions. There's a fox...and a raven. I don't know who they are yet, but, I know they're important. I saw the raven when I first spoke to you." he admitted, glancing up at her cautiously. "But, the sheriff... he's the only one I've been able to pin down so far. The only one I know how to help." He hesitated, fingers tugging at his coat. "The others...they're out there. Hurting. I just need to figure out how to find them, and what they need."

@fcrafcrtnight

"THAT'S WHAT I THINK. THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT. THERE ARE NO GOOD OR BAD PEOPLE. THOSE THAT SAY THEY ARE GOOD.. THEY'RE RIDICULOUS AND JUST.. FOOLING THEMSELVES." and that was the case, wasn't it? there were no good or bad people and never had been. there were just winners and losers and those that made sure that they did everything that they could to stay on the winning side. right? yes. "one of the only good advices my mother ever gave me, it seems." besides that, she had never been good at parenting or.. anything else, really. right? screw her. "and these others? i don't suppose that their situation has made itself as evident as the sheriff's?" if he knew anything about jake? she wanted to know. @springbandit

[springbandit]

Fiver smiled politely as Elaine spoke, her words pulling at a part of him that really wanted to trust, even if he didn't quite know how. "Maybe you're right." he murmured, voice quiet and thoughtful. "Maybe it's not about being good or bad. Just...being. Being what you feel you have to." Though, with no real friends or family of his own, Fiver wasn't sure he really had to be anything. These strangers that called out to him in his visions, tending to them was the closest he had to any kind of fulfilment.

"Tea does help," he agreed, as if affirming a universal truth. "At least, it gives you a moment to breathe and try to think." It was one of the few human creations he'd come to find himself partial to. Her offer to listen felt like a lifeline, and he clung to it cautiously, unsure how much to share, but grateful for the chance to be heard. "I'd like that," he said earnestly. "To try and figure this out. Not just for the sheriff, but, for all the others." He hesitated for a beat, but then gave a tentative nod towards the hospital. "Yeah, let's go."

@fcrafcrtnight

"WELL, I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT CARING ABOUT PEOPLE AND.. NOT ALWAYS KNOWN THE BEST WAY TO SHOW IT. PERHAPS IT'S TIME I GIVE BACK TO THIS PLACE, AFTER ALL... THAT IT HAS BEEN GIVING ME LATELY." it wasn't as if she wanted to do bad things. yes, she could find a way to justify them in her own head, seeing as for the last couple of months, she had one goal and one goal alone, but.. it wasn't as if she wanted to keep being dragged there. no. she wanted to be what she had always fought to be - respected and.. with the life that she wanted. didn't she? "well, if you ask me.. i don't think there are good or bad people. just people who.. sometimes.. for their own reasons.. must do bad things to survive. that is all. i'd do anything for my daughter. even things that some may consider.. bad." and hadn't she done that? for evelyn, for their family - anything. no matter who was in her way, she'd remove them.

"my mother - well.. i suppose that's the only good thing i got from her. that a cup of tea is always the way to make things better." and she tried not to think of the woman - most days - at least. she hadn't done anything good for her and never had. "well, i'm listening. and i can't say that i understand much of it, but.. perhaps, we can learn together?" normally, she would have an interior motive, but.. not now. the universe had done her a solid by helping her get rid of cecilia - maybe she could pay it back now. "you too, fiver. SHALL WE?" @springbandit

[springbandit]

Fiver blinked, startled as Elaine's hand rested on his arm. It wasn't a gesture he was used to, and for a moment, it made him tense, but, he didn't pull away. Instead, he took a shaky breath, trying to let the grounding gesture bring him back to the moment. His nose twitched slightly as he nodded at her assurance. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice soft but sincere. "For keeping my name out of it. And, for helping him. He does care about her, his partner, even if it doesn't always show." His gaze flickered upward, studying Elaine briefly as he tried to make sense of her kindness. "I don't know if I'm a 'good person'" he added, fidgeting with his coat once again. "I just...feel things. It's hard to ignore someone's suffering when it's so...close. It's so close I have to help, even if I don't know how."

He gave her a small, uncertain smile, glancing at her hand on his arm. "Tea sounds nice. Maybe it'll help clear my head." he hesitated, looking back at her, eyes filled with a cautious hope. "And...maybe you can help me understand all this. Help me help these people. I don't think I've ever had anyone listen before. Not really." He fell quiet for a moment, then added softly. "It's good to meet you too, Elaine."

@fcrafcrtnight

"THAT'S ALRIGHT, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. I WILL MAKE SURE TO KEEP YOUR NAME OUT OF IT." she could do that much, couldn't she? sh was no rat and besides, she had a feeling that it was taking a lot out of him to tell her what he was. right? she had a feeling so and.. well, perhaps she felt protective of the kid already. was it because he looked like jake? something of the sort? yeah, maybe.

when she noticed his reaction, she found herself frowning, shaking her head in the process, before placing a hand on top of his arm. as if to help? ground him? maybe. something like that and she wouldn't have been doing this unless there was something in this for her? maybe? or maybe.. she was just being.. kind? yeah. "he cares about this partner of his? then, i have an idea of how to get him to come with me to the hospital. ONE THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE HIM.. DIRECTLY." nodding, as she watched him even more closely. "and all this, for someone that you just met? and here i was, thinking that there were no good people left in the world." was she one of them? no, but.. well. she did have her good moments. right? "it may be. it's good to meet you, fiver, and.. i will do my best. how about that tea, though?" @springbandit

[springbandit]

Fiver nodded slightly at Elaine's statement. He didn't have anything to add and he didn't know her well enough to pry into what she might be referring to. But, her words about the best things in life not wanting to be trapped resonated with him in a way that made his chest tighten. "It's the one across the way," he said softly, pointing in its general direction. "The seedier one, not the one with the dance floor. But...like I said, I can't come with you. I don't want him or his partner to know I had anything to do with this. Please...leave my name out of it."

Fiver fidgeted with the hem of his coat, hands trembling as another wave of unease swept over him. His nose twitched and his eyes glazed over, breathing hitching as a sharp hiss filled his ears, accompanied by a flash of fangs snapping at him. He flinched, taking a small step back, his chest rising and falling quickly as he tried to pull himself back to reality. "The sheriff," he started again, voice shaky from his fright. "He won't be easy to talk to. He's...not in a good place. If he feels like you're prying, he might get violent. Just...be careful. He's hurting, but he doesn't want anyone to know how bad it is. Reputations are a curse, in my eyes."

When she asked how he knew the sheriff and his partner, he hesitated, gaze darting away. "I don't really know them." he admitted, voice quiet and tinged with uncertainty. "I..I bumped into his partner once, and I could just...tell. That he was in a bad way. That's all." It wasn't the full truth, but, it wasn't exactly a lie either. How could he explain what he didn't fully understand himself? He hesitated for a moment before shaking her hand, grip light. "Hrairoo." he said softly. "But, most people call me Fiver. Easier to say, I guess." He pulled his hand back quickly, taking another small step away. "I hope...I hope you can help him. I've done all I can think to do."

@fcrafcrtnight

"I KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE. THINKING THAT THE SKY IS GOING TO FALL DOWN ON YOUR HEAD. OF DOING.. WHATEVER YOU CAN TO STOP IT. and of course not. all of the best things in life don't want to be trapped in a cage." herself included? yes. that too. looking upwards for a little bit, knowing that.. well, she wasn't about to admit what she was thinking. yes, she had moments of vulnerability and more as of late than she was proud of admitting, but.. that was just it. wasn't it? a lot was going on as of late and she had her happy ending, but it wasn't quite complete or done for just yet. no. she knew what else it was that she had to do. right? "well, i could do with a drink right about now. POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? LOTS OF BARS IN THIS TOWN." and not all of them good, but.. right now, that wasn't that. not in the slightest. why was she doing this? well, she was curious. he looked like jake. was that enough to make her want to help? something like that. yes. perhaps.. this was his brother? something else? "how do you know this sheriff? and his partner, again?" too many questions, perhaps, but this situation called for something like that. didn't it? extending a hand for her to shake. "just what i like to hear. ELAINE PEDERSON." @springbandit

[springbandit]

"But what if letting him carry on is what's hurting him? I'm not saying it's what's happening, I'm just saying it's something we can't rule out for one over the other..." He really didn't want to keep talking about it, especially knowing it was going to continue to frustrate Elaine. But, he wasn't okay with playing favourites. "A feather ... uh ... something he owns." He tried for a moment to think of what humans tended to carry on them at all times. "A wallet, maybe? Something that's been around for a while." He grew a little frustrated, trying to over-explain in the hopes it might clear things up. "I'm not asking you to walk away. But, if I have a feather, I can maybe see more clearly. Make sense of things. If you're going to domesticate wild animals, the least we can do is use it to their advantage." He shrugged, still not sure the parents were the right route to go down, but, he was willing to test her theory. "I don't remember my parents. I had that many brothers, quality time wasn't something that really happened. You'll have to make the call on that one."

@fcrafcrtnight

"NO, NO, NO. I CAN'T. I WON'T. HE'S GOING TO BE MY HUSBAND. I'M NOT GOING TO HURT HIM." anyone else? perhaps so. never him, though, because.. she couldn't. she wouldn't. hurting him would be like hurting herself and maybe she was stupid enough to have let herself get that attached, but.. no fixing it now. absolutely not and besides, he was fine, wasn't he? he'd be alright. she'd make sure of it. "a feather? I JUST.." gulping hard. "i don't let people in. okay? i don't. i did it once and it ended horribly and i swore to myself i'd never let something like that happen and.. i can't, okay? I CAN'T WALK AWAY FROM HIM. I WON'T." the thought seemed like poison in her own head. no. absolutely not. never. who cared if she got hurt? as long as she had him.. good. "you'd be surprised. issues often trace back to our parents." didn't she know that all too well? @springbandit

[springbandit]

Fiver blinked at Elaine's question, her words snapping him back to the present. "The sky isn't falling," he said softly, voice carrying a tremor of worry. "It just...feels like it is. All the time." he thought of the raven again, "You can clip a bird's wings to keep it close, but, it only causes dependence. Ravens aren't meant to be domesticated." He screwed up his face, shaking his head for a moment, trying to fight off the feeling that kept grabbing hold of him in waves. He focused on the sheriff, knowing that if he could solve that issue, he'd feel a lot better in his own life too. At least, once he smoothed things over with Alice. "I don't...I don't think I can bring him to you. But, he lives at a hotel not too far from here. And spends a lot of time at the bar across the way." He glanced up at her cautiously, the faintest hint of concern shadowing his expression. "But, I can't come with you. I know his partner, and I wouldn't want her to think I went behind her back. She'd want to be a part of this, but...I don't think she's going about it the right way. It shouldn't be going on so long. It's too dangerous. I'll tell you everything I can, but, please, leave my name out of things." He paused, considering her offer to 'get along' with her. It sounded hopeful. He didn't know where his loyalties lay in all of this, but, if she could help him with these troubling visions - the serpent, the fox and now the raven, maybe he could start feeling a little more like himself. Whoever that was. "Yes, I'd like that. To get along." he agreed softly. "There are others too. Perhaps we could come to some kind of agreement on things."

@fcrafcrtnight

"ARE YOU.. THERE ISN'T SOMETHING ABOUT TO FALL ON TOP OF MY HEAD THAT YOU'RE NOT WARNING ME ABOUT, IS THERE? i'd kindly appreciate the heads up." was she saying that.. she didn't believe that? no, because right now, only a fool wouldn't believe that much. right? very much so. she had seen something about the other that she didn't see much of anywhere and so.. well, she wasn't about to let this go. elaine pederson was nothing if not smart. RIGHT? when she saw an opportunity, she took it. that was simple. "poisoning? perhaps he has been drinking too much? or something? that's what my instinct was telling me, but.. I'D HAVE TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. is there any way that you could bring him here? this so called sheriff? perhaps?" way to kill two rabbits with one stone. in one swipe, she could get the new sheriff on her side by saving his life and she could get this one on her side? yes. "alright, i suppose that i can? where can i find him?" because it would have been impossible to find someone like that, wouldn't it? as of right now, she had a feeling that it was. right? "as someone who also wants that, i think we'll get along well?" @springbandit