9411/Happy New Year

Happy New Year
Date of Scene:	02 January 2022
Location:	Sara and Cael's apartment
Synopsis:	Tensions rise between Sara Pezzini and Cael Becker as Johnny's residential status is brought into question. Everything will probably be alright. Probably.
Cast of Characters:	Cael Becker, Johnny Blaze, Sara Pezzini

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Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael has always been more of a night owl than a morning person - so it would be a surprise to no one who knew her that she'd been out late - and had slept in equally late. Bear had been forced to use the oversized dog door installed in Cael's bedroom door to pat out to the living room, shamelessly nosing the man on the couch until he was taken out.
    It was hours after that, when Cael finally emerges - swathed in warm, soft sweats, and her hair sticking up in every direction, revealing the rainbow hues dyed beneath her natural blonde locks. She doesn't so much as glance towards the couch as the makes her way to the kitchen intent on the only thing that matters when she wakes up - coffee.
    Even poor Bear gets ignored as he pads after her, tail wagging eagerly, nosing at her leg in hopes of affection. "Not- not yet Bear. Gimmee a minute. Yeesh..."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Against al odds, Johnny had decided to stay the night. Actually, the past -two- nights.

He stayed and celebrated the passing of another year...maybe the last year on this earth, should the worst come to pass with the angels. He helped take care of Bear to use the bathroom even! He put some of his horrible culinary skills to work and helped make breakfast the first night he stayed, though even further?

He didn't cause problems.

While Cael was up and moving around, despite seemingly not being a morning person, Johnny was actually still asleep. He still wore his jeans and dark shirt, and his leather jacket was hooked around a chair, but he stayed and rested, blanket still over him, head still on a pillow. He seemed to be snoozing rather peacefully.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Oh, go lick our guest in the ear," Cael mutters under her breath, as she's measuring in the coffee grounds, and getting the coffee maker started, leaning up against the counter and hiding her face in her hands.
    Ugh. At some point, she should go make a report about the gun she took off that kid last night. Who knows what history a gun like that might have on it? What crucial evidence it might be in one investigation or another?
    Then again - the world's about to end. So who really gives a shit about some punk's piece?
    And beside her, Bear is still nuzzling insistantly at her leg, prompting a sigh. "...you're out of food, aren't you? Fine, fine. On it." She pushes herself away from the counter, opening a cupboard to get out a scoop of food, which she dumps into a nearby bowl, while Bear prances beside her all eager excitement.
    Bear //is// a morning person. Ugh.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The past couple of days has passed without much change in Sara's routine. Most of the reports she was going through were computerized, and the ones that weren't she'd deal with later... if later actually came. Unlike most New Yorkers who went to Time Square to watch the ball drop, she had stayed home with it on the television. Instead of drinking herself into a stuper, she had stuck to soda or coffee, though she did order Chinese food from the place down the street to ring in the new year with.

As it turned out, she also wasn't a morning person. Wearing a pair of pajama bottoms, a t-shirt that was two sizes to large, and a pair of uggs, she shuffles out of her bedroom toward the kitchen like a zombie. Some how her hair managed to still look semi decent, but that's about the only part of her that does. If someone were to listen closely, they might even hear the zombie morning grown of 'uuuuung' as she reaches the kitchen door.

"Morning, Cael," she mumble/mutters walking to the coffee pot and only then realizing it wasn't ready yet. Instead of reacting to the lack of coffee externally, she laid the top half of her body on the counter and just stared at the pot.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny grumbles, as if somehow still hearing Cael's comment about Bear coming over to lick his ear. Apparently he had better ears than expected. Though he starts to lift his head off of the pillow and investigates his surroundings with a bit of a scowl on his face. Yeah...Johnny's not really a morning person either. Well, know what they say...birds of a feather and all o that.

He swings his legs off of the couch and stands up to his feet as he approaches the pair of ladies, and he gives them a tired wave. "Good morning." He greets them. He cracks his neck audibly, and looks at the coffee pot. "I think I might just eat the beans." Johnny mentions, an attempt at humor.

Probably a bad attempt.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "If you take the first cup - I will kill you," Cael greets her roommate. Which, honestly, is a fair rule - whoever starts the pot damned well better get the first cup.
    With the only morning person of the lot of them happily shoving his nose into his bowl of breakfast kibble, which his tail wagging furiously, Cael leans back against the counter to wait for the first cup to finish, crossing her arms over her chest as she locks her gaze onto Johnny.
    "Hey," she says simply. There's a momentary pause before she adds, "Happy New Year."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Still laying half her body on the counter, Sara's eyes shift to Cael for a moment, well one of them does, the other has already closed again.

"I'm not touching the pot until you get a cup, but you better be fast," she mutters. "Or I might just go back to sleep right here. Not as comfortable as my bed, but right now, comfortable doesn't matter."

Lifting her head slightly she turns her head over to look at Johnny, half grinning, "Got chocolate covered espresso beans in the cabinet there, but even they take time to kick in and are way too much crunchy work in the morning."

She finally picks herself up off the counter and turn to lean back against it. "Happy New Year to the both of you."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
"Happy New Year." Johnny says to Cael with a bit of a respectful nod, though his eyes turn to Bear. "Well, at least one of us is a morning person." Then his gaze turns back to Cael. "You alright?" Because...well, lets be honest, that's the nicest thing Cael has -ever- said to him.

Ever.

His eyes turn to Sara. "Right there with you. I feel like a dead man walking.' Hell, he already was. "Yeah, you're right about that I guess. Happy New Year Sara." He looks between the two. "Either of you got any New Years Resolutions?

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Peachy. Got mugged last night - it was... almost refreshing," Cael remarks, her gaze going back to the pot as she eyes the amount of liquid in it. Of course, the lines on the side marking the ounces help considerably with that. When it gets just high enough for her needs, she pulls the pot out, shoving another cup into place to catch the continuing dribble as she pours the coffee into her mug, and then pulls out the cup so she can put the pot back into place. Wordlessly, she holds her mug out to one side, in the hopes that Alis'll top it off for her.
    "Just some punk kid. His gun wasn't even loaded - I feel bad for him."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Alis walks through a wall then pops into view of all right behind Cael and smacks her sisterCael in the back of the head lightly, though she is holing the flask in the other hand.

"Are you fucking kidding me? It's ten in the morning Cael, are you certain?"

==============================================================================

Sara offers Johnny a bright smile, which uses a lot of energy she doesn't have yet. "Without caffeine, I cannot function," she states with a chuckle. "It's the cop in me, gotta be."

In regards to Cael wanting to drink she just ignores it, that's something she's left up to Alis who appears to have it in hand. "No resolution," she then adds. "I've never done those, and this year it seems even more ridiculous to consider it."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
"You got mugged?" Johnny questions Cael. "Probably a reminder not to go out by yourself at night. Could've gotten off way worse, couldv'e been attacked by a Wrath demon." Johnny talks like he has experience being blindsided by a Wrath demon. Those suckers are so annoying to put down.

Unless you're the Ghost Rider.

Though Johnny seems to hum. "Well, guess that must mean the kid eitehr had a change of heart, or wasn't bad to begin with. Hope you didn't hurt him too bad." Johnny tells Cael, though he looks at Sara for a moment with a light grin. "I hear you there. You both sleep well?" He questions, though he nods at the 'no resolution' comment. "That makes sense. Never made one either. Not since-" He goes quiet.

"Yeah, not my thing either."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Wasn't alone. ... I had Bear. Turns out - Bear is //worthless// when it comes to security." The pup in question lifts his head, cocking his ears at Cael with a questioning expression. "Yes, //you//, Bear," she says with dry amusement, still tinged with a sort of fondness.
    "Wasn't a demon - just a kid who was dealt a shit hand in life. I gave him my business card and an offer to call me if he wants to explore better life choices. Who knows if he'll listen?" she asks - letting out a sigh. "I don't hurt kids," she adds. "I mean - might have bruised him up some disarming him but- well, when you point a gun at someone..." That's what you get.
    "My only resolution is to shoot Michael in his stupid face," she remarks brightly. "...and/or finally hit him with that chair. Both preferably." Her mug is still held out, as she turns her head to look towards her sister.
    "It's for the taste. Doesn't need to be a lot."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The coffee pot is ready for a second cup to be stolen, so Sara grabs a cup to repeat the same motion Cael did and pour what's in the pot into a cup. She hands that to Johnny before switching out put for 'catch cup' and wait for that last little bit to finish.

"He hasn't had an security training," she offers to Cael. "You can add that training course to his program once he hits a full year old." That's right folks, the monster white dig with Cael is in fact not even a year old yet.

With her eyes shifting back to the coffee pot, the answer about her sleep hovers for a moment before she finally says, "It was a dream night, so I didn't sleep all that well."

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Alis hmmmms loudly, narrowing her eyes at Cael then giggles and opens the flask to pour a little into the coffee cup, not as much as she had before but enough for flavor.

"This stuff is /nasty/," she states boldly as she pours. "How can you stand the taste? I like that Kahlua stuff, now /that's/ tasty, oh, oh, and Irish Cream, both are great in coffee... but this," she gestures with the flask, then puts the cap back on it tightly. "Ew."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
JOhnny looks at the dog.

"Coulda fooled me." He shrugs. "But, maybe get him some training." He looks at Sara. "Does your department train dogs or is that something else? Not a cop, so dunno." Johnny lifts his shulders in a shrug before he looks back at Cael. "Yeah...lot of that going around recently. But, yeah, someone points a gun at you, you assume its loaded." He chuckles.

"Well, much as we would all like to shoot Michael in his stupid face..."

Johnny sighs. "Not until the 6th."

He looks at Sara and tilts his head. "Dream night? You get nightmares, Pezzini?" Though he turns his attention to Alis as she complains about the coffee. "Didn't take you for someone who hated coffee."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "The line starts //here//," Cael says firmly, "when it comes to shooting Michael's dumb face." Now that he coffee is properly dosed, she takes a sip - letting out a satisfied sigh. "You can keep the Kahlua and Baileys, though. Don't need the sweetness messing up perfectly good coffee." After another sip she adds, "You really want to get on Alis's good side? The secret was making boiling hot, hot chocolate - and then putting in a scoop of mint 'n chip."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Alis snorts and holds up the flask, "/THIS/ is disgusting, coffee is liquid gold." She then slides the flask back into the small pack she wears. "Whiskey by itself is nasty. I tried it, I also tried scotch and rum... they're all gross. Buuuuut... gods yes, make that right now Cael, I want one of those right now... I miss hot cocoa."

Now she looks back to Cael, "And from now on, I'm going with you everywhere you go again. Muggers with guns, doesn't matter that it wasn't loaded or that you can handle it, even trained for it, more so than I am... and don't need my protection... at all, I'm still going with you /everywhere/ for a while... again."

==============================================================================

At long last Sara can steal herself a cup of coffee as well, which gets a dash of cream and some raw sugar. Grabbing a spoon she stirs before taking a sip.

"Bear is a certified therapy dog, stage one training. He is presently in stage two, and stage three will include minor security training. There are a lot of K-9 unit training centers in New York, however Bear doesn't qualify for them." And here Sara pauses for another drink of coffee, then moves over to start toasting some English muffins. The toaster takes four halves at a time, so she'll just do it a few times until everyone has one.

"I intend to shove several bladed weapons in Michael's face," she then offers as she collects the butter and various jams from the fridge. "And no, not nightmares. Some nights I dream the the lives of the past wielders of Witchblade. Last night was Joan of Arc, well more of Joan of Arc's life with Witchblade."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
"Huh....hot chocolate. Good to know." Replies JOhnny to Cael about Alis's good side. Though he raises a brow at Alis in the meantime. "You can't possess people, right?" He questions her. He's worried she'll use him to make hot cocoa! Though, Johnny seems to smirk a little bit. "Whiskey and other hard liquors is often an acquired taste." Johnny declares, before his eyes turn to Sara.

"Fair enough." He reaches to get himself some coffee and he takes a big sip of it. "At least you dream."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "You don't dream?" Cael asks. She takes another sip of her coffee, and sets it aside so the can get out some cocoa mix, and some milk. She sets the milk to heat in a mug - leaving enough space for a scoop of ice cream, which she also gets out of the freezer.
    "I didn't tell you not to come, last night," she adds towards Alis with a shrug of her shoulders. "...honestly, I just sort of generally assume you're there. How much time have you been spending with Sara, instead?" Her tone and expression are curious as she glances towards her sister, leaning back against the counter as she watches the microwave - don't want to milk to boil over after all.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Alis stares at Johnny for a moment, her expression exactly the same as a child whose hand was in the cookie jar when the parent came into kitchen. Very slowly her eyes moves over to Sara, then just as slowly back to Johnny.

"Uhhh... I'm not suppose to talk about that," she says quietly, fidgeting a little. "I don't think... but well, given that I over heard about you."

Sara nods once.

"Yes, I can possess people, but I don't cause that's not right," Alis then says with a nod. "I've only done it once, and that was to stop a guy from hitting his wife and uh..." she side-glances to Sara. "Maaaaybe through him in front of a car. It didn't kill him, broke his leg in three places."

==============================================================================

Sara was just about to comment about the not dreaming when her attention changes gears back to Alis.

"You what?" She almost exclaims but manages to keep the anger and surprise out of her tone, for the most part. "Okay, that's something we'll talk about later."

Now she looks back to Johnny, "No dreams at all?"

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny looks at Alis a moment, though he tilts his head as Alis seems to question her capability of telling Johnny. Likelihood, if she's allowed to tell him. She seems to be held in pretty close regard by Sara and Cael, though he looks at her. Though he's told that to prevent a woman from being beaten by her husband, Alis possessed a man and stood him in front of a car.

"Whoa....that's intense." Johnny tells Alis. "A little brutal, don't you think?" But at least she didn't kill him, which means he didn't get hit by a semi. Good, good.

Thought Zarathos was gonna flare up for a minute. Though he turns his attention to both Cael and Sara when they ask him if he doesn't dream. "Since being the Ghost Rider, I used to dream of hell. Just...torture, for my mind. Then, for the past couple of years? Nothing." Johnny shrugs. "Nothing to dream about, I guess. Can't even remember the last time I had a good dream." He shakes his head.

though he points at Alis. "Don't possess me." Its said pointedly. Johnny has enough possessions happen with Zarathos. Plus? Alis would not have a good time with it.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael stares at her sister, running through her memories, trying to match up Alis's description with something but- no. She can't really recall it. "Why didn't you tell us you could do that?" she asks simply. She doesn't sound upset - more curious than anything else.
    "You alright? After doing something like that. I mean..." She shakes her head with a faint frown. What a mess - but domestics always are.
    Aw shit!" She's just noticed the milk boiling over - she's going to have to clean the microwave. Muttering to herself, she pulls the milk out, and starts stirring in the cocoa mix - before adding the scoop of ice cream. A little taste of childhood. There had been //some// good things in her past, after all.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
A sheepish expression crosses Alis' face for a moment as she says, "I told Sara that I could, for her reports to WAND. I kept meaning to tell you but then... uh... stuff happened, you know? It became unimportant."

Turning slightly she looks over at Johnny. "No way am I playing with that spooky assed visitor you have," comes her response to him. "Besides, I don't think I could possess you anyway, which is good because I don't do it to people for just any reason."

Cocoa and the ice cream, nothing else mattered now. She scoots over by Cael immediately, "You gonna have a bite first?" she asks with a grin, willing to share.

==============================================================================

When the English muffins pop up, Sara uses a small pair of tongs to pull them all out and set them on plate, which is then slide down by the butter and jams. The next set go into the toaster before she looks back to Johnny.

"Given what you've told me, I can see why up until now you've had nothing good to dream about," she offers, then takes another sip of her coffee. "At this point though, you can start having dreams about having a place to stay and friends to nag your ass."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny seems to smirk at Alis as she expresses a complete opposition to being in his head at all. "Good. Believe me, what you're gonna see would scar you for life." He clears his throat then. "Sorry." Because Alis is dead, he didn't mean to offend. "Heh, I genuinely wish he was just a visitor."

To Cael, Johnny nods softly. "Don't be too hard on her. It's probably sensitive shit." He notices Cael apparently having the milk boil over, though he does reach for a nearby towel - or anything he can find really - and he offers it to Cael for cleaning purposes in case it got anywhere.

To Sara, he smirks. "That an offer to move in, Sara? My home up to this point has been the road."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Well - gotta make sure I did it right," Cael says brightly, giving it a stir, before taking a sip. The combination of boiling milk, and freezing ice cream, brings everything to a proper sipping temperature - only now it's mint hot chocolate which - what's not to love? After that sip, though, she passes it over to Alis.
    "Did you ever think of possessing me?" she asks in a curious, musing voice. "I wonder if that would have let me have... some sort of awareness of you? If I would have recognized you?" she asks quietly.
    Then she shakes her head as she adds, "If I had, I would have denied it. I mean- there's no way I would have... believed."
    The offered towel is accepted, and she starts wiping up the milk from inside the microwave - then pulls out the glass plate, setting it in the sink so she can rinse it off, and rub it with a bit of soap. The talk of Johnny //moving in// gets a faint frown on her lips, though. "What're we gonna do - curtain off part of the living room?" she asks.
    They'd moved in here with //two people.// Now there's two people, a dog, a ghost and- whatever the fuck Johnny is?

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Taking the cup from Cael, Alis first smells it. It doesn't quite smell like she remembered, most likely because she's dead and smell doesn't work that way for her any more. After the sniff, she takes a small sip and /that/ is exactly how she remembered it, which may play a big part in why she tastes it that way in the first place.

Walking over to Johnny, she offers him the cup as she says, "Wanna try it?" Then she looks back to Cael.

"I never possessed you, but I did 'ride along' once," she admits. "I didn't know I could possess people until after the red mist really. I knew I could jump into them, hide there, /feel/ what they felt for a while, but the actual 'take you over, make you do things' I didn't know."

==============================================================================

Sara glances to Cael for a moment, then the microwave. She kept real towels in the house for that sort of thing because wasting paper towels was one of those things that pissed her off. Just like plastic silverware, plastic cups and other things that just really were an excuse to not wash something.

"Actually Cael, I was going to divide my room into two room," she answers in regards to Johnny moving in. "We'd have to share a door for a bit, but that's not an issue for me."

Eyes shift to Johnny, "But yeah, that was an offer. Everyone needs a place to crash, even if just for a little while."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny looks at Cael for a moment as she accepts the towel from him, though he chuckles for a little bit. "Yeah, I dunno how it would work either. Long as you don't try to kill me in my sleep." Because if any of 'em are gonna try, it's gonna be Cael hands down no contest. "Did you not use to believe in ghosts?" He asks of Cael.

Alis seems to make him smile when she offers him a cup. "Yeah, sure, I'll give it a try." He accepts the cup and takes a sip. "Mmm...not half bad." Though he tilts his head. "Red Mist?"

Sara gets the longest look though. "Divide your room into a two-room?" He questions. "I can sleep on the floor or something and you can have your bed. Could put a curtain in or something to help split it. But...well, thank you. As long as I'm not intruding, I accept."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I didn't believe in the supernatural," Cael replies. "Magic. Gods. Ghosts. //None// of it." With the glass plate cleaned, she puts it back into the microwave, and stands there for a moment, her back turned the others in the room. After a few moments, she lets out a huff of air, and picking up her coffee, turns back to the others. She snags one of the English muffins - completely plain - and starts on her way out of the kitchen.
    "I don't murder people anymore," she remarks simply - a subtle tension underlying her posture and her words. "Anyways. I have some work I should probably get back to. Sounds like you two have... things to figure out," she says vaguely in passing, as she moves around Johnny, and out into the living room.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Alis grins as Johnny tries the special mix, then accepts the cup back.

"I'm afraid that anything relating to the red mist is classified," Alis offers after a sip of the mix in her cup. "SHIELD and WAND classification, security level five or higher, sorry."

She then moves to follow Cael, calling out, "Cael, wait..."

==============================================================================

Sara pulls the rest of the English muffins out with the tongs and they go on the plate was well, then she turns back just in time to watch Cael tense. She never found out what the problem was between Johnny and Cael, but clearly it was still lingering in the background.

Leaving the muffins she grabs her coffee to follow Cael. "Cael..." she calls just after Alis, but moves past the ghost teen to catch up to her. "What's going on with you? Nothing to figure out, no need for you to take off, unless you're attempting to avoid something."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny seems to have started something.

Though after Alis proceeds to shut down any attempts to learn about this 'red mist' thing going on, Johnny shrugs his shoulders. "I wouldn't worry about it." He states then, and looks on as Cael starts to leave. Though with Cael remarking that she doesn't murder people anymore, the Rider doesn't react noticeably.

Whew.

But Johnny doesn't know Cael like Sara does. He lifts a hand as if to try and stop Cael, but he doesn't. He doesn't pursue, and he gives a little nod to Cael.

Then he looks to Sara. Uncertain of if he should get involved or not.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael doesn't stop until she's at the door to her room, and she leans back against it, watching Sara with a faint frown. Her gaze flicks in the direction of the kitchen, for a moment, before turning to her roommate. After letting the silence grow for a little bit she finally asks, "You sure you want to do this now? I am trying, real hard, not to be a total bitch, but..." It isn't exactly easy.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sensing something in the air, Alis decides to hesitate in the hall but her eyes remain on the pair by Cael's room.

==============================================================================

There is it, the truth. Sara knew there was something more, something Cael was avoiding and it was hovering right at the edge of being spoken.

Pausing just a few steps away from Cael, Sara cants her head just a touch. She wasn't a detective without having the ability to put clues together. "Let me see if I can figure it out," she states, then folds her arms lightly across her chest. "You have an issue with Johnny, over something I have no idea what is because you've both carefully avoided it. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with all this angelic crap, but I don't have the specifics, just a few hints based on conversations that religion is also involved. I know that you don't want to kill him, but you don't like him and would rather not have anything to do with him. Am I far off from the truth, Cael?"

She pauses for just a moment, watching Cael closely then continues, "Now let me tell you what I see over all, the big picture. I see a man who has been alone a long time, who needs friends and a place to call home for the short time that we all might have left in this universe... and I want to be able to offer that to a friend. I see that right now, being kind and open minded, having a generous heart and showing some common curtesy to someone is /way/ more important than any difference that may exist between people. So in answer to your question... yes, I want to do this right now. It doesn't make you a bitch, but I need a clue what the problem is here, Cael, cause you haven't said shit about it."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny feels like he said something he probably shouldn't have.

But at the same time, it's not his place to get involved between friends. There's a reason why they went off by themselves, and so he's not going to interfere with it none. Because honestly? Especially if Cael is upset at Johnny, him being present to try and talk her into a different decision is probably going to have less success if he's involved.

Or so he believes.

So Johnny sips at his coffee, and moves back over to the couch to give them some privacy.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Something like that," Cael confirms, without adding anymore details. She lets Sara continue, staring at her with lips pressed together, and her back up against her bedroom door. She grits her jaw together, her gaze flicking to the wall for a few moments, then back to her friend. "You like him. I get that. He's your friend, and you want to help him. Fine.
    "But it would have been nice to have been fucking //asked// first, Sara," she hisses in a low voice. "Especially since you already knew I had a problem. So I didn't have this reaction when he's right there in the room. And now, I can either be okay with it, or I'm the heartless bitch kicking him out into the cold on New Years morning, on the eve of the fucking apocalypse."
    She shakes her head in frustration. "How 'bout I move me 'n Bear to the Trisk a few days early, huh? And he can crash in my room until the world ends. Save us all some angst and frustration."
    That said, she turns to open her bedroom door, to escape from the conversation.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Alis sets the cup on the table in the hall and goes through the wall, which will put her in Cael's room instead of the hall. She has the layout of the place memorizes and knows exactly where she can and can't move through walls to avoid ending up in the neighbors apartment. She's done that one or twice, and once was one too many given what she saw.

==============================================================================

Sara takes a slow, deep breath.

"Running again," she spits out with a hint of venom to her tone, which slides back to a calmer tone as she continues. "See, I didn't realize you hated him /that/ much Cael. I didn't realize it was so deep a hatred we couldn't talk about it with him here, or I would have talked to you first. You don't want him here, fine, he doesn't stay, because it's your home too... but you think, maybe, possibly, perhaps if I get lucky, you could FUCKING TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS SHIT!"

She takes a step back as she yells that last part. Everything has been boiling up and she's been shoving it down over and over again. "We used to fucking talk, you used to tell me shit... do you realize that it's been over a month since we actually just talked Cael, since we communicated what was going on? Do you realize that I've felt lost and alone while you were trying to figure your shit out? Did it ever, even once, occur to you that I was hurting too? No, not Sara, she's got the Witchblade, that makes her strong one, right? She couldn't possibly be freaked out and scared, right? Why should I tell her anything about what I'm /really/ feeling?!"

Another step back, because it was a good idea not to be in reach of something like the wall she could punch. "I've tried to be a good friend, I've tried to be there, to help you, to be supportive... just once Cael, would have been nice for you to do the same."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Yep...pretty hard not to hear the shout part that comes from Sara, and Johnny seems to wince a little bit. But, he starts to take initiative a little bit and starts folding the blanket he was given and starts cleaning up the space he took up on the couch. Best to not leave a trace - or at the very least be polite to the people who took him in for a few days. He'd rather not be the one splitting friends apart.

He puts the pillow on the table in front of the couch, and proceeds to keep it nice and neat.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Even with the help she's had lately - even with Raphael's blessing still in place - this is not a conversation Cael feels capable of having. Not with how angry Sara obviously was. Not with how frustrated she was feeling. Not with a witness in the other room - and so Sara finds a door closed in her face before she even finishes speaking. It isn't slammed, thankfully - but it's shut without any response, before Cael slides down the door to the floor, tears starting to streak down her cheek.
    Bear pads up to Sara - sniffing at her, and nudging her with his nose, then he continues past her - forcing his way through the dog door partially blocked by Cael's back, so he can crawl his way into her lap.
    "Bear- no, my coffee, you're gonna- g-go. Go to Sara. She needs you, yeah? I'm- I'm okay," she tries to insist, forced to shuffle the english muffin and coffee both into one hand so she can try to shove the dog off her, even as he keeps creeping towards her, like he's been taught.
    "Bear..."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Alis sit down beside Cael, not saying a word because she doesn't know what to say. She leans her shoulder against Cael's for a moment, then slides her arm around her sister. She doesn't look at Cael, she stares off into the room and is just there. She's been wondering when this explosion would happen, or something like it really, because it's been building since before the angelic attack.

==================================================================================

Yeah, that's exactly what she expected. It's what Cael did, walks away, ran away, slammed doors, locked up, hid away... and once again Sara was left standing there, alone.

With no wall to punch, she turns her head slowly to look at Johnny. "I'm sorry," she manages to say quietly, her body trembling either with anger or perhaps something else, but there are no tears. She wants to cry, but she refuses to. "I... didn't know it was that bad. Looks like I won't be having a roommate for much longer anyway."

One more step back and she sets the coffee cup on the table, to stop herself from throwing it at Cael's door. "Want to meet up later for a beer some place?"

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Yeah...

Tension and emotions were filling the air. But, even still, Johnny started to approach Sara. "Yeah. I'm sorry, didn't mean to come and start some problems." He tells Sara in a softer voice, likely so Cael doesn't overhear. Which she might anyway, the floorplan is good enough that sound can bounce off the walls nicely. But he takes that deep breath and starts to well...probably open up.

So he approaches Sara. "Yeah, beer would be nice."

But he also opens his arms for a hug. "I know there've been times where I needed a good hug. Returning the favor." He tells Sara, though she can be tough. Friendship goes both ways. Though Johnny does look at Cael's door. He's tempted - strongly - to knock on it and try and put the beef to rest.

But with everything so raw? Now might not be the wisest time.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I'm alright," Cael tells her sister quietly, wiping the back of her hand across her eyes when she stops trying to shove Bear away. There was no getting Bear to stop until //he// was convince she was alright - that's how he'd been trained, after all. So with the tears wiped away, she scratches at his ears. "I'm alright," she repeats, this time down towards her dog.
    "I didn't realize she was //that// worked up. We'll talk it out later." When they're less likely to just end up screaming at each other. Letting out a sigh, she lets her head fall back on the door behind her. Fuuuuuck. What a mess.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Alis doesn't believe for even one minute that Cael is 'alright'. She didn't need Bear's attempts to comfort the woman to give that clue either. She knew Cael well enough to know that she wasn't alright, she wouldn't be alright for a while, but eventually her sister would magically lock it all back up and act like it didn't happen.

"No you aren't," Alis whispers, leaning her body against Cael's. "But you will be."

==============================================================================

Sara stares at Johnny for a moment, or at least it looks like she is staring, really she's not seeing him as a few thousand things race through her mind. Slowly her eyes actually focus on the man, and she sees the offered hug right there and takes it.

Wrapping arms around him lightly she accepts the offered comfort. "Thanks," she offers softly right along with the hug, still no tears. Woman has the willpower of a titan, the ancient kind, not those in Titan's Tower, or she was just too fucking stubborn. "Yeah, this definitely makes you a friend."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny has no idea what's happening with Cael right now. He hears the light 'thud' of Cael's head against the door. It was a mess, that's true. And Johnny mutters a 'keep an eye on her, Alis' for her to hear, if she was listening for it. Though Johnny kept his arms wide open for Sara.

Yet she takes the hug anyway, and he holds her tight. A little bit tighter than when she comforted him barely two days ago. A hand rests on her head as she speaks. "Don't mention it." He speaks softly. As for making him a friend? Johnny chuckles a little bit. "Yeah, it probably does."

He looks back to the door. "Think it'll all be alright?" He questions her.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Right now... I'm alright. In five more days, what little grip Raphael gave me on my sanity disappears, and the end of the world begins. And Jon hands himself over to the thing that tortured me." Cael lets out a sigh, idly stroking Bear's head with her free hand before she adds, "And sometime between then and now, I need to talk to Sara. So that'll be fun."
    She shakes her head in frustration. "I was trying to be kind, you know. I didn't want to freak out at her about her friend. And she just- she wouldn't let me. She had to force it."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Alis nudges Cael lightly with her entire body, then hugs her with the arm that's around her.

"That's how Sara is though," she comments quietly, reaching over with her other hand to take the english muffin to just hold, so Cael and sip her coffee /and/ pet Bear. "She doesn't like unfinished business, or to leave things hanging, and well... I don't think this was entirely just about Johnny."

Another light nudge. "You want me to fuck her up for you Cael," she then offers with a slightly teasing tone. "Cause I'll do it. I'll mess up everything in her room, I'll short sheet her bed, I'll put ink in her shower... I'll make her wish she didn't live with a ghost who loves her sister."

==============================================================================

Sara stays in that hug for a little longer than she had given him before, then steps back as she looks at Cael's door.

"Eventually," she replies with a soft sigh. "She's lived through a nightmare, something that broke her. Only reason she's holding it together is a gift." She doesn't go into detail about that, not her place.

"I should just suck it up, and keep it sucked up, and if we all live through this... deal with it then."

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny will hold Sara for as long as she needs to be held.

When she opts for release, Johnny lets go of her and puts his hands in his pockets as he takes that deep breath. "Yeah. A growing club." He looks at the door. "Must be some deep shit, I hope she manages to kick its ass." Johnny tells Sara then. "But for now...well, we should give her the time." He looks at Sara then. "But believe me when I say..."

He takes a breath. "That sometimes, letting it marinate will make it worse. And it'll fill you with regret, especially if the worst does happen."

He sighs. "But, well, that's just me. I won't ask what gift she's got. But...I should probably get out of your guys's hair. Want to grab a beer? You guys in the same space is probably a bad idea right now, especially if its still...nuclear."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael smirks in amusement at the offer. "Just the sheets, Alis. There's no need to be cruel." She takes a sip of he coffee now before adding, "Besides. I know she's been through hell, too, with all of this. And she's been doing her best to stand by me and help me through it all." She lets out a sigh.
    "I really should do that work. Could you do me a favor, though? Let her know that he can stay over - and that we will talk. Just... maybe tomorrow or something? When we're both less likely to scream at one another. I just can't deal with that. Ya know?" She glances over at her sister, giving her an apologetic look for making her be the go-between.
    "Or, I guess, you could tell me to take care of my own shit. And I could text her all that."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
This time Cael gets a two armed hug from Alis before she stands up.

"Of course I'll tell her, and him, at the same time," she replies. "You can always count on me Cael, and I'll be back after to help you work... or stay out of your way, but for now just sit and pet Bear, and oh..." she offers back the English muffin. "Eat that."

Leaning down she kisses Cael on the top of the head then walks through the door into the living room.

"Hey you two," she states, offering a wave. "Um... Cael said to let you know that Johnny can stay, and you all can talk later... and she means it, it's not a forced thing, so... yeah, Johnny stays."

==============================================================================

"I won't let it fester too long," Sara replies, eyes shifting back to Cael's bedroom door. "Just have to give her a little time, you know? It's better to let a few things get sorted in her head, and mine, before we try talking again."

Glancing down at her sleeping t-shirt and pajama bottoms, she snorts softly as she says, "Let me get dressed, we'll go get that beer."

She managed to take two steps toward her room before Alis stepped through the door, pausing there she listens before looking back to Johnny. "You can trust that what Alis says is true, and not something made up to please me. When it comes to Cael, Alis will always speak the blunt truth, so if there /is/ hesitation from Cael about you staying, Alis would have said it." She pauses, looking back to Alis who just nods once, then her blue eyes return to Johnny.

"Please stay? We'll work it out," she asks.

Johnny Blaze has posed:
Johnny gives Sara gentle smile. "Good. I know you guys are close, and I hate to be caught in the middle of that, or be causing it." Johnny admits with some guilt. "You don't have to put on anything nice." He reminds. "It's just a bar. But yeah, take all the time you need." Johnny smiles at her as he moves over to attempt to put on some smell-pretties and reapply his leather jacket.

Zipping the leather jacket back up, his attention is immediately stolen by Alis. He tilts his head. "Uh...she sure? I don't want to cause problems...but if its okay, I'd like to." JOhnny tells Alis, though Sara's request makes JOhnny take the question a bit more seriously and he hums a moment.

".....alright, I'll stay." Johnny looks at Sara and Alis. "As long as it's cool with you guys. I'm fine just crashing on the couch too.."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "It's okay if Sara needs you sometimes, too, you know," Cael remarks to her dog, smiling down at the soulful puppy eyes that stare back up at her. "You helped Martin the other day, yeah? And you helped Jon. You're a good dog, Bear." There's a happy thump of Bear's tail at those words. "Yeah. Yes you are," she says with amusement, before digging into her plain english muffin. Once she's finished it off, she gets back to her feet, and moves to her desk.
    She still hasn't finished sorting through all the data on injuries and incidents in Manhattan lately - and she's still not sure what tactical advantage if any they'll gain from her work - but she's determined to try to make sense of the data.