9736/A midnight cigar

A midnight cigar
Date of Scene:	20 January 2022
Location:	Back Yard
Synopsis:	Rien checks in with Logan, they share coffee and conversation, and a promise of some sweeter smelling herbal cigarettes are made... if the universe survives.
Cast of Characters:	Logan Howlett, Rien D'Arqueness

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Logan Howlett has posed:
Most of the kids were asleep. Most of the teachers were as well. Some might still be up in their rooms, but the school was quiet. For Logan, the situation of the heavenly host being out there changed nothing. He continued his night patrols of the grounds just as he has before they made themselves known.

At the moment his patrol had taken him to the backyard of the main building, so he'd gotten himself a thermos with coffee and was enjoying a cigar. Even the Wolverine needed a break, coffee, cigar, a small sandwich, then he would begin again by starting through the halls of the building, and back outside to head over to the new college building.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
    Footsteps announce Rien's arrival to Logan's hearing well before she comes around the corner of the building, heading over towards him. "I knew that cigar smell had to be you. Thought I'd catch up with you, all things considered." As she gets to the table, she pulls her cigarette case out and puts one of her herbal cigarettes between her lips. Case goes back into belt pouch, then she lights the cigarette with a whispered word that brings a small flame alive over the tip of her finger.

    "Has the Manhattan situation affected the school much? I've been in France searching for anything that might help us stay in existence and mostly failing to find anything useful at all."

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan eyes Rien as she 'cheats' lighting her cigarette. He had to use a lighter like a barbarian, but that thought makes him grin, as does the aroma of the herbal cigarette.

"Not much effect here," he offers plainly. "Doubled up on security to be safe, practiced the evac procedure a couple of times, other wise it's been pretty much the same. Oh, add the whining over not being able to go shopping in Manhattan." That makes him roll his eyes.

Another puff of the cigar before he pulls out a second tin cup, some of the coffee goes into it for Rien. It's already sugared, no cream, she'll have to deal with it. "I haven't heard much about it since you last visited, been busy pulling double shifts and teaching how to build things out of wood."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
    Rien shrugs a little, taking the cup and sipping the coffee. "Honestly, if things don't go our way, you won't need an evacuation. There's nowhere to run from the destruction of the entire universe. It's one of the reasons I decided to stop by, just wanted to visit with you again in case it all goes away shortly. I'm not completely up on what's gone on lately because I've been burying myself in some of the deepest libraries of Clan D'Arqueness in a vain search for an answer."

    She takes a puff on her cigarette and asks, "So how about you? Anything you want to do in case the universe ends soon? People you'd want to talk to again?" She's keeping a somewhat light tone as she refers to the end of everything, but her eyes are a bit haunted. She'd been raised as a defender of the human world against demons, yet somehow she's found herself threatened and basically powerless against their supposedly 'good' opposites. She's never been religious, but this whole thing has turned her world upside down.

Logan Howlett has posed:
The coffee cup pauses on the way to his mouth and Logan turns to look toward the building behind him, really he's looking at one specific window but that's hard to tell.

"Don't think the deep seriousness of it all has made it to the students," he comments quietly, before looking back to her. "Do no good to upset them all with things they can't change. Better they just live on, enjoy their lives to the last... if the last comes."

Now he takes that sip of his coffee. "As for me, I just want to make sure my kids know I care," that's not at all Logan, well not normally him. "Even the ones that don't like me, Bellona and Laura. Jimmy's around here, and well you... you already know I care, so does Gabby." He wasn't going to mention Wade, he still had a love/hate thing for that man who was sort of his son, not really, gene splicing, etc.

"The one thing I should do," he glances toward the house again. "I won't, cause if we survive, it would change too much and it ain't worth it."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
    Rien nods, "Given my training I was always very realistic about life and death, but I know most kids don't really understand the concept that they could die tomorrow. They're all invulnerable in their own minds. But yeah, I think you're right. Getting them all upset and worried wouldn't really do anything, either nothing will happen or suddenly it'll all be gone. Either way, they don't need to be burdened with it."

    Another drag on the cigarette leaves a pause, then she continues "Now, those of us who do comprehend it, that's another story. We may all need therapy if we manage to stay alive, cause I know I'm not used to being completely helpless, and the people around me aren't either."

Logan Howlett has posed:
The benches had snow on them, so Logan bends down to brush it off down to the wood so she can sit if she wants to, and he does sit. He'll be on his feet the rest of the night, take a load off while he can.

"Knowing the universe could just be gone any minute," he comments. "Not something I'd wish on anyone, so I'm glad the kids don't know. The fact I can't do shit to help or change it, now that's another matter entirely. Pisses me off in ways that some of the trees out there may never recover from."

Another puff of the cigar, but his scent of the herbal cigarette is still making him smile. "You gotta tell me where you get those, kinda nice compared to cigars, has the same effect as well." He offers then adds, "Therapy... me? Think about that for a moment and enjoy the mental image with me."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
    With a rueful chuckles she sits down, "No, I'm fairly sure that if you did go into therapy, the therapist would probably go insane by week three. But yeah, that's exactly the feeling I'm having. I've been trained in magic to levels even many mages never reach, between your genetics and more magic I'm physically powerful and almost impossible to keep down for more than a minute, I've been banishing demons from this world for decades, and yet there isn't the slightest thing I seem to be able to do to make a difference."

    She takes another sip of the coffee. "As for my cigarettes, they're an herbal blend I make myself. My senses are a bit more acute than yours, which can cause problems. The cigarettes give me a distraction from the smells around me, just like these" she taps the small devices in her ears "cut down on loud sounds. Early on I found out that strong smells or sounds could overwhelm me."

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan raises a brow, "Well then hook me up with some of those," he gestures toward the cigarette. "They work better than these, though I'll never give up on cigars entirely. You got the same problem I do then, overwhelmed constantly by scents and sounds, though I've learned how to keep the sounds from getting to me."

He snorts softly, "Right now I can hear students in the kitchen, thinking they're sneaking a midnight snack. I can also hear the wind in the trees, a couple of deer, and a few sounds that remind me that at least someone in this school is getting lucky."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
    She laughs and nods, "That's not a problem, I can make you a bunch of them. It took some experimenting to find a good blend that could mask the smells I wanted to without overwhelming myself with the smell of the cigarettes themselves. The whole senses thing can be a pain, but then something comes up that makes me glad I was able to detect something. That's why the cigs instead of any sort of noseplugs, I can still smell things, I'm just not overwhelmed by them."

    She sighs, taking another drink from the cup. "It's a hell of a life we've found ourselves in, isn't it? We've seen some things that nobody should ever have to see, and also some things you wish you could keep with you always." She looks at him and says, "Honestly, if everything does end, I can't complain too much about my life. I just don't want everyone else to be ended before they get to have their lives."

Logan Howlett has posed:
The last puff of the cigar is taken, then Logan stops it out and picks up the butt end. He used to just leave them, but then Charles had a word with him, and that word was, 'Don't.' so now he picks them up.

"I've done and seen so much shit, I think I've forgotten more than most people would have in one life," he snorts. "But yeah, I can say if it all ended, no regrets." Perhaps a couple, but he won't get into those.

"I would like others to get their full life time though," he adds. "The kids here deserve that, most of the teachers do as well, hell most people out there deserve to live their lives... still don't get how we ended up the butt end of this angelic bull shit, but we did. I just have to hope it doesn't end, for other people's sakes."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
    With a nod, she finishes off the coffee and stands up. Walking over to Logan she gives him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek saying, "Thanks dad. I'm going to get back to my research, there's got to be something that can help us with this situation. Not that I expect to find an old tome labeled "Open in Case of Archangels", but I'd like to think there's something helpful."

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan returns the hug, and gives Rien a kiss on the top of the head.

"If something comes up and you need me, call. Other wise I'll be here, not telling the kids and acting like everything is perfectly normal."