The prodigal... Zakai returns
-Zakai-
*Kai sighs, resting his chin on his knees. It was pretty lonely
out here...it was one of those nights that made him want to go
back and check up on Venin. But Sai already said if Kai left..he
wouldn't train him anymore. Still..* oh, the hell...
-Venin-
*vehement swearing can be heard from underneath the hood of the
truck as Yvette precariously balances in the engine compartment,
one knee propped on the sidewall, the other on the battery.* God
damn truck, I should have blown you up years ago *a clanging is
heard as she drops a wrench down the firewall, she streches to
reach it, banging her head on the hood and swear even louder*
-Zakai-
*He debates a moment- then uses the earring Jesse made him to
return to the farm, hoping he'll be back before Sai wakes up. if
the earring returns him to the tavern- he'll just retrace their
trail.* ....uh oh...*hearing the cussing right off. maybe now was
a bad time to come back...*
-Venin-
*with a wince she runs a grease smeared hand over the bleeding
cut* damn it! *the vertebrae in her back pop as she leans back
and stretches. Her eyes briefly wander over the buildings, taking
in the amount of work she has done on them since Zak left....She
runs a hand through her hair....maybe she was too tough..too
protective...too authoritive...too much like her old
man...withthat thought a shiver runs up her spine and she returns
her attention back to the truck*
-Zakai-
......*looks around, finding a rag. He dumps a bit of water from
the canteen Sai had insisted he carry while they were walking
around onto it- careful to slip on a full glove first- then
quietly walks up , just out of sight* ...you should clean that
before the grease makes it worse...
-Venin-
*startled she spins around, her head denting the hood, the pain
instantly being transformed to energy. The wrench held ready as a
weapon, she instinctively prepares to fight before she actually
registers who it is. Her body instantly relaxes, the wrench
dropping from her hand as she crawls out of the engine* Zak! *Joy
light up her face as all her previous worries about you
vanish...without even thinking she hugs you* good to see you!
-Zakai-
*makes a small sound, suspiciously like an eep, and makes
/damned/ sure the bare skin of his face and neck don't touch her
when she suddenly hugs him though he returns the hug when he can
as hard as he can. Not very.* .....*not sure what to say, still
just kinda meekly holding the rag for her to clean her hand
with.* ...um...are you alright? *first the cut- with grease all
over and probably in it now- and then she banged her head on that
hood..*
-Venin-
*she steps back smiling..grateful to see that he is alive, and in
one piece...she takes the rag and wipes her hands*
thanks......yeah, I'm fine *totally dismissing the question as
more of an afterthought...they're minor...she'll heal* where have
you been? what have you been do....*she stops herself abruptly
and turns to pick up a few tools* Its good to see you again *She
won't push...pry...she won't regulate and rule she did that and
lost him..... she won't become like 'him' she will not become her
father*
-Zakai-
*bites his lip when she turns away to get the tools.*
.....m'sorry I ran off....it was pretty stupid...I've been with
Sai lately...I can learn alot from a Syntant like him...but he's
not exactly warm company...*Sai hardly talked to anyone now it
seemed.*
-Venin-
*she pauses for a second* I'm sorry too, I was too overprotective
*seh picks up the last of the tools and puts them in the box*
Learn from Sai? What? how to fight? *the scathing remark leaves
her mouth before she even thought about it..she mentally winces
and preoccupies herself with putting the toolbox in the back of
the cab*
-Zakai-
.... *apparently, he shouldn't have brought this up.*
...yeah...how to fight. Like it or not, it /is/ what a syntant
was designed for..'sides...if something happens even on a small
scale like what happened with that attack on the Guard- or even
defending against them- I want to know /how/ to properly do it.
*He sighs- and, just as apparently- she was /still/ over
protective...*
-Venin-
*god damn it! why'd I have to do that?..she comes backt ot the
front of the truck and closes the hood, taking her time doing so*
look.. I'm sorry, *a sigh escapes her lips while she searches for
what she wants to say* I..I..just didn't want you to have to deal
with that..
-Zakai-
And I dont' want /you/ to have to either...but as long as you're
a Runner and I look like this- there isn't alot of choice, is
there? *perching on car Jesse had used to drive them to town a
few months ago.* ...personally, I'd love to not have to...it'd be
nice just to be /normal/. *at least /she/ can pass herself off as
that.*
-Venin-
*comes out a half snarl* normal? whats that?..........would you
rather me be GUARD? *the question thrown out so suddenly, even
she isn't quite sure where it came from......she leans back
against the truck, unsure what her reaction would be if he said
yes*
-Zakai-
*somewhere, a nosey little telepath with nothing better to do is
muttering about people with less tact than even /Aerik/. Which
shouldn't be possible in his book.* *at the farm, Kai's eyes
widen in shock- that wasn't what he'd meant at all. He /doesn't/
understand what she means, why she's so angry- it only confuses
him. Hurt by her tone and the way she seems so calm afterward...*
*suddenly snarled* no, I'd rather we were both just plain old
humans who neither guard or runners gave a rat's ass about!
*jumping off the car to run off. coming back had been a
mistake..*
-Venin-
*she mentally curses herself as she watches the emotions cross
his face..he not as old as he seems, I should know better...he's
still a kid * Zak? *the one word coming out a pathetic
question..almost a plea* I'm sorry....I didn't mean.....*she
closes her eyes a she struggles to form the words she wants to
say, her ears listening for his departure....I blew it, he's
going back.... *
-Zakai-
*he doesn't leave the farm- but he can hide himself good- and
he's familiar enough with the farm- and got good enough senses he
can easily stay several steps ahead of her to keep from being
found. He just wants to take off and think for a bit...*
-Venin-
*She listens to his departing footsteps, wanting to call him
back, but knowing she would only screw up again....is raising a
teenager really this tough? or is she just a failure?...this is
one of the few times she has truly wished for telepathy, if only
to let him know what she really meant, felt..damn it!...Her fist
slams down through the hood of the truck*
-Ryan-
Things not going so well? *sounds like it's coming well off to
her left. if she looks, it appears as if a smallish blond boy in
a simple t-shirt and jeans with worn out old sneakers is sitting
there. Perfectly normal- if it wasn't for the fact that: 1) if
you look close, you can see right through him and 2) the boy's
colors are a little..hazed looking.*
-Venin-
*With a scowl she turns her head towards the voice, almost hoping
to find a hunter....a good fight would clear her mind..at least
temporarily, Seeing an unfamiliar kid her first thought is that
it is another of Geoffs friends (place is starting to become a
playpen) then the voice places itself* What do you want? *Her
tone cool with a hint of suspicion*
-Ryan-
Why does everyone think I'm up to something when I decide to show
up? *hurt look* Even I need the occasional social life. But if
you INSIST I have a reason for being here, I guess I could offer
a bit of advice on dealing with Zakai...*sighing*
-Venin-
People rarely pop to a farm of fugitives for a social life, and
your type generally have ulterior motives somewhere in the works.
*her gaze passes to the hole in the hood of her truck* I'm
turning into Ian.
-Ryan-
""My kind""? *she better not be lumping him
in the same group as Aerik, or he's going to be beyond mortified
and offended.* and what you're turning into is a young woman who
has an adopted son with all the thoughts of a fifteen year old-
and emotions of a five year old. *He'd TRIED to even them out-
but Ryan's skill laid mostly in telepathy and telekinesis..his
empathy, while powerful, was crude to say the least.* You've just
got to learn to know when to let the leash slip a bit- just don't
take it off.
-Venin-
*sigh* I know, and I keep forgetting *she scoots further back on
the hood bringing one knee up* I should know better, but I keep
screwing up.
-Ryan-
That's cuz you're human- and I picked you because of that.
*Shrugs* you're a bit more protective than I thought you'd be-
but that isn't so bad, really. By the way...he won't be leaving
quite so soon or long...he missed you alot. *frowns* and I have
to go. *vanishes suddenly, with a final comment.* If you have to-
sit down and have a long talk with him where there's nothing to
distract either of you..it might work better than you think..
-Venin-
He did? *a small hope flares...maybe she didn't screw up as bad
as she thought....she sits there for a while staring blankly at
where his projection was, thinking...her knee drawn up to her
chest...they did have to talk, but how?... expecially when she
didn't know how.*
-Ryan-
*If Ryan could sigh, he would. He's not COMPLETELY heartless. he
had gone there to actually help. but so help him, if she did look
at him as another aerik...* *he closes the link to Zakai down,
figuring to let them deal with this without interference.*