Baley Warsaw Baley had followed everyone into the building, but while the others got comfortable, she remained standing. Her right foot tapped softly on the carpet as her eyes shifted around the room. There was a nice fire burning, out of style wallpaper, pictures on the walls, and dust everywhere. If she had inherited her ma's spick-and-span attitude, she'd already have a broom in hand. In addition to the fireplace, they had electric lights too. Baley still shuddered at the fact she'd been enveloped in complete darkness for nearly five minutes. Eva had meant well, but that sure had shook up a fear she'd bottled up years ago. The fear her brothers always teased about when in fact they had been the cause for it. Normal fear for a child; stupid for a sixteen year old. Baley quickly shrugged off the past as her gaze landed on Ina seated across the room. Maybe her trip here had been better. Baley walked passed Camille as she popped the exact question she'd been wondering herself. How did these people know about her, and when she stepped into town only once a week? She looked forward to hearing the answer, but continued her walk over to Ina. "Heard ya got hurt," she said as she approached the girl. "Normally, I'd ask how ya were doin', but that seems to be my question of the day. So, instead I'll just say the typical 'hi'." Baley grinned. She relaxed just enough to lean against the old wall, hoping it wouldn't cave. That'd be my luck, she thought.
Ina Holt & Lawrence "How long has Eximius know about us? Or moreover, how long have you folks been camped out here at the Berkley place?" Lawrence was met with the question as he entered the room with Eva behind. He tossed the clothes to Ina, then scratched his chin, staring at Camille. "We've only been here for a couple years, not long enough to be noticed." "That's right," Roland said with a smile, "We were originally in the Cities, on the Minneapolis side. We moved when the base collapses started." "As for how long we've known about you guys," Lawrence added, "We started scouting for Exceptionals from the moment we got here. Most of you locals were in the books within the first few months, the rest of you are more recent. There were quite a few more Exceptionals travelling in and out of Grygla for a time, but nearly all of them are gone now... I guess we should explain why you're all here. It all started with a man named Dirk Reynolds. How far back, I'm not sure on the details. He was aware of the Exceptional persecution, and formed Eximius with several close friends as an organization to help protect them. Their main base of operations was located in Coventry, England. Dirk didn't keep Eximius confined to one spot though. He and his colleagues traveled across the United States, forming Eximius sites in main cities. There were five in the United States, and one in Canada. Roland and I joined the Eximius in Minneapolis. When we'd been secured with enough members, Dirk returned to Coventry to work at exposing our enemy. Not five years ago, the disappearances of Exceptionals was a rarer occurrence, only a few a month, if that. Then, two years ago, the killings escalated to a frenzy, dozens were disappearing without a trace, and even more were found dead. One by one, the Eximius bases across the United States were either overrun, or abandoned. Roland and I, along with several others, abandoned Minneapolis and moved here to Grygla. It seems that the enemy followed us here, though. No sooner did we set up base, than the killings started. 'Tourists' and 'foreigners' started to flood in, and the locals' numbers slowly started to trickle. We had almost given up hope, when She arrived." "She?" Ina asked. Was it the same woman Roland had mentioned? "She..." Lawrence trailed off, "We don't know if she has a name or not... But we know who She is." "Who is She?" Ina asked, feeling an odd excitement as the story was told. "She's Dirk's sister." Lawrence said, "The man who was the best at unveiling others' secrets was also the best at keeping his own. We had all thought his power to be draining life from others through his hands. That had been what he had told us. As She revealed, we'd only seen the tip of the iceberg. They are actually twins." A strange uncomfortable look came over Lawrence's face, "They both were Exceptionals, even before birth. From the very beginning, they were using their abilities. Dirk uh- absorbed his twin sister, and she lived inside of him, using her powers to assist his." "And what were their powers?" Ina gasped. "Dirk's abilities were quite complicated." Roland pitched in, "His body produced a fluid that could slow down an aging process, and heal itself, by absorbing an external source of life. It uh..." Roland winced slightly, "Had an interesting effect on his sister. She was very sick inside her mother, and when Dirk absorbed her, his body slowly started to heal hers, as well as slowing her body's aging process." "I'm sorry if this doesn't sound relevant," Lawrence interrupted, "But please be patient. This has everything to do with where we stand now." Ina felt uneasy as Lawrence and Roland spoke. What had happened? Why would the woman be here without her brother? Where was the woman, anyway? Why were the two men speaking for her?
Shyla Shyla shifted uncomfortably on her perch. To think, dozens of their own kind were being murdered or kidnapped and they didn't even know. Someone in their very own town had been killed. And she'd just shown off her abilities half a dozen times in public already. This meeting had suddenly gotten very cold and very serious. She looked outside the darkened window, a shiver going down her spine. Were they being watched now? Was this place safe anymore?
Sheena relaxed a little, She didn't say anything through the story. Looking out the window it was as if she wasn't even paying attention. But she was, deep down she was pondering his words greatly. What if her husband was involved in this? Did he know about what was happening?
Gabriel Reeve Gabriel stood with his back to one wall, keeping in a position where he could see an escape route if need be. "So if "She" is being healed and kept young through her brother's powers, what does that mean for us when she's released?" he finally asked. Gabe's eyes flared gold and he realized that if these people knew about him, then they may know of his twin and his death. "I think it might be safe to say that if those two work together, they will be hard to go against. I . . . had . . . a twin, and if he had't . . .if I hadn't . . . then our powers might have kept on growing." he mumbled.
Camille and Ben: Cop Dog "I'm sorry if this doesn't sound relevant," Lawrence interrupted, "But please be patient. This has everything to do with where we stand now." Camille got a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, her senses reeled. Quickly she closed her eyes pressing her head against Ben's chest. She focused on the flow of words, desperately trying to ignore her spinning world. Ben listened with patent interest, mentally filling in blanks. "So the sudden influx of tourists and out-of-towners was a cover for these guys? He asked, before adding. "It would certainly offer some explanation to the mass exodus, but it doesn't explanation how. What about the fellow found in the alley off of State? No one has been able to identify him yet, either." "Ben," Camille muttered, her eyes still closed in her ashen face. He looked down expectantly. "Tell your inner cop dog to sit and stay. Let them finish their story before you start in with you interrogation tactics." "I'm really feeling the love here, Cam." Ben retorted with a hint of a grin. "Really." "You don't be quiet, you'll be feeling it even more." She whispered, her words ripe with promise. Ben snapped his mouth shut. Camille took advantage of the momentary stillness and lobbed her question. "How old are Dirk and his sister?" Noting several questioning looks she continued. "The reason I ask is because it sounds like they have been doing this for quite sometime."
Liriope Liriope woke when he heard the key words "Eximius" and "secrets". He appeared to be half-asleep and bored, but he was actually paying avid attention to the story. His attention was diverted when he heard Baley say something about Ina having been hurt. Liriope got up and loped across to their sitting spot and perched on the armrest, near Ina. "You okay, chickadee?", he said. "Is there anyone you want me to beat up for ya?" "You don't be quiet, you'll be feeling it even more." Liriope looked up in time to see Ben close his mouth like a clam. "Geez, get some balls", he couldn't help but mutter. Was that dude really that frightened of a little girl? And he was supposed to be a cop. "They must be giving out badges real loosey-goosey these days", Liriope said to Baley, grinning wryly.
Eva, deducing A grim realization began to creep into Eva’s mind as Lawrence explained the situation. But she didn’t want to jump to conclusions. She could connect the dots, but she didn’t like the picture it formed… Dirk’s twin had to be the same age he was and, the way Lawrence spoke of him, Eva got the impression Dirk was a grown man, not a child. Also, he didn’t call Dirk’s sister a ‘girl’ or a ‘woman’ he only referred to her as ‘she’… which was either a very odd name or she had no name at all. But a nameless girl, would be called a ‘girl’ and a nameless woman would be called a woman.’ ‘She’ lacked any age-appropriate connotations; anything from a fetus to a wrinkled old crone could be called 'she.' Eva could only reach one conclusion: She was never born. He absorbed her in the womb... “Let me get this straight,” Eva said, suddenly jolting forward. For once, she seemed fully engaged and actually interested in what was happening. “The Coventry base --Dirk Reynolds’s home base-- is no more, five of your seven bases have fallen to this new threat, and fabricated Exceptionals are out there, using manufactured abilities to hunt us down? I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume these things are all connected, yes? “Correct me if any of this is wrong, but what I really want to know is…” she sat back, laced her fingers together and locked her gaze on Lawrence and Roland. “What became of Dirk Reyolds and what drove his captured twin to cross the pond and surface in Minnesota, of all places? I imagine being trapped in her twin brother’s body for all her waking life would breed… resentment, to put it lightly. Where do her allegiances lie: with the brother who imprisoned her from birth, or with the people who want to stamp out everything that brother worked so hard to build?”
Baley Warsaw "They must be giving out badges real loosey-goosey these days", Liriope said to Baley, grinning wryly. Camille's man isn't the only one who should be keepin' his yapper shut, Baley thought, shrugging her shoulders at Liriope's comment. The conversation in the room was unsettling as Eva began digging her nails in deeper. This 'Dirk' and 'She' they were talking about gave Baley the chills, even if they may be good guys. She couldn't place a gloved finger on everything they were getting at but one thing she knew, this was serious; possibly dangerous. And someway, somehow she had gotten caught up in the middle of it. Baley crossed her arms as she leaned closer to the wall, watching everyone's reactions, waiting for more answers. She didn't know what else to do besides that. Glancing again at Liriope, she managed to wipe the worry off her face and give another one of her fake smiles. "This sure is gettin' real interesting..." Baley said softly.
Ina Holt & Lawrence "How old are Dirk and his sister? The reason I ask is because it sounds like they have been doing this for quite sometime." “What became of Dirk Reyolds and what drove his captured twin to cross the pond and surface in Minnesota, of all places? I imagine being trapped in her twin brother’s body for all her waking life would breed… resentment, to put it lightly. Where do her allegiances lie: with the brother who imprisoned her from birth, or with the people who want to stamp out everything that brother worked so hard to build?” A silence filled the room, broken only by the light crackling of the fire. After a long pause, Roland opened his mouth, "We don't exactly know how old he was. He was at the very least in his early forties. Uhhh, She, would be placed around that same age as well, though..." He trailed off, and Lawrence picked it up. "As for what became of Dirk." Lawrence sat down heavily in a chair, his face falling sadly, "I don't want to think about it, really. The enemy was after him since the beginning of Eximius. Two years ago, Dirk and his Exceptionals found the enemy's base, and laboratories. They learned that the missing Exceptionals had been dissected, and their bodies used to create serums that contained their abilities. They wanted Dirk for his abilities, and when they entered... They took him, and slaughtered the rest of the Exceptionals with him. She was the only one that got away. She brought with her Dirk's notebook, that contained all the information gathered within the base, and well as a drive containing photos of the base and laboratories that She took from an Exceptional named Arnold. As for why she came here, Minnesota; she tried the other places, only to find them destroyed. We left a message in the Minneapolis base, and she followed it here. That's our mission, that's our goal. She gave us means of exposing our enemy to the world; but there's one problem. The device containing the information was created by Arnold, and can only be read by the computers in an Eximius base. If we want this to end, we're going to need to go to Minneapolis." "You forgot about Her allegiance," Roland said, "Truth be told, we're not entirely sure. Ideally, She'd be here to speak for herself, but... She appears and disappears as she pleases, and we've never once heard her speak. She communicates by entering your body, and sharing information mentally." Roland shuddered, "I can only pray none of us will ever have to see what She and Dirk have." -------- "You okay, chickadee?" Liriope said. "Is there anyone you want me to beat up for ya?" "I'm fine," Ina lied, disturbed by what she had heard, "What do you make of all this, Liriope?"
Gabriel Reeve Gabe shivered as Roland described "Her" way of communication. Just what was She? He knew she had to be human in the sense of the word . . . but still . . . I need to focus on something else -this is getting to me. he thought worriedly, then spotted a tiny owl perched in the rafters. A half-smile quirked his lips when he locked eyes with the creature and took over it. Animals never had unpleasant memories, so he wasn't scared of controlling them -and he never hurt them- so no one ended up worse for wear. The owl blinked and swiveled its head around, and Gabe was momentarily disoriented as his bodily senses transferred to that of the animal's. Peering down at his human body -now still as stone with glowing eyes locked on him as the owl- Gabe hooted and took off, silently spiraling down to land near Baley. He looked at her with big, golden eyes -whenever he took over someone's mind their eye color matched his- and hooted again. If he had been human Gabe would have grinned -being an owl had drained away his stress very effectively. Daring to turn his head around to stare at Roland, Gabe's talons clicked over the floor as he hopped towards Ina. His wings flapped comically as he took off and landed again near the girl's shoulder. Daring to do it, Gabe hopped then onto her shoulder, hooting softly.
Liriope "What do you make of all this, Liriope?" "Well", Liriope said, "I think She sounds really creepy. As for going to Minneapolis"--he shrugged--"I'm up for anything. Better than sitting around squabbling among ourselves." He didn't add that he was going slightly stir crazy from bumbling around his hotel room and watching The Craft over and over. It was a great movie, but thirteen times in a row was his limit. Then an owl--an owl of all things!--perched by Ina's shoulder. Liriope yelped and looked around to see Gabriel standing statue-still, his eyes aglow. Was he doing this? Liriope looked at the bird and said, "Gabe, is that you...?" He reached out a hesitant finger to stroke the owl's head.
Ben and Camille: Inca Mummy Girl "You forgot about Her allegiance," Roland said, "Truth be told, we're not entirely sure. Ideally, She'd be here to speak for herself, but... She appears and disappears as she pleases, and we've never once heard her speak. She communicates by entering your body, and sharing information mentally." Roland shuddered. Camille's cobalt eyes opened slowly. The world had stopped spinning. Carefully she leaned against the arm of the couch, her bespectacled gaze fixed on Lawrence. "So essentially, you're telling us that you work for a noncorporeal entity who has the ability to take a host. An entity that neither of you has ever actually heard." She shivered involuntarily, grateful for the lined leather warmth of Ben's jacket. "I don't mean to seem rude, but this forcibly reminds me of an episode from Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Ben choked on a laugh. "Halloween Season 2 or Inca Mummy Girl?" "Definitely the Halloween episode." Ben guffawed, but quickly sobered. "If She's in charge, where do you two fall into all this, other than as surviving members of the Minneapolis chapter? Have you been able to save any of the Exceptionals around Grygla? Or I guess, more importantly, have you found any of these bastard Exceptionals they were manufacturing?" Gently he folded his hands across Cam's knees. "I guess what it boils down to is what are we up against? In both numbers and skills. Five decimated bases doesn't speak to pleasing odds. Is it just you two and She, along with this handful you managed to find or are there others, as well?"
Shyla She appears and disappears as she pleases, and we've never once heard her speak. She communicates by entering your body, and sharing information mentally." Roland said. An involuntary shiver went down Shy's spine. She couldn't imagine that being the most pleasant experience. Having another conciousness in your mind and body. "I guess what it boils down to is what are we up against? In both numbers and skills. Five decimated bases doesn't speak to pleasing odds. Is it just you two and She, along with this handful you managed to find or are there others, as well?" "Let's hope it's not just us..." Shyla finally piped in. "Otherwise it's going to be a very short battle...which leads me to the question...why the heck are they after us in the first place!? One or two I understand, but all of us?"
Baley Warsaw Baley didn't like what she was hearing. At all. Maybe going home would've been better, if not for the fact there now was an enemy she should be worried about. Oh, and a freaky person named 'She' that could get inside her body. Baley glanced over at the small owl that Liriope thought was Gabe. Yeah...could her day get any weirder? "...why the heck are they after us in the first place!? One or two I understand, but all of us?" Shy piped in. "That's what I wanna know," Baley said, hugging her arms closer. "Does this 'enemy' know us as well as ya'll seem to? But, how? I mean some of us are not good at hidin' what we have," Baley kept her eyes on Lawrence, trying hard not to look at any specific person. "But I think most of us haven't revealed our true selves until just recently. So, this doesn't make much sense." Baley blew her bangs out of her eyes, wondering if she really did want to understand. The whole situation was hard to wrap her mind around...what else was in store?
"Let's hope it's not just us..." Shyla finally piped in. "Otherwise it's going to be a very short battle...which leads me to the question...why the heck are they after us in the first place!? One or two I understand, but all of us?" "Because we pose a severe threat to the well being of humankind." Sheena stated factually drawing curious stares from everyone. Once again not looking directly at anyone she spoke while staring at the shadows outside. " I may not look like it but I am a scientist or was, I should say I was. My husband was too I'm sure you have all heard of natural selection?" She took a deep breath. "We are a more powerful version of regular humans even with our weakness our abilities pose a real threat to anyone who is normal, left unchecked we would quickly out compete the regular humans. What's worse if multiple super powered beings joined up we would pose a serious threat to national security, we may even be able to take over. Unstopable monsters who can read minds, telaport, kill with a touch. In short I can see why they would want to wipe us out before we became a threat, a little like rooting out a weed when it's young, we are a danger to them." Sheena began to fiddle with her knife, twisting it in her hand. "Killed or be killed, that is the way of this world. I understand why they would do it, I would too." She concluded and went back to looking out the window. “There may be other reasons, I can surely think of more. But I have a hunch I am at least partly right aren’t I Lawrance?”
Camille and Ben: Witch Hunt “There may be other reasons, I can surely think of more. But I have a hunch I am at least partly right aren’t I Lawrance?” Camille glanced up from her spot of the couch, more than half swallowed by Ben's jacket. "We're predators." She said, felling utterly ridiculous as she did so, knowing the picture she presented. "Like the big cats and poisonous reptiles, we have adaptations that give us an edge, for some, a lethal edge. Yet nature saw fit to balance our powers with a drawback of one form or another, and I honestly can't believe we would be here if we weren't meant to be." Her dark blue eyes shimmered with emotion as she continued. "How much of this is about the thrill of the hunt? To face off with an enemy, who may or may not have the ability to kill? Our talents are powerful, some unpredictable, but while we gain control with practice, some of it is instinctual. In a state of flight or fight, more primal reactions are triggered and it doesn't take a great leap of logic to know our abilities are hardwired into those responses. The greater the threat, the greater the reaction, and threat of imminent death is a motivator like no other. Raw power takes over, heedless of the recompenses. Kill or be killed becomes the ruling law, and most folks I know will fight to the bitter end." Her spat of verbiage slowed to a trickle. "I hope it never comes to that, but from what you gentlemen have said, it just might." Ben looked grim, but there was a dark fire in his blue eyes. "So it really is a witch hunt." His gaze was fixed pointedly on the redheaded imp, whose knees were across his lap.
Gabriel Reeve "Gabe . . is that you?" Gabe hooted an affirmative, allowing Liriope to stroke his head-feathers. People usually reacted that way around an animal that allowed themselves to be petted -as if they were in awe. Gabe was careful not to allow any of the animals he controlled be hurt though, and in fact helped them whenever he could, but still . . . it was fun to see people's reactions. Gabe spread his wings a bit -still perched on Ina's shoulder- and started hooting the first random tune he could think of to prove it was him. Figures being an animal made him so laid back and -well- goofy.
Liriope As the owl began to hoot a song, Liriope laughed and slapped his knee. "Ha, that's wicked cool, wish I could turn into a bird", Liriope said, grinning his boyish grin. To Ina he said, "Gabe's doin' tricks over your shoulder, it's hilarious, ha!" He sighed and wiped away an imaginary tear, then heard what Sheena and Camille were blabbering about. Liriope rolled his eyes and his smiled turned into a frown. "Why are you guys so gloomy? Gawsh!", he grumbled, wiping his face in exasperation. "I mean, nothing can stop us, can it? Not with Baley and Ina and all of our combined talents. Not to mention me--not to brag, but am kind of the powerhouse in our group." He grinned at everyone and winked. "So, like I said, we ain't got nothing to worry about, drawbacks or no. A human would be silly to mess with us, and if it's an Exceptional--well, we could handle him, too." As if the matter was settled, Liriope turned back to Gabe the owl, entranced by his silly antics.
Ben: Rank Arrogance Liriope rolled his eyes and his smiled turned into a frown. "Why are you guys so gloomy? Gawsh!", he grumbled, wiping his face in exasperation. "I mean, nothing can stop us, can it? Not with Baley and Ina and all of our combined talents. Not to mention me--not to brag, but am kind of the powerhouse in our group." He grinned at everyone and winked. "So, like I said, we ain't got nothing to worry about, drawbacks or no. A human would be silly to mess with us, and if it's an Exceptional--well, we could handle him, too." Camille was about to lay into Liriope, but Ben beat her to the punch. "How can you be such a moron?" He barked, coming to his feet in a heaving rush. "It is that cowboy, cocksure attitude of invincibility that lead to this mess in the first place! People fear what they don't know and they fear it even more if it's powerful. The obvious solution: Destroy it, before it destroys you. It's the whole damned kill or be killed discussion again. Exceptionals, by their very existence, are different. Throughout history anything different has been treated with fear and suspicion. Technology may have advanced, but basic human reactions have not. You might have power, but you are still just as human as the next guy. You breath, you bleed, you die..."
Liriope Liriope put his head in his hands and groaned after Ben's speech. "You guys"--he pointed at Camille and Ben--"are lame. To the max. You're making this into a huge armageddon type thing. Sure, things might get dangerous when we meet whatever's been trashing Eximius' headquarters. But that doesn't mean I have to be all doom and gloom like you party poopers. I'm taking all this in stride, and you should too, instead of having heart attacks and acting like freakazoids." With a flick of his fingers, Liriope sent a surge of blue energy at Ben, pushing him back into his seat. "Just chill for once, dude", Liriope snapped, his eyes turning dark blue with violet accents. "You're not an Exceptional anyway, you shouldn't even be here, you'll just get in the way. Your only use is keeping Camille from acting like a total thorn in the side, so stick to that and don't lecture me. Gah!" Liriope shook his head in a I can't believe this guy sort of way.
Gabe fluttered over to land on Liriope's shoulder. Making a tired sound, he flew up to the rafters and landed in a safe place before withdrawing from the animal's mind. "Liriope -that's actually a bit of a mouthful-" Gabe commented, crossing his eyes for a moment, "who's to say Ben isn't an exceptional that we just haven't seen the powers of yet? Sometimes powers can lie dormant from what i've seen . . ." Gabriel quieted and a looked a little sad then, "Try living on the run your whole life after a single accident. You see a lot of things, see a lot of people, but I'm not the kind of guy who likes to run and hide. . ." Gabriel sighed and looked up at the owl as it flew out of a broken window. His mouth quirked and his eyes settled back to their original blue color. "Maybe instinct to survive is what's let me live this long despite the fact that i hate running." he mumbled.
Liriope Liriope gave Gabe a sympathetic look. "I know what you mean, I do", he said gently. "But the fact that we're all still here after hearing about the danger tells me that we are committed to going forward, to Minneapolis. I mean, I don't want Ina to go, or Baley, b'cause they're so young--or even Camille, evne though she's a huge crabapple." He gave her sardonic grin. "But Ben's in charge of here and he doesn't seem to have a problem letting her go out to battle, so I'll just keep my nose out of it..." The tone of his voice said he dissaproved, but he continued on. "And Ina, well, sorry sweetie, but I saw you in that alley and something tells me you don't have a perfect life. I think you'd be better off with us where me or Gabe or Baley could watch over you." To everyone, Liriope said, "The point is, we're all still here. So that means we're going forward, and there's no point moaning and groaning about it, or yelling doomsday. If anyone wants to leave, I think now is the time." He looked around, raising his brows.
Ben: A Bit of Experience "But the fact that we're all still here after hearing about the danger tells me that we are committed to going forward, to Minneapolis. I mean, I don't want Ina to go, or Baley, b'cause they're so young--or even Camille, even though she's a huge crabapple." He gave her sardonic grin. "But Ben's in charge of her and he doesn't seem to have a problem letting her go out to battle, so I'll just keep my nose out of it..." The tone of his voice said he disapproved, but he continued on. Ben pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "I never said we shouldn't stand our ground." He ground out. "I served in the Marines, I've seen the combat zones. This isn't going to be a cakewalk. From what Lawrence has let fall, the enemy is devilishly well organized. Something we can't lay claim to at the moment." "What I take exception to is the del nay care attitude. I saw it end the lives of too many good men." Ben continued, pinning Liriope with a sharp glare. "You're young, you've got the moves, the power...There's nothing stopping you until fate flips over the next card. Suddenly all the power in the world doesn't mean jack shit." "Camille, for all her heedlessness, actually understands this." For once, Camille dutiful kept her quick mouth shut, while he pressed on. "People are capable of atrocious things. Don't think this unseen enemy of Eximius will be any different." To everyone, Liriope said, "The point is, we're all still here. So that means we're going forward, and there's no point moaning and groaning about it, or yelling doomsday. If anyone wants to leave, I think now is the time." He looked around, raising his brows. "Let's allow Lawrence and Roland to finish their explanations before we go haring off into Minnesota night." He added.
Liriope "Let's allow Lawrence and Roland to finish their explanations before we go haring off into Minnesota night." He added. "There's no point sticking around if they don't want to go, Ben", Liriope said, his tone exasperated. "That's all I meant. And as for my attitude, it's not gonna change, so get used to it, geez. You whine worse than a toddler. Let me worry about when fate flips it's card", he mocked. "As for Camille, even if she does understand whatever you're jabbering about, which I highly doubt, she's still just a kid. And you seem to have no problem letting her get int he way of danger. Btu like I said, I'm not gonna stick my nose in that." He sighed and leaned his head back. "Is that all? Or do you have something else to complain about?" He closed his eyes as if to block out Ben and his whining.
