Live and Learn

There's a thumping at the door, and River's voice calling through the wood. Her words are muffled but the tone is pretty clear.

Captain Ryan, if you'll direct your attention to the hallway, I believe your assistance is required?

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He whirls towards the sudden noise, almost spilling his water. He's quickly striding over a moment later, glass still in hand as he undoes the lock and opens the door.

"Hello, lov-"

Um.

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Ace is not a heavy burden, but -- boneless as she is, she's an awkward burden. River turns sideways to get her through the door, her scent rife with fight adrenaline and concern.

Ace smells of Cheetah and something else. Something sickly sweet, spicy, and beneath it all, grave rot. (The narration hopes the damage from Blodwen's last attack has begun to heal.)

"She shifted. In the bar. She bloody well shifted in the bar and attacked -- a goddess or a demon of some kind. A woman with ice blue eyes and hands that literally sucked the life force out of whatever they touched."

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It's only after a moment's hesitation that Ryan opens the door the rest of the way to let River and her burden pass more easily. He hasn't got anything against Ace, but the possible repercussions of bringing her here, damaged and unconscious, can't help but be at the forefront of his mind.

"Why not take her to the infirmary?" He asks tersely, looking out into the hallway for witnesses before closing and locking the door again. He wants to sneeze at the new smell in the apartment.

Damocles does. What happened?

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"Because I can't defend her in the Infirmary," she answers, equally as terse. She lays Ace down on the couch, carefully righting her head, looking into each of her eyes. The milkiness seems to be clearing. She heals quickly enough.

"I had to shoot her with a tranquilliser gun to get her out of there. Under her specific instructions, mind you, and I didn't want her to end up in the cells. She'd have been a sitting duck against this -- entity."

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Damn. They're entangled in this now, aren't they?

Later, Dam. Guard the door. Ryan's scent has gone rather grim, now. He moves into the kitchen, quickly grabbing a clean dishcloth and a bowl and filling it with cold water.

He takes it out to the women. "This goddess, then, she tried to follow you?"

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River thanks him quietly for the water, and starts washing the ash and grave dirt off of Ace's face. The skin underneath looks to be knitting up nicely.

At his question, his mate gives him a look.

"You think I don't know better than to lead her back here? She was occupied with other things when I slipped out. And I made sure no one was following." She turns back to tending to Ace.

Quietly, she adds, "Though if she really is a goddess, I don't know how that'll matter much."

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That does not make him feel better. He draws his pistol, checking the clip. It won't do any good, but it helps his head a bit.

He wants to go get one of the bigger weapons from the storeroom.

Instead he resigns himself to pacing a tight little path behind the couch. "Did you notice any other abilities?"

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"Other than the one to completely unhinge our dear friend here?"

River has to think on that one.

"Ace bit her. And came up choking."

It's a good thing for a werewolf to know these things.

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Here, Ryan, have a demonstration. The too-still figure on the couch suddenly flails, gasping in the air she's gone entirely too long without.

Well.

She flails fairly well on the right side, anyway. The left hasn't yet gotten the memo.

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River's voice is low, her hands firm on Ace, trying to steady her.

"It's all right, you're safe. We've got you."

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She manages to get a hold of River's shirt, with her right hand, though it doesn't seem to be helping the disorientation much. The lingering wisps of cloudiness streaking across her vision can't help.

Though, how much she's processing of any of this is up for debate, right now.

Being dead sucks the big one.

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She'll get no argument here.

"River brought you upstairs," Ryan explains further. "The woman hasn't followed."

He's a bit concerned for her health, actually, the foremost reason being she can tell them what the hell they've gotten themselves involved with.

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River grabs her hand and folds it across her chest, using her strength to hold her. "Gently now. You're safe here. Just -- breathe."

She's watching, hoping that whatever power it is she's seeing, it can reach the damage she's seeing.

Her gaze flits to Ryan, her scent threaded through with worry.

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She struggles for a few minutes longer - she doesn't have the best track record on waking up in safe locations - but eventually she stops.

Somewhere in there, the last of the cataracts fade away.

Somewhere in there, her left hand gets with the program and covers River's own.

"... Well. This is unexpected." Her voice is rough, but intelligible, as she attempts to figure out how, exactly, she got here. ... With River and Ryan. ... It's going to be a long day, isn't it?

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It's good to see her recovered. It means Ryan probably won't have to worry about Spoon on top of everything else. He circles around the couch to stand behind River, hands on her shoulders.

"What happened, Ace?" He watches her carefully. "Who was that woman?"

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Some of the tension fades from her body as she watches her friend heal. She puts a hand on Ryan's, her eyes never leaving Ace's face.

"I had to use the tranq gun," she says, almost apologetically.

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She nods, with a wry (if a bit lopsided) grin for River.
"Felt it. Took all the snap out of... well. Everything." Which is rather the point of a tranq gun. She can't be angry with River - she did tell River to gun her down, if something like this should happen.

She just didn't think it would happen with Blodwen.

"Her name's Blodwen. She's evil. Definition of, actually. Lord, I need t'tell Spoon t'keep Cora home."

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Blodwen. He commits that (and the cloying scent all over Ace) to memory.

"What can she do?" What are they up against?

He makes no apologies for the interrogation.

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And that would be another reason why River brought Ace here.

Because Ryan would know what to do.

"Do you have a way to send a message to him? Can Bar do that?"

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"... Well. Her skill set seems t'have changed since she was last in. Since I thought she was dead, I suppose any skill set is an achievement." She huffs, rather put out. She was ready to take out Blodwen as she met her last time - this new variation is a lot harder to take out, it seems.

Bugger.

"Just keep away from her. S'me she knows t'target, mostly 'cause she can get at Raven through me."

River just gets a look of bewilderment. Why would she send a message to Spoon? She can tell him in person.

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"We're dead," Ryan points out mildly. Dead doesn't mean much in Milliways.

"And that may no longer be true," Ryan says flatly, "since River involved herself. Is she likely to come after her for rescuing you?"

His tone and scent are both tamped down: what little gets through is worry.

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A message would be instantaneous, as opposed to waiting until she could get back to Spoon. She's thinking of Cora's safety.

River catches his scent and her grip on his fingers tightens.

"I hardly rescued her, love. I mean, I had to shoot her with a tranquilliser gun." To Ace. "And if I'm not mistaken, you were actually deceased for a short time there." She raises an eyebrow in question.

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