With or Without You [Finished]

[Satra]

Alaster sighed. No, we wasn't happy about bringing a Club (though he was happy that the Club in question put a stop to what ever lewd comment Pale was going to make), not only to Pale, but through their Court. He had his reasons for it. Even if he didn't find the Club's intentions to be good, using him to find his sister instead of risking and sparing their own people appealed to him. However, if Rhiannon didn't want to even be found, then there wasn't anything he could do to begin with.

Hadrian, however, did not like the 'no' he was given. However, if the weapon was unwilling to cooperate, then he wouldn't push it. There was no need. He'd thought this over extensively on his trip. While Pale was the closest he could get to Rhi, he was not a final authority in this court. His hackles raised and his red eyes narrowed. What right did this man have keeping him away from his sister? Keeping Rhi away from her safe home? But he knew where he had no power.

"Fine," he snapped at the scythe and left. Alaster blinked, honestly expecting a fight, and was pleased to see there wasn't. The Club outranked him, and Apocalypse was, well, Apocalypse. Breaking up a fight between them was not something he wanted to do. He approached Pale after Hadrian left and gave him a light touch on the arm. He knew the Scythe was no good with emotional matters, but he at least needed some sort of sign that he had support and understanding. He didn't linger long. There was nothing that needed to be said and he had a Club he'd almost forgotten about being left unattended.

"Well, I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing. Is there anything else you need?" Alaster asked, closing the door behind him and putting as much politeness as he could in the statement issued to the child of a Heart noble, but only managing something not of his usual eloquence. It was fine. Not like Hadrian would notice something like that anyway.

"Yes," he said, only himself to say only the bare minimum, "I need to speak with my mother and maybe Xiven. Do you need to accompany me?" Alaster felt himself tighten. No, he did not need to stand there, forced to behave himself as he stared at Her Highness standing... so close.

"No. No I don't. I think felt I needed to be there to stop Pale should he try something. You know your way to her room and you know your way out. Good day," he said curtly and left. Hadrian just tilted his head and went off to his mother's room.

They spoke, Hadrian explaining why he was there and his offering to help.

"What, you think I'm some kind of idiot?" she asked, rolling her eyes, "I would have assumed this even if I hadn't heard a thing from you. Scotch?" Hadrian shook his head.

"No, but thank you. And I know you know that, but I mean... something like this requires some amount of communication. It's... too big not to... Mom, how much have you had?" he asked, looking at the empty bottles that littered the floor around her chair. She just stared at him after taking a gulp straight out of the bottle.

"You can count right?" Hadrian just shook his head and walked over to her. Taking the bottle out of her hand, putting it on the floor beside him, and putting his head in her lap. Her fingers twitched as the bottle was taken away, but they rested on top of his head, weaving in and out of his mohawk. After a long silence, she spoke up again.

"So when do I get to see this grandson you've granted me with? I'm starting to believe he's imaginary." He just smiled.

"When he's well-behaved enough for you to actually be proud to call him a grandson," he answered. After some more visiting and saying 'hi' to his father, he left, thanking Alaster before he headed back to his court. He was told Xiven was busy and asked Heilyn to pass along his offer.

-----

It was rather late the night he returned to the court. He assumed Anoushka was asleep and went to bed himself. He would regale her with stories of failure tomorrow.

[The Jenn]

Anoushka wished she was asleep. Oh, she wished to the Nine Levels of the Tarkian Pit in the depths of the Torquehelm forest that she was asleep. But no. She was not sleeping. She was trying to convince a young pup who had stupidly been given sugar with his dinner by one of the staff as an absent-minded gesture that he needed to go to sleep as well. When she finally found her bed that night, her eyes were bloodshot and she was twitching against the desire to throttle a soft young neck.

The next morning, she heard from one of the staff over breakfast that Hadrian had returned late the night before. A paper slammed down on the table and she stood in the same motion, or she would have if her right leg didn't suddenly give way under the abrupt rise and send her slamming back down into her chair. She gave an involuntary loud whine, almost certain that the base of her tail was bruised if not anything more serious, and spent a moment carefully rubbing at the leg in question until it started feeling more normal again. That was the one she knew would give her problems later in life, and apparently later was no longer in the future. Later was now. She'd never had it just... give out on her before, though.

Thoroughly sobered and a tiny bit shaken, the wolf rounded up her offspring with a few short barks and a great deal of growling, herding him to the door of his normal quarters. She walked slowly, still feeling the ache in her table and trying not to wince with every step. The knock on the door was sharp.

[Satra]

Hadrian had trouble sleeping. He found himself awake early just lying in bed. He felt awake, but entirely unmotivated to actually get out of bed. The very sharp knock on his door made him jump as if a jolt of electricity shot through him. He stumbled and rolled off the bed, landing roughly in a tumbled heap of himself and blankets on the floor. He barked a hurried "I'll be right there!" at the door and untangled himself as best he could. He shook off the blanket from his last foot and left the fabric mess on the floor and went to answer the door.

"Oh... good morning Anoushka," he smiled weakly. The pup by her side stop his constant bouncing and ran at Hadrian, "Haha, and hello to you, too, runt."

"Mom! Momomomomom!" he half-whined, jumping all over Hadrian. Hadrian only made a confused face.

"Suits, I think the little monster actually missed me. Are you just dropping him off, or would you like to come in?"

[The Jenn]

Anoushka waited by the door, thoroughly aggravated that she felt the need to lean against the wall and trying not to growl at the bouncing pup. He was excited. That was allowed. She just wanted to snap at something and he was the only thing in front of her.

Until that door opened. She continued to resist the snapping urge, merely eying Hadrian and smiling grimly. "Hello, Hadrian. I'm sure he missed you. He's had to deal with me for the whole time. I'd like to come in." Partly because she was having trouble putting weight on the leg without wincing. What was wrong with it this morning?! The top of her thigh and hip ached in alarming ways.

There was no helping it. He would see her limping inside, her expression decidedly moody and not inviting questions. The first convenient surface would be claimed and she would snarl if Radek got too close. Her patience was frayed from close quarters with the boy. It had been 'fine' up to the point where she could finally hand him back. Once he'd eventually calmed down, she focused on Hadrian. "So. How vas your trip?" Her voice sounded grumpy, but more than that... it sounded tired.

[Satra]

Hadrian noticed. Oh yes he did. That limp. Did she develop it while he was gone? How... sudden. It was alarming to him, but the look on her face told him not to ask about it. He kept his mouth shut and just followed her to wherever she decided she wanted to sit.

"Well, I will give you credit: he is still alive. I was a concerned for a while there. Radek, play later. Just sit and be good for a little bit, okay?" The boy grunted and ran in a circle and yipped. Hadrian was not in the mood. He was exhausted from frustration and poor sleep, "Radek, I'm NOT going to ask you again. Do as I say, or I'm going to lock you in a room with no food or toys." Radek stopped and stared. Paused. Then sat quietly. Hadrian blinked, amazed. It... worked? Wow.

"My trip was a complete failure," he sighed, walking over to her and gently resting his head on her lap, "The only person who knows exactly where she is, her weapon, refuses to talk to me and claims she doesn't want to be found." He looked up at her. Every time he saw her he noticed something else that was fading. She was still beautiful to him in her own way, but each new little thing made him afraid. Made her more mortal.

[The Jenn]

Satisfied that he wasn't going to ask any questions, Anoushka watched him discipline the whelp in silence before nodding in tired approval. "The reqvests never vork as vell as the threats, more's the pity. The soldiers vere having fun vearing him out, but it vore me out vatching how long it tood. Absolutely ridiculous." The last two words were said in a grumpy and slightly envious tone.

If his head hadn't been gentle, she might have snapped. It would have hurt her leg just then, a jostle. As it was, she didn't even growl, just placed her hand on top of his head half in warning to keep him still and half because the contact was oddly reassuring just then.

"I'm very sorry to hear that. I don't know much about the Heart veapons, but I met the late Serafino's little axe vonce and she vas an absolute monster. I did not enjoy the conversation." Her teeth half-bared in a lazy snarl at the memory, and then disappeared again. "At least somevon knows vhere she is. I don't imagine he vould let her get hurt, since... vouldn't he leave as vell? Or vould he linger like the little bitch?"

[Satra]

Ah. So the sudden increase in discipline was her doing. Made sense. Hadrian knew he was a terrible parent. He caught the bitterness in her voice when referring to his energy and turned his head to lick her stomach. He'd acted before thinking and immediately regretted it. She wouldn't take that as pity, would she?

"I've met Marie as well when I was younger. That was not a pleasant experience," he gave a weak smile that promptly fell as the conversation went back to his sister, "I don't know. I've asked her a few questions about it in the past, but I never liked him, so when I was around her I preferred to talk about things that didn't want to beat the crap out of me," he lifted his head to look up at her, "I do know that Marie hasn't been doing so well after the death of her summoner, according to the people who knew her before. Again, that's from the little I bothered to ask about it. I can't imagine he'd accept her being harmed," his hackles rose slightly as his gaze lowered, "He better not," he growled quietly.

Radek, however, having no idea what was going on, wiggled and wagged his tail. When were the boring adults going to shut up so he didn't have to sit quietly anymore?

[The Jenn]

Anoushka made a warning rumble that didn't have much heart behind it, the ghost of a growl to let Hadrian know she wasn't particularly interested in sympathy. His attention in general was nice, though. She didn't remove her hand from the top of his head, which was sign enough that she didn't want him to go anywhere. "Feh. Irritating things. I vouldn't vant somevon else living inside my head. I'm sorry the trip did nothing but vear us both out and I'm glad you returned vithout a scythe in your gut."

Surreptitiously, she tried to shift her leg and didn't like the way it felt when she did. That stopped being an ache and turned into something too sharp for her to ignore. She sucked in a breath and gritted her teeth for a moment, then looked back down at the Solandrian. "I know that I voke you up to valk in here, but I'm going to have to ask a favor. Vould you call a doctor?" The request was made in an even tone, all the more unusual for the lack of snap. He would know that she wasn't particularly fond of doctors.

[Satra]

Hadrian gave her another lick, but this time in apology. He stayed put, though, since that's what she seemed to want. Radek just stared and walked off to another part of the room. They weren't paying any attention to him.

"Heh, trust me, that sentiment is shared. though I will say that if there was someone living inside my head, I could always hope that he or she is smarter than me." He let his eyes close. He loved her scent. Then she made a sharp hissy-type noise when she moved her leg. He was right to attention. A...doctor...? Oh crap.

"No. No, no. Don't worry about it. Of course I'll get you a doctor. Radek! Stay there!" he barked at the child playing with a lint bunny he unearthed from under the couch. Hadrian moved swiftly, catching the first servant he found and telling her to get the doctor up to his room as quickly as possible by request of Lady Anoushka. The message sent along, Hadrian returned to the room to keep Anoushka company and to make sure their monster brood wasn't pestering her and making whatever was bothering her worse.

"The doctor will be here soon. Is there anything I can do until then?" he asked, returning to her side, "Radek, didn't I say to stay still?"

"I just wanted to see if Daddy is okay," he pouted indignantly.

[The Jenn]

Anoushka gritted her teeth against the stabbing pain and nodded, trying very, very hard not to growl or snap at her offspring. Her patience was worn to near transparency through constant exposure to the boy. His behavior had been 'fine' for a pup his age, but she was at the end of her tether for the time being in dealing with him. She didn't respond to Hadrian as he left, just sat there and waited. When he returned, she nodded shortly.

The pain was actually making her vision haze a little bit. What the flying fuck was wrong with her now?! It should not be hurting this much, whatever it was. She'd walked the whole way to the room just fine, albeit with stiffness! What had changed?

She was going to have to let this out in one of two ways. Either she could whine and whimper in pain... which was not an option, especially not around these two... or she could lash out. Her mind subconsciously made the decision. Teeth were bared suddenly, all of them, in a gleam of gold and off-white. She let out an open-mouthed snarl that would remind anyone that she was not only a canine, she was a wolf, the sound one that would prompt either immediate challenge or instant submission from another canine. Of course, if they went with the former then she didn't know what the hell she would do. She hadn't thought about it. She hurt.