Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 Moira buckled up and drove off. She listened to Fleur's random babbling with sympathetic nods and grunts. When it stopped, she smiled and tried to process the information while she was driving, "Don't worry about it, drink up if you want to. The Beekeeper, we're going to pay him a visit as soon as he gets out. No violence, we're just gonna watch him. If he does anything out of the way, then we have the law on our side." She grinned wickedly as she pulled out a CD, "But now we're focusing on Jack. This is for love unrequited. This is for him being an asshole. This is for you, baby!" Pushing in the CD and pressing the play button Ride Of The Valkyries blared though the speakers. Oh yes, the Ambrosia buzz was getting better.
Electra Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 "Whoa..." It only took a few moments for Stesha to get into the spirit of the moment, singing along with the "Da-da-dada-DA-DA" portions and bobbing her head in time to the music. It was inspiring enough that she pried the top off the second bottle with no concern for police intervention and had another drink. She wanted to be very prepared to go see Jack. It was a terrible idea, of course, but right now that just made it seem funnier. They pulled up in front of a mostly dark apartment building and parked in a loading zone, something that probably wouldn't get them towed this late at night. Stesha climbed out of the car and leaned against it for a moment, getting her balance and her bearings. "Hey, this isn't that far from where I live," she realized aloud. Cradling the bottle like a baby, she tested her footing, then stepped up onto the sidewalk. "I'm going to tell him he shouldn't treat people like that!" she told Moira. "It's not right to put people in your plans and embarrass them, then make them feel bad about it afterwards. Even... no! Especially if you're a superhero!"
Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "Yeah, you tell him," Moira laughed giddily as she strolled up to the door. It was locked. Unfortunately she didn't see the buzzer system a few feet away from the door. She leaned on the entrance for a second when opportunity came walking their way. A weary man walked towards the door when he and her met eyes, she beckoned him over with a single finger. The man obeyed happily. Leaning into his ear she whispered in a sensual tone, "I need to borrow your key. We're locked out." The man didn't think twice. With a spring in his step he lept to the door. Moira winked a thank you to the man as she and Fleur entered. As they walked towards the elevator she was about to say something to Fleur when she felt a tap on her shoulder. The man handed her a folded up piece of paper, winked and walked away. She snickered happily at the man's bravado. Sticking the the folded up under the top of her night shirt she entered the elevator. She looked to Fleur, "Where were we? Oh yes, Jack is a right bastard! We're going to make him see that!"
Electra Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 "That's right," Stesha said, nodding vehemently. Now that she was actually inside the building, she didn't feel so sure of herself, but they'd come too far to stop now. She studied herself in the mirrored panel of the elevator, perking up the tea roses braided into her green hair and wishing she'd thought to wash off some of the baking soda from her face and arms. If she looked like Moira did, she would be much more confident about this whole confrontation thing. It really wasn't her style... She took another drink, pinkening her cheeks and strengthening her resolve. The elevator let them out on the correct floor and, at Moira's direction, Stesha walked right up to the door. At the last moment, she handed Moira the bottle for safekeeping, then pounded on the door before she could think better of it. Folding her arms across her chest, she swayed back and forth a little as she waited.
Avenger Assembled Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 On any other night, Jack would have looked through the peep hole before opening the door. But he couldn't live in paranoia and fear forever, and his time in his civilian identity was his time to relax. He set his drink back in the refrigerator and wandered over to the door, opening it curiously. After all, it wasn't as if he had to be afraid of burglars. What could be out here?
Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "Hi Jack," Moira said all friendly as she stood in his door way, "We need to talk." She stepped aside, revealing Fleur standing behind her. "All of us," she said with an evil grin.
Electra Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 Sensing her cue, Stesha stepped forward boldly. She was still weaving a little, but that didn't matter too much. She fixed Jack with a Stern Look. "I've been thinking about it, Jack," she told him. "And talking about it with Moira, too. We don't... I don't think it was right how you treated me. You shouldn'ta set me up just to drop me when you had your shup- your stupid flowers. And you didn't even invite Moira to your orgy party, and I think that was rude. You don't treat people right, and I... I think you should know that!" She gave him a defiant look, then hiccuped.
Avenger Assembled Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "You...she..." Jack looked wildly from Moira to Stesha for a moment, his eyes wide. Looking right over Stesha's head, he exclaimed, "Moira! You told her where I live!" He looked thoroughly appalled. Looking down at Stesha, he added, "And that...that is a breach of florist-client confidentiality, I bet!" he lied, flustered as he was by these unexpected arrivals. "That's what's rude! Showing up at my doorstep like this. You two should be ashamed!"
Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "Ashamed," Moira annouces all question-like while glaring at Jack, "You should be ashamed for playing with this poor girl's heart." She lets Fleur and herself in, pushing past Jack and closing the door behind them. "She's a person, Jack, not just a cute face and free flowers. Turning invisible and skipping out on a date? That's against the rules of dating!" Her words made sense to her, she hoped that they understood her.
Electra Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 "Yeah!" Stesha chimed in, worming her way between Moira and Jack so she could poke Jack in the chest with one finger. "You're the one who should be ashamed! And there's no such thing as client-florist confidentiality! Maybe you thought you could buy me off with a big tip, but I'm not that kind of girl!" She wobbled again, then steadied herself. "Moira was just being nice to me. She said I should confront my problems, and that means telling you all those things I should've said on the phone but I was too chicken."
Avenger Assembled Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 Struck to the core at this double-assault on his inner sanctum (for all that he'd let Moira and Stesha in to protect his privacy against nosy neighbors), Jack stared at Stesha before inspiration struck. "Stesha...what happened to your face?" he cocked his head and looked her over, genuinely concerned (for certain definitions thereof, anyway.) "Are you okay?" She'd definitely been drinking, but he didn't think that was the cause of it.
Electra Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 "My face?" Distracted, Stesha poked her finger at her own face, then immediately wished she hadn't when she remembered the bee stings. "Ow, crap! I fought a supervillain," she told Jack, jutting her chin out as though daring him to contradict her. "I fought him all by myself, and I won, too. And you know why? Because I can confront my problems! Unlike some people, who have to try and handle them through Merry the Orgy Queen or over the telephone!"
Avenger Assembled Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "That was not an orgy party," said Jack firmly. "I can't expect you to understand the way my..." Uh... "...religion works, but I would have thought you wouldn't be so judgmental." He folded his arms. "As for me, I'm glad you fought a supervillian. I knew you'd make a perfectly fine superhero," he told her. "But, uh, I'm sorry you got hurt. Are those...bee stings?"
Electra Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 "You told me it was a baby shower when it damn well wasn't a baby shower and I'm not about to believe that it was some kind of religious ceremony that involved black roses all over a couch... but that is beside the point!" Stesha replied. She reached out and put a hand on Jack's chest, this time to balance herself as she swayed again. "Whoa. The point is that yes they are bee stings, and I think you at least owe me an apology for being an ass about the whole thing."
Avenger Assembled Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "OK, fine," said Jack, holding up his hands. "I'm sorry about our date." This time, he was telling nothing but the truth. "I used you, and I shouldn't have," he said apologetically even as he remembered the taste of her blood in his mouth. (It hadn't been very good.) "Now are you going to get out of here, go home, and go to bed? You need to be sleeping off those stings, and...that." he added, shooting an accusative look at Moira's bottle and her both.
Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 Stesha, Moira thought as she watched the conversation like a momma bear watches her cub, what a beautiful name. She was proud of Stesha giving Jack a piece of her mind. This would either end in romance blooming again or poor Stesha's heart needing more mending. Sneering at Jack's 'religion' comment, she would have spoken up if Stesha didn't see though the blatant lies. Moira's ire was simmering at the moment, but when Jack refered to her and an object her eyes flared in anger. "Jack," she said, "I was here to be a mediator, not a target. This is between you and her."
Electra Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 "You think this is bad," Stesha demanded, pointing at the bee stings, " you shoulda seen the damn hickey you gave me before you made your yicky poopy face and decided the movie was innereshting! I had to wear turtleneck sweaters for three days, and it's the middle of summer!" She glared at him and tried to tap her foot, which nearly overbalanced her again. "And I don't think you're really... you're really..." She blinked hard a few times. "I gotta sit down," she said abruptly. She put a hand to her head, covering the flowers in her hair, and suddenly vanished.
Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 Moira looked shocked as Stesha disappeared. "Shit," she gasped, "This isn't good." She then looked to Jack. "Listen Jack, what you did to her was wrong, but at least have some human decency and help me find her."
Avenger Assembled Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "Dang it, Moira, this is no time to blame me!" Jack exclaimed. He ran his fingers through his hair. "OK, uh, Lord, she...she mentioned she could do something like that. Something like teleporting." He forced himself to remember every detail of his very scanty conversation with Stesha some days earlier. He shot a look at his own houseplants to see if she'd popped out of any of them, but his sad little African violet didn't seem like they'd disgorged anything in particular. "Ah, man...how much has she been drinking? And what is that stuff, anyway?"
Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "Blame you," Moira questioned loudly as she through her hands up and shrugged at the same time, "You're the reason we're here. If you hadn't have played with that poor girl's heart, we would have never been here." She walked around the apartment, arms crossed, as if she would find Stesha by doing so. "What she was drinking was ambrosia. Nectar of the gods," Moira pauses her search for Stesha to look to Jack, "It's alcohol for gods. Strong stuff. Hell, it could get that vampire we fought drunk." She smiled in rememberance, "No bad aftereffects though. Looser inhibitions and a good nights rest afterwards." Her eyes grow wide as a flash of common sense crosses her mind, "We really need to find her."
Avenger Assembled Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 Arrrgggh! Jack entertained many bad thoughts about the problems with being the only sober one in the room for several long seconds. "Okay, maybe we shouldn't be giving mortals the drink of the gods," he suggested irritably. "In the meantime, why don't you stay here in case she comes back, and I go outside and look for her? If she went to the nearest large plants outside, she's probably in the begonias in the back, or the cedars up front. It'll just be a minute."
Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 Moira nodded at Jack's suggestion. When she reached the door she stopped to look back to him, "Jack," she sighed, "No hard feelings, right? I was trying to do good, not ruin everything."
Avenger Assembled Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 "Aw, it's all right," said Jack, reaching out to pat Moira on the arm. "It's just...it's been a very surprising evening." He felt bad before her sadness, and smiled at her. "I'll go find Stesha." And with that he disappeared, heading off down the corridor at top speed to try and track down whatever had become of the drunken plant controller. He headed outside first, as that seemed the most logical, picking the back way out of the two possibilities. "Stesha! Hey, Stesha!"
Moira Morley Posted July 19, 2009 Posted July 19, 2009 Moira followed right behind Jack. While he went to search in the back, she went to search in front. "Come on Stesha," she called out happily, "I suck at hide-and-go-seek!" Moira thought the upbeat tone would draw the plant lady out better than panicky yelling. She hoped she was right. "By the way," she admitted, softly touching the cedar, "Stesha is a very pretty name."
Electra Posted July 19, 2009 Author Posted July 19, 2009 Once they got outside, it didn't take either of the heroes very long to notice the loud, tuneless humming from the far edge of the front yard. There didn't seem to be any song in mind, or if there was, it was beyond recognition. Zeroing in on the noise, Jack and Moira could see Stesha at the foot of the biggest cedar tree. She had her arms and legs wrapped around the trunk and her cheek pressed against the bark, her eyes closed. She looked as though she were worried she might fall off if she didn't hold on tightly enough, even though her butt was on the ground.
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