A Hard Day's Night [IC]

[Avenger Assembled]

"Yes," Jack said after a long hesitation. "I do have a teapot. I don't have any tea, though, so you're better off bringing your own if that's your plan. Ten to twenty minutes would be fine; Taylor's changing her clothes now. I don't have a plant," he said, remembering the transmitting woman's wacky drunken antics, "but there's a shrub in the hallway outside. I'll give you my floor and number, and describe the plant to you."

[Electra]

"All right," Stesha said, jotting a couple of notes as she went through her cupboard and her freezer. "Ask her if there's anything she wants from her apartment, I can run by there on the way if she needs pajamas or her books or anything that would make her feel better. That poor ficus is probably still up and kicking, I can run in without needing a key and get whatever she needs."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Don't go to her apartment," Jack said immediately. "That's a request from her, not me. There was some damage there, and we're not sure if it's safe. She'll tell you all about it once you get here," he added. "Bring a lot of food, if you think she'll need it, I don't have anything in my kitchen right now. I'll probably run out and go shopping once you're here, just so Taylor doesn't have to be alone."

[Electra]

"Taylor doesn't need to eat," Stesha told him, plenty of censure in her voice. What kind of boyfriend didn't know that? "But tea makes everyone feel better, and I've got some that's good for muscle aches and stimulating healing. Tell her I won't stop by her apartment if she doesn't want me to, but if there's anything she needs, I can go out and get it. Otherwise, I'll be there in just a few minutes."

[alderwitch]

"I don't really need to eat," Taylor pointed out to Jack. She could, she supposed, but that would just be weird. Especially since Jack couldn't...

Taylor narrowed her eyes at him as she remembered the garlic incident with her parents. With the towel firmly wrapped around her torso, she simply phased through the glass of the shower and began to work on getting her hair dry enough that it wouldn't immedeately soak any shirt she put on. The bathroom was large enough that she could scoot to the side so she wasn't bumping Jack while he was on the phone. "But if she has a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, I will happily borrow them."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Yes, I know you don't need to eat," said Jack irritably, covering the receiver for a moment. "I was trying to be polite." He passed on the word about clothes to Stesha, trying to keep control of the conversation. "So we'll expect you here in about fifteen minutes, Stesha. I'll be waiting out by the plant if you're looking for it. Jack out." And with that he hung up, perhaps with a bit more force than he needed to.

[alderwitch]

"Yes, well, Stesha will probably notice if we're eating and you're not." Taylor pointed out, somewhat muffled from the depths of the towel. She flipped her hair back up and twisted to look at him, raising one brow. "Especially if she's going to be digging around in your kitchen."

She shrugged one pale shoulder at him before slipping the Eye off from around her neck to set it on the counter top while she finished toweling off.

[Avenger Assembled]

"You'd be surprised what people notice," Jack replied, going through his kitchen to make sure everything was locked down that needed to be locked down. "I do have some food in the cupboards, but it's been a while since I updated it. I mostly collect it to have handy in case...well, I'm not really sure why," he confessed. "It makes things look more natural. And she can't get in my refrigerator because I don't use it to store food; it's full of evidence. And it is." He took out his teapot, filled it with water and dumped it out, then filled it up again. "She's bringing tea over. How are you feeling?"

[alderwitch]

It took some digging around in her pocket to find spare clothing. She wasn't really in the habit of keeping anything in there other than what she'd just changed out of and her costume as Phantom, but as she'd been naked when she changed this time, there had been no clothing to go into the pocket in the first place. Eventually she managed to pull out a pair of jeans that had frayed through at the knees and an oversized university sweatshirt with the tags still attached. She scrambled into the clothing before she caught up with Jack. Everything but the marks on her face were effectively covered and that she could really do nothing about except put a bag over her head.

"I think everything in my kitchen are just whatever's left over from the last time I needed food, sans perishables. I keep a few sodas in the fridge and that's about it. I usually have rotating leftovers from family dinners." Taylor eyed the teapot but said nothing, as she leaned one hip carefully against the door frame. Her voice was quiet, "Honestly, I'm kind of achey and still a little shell-shocked, but I'll recover. All in a day, you know?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Still, it's important to get help," said Jack, giving her a reassuring look. "Stesha can be...reassuring in ways I can't be." He put the pot on the stove, opting not to start boiling it yet. That was what you did with tea, right? It had been a long time since he'd had to think about that. "The worst I've ever been hurt, Scarab and Dark Star were there to catch me. It makes things a lot easier. I'll go out and meet Stesha," he suggested, heading for the door. "She should be here in a minute." It took Jack a conscious effort to extend the trust enough to let Taylor see him vanish; his body exploding into mist and fog as he disappeared under the door, reappearing outside a second later nigh-invisible to any human eye.

[alderwitch]

That was startling but after an evening of shocks, Taylor only managed to blink as her boyfriend - her vampire boyfriend - turned into a cloud of vapor and streamed away.

Only I could manage to screw up my attempt at normalcy this badly.

Taylor folded herself up on one corner of the couch, tugging one of the smaller cushions over to her chest that she wrapped her arms around and rested one cheek against. It was all really too much to even try to start processing, so she let her eyes slip closed while she waited for Jack to return with Stesha in tow.

[Electra]

Jack's timing was good, he was just in time to see Stesha stepping out of the potted plant in the elevator lobby. She had her omnipresent knapsack with her, as well as an additional canvas bag full of clothes. She gave Jack a stiff nod and walked towards him. The smell of herbs and dried flowers was stronger on her than usual, she obviously had filled her knapsack before coming. "Jack," she said curtly. "How much is she hurt?" Despite the fact that she'd obviously rather be anywhere but here, concern for Taylor was paramount right now. Hating Jack was more a recreational activity.

[Avenger Assembled]

"She's nearly better in body now," said Jack as politely as he could muster, leading the way to the door. "But she'll benefit from having a friend around." He unlocked the door to let them both in, stepping aside to give Stesha space to get past him into his clean, luxurious apartment to see Taylor. "Here's Stesha," he said, his voice making the words half a joke.

[alderwitch]

Taylor opened her eyes as the door opened and lifted her head up, giving Stesha a cheery enough smile as she uncurled from her corner of the couch slightly. The bruises had faded to that several days old green and yellow along her temple and cheek while the gash on the opposite side had sealed to a faint red line. "Hey, Stesha. How's it going?"

Lord, that sounded inane.

[Electra]

Stesha pursed her lips sympathetically and sat down on the couch with Taylor, setting down her bags. "Looks like they got you pretty good," she observed ruefully. "I hope you beat the crap out of them for it." She dug into the canvas bag first, pulling out a blue chenille bathrobe with daisies on the hem and the belt, then a lightweight green sweatsuit, then a long nightshirt with sleeping cartoon birds on it. "I wasn't sure what you like to sleep in, so I brought over a few things," she told Taylor. "They'll be a little big, but that's okay. And I brought some stuff," she added, digging in again, "even though I don't know how long you'll need to recuperate. Some crossword puzzles, some of my favorite books, my little electronic solitaire game..." She pulled out a little pile of romance novels and the games, setting them on the couch on top of the clothes. "And I brought some stuff that might help you feel better, too. I've really been studying up lately. Where does it hurt?"

[alderwitch]

"Mostly Jack beat the crap out of him. I was a little tied up at the time." Taylor said with dry humor that mostly covered the shadows in her eyes. "You know how it goes. Another day, another psycho. For some reason, I get more than my share of nut-cases. And it's not even halloween yet."

She watched Stesha pull out enough entertainment for a lengthy hospital stay and her smile softened the almost tight quality to her face, "Oh, thanks. You really didn't have to go to all of that trouble but I appreciate it. I'll be good as new in another day or so. One of the advantages of my unique nature. I'm a lot of pretty colors from breastbone to hip but nothing that won't mend all on its own. Honest."

Even less than the mess of her bedroom, Taylor would really rather not show Stesha the fading marks of what happened when a madman managed to get you. She was, in many ways, too sweet a person to have to be part of that world. Taylor went out night after night to keep people just like Stesha protected from things like that.

[Avenger Assembled]

"I've got the teapot full up and ready," Jack interjected, having watched Taylor and Stesha with a frankly worried look on his face. "If you want to use that," he said, walking over to his bedroom door. "Don't sell yourself short, Taylor. Without you, we'd never have caught that guy. After what he got, I don't think he'll be trying to get his hands on anyone else anytime soon."

[Electra]

It wasn't hard to tell that Taylor was in considerably worse shape than she was ready to admit, but Stesha decided not to make an issue of it. If it was important for Taylor to seem strong, letting on that she could see through the act would only make things worse. Keeping her tone as cheerful as she could, she opened up her knapsack. "You're in luck then, because I just made up a couple of new cold packs the other day, and they're perfect for bruises. They've got lavender and chamomile and a few other ingredients that will help you feel better much faster. She handed over a trio of cloth packets that seemed to be filled with frozen rice, and smelled like fancy soap.

"I'll make you some tea, too, and you can relax. This seems like a nice place to stay, if you've got to be away from home. A lot bigger than Jack's last place," she added with an unconscious glance at that notable as she rose. "Which way's the kitchen?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack nodded. "It's over that way," he said, pointing at an open door. "The refrigerator's for evidence, but everything else in there's yours." He ultimately decided to rejoin Taylor on the couch, the worry on his face trumping any other emotions. He could see how much she was working through the pain too. Even regenerating phantoms who could shrug off drowning could still be hurt.

[alderwitch]

Taylor wordlessly accepted the coldpack and pressed against the bruise on the side of her face. As far as bruises go, that certainly hurt worse than the rest. At least it was no longer shaped like a fist. Little things, really. She scooted over next to Jack and tucked her head against his shoulder. It's true, Taylor was struggling. Not just with the pain, but this was the first time that after a fight she'd been taken care of. Usually she teleported home, slapped a thing of frozen peas against the bruises and passed out on the couch. Any emotions were stuffed in some neat little box labled 'later' in the back of her head. Being taken care of wasn't something she was used to and if she wasn't very careful, she might just burst into tears again.

"You should check out the bathroom. It's huge. I might just move in there while I look for someplace else to live." She joked, albeit halfheartedly, "I'm sure my ficus would love it."

Holding the pack against her face with one hand, she poked through the romance novels with the other. "This smells way better than the steak my mom had me hold against my face the last time I had a black eye."

[Electra]

"It's a lot more effective, too!" Stesha called from the kitchen, "and cheaper! I'll give you one to keep in your freezer, if you want. They're really nice to have around." With the water already near boiling, she wasn't long in brewing the tea, though she had to wash the dust from one of Jack's coffee mugs before using it. She was glad she'd brought her own infuser. In just a couple of minutes, she was back in the living room with a hot cup of tea, and not terribly pleased to see that Jack had taken her seat. Maybe Taylor needed comfort, but he was the last person in the world who ought to be giving it. She gave him a dark look while Taylor's head was turned, then leaned down to pass over the cup. "Here you go, it's hot and will taste a little strong, but it should help. It'll make you sleep better, too." She went and sat down cross-legged in one of the recliners, trying to avoid any more useless glaring.

[alderwitch]

Taylor set down the book and accepted the cup of tea. She gave it the dubious look of someone who was used to some rather nasty medicinal teas but when all she smelled was peppermint, settled in to sip it gingerly. About halfway through the cup of tea, however, she had relaxed back against the couch and Jack's side so it was obviously doing whatever it was supposed to and her expression obviously eased as she finished the drink.

"I'm pretty sure that I could sleep for a week without any aid at this point." She stared down into the cup of tea, frowning, "You will take care, won't you, Stesha? I suppose he was just lucky to find me, but he showed up in my bedroom while I was sleeping. He's dangerous and completely certifiable."

She hesitated and looked up, her expression troubled, "I just don't want him to get his hands on you."

[Avenger Assembled]

"I put the fear of God into him," said Jack reassuringly, "but I was so busy worrying about helping Taylor that I wasn't able to do anything lasting." He frowned. "He may be back. He won't be back in that warehouse unless he's considerably more stupid than I gave him credit for." He squeezed the bridge of his nose. "If you don't own a gun, Stesha, it might be worth investing in one. You too, Taylor."

[Electra]

Stesha hadn't been feeling uneasy before, but listening to Taylor and then to Jack was enough to change that. Twining her fingers together, she said, "I don't know how to shoot a gun, I don't really think it would help. Do you really think that someone would come looking for me? I don't operate on that kind of level, I just work in parks and cemeteries and things. Surely he wouldn't have any reason to zero in on someone like me?" That was less statement and more plea for reassurance. She felt a little bad for it, since it was Taylor who needed help, but she didn't want to be staring out her windows all day and night, either.

[alderwitch]

Taylor glanced up at Jack as she tried to find words to explain that there were really monsters out there without terrifying Stesha. Jack was really better at the pretty lies than she was and it was so very tempting to try and find pretty lies to explain the very real danger to Stesha. However, Taylor owed Stesha so much more than that.

"Stesha, this sort of threat. It's not really like the Beekeeper or others of his ilk. He's a nut case, yes, but one with a cause. He thinks anyone with magic is tainted by that and its his duty to scourge them from the face of the planet. He's not looking for a slug fest, he's looking for annhilation. It wasn't a fight. He held onto me for almost a day because he thought I could tell him what I knew of my friends," Taylor spoke quietly, her gaze on Stesha, "It's not something to freak out about and hide yourself away from the world over. You need to know he's out there because he has the ability to stop magical abilities. You take a reasonable level of precaution, like you would if someone in your building got robbed. Nothing more, and nothing less."