Looking For Lillian

Fires Rebirth · Tainted Flames

Looking For Lillian

Mary Jane · Stripped T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Jane was out shopping actually. With Lili stuck in bed (sleeping) she was the only Bradshaw left to do the shopping. The meat was going to have to be doubled, food doubled. Not because of Lili living with her. More because now Lili could really eat and not gain a single pound. Which after the trauma of fat camp Lili always ate like a bird. Now she'll be eating like a tiger (pun intended). The cold air blew at Jane's cheeks as she reached into the shelf to grab a slab of meat. Pad of her thumb pressed down on the bloody raw piece of meat, causing more of the juices to escape, filling the styrofoam container it was in. Aztec gold eyes stared in almost awe at the sight. At time Jane really showed what sort of animal she was. The unwavering stare she had on the blood pooled in a corner of the packaged meat.

It was the vibration of her cell phone that made Jane hesitate a minute. Pulling back from the primal place she had just been. The meat was tossed in the cart, along with two others before she answered the vibrating slim piece of electronic.

"Bradshaw."

It was Sean's voice that reached her ears then. He explained someone was looking for Lillian. A Solomon. The number followed where Jane could reach him. She shuffled a few things around, asked the butcher for a pen and scribbled down the number on her hand. A few mhm's and how are yous were passed between herself and Sean. When the idle chatter was over, Jane hung up. The knowledge that Lili had friends that went out of their way to find her, made Jane happy. She knew Lili attracted people like a moth to a flame. Jane on the other hand was more recluse. Though one wouldn't ever think it with the wild stunts she pulled. One of which had been changing Lili into a tiger. Jane felt no remorse or regret about the action. She did however have to call Adam and Raine and tell them what she had done. Not now though. For now Jane would call this Solomon and tell him where he can go to find Lili.

Cell phone was gathered in one hand, while the dialed the number she had written down on her palm. The number looked like one of those cheap motels. How did Jane know that tidbit? Because she'd called this number before when she lived in Hawaii. That was another life and another time. The phone gave one ring before a Hello came through.

"Ya called fo Lillian? She's restin' at mah house. Ya welcome ta come bah if ya'll want. Ah'ma sure Lil will be happy ta see ya."

Fires Rebirth · Tainted Flames

He sucked in a quick lungful of smoke as the hotboxed filter of his Dunhill was clenched between his teeth. The woman on the other end of the phone sounded vaguely familiar, but he wasn't even trying to find out why. Then again every time that the phone chord moved it sent a shiver of static racing down the phoneline, so perhaps he could be forgiven for not recognizing Mary Jane from the illegal police scanner he had. Then again with her distinct thick as molasses accent it was hard to imagine that anyone could forget it, bad connection or not.

"Yes, I wanted to find out how she was doing."

His own voice was rich and sultry with the heaviness of that Australian dialect accenting it, but she obviously wasn't a sucker for accents because before his sentence was out she was already moving on and talking over him. The thick black phone receiver was tucked between his shoulder and his ear so he could use his hands to search the bedside table for something to write on and with. There was a pen on top that he had been using earlier, its black plastic lid was chewed into a disfigured strip in his usual manner, but the pad was nowhere to be found. In the drawer the only thing rattling around was an old copy of the Gideons bible. The same book that was in millions of hotels the world over. Pulling a page out at random he glanced at the top and saw that it was Titus Chapter 3. Lips wore a smirk for a moment as he recognized one of the versus.

"Alright, let her know that I'll stop by later in the evening. Thanks."

A click, and then the line was dead. Either the woman was a cop or just a total bitch. With the receiver hanging limply in his hand he looked at his own small writing cramped into the top margin of the thin leaf paper. The directions would take him almost clear across the island and not for the first time he was wondering why he was even doing this. Still on autopilot he folded the sheaf and stood from the bed to slip it into the back pocket of his worn in blue jeans. With a thump he let the bible fall back into the drawer he had taken it from.

The room was sparse with a bed, nightstand, dresser, a small table and a chair all shoved together into close quarters. On the table had once been an ashtray but it had gone unemptied and now just looked more like a mountain of ashes and filters. Taking a last drag from his Dunhill he pushed the filter down into the pile, ignoring the fact that it was still smoking as he searched for a shirt. The first two he picked up from the ground were pressed to his face and sniffed before being discarded again. Finally the third from the back of the chair was found acceptably odor free and shrugged on, fitted snug against the muscled planes of his physique. Heading towards the bathroom he grabbed his room key and cell from the busted TV set and shoved them into his pockets as well.

In the bathroom his hand jerked, fingers surprised by a sudden jolt of static electricity when he touched the rusted metal of the sink handles. Finally though his efforts were rewarded with a burst of rusted water that was only slightly brown. Dipping hands into the coolness of the water he splashed his face, fingers delicately feeling the stubble that lined his chin and cheeks. Rich chestnut hair was slicked back with water before he grabbed a trucker hat from on top of the medicine cabinet and pulled it on his head, giving a slight downward tip to the brim to keep a shadow over his face.

It wasn't until he left the room and breathed in the fresh air that he even realized how musty the small cubicle had become. Converse All Stars beat a quiet path along the concrete walkway past other rooms whose inhabitants were going on about their business. Babies screaming, people arguing, and everywhere a hanging sense of unease, anger, and sadness. Solomon could afford to stay somewhere nicer, but wherever he went he always seemed drawn to the places where sadness etched a shadow around it. He was a lodestone for misery, and it was just one more thing he tried to push back and not think about. All those dreams, and the feelings that he had a great purpose that was not being fulfilled.

On the door to the lobby was a sign that read 'No Skateboards, No Loitering, Trespassers Will Be Shot.' It was a cheery place. Pushing open the door a bell rang overhead and the nearly bald man behind the counter looked up at him with rheumy eyes. As he got close to the counter he was already pulling his room key out of his pocket and flashing it towards the man who apparently would shoot him for trespassing. Solomon had his doubts though about this particular clerk being able to even aim correctly in the pisser let alone with a .357.

"Can you ring for a taxi."

The man looked at him like he thought Solomon was likely to steal something, but finally picked up the phone and dialed the number for him. Without hesitating he turned and went out front to wait for his ride. The sun beat down on him and he tugged at the brim of his cap to keep his eyes in the shade, though the truth was he could stare directly into the suns light without squinting or being bothered at all, one of many little trivialities he liked to pretend didn't exist. After a few minutes of standing and smoking a taxi pulled up out front and he was able to climb in the backseat, srrounded by the stench of sweat and cherry air freshener. Good. He had had far too much fresh air anywhere.

"Here."

Leaning forward he waited for the driver to pull aside the plastic window partition between them so he could hand over the slip of bible paper that had been folded in his back pocket. Once the man had the directions he gave Solomon a nasty look when he saw what it was written on, but finally pulled away from the curb and headed in the right direction. It was a long drive, but that didn't bother him. He was good at simply vegitating, losing himself in his own mind. Not thinking exactly, but just being, though it always felt like there was something more there inside him waiting to be found. When the driver pulled up at the Bradshaw house he was in an almost zen-like daze. Blinking quickly his eyes refocused and he handed several folded twenties through the partition to the driver.

"Can you wait for me?"

The driver looked at the money then back at Solomon, weighing in his mind obviously the amount the fare could get to. "I wait," he said. "But my meter stays running."

With a nod Solomon handed him another twenty and then slipped out of the vehicle, accompanied by the flatulent sounds of the vinyl seats releasing air as he stood. Moving up the front walkway he looked at the quaint little house, on the normal looking street and shook his head. It was really a shame such a nice normal little girl got mixed up in such a sinister accident. How little he truly knew about the Bradshaws as he mounted their stoop and lifted his hand to knock three times on the front door.

Mary Jane · Stripped T-R-O-U-B-L-E

When Jane gave the address, and hung up after whatever the man said, she slipped her phone back into her breast pocket. There was no good-byes and no, I'll be there. Nothing. Just a conversation with more information than niceties. Being a cop didn't mean she was any less of a bitch. Being a bitch didn't mean she was any less of a cop either. Sometimes being a cop meant loosing a slight touch with humanity and how people liked a little good-bye here and there. The simpleness of a word went a long way. Jane had lost that being an officer and it got worse after her change and later getting her ranks.

There was very few people she said somethings to. Lili was one of them, Ash had been one too and now Raine. Her items beeped along pushing them through the self scanner. She didn't want to deal with the cashiers today, or any day, in fact. Just buy and get out of the store as soon as she could. The cart was pushed to her jeep. Having to buy a new one for Lili. Maybe Jane could get a loan out, and let Lili have a catering service. She needed to work. Baking made her happy. Which was why Jane doubled even on the flour and eggs. Little things that she knew her sister would enjoy.

The drive home was filled with the sounds of her country music. A CD she was forced to burn since the jeep was an older model and didn't have an AUX cable to hook up her MP3 player. The iCraze blew past Jane. She didn't believe in paying so much for an iPod when a simple walmart MP3 player did just the same thing; played music. It actually held more than one of those tiny iShuffle things.

Gloved hands tapping out the beat of Kenny Chesney's You Save Me. Lips moved in time with the words. Her voice filling the air around her with that southern Oklahoma twang. Her voice was a rolling sound. Smooth and finer than aged whiskey with a harshness of that Oklahoma summer sun.

Gravel broke through as she rounded the corner to her house. A Beautiful five bedroom place with all the fixings that Lili could ever want. There was a little gazebo thing, with a garden. It was picture perfect. Home and Garden would have loved to have pictured Jane's house. It was more because of Lili than her own style. All California beach decor, with the white wash and shells on the inside. A tap of a button. A whirling sound came next lifting the garage door. Jane drove the jeep into the compartment. After a few minutes the garage door started its descend. Bags were gathered, and brought inside. They used those eco-friendly cloth bags instead of paper or plastic. Cost a little more, but it was saving the environment right? Jane was in the middle of pulling things from the bag when the door bell sounded.

"Comin!"

Booted heels scrapped along the floorboards of the house. The shirt she wore was a teal man's dress shirt that fit snug across her upper body and tucked into the tight wrangler jeans with a big ol' belt buckle that had a girl on a wild bronco. The caption 'Wild Ride'. A turn of the knob with a gloved hand released the catch of the door. It seemed to go all in slow motion as the door was opened. The man standing there. His smell, and the second that his face came into view Jane's eyes went a little wider.

It was on instinct. Right hand balled into a tight fist. Which was aimed right for the man's pretty face. His cheek and her gloved hand made contact. If Jane knew this man was Lillian's friend it didn't show with the punch she through.

"Ya son of ah Bitch! Ya sure gots some fuckin' balls ta be showin' up at mah house aftah what ya fuckin' assholes did ta mah sistah!!"

One thing Jane knew was that this guy was involved with Human's First and their radical bombings which caused Lili to get burned. He was one of the little assholes who had called all that destruction, that death, all those people. There was more that were hurt and even more that will never return home. He was one of those little shits.

Jane wanted blood after what he did. It might not solve anything by beating him up, but she'd feel good about it. Left hand reached out and grabbed his shirt by the collar to give him another blow to the face.

-- Edited by Mary Jane at 18:47, 2008-08-06

Fires Rebirth · Tainted Flames

The front yard was oversized, large trees and green grass as far as the eye could see. Standing in the doorway he had turned his back to the door content to look out at the perfectly manicured suburban lawn space. Looked like Lillian wasn't doing too bad for herself. It reminded him that he knew next to nothing about the girl whose house he was standing in front of, that in fact except for that one night spent on the beach they were relative strangers. The true irony of the thing was that he had actually taken Lillian with him to Humans First Headquarters that night. Just for a moment, and she waited outside, but he couldn't help but remember that small detail of their time together.

Behind him he heard the sound of a bolt lock turning and clicking out of plac and then the scrape of the door being pulled open. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he turned around and looked at the tall woman standing in the doorway, his torqouise eyes taking her in for what could only be an instant before her fist was moving towards him in seeming slow motion. There was a sickening cracking sound in his head and then his mouth bloomed with the sharp coppery taste of blood where his teeth had cut into the silky inner lining of his mouth.

"Crazy bitch!"

Blood was spit from his mouth as he realized that her punch had sent him stumbling back a step. Eyes narrowed on her and shifted in a smooth effect from that bright torquize to an intense smoky topaz. Two things occured to him in that lightning sharp moment that seemed to last forever. One being that this woman had obviously seen him on the news and was connecting him to Humans First, and Two this woman was not human. Quite the toss up over which of those things bothered him more. Without meaning to he had lifted his hand to his mouth, smearing blood across the pale flesh of his fingers.

Her hand closed on the front of his cotton shirt and he could feel the thinning fabric tear as she jerked him towards her. Something happened then, something he didn't have time to process. As he saw her arm pull back for another hit he was about to say something, to scream or fight back when he felt a rush of blinding heat rise up inside of him. It was like being tortured from the inside out, fire starting in the pit of his stomach and flooding every inch of his frame. Muscles clenched like he had been hooked up to an electrical current and then just like that it was gone. In a wash of bliss it shot out of him and into the woman holding him.

That power would throw the tiger woman back several feet, making it difficult to even stay on her own feet, its touch like being surrounded for a second by killing fire. Silence reigned for a moment, and the air in those ten feet that now seperated them shimmered like the air above the desert sand, something alive with the potential for destruction. As much as that blast of power could hurt the female tiger, it couldn't possibly have surprised anyone more than it had Solomon himself.

"What the fuck did you do to me?"

Yes, that was the only explanation his brain would accept for what had just happened. Tongue licked the dryness of his lips and he realized that he was no longer bleeding. Using the tip of his tongue he explored the inside of his mouth for the jagged cut and found nothing. It was healed.

"What the fuck did you do? What are you?"

He was repeating himself and he didn't even care. Solomon was quickly gaining ground on something like true hysteria. As his anger peaked the air around him seemed to waver more like gas ready to be lit into flames. Fear and anger, hate and paranoia swarmed around him. Yes, he was afraid. Afraid of what had just come out of him and what that might mean. this woman, this fucking monster had done something to him. That had to be it.

Lillian Bradshaw · Color Blind Cupid

Lillian Jane Bradshaw. Her middle name should be Sleep because of how much this darling little thing slept. It was a safe thing to say that this small woman had more than her fair share of sleep. Quite possibly more than twelve hours a day. However sweet such slumber may be, she was immediately awoken by the rich scent of Sunflowers and Sunshine. That meant Janey was home! Which of course meant groceries!! She smiled a thing interlaced with sleep and dream. Albeit her favorite sister was home, Lillian decided not to get up. Something so wonderful about being in that half-state of slumber and consciousness. She rolled around in the luxuries of her bed, reveling in the still warm spots her small frame left. Though the sugary loveliness of such a state came to an exhausting halt when the sounds of Oklahoma thunder reached her ears.

Immediately, Lili tore off the covers and jetted for the staircase, leaving a quite visible trail of smoke behind her. Road Runner would be proud. Though before the disoriented Bradshaw threw herself down the stairs, she stopped. Completely amazed by the sight that the she saw. It was the man from her first sunrise, and Janey knocking him out. ``Solomon..`` Lillian was awestruck that her sister would deal such a blow to a human. A human who could barely handle something like that from a lycan, let alone a woman scorned. Without further interruptions, Lili threw herself down the stairs - not caring at all that her hair was a mess, there was still sleepy in her eyes, and that she was absolutely indecent. All that mattered was that Jane could have seriousl- ``Oh shit..`` Lili watched as the man that was supposed to be human retaliated. And what a fucking retaliation.

That is to say, the wonderfully curvaceous form of her sister collided with the taught tummy of the youngest Bradshaw. Both females were sent barreling backward onto their backsides. It took a moment for Lillian to gain her composure but when she did, she made sure that another attack like that would not come about. The small woman immediately went to stand in-between both Solomon and Janey. Why did it feel so hot?! Confusion sprawled an ugly color on that pretty face as she turned to Solomon for answers. But he himself had no idea what caused such an attack. Thus, to prevent further hits, Lili held out her arms, palms up - each palm facing Jane and Solomon. ``There will be no fighting in my house.`` technically, it was Jane's house... but the point got across.

A pleading look was shot at Jane. Hold your fire, it seemed to say as she turned her attention to Solomon. Her hands hovered above the male's frame, not sure if it was alright to touch him.. and not sure if she wanted to touch him. He seemed to radiate that dry heat that was commonly found in deserts and ovens. ``Uhm..`` Was all she could say. I mean, what else do you say? Oh, yea.. ``Do you want a slice of cheesecake? It's really good. Baked it myself.`` Said the girl in the oversized men's shirt and boxer shorts. Hey! She was napping! Cheesecake more than makes up for her present attire.

-- Edited by Lillian Bradshaw at 22:46, 2008-08-07

Mary Jane · Stripped T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Crazy bitch? The man didn't even scratch the surface with that phrase. When it came to family, Jane saw red. Family; blood or stripped, meant the most to her. They kept her warm and alive. Her fist balled tighter to deliver the blow that never came. Jane only had one second to get the first two letters "Sh" out of her mouth before she was sent flying backwards by the blazing heat of fire.

The blow would have hurt more, had it not been for Lili's bony body acting as a cushion. Even still, the petite Bradshaw bounced back quickly, and was already playing mediator. She can hear the man shouting. And Lili's voice came back to Jane hearing the man's name. Solomon. Well fuck her sideways. Lil had a bang up job with wackos. First that abusive dipshit and now this dipshit. A dipshit that was screaming out what she do to him. What she was.

"Look he'ah! Ya...Fuuck!"

One hand curled around her stomach as she was slowly getting up. As slow as an elderly woman who had fallen down the stairs and broke her back. Jane was hurt. What fuck?! He was the one that was sending her crazy superman blasts at her and then blaming her?! The boy had serious fucking issues. No wonder he was part of those radical Human Firsts assholes.

"Ya come he'ah! Ya Human First trash! Blame me for whatever shit ya just pulled!"

Her temper was flaring, and if Jane had his neat fire blasting power, well the house would have been on fire right now. Heels pushed a little to get more of a level with the wall. Using it to stand. She closed her eyes. Breathing was short gasps of air. Lili was right. No fighting in the house. She didn't think the insurance company would understand.

"Lil, get ya friend inta da house before he goes and starts makin' fireballs and burnin' down mah house!"

Jane was shuffling to the kitchen. Her shirt was scorched around the edges. She was just surprised that she didn't have her skin peeling off. What she wanted was a drink. They all needed a drink.

Fires Rebirth · Tainted Flames

"Cheesecake."

Was she fucking shitting him?

"Cheesecake??!! Did you just see what she did?"

Solomon was moving backwards off the front stoop and away from Lillian so fast that he forgot about the steps and went toppling down them with the sound of sneakers clomping on the concrete walkway. His ass connected with the ground in a way that hurt his pride alot more than anything else. Anger radiated off him in waves. The more he thought about what had just happened the more confused he got, and the more confused he got the more angry he became. Vicious cycle. Scrambling to his feet again he shot a glare of those smoky topaz eyes past Lili and towards her sister.

"I don't know what you did to me, but you better hope it goes away."

Solomon absolutely refused to believe that what had just happened had anything at all to do with himself. Even if his own explanation of it being Janes fault laughed in the face of all logic that was the answer he was sticking with. Looking from one sister to the other he wanted to tell Lillian to leave, to come with him and get out of that monsters house, but it was pretty fucking obvious that she was a monster sympathizer maybe even one of them. Tugging down on the brim of his hat he took a few strides backwards before finally turning his back to Jane and heading back to the waiting taxi.

Long trip for a whole lotta nothing. At least he knew that Lillian had survived the blasts in one piece. More damning evidence for his new theory that she was either some kind of daywalking undead or a superhuman with a psycho sister. What luck. First acquaintance on the island and she's a goddamn shitsucking supernatural. Slamming the cab door as he practically threw himself into the backseat he motioned the driver to go and tried not to look back. Just then his cell phone went off in his pocket and he pulled it out. On the display screen was a return message from Nori giving him directions to her house. Full of fear and confusion, perfect time to meet with a lunatic. Reading off the address to the driver he settled back into the seat and tried to stop his thoughts from running on a psychotic loop.