it's after five on saturday. boruta maher has Roman Maher for the weekend. willow had given adelaide the weekend off as well, so she and her mother are seated in their upstairs living room, watching television while willow idly presses flowers. they're not expecting anyone, but the knock on the door doesn't really startle her. it's not uncommon for neighbors to pop over and say hello. 

she kisses her mother on the forehead, heart giving a small squeeze at her vacant stare, and then lopes down the stairs to answer the door. 

her gaze drops to the mimikyu and then goes up to the stranger on her doorstep. "hello? what can i do for you?" she asks, eyeing the black bag in his arms. 

jayden cross

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[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

part of him hopes that no one would answer; the other part of him hopes that it will be Roman Maher.

[break][break] no part of him expects a woman to answer. one that he doesn't know especially.

[break][break] "ah - hello." he clears his throat, shifting as to pull out the jacket and hang it over his arm. "is roman home? i was just returning some of his things."

[attr="class","ooc"] willow atkins

[break][break]

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willow balks and her curiosity turns into something uncomfortable. something sour. but her face does not betray the fear that accompanies it. no, instead her features display her instant distrust. her anger at not knowing who this man is. 

"how do you know my son?" she asks, eyes narrowing. he could hardly be much older than her, if at all. and there's no way he knows bo - he would have told willow to expect someone. 

jayden cross

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[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"your son?"

[break][break] ah. that would explain things. this blond-haired woman is roman's mother.

[break][break] "he was staying with me for a few weeks, and he left some things." it doesn't surprise him that roman may not have shared those details — in fact, when roman had stayed with him, the boy had been quite secretive. not that jayden minded. he could think of a handful of things that he wouldn't have wanted to share with his own mother. "he's been home, hasn't he?"

[break][break] if not, that would be unfortunate. jayden would have to do more legwork than he anticipated in returning his items.

[attr="class","ooc"] willow atkins

[break][break]

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"staying with you," she repeats. she puts her hands in her pockets so he can't see the way they're curling - from anger or anxiety, she certainly can't parse the emotion right now. i wish bo was here. but maybe it's for the better he isn't. while willow's anger is a force to be reckoned with, hers isn't actionable. bo's though? 

"when?" she asks as realization starts to dawn on her. "when was he staying with you?" but she already knows the answer and it hits like a punch to the gut. 

of course he would have had to stay somewhere when he ran away, but with some stranger? with a man her own age?

she deliberately doesn't give him any information on roman's whereabouts, green eyes burning as she seeks answers of her own. 

jayden cross

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[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

the way she responds raises a flag. only a slight one — maybe yellow, or even orange.

[break][break] if she was really his mother, would she be answering this way?

[break][break] "yes," he says slowly, violet gaze lifting to meet hers. "staying with me."

[break][break] he isn't sure how else to explain it. he had offered roman a place to say, and the young boy had agreed. in some ways, it had been an impulsive decision on jayden's part. then again, would anyone have done anything different had they put in a similar situation?

[break][break] he scratches his cheek.

[break][break] "probably nearly a year now. i've been busy with work —" not a lie. "so i haven't seen him since the soiree."

[break][break] a pause, before he looks like he might step away. his fingers curl tighter around the handle of the bag.

[break][break] "if it's a bother, i can come back another time."

[break][break] or maybe not at all. perhaps this was the wrong house?

[attr="class","ooc"] willow atkins

[break][break]

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this man is so impassive, so stoic, while her own anxiety is rising in her throat. willow steels herself, despite the fact that his words are falling in ways she wish they wouldn't. but maybe there's something to come of this. maybe she can finally get the answers roman refused to give her. 

the soiree. 

when he turns to go, she jerks, catching his wrist and holding firmly. 

"you have answers. you know what he refuses to tell me." her eyes pinch. angry tears threaten to flood over. "you can't leave." i won't let you. 

jayden cross

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[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

the situation is awkward — discomfort fills his throat as she looks at him, and jayden feels the sudden urge to turn away. so he does.

[break][break] only for her to grab his wrist.

[break][break] instinct tells him to go on alert, but after months of practicing his civilian persona, jayden knows better. he merely stills, though there is something cold at first about the way that his gaze snaps to hers. but then they soften perceptibly when they notice the tears in her eyes.

[break][break] "um."

[break][break] there seemed to be something deeper at play than merely returning an item of clothing.

[break][break] "what do you want to know? should we — " he glances behind him, then back at her. "go somewhere more private?"

[attr="class","ooc"] willow atkins

[break][break]

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go somewhere more private. her home is as private as it gets. and as much as she knows better than to invite strangers inside, he has answers. and besides, elisabet is inside. willow's been a slow learner with bo's trainings, but the leavanny is a natural. 

and besides, her mother's in no condition to be left to her own devices. even for an hour. willow steps to the side and gestures up the stairs. 

"come in," she says and then realizes just how harshly she's said it, adds, "please."

jayden cross

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[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

she has more to worry about than him, but even jayden is skeptical. he hadn't planned on this interference.

[break][break] it had been about a simple drop-off.

[break][break] "let's go inside," he agrees, with one final glance behind him.

[break][break] she was a civilian — how bad could this be?

[attr="class","ooc"] willow atkins

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do i want to know the answers? she thinks as she takes the stairs, trusting jayden to close the door behind him. blue eyes fixate on the stairs, on putting one foot in front of the other, as she rises. when she reaches the top, eleanor turns and smiles sweetly at her. 

"oh, willow. have you seen samuel?" willow sighs and stoops over her mother, kisses her cheek sweetly and squeezes her shoulder, promising lowly that he'll be home soon.

her leavanny tilts her head curiously at the stranger, antennae rattling lowly at the stress pheromones coming from willow. she steps neatly out of her pot and shakes out the dirt, eyeing jayden warily. 

"now," she starts and takes a seat at the kitchen table, pointing at the spot across from her, "tell me how you know my son. how you met. why he was with you. why he -" stabbed someone.

jayden cross

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[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

as he enters, jayden turns behind him to shut the door softly and click the lock into place. quietly, he follows the civilian up the staircase.

[break][break] when they reach the top of the staircase, however, there is another voice. it makes jayden tense briefly, before watching the exchange. his head tilts curiously. did roman have two mothers?

[break][break] she lists a barrage of questions and if jayden was a lesser person, if he hadn't been trained in espionage and interrogation in his childhood, he might have balked at the sudden pressure.

[break][break] he didn't.

[break][break] "he was staying with me," jayden answers honestly, blinking owlishly at her. "he didn't tell you?"

[break][break] it occurs briefly to jayden that he didn't owe her a single thing, that there was no reason that he needed to be here other than mild curiosity. still, he stays.

[break][break] "i found him on mt. pyre, being attacked by a group of mean-spirited boys. after i patched him up, i offered him a place to say with me — no questions asked. he seemed like he needed a home at the time."

[break][break] he scratches his cheek.

[break][break] "apologies - i didn't know he had a mother."

[attr="class","ooc"] willow atkins

[break][break]

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eleanor doesn't seem bothered at all by the presence of someone else in the house. it helps that elisabet takes up a stance beside her, blade-like leaven arms tucked away from her. eleanor pats her gently and rambles on about how lovely it would be if she had something to read right about now. and ponders after samuel again.

"no, he didn't tell me," she says, fingers curling into fists, knuckles against the table. she drops her hands into her lap shortly after.

she balks at the last statement, looking incredulously at the man. that distrust still prickles at her, but from his demeanor, he seems...honest.

willow doesn't know quite what to think of it all.

"he's been...unpredictable lately. ran away from home. up until now, we haven't known where he went." she looks away. it's shameful to admit her failures to this complete and utter stranger. this person roman trusts more than his family.

"you said you were at...the soiree. were you there when he...?" something catches in her throat and she grimaces. "do you know why he would want to hurt someone?"

jayden cross

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