Club Scene Continued - Marvin's Haven

"Wound up?" She looked back at him, taking her finger from her mouth. "No I'm not, I'm perfectly fine."

She shook her head.

"Please don't project."

He sighed "I'm not projecting. I made a crack about Torrie functions and you suddenly tensed up. I'm sorry, I found something that struck a nerve."

"Marvin, I don't do Toreador functions, dammit," she obviously only heard that part and nothing else of what he said. She tugged at the choker around her neck and took it off, rubbing the area.

"Too much can happen there. Too many people, too many whispers and too many judgments. It's not your average atmosphere, I'm telling you."

He moved his fingers to her shoulder as he continued to drive

"Then I won't mention it again, I'm sorry."

"You didn't know, don't apologize," Cass said, still revved up by all accounts as she tapped at her chin a bit roughly.

"Change the subject... please..."

He smiled "So is there really going to be a Paris trip? Or would you prefer to see London?"

She shrugged.

"Mal wanted to take me and Estaban. He was pretty upset that I had never been. But I haven't heard anything else on it, actually. Not surprised, though. It's not the first time the offer and promise has been made and at the last possible second the organizer backs out. Par for the course," she forced a smile.

"I've never been out of the country before. I was hoping to finish my project before venturing outside of the states so that the rest of the world wouldn't color my progress too much."

"I'll take you to Maine anytime you want. I have to go back someday, and my family is all dead now."

"It is on the list," she offered.

She then looked at him questioningly. "How many rewards points will I need to make the trip?"

"None. Having you along would be a worthwhile distraction, and I may need the shoulder to lean on. Coming home is never easy. Even harder when you are dead, and harder still when you are doing it less than forty years after you died."

So he did have emotions. Wasn't that interesting...

"It may not be that bad. Might be happier than you think, you never know."

"Oh for the most part it will be ok. I was an only child, my mother died a week before I did, and my father died ten years after that. I doubt there are any left in my hometown who will remember me, and I can lurk in the shadows if I absolutely have to go there. But mostly I just want to wander Maine again. And it would be nice to do it with some pleasant and intelligent company."

Wistful Malkie was wistful

She was still nibbling on her fingertips.

"Big city or tragically small town? If it's small, there will be people that remember you. Trust me."

"350 people tragically small. Best to stay away. Can still visit other places though."

"You could just change your face, you know," she offered lightly.

"Not yet, and low on my list of things to learn to tell you the truth."

"Then hold off on the trip," she shrugged. She winced, having bitten a bit hard on her finger. She shook it and stuck it back in her mouth.

"Besides, I haven't been here that long. I leave now, I may not come back."

"Fair enough. I'm still enjoying you too much to see you leave. Truly I haven't had this fun with another of our kind in a long time."

She winked, sucking her hurt finger.

"Maybe I ought to leave so you don't get too attached," she said jokingly.

"Noooo mah pet Torrie!" he teased

"I won't stop you, just said I hope it isn't soon, because this has been fun so far."

"Pet?" She looked at him with a sort of smile, mocking an angry tone-- but she bit back down on that finger.

"I've been enjoying myself thus far. I'd say the party is still young. For now, at least."

She nodded.

"But the winds change eventually, you know. I'm like Mary fucking Poppins."

He looked innocent. "Pet? It's a two way street dear. I'm quite willing to be your pet Malkie, as long as the relationship works well."

"And I'm sure the time will come when you will poof off into the wind, and until then I intend to enjoy you as much as I can. And perhaps we will meet again in another couple hundred years."

"I'm sure we would. It's too hard to disappear completely in our society. Good to hide and run around, but... not much else without completely reinventing yourself."

She shook her head.

"That's too much work and not enough fun."

"I bet I could keep you entertained for a couple hundred years" he chuckled

"Or at least keep you in my closet while I came up with ways to entertain you. I'd take you out and dust you off though."

"What, with a fucking dust buster?"

She made a popping sound as her finger came out of her mouth.

"You keep me in a closet and only bad things would happen, though. Mark my words. I'd lose my feistiness-- then you would be sad."