3181/Smoke Break

Smoke Break
Date of Scene:	15 November 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Sarah learns about several of Nerina's bad habits; Nerina learns about Sarah's cooking
Cast of Characters:	Nixe, Rainmaker

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Nixe has posed:
    It's the grey early morning hours as a wall clock ticks away the world from its vantage high in the living room. Sarah's bedroom door is ajar and out on the balcony, a young Italian is smoking a cigarette after tip-toeing silently past her host on the couch - too silently. Nerina's had practice.
    
    Staring out dully at the white domain before her, the Mediterranean vagabond blows out a storm cloud of acrid smoke that mingles with condensation as she shivers in her sweater. It's snowing today; a light flurry that curtains all the ugly blemishes and rough edges of the concrete jungle like a well-fitted dress. In winter weather New York could almost pass for a European city, except that the smell never changes. The scents of rock dust, cooking fat, and car exhaust are muted by a crisp, cold overtone, but there's no odor of cow manure, or Rhine water, or olives, or wine. Naked or clothed, it's still America.

    Nerina pulls the paper stick from her mouth and rubs the bridge of her nose with a weak grunt before glancing reluctantly at the cheap Casio on her wrist. It's light-up display proclaims 5:57. She's already been outside for half an hour...

Rainmaker has posed:
    The brief brush of cool air as the balcony door was opened didn't quite wake her...but then, Sarah tends to get up relatively early most days. Thus, she starts to stir as the first edges of sunlight brush through the window, lighting the room. She mmphs, squirming under her blanket a bit, then yawns, before she pushes herself up, kicking off her blankets, rubbing her eyes.

    Since it's a bit chilly in the living room, she does have on a long t-shirt again, something to help a bit against the cold. She wrinkles her nose, blinking as she realizes someone is out on the balcony. At first, she thinks it might be Roxy, who often went out there to smoke. But then she remembers who was staying over, leaning back into the couch as she watches for a moment.

Nixe has posed:
    Slipping the watch back under her sleeve and the cigarette back into her mouth, Nerina cocoons herself in her sweatshirt anew as she draws a deep breath that tastes like the snow off a smokestack. She's still the same "Hollywood homeless" that she was yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, ad infinitum. Nails rough and untrimmed but clean, face washed but thin and haggard. Being a water sprite does have its benefits.
    
    Wearing her latest stick down to a nub, the Italian brushes her tongue along the inner edge and with a faint hiss that's lost in a bone-biting breeze, the tiny red glow in her cigarette dies to a eulogy of steam.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah's lips twitch, before she gets to her feet, waving through the window at her guest, then stretching, arms above her head as she lets out another huge yawn, then idly runs her fingers through her hair, wincing as she pulls through some snarls. She considers going outside, but, well...it's cold. She figures she can wait until Nerina comes back inside. So after the initial wave, she wanders back towards the bathroom for morning ablutions as she vanishes down the hall.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina glances away from the snow-scape as motion catches her eye. Her blonde brow lifts in muted surprise at Sarah and a hand that hasn't finished warming back up slips out of her pocket to wave back. Instead it hangs motionless for a few moments before disappearing back into its cave.
    
    The vagabond takes Sarah's departure as permission to continue her gazing and gives another long look out at the view from her balcony before succumbing to the weather and retreating back indoors. Her pale fingers fumble a few moments before finding the latch in their half-numb state.
    
    Back inside, the living room's relative warmth smacks the Italian's face like a waffle iron and before she's even reached the trash can to throw away the remains of her cigarette, her cheeks and nose are a cold-flushed red.

Rainmaker has posed:
    You can hear the sound of the shower starting up in the bathroom after a moment, the sheeting water audible as the door is partway open still. Either she forgot to close it, or she's just used to not closing it, or it's an invitation, perhaps. Or, well, maybe the bathroom just has really poor ventilation, which is ALSO a possiblity in a hotel this old.
    The shirt she was wearing is currently hanging off the doorknob, as the first brush of steam wafts out from inside. No singing. Yet.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina glances to the bathroom once before turning back to her own small morning chores. Opening the kitchen faucet to its hottest setting, a second stream of running water adds to the white noise of the small suite as the nymph tries to wash herself warm again. The waif's hands shudder together and sling water against the sink until Nerina gives up and shuts off the tap. She doesn't bother wiping off her hands and they come out dry anyway.
    
    Wandering over to the couch, the blonde shoves them down the back of her pants instead - jumping at the cold shock before sitting down and trying to force her teeth not to chatter.

Rainmaker has posed:
    By that point, the shower has had time to shut off...apparently SArah was going for a quick rinse to wake up over more indepth care. You can hear the shower door slide open, then Sarah herself emerges on a fluffy pink towel as she steps out, then raises a brow as watches you hiding your hands in your pants. "...cold?" she says, a faint tone of amusement in her voice, then more sympathetically. "Go take a shower to heat up, plenty of hot water left. I can set your bag in the bathroom if you'd like so you have something to change into?"

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina looks up stoically at the naked indian from the shadow of her hoodie, not much more than a mass of grey cotton. "I'll be okay," she assures.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah pffs then walks over to give you a little push towards the bathroom. "C'mon..you look like you're freezing...it can't be good for you to be outside in this weather anyway." she says simply. "C'mon. It's one of the few things this hotel does well...hot water." She tilts her head. "Also can wash the smell of cigarettes out of your hair."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina sways far without an arm to catch her but manages to look up in mild offense. "I'll live - and I was standing up-wind. Is your nose that sensitive?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Depends, am I going to be smelling your hair close up?" she murmurs playfully, but shakes her head. "I just want you to warm up mostly. You'll catch cold." She pauses. "Wait, can you catch cold? Or does that go away when you become water?" she wonders curiously.

Nixe has posed:
    The blonde sprite raises an eyebrow then her hood twists back and forth as she shakes her head. "Lesbica... and si, I can catch a cold," Nerina replies, grumbling the last part. "Chissà perché."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah grins. "Then don't be stubborn and go get warmed up?" she points out, gesturing again towards the bathroom. "You'll feel better. And avoid any chance of a cold." she adds, in a practical tone. "There's no reason not to?"

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina huffs softly, then rises from the couch in the same serpentine way she did from under the bed, with her thighs curving upwards like unraveling party horns until the naiad is standing straight.
    
    "Bene, it's your water," she surrenders before heading the short distance past Sarah and into the bathroom - pulling her hands back off of her butt somewhere along the way.
    
    This time before the shower turns on, the door shuts completely - and locks.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah hmms a bit at that, frowning faintly, as she idly tugs at her wet hair. She can't help feel slightly rejected. Not that she actually was going to follow her in, but...well. It's never fun to feel like she's being treated differently once another woman finds out her preferences. She sighs, then pads into her bedroom, letting the door shut behind her as she moves to the dresser to get changed, letting the towel fall as she does.

Nixe has posed:
    Like Sarah's, Nerina's shower is a short one and it's not too long afterwards that the water stops. Before the faucet has even finished draining its pipe, the bathroom door clicks unlocked again and Nerina steps back out, dressed identically except for her fallen hood. To the rainmaker's credit, her face is also a much healthier shade of sun-baked tan.

Rainmaker has posed:
    By that point, SArah has emerged, dressed in yoga pants and a cableknit sweater to ward off the chill, with fluffy green slippers on her feet. She's currently making breakfast, scrambling up some eggs as she adds bits of cheese to the mix. She looks over and smiles slightly. "See? Feels better, right?" she murmurs, motioning you to the counter and the mismatched hightop chairs in front of it. "Juice or milk?" she asks.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina sniffs the air as she exits the bathroom and a hungry smile starts to grow on her face before the nymph pushes it back down to a cool neutral. She bows her head in acknowledgment while walking into the living room, and two sea-blue eyes quietly note Sarah's latest outfit before turning to the subject of food.
    
    "No drink, I had enough," she declines while taking a seat and absent-mindedly fingering her locket through the thick padding of her hoodie.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Fair enough. Bacon?" she asks, separating the eggs onto two plates. "Or toast?" She moves to rinse off the skillet, setting it in the sink. She watches the fingering of the locket curiously for a moment.

Nixe has posed:
    The nymph nods absent-mindedly. "Yes please? Ya--" Nerina pauses and lifts her hand over her mouth for a slow, silent yawn. She looks up and nods again for emphasis, sparing more words.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah frowns a bit at that, going back to add a few strips of bacon from the plate they're resting on paper towels to soak up the grease, then pops in some toast, letting it cook for a bit before popping it out (before it catches on fire; the toaster is a wee bit broken) and setting down one of the plates and silverware ahead of you. "Not enough sleep?" she murmurs, leaning back against the counter behind her as she starts in on her own meal.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina keeps her head down after the yawn and while Sarah's back is turned to grab bacon, the vagabond slips a pair of fat pills out of her pocket and into her mouth, crunching down on them.

    She swallows a moment or two after her plate is set and pulls her loose bangs back behind her head again. The naiad wasn't quite as thorough with retieing her ponytail as Sarah was at making it.
    
    "Never... but last night helped," Nerina admits before picking first at her bacon.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah nods. "Well...unless you've got someplace to be, no reason you can't spend the day resting a bit. It's too cold out to be busking..." she points out. "I'd go for a jog but it's too chilly. Especially with the snow falling.

Nixe has posed:
    Taking small and well-chewed bites, Nerina works her way down the bacon strip one crunch at a time. "So we're stuck in here together," she observes wryly.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah raises a brow as she scoops a mouthful of eggs past her lips, chewing, then swallowing. "Well, you're not trapped here with me." she points out. "Just welcome." She smiles faintly, then pauses to nibble on her own bacon.

Nixe has posed:
    One strip down, Nerina goes for her toast next. The thin blonde is still only plodding through her first meal of the day, but then 'plodding through' is how she moves through most things.
    Blue eyes glance back up as the flautist agrees, "It's too cold out for anything but smoking."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah wrinkles her nose. "Not really worth getting cold for." she says thoughfully, then mms. "But you're welcome to sit in and watch some TV or something if you'd like?"

Nixe has posed:
    "It helps when I can't sleep, and it helps with the cold," Nerina explains, lifting her attention more fully to the Apache, pausing... then dropping it back to her food without a word.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah mmms. "...whatever makes you comfortable?" she offers after a moment. "I'm not sure what you like to do for fun. Besides play the flute, maybe..."

Nixe has posed:
    "If you find something, tell me," Nerina replies as she works her way around her plate.
    
    "You did say you would braid my hair," she considers thoughtfully.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Sure, if you'd like me to? I'd teach you but I don't think you'd be able to reach to do it well." Sarah admits, then gnaws on her toast, causing it to vanish after the rest of her breakfast. "Or maybe we can try to find other styles you'd like too?"

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina chews pensively at that and keeps her head down as another little smile escapes onto her lips. "That does sound fun," she admits.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah smiles faintly then takes her plate over to the sink to rinse it off, before putting it on the drying rack. "I tend to wear mine straight, but I know a few other styles that work well. Mostly braids." she admits.

Nixe has posed:
    "Anything that will get it in control and stop the pulling," Nerina replies, working more slowly through her breakfast. "Wearing it like this makes my neck sore."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah smiles. "Sure. Come over to the couch when you're ready?" she says absently, snagging her glass to fill with water then carrying it over into the living room."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina covers her mouth to muffle a small belch and looks down at her plate. "Tra pochi minuti - soon," the blonde answers, bouncing between languages before crunching on her last piece of bacon.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah settles herself comfortably on the couch, pulling up her legs to sit crosslegged as she idly watches Nerina, sipping from her water. Her dark eyes are pensive, though she lapses into companionable silence, closing them again as she stretches out on the couch after a bit, getting comfy while she waits.

Nixe has posed:
    The vagabond picks through the last of her food with the sort of slow, mechanical dispassion normally reserved for cold leftovers and at one point pulls a small flask from the front of her sweats to take a furtive sip. With her back hunched forward, the sight is mostly shielded by the bulk of her sweatshirt, and after returning to her eggs, Nerina eventually, finally finishes eating as well.
    Letting out a deep, heavy breath, she rubs her eyes before easing off the chair and carrying her dishes into the kitchen to set them with Sarah's.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "You don't sound rested." Sarah's voice comes, wafting from the living room. "Not from that sigh there." She's not visible at this point, the couch hiding her from view, so it's hard to see her expression as she says it. Her voice, at least, is neutral.

Nixe has posed:
    "That was from the food. It was very filling. Grazie," Nerina answers from the kitchen without offering much more emotion back. The faucet turns on briefly to rinse her plate clean before it clatters into place beside Sarah's and the nymph turns back towards the living room.
    "Did you have more bad dreams?" She asks of the black hair visible over the couch back.

Rainmaker has posed:
    There's a slight pause. "Nothing I remember well." Sarah admits after a moment. "Woke up feeling something was chasing me, but...that's not as bad. Just means it takes a bit to get back to sleep, and I have to clear my mind and focus on something less threatening. Probably more to do with eating those burritos last night." There's a touch of amusement in her voice.

Nixe has posed:
    Golden-yellow enters the Apache's vision as Nerina steps soundlessly around the couch and pauses with a hand against the backrest. "What did you call that last night? 'Night terrors'?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah's eyes are closed, but they open as your voice gets closer, her dark eyes focusing on you. "Yes, night terrors." she says, sitting up to make room on the couch as she pulls her legs up under her rump. "Formless nightmares, as opposed to the ones that haunt you."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina's head tilts to the side in confusion, looking almost like a brightly-colored crow as she chews on a word. After a moment's thought, she steps around the arm rest and reaches behind her back to flip her long ponytail in front of her, sitting with a slight turn towards the Amerindian and her hair between them.
    "Nightmare is what you said. What is a 'mare'?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah smiles a bit at that. "Nightmare. English, I think. A mare was a sort of goblin or demon who tormented people, and they came at night. So, night mare. A demon to torment your dreams."

Nixe has posed:
    "Ah," Nerina vocalizes in understanding. "In Italiano, un incubo. 'Incubus' is your 'mare'."

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Hmm, I thought that was sex dreams, or is that a succubus?" Sarah says curiously. "I suppose so, it's like that. Similar night terrors, anyway."

Nixe has posed:
    "Il incubo e le succube," Nerina supplies. "Both you would call nightmares. I don't know about sex dreams..."
    "Maybe if we were lucky we would have those instead," she cracks wryly, brushing her ponytail forward with her arm and glancing at the fine but battered strands that drape atop the couch.

Rainmaker has posed:
    For some reason, that seems to strike deeper than it should with Sarah, her expression stilling just slightly before she smiles. "Suppose so...what would you like to start with?" she says, scooting over to sit beside you. "Something simple, or something more complicated?"

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina's ocean-blue eyes flit back to Sarah's face, silently noticing the small pause but giving it no comment. As the Apache moves closer, she turns further to sit almost completely sideways, wedged into a corner between the backrest and armrest and presenting her hair like a cape over one forearm.
    "Simple," she suggests.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Okay. We'll go for a simple three-strand first. It's easy, and pretty quick, and if you want to leave your hair down the back of your hoodie, it won't be as obvious either that you've got longer hair." Sarah says, then frowns, reaching out to snag some of that golden waterfall and lifts it up to critically inspect the ends. "You should start thinking about getting it trimmed regularly. It's good for the strands....gets rid of the split ends. Not all of it, just an inch or so every so often so you get rid of the worst of it." she says. "Now...you'd start by gathering up like this..." And she starts walking you through the simple style.

Nixe has posed:
    "I tried... it doesn't grow back better," Nerina gripes in defense of her weathered locks. Otherwise the nymph falls quiet, paying close attention to the lesson. The blonde strands are candidates for an extra strength conditioner commercial... or Nair, but the same abuse makes their gossamer fibers easier to grip and maneuver. Unfortunately last night's concerted brushing seems to have worn off and Nerina tilts her head and frowns uncomfortably in moments when a snag is encountered.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Really...you need to take like a good half hour brushing it out every morning." Sarah murmurs, trying to be as careful as she can as she separates out about a third, then another third, then a last, and starts carefully braiding them together. "But trimming helps keep it healthy. Just a bit of trimming, anyway." She smiles. "Makes it stronger too."

Nixe has posed:
    "I should start by buying a spazzola," Nerina remarks instead, glancing away to the room as Sarah keeps working. "And eating more meat..."

Rainmaker has posed:
    "What's a spazzola?" Sarah asks curiously as she works her way lower, a bit at a time, the mussed mess slowly becoming more organized and ordered as she works. "You see the pattern, for how you wind the three strands like this?

Nixe has posed:
    It's a statement of Sarah's braiding and the nymph's hair that there's enough slack for Nerina to nod in reply. A hand comes up and combs through the strands by her scalp. "For straightening hair. A pettine for men, a spazolla for women." Given the Italian's otherwise sound vocabulary, it might also be a statement that she doesn't know the word for 'brush'.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Luckily, that's Sarah's next comment. "Is that a comb, or a brush?" she says curiously. "A brush is what I used on your hair when I first was cleaning it up. With a handle?" She works her way down to the base of the mass of hair, then pulls out a ribbon to tie around at the bottom. "A hairbrush, more formally." She tilts her head a bit. "There...how's that feel?"

Nixe has posed:
    "Si, una spazzola per capelli - a brush for hair," Nerina translates and her face warms quietly and out of sight when Sarah pulls out another colorful ribbon for her hair. She's beginning to like those.
    With the braids finishes, the young Italian goes through the same motions of turning her head side to side as she had with the last one, flicking the orderly channel of blonde over her shoulder and feeling for its weight. Satisfied, she flips it back in front again as if it were a loose rope end or runaway hose.
    "Better..." she considers thoughtfully. "But different."

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Simpler." Sarah points out. "A French braid like last time is tighter, but you've got less give to it. Also you have to do a much tighter weave, which is harder to do with this much to deal with." she says, flicking the tip of the triple braid."

Nixe has posed:
    The fair yellow end yields softly like the hair of a paintbrush while Nerina reaches up to her crown and runs her fingers through the strands pulled back into the braid, still pensive. It's one of only two times the Italian hasn't been nestled behind a forest of loose bangs and the bare sides of her face jut from malnourishment. All the extra hair made her look softer, and younger.
    "And it's cold," she realizes as the living room air licks at her jaw line.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah raises a brow. "It's cold, or you're cold?" she says amusedly, pulling a blanket off the back of the couch and draping it over you. "There....better?" she says, leaning back. "It's not even bone-chillingly cold yet...."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina flips the blanket over the top of her head and tucks her legs, disappearing into what is at once a shawl and a cave. The fresh shadow seems to compliment the blue of her eyes, darkening it to the pallor of cold lake water and softening the wells underneath. "Grazie," she murmurs, taking a moment to adjust to the warmth.
    "It's the food. You get colder after you eat, si?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah hmmms, then tilts her head. "Well...if you had some more meat on your bones, you wouldn't feel it as much too..." she notes. "Though I wonder if being water makes you more sensitive to temperature...."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina glances at a spot on the coffee table, suddenly finding it more interesting. "Può essere," she concedes neutrally.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah mmms. "Funny how you go extra Italian when I point certain things out." she says with a faintly amused look, then tilts her head. "And to be the Italian grandmother here...you need to eat more, you're too skinny." she adds.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina glances back with a raised eyebrow, staring back at the Apache for several seconds from her cocoon. "Easier to say than to do. You need to sleep with less nightmares."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah turns more sober. "I do. But isn't as easy for me to do as feeding you is." she points out, leaning back against the couch.

Nixe has posed:
    "Food isn't easy too. Food needs money," Nerina refutes, adjusting the blanket a little and eventually letting her head poke back out. With the new braid in place, her hair falls in a loose, fluffy pile that disappears from view just before it draws together. "I have survived being thinner."

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Maybe. That does not mean you need to continue to do it, ba' isdzánhn." Sarah murmurs. "Nor that I should let it happen just because you can't pay for it all the time."

Nixe has posed:
    The vagabond's eyes have already drifted away again, out towards the snow glare beyond the balcony, but they come back with a confused furrow knitting their brow. "Ba Idscheng?" she echoes, with all the fidelity of a rusted phonograph. The attempt could pass for German better than Apache.

Rainmaker has posed:
Sarah Rainmaker says, "
    The Apache girl smiles faintly. "Ba' isdzánhn. Isdzánhn means woman. Or in your case, an indaa isdzánhn. A white woman." Though that's not what she said the first time. "And I kind of like feeding you, so you're stuck with it, anyway."
"

Nixe has posed:
    "I'm only blanco where the sun does not reach," Nerina retorts, her tone getting lighter and airier like her flute as the subject turns to language. "I'm abbronzato - bronzo - where it does."
    "And you are pellerosso, mio cuoco pellerossa," she adds with a sharpness that's somehow both accusing and fond.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Believe me, you're all white to a native." Sarah says easily, then wrinkles her nose. "...rosso is red. Pelle is...skin? Your...something redskin?" She hmms. "Kinda pejorative there....and I suppose technically it's more coppery skin, if you're going to say you're bronze."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina nods at the deduction while grinning a little at the banter that's developed. "'Abbronzato' is to tan, to become bronzo from the sun. Copper is... cuoco rame. That makes you sound like a pot."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah hmms. "Cuoco is...cook?" she says, uncertainly. "Well, your little copper cook at least rolls off the tongue. But not really to my taste, yes." she admits with a faint smile. "In English, generally someone like me will go with copper-skinned over redskinned though, just because 'redskin' has been an insult in the past." She rolls her eyes. "Even though there's a football team named that. Still." She sounds slightly irritated at the reminder.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina's grin grows at the mention of 'cook' though the blond doesn't admit it. "So you're copper and I'm red," she concludes in amusement.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "I'm copper, you're bronze. Then we're keeping it all metallic." Sarah says amusedly. "You're going to make me get an English to Italian dictionary or something..."

Nixe has posed:
    "Sono utili per avere in questo ridicolo paese, ma gli americani non parlano abbastanza la loro lingua," Nerina replies in a flowing stream of pure Italian. "And no, 'rosso' is 'red', not 'bronze'." One last lesson, it seems.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah considers. "...ridicolo is ridiculous? Americani is obvious. Lingua. Language. Parlano is...talk?" She pauses. "I said rosso is red, didn't I? So...red...cook?"

Nixe has posed:
    "I mean I am red, not bronze - and si, red cook." Nerina adds the last part quickly, as if to omit it entirely. Her eyes drift back out to the weather and the playful grin on her face slips away. The Italian almost frowns, and the lapse of silence is broken by a wet growl as her stomach digests Sarah's earlier offering.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Hmmm....maybe something a bit more solid....do you like chili mac?" she wonders, getting back to her feet. "Or maybe just a pizza..." she says thoughfully. "Sounds like you still need to tank up a bit more."

Nixe has posed:
    "No, no, later," Nerina bids, waving Sarah down with a hand that peeks out of her blanket-cave - one side bronze, one side white. "I'm too full..." She lapses into silence again, losing herself to the light snowfall outside. It's almost stopped.

Rainmaker has posed:
    SArah hmms, then nods slightly, peering out the window. "Pretty after a new snowfall. All the dirtiness is covered up for a little bit." she murmurs.

Nixe has posed:
    "Cleaner, but it sticks to everything and turns to ice or freezing water," Nerina responds glumly. "It's too cold here."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah looks thoughful. "Why didn't you head somewhere farther south?" she wonders curiously. "Just easier to get here?" She walks back over to plop down on the couch again, sitting crosslegged on the other side of the couch.

Nixe has posed:
    "Too many Mexicans," Nerina responds offhandedly. "And this city is so big, it's easier to hide."
    "E forse troverei qualcuno qui che parla maledetto italiano..." she grumbles under her breath.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah hmms. "Well, yes, they don't speak Italian. But plenty of places you could get by with English in South America too." she says thoughfully.:"

Nixe has posed:
    A chill settles over Nerina's features despite the bundle of fabric and a frigid glance is cast to Sarah before the naiad's eyes depart from her and the window, finding company instead with a bit of wall.
    "Mai. Never."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah tilts her head. "...they took you someplace like that?" she murmurs after a moment. "That'd make sense, if it's that."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina freezes and then her face retreats into the shadow of the brightly-colored blanket.
    "Caribbean... The Caribbean," she confesses in a low, dull voice, as lifeless as the frozen snow outside. "And I saw enough of those dog-faced cabrónes to last me two life-times. Even New York has a whole ghetto of them."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah nods slowly. "Can see how that would bring back back memories." she murmurs softly, reaching out to gently pat your shoulder through the blanket. "Forget I brought it up then."

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah takes her hand back as it collapses, then mms. "It snows. Not a whole lot, depends where you are. It's more cold winds in the mountains and at night than rain or snow. Some hail when it comes over the mountains though." She tilts her head. "New Mexico. San Juan Reservation."

Nixe has posed:
    "Where is New Mexico?" Nerina asks as the shape of her shoulder quietly reforms and her face remains hidden in her hoodie.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah hmms "Southwestern United States, on the border with Mexico. It's mostly desert and scrubland and mountains, so it gets hot in the day, cold at night. Most times." she says with a shrug.

Nixe has posed:
    "Where were you taken?" the naiad continues, quid pro quo.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah mms. "A facility up in Michigan called Project Genesis. It was disguised as a private school for gifted students." she says softly. "They tricked a lot of GenActive kids to come there that way. The labs were separate, built into the cliff behind the school. And it was temporary..they'd confirm someone was GenActive normally, then freeze them in stasis and ship them somewhere else. If they didn't decide their mutation wasn't good enough and cut them up for parts." she says her voice neutral.

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina listens quietly from her bundle of blankets, only adding, "Michigan?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Near the Canadian border. Probably because it was easier to smuggle us out afterwards than if they were near someplace more populated." Sarah confirms. "I wasn't there very long, so I mostly didn't find out until after I'd escaped from Caitlin and the others."

Nixe has posed:
    The blanket pile nods and Nerina's petite nose pokes back out enough for her eyes to glimpse Sarah's face. There's a dull expression that goes further to adding years to her face. With enough food and her hair down the nymph could pass for sixteen. Now she could pass for twenty-two.
    Any words that she's trying to rouse for the conversation don't escape from the pit of her chest.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Dark eyes observe you as you poke out, before Sarah's lips quirk up slightly, a twinkle in her eyes at you peering out from the blanket like that. "It was much colder than here." she admits. "Icy."

Nixe has posed:
    "But you can fly. Turn off the wind and spread the ice?" Nerina guesses as words are drawn from her again. There's no recognition of the smile threatening Sarah's lips and the nymph's eyes are as cool as the weather they're discussing, the same way she was looking out from the porch.

Rainmaker has posed:
    The Amerindian woman shrugs. "I can use air control to keep myself warm when I'm flying, yes." she admits. "It's not easy to do when I'm in the middle of a fight or something, but when I'm just flying around, it's not too bad." She turns more sober as Nerina does.

Nixe has posed:
    "Fortunato," Nerina murmurs without translation. Her eyes hang on Sarah's face, focusing on the flesh, then the eyes, then the soul behind them. It's a disquieting stare that seems like it could go on forever. Do water sprites need to blink?
    Abruptly the blonde turns away and covers her mouth as she belches quietly. The living room air now smells the tiniest fraction more like bacon.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah lets out out a small giggle. "Glad you enjoyed the food." she says, then stands up, moving back over to the kitchen to finish putting away the dishes. "It's helpful. Doesn't help me in water as much though. Harder to heat."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina's head pokes a little further out from her blanket cave to watch the Apache retreat from the living room, turning a similar attentive gaze to the rest of her. "I said I was full," she agrees, ducking back out of sight as her hands shift underneath her covers.
    "Can we have sausage later?"

Rainmaker has posed:
"Spicy or breakfast or summer?" Sarah says absently. "I'd need to go to the store for anything but chorizo really..." she admits, putting the dishes away in the cupboards. "Could make some chili to warm us up with with it, too, if you'd like."

Nixe has posed:
    "You have chouriso?" Nerina asks in surprise, suddenly perking in her cave. The top of the blanket twists around in what might be an attempt to look towards the kitchen. All it really does is tangle the sheet around the blonde's head.
    "Chorizo is good, or spicy sausage, or thick sausage," the nymph accepts readily.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "Good, spicy, a bit greasy, but tasty sausage, yes." Sarah confirms. "So I can make some of that, though I usually put it in something else, not by itself. Chili is good, burritos, scrambled eggs, that sort of thing?

Nixe has posed:
    "Chili and eggs are good," Nerina affirms while her hands shift again, this time for something more illicit. The metal flask pops out and the blonde steals two furtive sips before tucking it out of sight once more.

Rainmaker has posed:
    "In that case, we can have breakfast burritos...just not at breakfa..." She breaks off as she turns around just in time to see the flask, tilting her head as she watches.

Nixe has posed:
    The blanket falls back to reveal bright blonde hair as Nerina spins on the couch to look curiously back into the kitchen. "Just not at breakfast?" she finishes.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah cocks her head slightly. "...what was that?" she asks, nodding towards the other girl. "The flask."

Nixe has posed:
    Nerina's brow slowly drops and a hand comes up to rub the bridge of her nose while the young woman sighs in exasperation. "You notice everything, vero? Are you seeing with the wind?"

Rainmaker has posed:
    "I learned to hunt when I was younger...you tend to keep your eyes open and pay attention to what's around you." Sarah says absently. "If you want to take a drink you don't need to hide it, but it probably would be better to take in some better calories."

Nixe has posed:
    The blonde chafes under the implication and reticently adds, "It's not alcool, only medicine and fruit juice..." Pressing her hand into the armrest, Nerina rises from the couch and eases back onto her feet with an eye towards the balcony and then towards the front door.
    "I should go... somewhere." The idea comes out half-formed and missing steam. The snow has stopped but it's still a cold day.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah holds up her hands. "I'm not judging you on it." shje says simply. "But it's still freezing outside. The fact the snow stopped hasn't changed that."

Nixe has posed:
    The corner of Nerina's lip twitches at a frown that wants to form and the nymph sighs, turning from the doorway and the kitchen both. "Verita - you're right," she mumbles. With both options closed, the blonde walks down the short hallway to Sarah's bedroom and shuts the door. Clinging stubbornly to her sweatshirt, the blanket comes along for the ride.

Rainmaker has posed:
    Sarah hmmms, watching the door close. "...moody wolf girl..." she murmurs softly to herself, then gets herself a can of soda and wanders over to the couch to plop down. For now, she'll let her rest. At least, she assumes that's what the door was a wordless request for.