pushbackthedarkness | (no subject)

Entry tags:

darkness plot,
kat

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As soon as it becomes obvious the snow isn't going to let up any time soon, Marcus sends Kat a text. He tells her he's coming to get her, leaving no room for argument. It's a terrible thing to do and he feels a little bit like a parent must when they decide what's best for their child, and while he's under no illusions and knows Kat is both an adult and not his daughter, she's also still his family in her own way.

And he doesn't like thinking of her potentially being trapped in a flat with no heat should the power go out.

Already he's heard reports of the blackouts across the city and while the house has kept power so far, Marcus at least has a fireplace and plenty of wood to burn if that shouldn't remain the case. There's also plenty of food and bottled water, enough to keep him, Kat and Sabrina safe and well fed and warm, probably for months if it should come to that.

He doubts it will, but it could be a very cold few days and he needs to know his people are safe.

When he pulls up outside Kat's apartment building, the snow is already blowing hard, so he sends her a message to let her know he's here, then gets out to help her. The wind is blowing hard enough to rock him back on his heels, so he knows it'll be even more dangerous for her with her cane, and he hurries to the top of the steps to wait for her and help her back to the truck.

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It feels like she should have known something would happen. That's bullshit, of course. Hindsight tends to be 20-20, and Darrow is nothing if not unpredictable. The weather has been nice lately, maybe a little too nice, but in early June, it makes enough sense not to second-guess it. Now, though, with the sky dark and fucking snow falling, it's clear hat something is very, very wrong. Stubborn as she can be, when Marcus texts her, Kat doesn't try to argue. She just makes sure Blue will be alright and starts packing a bag. The last thing she needs is to get stuck here, when wandering out into the snow isn't really an option. She has a feeling that any argument she tried to make would be a losing one, anyway. As much as she hates leaving other people to deal with this, it will be better, safer for her out at Marcus's.

When her phone buzzes with a text telling her that she's outside, she sticks it in her pocket, gets her winter coat out of the closet, and heads outside. Immediately, it would feel like a mistake if not for his truck parked at the curb. The wind is so strong she can barely stand, the cold making her knee ache, but she grits her teeth against it and takes his arm to get down the steps, shivering as she does.

"This is crazy," she says in lieu of a greeting. "Snow in the middle of June."

"Home sweet home?" he jokes dryly, giving her a little smile even as another blast of wind hits them. Despite the people who aren't here, he knows it's become something of a home to the both of them and for the most part, Marcus is willing to overlook the strange things that happen. He just wants to make sure people are safe during those strange events if he can at all help it.

At the truck, he opens the door for Kat and puts her bag first on the seat, then helps her in. The truck isn't particularly high and normally he wouldn't be worried about her getting in, but the ground is already icy and every time the wind hits them, it knocks Marcus a little off balance. He doesn't want either one of them to fall.

"Blue's going to be alright?" he asks once he's in the truck and he's started the engine.

Getting inside the truck is a relief, not just because of the cold outside, but because she doesn't feel remotely steady on her feet and really doesn't want to risk injuring herself. She's had way too much of that already, and maneuvering in some kind of a freak snowstorm is difficult enough already. Fastening her seatbelt, Kat wraps her arms around herself for warmth and breathes in deep. Being out in this is more than a little unsettling, but it will be worth it to be somewhere safer. Already people are reporting blackouts in parts of the city. If their power goes, taking the elevator with it, she'd be even more stuck than the snow would leave her anyway. This just makes sense.

"Yeah, I think so," she says with a nod. "And she'll have people around if she needs anything." If a part of her still feels a little guilty, she knows that would probably be the case regardless. "How bad are the roads?"

"Not great, but they'll get worse," Marcus answers, turning up the heat in the truck before he pulls out of his parking spot and starts the drive back to the house. "Plows won't be able to keep up at this rate, so I think people are going to be snowed in for at least a few days."

And that will probably include them. This is why Marcus wants Kat with him. At least if they're snowed in at the house, they have food and water, they have the two fire places. They'll be warm and comfortable enough even if the power goes out, which he's already heard is happening.

"People are talking about other things, too," he says. "Creatures that have come in with the snow."

"Because a freak snowstorm clearly wasn't bad enough on its own," Kat says dryly. She's not even all that surprised, though she is all the more unnerved for it. The way this swept in so suddenly and so unseasonably is a far cry from an unexpected heatwave or a rainstorm that was supposed to miss them. This speaks to something being distinctly wrong, which is maybe why she's felt so off-kilter since it's started, an odd feeling of dread tensing her spine and settling in her gut. She might not know what these creatures are, but she'd be surprised if they were friendly.

"I'm glad you could get here okay. I wouldn't want to be driving in this even if I still drove."

"It's bad," Marcus says. "But we'll make it back to the house without too much trouble."

He's been driving for a long time, in all kinds of conditions, even occasionally with a demon in the vehicle with him. Marcus likes to think he's skilled at it and even though he hadn't had the truck until just recently, it already feels like something he's been driving for years. Now, too, his cargo is precious. No slick of ice in this world could make it so he hurts Kat, even by accident.

"I don't know what's waiting out there," he admits. "But Sabrina's put wards on the house. Nothing will get in that we don't let come in."

And he sure as hell isn't going to let anything come through that door besides people he knows to be safe.

"Good," Kat says. As much as a part of her feels a little guilty for her friends who have to shoulder this otherwise, it's all the more reason for her to go back to Marcus's. They'll be safer there. If a part of her is instinctively a little wary of anything magic or whatever, she can bury it. She trusts Marcus enough for it not to matter as much as it otherwise might. "I don't like taking chances with this shit. You know, after everything."

Between everything that happened back home and all that she's seen here, she won't take any threats like that too lightly. The part of her that once would have tried to rationalize it or find a more logical explanation is long gone. There's a lot of weird, unsettling shit out there, and it needs to be considered seriously.

Before he can answer, the tires slide a little on the slick roads and Marcus lets the truck drift into it before it starts to spin, then gently straightens the wheel a moment later. The back end of the truck swings out, but only a little, then straightens and gains traction again.

"Salem's in and out, but Trass is there, too," he adds once they're back on track. "He wouldn't let anything in."

The snow is thicker here as they exit the city and head for the house. It obscures the view of the road, but Marcus knows where he's going and it isn't long before he's turning into the long drive that leads to the house. Once they're parked and the truck is turned off, he lets out a long breath, then looks over at Kat.

"Made it," he says, then gets out to help her into the house.

It isn't for any lack of trust of Marcus's driving that Kat holds her breath a little as the snow picks up, the view of the road worsening. He wouldn't be out in this if he didn't think he could handle it. Still, this storm is a fucking nightmare, and she can't pretend it isn't unnerving. Having made this trip will be worth it, though. However worried she might be about Blue and the rest of her friends, this will be the best place for her while all of this, whatever it is, is going on. One trip out in the snow and wind will definitely beat being stranded in an apartment with no power and the roads impossible to drive.

"God, what a nightmare," she says, shivering as she carefully climbs out of the truck and starts towards the house, grateful for Marcus at her side. "It seems like it's getting worse, doesn't it?"

"It does seem worse," he agrees. As if to confirm what they've said, another blast of frigid wind sweeps over the driveway, chilling Marcus straight through his coat and sweater both. He stays close to Kat, keeping an arm around her, both for support and to share in her warmth before he has to let go to unlock the front door.

Inside the house is still warm. They still have power, but even if they didn't, the two fireplaces would give them enough heat and he's grateful for them now.

"We'll get you set up in the guest room," he says. "It'll be comfortable and we should be able to stay warm with the fires even if the power goes out."

"Thank God," Kat says, shivering a little as she takes her coat off, though it's mercifully warm inside the house. She can't help but worry about her friends who don't have anywhere else to go, but it's a relief to know that they'll be safe and warm here no matter what happens. What little she's heard about this so far, she doesn't like. Hell, no matter what else might be going on, there's no way for a snowstorm in June, after seasonally appropriate weather, not to be unnerving.

She pushes her free hand back through her hair; it's damp with snowflakes. "I can definitely think of worse places to be stuck inside during a freak storm."

Marcus nods, looking out the window briefly before he moves further into the house. He's thinking about the others who are out there, even though Neil has assured him they're all safe in the apartment, but he hasn't been able to get in touch with Dan or Eponine. Or anyone at the Home, actually, although he's not as worried about that as he is individuals who are alone.

Heading down the hall with Kat's bag, he sets it down on the bed, leaving it there for her to unpack. He knows better than to go through someone's things, although it doesn't always stop him. With Kat, though, it will.

"Tea?" he asks, coming back into the room. "Or coffee? Or something to eat?"

"Coffee sounds great," Kat says, having taken a seat on the couch so she can unlace her boots. It's weird as hell to have gotten her winter clothes out in the middle of June, but at least she had them readily available. There are probably people who showed up here sometime in the last three months or so who won't be prepared for this weather at all. She just hopes it doesn't last very long, though just how cold it is outside makes her suspect that they won't be that lucky. This change is too drastic to be some weird weather phenomenon, especially if what Marcus has said about there being creatures in the snow is true. Something else must be going on here.

Caffeine might not be the best idea when her nerves are already shot, but mostly, she just wants something warm to drink. "Can I help with anything? It's the least I can do if I'm gonna be an indefinite house guest."

"There isn't much to be done," he admits. "Though I appreciate the offer. Once the snow started falling, I made sure everything was prepared. We have enough wood chopped to last both fireplaces for at least a few days, should we lose power. Plenty of canned food and bottled water if it comes to that, which I'm hoping it won't. For now all you can really do is relax."

He glances out the window again and says, "Well. Try to relax, I suppose."

Trass comes into the living room as Marcus moves through to the kitchen to start the coffee. The rooms are open to each other, so he can still talk to Kat as he gets things ready and keep an eye on Trass, too, though he knows he needn't worry after the time Kat spent here after Matthias disappeared. Sure enough, the enormous wolf pads over to Kat, sniffs one of her boots by sticking his entire face inside, then sneezes and lays his head on her thigh, waiting for her to stroke his ears. He still looks rather fierce with the scar that cuts down his face, but when he likes someone, there's nothing at all ferocious about him.

Relaxing definitely does not seem within the realm of possibility right now, especially not when she's got friends who aren't as safe as she is to worry about. There's only so much that can be done about that, though. Kat just hopes that the power holds, for her and for them, so she can check in via text or email or phone calls and make sure they're doing alright. Impossible or not, there really probably isn't much else to do, like Marcus has said, so she ought to at least give relaxing a shot.

"Hey, Trass," she coos when the wolf comes over to her, just like she would with any more conventional house pet, smiling as she runs her hands through the animal's fur. Trass might look intimidating, but she's spent enough time here to be perfectly comfortable around him, a little appreciative now of the animal's proximity. Looking over towards where Marcus is in the kitchen, she smiles slightly. "Then I'm definitely glad I'm here," she says. "Seems like this is about as prepared as anyone can be for all of this."

Edited 2019-07-18 08:21 (UTC)

"He loves it," Marcus says, nodding toward Trass before he begins to prepare the coffee. The wolf huffs out a breath against Kat's thigh, closing his eyes while she pets him, then when he's doing, he wanders through the kitchen to brush up against Marcus before pawing at the door as if to prove Marcus's point. As soon as the back door is opened, he bounds out and disappears into the snow, and Marcus is left shaking his head.

"I have no idea how a man and a wolf were so alike, but they were," he says. "I suppose that's part of why Matthias picked him in the first place."

Even now, Marcus misses him. He doesn't talk about it as much anymore and he can't pretend as if he hasn't already had at least a passing interest in others, but he does still miss him. There are days when he knows it's never going to go away, no matter what else happens in his life, and days when he almost forgets how bad it can be.

"At least someone is enjoying this," Kat says wryly, gaze turned towards the door where Trass has bounded out into the snow as if he belongs there. With any other animal, she would probably worry more about the rumors Marcus mentioned of there being monsters in it, but as gentle as Trass is with her, she has no doubt that he would fuck up anyone or anything who attacked him. He's probably the best equipped for this of all of them. As much as she hates whatever is going on here, though it helps to be settled safely at Marcus's, it's nice to think that it won't be universally awful.

"I'm glad you still have Trass here with you," she adds. She knows how much it hurts to lose a loved one, and how anything left can make a big difference. People move on, too — she isn't just thinking about Julia all the time anymore — but that doesn't change or lessen a loss.

"I never thought I would say as much, but I am, too," he says, laughing. The coffee finishes and he fills two mugs, then sets them on a tray with milk and cream, before bringing it all over to where Kat is sitting on the couch. Setting the tray down on the coffee table, Marcus sinks into one of the chairs, finally able to relax a little more.

It's not ideal, he still wishes there was more he could do for the people he cares about, but at least he and Kat are safe here.

"Feeding a wolf isn't exactly easy, but it's still good to have him around. He reminds me of Matthias and I suppose I got used to him being here. The house would have felt a lot more empty without him before Sabrina and Salem moved in." He's not sure he would have kept the place in that case, if he'd had to be here all alone.

"I think that's how Blue and I have wound up with most of the pets we have," Kat says with a short, self-deprecating laugh. She never really expected that she would be living with such a collection of animals, but she understands the desire to keep them, too. If it gets to be too much, then that will be that, but right now, she doesn't think it would be right to tell Blue not to take in a pet left behind by someone she cared about. Blue has lost so many people as it is. If this helps, then Kat won't be the one to stop her.

Leaning over, she stirs some cream and sugar into her coffee, the mug refreshingly warm between her hands when she lifts it to take a sip. "Besides, there probably aren't a lot of people who would take in a wolf that size. So it's good for both of you."

Kat is certainly right about that, because in the first day or so, when things had been especially hard, Marcus had looked around online to see what his options might have been, had he decided he couldn't take care of Trass. There hadn't really been anything at all. Most likely, if he'd given him up, he would have been put down, and Marcus couldn't even entertain that thought for a second.

"He'd probably be happier with Matthias," he says. "With a war to fight. They're soldiers, the two of them, and Trass even more so than I think Matthias ever was. But he's here and there's nothing I can do to send him back to where he's come from, so he lives here with me. I like to think he's content enough."

Maybe not happy, not without Matthias, but content.

"He seems like it," Kat says, though she's certainly far from being an expert. Trass has always seemed content enough when she's been here, though, and she would guess that something like that would be pretty damn apparent if it weren't the case. Unhappy animals tend to be obviously so in some way. Maybe Trass would be more in his element being somewhere with a war to fight, but at least he seems to be doing alright. For Marcus's case, she can't help being grateful that Trass is still here, even if Matthias isn't.

"I think you'd probably know if he wasn't. And, hey, for now he can enjoy the snow more than any of the rest of us." It's better now that she's not out in it or worrying about a power outage, but she still doesn't love this, mostly because she can't understand it. For all the weird shit that happens in Darrow on a regular basis, somehow it still always finds a way to surprise her.

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