"Happy unbirthday."

[hazlogs]

It is currently Wed Aug 20 2003. The mental hospital. Day.

Currently the moon is in the waning Half Moon phase (45% full).

Rina is in the dayroom, curled up in a corner with pastels and her sketchbook propped on her knees. Her eyes are on a young blonde woman, half-catatonic and skeletal, peering out the window and keening softly to herself.

The pale-haired woman has both arms wrapped around herself, and she sways a little as she looks despairingly past the barred and reinforced glass.

Salem nods his thanks to the staffmember who leads him in, then makes his way wordlessly over toward the dark-haired Italian woman. He comes bearing a gift, a small squarish box wrapped in silver and black foil-paper.

Rina glances across to the young woman for reference, and catches Salem in the corner of her eye. A faint smile kindles, and she sets her pastels aside, carefully, along with the drawing. The smile widens a touch as she gets up. "Jack... I, I wasn't expecting you."

He smiles faintly in return. "A surprise." He offers her the present, only a little awkwardly. "Happy unbirthday," he says, almost but not entirely deadpan.

Rina takes it carefully, bemusement coming to her eyes as she lowers them. "Um... thanks..." She starts unwrapping it, glancing to him from time to time.

Salem clasps his hands behind his back. "I have no idea when your real birthday is," he remarks, lightly.

The paper covers a box, inside of which sit, snugly, three CDs. Two are bootlegs -- Evanescence's "Origin" and a live recording of Loreena McKennitt. The printed handwriting on these is not Jack's. The third CD is of a band she's never heard before with the odd name of "Skathris Vid-Show" and the cover art is spikily abstract. As the music is revealed, Salem clears his throat a bit. "My, er, friend has some... connections. And she says you'd like the Skathris... they wouldn't sound out of place at the Temple."

Rina's smile widens, shyly. "Thanks... I'm sure I'll love it." She looks up to him, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Did you bring--" She catches sight of the boy a moment later, just coming in.

Cat looks like he hasn't eaten, hasn't brushed his hair, and hasn't pressed his clothes...because he hadn't. Who has been taking care of the boy, in Rina's absence? The nurse holding the door for him smiles quizzically as she leaves. Cat gulps uncertainly, clutching at the toy in his arms. It's a white teddybear holding a shiny red heart in his paws. '#1 MOM'. "The n-nurse said it w'zokay to come in," he mumbles, voice cracking a little. Blue eyes dart nervously from Alpha to painter and the strange blonde woman.

You paged Cat with 'Has Cat been sleeping at the Dominion?'.
From afar, Cat ummms....you're the elder. Has he? Wherever he is, he's not doing anything for himself short of eating when nobody else is around.
You paged Cat with 'Jack wouldn't let him stay by himself at Rina's, so... I guess he has been. With his own room. And Salem telling him to brush his hair, dammit, every so often. :> Not that Jack lives there yet, just visits regularly.'.
From afar, Cat grins. To which Cat blinks, bats at his bangs, and stares back blankly. You're not Rina. You can't command the brush.

Salem turns to watch Cat enter, his smile twisting into something much more wry. He gestures the boy over and says to Rina, "I have him living at the Dominion. The, ah, new family home." There's a definite glint of pleasure around his eyes.

Rina catches her lower lip in her teeth, and holds out her hands. "Hey..." She smiles, a little more tentative about it this time.

The nurse moves over to the window, to stand by the blonde woman and murmur to her quietly. "If you want to cry, Catie," she says softly, "why don't we go to your room? Okay? Where you can be alone... would that be better? You can look out the window, and maybe talk to me a little if you like."

Salem glances over at the nurse and the other patient, then shifts his attention back to Rina and Cat.

The boy takes a hesitant step forward, his own faint smile coming forth. "I...um..." Cat stops and glances as the nurse reappears and starts murmuring to the blonde woman, who he is -very- apprehensive of, for some reason. The cub approaches Salem and Rina with a restrained reverence, thrusting the bear out into her hands. "Buon giorno, madre," he mumbles.

As the nurse shepherds the withdrawn patient down the hall, she is still murmuring softly.

Rina draws Cat carefully into her arms, to give him a quick hug while no one is looking. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she murmurs. "Caro, I'm sorry... I'll be home soon." They are of a height, now, the two of them, blonde and dark.

Salem watches them quietly, for the moment holding his tongue.

He's biting his lowerlip -hard-, and the blue eyes stay uncharacteristically dry. "Th' plants in the kitchen prolly miss us," Cat whispers, holding her for that brief moment and then standing back awkwardly, with the bear still offered. "You're not..." He swallows again. "You'll be all better when you come home?"

Rina nods minutely, and meets his gaze soberly. "I'm fine, caro," she says, tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear. "You be strong, aright? Remember you're growin' up, now."

Salem clears his throat slightly. "Has the, ah, doctor said anything?"

Cat watches her for a moment, nodding as well and that stray lock comes out again. "Yeah. Growin' up," he repeats.

---

It is currently 21:44 Pacific Time on Wed Aug 20 2003.

Currently in Saint Claire, it is clear outside. The temperature is 76 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the northeast at 7 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 29.98 and steady, and the relative humidity is 38 percent. The dewpoint is 49 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius.)

Currently the moon is in the waning Half Moon phase (45% full).

Salem answers on the second or third ring. "Salem here."

A brief rustle of paper, and then a female voice with a slight slavic accent inquires, "Mr Jack Salem, working for Eddie's Repo?" Just to be sure she's got the right one.

There's a brief pause, then a grunt. "Yes. Can I help you?"

Calina clears her throat. "My name is Calina Petrov-Levushka, Mr Salem. I've recently relocated down from New York, and your name was given to me as family contact." While the first part of her name is indestinct, that second-barrel speaks volumes when combined with her accent.

Salem's tone is courteous enough, but there's a chill behind it. "Though not _close_ family. Who gave you my name, Ms. Petrov-Levushka?" He pronounces her surname with perfect correctness.

Calina doesn't miss the coldness, though keeps her own voice utterly neutral save for a touch of sarcasm. "Damion Erik, a member of your *closer* family at the Green. It was suggested you were the top dog."

He answers, blandly, "Indeed I am. But I think any more would be better suited in person. Are you free later this week at all?"

Calina mmhmms quietly. "More or less, subject to changes in my work schedule. How does tomorrow suit you?" There's the sound of paper rustling, as if she were getting out a diary.

"Tomorrow is suitable," comes the reply. He names a time and directs her to the Dark Wine and Roses Cafe, giving her an address and directions. "Bring a rose."

Calina sounds amused. "Won't be a problem, and I know where that is." There's a smile in her voice, tinged with dry humor, as she adds a brief goodbye in Russian.

Calina with 'Salem responds in kind, albeit in Serbian, and then hangs up.'.