[b][center]Collab: Zi and Emmet[/center][/b]

Zi crashed onto one of the stools at the bar, her hand scooping up a menu as she did. Her eyes quickly scanned the variety of liquid poison until they reached the number she was currently at - 43. That meant it was slightly over a month since she made the game of trying to teach herself the difference in liquors. At first she had tried their pure forms but found them rather disappointing - one, they didn't taste all that great, and two, they didn't work as quickly. So she started with the cocktails. The bartender was warned to always add the full intended dosage of alcohol to the mix and most often did. It was a dangerous little game and one Zi both enjoyed and hated, just like the music here. 

"A Wasp." She said flicking the menu closed and leaning her elbows on the bar. She would have leaned back if the chair permitted. 

"Are you sure about this?" The bartender asked. He was a newbie, still in training, taking over the bar and morals of his senior while the latter was still dealing with the unconscious girl from before. "Should you really be drinking during work?"

Zi stared at him and didn't say anything for a long second, long enough to make him shift uncomfortably.

"Are you really doing this?" She asked then. "You're not going to stick around very long with questions like that."

Of course, she was bluffing. Her position was nothing major here, she was just another bottle in the bar, utilized when needed until it runs out and gets replaced. And Zi didn't mind that. 
She watched the newby making her drink. He cut down on the alcohol. She felt mildly offended - that was a trick for the guests, not the employees. 

Allowing herself to relax Zi loosened the control over the essence surrounding her and allowed it to spread thinner over a wider distance. That's what she did when she wanted a few moments harmony - used the essence not as a concentrated protective bubble but as a mist of sensation. The happenings in her immediate surrounding became much less vibrant, much more human but for that she gained a better feel over a broader perimeter. If anything unusual were to happen in the Rabid Dog right then, Zi would feel it.

And she did. It was luckily nothing bad though. It was Emmet, his essence clearly distinguishable as a familiar fragrance among the crowd. He was just entering and the essence of surface werewolf was splashed over him like greese. He was walking slower than he usually did, he must be tired then. And he wasn't alone. A demon was moving right alongside him, [i]its[/i] movements easy and sleek. Was Emmet being threatened? No, there was no malice in the demon. It must be "Juan", she concluded as she inspected his essence. It had been stick to Emmet since the day they met. It reminded her of charcoal. 

Taking a sip from her drink (it had a [i]very[/i] peculiar taste to it, but not necessarily one she didn't like) Zi turned to face the entrance of the club and climbed on the bar stool- high enough for her wave to raise above the forest of hands. As the two men approached she greeted them with a smile and a nod and slipped off the stool, offering it to Emmet. 

"You look like you need it more than me." She remarked, looking him over. 

They had arrived shortly at the Rabid Dog. Currently they were passed any small time security, a bouncer or two, in completely silent to head in. The neon lights flickered and buzzed near the entrance, the harsh light drowned the pair within its florescent glow. Emmet had managed to reach the door first, his body still sore from the Weiryn’s encounter, and pressed his hand upon the door with Juan still behind him. The cool surface was soothing to the touch against the heat of his palm as he paused for a moment. A moment ticked by while his mind had dwelled a moment upon what waited behind the door, namely other than Zi. Despite him knowing he was unable to weasel out of this situation, his mind couldn’t help but wonder what Darius’s little ‘surprise’ could be. He at least could brace himself for the unpleasantness that was about to come.

“What can I expect Juan? You know I’m not fond of Darius’s little ‘surprises’.” Emmet spoke in a monotone, though his voice clearly had some tension within it. His eyes never once turned back towards the demon’s direction while he stared on the door before him. 
Juan merely smirked, his dark skin dowsed in the bright neon giving Emmet a creepy feeling at the back of his spine. “My, my, impatient aren’t you? Word of advice, be a good boy when dealing with Darius. Or did we forget the last time?”

Emmet’s fingers curled into a fist at the subtle hinting about the first encounter with Darius, the one where his wrist was broke and Olivia was taken. His body was filled with tension over the memory that he barely realized Juan’s touch upon his shoulder, Emmet’s light colored head jerked backwards to see the demon’s fingers peer over his shoulder then firmly pulled him away, his own human strength fell short of Juan’s as the demon made his own way into the club. Unable to walk through the entrance right at moment, Emmet’s shoulders lowered a bit with a soft sigh at the mess he was in. Things had went from bad to worse since his magic had emerged like a dirty snowball which didn’t just stop at a few feet, but instead balled for miles and took everything with it. [i]When did things become such a mess?[/i] 
That was the question which haunted Emmet every day and in each task. He couldn’t seem to win in the end much to his hatred, his frustration built to an overwhelming degree. One thing was for sure, no matter what was about to come, he wasn’t going to like it. With that little fact in his mind, Emmet’s hand replaced itself back on the door and pushed it out of his way to follow Juan. 

His eyes spotted him, his body swayed among the exotic flashing lights and thick haze within the club’s atmosphere. It was always the same whenever Emmet had arrived here. The party in full swing, bodies jumped to the music’s thumping beat like a unified sea and crowded each other the near one got to the main stage. For once, he was thankful for it. The sporadic lights that scanned the crowds and darkness help hid the fact his eye was blacken, mostly. He had a feeling Zi wouldn’t worry but he got a sense she wasn’t going to be happy with it. To top that only visible bruise, he was pretty sure there several more alongside his scratched up suit and banged up body. It was just one of the hazards with Darius’s little jobs. His eyes lit up when he spotted Zi’s pale hand raised above the hands reaching for the roof and started to detach from Juan. 

“You look like shit.” He stated in a callous tone, and then added as he pulled around Emmet’s front to block his way. The demon’s hand flew to straight Emmet’s clothing despite the clear unsalvageable rips. “Don’t push it or you’ll be sleeping on the crouch tonight, understand sweetheart?” 

Emmet’s eyebrow raised in question yet received no farther details, unsure if it was himself or Zi that was involved in that comment. His jaw tightened in assumption Juan was playing his usual shit and replied. “Just shut up.”

 Juan chuckled lightly as Emmet winched, the demon’s touch skimmed a bruise sending a flame of pain within his mind. Hastily Emmet pushed away, his hand slapped away Juan’s, and headed for the bar. His pace clearly wanted to put distance between him and Juan in that moment. His leg seemed to not to want to work right as he limped his way toward the bar. All the time, Emmet could feel Juan in his wake as the demon kept his cheerful demeanor. Careful not to touch anyone, Emmet was relieved when he watched Zi slip off the bar stool and make her way to meet them half way. A rare, genuine smile crossed Emmet’s lips when she drew closer with a glass in hand, an offer after she saw his appearance. 
For him, it was odd how her comment suddenly made him aware to the fact he looked like a mess. Ignoring the irritation in his heart when he thought about the comments, hers then Juan’s, and the deep seated wish he had the foresight to change his hand reached to take the glass from her. “Thanks, and yeah I’ll agree. Just another day working for the boss man after, he can’t seem to get his kicks unless I’m left with some bruises.” 

Juan’s voice seemed to pipe in, seemed intent on ruining the moment at just the right time. “You two have fun and time to kill. I’ve got a few things to do before I need Emmet again, Zi.” The demon had been about to walk away when he stopped abruptly, his voice added more with his lips still turned up in a crook grin. “One more thing…Emmet, if you get bored of her, you’ll find me by the office. I’m sure I can help you work out the kinks in your sore body and keep us both entertained. Ciao.” 

Emmet glared, his hand tightened about the glass as his heated vision watched Juan vanished through the crowd. He couldn’t help the soft mumbles under his breath, only a few words audible for Zi. “….bitch…kill him next….pay…” 

It likely might be hard for her to tell what he was saying or at least guess the intentions. 

Zi’s stare sent Juan off, an amused grin playing on her lips in contrast to Emmet’s expression. 

“And by that he surely meant Twister. You don’t need to get bored of me to join him, we can both pop ‘round in a neat little package instead.”

After he was sure the demon had gone, Emmet nodded and brought the glass to his lips before he took a deep swig. The contents burned in an unexpected way and caught him off guard, his eyes widened while he began to cough briefly. His throat burned like a son of bitch against the Wasp’s ‘sting’ on its way down. His face slightly puckered, Emmet’s hand raised it to his face and looked at the pale yellow and black coloring, recognizing it quickly. 

“You could’ve warned me it was a Wasp, you know?” His voice held a small teasing within his tone, and then lowered the glass once more. “I’ve got something to ask you and it has to do with Olivia.” 

Zi smiled playfully at him with gleaming eyes. Could it be that she could handle alcohol better than him now? She was about to point out that the two layers of the drink should have been an obvious hint when Emmet continued and his mention of Olivia made the gleam in her eyes disappear. Whether it was because she suddenly became serious or because the mention of the girl was an unpleasant topic, or because she had something else she’d rather discuss, one couldn’t tell. 

“I’m all ears.” She nodded with a serious, even slightly weary expression.

Unable to read Zi’s mind, Emmet could only draw his own conclusions when the playful gleam seemed to have vanished. Though he was fairly certain he was right in his assumption as he recalled the plan discussed before she met Olivia, one that forced him to slip into lying to her and risk that years old trust between them. Then again, Darius had made him do far worse that started his secret keeping. Her reaction had given him a deep wish that he had kept his mouth shut for a bit longer. When a bar waitress passed him, his hand shifted the empty glass to the tray and hooked his thumb upon his pants near his holstered gun. 
 
“Olivia has asked me to invite you with us when I pick her up shortly for some ice cream. There’s a local café called Tiger Lilly Parlor, a small place and old fashion compared to most of the other places. I know it’s asking a lot…but she is my sister and with Darius’s work increasing, I’m not sure how much free time I’ll end up with.” Emmet swallowed his slight worry, his words came out smooth and effortlessly yet his nerves were jumping about within his chest. His ears could practically hear his heart thrumming and drown his head in the sound, all this just merely from his wait upon her answer. He could imagine it would get worse if she answered, no matter the result. At that moment, he felt taking on the werewolf again was the better option then this.

At first the woman’s face only conveyed her surprise. Then, slowly, her lips stretched to a smile. However, as it grew it didn’t shape out to be a beautiful and radiant one but rather a sad and bitter one.
 
“I…” She started hesitantly, both her eyes and body shifting insecurely. “I… Emmet, I really don’t know. I mean…” She ran a hand through her hair, a bitter chuckle escaping her lips. “I just killed someone.” Her eyes finally went back to his and revealed a slightly manic grin. “He was a child and he – Anyway. It doesn’t feel fair to your sister. I.. I’m not sure I can pretend to be innocent right now. [i]And[/i] I’ve had more than one drink on no sleep.” She sighed, her eyes darting around again. “Besides you… you have it tough yourself. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your time with your precious one. I can think of a valid excuse for her but… I’m not sure if I should get Olivia deeply involved with myself.”
 
That’s right. It was not only emotionally challenging to interact with children after everything she’d been through, it was also dangerous. For both of them. For all three of them. It would also mean hearing about Darius – the man she held a deep hatred for because of Emmet who was more noble (or wise) than that. 

Zi's eyes lowered with regret over the rejection. A part of her hoped Emmet would laugh her off and call her worries stupid while the other part wanted him to just nod in understanding. And she really didn't know which part she was rooting for.

Emmet stood there, silent after her struggle at rejecting the invite. His eyes turned, unable to look upon her, to spare her from any guilt his depression might betray. It was a deep, bitter feeling to know he should’ve kept his mouth shut. He should’ve forgotten the matter and lied to Olivia that Zi was busy to prevent the questions being shot at him. After all, it wasn’t like lying had become hard now. His mind recounted the various times he had to pretend everything was alright as a way to protect her from the truth, to either bend the truth or completely alter it into something minor. How did he tell her the exact number of lives ended or things done with his very hands that held her tightly? In what manner does one person go about starting the topic in daily conversation? All of that was too much to count and at the day’s end, when it was all over, Emmet couldn’t bring himself to think about how much worth those lives had and face the nightmares in the end. 
 
He wasn’t a saint in this world, not in the way Olivia wanted him to be. 
 
It was a lie to say Zi’s rejection hadn't hurt him but he wouldn’t make her feel guilty for it. Inside he could go back and try this again, though something inside told him it won’t have mattered. She had been wary of his sister from the very beginning after all, why did he think now would’ve been any different. He sighed to clear his head as his throat swallowed the dry lump in his throat to speak. “Personally, I think you’re underestimating yourself. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of or wished we didn’t have to, but I won’t force you to come along. Lying doesn’t come easily to everyone after all. Besides, maybe Karma’s biting me in the ass because I used Olivia’s invite more for my own selfish reasons.” 
 
The last bit he forced a humorous tone to it, the best he could at this point. Some days it sickened him how easily he could put on a mask and make everything seem alright, something second nature to him now. His thumb tightened the loop in his pants, his disappointment hidden to make her feel better, and then continued. His made his tone calm and lighter to add to the façade he started. “Anyway, don’t worry about the excuse. I’ll just tell her you’ve worked a double shift at the club and couldn’t make it. It should keep her from asking too many questions.” 
 
Emmet tried to ignore the fact her discomfort around his sister created a problem and stretched his loyalities. If the two didn’t get along, then it was unlikely this friendship would last for a long time as he pushed his own fear aside on the matter. He didn’t want to dwell on that now or until it happened. 

Zi bit her lip with a nod, her eyes shifting on his as if she was searching for something deeply hidden. She could see his discomfort well enough but couldn't be entirely sure why it happened or where it came from. What could have sparked such deep disappointment? Did he really want this so much? Did he really think Zi was worth meeting innocent kids? 

On the other hand, could Zi forgive Olivia for being so innocent when her brother was suffering so much for her sake? 

Biting on her lips harder Zi shoved the thought away violently, scared that Emmet might somehow be able to see it. The thought was persistent and had been haunting her ever since she met Olivia but now was not the time for such a conversation. 

So, for a safer answer... 

Your "own selfish reasons"?

Karma for what?

Asking too many questions? 

Instead of posing any of those Zi just smiled an insecure smile and put a hand on Emmet's upper arm. She wanted to fix this... She wanted to fix Emmet as much as possible, or at least not damage him any further. 

"I think you misunderstood me... I'm honoured by the invitation, really. It means a lot for me to be invited to one of the few meetings you have with your sister. I just presumed that you'd prefer to spend them just the two of you... And... I really have a hard time reminding myself that the world isn't so dark. And that I don't have to blame myself for everything." She concluded with gaze dropping, the final words a surprise to even her. Indeed, how could she not blame herself or think herself responsible? She had been a part of Hazumi, been able to change the world for the better and had done nothing. Or worse, maybe she had doomed it. 

[i]What's past is past. Work from there.[/i] she reminded herself and let out a sigh. 

Emmet’s head jerked into her direction when Zi’s hand touched his upper arm, the jacket’s thicker material seemed to bend easily at her touch causing his eyes to soften a bit when they came to rest upon her direction. The conversation seemed to have brought out her doubt within herself which caused him to wonder how selfish he was being in all this and a slight guilt seemed to wash over because of it, crushed by her next words. His hopes seemed to have risen against his will once more and his brow made a questionable arch while she explained her actual meaning. 

When her gaze dropped, his hand gently reached under Zi’s chin and slowly pulled her eyes back up to him. It was a gesture he had begun to do time to time whenever he wanted her attention, so behind it she would know there wasn’t any malice or harmful intentions. He had a little smirk, both pleasure and concern, before he answered. “Not enjoying the moments you get just makes what little light there is worth much less. Right now, I think the world can take care of itself without you letting it weigh you down. There’s always plenty of time to play a heroine later…the world’s not dead yet.”

[i]So says the guy who can’t take his own advice…[/i] Emmet inwardly scolded himself with mild amusement.

"So, when and where?" She smiled at Emmet, leaving him no chance to object. 

Her next comment caught him off guard needless to say when she asked the location and time. Emmet blinked, his grip had released her jawline, before he answered. “Tigerlily’s Parlor, that same place I took you for lunch the other day and in about three hours. I should be done with my work here, changed into something more casual,” His eyes shifted along his rather ripped up attire, thanks to the werewolf, to make his point clear then continued, “and pick up Olivia on route. That should also give you a chance to get some sleep. I’ll have Juan tell the club owner you’re clocking out early for the rest of the day.” 
 
His tone sounded like he wasn’t going to take any argument from her on the matter.