Stride eyed Zephyr a moment longer, scanning his features for any sort of mockery or snark, before pulling her mask down a bit and taking a swig. [color=#BC6101]“Well, just stop doin’ it, ya hear? It’s weird as fuck.”[/color] Mask up again, she listened as the angel gave his little tale of how he wound up stranded on earth, then, much to her surprise, casually pulled his jacket off to reveal the grisly scars running across his back.

One half of her wanted to give her sympathies, seeing as the whole situation seemed pretty god damn awful.

The other half wanted to ask him why the hell he was running around with a jacket, but effectively shirtless otherwise.

The sympathetic half won out.

[color=#BC6101]“That ah,”[/color] Stride began, scratching her jaw, [color=#BC6101]“that fuckin’ sucks, dude. Would’a thought that the folks up there would’a been more forgivin’ n’ shit. Less, ya know, fuckin’ brutal.”[/color] Mask down, booze in, mask up. There wasn’t much else to say on that part, seeing as there wasn’t much else Stride [i]could[/i] say about having what amounted to a person’s limbs being torn off before they got kicked to the curb, and she had already given the guy a bottle. 

But [i]damn[/i], was her wrist acting up. Instead of a constant, droning pain, it was more akin to a pulse. The heat came and fell in waves, leaving little time to get used to it. She rubbed her wrist, gave it a little scratch, then, grumbling, abruptly stood and stalked her way over to Zephyr’s seat. She gave the guy a hearty smack on the shoulder then went to sit back down, suppressing a relieved sigh now that the pain was numbed. 

[color=#BC6101]“Don’t know ‘bout you, but that was startin’ to get on my nerves,”[/color] Stride drawled. 

[@Daemanis]

[hr]

Madison perked up. [color=#0A8558]“Quite a few, if memory serves. There was…psychology, history, various courses on mythological studies...I’ve dabbled in a few lines of studies over the years, actually. You can never learn [i]too[/i] much, I believe.”[/color] He gave a bright, sunshine smile, then downed most of his drink in one gulp. [color=#0A8558]“What classes are you taking, if I might ask?”[/color]

Stefany’s next question saw him glancing at the ceiling, tapping his lip with his free hand. [color=#0A8558]“Well,”[/color] he said, eventually bringing his gaze back down, [color=#0A8558]“that would depend on where you would like to go, miss Raterfell. There’s a lovely botanical garden a few blocks down, or the local park a bit further. Marvellous places if you’re looking for somewhere quiet to think, I believe.”[/color] There was also his well and proper house, but Madison thought that it would be coming on a little too strong if he invited Stefany there only minutes after meeting her. Besides, she seemed hesitant about the situation as it stood. A peaceful, muted area seemed like the best place to get to know his new partner. 

[@ineffable]