evelyn

Who: Evelyn and Becky
Where: Jesse's house
When: Early evening

Who: Evelyn and Jesse
Where: His house
When: Late Afternoon

Who: Evelyn and Becky
Where: Jesse's Apartment
When: Late Afternoon

An upbeat sort of jazz crackled through a radio, fighting through the sputtering and hacking coming from the floor. There weren't any beds. Just bodies. And blankets enough to cover up the most grotesque -- any attempt to provide warmth was agreed a futile one. Room was scarce, with all sick and little dying, that those seeming closest to death -- enough to rationalize the conscience of their undertakers -- were taken out back and thrown onto pyres, sounds of pained gasps and cries agreed upon to be the crackling of wood. Space was made, and then taken up, and space was made again. The procession of it now gone from ghastly to routine. A doctor, young and embittered, tip-toed amongst them, barely looking at the bodies -- for bodies they were to his mind, not more -- only touching enough to stick needles into arms before wiping them from his hands onto a makeshift coat and moving on. Avoiding gazes, avoiding contact, avoiding sounds. There was a debate, one finally settled when somebody's hands opened a window. Burned flesh now wafted in, carried from the pyres, competing with the stench of fluids and disease, overtaking it.

And, from somewhere in the room, the jazz crackled louder.

Who: Evelyn and Dutch
Where: Occam Automotive
When: Late Afternoons

Evelyn had been feeling restless and helpless and it really wasn't a good combination. She hadn't been able to get a hold of Becky since talking to her brother, and Evelyn was very aware that stopping by the office or Becky's apartment and risking running into Kowalski just wasn't going to end well. She had finished the model plane, which despite everything had managed to bring a slight spirit lift. But that had been short-lived once she was faced with needing to find something else to do with her time. Her restlessness had disturbed her roommates to the point that one told her she needed to sit down and chill out or head out. So Evelyn had headed out, but that hadn't been particularly pleasant. She hadn't been lying to Jesse when she said that walking out in public wasn't easy for her. It may have been awful on empty streets, but the holiday crowds didn't make her feel much better. Because on an empty street she could give in to the urge to whip her head back and see nobody there. But in the crowd? There were so many people behind her, and unless she wanted to back herself into a wall that wasn't going to change. And no, Evelyn was not going to have the feel of brick against her back -- never ever ever again.

It had taken a while, but she had finally gotten a cab -- the streets were too crowded for her to attempt driving with her novice skills. And when it stopped before Occam Automotive she stepped out and took a deep breath before paying the driver and closing the door. She had money in her pocket, and a task at hand. So, yeah, she was here. It wasn't exactly a pleasant task, but it was a needed one. And it was also the only thing she could actually do right now, besides sitting around and twiddling her thumbs by the hallway phone. So she took another breath, shoved a hand into her pocket to secure the cash that was in there, and stepped into the bay, calling out, "Hello?"

Who: Evelyn and Marian
Where: The boarding house
When: Obscenely late (er... early) hour

Monday had sort of gone by in a haze. Granted, that was probably because when Evelyn finally did get fall asleep it had been after sunrise, and it hadn't happened naturally. The sedatives weren't a thing she was proud of, but on the list of things she wasn't proud of right now they were at the bottom. So she had slept, much later than she would ever allow herself to. And then she had tried calling Becky, but hadn't been able to reach her, and then had a sort of powerless anxiety come over her... and at that point decided to at least get out of her apartment. It was late, really late, so she couldn't exactly move around and do things without disturbing her roommates. She even had been of a mind to to read something mindless, only to notice that the book that had become the fixture in the living area wasn't fixed there anymore. So she made her way downstairs. She wasn't really sure what she would do down there, but headed down nonetheless. She headed to straight to the main common room, not glancing at the side rooms that she had argued with Dodge in. And, once there and observing the state of the wall, Evelyn saw exactly what she could do.

Who: Evelyn and Dodge
Where: Evelyn’s boarding house
When: late

Dodge had left Jessie on a mission. He stopped briefly, telling a few of his boys where he’d be, and to pass the word on to Roach. Roach could come find him if they found out anything about Pepper. Dealing with that would obviously take priority but right now Dodge needed to talk to Evelyn. Badly.

Who: Evelyn and Ian
Where: The Drake Hotel
When: Afternoon

Lunch with Shoshannah had been both enlightening and disconcerting as most of Ian’s interactions with the girl were. The rose colored glasses the girl wore amazed him, and yet garnered a new respect in his eyes for her father. The man had managed to mix himself deeper than most into the worst of the city and yet his daughter remained oblivious. The double life was something Ian could respect leading one himself.

Who: Evelyn and Jesse
Where: James’ Apartment
When: Morning

Evelyn hadn’t been awake, but she wasn’t really asleep either. At some point she had been aware that her brother and niece were up, catching her name along with some words that stumbled into her consciousness from their otherwise quiet tones. But not enough to piece together what exactly was being said, and she had just been too exhausted to nudge herself into the realm of ‘awake’, if not so much ‘alert’, enough to catch the conversation.

Why didn’t they just die already?

He wasn’t supposed to be here, doing this. He wasn’t even trained to do this. Yes, he was a doctor. Yes, he worked in a hospital. But he didn’t actually work with the sick. Not this kind of sick. He didn’t work with the bleeding and leakage and the hacking coughs that he could almost feel covering him and -- oh god the puss. This wasn’t his kind of shit. He wasn’t this kind of doctor. And he sure as hell wasn’t a specialist. There had been no desire to continue on so far. He had the job, it paid well, he had weekends, he had the car he had always wanted, and anything serious was handed off and to a specialist.

Who: Evelyn and Jessie
When: Early evening
Where: The James' apartment

Jessie trudged up the stairs to her apartment, feeling more and more exhausted with each one. Her day with Dodge had been confusing at best and at worst, completely overwhelming. As she thought she would, she felt pretty sick now that Dodge wasn't here, thinking of all that he told her about Patrick and what had happened to the boys under Dodge's care because of that man. It certainly trumped anything she was thinking of before she heard it.

More than anything she was ready to be in her home, in her pajamas, in her bed or on the couch, in a place where things made sense. But when she opened the door and sluggishly 0made her way into the kitchen for a glass of water, she found her aunt and even more confusion there. The last time she'd seen Evelyn, her aunt had basically told her she wasn't sure when the next time she'd come to visit them was. So now, staring at Evie in the kitchen, Jessie was having just a little difficulty wrapping her head around her being here. "Aunt Evie?"

who: evie and jesse
where: her place/out
when: noon

Jesse, after his daughter and that little punk left, was not a happy bunny. In fact, he was a wildly unhappy bunny. And even if he was still pissed at his sister about shit, he wanted to talk to her about the situation, so he went over to her building, and headed to her door to knock--and even his knock sounded impatient and harassed. “Evie--you in?” he called, before anyone would even have had the time to answer.

Who: Dutch and Evelyn
Where: Occam Automotive
When: Early evening

Who: Evelyn and Ian
Where: Out and about
When: 8pm

Who: Jessie and Evelyn
When: late afternoon Jan. 24
Where: Evelyn's apartment at the boarding house

The first thing Jessie had done after her delayed walk home with Dodge was go right upstairs to her bedroom and conch out on the bed for a good few hours of a nap. Awakening renewed, even though she knew she'd be just as tired by bedtime than she would had she not taken a nap, Jessie contemplated her options. She could stay here and wait for her dad to come home and see what their plans for the night were, or she could go out for a little bit and be back home in time for dinner.

Standing up, Jessie pulled her jacket back on, securing a scarf around her neck, and headed to the kitchen table. She left a note there stating that she was going to visit Evelyn and check on her. The only thing she knew about Evelyn was that, one, she hadn't seen her aunt in a few days, and two, Jesse had mentioned she'd gotten hurt the last time they'd talked about Evelyn. She hadn't heard anything more about her aunt in the past couple of days, so she figured that she might as well head down to the boarding house to make sure she was all right, at the very least. She didn't like knowing that Evelyn was hurt and not knowing what had happened or how hurt she was, exactly. Her dad said things were all right with her now, but Jessie wanted to see it for herself.

Who: Evelyn and Maddy
Where: Shopping District
When Early afternoon

Who: Dodge and Evie
Where: Evie's place
When: Evening

Dodge's day had been bad. Like all sorts of bad. He'd cut Maddy off until she came to her senses, only to realize that he really didn't feel right cutting her off. Not with the damn orphanage and some cop's wife looking for her. The issue had been talked over with Roach and Mud, his top two boys, both of which were alright with putting out the alert to keep an eye on Maddy, but to stay out of it. Still, they'd follow her as well as they could.

Who: Evelyn and Shoshannah
When: Jan. 23, late afternoon
Where: Outside the Drake Hotel

Who: Evelyn and Ian
Where: The Drake
When: early afternoon

Evelyn may have felt a little bit better after meeting Kess, but that brief little silver-lining to her day had given way to the grind of demands and growing apprehension of, well, everything. Talking to Sullivan, for one -- she still hadn't answered him about the whole 'dinner' thing. And seeing as how this job and him had actually been pretty damn good to her, she couldn't in good conscience go job-hunting again without giving notice. Which, again, wasn't a gleeful thought to think of... especially since it was only mere days ago when she had barged into his office making a case to keep a job at this hotel despite her wrist.

Although, at the rate she was going today, she wouldn't be surprised if they just fired her. It had taken all of her energy just to maintain the smile on her face for the guests, which left her little for getting through the other day-to-day duties of her job. Thankfully, she was able to catch most of the mix-ups, usually minor, before they became noticeable issues for the guests, but it was clearly an 'off' day for her. Hell, even Dolores -- who wasn't the greatest observer in the slightest -- had asked her if she were feeling alright!

Right now Evelyn was trying to avoid Dolores' gaze as she murmured polite apologies and instructions into the phone. Negligence had sent something up to the wrong room, and she only needed to peek at the mirror to find the culprit. Her eyes drifted over to the modest bouquet on the countertop before her -- there was no note, and it initially seemed to be some decoration somebody had opted for the front desk. But she had noticed that no other stations had received such treatment, and couldn't help noticing how it was placed on the side of the desk she was generally found at. If it were a decoration, certainly a place like the Drake would've centered it or placed another on the other end to balance out the aesthetic, right?

Who: Evelyn and Kess
Where: The Drake
When: Morning

Evelyn was in one of the staff restrooms, carefully trying to arrange her hair in a manner that was both respectable yet covered the bruise and healing gash on her face. Both had certainly come a long way from that dark red-purple, but they were still there enough to warrant being covered up. Scattered along the sink edge before her was her make-up, recently applied to the best of her ability in the awful lighting of the place. It wasn't just that it was a staff restroom, but it was the least frequented one that Evelyn could think of. That was why she had chosen it for the place of her last-minute work to make herself presentable.

Normally this was something done long before she stepped out of her apartment, but it had been a struggle to get out of her apartment at all. The sedatives she had taken that wouldn't kick in finally did, and Evelyn had such trouble getting out of bed that for a frightening moment she thought she was paralyzed. But even though she apparently had fallen asleep? She didn't feel like it. And, honestly, only half-way through the process of getting ready she certainly didn't look like she had. But at least she didn't look half as bad as she felt. But that wasn't giving much credit to her looks at the moment -- looking as awful as she felt was, quite frankly, impossible.

Who: Evelyn and Jesse
Where: Jesse's apartment
When: Late Afternoon

Evelyn was worried. She had knocked on her brother's door and there hadn't been an answer. Which meant Jesse was out. Normally, this wasn't cause for worry. It was cause for merely a sigh and a note left under a door because Jesse's neighbors weren't always the most dependable message-takers. But it was a Saturday -- not that Jesse worked -- and there was no good reason to be outside in such weather!

...except for Jesse there probably was, wasn't there? Despite futile hopes, she couldn't honestly see her brother letting things go. She could see him going into shady neighborhoods and talking to shady people and probably coming home with another gunshot wound if he came home at all. So, yeah. She was worried.

The lights in the hallway flickered, which disconcerted Evelyn more than she cared to admit to herself. She knocked on Jesse's door for a fourth time, even though she knew that was pointless. Both Jess and Baby J tended to answer after the first knock. Evelyn sighed, admitting defeat. She took a step back, casting one last look at the closed door, and started to walk away. And it was when she was mid-way through the stairwell that lights went out. Completely.

And Evelyn screamed.

Who: Dodge and Evelyn
Where: On the streets
When: afternoon

Dodge was holding court in the afternoon light, despite the lousy weather. Lounging on a railing of a high stoop he was dolling out order to his subordinates, updating on them on Maddy's return, changing out the newest set of orders and interrogating those who weren't able to find out that someone had grabbed her from the church. His enforcers had already wandered off with some of the boys, doling out physical punishment where it was deserved. Those used to him in leader mode might have noticed him being a little tougher than usual, holding people more accountable for mistakes.

The morning's haunting still sat uncomfortably with him, and he continued to turn it over in his head this way and that, but he wasn't going to let it be true. No, today he was completely Dodge, maybe even a little over the top but that wasn't going to stop him.

Below him a group of boys not involved in court were playing a make shift game of hockey on the frozen sidewalk, trying to push a tin can into two turned over trash cans with whatever they could get their hands on. Occasionally their cheers would erupt which made him smile. They were happy, his boys. Patrick had been wrong, Dodge was doing just fine.

Who: Evelyn, Shoshannah, and Ian.
When: Jan. 22, morning.
Where: The Drake

Who: Dutch and Evelyn
Where: Dutch's place
When: Dinner-times!

Nervous? Dutch? No. Maybe. It wasn't like he found himself here often, after all. He rarely cooked in his apartment, either eating out from Nighthawk's or making the barest of sandwiches for himself, but there he was. Clad in an a-shirt for the moment, Dutch smiled in amazement at his entire situation as he gave the contents of a sizzling skillet a toss, breathing deep of the aroma that rose up from it. If his place had been clean before? It was somehow cleaner tonight, better lit, more welcoming with the radio on low in the living room near an open window that vented the heat of the kitchen out to the streets beyond.

Still, it was strange... he was having a guest, one he'd invited all on his own. Even stranger was the fact that Evelyn had said yes, but Dutch wasn't going to decry the chance. The young woman was sweet, raising up protective urges in Dutch for the first time (aside from Cheyenne) in years now. She'd bought him a delicious bottle of wine, remembering his fondness for it, and tonight? He wanted to share it with a friend. Were they friends? Dutch certainly thought so, or else he might have never made the offer.

Moving to turn the heat down on the stovetop, he tugged the refrigerator open to pull the wine out, gauging the temperature critically as the bottle sat in a gnarled hand. It felt nicely chilled, but Dutch slipped it back into the fridge as he scowled at the clock, moving to grab the new flannel Evelyn had bought him and pull it on over his a-shirt. She was due sometime soon, he knew, but it had been so long since he'd done anything like this that he could only hope he'd timed his preparation of the meal close enough.

Who: Evelyn and Ian
Where: The Drake (main lobby)
When: Late late morning/noon-ish

Evelyn was ignoring Dolores' pointed speculations and side-glances as she went about consulting yet another directory for her most recent request. She had left one of the guests and returned to the main lobby in time to see Ian escorting a young lady up. Seeing the hotel manager escorting a guest to a room was nothing unusual. But escorting a pretty young lady, hand on the lower back, up to a room she apparently couldn't pay for? Evelyn was no idiot, and pretty damn observant when it came down to it. She had enough experience with men to know that a hand on the lower back was no professional gesture or a sign of being 'just friends'.

And she found that with that thought she had to fight the straight line her mouth threatened to turn into. It was stupid, really; Evelyn had never had and never will have any intentions of sleeping with her boss. Or any boss. Ever. So she should have felt relieved at seeing Sullivan escorting some guest with the attention of an admirer. But she didn't feel relieved; instead she felt another irriation piled on to the general state of worry she had woken up in. And, had she been anywhere but work, she might've let her face betray her. But she didn't. Evelyn made sure she didn't; not with Dolores and the rest of the staff eying her so closely; not when everyone here suspected it had been some 'thing' with Ian that had gotten her this job. She wouldn't let a case of wounded pride prove them right.

Who: Dutch and Evelyn
Where: Occam Automotive
When: Late Afternoon/Early Evening

Holding onto her hat with her right hand, Evelyn angled her head up at the garage, the cab behind her pulling away. She was pretty sure this was the place -- there had only been one 'Occam Automotive' in the phonebook after all. She shifted the bag cradled in her left arm, still apprehensive as to whether it was the right gift to express 'Thank you for saving my life'. She didn't think it was, but it was the best she could come up with.

Who: Dodge and Evelyn
Where: A diner and Evelyn's place
When: late evening

Dodge had looked everywhere. He'd been back to Maddy's place, to most of the major street kid hang outs, and even digging through the park for her but with no luck. She wasn't anywhere. Dodge had sent his boys off, much to their dismay but after a moment hesitation, they realized that he wasn't out to get in another fight, just to get out of his head. He'd walked, slowly and really without direction, trying to flex his hurt hand to make sure it didn't cramp up.

Who: Evelyn and Lily
Where: Alexandrian Library
When: Afternoon
 
 
In exchange for the remainder of the week to herself, Lily came in to pick up Jessica's shift that day. It was, as usual, slow and pretty empty, and Lily was, as usual, reorganizing the books on the shelves. This time in the adult fiction section. "People are so inconsiderate," she muttered to herself, stepping up on the little stool she had and re-organizing the top shelf.

Even with the frustration of careless patrons, Lily was happy and she looked it. She stood straighter, she smiled more, and it was as if a great weight was off her shoulders. Jessica had noticed it, had looked quite surprised and asked if she was feeling alright and Lily was happy to say that she was.

Who: Ian and Evelyn
Where: The Drake (Ian's Office)
When: Early afternoon

who: jesse and evie
where: his place
when: afternoon

Evelyn felt like she was going to jump out of her skin, but that wasn't evident to anyone passing her in the stairwell. She didn't move like somebody who felt very much like some thread in her life was unraveling apart. But she doubted she could credit self-control for the placid facade, because she couldn't even stop the how her hand gripped the banister far too tightly, and even controlling her breathing didn't stop it from being tense.