Collecting firewood

[Casidhe Cool]

::She shouts after him as he goes, trying her best to sound encouraging and doesn't seem worried::

"Let me know if you want better odds next time."

::she turns back to Malcolm and flashes a Cheshire grin::

"It's kinda nice to fit in somewhere yeah?"

::She goes back to stuffing kindling into her wood stack and nods over towards Malcolm trying to sound casual and unimpressed::

"So Eden and Victoria didn't introduce you as part of the abnormally normal club to me... I'm guessing you and the sward go waaaaay back? And you're much older than you look?"

[Wolfman2006]

Malcolm's face showed genuine concern and doubt at Leslie's deadpan attitude
"Er good luck Leslie, hey you sure you don't want some help? That doesn't look great...."

Malcolm raises an eyebrow at Cassie's comment
"Interesting choice of words there, but I don't disagree with you. This place is perhaps unique and it attracts those of more unusual tracts of life."

[HecateSkivvy]

"no, no. never mind my-"
He mumbles. He departs.

[Casidhe Cool]

::Cassie fishes out a pack of plain 'ol matches and begins lighting the fire slowly with leaves, twigs, breathing, and patience. After her inquiry goes unanswered for a minute or so she picks the conversation back up and dusts it off casually::

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be ok, Everyone here is pretty tough. We're all picking ourselves up from the weekend differently. Though my Mom kinda flipped a bit when I said I couldn't come home for thanksgiving. How about you? Celebrating at the diner with us?"

[Wolfman2006]

As Leslie makes his awkward and perplexing departure, Malcolm gives him a curious frown. Turning back towards Cassie the bespectacled teacher looks somewhat taken aback at the question as if it one that he truly hadn't considered. His eyes wander back towards his task at hand and he continues to gently sand the blade of the old sword, perfecting its fine edge.

"I was not planning on it, to be honest I didn't know anyone would be celebrating there to begin with. I have personal feelings with this holiday, and it has been a long time since it has been celebratory worthy to me.

His face becomes somewhat grim as they speak, as if painful thoughts or memories have risen to prominence. He forces a smile through and clearly in an attempt of sounding more upbeat asks:

"Why are you not going to celebrate with your family? It sounds as though they care for you."

[Casidhe Cool]

::Cassie gives him a pathetic little shrug with a half smile::

"Yeah... And I'm sure it's going to be real hard with Uncle Ivar gone this year too... But Dad will understand. I only just met this Erlend guy..."

::Cassie pokes at the sticks a bit over-aggressively::

"...who has apparently been tailing my idiot ass all damn summer while I was clueless!"

::She takes a step back and sits down before she ruins her fledgling fire and gives a dramatic sigh for emphasis while leaning back onto her hands::

"I'd really like to believe his story; if it's true I'm just being paranoid. Though all I'm mostly sure of, is that he's not here to kill me."

::She almost laughs here as if remembering something funny, but then she returns to what she was saying with a somber attitude. The speed at which her emotional displays flicker through change is rather manic::

"But what If he's looking for my dad, you know? So I guess I'll just spend the holiday here, where I'm at least a step above a stranger."

::She gives him a much subtler, but more sincere smile before her eyes fall to ground and she continues on a bit sadly::

"I think we SHOULD celebrate it; We have this entire year because of Tabitha... and Gus... And who knows who else that paved the way to today with their blood, souls, and sanity... Can't go disrespecting their gift by not showing appreciation."

::Having spent almost a whole 30 seconds without fidgeting, She resumes playing with her fire as it grows, rearranging and adding sticks, so there is something to occupy her focus and her hands::

"I won't let the bad things weigh me down."

::Her tone takes on a practiced cadence as if she is repeating some worn-out quote::

The good things in life might not erase the bad, BUT like-wise, the bad ones don't take away from the good or make them unimportant. You can probably find SOMETHING a bit good if you sift through your thoughts. You at least came out the other side of this weekend yeah?"

[Wolfman2006]

Malcolm gives genuine smile, no forcing to be had here. His eyes twinkle echoes of who knows how many racing thoughts fly behind his spectacled gaze.

"That sounds like quite a story to be told, I hope I am able to hear it in full before it comes to an end. Regardless of my part in it, I wish you fortune that it concludes in a satisfactory means for you. I admit I find your enthusiasm compelling, it is refreshing to say the least. I don't agree with you completely... enough bad can very well corrupt the good. Enough context demonstrates the good isn't quite what you thought it was, such is the inevitability of our imperfect world. Perhaps the Malakim are right to seek to bring it to an end. But you are not wrong, buried though they might be things to be grateful for are still there."

Malcolm removes his glasses and folds them into his pocket. He feels the length of his sword and seems satisfied at his handiwork. He then puts his tools away into his bag, and gently lays the silver sword alongside it's technologically advanced counterpart before returning Cassie's gaze with eyes that should belong to a much older man.

"More than anything I suppose, I am grateful to have a sense of purpose again. It has been some time, and I have longed to be useful, to make a difference. And there have been people over the years I have come to know, people worth remembering, I am appreciative for that opportunity. Thank you for reminding me of that, I suppose it would be selfish to not acknowledge such feelings."

[Casidhe Cool]

::Cassie lightens up a bit a moves a back from her fire as it starts to throw more heat::

"You're a teacher; you always have a purpose! But I know what you mean... I'm just a-"

::She stops here to make light air quotes and bend her voice to imply a hidden context to the next word::

"-courier really... But so few of us here are actual soldiers, I guess having what it takes out here is harder to define."

::She looks up to Malcolm and tilts her head in an obvious question::

So, I hadn't heard the term Malakim before. Do you mean the-"

::more air quotes::

"Man in the black coat.. The..."

::She speaks the next word with the uncertainty of disbelief, not confusion::

"Angel? Are they related to your new purpose? I must admit, I didn't like the ominous feeling he gave off..."

[Wolfman2006]

Malcolm smiles
"I am a teacher yes. I am also a friend of the spirits. I am also a co-murderer of a young girl named Tabitha. I am many things, and there are many names to describe me by Miss Cassie. But a purpose one can be satisfied in oneself? Only in the eyes of the beholder can that truly be claimed."

"Malakim is a Hebrew term, the root of which meant messenger, and was used in the Torah with a divine bent. And what is an angel if not a divine messenger? Various religious texts have multiple interpretations and descriptions as to what an angel is, it was not until the renaissance that we started seeing the now common visual of a white robed winged anglo saxon, often bearing a harp."

He puffs his pipe twice more before continuing.

"There seems to be little doubt now that thing who approached us was masquerading as a man in a black coat and sunglasses was in fact a being of far higher powers. Both the kings of the Dawn and Dusk Faerie courts were awed at his claim of taking Balor's prison. By his own admission he stated he did so; in the name of the Malakim... it is widely believed that the two Faerie kings were once Malakim themselves before striking out on their own to carve kingdoms for themselves in the spirit realm. Many of the older spirits resentfully refer to the Faeries as usurpers, and the Morrigan herself stated: another one rather disdainfully when he arrived."

Malcolm pauses for a moment to let all that sink in.

"The book of genesis speaks that angels known as the Grigori produced children with the race of man, and their offspring were called the Nephilim. It was said that in part due to this sin, as well as the corruption of his creations to start over, I am sure you are familiar with the story of The Flood, of Noah and his Ark. That being who claimed Balor's prison left implications that the time had come to wipe the slate clean once more, he hinted that perhaps it is their intentions for a flood a new."

[Casidhe Cool]

::Cassie nods along with Malcom's information but does not seem to disturbed at the end::

"I hope you're wrong; I heard your theory first. But someone else told me that the Morrigan believes "this facility" applies chiefly to Whisper Hill. Someone else also believes they are the Atlanteans; and we did find an Atlantean central transit hub underground near Dr. Rattigan's lab. . ."

::Cassie shrugs witha worried look::

"Not that messing with Whisper Hill is any more acceptable. Who knows what would happen with the Darkness and the... other stuff drawn here."

::Cassie re-positions herself in the warm zone of her fire so she is closer to Malcolm so they can carry on a conversation properly. She seems to make a decision and begins to speak if not a bit reluctantly."

"I think ruining heaven for me was the hardest blow of the whole weekend... So we now believe Heaven and Hell are very real... But perhaps we didn't have the story quite straight... You're a friend of the spirits, do you know what happens to us when we die? "