The cold settles in

[ronfiction]

As usual Lou looked for solace in staying active and doing work. It was late enough in the season where an afternoon's worth of raking the leaves wouldn't be undone by more falling later. This late in the season the trees were laid bare and soon, the fallen leaves would be covered in snow. Lou took some time to himself and raked the leaves in front of the apartment complex and library. In all seriousness, it would seem to most of the town that he was avoiding the dinner since the night in the cave of whispers, only being seen up there for meals.

As he moved the dead leaves into piles, which would later be moved onto a tarp and dumped in the woods, he thought about all that had happened over the last few days. His mind was a scattered mess and topics grappled with each other to take center stage in the Janitor's brain. The death of his old priest, the breaking off of Quebec from Canada, The ritual in the cave, The up coming union election, the Texans beating the Jets, and of course; V's passing.

Most times, that's where his mind landed. No amount of stress over Dan Kimble or his failing fantasy hockey team could shake the weight that his friend's death laid on him. Although he wasn't the person that killed V directly, Lou certainly felt responsible for the beginning of the end. V was right about that night in the power plant, the incident that started him down that dark path. He left V to die in there, and then... the rest was history.

Lou paused with rake in hand and heaved a sigh. During the fight at the cave, Lou and V had squared off briefly. In the lock of battle V called him out for that night at the power plant, called him out for being ok with the sacrifice of an innocent girl, called him out for being a coward in general. Regardless of whether or not V was right, it was all over now and the world kept going... for now.

There was one line said about V that still sat with Lou. No other words had hurt him like these. No amount of Dallas' tears, or Malcolm's rustication had left as much of an impression as what Ness had said about it all.

"I don't want to go back in there. I don't want to go in the dinner. People are going to be in there acting like nothing happened and I can't deal with that right now."

Lou cringed some and tightened his grip on the rake. She was right. She was so right and it hurt. Lou knew for sure that there were plenty of people in town that didn't like V, plenty of people in town that didn't like him even before he was tainted, and even some people in town that... Well... didn't like anyone in general. Most folks felt justified in their actions, and to some extent, Lou did too. But Ness was right, there was a certain cold that had set in with the town, a certain apathy and numbness that came with it all. Something that Lou couldn't look at or deal with.

Lou looked at all the piles he had made so far and tossed down the rake he had and moved over to the stairs by the library. He sat down and tampered with the fuzzy sounding radio he had outside with him. Like always it got nothing but static, but like always, Lou refused to give up on it. After a few moments he seemed satisfied with a different tone of static and then sat down and took a short break.

[sndwurks]

"You know, you keep raking them into piles like that, someone's going to come along and just jump in them," offers a voice unhelpfully from the staircase leading to the upper apartments. The form of Billy St. Francis is easy to notice, even with his usual Hawaiian shirt hidden by the heavy green coat he had taken to wearing. Billy leans out over a bit from the landing, and gives a nod. "Still, it's good someone does it. The landlord paying you to maintain the lawn now too? Or just keeping the hands busy, so your head can sort itself out?"

The shaman moves down from the balcony by way of the stairs, and keeps his gaze on Lou as he approaches. Billy does not give voice to the concern in his face, and it even reaches his eyes, coloring the obvious attention to detail there. He just reaches into the satchel bag on his hip, and pulls out a brown glass bottle wrapped in a foam cozy. He holds it out to Lou.

"Beer?" he offers. "It's Canadian."

[ronfiction]

"I can't drink that now, it's not five o'clock yet."

Lou says and takes the offered can, making room for Billy to join him on the stair case. Lou snaps the top of the can open and smirks.

"What a shame, it's open now. Guess I gotta drink it now."

He says and takes a drink.

"As for the leaves, I... well... Just getting sick of seeing them I suppose."

Lou says in a less than up beat tone.

[sndwurks]

"Lou, you just have to look at the bigger picture. It's always after five o'clock somewhere in this wide world of ours."

Having handed a beer over to Lou, Billy reaches into the satchel and pulls out another one, presumably for himself. He opens it up, and takes a sip from it. Turning his attention back towards the leaves, he furrows his brow slightly.

"It feels like autumn came a little late this year, honestly," he offers quietly. "Niben must have really spooked Pebon bad this year. He's going to be coming down hard."

[ronfiction]

Lou nods in agreement even though he had no idea what billy was talking about.

"And here I was starting to believe the hippies about the whole global warming thing."

He said and chuckled some. He thought some more while drinking some more beer and then eyed billy some. He wonders just how a wooden man drinks a beer and then shakes to the thought from his head. There's a hesitant moment of awkward silence that Lou interrupts himself.

"What are you doing for thanksgiving?"

[Heather N]

Dallas could be seen walking down from up the road. Even though the cold was really starting to make an appearance, she had gone out on a long walk on her own. It was something about the solitude that allowed her to find a sense of calm. Of course it was not safe to go out alone. She didn't care anymore. Nothing was safe in this town and she was tired of adjusting. She needed to find comfort in herself to even start to move on. The first time this happened to her, she was a young teenager. No she had responsibilities. Her feelings could not get in the way of her work. Not if she wanted to make a difference this time around.

As she got close to the apartments, she looked up to see Billy and Lou. It was still hard, but she managed to offer them a soft friendly smile. It was easy to upturn her lips, however, it was her eyes she couldn't lie with. There was something different in them. It was just an ever lingering sadness that darkened the hope she used to hold on to.

"What is so important that you guys had to start celebrating this early in the day? Did I miss something?"

[sndwurks]

Billy gives a good natured smile at the comment about Global Warming, but that smile falters a second at the mention of Thanksgiving. Billy actually blinks at Lou, seeming to be generally taken back for a moment. He finally remembers to swallow the mouthful of beer he was drinking before being asked, and has not yet found a response when Dallas arrives.

Billy takes in the hard smile and the sad eyes, but does not seem to focus too overly on it. Billy tips his head towards Lou.

"Lou's decided to add Shadegrove Handyman to his list of odd jobs he doesn't get paid for around town," the shaman offers simply. "And since he's not getting paid, there's nothing wrong with taking a break and enjoying a beer. All things considered... it's not celebrating, Dallas. It's catching our breath."

With that, Billy takes another sip, and glances back at Lou.

"Now, seriously, did you just ask me what I'm doing for Thanksgiving?"

[ronfiction]

Lou gives billy a good natured down playing wave.

"I didn't mean like... You know... Like instead of... I... Yep."

Lou tries to dig himself out and instead shoves the beer back in his face and gives Dallas a nod.

[sndwurks]

Billy shakes his head slightly, and gives a rueful chuckle. He takes a sip from his beer.

"I'm a special investigator of the First Nations Embassy and recognized shaman of the Aquinaki tribe. While I'm... nebulously now part of the Gigio'mdwa band, I am still formally on paper as a member of the Lowell band. Means I have duties for the National Day of Mourning down in Plymouth... so, that's what I'm doing. You?"

[ronfiction]

"homestly, I have no idea. Dallas, didn't you say you were going to visit your family, your dad down in Boston."

Lou asked and pointed his beer bottle at Dallas.