undergrounds | time for a check up (open post)

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time for a check up (open post)

KNOW CLARA?

You may then know, more or less, the incident of her granddaughter getting kidnapped by the vampires. It distressed her but she's fine. Honest to goodness she's fine.

It's normal for her to worry for people she cares for. It's pretty normal for her to think of all the worst case scenarios some of them could find themselves in due to their personalities/their histories/their everything.

It's very normal for her to suddenly check on them one day out of the blue, just appearing next to them without a warning or a heads up.

"Are you okay?"

She's totally calmed down about the incident last month. Really.

DON'T KNOW CLARA?

What do you mean by that?

Now you do as she suddenly phases through the wall and looks directly at you during her search for everyone she knows.

It doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing. It doesn't matter if there are people there or you're supposed to be by yourself. Suddenly you have a woman staring at you in confusion for a second before it registers in her head that no. You're not someone she knows through passing.

"Um. Oops."

[ OOC: Or make your own scenario in your comment! Prose and brackets welcomed! ]

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He had meant to visit her, really. It was on his to do list, but between Abigail's party and trying to keep on the down low (someone might have noticed him last week but he'd escaped with minimal notice), he hadn't got around to it. It was becoming something of a habit, avoiding largely populated areas.

Parks seem to be a pretty safe place to take a rest though. No one seems to notice if a scruffy looking guy is taking a rest under a tree. Clara's appearance makes him jump but he recovers quickly. He really needs to keep his guard up more. Just because he's in a familiar city doesn't mean he should be so lax.

"Fine...I'm fine," He says automatically, and indeed, he probably looks better than the last time she saw him. His colour is back and he doesn't look as tired. "How are you?"

Phasing herself out of the tree, because it cut down the time of her getting to Sirius, she moves over to face him properly and takes a good look at him.

Only when she's certain he's doing better does she relax, her smile less tense and more upbeat. "I'm-- I'm a bit of a worrywart this week as you may have just noticed. I wanted to make sure everyone is doing okay. It's been a doozy of a few weeks!"

An understatement. She's heard whispers of a kerfuffle over the witches but she had no clue what is really going on, quite out of touch that section of since her only connection to it is Aradia and, um, Aradia is like her.

One of the benefits of growing up a shapeshifter is that Sirius really isn't phased by ghosts all that much.

"Oh yeah, what happened?"

Now he's curious. "But you don't have to worry about me, by the way. I'm getting by."

"Vampires for one thing," she says, her tone a bit rueful and almost unhappy. Unusual for the usually peppy spirit. "They were causing quite a mess and had to be, um, stopped forcefully. I'm glad you didn't get bothered by them. They were just awful."

For a lot of reasons but clearly it happens to be personal for Clara. "I'm glad you're getting by. No one is haunting you down over a shirt or anything like that?"

"I did manage to avoid all that. Where were they? I admit I'm curious about what happened."

Mostly so that he knows what places are safe to go and what ones aren't. He'd rather avoid vampires if could help it. It's a natural inclination as a shapeshifter after all.

"Not that I've seen. Granted I've been avoiding those neighborhoods as well. No need to cause more suspicion."

"They were hiding out somewhere in Greenwich, I think. They're gone now." She sighs at that point, relieved. "All for the better in my opinion. They weren't-- They didn't care for the rules. They hurt people."

She makes a face, her lips twisting into something almost close to a sneer, and then she suppresses her negative feelings so a happy(ish) smile is back again. No need to be a Debbie Downer or a Sour Susan. "Well! That's good to hear. I'm glad you're keeping out of trouble. I was worried for a bit when I couldn't find you. You're quite good at sneaking around!"

Sirius nods. He has no love for vampires himself, considering they are the enemy of shapeshifters.

"Who got rid of them?" He had to ask. The part of him that craves action wishes he could have been part of it, but he knows he has to keep low.

"I do my best. I'd rather people not find me so I've been moving every so often."

Which is hard, but necessary. For now at least.

"Some people I know," she answers him. "A nice young man who goes by the name of Heiji and another boy my gran-- my associate knew. The two of them stepped in to solve the problem."

It felt strange, calling her granddaughter something so distant. Though, in a way, it is the truth since she's nothing more but stories and memories of other people to the Redbright girl. Thankfully she doesn't have to focus on that a lot when Sirius says something that brings her attention:

"Not find you...? Are you okay?" So she does have a reason to fret! "Oh no. Sirius, are you okay? Are you fine?"

Small world, since he had met Heiji before. Although, he couldn't really bring up that since he was a dog when that happened. And he's been doing his best to keep those separate for the time being. Just in case someone puts two and two together.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, really," Sirius says. He really should have been more careful. "It's a bit of a long story."

Clara tries to restrain herself from asking anymore questions, not wanting to nag but the nag is strong in her. It's in her bones.

And so is the ability to tell of when she's pushing too much. Last thing she wants to do is come off as domineering or a busybody. "I-If you say so... Um! If you ever want to talk about, I'm here. Seeing how I have nothing but time on my hands."

At first Sirius is reluctant. He doesn't want to be found, after all. Doesn't want people dragging him back to prison. But at the same time, Clara's a ghost. And she's helped him before. Maybe it would help to talk about it.

"That might help, actually. But, I'm going to have to ask that you not tell anyone. Right now, the less people that know the better."

At least, until he can get some evidence or something.

"Of course. I would never tell anyone if you ask me to."

She does her best to respect people's boundaries. Though the expression on her face goes from worry to confusion, wondering what could it be that she had to keep it a secret. Then she berates herself for thinking. While her promise to Ms. Sommerset comes to mind, Clara doesn't have it in her to betray someone's trust if they explicitly ask it. She has a terrible poker face.

"Cross my heart and hope to die. Again. Stick a needle in my eye." Crossing her hand over her chest and everything. "Not a word I hear from you will pass from these lips. I swear."

Sirius nods, taking a breath and wondering where to begin.

"Well, for starters, my full name is Sirius Black. I don't know if you pay attention to the news, but I've a bit of a reputation."

His voice is low, and he looks around a bit, just to make sure there's no one else around.

"Black...? Ah. I-- I think I heard some things," she confesses to him, her tone slow and careful as she tries to recall said things.

She doesn't pay much attention to things that don't immediately concern her or the ones she cared for but something rings a distant bell in her head. "To be careful. That's all I know. To be careful in case one comes across him. I mean you."

Her brow furrowed, wondering why anyone would be so wary of him. He's a nice person since they met each other.

"I can assure you most of the things you've heard aren't true. Except for the fact that I recently escaped prison."

If the news was reporting anything accurately, it was that. Because he did.

"But I'm not the criminal they say I am. I was framed for a crime that I didn't commit."

There's a bitterness in his tone, but also a bit of desperation. It's his first time that he's admitting to all of this and he's hopeful that she'll believe him.

"Prison?"

There's no use of trying to deny her expression of surprise or the tune of shock when he tells her that he escaped from prison of all places.

(In hindsight it makes a lot of sense now and she wonders why she didn't see this sooner.)

Her lips thin and, for a moment, she needs to think on this but it's just that. For a moment. "You haven't given me me any reason to think of you as a liar. If anything you've given me plenty of reasons to believe you're a good man. A good man in trouble."

Which is true with his words.

Edited 2015-07-20 17:07 (UTC)

"Well, you'd be right about that," Sirius says, clearly grateful that she believes him. "I can honestly say that I committed no crime, only that I was framed."

Well, aside from stealing some clothing, but that was out of necessity and Sirius was determined to pay those people back, somehow. Once he had his feet under him again.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sirius." She doesn't feel like she should be thanked for this but doesn't say it, not sure how to say that in the first place after such a confession.

And she doesn't want to push him on what exactly he's framed for too. It must have took him a lot of nerves and/or courage to tell her this much. Maybe another time when it's safer or easier. "You'll be safe for now, won't you? No one is being asked to hunt you down specifically, right...?"

Goodness. She hopes that isn't the case and it's just her and those old thriller movies getting the best of her.

"I think I'll be alright. I've been lying low for the most part," Sirius replies. Aside from attending Abby's party of course. But even then he'd playing things relatively safe, or at least, no one had let on that they'd figured something out.

"If there's anything major on my head, I haven't heard about it and no one's come after me."

Though he didn't want to say that he wouldn't be surprised if there was a bounty on his head. Or at least a reward for information about him. Being a fugitive wasn't easy.

No one is close to tracking him down yet. Good for him. She hopes it stays that way but she knows better than to hold her nonexistent breath for that long.

"If there is so much as a peep about your whereabouts or the sort, I'll let you know," Clara promises him. She'll keep her ear to the ground, so to speak, for any rumblings about a Sirius Black. "Do you need somewhere to rest? Anything at all?"

She tries to keep herself composed and calm but it's hard. The idea of someone she knows, cares for really, possibly being hunted down is hard to digest. Sirius has been nothing but a polite and good man to her. Who could think he would be capable of a crime grave enough for prison?

"I'd appreciate that, really."

While he wasn't quite expecting torches and pitchforks, things had seemed pretty quiet. Or maybe he was that good at hiding. Sirius would like to believe the latter, but considering his luck it probably wouldn't last.

"And you don't have to worry. I've managed to find a few places to hide out, and getting food hasn't been too difficult."

There are people out there willing to feed a starving dog after all.

The assurances has her assuaged, almost. It's good to hear that he's doing well for himself since the last time they met each other. Not that it doesn't stop her anxieties from creeping in, bit by bit

"Are you--" Clara has to rein in her emotions, knowing there's a fine line of being a concerned party and being a worrywart since only one of those two is actually useful in a situation. Breathe, Clara, breathe. "... Okay. I trust you on that. Just keep remembering that Coffeers' Shop is always open to you if you need a quick place to duck in."

While the original goal of the shop is to be a trendy place, the strange level of activities thanks to her had brought in... interesting parties over the years. At this point someone like Sirius can walk right through the door and not get too much attention on a busy afternoon.

"I wish there's a way to help..." She falls quiet, trying to think of something, and remembers something. "Oh! I have it!"

Sirius nods. He's checked out the shop a few times but never really gone in. After all, he wants to keep a low profile and doesn't want to upset anyone. It's hard to stay on the straight and narrow when you still need to prove yourself innocent.

"What? You've already done lots," Sirius says. Stealing the shirt and promising to keep an eye out for news were pretty good as far as Sirius was concerned.

She's a big believer of always trying to help others again and again, more and more. It's what she can do after all so why not do it?

"I can also help by giving a message to anyone at anywhere too! I've been around long enough to know the city like the back of my hand. Most of the time." Plus no one would find it suspicious to see a ghost here or there if they spot her. They always assume she's haunting that spot or something among those lines. "Er-- If they can notice me as well, of course."

"That could actually help me out a lot," Sirius replies, considering his options. It might be easier than trying to contact them himself, which would raise a lot of suspicion. Not that he had anyone to contact at the moment. He had no idea who of his old friends were in still the city (and was torn between whether or not he could trust them, not to mention if his sudden reappearance might cause trouble for them. It hurts to think of his friends in that light).

"I don't know if I have any messages for right now, but how can I contact you if I do?"

time for a check up (open post)

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