Meandering through town (Open)

[ofcatsandfate]

Even out of the hospital and on his way to recovery, people still insist on treating him like he's fragile. He visited Siren Coven Wildlife Refuge and Zoo to see about coming back to work, only to be told he still has at least another week of leave and a psych evaluation before he can fully return to his normal routine. He understands, but he can't help but sigh and pout, even under his mother's fond, exasperated gaze, as he makes his way out.

He hates feeling so useless; he's making a decent recovery, thanks to both medicine and the potions and charms he's taken. He has several scars across his abdomen that seem to be more severe and haven't yet let up, even with the assistance of magic. His nose wrinkles as he tries, again, to make sense of that night; he remembers with clarity only a flash of silver and purple - everything else remains a blur. He still doesn't think he was stabbed, despite what the various tabloids across town say.

And now Moira is missing, presumed dead, some whisper, even if they won't say it to his face. He refuses to believe that; he can't lose another loved one. He won't.

He sighs, his thoughts heavy as he makes his way out of the zoo and in the general direction of the boardwalk. Perhaps the ocean air will alleviate some of the tension now building in his scrunched up shoulders and shaking hands, which he hastily stuffs into his pockets.

Of course, he doesn't make it more than several feet in that direction when various members of the press, especially eager after the events of the past two weeks, surround him, causing him to start and causing the trembling in his hands to spread to his entire upper body.

"Fabrice, what happened that night you were stabbed?"
"Do you think it was the Thorntons acting in retaliation?"
"Have you heard from your cousin at all during this past week?"

He tries to tell them to leave him alone, but words fail him. He feels as though he's swimming in shark infested waters. His breath starts to come in ragged when his beloved cats appear out of thin air, encircling him like a furry cocoon, hissing in the general direction of the paparazzi.

This, of course, only inspires more camera flashes, and Fabrice knows it's going to be a long afternoon.

(OOC: Find Fabrice dealing with the paparazzi or immediately after he escapes. I've been thinking about his character all day while at work and just wanted to make an intro post for him.)

Comments

[asharpertongue]

Lara smiles and looks him over. "I'm glad. They're vultures." She watches Osha bounding around the cats. "Do you want me to call her off?"

[ofcatsandfate]

"Vultures might be an insult to the actual bird, to be honest," he notes. As he watches the cats continue to play with the dog, he smiles. "As long as you and the dog don't mind some very playful cats, it's fine with me. They like animal companions."

[asharpertongue]

Lara snorts a laugh. "You might be right there." Osha comes bounding over and shoves her muzzle into Fabrices hand. "I think I may have lost her for good. Osha, be nice. They're a quarter of your size." Osha wuffed happily and went back to her new feline companions. "Would you like a coffee? I'm sure there's a cart somewhere around here?

[ofcatsandfate]

"She's a beautiful dog," he tells her, letting Osha sniff his hand before giving her a long and friendly pet. He smiles when she returns to the cats, jumping and floating around her head as they play together. The sight puts his heart a little more at ease. "A coffee would be lovely, yes," he nods.

[asharpertongue]

They make their way over to the coffee cart and Lara gets them both a drink. She points to a bench and they make their way over.

"I'm Lara Quinn." She holds out her hand for him to shake. "I'm sorry your welcome to the town wasn't a better one."

[ofcatsandfate]

He takes the cup of coffee with a grateful smile, sipping at it slowly as he eases down onto the bench, the dog and cats still playing together off to the side.

"Lara Quinn of Watersong, yes?" He says as he shakes her proffered hand. "Er, I'm not new, not exactly." He takes a long drink from his coffee before continuing, reveling in the last few seconds she doesn't recognize him or his name. "I'm Fabrice Coombs, you've probably seen me in the paper. But it's nice to meet you."

[asharpertongue]

She blinked at him. He'd changed a fair bit but she should recognise him. She heard the rumours of course but she didn't put stock in rumours.

"Of course I have but I tend not to put much stock in rumour. I prefer to make my own judgement. And it's a pleasure to meet you at last."

[ofcatsandfate]

"I appreciate that," he replies quietly, very much aware of what people say about him throughout the town. He does nothing himself to contradict these rumors, unwilling to fuel the fires of eager journalists and tacky headlines. He tries to ignore the odd looks people give him, even more common now since the accident. "And it's a pleasure to meet you. Moira speaks very highly of you."

[asharpertongue]

She laughs. "Moira speaks highly of almost everyone. But i'll take the compliment."

[ofcatsandfate]

"True," he agrees, thinking of his cousin's idealism and smiling briefly before remembering that he hasn't had a glimpse of it in days now. "She sees the best in most people."

[asharpertongue]

"It's one of her best qualities." She smiled. "So what brings you here?"

[ofcatsandfate]

"It is," he says with a fond smile. He adores Moira more than he can really put into words. "I've been trying to get back into the swing of things since the accident. You?"

[asharpertongue]

Lara nods. The details of the accident had been...distressing. She could only imagine how eager he'd be to get back to normality. "Me? I come here once a week with Osha. I think she gets lonely sometimes. Other dogs are scared of her." She smiled and gestured to where Osha was lolling on the floor with three cats exploring her. "Cats too, usually. Yours must be very unique animals."

[ofcatsandfate]

It still bothers Fabrice that doctors and the media remember more of the accident than he does. He still really hasn't informed anyone of this, wanting to confide in Moira before telling anyone else. But Moira isn't here, so he is forced to cope on his own.

"She seems so sweet, I can't imagine anyone being scared of her," he observes, watching as his cats frolic about Osha. "They are. They're what some people call my familiars. Really, they're my family, to be honest."

[asharpertongue]

Lara nods. "Osha is my family. I understand that feeling." She sips her coffee. "So I take it you didn't get what you were looking for here today?"

[ofcatsandfate]

"It's funny how sometimes we can feel closer to animals than other people, isn't it?" He muses quietly, an underlying ache to his words. He sips from his coffee and sighs. "No, I didn't. I have to wait a week before I can return to the zoo, and then pass a psych evaluation. All because of that attack."

He tries not to sound bitter, but he is still really irate at such a disruption to his life, especially since he can barely remember it.