From the City Leader room down to May's room

[tribal_may]

May left the City Leader room office and went downstairs to her room. She was still bored and considered going out. But where would she go? Market? Casino? She decided she'd rather be bored in the Mall than out. She took the nightdress and unrolled it, placing it behind a screen in the corner of the room. She then came back out and actually

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[mother_trudy]

Trudy went downstairs after leaving Salene's room and entered May's room figuring she wasn't interrupting anything important and found her primping in front of the mirror. This seemed like a good time then. She had questions she wanted answers to - about Dax - who he was, where he was from, why everyone seemed to fully trust him. She had noticed he wasn't even wearing any tribal markings. It had unnerved her a little to find him being the only one watching Mouse and Brady. "Hey, May. Can I ask you a few things?" With the way they acted towards each other if May couldn't answer her questions about Dax no one could.

[tribal_may]

May turned at the sudden intrusion. Trudy was coming to talk to her? What could this be about? Had something happened? She and the other woman weren't on such good terms that she'd just drop in for a social visit. And she'd said she wanted to ask her a few things. She went and turned off the music. "What's up, Trudy?"

[mother_trudy]

"Who is Dax?" She decided not to dance around the subject. "Is he a friend of Ryan's? I've never seen him before. Do you know where he comes from?" Trudy was anxious, waiting for the answers. She always expected the worst, but maybe this time around it wouldn't be that way. Everyone seemed friendly with him and trusted him to a a high degree. She looked at May expectantly.

[tribal_may]

May did not like the string of questions being asked of her. What had brought this on? Trudy didn't look happy. But if someone had said something why was she coming to her? "Why the sudden interest?" She asked, trying to make light of it as she flipped her hair back to it's normal style.

[_dax]

Dax came downstairs from Salene's Room, walking quickly down the steps, where was that yelling coming from? It sounded like two girls, was that May? You're the one sleeping with HIM!! and Trudy? "So what? That's none of your business anyway!" Dax followed the noise to May's room, were they talking about...about him? He felt weird standing out here listening like this, should he go in? What was up with this? Why would I be jealous of THAT? You think I would even...?! He cringed at the way she said it, but then he heard scuffling, the sounds of a fight, and he pushed the curtain to the side, "Hey!" he cried out, heading inside, "Stop it, hey knock it off!" Dax grabbed May around the waist and pulled her back, but that didn't do him much good with Trudy coming at her. "Trudy! May! Stop!"

[tribal_ryan]

Ryan had heard the shouting as he came out of the hospital. Just another average day at the Mall. It was coming from one of the downstairs rooms, and sounded like Trudy and May. What did they have to argue over? Everything had seemed fine at breakfast and lunch. He saw Dax rush into the room. What was going on? He ran in and stopped short when he saw Dax holding onto a furious May and an equally furious Trudy moving as if to attack them. "What's going on? Trudy, stop!" He grabbed ahold of her arms pulling her back.

[mother_trudy]

"What do you mean stop? He's a Chosen!" She tried to pull out of Ryan's grasp, beyond furious and getting very close to hysterical. "They've let a Chosen into the Mall and he's just walking around like he owns the place. No one told me, Ryan! I left Brady with him." Tears started to stream down her face. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. How could she think anywhere was safe to stay any more. Even here at the Mall. "I'm just trying to protect her. That's all. Don't you understand? I don't want him near her. Ever again!"

[tribal_may]

May tried to break free of Dax's grip to no avail. "What? You think you're the only one with the corner on the ability to change? Dax has left all that behind him now!" She again tried to push Dax's arm away. Okay she was mad now, but she wasn't going to attack the other woman anymore. Especially not with her crying like that. Okay, so no-one had told her Dax was a Chosen, and...maybe...with the past record of Brady getting kidnapped she did have a reason to panic. Still, she wasn't about to forgive Trudy for what she'd said. She stood still and waited, glaring at her.

[tribal_may]

May turned to Dax after Ryan and Trudy left. She wasn't calmed down yet. Her face stung where Trudy had hit her, and she kept shifting the weight on her feet as if pacing in place. "Apparently no-one told her about, you know, what happened at the compound. And where we picked you up." She offered a nervous half smile. "But it's more about Brady than you. I mean that poor kid's been snatched more times than she has years to her name I think. So Trudy gets a little hyper." He looked just shy of miserable and she was a bit worried about him.

[_dax]

Dax studied her face as she turned around, the redness of her cheek indicating she'd been slapped and he couldn't resist, he pulled her into a hug, his poor May. He held her close and kissed the top of her head, "May, I am genuinely sorry about all of this, I never ever meant for you to get mixed up in whatever animosity my presence would bring. I never expected to be accepted, I never expected to be a Mallrat you know, I just want to do a job, that's all, but I had hoped anyone who had a problem with my being here would come to me, or go to Salene," he kissed the top of her head again and breathed in the scent of her hair. Oh how he would miss these moments, the smell of her, the closeness of her to him, it actually hurt in his chest to think these thoughts. It was, it was weird and strange, but he knew what it was, and he felt like a complete and utter dork, how could he be falling for her so quickly? Because she was a wonderful woman, she had taken licks for him and still defended his honor, how had he gotten so lucky? She didn't

[tribal_may]

May frowned at him. He had held her close and she had felt the last tenseness from the fight draining from her, yet here he was now looking like he was about to bolt out of the door. "It's only Trudy. She gets like that sometimes. You'll get used to it." She walked over to him. "And like why wouldn't I defend you? You've already made your choice to leave all that stuff behind. Sure not everyone in the Mall is going to be doing cartwheels because you're here but you just learn to live with it." And why was he looking so sad? Sure Trudy'd just tore into him, and everyone knew why Ryan disliked the Chosen, but that look on his face...it seemed to be more than just that. "If that's what's worrying you. Than don't. And as for that little scuffle. I've been in lots worse." She waved her hand, brushing it aside, with an encouraging smile.

[_dax]

Dax couldn't move, he felt glued to the spot, looking down at her, and he felt the guilt in his stomach, he had to atone for his sins, but she did not. "I could never learn to live with you getting that," he couldn't think of the right words, his guilt was quickly turning to anger. He was so mad, that he had caused that inadvertently, that she had learned to live with it, no one deserved to be treated that way, why fight? "Yeah I believe that about you," he offered, allowing himself a soft chuckle. He ran his thumb down her unaffected cheek, but that sad look crept back onto his face and he felt as if he had to get away, he had to end it before she broke his heart. "May I," he shook his head, "I don't want to be the cause of unrest, for any reason, and I don't want you to learn to live with it, or to be in scuffles because of me, that's," he shook his head a bit more vehemently, "it's just wrong. I won't put you through that," he looked down at his feet, why weren't they moving? Why weren't they obeying his command to turn around and

[tribal_may]

May wondered what he was up to with that smile. She still couldn't forget the happenings of the last few moments even if they had seemed to reach a calm . She followed his gaze, and then found herself returning the smile. "Yeah, I found it." She dismissed her previous thoughts about the stereo and what it possibly meant. "I stole one of Cloe's CDs too, but don't tell her. She slipped out of his embrace and went over to it, turning the music back on again. "Don't think anyone will appreciate it if I turn it up though." She met his gaze. Gifts always made May nervous. Perhaps she did always attach a 'what did the giver want in return' to them. Or perhaps it was acts of kindness she always had trouble accepting. Not feeling she deserved it with what she might eventually have to do to survive, even to someone who had been kind. "Thank-you."

[_dax]

Dax looked kind of sheepish when she caught him, he hadn't meant to do that. He chuckled when she mentioned stealing a Cloe CD, "I don't guess she'll care, she hasn't collected her stereo yet. I'll see what I can do about getting you your own, I've got a few connections. Anything in particular?" He listened to the music that came on and cocked an eyebrow, he'd never heard this one, not to that he could remember anyway. Dax shrugged softly, "Hey, I saw it and thought of you, got a fair trade, but you're welcome, I'm glad you like it," he felt relieved at that thought, he'd done right. He put his right hand against his stomach and rubbed, "Got this shirt too, though it's probably not short sleeve weather anymore," he added with a shrug. "Got a board game and some books in the trade too, the kids seemed to like the game, it was fun even if it was for babies," he kinda chuckled and stood there shifting his weight from foot to foot awkwardly, kind of uncomfortable and embarrassed after everything was said and done. He'd overreacted and

[tribal_may]

"Sounds like you made a pretty good trade." She wondered what it was that he had used in trade. As far as she knew Dax had come to them with very little. She tilted her head to one side with a hint of a sly smile as she let her gaze wander over his physique shown off so well by the tight black shirt. "But you still don't have any tribal markings." She stood up and went over to him. There weren't many in the city who'd show their face without some kind of tribal markings on. Perhaps he'd forgotten they'd wiped off during the night. "Come on." She took his hand and dragged him over to her vanity. "Sit." She pulled out some makeup supplies and perched on the desk comfortabley. "Let's see..." She studied his face.

[_dax]

Dax let her lead him over and sat down, shifting again, how strange, he'd thought about having her mark him but he hadn't imagined it being so...weird. He gave a soft chuckle and looked up at her face, "I ah, took a shower earlier, the girl in the market that traded me for this shirt tried to tell me my markings were all smudged, I, forgot about that. I got some eyeliner and stuff down the market too, but I left it in that room when I took my shower," he offered softly. He blinked a few times, watching her, resisting the urge to lean up and kiss her, fighting back every urge to pull her down into his lap and resume where they'd left off, biting his tongue and letting his eyes travel over her small frame, trying not to be too obvious.