Broken Homecoming (Emma)

[JAMES MILLER]

It was odd driving into the city. The dark clouds spread far and wide and James watched in wonder. Lightning streaked through the clouds and he felt a little nervous as the ominous weather enveloped the bus driving into town. Was that snow on the ground? Portland had been strangely cold considering the time of year he had noted, and from what Liz had said the city was bitter, like it was the middle of winter. Doesn't seem a whole lot different than home, He thought to himself, smiling a little as he recalled the dark, wet weather back home. Home... no Scriptor Bay was his true home.

His homecoming had been nice. He hadn't seen his sister in a couple of years, so it was wonderful to come home to her hugs and kisses. Lizzy had always been the sweetest of his three sisters, which is why he suspected she stayed in their home city. She was sentimental like that.

Once he had gotten settled, James dressed in some warm clothes and headed out of his sisters home. He was interested in seeing the city again since he hadn't been there since he was a boy. It all looked so different, yet familiar at the same time. As he walked he pulled his pack of hand rolled cigarettes out and stuck one between his lips, searching himself for a lighter. The cigarette was laced with a little pot, as he liked them to be, and when he found his lighter, he brought it to the cigarette and inhaled deeply as he put the fire to the tip.

James walked casually towards the tree, wanting to see the crack for himself. He had a few hours to kill anyway before he was supposed to head over to his uncle's place. He hadn't seen uncle Gert in ages and Gus had only been a tyke the last time he'd seen the boy, though they'd kept in touch over facebook. Sort of.

When he got to the tree he noticed a young girl with long blond hair already there. He watched from a near distance, one arm folded over his chest, the other holding the cigarette near his lips, which he puffed easily. She appeared to be screaming obscenities at it and throwing rocks. "Don't think that'll fix things, love." He called out to her in a gentle British accent. It had developed over the years, but wasn't very strong. There were still some things he said that sounded very American, but he'd picked up on plenty of the language there and spoke mostly with their vocabulary. "Quite certain of it, really."

[EMELIA BIRCH]

It was one thing for it to be cloudy with bouts of lightning. That was okay. You could still go to the beach on a cloudy day and relax under the haze. Who needed sunshine to do that? But when it started to snow that was a whole other story and Emelia wanted nothing more than to kick the weather in its nonexistent nads. Of course she'd heard all about what was going on with the tree. She'd always thought it was just a big hunking piece of wood in the middle of the city but it sure proved her wrong!

The news was having a field day with the city's despair. Therians were shifting in public. She had a few Therian friends. Well, sort of friends. Maybe.

Wearing a jacket and scarf in July was just so strange and yet there she was. She'd gone to the tree because there wasn't really anywhere else that she could go to. She had to let out her frustrations somehow and with the darkness over the city her powers were pretty much crap so using them were pretty much out of the question. She'd tried to turn off the lights in her room the night before and the most she could do was dim them.

So what was one to do when there was no sun, it was cold and they couldn't even turn out a light properly? They went to the problem and found a solution. Although throwing rocks at the tree didn't seem to be solving anything other than giving her a means to let out her frustrations. "This is all your fault!" She snapped at the tree and threw another fistful of rocks at the tree and watched them bounce off the trunk and roll into the grass.

She shouted at the tree over and over, each time getting a little more obscene and vulgar. "You stupid cu--" "Don't think that'll fix things, love." Her arm was wound back and she was ready to throw a medium sized rock at the tree when she was interrupted in her little fit she was throwing. Her attention turned over to see she wasn't the only one at the tree now.. who in their right mind would be at the tree on a day like this? Besides her? "Quite certain of it, really."

She dropped her arm down to her side and loosened her grip on the rock, turning it over and over in her hand with her fingers. "Maybe not, but it's cheaper than therapy," she called back and narrowed her eyes at him curiously. She didn't think she'd seen him before around these parts. She was pretty sure she would have remembered seeing a lanky big brown eyed guy around the city. At least she liked to thinks he would.

Emelia tossed the rock over her shoulder and took a few aimless steps in no particular direction like she was doing it just so she wouldn't be standing still. "So what are you doing here anyway? If you're trying to sell me on your religion then you can just forget it," it only took a quick look up and down at him to see that he wasn't holding any flyers and the cigarette in his hand should have been a dead giveaway in itself. "You don't have any pamphlets or flyers though."

[JAMES MILLER]

The girl quit tossing rocks and looked in his direction. He gave a half smile out of politeness, his eyes crinkling at the sides as they often did, giving away his actual age some. He might look like he was in his late twenties but the man was nearing his mid forties. "Maybe not, but it's cheaper than therapy," He chuckled softly and puffed on his cigarette, smoke billowing out of his mouth as if he were a makeshift chimney, which at times he sort of was. It was a nasty habit, but he couldn't quit it. He didn't want to.

James watched her move around a bit, his eyes never leaving her though he stood still in the chilled air. "So what are you doing here anyway? If you're trying to sell me on your religion then you can just forget it," Religion? Ah, yes Lizzy had mentioned the bible thumpers. He looked down at himself wearing a long gray pea coat and a navy scarf tucked around his neck tight. Did he look like a bible thumper? "You don't have any pamphlets or flyers though."

James had two options here. One, he could tell her the truth; he was there to see the tree and had no interest in spreading the word of God, especially since he himself was agnostic. Or two, he could fuck with her. It was a quiet night and he couldn't help but feel a little playful considering how miserable it was outside. James was rarely serious. Seriousness was reserved for when he needed to concentrate on a piece he was working on. "That's 'cause yeh don't need pamphlets to sell the word of God, love. He's in yer heart." The cigarette bobbed up and down in his mouth as he spoke, his words mildly muffled since he had to keep his lips closed enough so the cancer stick wouldn't fall to the ground. He placed his one hand on his heart, and reached up, pulling the cigarette from his lips with the other, letting a long stream of smoke escape into the chilly air.

The hand on his heart reached out to her, beckoning her over playfully. "Come. Pray to Jesus with me. We'll sing Kumbaya, together. It'll be grand." The smirk on his face was sign enough he was toying with her. He let out a laugh and spread his arms wide. "Do I look like a man of God to yeh?"

[EMELIA BIRCH]

The man didn't look like he was trying to preach the word of God but there was no telling. She'd gotten into a fight with one bible thumper and if she had to get into one with another one then so be it. Was it so wrong to not want to believe the same religion as everyone else? When it came to religion she always said she was pagan, believing that God was actually in nature. God was the elements and the plants and the trees. Not some old fat Santa Clause looking guy laying around in a cloud wearing a white sheet. God was the life around them and when people told her she was wrong she got angry! She didn't tell them they were wrong! Everyone was entitled to their own beliefs and faiths.

"That's 'cause yeh don't need pamphlets to sell the word of God, love. He's in yer heart." Was this Brit for real? Did he think that she needed God in her heart? Because she was really starting to believe that he needed a good Jesus rock in the left temple to get the message that she wanted to send. It was weird seeing someone spout about God while they were puffing on a cigarette. The smoke carried the scent over to her and she couldn't help but think it smelled nice. She always liked the way cigarette smoke smelled and when it was cold outside the smokey scent clung to your skin and clothes so she'd be smelling it even when he was no longer around her.

Her eyes widened with mild curiosity when he beckoned her over but she didn't budge and started to toss the rock up in the air and catching it repeatedly as a means to tell him that she wasn't going any closer and if he dared to step in her direction then it was game time. "Come. Pray to Jesus with me. We'll sing Kumbaya, together. It'll be grand." His playful smirk couldn't be more obvious. "Do I look like a man of God to yeh?" With an eye roll she dropped the rock down next to her feet and then headed towards him.

"You look like a jackass," she mumbled, keeping her eyes on him and getting close enough so she could snatch the cigarette out from between his lips. She didn't know who this guy was, what his name was or where he'd come from. He was a perfectly good stranger and if he had some kind of mouth disease well then it looked like she was taking a big risk. She brought the wrapped tobacco stick up to her lips and pursed them around the tip, inhaling a deep breath and filling her lungs with smoke. It wasn't as thick as other cigarettes she'd had and even noticed an earthly taste to the smoke. It was light and grassy and... it was a hint of pot.

She furrowed her brows and looked at the cigarette as if it were something alien before handing it back to him while she exhaled a long puff of smoke. "There's a bit of weed in this. You could have warned me you know!" She didn't need to know someone to smoke their cigarettes. And if she had some of her own she would have pulled one out and lit it up right then and there so they could admire the tree and have a smoke out. "So what are you doing here since you're not a bible banger?"

[JAMES MILLER]

"You look like a jackass," He chuckled as she came closer, yanking his cigarette from his mouth. He made no move to stop her, watching as she took a deep hit from it. His dark eyes simply watched as the end of the cigarette glowed red in the night, and smoke swirled away from it. "I thought I looked dashing tonight." He teased softly as her brows furrowed, coming to the obvious conclusion that what she had smoked was laced with something more than tobacco.

"There's a bit of weed in this. You could have warned me you know!" He shrugged. "Yeh could have asked before helpin' yerself to a stranger's smoke." He said gently. "But so yeh know.. there's a bit of hash in there." He stated the obvious just to taunt her, but he could clearly see she didn't mind all that much. He reached for the cigarette and took another drag of it before offering it back and looking at the tree.

"So what are you doing here since you're not a bible banger?"

James looked at the young woman for a moment and then back to the tree. There was a long crack down the middle that hadn't been there when he left in '93. "Lookin' at the tree." He said casually, as if it weren't completely obvious. "Heard it had cracked. 'sactually why I'm here." He said with a shrug. "My uncle told me about the old thing crackin' down the middle here and asked I come back. Haven't been here in nearly twenty years." He explained softly and held his cigarette out for her if she wanted it though he didn't look at her, studying the tree again. His eyes wandered to the sky, wondering if the tree was really to blame for this dark cloud above. Thunder rippled softly in the air, lightning weaving its way through the clouds above.

"James Miller." He introduced suddenly, offering his hand to her and finally taking a real good look. She looked young. She looked like she was trying to hide how young she was, though. "So what was it you were yellin' at the tree earlier?" He asked, his eyes creasing at the corner again with his grin. "Sounded like you were about to call it a cunt." He laughed.

[EMELIA BIRCH]

"Yeh could have asked before helpin' yerself to a stranger's smoke. But so yeh know.. there's a bit of hash in there." What a smart ass. He watched him take another hit off the cigarette before holding it out for her once more. At least he was the sharing type. "Lookin' at the tree." He answered to her question about what he was doing there. That was obvious, but she wondered why. It was dark and cold out. She had figured she'd be the only one there messing with the stupid tree. That's why she came out there when she did! But then again it was public property so there was never any promise of privacy on public property.

"Heard it had cracked. 'sactually why I'm here." That was why everyone came to the tree these days. [/b]"My uncle told me about the old thing crackin' down the middle here and asked I come back. Haven't been here in nearly twenty years."[/b] Twenty years? They two of them seemed to be passing the cigarette back and forth and it was burning twice as fast with the pair of them sucking on it. Her eyes moved from him to the tree like she was trying to see exactly where he was looking, but it was pretty obvious it was the long split down the trunk.

"James Miller" He drew her attention back when he said his name. "So formal," she commented sarcastically and reached for his hand giving it a quick shake. "So what was it you were yellin' at the tree earlier? Sounded like you were about to call it a cunt." Well apparently he heard that bit in her tirade with the tree. Her and that tree still had some unfinished business but that would have to wait.

"You pretty much hit the nail right on the head, smart one." She said and even smiled a bit. "Its sort of obvious, isn't it? Well maybe not for you. But this stupid tree split and then the weather went all crazy. When does it snow in July? Rain? Sure. Cloudy days? Okay. But snow? That's not normal. I blame the tree." She grabbed at the ends of her scarf and started yanking on them one at a time making it slide against the back of her neck just playing with it so she had something to do with her hands. "And that's my expert opinion, James Miller," she told him in a teasing tone.

She looked him over again focusing on his face and the creases and little age lines and winkles. He didn't look to be older than his late twenties but maybe he just looked young. "So you haven't been here since you were what, seven? Eight? Am I in the ballpark here?"

[JAMES MILLER]

They were down to the dregs of the cigarette and James took the last long hit from it, holding the smoke in his chest as he pinched the end out, careful not to touch the hot edge. He held onto the butt, not liking to litter. "You pretty much hit the nail right on the head, smart one. Its sort of obvious, isn't it? Well maybe not for you. But this stupid tree split and then the weather went all crazy. When does it snow in July? Rain? Sure. Cloudy days? Okay. But snow? That's not normal. I blame the tree." He watched her as she spoke and then back at the tree, the smoke slowly filtering through his nostrils into the bitter air. "And that's my expert opinion, James Miller," He snorted a little, unsure if he liked or disliked her bitchy attitude. She was clearly younger than she looked judging by the way she talked. Still full of herself, like she had a complete grasp on the world when it was clear she didn't. James wasn't the type to really judge, though.

"So you haven't been here since you were what, seven? Eight? Am I in the ballpark here?" The smile returned and he looked back at her giving a nod. "Sounds about right." He teased a light twinkle in his eye. He narrowed his eyes back at the tree. "Come t'think about it, I do remember this thing being a whole lot bigger." He nodded. He sighed, "As for weather, I'm used to chilly summers. Not snow, mind yeh, but summer's cold an' wet where I'm from." He wanted another cigarette, but didn't pull one out. Actually, he wanted a full on joint. And a beer. Were there any pubs around? He could legally drink last time he was in the states but he hadn't been able to pass for a twenty one year old, let alone the twenty four he actually was. When he left the states he still looked like a teenage boy for the most part.

"So, miss, what d'yah suppose we do to the tree?" He asked cocking a brow back at the girl, his hands in his pockets. "Buy it a pint? That always cheers me right up." His brown eyes moved back to the tree. "What'cha think, tree? A pint on me? How's about two?" He grinned at the blond. "Might consider getting you one, too."

[EMELIA BIRCH]

The effects of the hash laced cigarette was starting to take its effects on Emelia. But it wasn't the first time that she had ever smoked pot and sure as hell wouldn't be the last either. It wasn't too strong but it was enough to mellow her out a bit so she was less likely to call the tree a cunt again. At least not for a little while anyway. James' comment about the tree's size made her snort a little laugh. "As for weather, I'm used to chilly summers. Not snow, mind yeh, but summer's cold an' wet where I'm from." He had an uncle here in America but it was clear he wasn't "from" America. If he was born here he didn't think of himself as American, not with that accent and the way he talked about where he was from.

"So, miss, what d'yah suppose we do to the tree?" The hell kind of question was that? Did he expect them to do something to the tree together? Were they going to get naked and dance under the moonless, cloudy sky and sing in a native tongue? It sounded weird but then again that might have been pretty fun. They could paint their faces with war paint and hang chicken bones around their necks. It would definitely get the attention of those religious nuts. She wasn't that crazy but the thought did make her giggle to herself.

"Buy it a pint? That always cheers me right up." She looked at him like he was nuttier than her imagination but he looked back at the tree and spoke to it as if it were a person, "What'cha think, tree? A pint on me? How's about two?" He looked ridiculous and she thought about rolling her eyes and walking away in that moment but then he sucked her back in with an offer that she couldn't refuse. "Might consider getting you one, too."

She was a year shy of twenty-one but that didn't make a difference. She'd been sneaking into bars and stealing alcohol since she was fourteen and with just the right amount of makeup and a little lipstick she was able to walk right in these days. It helped that she had a great fake I.D. If men and women could join the service and die for their country at eighteen then why shouldn't she drink at twenty?

"You know I think that is the smartest decision you could make," she said with a flirty smile that she gave everyone when they offered her booze. If she had been serious in a relationship with someone then alcohol and pot would have been her two mistresses. Even though he said he "might" get her a pint she knew that was just a playful way of saying 'hey, come with me and I'll buy you as many drinks as it takes to get you in the sack!' That's how it usually was. It was so typical but she didn't mind. And if it wasn't and he was just trying to be really nice, because she'd never actually flirted with someone out of country before, then that would be just fine too. The biggest bonus was if he did make a pass at her then she might not have to go home tonight.

But as she tried to think of a decent place to go to get a drink she realized that most of those places were slower than usual these days. She'd tried the Silent Stone once but it was too drab for her taste. The cowboy bar was pretty much deserted ever since the tree did its voodoo sky trick. There were a few other bars in the city but none of them were really close and none of them were fun.

"You know what you could do is go to the store and buy a few cases of beer and bring it back. Then we could have a real party with the tree. We can pour beer in the open crack, maybe all it needs is a little drink to make it feel better." Then maybe once it soaked up enough alcohol they could torch the sucker and get rid of it once and for all. She wanted to be able to go to the beach dammit!

[JAMES MILLER]

"You know I think that is the smartest decision you could make," Her attitude changed almost instantly. Suddenly she seemed almost flirty and James couldn't help but silently wonder why. Was she not old enough to drink? Or maybe she was broke? He was suspicious but didn't give it away. She was probably old enough to drink where he had been living, which was good enough for him. She didn't need to flirt her way into a pint.

"You know what you could do is go to the store and buy a few cases of beer and bring it back. Then we could have a real party with the tree." Oh, was that what he could do? He raised a brow giving her a semi amused look. "We can pour beer in the open crack, maybe all it needs is a little drink to make it feel better." James looked at the tree. He had asked if it wanted a pint, and he wouldn't mind sharing a drink with the old thing. Perhaps that was really all it needed.

"You certainly know how to make a man feel used." He teased and then rolled his shoulders. "I s'pose I could get some drinks. Public drinkin's usually frowned upon though, love. We'll have to be crafty." He threw her a wink and then rolled his shoulders. "Gonna run off to the liquor store. Yer welcome to tag along if yeh'd like, but you could also stay and verbally and physically abuse the tree some more." He smirked and shrugged again before turning away. "Your choice, love." He called out, not bothering looking back. As far as he was concerned a drink sounded good and if he had it with the pretty little lady he did, if not? Well, the tree would be plenty good company for him. He dug his cigarettes out and pushed one between his lips, searching for that lighter again. If she didn't follow he would just bring the beers back.

[EMELIA BIRCH]

"You certainly know how to make a man feel used." Of course she did! "I s'pose I could get some drinks. Public drinkin's usually frowned upon though, love. We'll have to be crafty." Crafty? Since when did you have to be crafty drinking beer? Who was going to stop them the booze patrol? She was preeetty sure that the cops had more important things to do with their time these days. What with all the weird animals running around you were more likely to get in trouble with animal control than anything else. But it wasn't like they were going to be getting random cats drunk. "Gonna run off to the liquor store. Yer welcome to tag along if yeh'd like, but you could also stay and verbally and physically abuse the tree some more." Tempting, she thought and gave a small smirk. "Your choice, love."

Did she really want to walk all the way to the liquor store with this stranger? Then again how much more could she yell at the tree before someone else came along and called the police on her? At least she was more likely to get some free beer if she tagged along and he decided he wasn't going to come back to the tree afterwards. Decisions, decisions...

It all came down to her actually wanting to be around company and she chose to tag along. He had already started to head off so she had to power walk until she got to his side and watched him stick another cigarette between his lips. He must have been a chain smoker. Not that it bothered Emelia one bit since when she found herself around cigarettes she could smoke them one after the other also. She just didn't go out and buy them because there were better things to spend six bucks on than a pack of tobacco rolled in paper.

"Well since you're so relentless to get me to go I might as well," she teased with a roll of her eyes, knowing very well that he made it obvious he didn't care whether she came or didn't but that he was going. The liquor store wasn't that far and the walk would be a decent one even if it was cold out. "Okay so," she started and furrowed her brows like she was really trying to think serious about what she was going to say, "it's weird that your uncle told you to come back, right? I mean the weather is all freaky and I hear a rhino like trampled a guy or something.. and meanwhile there's your uncle who is all 'hey man, --' because this is how I think your uncle sounds -- 'hey man, you should like, totally come to Scriptor Bay. We got this wicked cool weather and rhinos running around! Come and see!' I mean that can't sound weird to just me, right? Then again maybe that's just the way it sounds when you say it. You're probably not telling it right."

[JAMES MILLER]

"Well since you're so relentless to get me to go I might as well," James looked to his side, seeing the girl there and gave a small sort of smile, finally finding his lighter. He didn't mind her tagging along. It was better than him being a pushover and fetching her beers for her. He lit his cigarette as she continued, puffing slowly as she spoke.

"Okay so, it's weird that your uncle told you to come back, right? I mean the weather is all freaky and I hear a rhino like trampled a guy or something.. and meanwhile there's your uncle who is all 'hey man, --' because this is how I think your uncle sounds -- 'hey man, you should like, totally come to Scriptor Bay. We got this wicked cool weather and rhinos running around! Come and see!' I mean that can't sound weird to just me, right? Then again maybe that's just the way it sounds when you say it. You're probably not telling it right."

He chuckled lightly and gave a nod. "Yeh sound just like him." He teased with a wide smile, pulling his small tin case out and offering her a cigarette if she wanted one. After she took it he slid the tin back in his pocket and held a light for her. Once he had successfully lit her cigarette, he slid the lighter back into his coat pocket and pulled his own cigarette from his lips, taking a deep breath and then slowly releasing it. He didn't have a good reason to be there. No solid lies to tell.

"My uncle's a strange man." He explained as if that was answer enough, but realized it probably wouldn't be. "He's... a bit of a weather enthusiast I s'pose. And animal lover." He chuckled and looked forward as they spoke, one hand sliding in his pocket, the other holding his cancer stick, which was slowly helping him mellow out more and more with each breath. "What'chu want me to say? I haven't a solid answer, love." He realized he had no clue what her name was yet, but decided he didn't mind. He'd only call her love anyway. "I've always been uncle Gert's favorite nephew. What can I say?"

[EMELIA BIRCH]

"Yeh sound just like him." That's right, she was great at impersonating people that she never met before. She always made them sound dopey and silly because what other way was there to impersonate someone? When he opened up the tin she plucked out one of the cigarettes and placed it between pursed lips and when the light was brought to the tip she inhaled, watching the end glow bright in the darkness. She blew the smoke out through both her parted lips and her nostrils making the smoke go in every direction in front of her face before dissipating in the cold air.

"My uncle's a strange man. He's... a bit of a weather enthusiast I s'pose. And animal lover." He must have been one crazy enthusiast then to get his nephew to come from where ever he did come from just to bask in their amazing weather and.. rhinos. She was pretty certain she'd heard a hyena down one of the alleys just the night before and that would have been something to stumble across. "What'chu want me to say? I haven't a solid answer, love. I've always been uncle Gert's favorite nephew. What can I say?"

Gert? She knew that name but she couldn't peg how. How many Gerts were there in Scriptor Bay? Then again maybe it was just a nickname. A weird nickname, but whatever. For the moment she figured she'd just leave it alone and think about what he said about not having a solid answer. And the whole 'love' thing needed to stop. "Emelia. Emelia Birch if we're going to be formal," she teased him and chewed on the filter of the tobacco stick gently with her teeth.

"And if you don't have a solid answer that can only mean two things. Either you really don't have a reason to be here and you're just making up some weird baloney, or you just don't want to say. So which is it, big boy?" She asked him as a playful smile grew over her lips while they walked. He was cute in a nerdy kind of way and very chill. She liked to surround herself with all kinds of people. She enjoyed being around her more laid back and mellow friends when she was feeling lazy but then there were the party animals when she felt wild. Different friends for different moods.

[JAMES MILLER]

"Emelia. Emelia Birch if we're going to be formal," That wasn't what he expected to hear. She gave him her name when he had asked what she expected to hear from him. He gave a cute little smirk and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, love." He teased as if to say he probably wouldn't be calling her Emelia Birch, unless he was teasing her. The formal name didn't seem to fit the young blond thing. He expected something more poppy like...Brittany or Lexy, something a little more wild sounding. Emilia sounded refined, and this little wildcat didn't seem terribly refined to him. She had been throwing rocks and swearing at a tree, after all.

"And if you don't have a solid answer that can only mean two things. Either you really don't have a reason to be here and you're just making up some weird baloney, or you just don't want to say." That boyish grin was back and he looked over at her. He hadn't fooled her after all. "So which is it, big boy?"

James was quiet for a moment, looking ahead and puffin on the smoke in his hand. It was a valid question but did he want to lie to her? Lying always led to drama and he just didn't need that sort of drama. For all he knew she would find out and hassle him. James didn't like to be hassled."

"Don't want to say." He said in his gentle accent, smirking at Emelia once more. "Barely know yeh, miss Emelia Birch. Not that I've lied. My uncle is fascinated with the animal attacks an' the weather." He gave a grave nod and puffed away like the little sexy chimney he was. "I don't recommend spilling yer life story to people yeh meet under trees. 'Specially those who had no problem talking to trees like they're real people. No offense love, but yeh came off as a bit mental." His smile was back, clearly playing with her. "No worries, though. I like mental."

[EMELIA BIRCH]

“I’ll keep that in mind, love.” Well it looked like he wasn’t going to stop calling her love just because she told him her name. But it was what it was and she rolled her shoulders in a shrug. He could call her Bob for all she cared just as long as he kept her entertained with beer and smokes. Hell, she probably wouldn’t even see him again after tonight so it really didn’t matter.

When it came to what he was trying to hide he simply replied with a ”Don’t want to say.” with a little smirk that she thought might have been a little cute and dorky. "Barely know yeh, miss Emelia Birch. Not that I've lied. My uncle is fascinated with the animal attacks an' the weather." Of course his stupid uncle was fascinated by the animal attacks and the weather. Who in the city wasn’t?! That was one way to keep it vague. ”I don’t recommend spilling yer life story to people yeh meet under trees. ‘Specially those who had no problem talking to trees like they’re real people. No offense love, but yeh came off a bit mental. No worries, though. I like mental.” What a smartass.

Emelia tilted her head to the side a bit and blew out another cloud of smoke, watching as it vanished into the cold night just like the last one did before she looked back over to him and shook her head. “Well isn’t the pot calling the kettle black,” she spoke, “You’re one to talk when you offered the tree a pint. Maybe I was calling it names but I definitely didn’t offer to buy it a drink. Now that sounds like crazy talk.” She didn’t think he was being a hypocrite but just trying to make it seem like what he was doing wasn’t as nutty as what she did. Which even she would have to agree if she was watching someone do what she had done she’d think they belonged in the loony bin for sure.

The store was just a few shops down now and Em gave it a leery look when she noticed that they weren’t alone out there. There was someone else standing at the mouth of one of the alleys. Just a silhouette in the shadows and the orange tip of a burning cigarette as they smoked. As they neared though she could make the person out a little better, making out the partial dreadlocks that were tangled and wild on top of a female’s head. The girl in the alley had taken her attention away from dorky James for that brief moment but then the booming sound of thunder brought her back to his side.

“Hey, how about you go in and get some alcohol and I’ll wait out here? The store owner doesn’t like me anyway so he’s less likely to rip you off if you go in alone.” Truth be told the store owner knew she wasn’t of age and had called the cops on her before for shoplifting. So going inside was probably a bad idea but she didn’t want to tell him that she wasn’t over twenty-one. He might have decided to take his booze elsewhere. Then again if he did, then she’d be left with all the party favors she was about to buy from the dreadlocked girl in the alley that she knew.

[JAMES MILLER]

“Well isn’t the pot calling the kettle black,” He looked amused as his puppy dog eyes panned back to her, moving away from the grassy area and onto the street, “You’re one to talk when you offered the tree a pint. Maybe I was calling it names but I definitely didn’t offer to buy it a drink. Now that sounds like crazy talk.” He chuckled and nodded as he sucked on the cigarette, the smoke pouring out slowly as he began to speak. "Maybe so, but I'm not the one askin' life stories here, love. That would be you." He nodded at her and looked forward, coughing a little on the smoke. "'Sides, never claimed not to be mental." He'd been called mental plenty over the years. Sure, it was rarely seriously, but that was besides the point.

“Hey, how about you go in and get some alcohol and I’ll wait out here? The store owner doesn’t like me anyway so he’s less likely to rip you off if you go in alone.” He stopped and gave her a wary look, noting the woman in the shadows. He looked between the two knowing full well that no liquor store would try ripping him off. Their prices were set, but if she didn't want to come in he would do it himself. He couldn't help but feel like her rational was a little on the shady side, though. Finally he took a deep drag from the cigarette and nodded, stomping it out on the ground and moving into the store as the smoke filtered through his lips.

James looked around and finally grabbed a twelve pack of Newcastle Brown Ale and a pack of regular cigarettes and headed on out of the store. Booze in hand he nodded at Emelia. "You ready to liquor up the tree or have yeh changed your mind?" He asked, the kind smile returning to his lips. He wasn't one to judge others too much.