Scooby Doo, Where are You? [Abiel/Norah]

[Norah Byron]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/2r3bmu1.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 1px solid #384214; width: 500px; height: 601px; padding: 0px;, bTable] A real date, the kind where nobody related to Norah or with the band or learning how to hunt and kill would be tagging along. A date with just her and Abiel, one that took place outside the casino and with at least the possibility of stealing a kiss or even a makeout session without attracting commentary from the peanut gallery. Norah was so looking forward to it. Abiel had told her to wear something she could walk in, and though she'd considered jeans the singer had ended up in a short black dress with a wide belt and a pair of two-inch heels that she could hike up a mountain in if she wanted to. One advantage to wearing four-inch heels on stage every night, it made your basic daytime pumps feel like running shoes in comparison. She waited for Abiel at the slot machines nearest the front lobby, feeding in cash five dollars at a time and playing fifty-cent spins. She was actually about thirteen dollars up, and when the phoenix walked up Norah stayed on her stool and tilted her head back silently demanding her kiss. "Hey, you. Lookit me, all high roller. I think I can buy us both Starbucks on our way out for this mysterious adventure of yours out of my fabulous winnings." [style=padding: 0px 10px; font-size: smaller;] Location: Outfit: A short black dress and sensible heels Music: Train Song - Lorica (via Vashti Bunyan) Notes: Hey big spender... [/style]

[Abiel J. Bell]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #000 url(http://i53.tinypic.com/vfks3p.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 2px solid #767676; border: 0px; width: 500px;, bTable][atrb=style, padding: 0px 20px 0px 20px; color: #767676;] Abiel had staring himself in the mirror and splashed a wave of fresh, chilling, cold water onto his waiting face. The shock from how cold the Hotel’s water was a good wake up call. Even though Abiel was a Phoenix an never aging immortal, that has seen, done, just about everything in the book and even written a few of them in that same said book. Since traveling with Lorica and him begging to be giving a job while traveling with them; they’ve put him to the test on just about everything, and he hasn’t failed them yet, and a little bit of himself was regretting begging. Even though he didn’t really need sleep or any other necessary as humans did, but he was feeling the burning of tiredness at the corners of his mind, but he wasn’t going to let that stop this date with Norah. It’s been ages since the two had some alone time and even though he loved her brothers and his own Brother Bishop and the rest of the crew, but they relentless on the comments and wolf howls when the two stole a few moments away from the chaos of preparing for the big show. Abiel looked himself in the mirror and studying his reflection a little bit. His hair was slowly growing back after the chop he gave it in Crossroads Tn. His reflection reminded him and started a flood of memories of what had taken place during that shit storm of a mess. Cliff notes version Demons took over a town infected the residents to mind slushed zombies to work on a portal home back to hell. Those were memories that weren’t going to help either Norah or Abiel mood during this date. So he threw them in a steel box in his mind with no holes wrapped it in chains of ten tons and dropped it into the sea of forget mes in his subconscious. Before leaving the Hotel bathroom in his room that he shared with the Boys. He grabbed his Tan leather Jacket and draped it over the plain white t-shirt he wore with the necklace Norah gave him, with jeans and boots. Abiel said his goodbyes to the boys who returned with snickers and quick fire jabs at Abiel about doing Norah in one of the Vans for their date . Abiel rolled his eyes and would have trade fire with the Twins and Bishop but he was already late for their date. Abiel made it quickly down to the Front lobby and found Norah like they agreed to meet at. He leaned down and gave Norah a kiss and lingered a bit. It’s been a while since they’ve had one like this, and treasured it. Abiel chuckled and smiled, “Ah that would be very enjoyable after this, It might frighten you to your core.” Abiel eyes made his eyes go wide at the end with suspense and fake fear as he mimicked one of those cheesy hosts for those late night horror fest that would even throw in the whole black and white effect to give it more of a kick to it. Abiel took a step back as he offered Norah his arm and nodded toward the direction of the door. “Come on Daphne.” Abiel chuckled as he looked Norah up and down and his smile grew as his eyes took her in. “Seriously All your missing is a black scarf and some dark make up and you could be Emo-Daphne.” Abiel jabbed at Norah playfully.

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, height: 370px; padding: 90px 30px 65px 270px; color: #767676; font-variant: small-caps;] Location: Las Vegas Music: A Drop in the Ocean - Ron Pope Ft Wiz Khalifa, Eminem, and Kanye West Outfit: Tan leather Jacket and draped it over the plain white t-shirt he wore with the necklace Norah gave him, with jeans and boots. Notes: So long overdue this date it is.

[Norah Byron]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/2r3bmu1.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 1px solid #384214; width: 500px; height: 601px; padding: 0px;, bTable] "I'm all aquiver," she assured him silently as she cashed out of the slot machine. "Truly, there is actual quivering." She slid the card into the outside pocket of her purse, Norah had been trading the same hundred bucks up and down on that casino card since they arrived in Vegas, and tucked her hand into Abiel's elbow to let him lead her out of the casino. And, "I always wanted to be Velma." She sounded perfectly serious about this. "Daphne was pretty, but kinda useless. Velma had all the good ideas. Plus, I thought she was cute, with her short little skirt and knee socks. I actually have an outfit a lot like it, I wear glasses with it." She meant it, that skirt was in her closet up in the room. She looked up at him as they reached the lobby. "Are you meant to be Freddie? You don't have a neckerchief. Can't be Freddie without a neckerchief. It's not even possible." [style=padding: 0px 10px; font-size: smaller;] Location: Outfit: A short black dress and sensible heels Music: Train Song - Lorica (via Vashti Bunyan) Notes: Kinda short, but there's not much happening yet. [/style]

[Abiel J. Bell]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #000 url(http://i53.tinypic.com/vfks3p.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 2px solid #767676; border: 0px; width: 500px;, bTable][atrb=style, padding: 0px 20px 0px 20px; color: #767676;] Abiel rolled his eyes playfully with a smile at the comment about being Fred. He was expecting that and as one of the Waiters pasted with a drink in tow with a napkin. Abiel swapped the napkin as the waiter went on without skipping a beat and with one hand created his neckerchief for Norah, and when the job was done. He let Norah expect his handwork. “Better?” He asked for her approve of his very quick work. Abiel lead them out of the busy casino and into the night. There was nothing like Las Vegas especially at night. The lights, the commotion of the busy night of the party goers, drunks, and the street hustlers; there were truly no other place like it. Abiel lead the two to a waiting black SUV that he arranged to pick them up and drop them off to their destination which wasn’t that far away from the Casino/ Hotel they were staying in. Abiel guided them to the SUV parting the way of night goers and greeted the driver who was an middle aged man who stood just a few inches shorter than Abiel. Dressed in a very nice black suit and slacks; that seemed not to restrict him if he needed to get his hands dirty. These were details that Abiel picked up over time of the job, and some qualities that he looked for in people that were employed by him, even if it was for only a temporary job like this. Abiel gave the man a very simple and friendly nod and thanks as he took the already open door from the man. He introduced himself both to Abiel and Norah as Peter Flick as he walked away to prepare to drive. Once all parties were in the car Abiel turned his attention back to Norah and with a flirtation smile that she knew all too well. “ Now what about this Velma Costume that has caught my interest…. It sounds very,” Abiel mockingly frowned and looked to the roof of the Black SUV trying to look for the word, and when he seemed to finally find it his eyes was that of accomplish as he meet Norah’s eyes. “ Ah yes very inviting.” Abiel made inference on Inviting as he raised his eye brows upward and widen his eyes and all with that flirtation smile.

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, height: 370px; padding: 90px 30px 65px 270px; color: #767676; font-variant: small-caps;] Location: Las Vegas Music: A Drop in the Ocean - Ron Pope Ft Wiz Khalifa, Eminem, and Kanye West Outfit: Tan leather Jacket and draped it over the plain white t-shirt he wore with the necklace Norah gave him, with jeans and boots. Notes: Velma or Daphne, Velma or Daphne, So hard to choose.

[Norah Byron]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/2r3bmu1.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 1px solid #384214; width: 500px; height: 601px; padding: 0px;, bTable] "Much better." Norah tweaked the end of the impromptu neckerchief, then laughed and slid her arm around his waist for the rest of the walk out to the car. A few people, not many but a couple that she did see, held up cell phones to snap pictures of them as they passed and Norah had to fight the urge to bury her face in Abiel's shoulder and blush like an idiot. This was starting to happen here in Vegas, if only because the huge LCD display outside the casino flashed pictures of her face once every 90 seconds, and it still made Norah hideously uncomfortable. However, the label's stylist had been very unsympathetic about Norah's idea of starting to perform in baggy jeans and a hoodie with her hair hanging in her face, so she was trying to deal with it gracefully. Once they were settled in the SUV, Norah settled back and crossed those improbably long legs, nudged the toe of one shoe against Abiel's calf. "It is inviting," her voice had dropped to a purr. "Very inviting. You should see it sometime. You know, when you're not too busy doing other, more important things." The virgin/vamp thing that Norah wore as stagecraft when she was performing or on camera, like armor when she was with anybody who she couldn't wholly trust, became the Funnest Game of All with Abiel. She teased and flirted, vamped and challenged, kept the sexual tension nice and high mostly just because it was fun but also because eventually she'd push it far enough and she'd get to see that gorgeous heat rise in his eyes right before he growled and pushed her up against the nearest flat surface. And actually, now that she thought about it, that was the funnest game of all. [style=padding: 0px 10px; font-size: smaller;] Location: Outfit: A short black dress and sensible heels Music: Train Song - Lorica Notes: She's a girl of healthy appetites. [/style]

[Abiel J. Bell]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #000 url(http://i53.tinypic.com/vfks3p.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 2px solid #767676; border: 0px; width: 500px;, bTable][atrb=style, padding: 0px 20px 0px 20px; color: #767676;] “ Oh you know there isn’t anything more important then you.” Abiel leaned over draping his arm around Norah and pulled her a little closer while at the same time maneuvering himself into a laying down position with his back resting against the door and a perfect position where Norah could lay perfectly on top of him. With one hand he trailed up and down her back though the black material of her dress. “Well other than making sure the boys get up to record, double check the security, check the rigging, and all the other important stuff small stuff that goes into one of Lorcia’s shows.” Abiel jestered; while with his other hand flipped back Norah’s hair to get a clear view of that beautiful skin of hers. “Now about that invite we were talking about earlier is it still valid.” Abiel lined Norah’s neck with kisses in-between each words as he spoke. “Now before you say anything else.” Abiel nodded toward the dark thick panel glass that separated the backseat and the front. “This car is sound proof, and we won’t reaching our stop for a while. So we can make as much noise as we want. You in?” Abiel asked his eyes locked with Norah’s and the fire for her was burning in his eyes and very soul. It had been awhile since they’ve been alone like this. No brothers, no Hunting, No cameras, no Mangers, and no responsibilities other than to each other.

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, height: 370px; padding: 90px 30px 65px 270px; color: #767676; font-variant: small-caps;] Location: Las Vegas Music: A Drop in the Ocean - Ron Pope Ft Wiz Khalifa, Eminem, and Kanye West Outfit: Tan leather Jacket and draped it over the plain white t-shirt he wore with the necklace Norah gave him, with jeans and boots. Notes: Daphne’s first.

[Norah Byron]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/2r3bmu1.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 1px solid #384214; width: 500px; height: 601px; padding: 0px;, bTable] "Well then," she tried to sound bratty instead of eager even as she was stretching out on top of him and wriggling a little to make sure that all the fun parts lined up and pressed together, "why don't you just cuddle up to the rigging some cold night and see how grateful it is for all your hard work?" But she laughed immediately and snuggled closer, tilted her head to give him clear access to her throat so that ke could keep up that kissing thing for just as long as he liked. And then another laugh, gusty and uneven, and a smile that was challenging for real instead of in play. "Just how soundproof are we talking here? Is this 'murmurs and low laughter' levels of soundproof? How about groans? Whimpers? Begging? Shouting?" One hand trailed down the side of Abiel's body, seeking out the sensitive spots that she knew so well. "And just how far away is this mystery spot? What do we have time for here?" She was treating this a bit like a dare, and growing up with all brothers had taught Norah to never, ever back down from a dare, and whenever possible to up the ante. Which she did by popping the button at the waist of his jeans and starting to work the zipper down even as she began wriggling herself backward on the seat, pausing for a few friendly bites through his t-shirt en route. [style=padding: 0px 10px; font-size: smaller;] Location: In a car, somewhere in Vegas Outfit: A short black dress and sensible heels Music: Train Song - Lorica Notes: Started something he'd better be able to finish. [/style]

[Abiel J. Bell]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #000 url(http://i53.tinypic.com/vfks3p.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 2px solid #767676; border: 0px; width: 500px;, bTable][atrb=style, padding: 0px 20px 0px 20px; color: #767676;] “Let’s just say if a massacre happen outside right now, we won’t hear about it until the morning and I don’t think either of us will care in a little bit; especially if you keep doing that.” Abiel tilted his head where Norah hand was stirring up a flame inside and he already knew she got the reaction that she wanted but two could play at this game. With one hand wrapped around her wrist he repositioned them where he was on top this time and Norah was resting against the leather of the SUV. His hands were lightly caressing her figure dancing and lighting fires on some sweet spots he knew on her, and not too far behind was his lips with kisses. “And as for the time I paid the driver to circle around the Casio stripe for a while to lose any paparazzi that decided to follow us and before you ask our event doesn’t start for another hour or so, so we do have time.” All this was said while Abiel with his hands lifted her dress and slide off her choice of panties for the night and with one last toothy grin they were both were free. Free to remove each other clothes off and get to the flesh underneath that they both needed and wanted, free to kisses as soft and as rough as they liked sometimes their lips crashing and pushing on one another with the casual lip biting. Free to touch, scratch, and give into each other without others to judge or bug them for. It was completely liberating for both parties as Screams turned to moans, and moans, into whimpers and pleading for more for both. It was tragic when Abiel had to pull away when a three knocks were made on the panel glass that separate the backseat and the front. The signal that they were on their way to the location, something Abiel and Peter agreed upon to give them a heads up to get redress and prepared to be bombarded by people once more. Abiel ended it with another toothy grin as he spent the last ten minutes they could spare sending Norah off to Heaven on several trips.

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, height: 370px; padding: 90px 30px 65px 270px; color: #767676; font-variant: small-caps;] Location: Las Vegas Music: A Drop in the Ocean - Ron Pope Ft Wiz Khalifa, Eminem, and Kanye West Outfit: Tan leather Jacket and draped it over the plain white t-shirt he wore with the necklace Norah gave him, with jeans and boots. Notes:All Good things must come to an end.

[Norah Byron]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/2r3bmu1.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 1px solid #384214; width: 500px; height: 601px; padding: 0px;, bTable] Norah was still laughing a little as she cleaned herself up with wet-wipes that Abiel had thoughtfully provided (almost like he'd planned this or something) and then repaired her hair and makeup, even dabbed on a few drops of the essential oil that she wore instead of perfume, green apple and vanilla. Simple, even a little childish, but the scent suited her and the balancing act that Norah was always walking between her essentially childlike optimism and the caution she needed to move through the world she lived in. And when she was back to looking bandbox-perfect and maybe even a little bit prim, Norah smiled over at Abiel and said, "So where are we going, do I get to know now? And do the plans include dinner at some point, because suddenly I feel like I've worked up a serious appetite." [style=padding: 0px 10px; font-size: smaller;] Location: In a car, somewhere in Vegas Outfit: A short black dress and sensible heels Music: Train Song - Lorica Notes: Well that was fun. [/style]

[Abiel J. Bell]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #000 url(http://i53.tinypic.com/vfks3p.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 2px solid #767676; border: 0px; width: 500px;, bTable][atrb=style, padding: 0px 20px 0px 20px; color: #767676;] Abiel sat back with a smile throwing his arm around Norah after she prep herself to remerge into social once they stepped out of the car and leaned over and kissed Norah on top of her head thanks to his height. “Oh my dear I swear you’re a black hole sometimes but we’ll eat after our little field trip and before you ask about why the mystery. That’s part of the surprise if I ruin it, then the tinted windows would be pointless. Besides were here.” Abiel noted, as the car came to a slow then a complete stop, the driver’s door opened and shut with a thud and Peter not soon later was outside Abiel’s Door and opened it back into the night’s embrace. Abiel quickly got out the car and held out a waiting hand for Norah to help her out the Car as well. “ Surprise.” What was waiting for the two was a crowd of twenty so odd people standing in front of a few very large Horse drawn carriages with signs hanging from the side all saying in funky, text, “Tour of the Dead.” A Women standing on top of one said Carriages was introducing herself as Olivia Don, and explaining about the Tour they were on to take them on. Abiel tuned her out and leaned over to Norah to whisper into her ear. “I thought it might be a different pace for us, a good laugh, since most of these places they’re taking us are staged, and if the Boys did follow. I know Bishop would force them back once they got a sighting of the Sign.” Abiel pointed to the signs hanging from the Carriages. “He won’t take the risk with Luke even if it might be an hocus or not.” Abiel explained the master plan to Norah. “And I got ourselves a private Carriage the last one in the line but during the Tour we have to stick with the crowd. That part I couldn’t buy out.” Abiel’s attention was turned back to the crowd as they all started to move toward the Dark, colored carriages and their powerful steeds that pulled them. “The Show is about to begin.” Olivia called out adding a very rehearsed dark, evil chuckle.

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, height: 370px; padding: 90px 30px 65px 270px; color: #767676; font-variant: small-caps;] Location: Las Vegas Music: A Drop in the Ocean - Ron Pope Ft Wiz Khalifa, Eminem, and Kanye West Outfit: Tan leather Jacket and draped it over the plain white t-shirt he wore with the necklace Norah gave him, with jeans and boots. Notes: Let the Journey Begin.

[Norah Byron]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/2r3bmu1.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 1px solid #384214; width: 500px; height: 601px; padding: 0px;, bTable] It was subtle, very nearly invisible. Not even a real flinch, just a glance away and a bare tightening of her mouth. She was down to 102 pounds, six pounds under the ideal weight her personal trainer and the label's stylist had set for her. Maybe she should try to drop down to under a hundred, though? It was only a couple of pounds, no big deal, and double digits were so much tidier than triple. Maybe if she got down to 98 or 96 she'd look a bit leaner, lose that slight jiggle in her upper thighs that she couldn't help but notice when she watched vids of their performances. That little bit of looseness drew her eyes until sometimes she couldn't look away, couldn't see the rest of the performance because she was hypnotized and repulsed by the fat, her stomach an endless twist of anxiety as she imagined the things people were saying about it. About her. Judging her, thinking she was weak and disgusting for not being able to get rid of it. Abiel was right, Norah decided. She did eat too much. She'd go ahead and drop four more pounds, no more than six, and then she'd be done, she could just maintain. No big deal, and once she got there she'd be right. She'd be like she was supposed to be. Her smile was just a little stiff as she stepped out of the car and looked around, but as she figured out what was going on Norah laughed, warm and genuine. "Gorgeous. This is going to be fantastic." She tucked her hand into the crook of Abiel's elbow and looked around the gathering crowd with a wide smile, giggled under her breath at Ms. Don's affected laughter. "We'd better get to our carriage then. I'd hate to miss anything." [style=padding: 0px 10px; font-size: smaller;] Location: In a carriage, somewhere in Vegas Outfit: A short black dress and sensible heels Music: Train Song - Lorica Notes: Been building for a while, that. [/style]

[Abiel J. Bell]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #000 url(http://i53.tinypic.com/vfks3p.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 2px solid #767676; border: 0px; width: 500px;, bTable][atrb=style, padding: 0px 20px 0px 20px; color: #767676;] Even though it was very faint, something that Norah tried to hide very well, but Abiel noted it. Even though now and days Abiel he wasn’t in his “prime” like once upon a time; where nothing escaped his sight. The small notion from Norah and the slight change of body language he knew he hit a sour note with her, when he made the comment about her eating. Which he meant in all good humor, but him hitting a sour note with Norah was rare; but that just go to showed that this relationship between Norah and himself wasn’t as perfect like some many others on the outside thought it was, but instead of dealing with Abiel’s mistake in public he would wait until Norah and himself were in the limited privacy that their Carriage could provide to address the issue that had bothered his love until then; Abiel hosted a smile on his lips, not hinting that he knows any better. Instead he kissed Norah on roof of her head and led the way the opposite way of most of the crowd. Of course there were a few people that noticed Norah and just like the first date between Norah and Abiel. They both bolted toward the Carriage the rest of the way. Abiel laughter was dying on his lips after shutting the Carriage door behind one of the swift footed Fans of Lorica, but not swift enough to get a hold of Norah especially not on Abiel’s watch. The Duo heard the crying, cheers, and other hooting and howling from the fans outside the door until they heard the snap of a whip and the tug of the carriage being pulled forward. The carriage driver did seemed to care for the fans and their behavior and seemed to give them an opinion either get ran over or step the hell back from the Carriage. Abiel was still in good humor as his eyes scanned the Carriage and noted the dark colored leather seating with red rims covering the edges and running with the spine of the Carriage; setting a very classic setting of Goth, and the unknown. “It seems like Lorica is becoming well known.” Abiel obviously noted; his eyes setting on Norah to study her reaction. It seemed the earlier situation might have not been what he thought but still he owned Norah something that would hopefully settle things and setting him on a good note once more with his love. “Hun you know back in the car I didn’t mean anything by the Black hole comment right, and it was all in good humor.” Abiel had Norah’s hand in his own caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. He had turned slightly more toward Norah to face her; to show that he was giving her his full attention. “Hopefully you know I love you as you are right now. I know I don’t say that enough and I won’t blame it on us not having time together and I shoulder have stated this long time ago.” Abiel paused long enough for Norah to note that everything he was saying was true and not trying to kiss ass or save face with her. He honestly loved her as she was; he believed that she was perfect as she was besides the fact that in his eyes she was a bit too petite for his liking. Not sexual, but protectively worried for her health. It seemed that she was fragile at times, and next to Abiel she seemed more so, but he knew at least that Bishop and his training of the basics was enough to let her hold her own if she had too, but he would still like her to at least gain a little more even in muscle to settle Abiel’s worried mind.

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, height: 370px; padding: 90px 30px 65px 270px; color: #767676; font-variant: small-caps;] Location: Las Vegas Music: A Drop in the Ocean - Ron Pope Ft Wiz Khalifa, Eminem, and Kanye West Outfit: Tan leather Jacket and draped it over the plain white t-shirt he wore with the necklace Norah gave him, with jeans and boots. Notes: Reassuring my Girl.

[Norah Byron]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/2r3bmu1.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 1px solid #384214; width: 500px; height: 601px; padding: 0px;, bTable] "Here more than anywhere else we've been. It's kinda weird." Norah pulled back the curtain and smiled at the fans, waved to them. Always with the fan service, got to be seen as nice, approachable. Even (especially) when you were fleeing them. What Abiel said next, though, had her faltering, dropping her eyes. "I..thank you." She didn't think he was lying to her, but she didn't entirely believe him either. Her problems with her own body image hadn't sprung up overnight, and they weren't going to be laid to rest by one compliment, no matter how well-expressed. It was coming up on two years now that Norah had been under the microscope of public opinion, and it was probably inevitable that it would take its toll one way or another. She'd avoided the pitfalls of drugs, of alcohol, of expensive parties, of sexual scandals, of paparazzi-chases, of bad interviews, of nude pictures, of in-fighting with the band, of inflated egos, of overspending her royalties, of cutting off her friends and family, of a hundred other ways that she could have fallen or faltered under the pressures of this lifestyle. But she couldn't quite shrug off the comments about her appearance. The guys sheltered her from it the best they could, but they couldn't shut off the internet, couldn't keep her from seeing the magazines. The first time she'd seen a picture of herself on the internet with crude MS Paint colored lines circling the slight bulge above the waistband of her jeans she'd laughed it off. The second. The third. The fifteenth. But eventually it had started wearing her down. She'd look at the pictures of herself that went up in the magazines and on the websites where they'd done interviews and it got to where she couldn't help noticing that they always airbrushed them. Smoothing out her skin, narrowing her upper arms, increasing the swell of her cleavage. She was never quite good enough as she was. She always needed some flaw corrected. And so she smiled at Abiel, she leaned over and kissed him gently, she tucked her hand into his and said, "I love you," but she didn't change her mind about dropping that six pounds. [style=padding: 0px 10px; font-size: smaller;] Location: In a carriage, somewhere in Vegas Outfit: A short black dress and sensible heels Music: Train Song - Lorica Notes: Only wish it was that simple [/style]

[Abiel J. Bell]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: #000 url(http://i53.tinypic.com/vfks3p.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 2px solid #767676; border: 0px; width: 500px;, bTable][atrb=style, padding: 0px 20px 0px 20px; color: #767676;] Abiel wasn’t fooled, this wasn’t his first time around this subject with a woman, maybe not with any of his previous relationship which, never went this long or either party members were this committed to one another, or really his passed on wife, who showed him how to love, but with his many, many other misfits daughters that he adopted over the years. Abiel could mark it down on the dot every go around and it usually happen while his daughters were in high school. He learned very quickly that young girls were vicious, very vicious and felt sorry for some of the school teachers that had to deal with them all. Abiel also learned that it might seem like they’ve pulled through this one, there was going to be more battles down the road about her image; that Norah and him are going to face, but face together. With that Abiel put on his best smile reassuring smile and pecked Norah on the head then, lips and dropped the subject all together until it was time to tackle it again, but for now Abiel was going to enjoy the time the two love birds had together, because it was so far and in-between with even their schedules how they are right now. With Abiel actually traveling with the band it was pretty hard trying to make time like this, but it was better than both of them cross the country only able to talk through emails, the phone, and text, but Abiel wasn’t complaining. He knew what he was signing himself up for and he did it anyway because he was a man in love. The Carriage came to a stop not that soon later, and Abiel and Norah was off onto their tours of the most haunted places in Las Vegas. The first few places Abiel and Norah waited for all the other Carriages to unload and be on their way for the tour and join at the end; to avoid most of the fans. This saved Norah from the mass effect of the others up front but the stragglers in the back still asked Norah for autographs, and pictures with the red headed Star. After that was done the tour went on without a hitch. Norah and Abiel in the back listening in half-heartily as Ms. Don explaining the details of each house, and how many murders and deaths have taken place, and Abiel had to admit that she was a wonderful actress by the way she sold it. If it wasn’t for the fact that Abiel and Norah knew the truth and hadn’t started a game with picking and pointing out faults in Don’s stories and other affects that the crew it had put in place, fog machines In the back, speakers set and hidden and placed on low to give it more of a whisper feel when the “Spirits” spoke to the guest on cue, Norah and Abiel noticed. The Trip was doing what Abiel had intended for it to be. A way for Norah and Abiel to forget their troubles, and have fun, to laugh with one another, and just able to have another memory they could look back on. It was the last house on the tour and Abiel was having a hard time containing himself after the last stop. While touring an upper level of an Condemned Asylum. Ms. Don was trying to “contact” the dead from the other side to give the tourist something to talk about when they got back to they’re hotels. She put on an act of being possessed by an “Spirit” and with a very well trained, and rehearsed possessed women’s voice. She spooked the tourist closest to her with her shouts, and curses and was wrapping up it seemed with her final warning to the group about leaving the place now, and went the whole nine yards with the dramatics throwing up her arms, having a that demonic laugh on a different level then before rolling her eyes to show the whites and the floor boards underneath the tourist, alone with the beds, and restraints shook, and rattled. Everything was going as planned expect for the minor detail that Ms. Don took a trip she wasn’t expecting. The floor board under her gave way a little and broke underneath her weight. She caught herself on one of the beds nearby and saved herself from falling, all the way through, but her leg did get scrapped pretty badly. She played it off pretty well, but Abiel knew from the shock, and pissed off look in her eyes that, her little fall wasn’t planned. Abiel got himself under control as the Carriages pulled up to the next stop and both Norah and himself got out and being nudged repeatedly by Norah during the whole event. Now standing outside an very old, bordered up House that sent a shiver down Ms. Don’s body that you couldn’t fake as she introduced the next house. Abiel eye’s narrowed as he scanned the house half-heartily listening to Ms. Don as she went on about the Women who once lived here during the 50s, but that information didn’t interest Abiel, what he wanted to know was something more important. Something that might decide if Norah and himself would call it an early night. Abiel eye’s moved from the house since they’ve arrived to Ms. Don as he raised his hand to ask his question. Ms. Don Eye’s moved from one of the girls; she just answered her question that Abiel wasn’t paying attention to. “Yes you in the back.” Ms. Don pointed to Abiel and with that Abiel gained the whole tour group’s attention, as all eyes were set on him. “ How did she die the women. That owned this house?” Abiel watched Ms. Don’s reaction to his question if she knew off the bat, like she did the other houses, then Abiel knew he was just over reacting, but Ms. Don confirmed what he suspicion with her next statement, “I don’t know, no one knows. Her body was never found. Some say she just up and left without taking any of her things, but right after she left and the house was up for sell. There were reports of sighting of her in the house along with a rash of strange things happening all throughout the day and night of people owning the house. After a string of those, people just stopped buying and the house was just left alone until us.” Ms. Don put on a brave smile but Abiel could see through it, she was scarred shitless of the place, with good reason. Abiel thought. His mind was on just leaving the place as it was but he couldn’t do that to these people. Even though the tour has been going on for a while, it seemed and this part of the tour was the closing act, and so far nothing has happen to anyone to Abiel’s knowledge, but you never knew. Tonight might be just that night, to set off whatever was here. Abiel’s eyes scanned the house once more as he drowned out Ms. Don once more but was forced to focus once more as the group started to move. He placed a hand on Norah’s shoulder and whispered in her ear., “ Stay close to me.” Even though they were in the back and the last few of the group was a few good distance from them already on the porch. He didn’t want anyone else to overhear, and have the bad idea of tagging alone when Abiel went to do his snooping of the place.

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, height: 370px; padding: 90px 30px 65px 270px; color: #767676; font-variant: small-caps;] Location: Las Vegas Music: A Drop in the Ocean - Ron Pope Ft Wiz Khalifa, Eminem, and Kanye West Outfit: Tan leather Jacket and draped it over the plain white t-shirt he wore with the necklace Norah gave him, with jeans and boots. Notes: A Hunters work was never done. Occ- I left it open for you to give some details about the spirit. I thought you would be better suited.

[Norah Byron]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/2r3bmu1.jpg) center bottom no-repeat; outline: 1px solid #384214; width: 500px; height: 601px; padding: 0px;, bTable] Luckily the couple of people who recognized Norah and the handful more who recognized her once clued in, were pretty cool about things once that first flurry was over and Norah and Abiel could just settle in and enjoy the tour and, more importantly, one another's company. There was an awful lot of kissing and cuddling in the carriage between stops on the tour, and at least a bit of it while they were hanging to the back and letting the other tourists enjoy the show Ms. Don was putting on for them. Norah was having a grand old time wandering through the city, snarking with Abiel about the holes in the ghost 'lore' being presented on the tour, and making out every time they got a chance, right up until they got to the last house on the tour. Then all of a sudden it was less fun. Luke made a lot of fun about Norah being an utter psychic null while still somehow attracting every single supernatural creature and supernatural hunter within a fifty mile radius directly to her side. That was an exagerration, maybe, but not by a whole lot. The redhead wasn't at all sensitive to the dead, she had zero instincts for walking into a situation where the supernatural was at work, she didn't even have any inherent danger-sense, just the trained behaviors that Bishop and Abiel and the others had taught her about how and when to carry a weapon, how to check a room and so on. And yet even she found the house they were looking up at cold and disconcerting, uncomfortable. She needed no warning to stick close to Abiel, nor to let the rest of the group pull away ahead of them. She resettled her purse on her shoulder, Norah was carrying a silver knife and four or five her own personal hit-and-run distraction weapons--small paper envelopes that she filled with a mix of kosher salt, iron filings, St. Johns Wort and bits of snipped silver wire. They weren't meant to hurt or kill anything, just to let her fling the contents at something and distract them long enough for her to run away. As they finally stepped inside, a good five minutes behind the rest of the group, Norah looked around cautiously. It seemed like just a house. Rundown, the paper peeling off the walls and the carpet squidgy and unpleasant underfoot, that sweet smell of dust all around them. But that creepy feeling was still there, the prickle up and down her spine, and Norah had to fight not to clutch at Abiel's elbow or, worse, ask him if they could just leave. "Did you hear that?" She sounded like a character in a lame horro movie, but she wasn't thinking about that right then. She was peering around, trying to find the source of that whispering voice. ...momma... Where was it? Norah was feeling an urgency all out of proportion to the situation, a desperate need to find the voice. ...momma cold....momma bank't... The kitchen? Norah took off that direction, ignoring that the tour was nowhere near there, not noticing that she was leaving Abiel behind, just chasing the voice that was tugging at her irresistibly. up peese momma...momma cold! cold!... She was pulling open cupboards, pulling some of the rotting wooden door fronts clear off their hinges. No, not here, close but not here and--yes! Norah dropped to her knees and pulled an ugly rusting baker's rack away from the wall, shoved it away behind her and sent the cheap pots that had been gathering dust on it clanging down to the tile floor behind her as she started peeling away at the bubbling wallpaper behind, ripping great swaths away to reveal a door about three feet square. It was an old-fashioned chill box, the kind they used to build into kitchens during the period where mechanical refrigeration was available, but still expensive and with limited space. So for things that didn't need full refrigeration they would drop a block of ice into these zinc-lined boxes and set in vegetables, beer, anything that needed to be cool but not cold. A halfway measure between old-style iceboxes and the time when refrigerators would get truly practical for home use, relic of a time that nobody bothered to consider any more. There were three metal strips nailed across the left side of the hatch, preventing it being opened. "Abiel, I need something to get these off." She reached back behind her without really looking, and as Norah got closer to completing the task that was possessing her so urgently the ghost was finally coming visible. Was he a year and a half old? Younger, maybe? Old enough that he was standing on grubby bare feet, but also that he seemed to be leaning a hand on Norah's shoulder for stability. Chubby cheeks and widespread starfish hands, hair cut short and ragged, his old-fashioned dungarees cut down from a bigger garment. The ghost clung to Norah's shoulder and watched her with wide-eyed baby focus as she tore up the tips of her fingers trying to pry off the metal straps that braced the door shut. [style=padding: 0px 10px; font-size: smaller;] Location: Some Houses are Born Bad, Las Vegas NV Outfit: A short black dress and sensible heels Music: Train Song - Lorica Notes: Kids are always spooky [/style]