Nodding Off (Private; Atlas and Beyril)

Ben nodded, "Pretty frequently. It's starting to really get to her. Forgetfulness, the like."

Addy opened one eye, "Can we please not talk about me like I'm not here?"

Ben shrugged, "You have friends now, I thought they'd be interested... And since you don't listen to me..."

"You're not all here," Harrison said simply. "That concussion is going to have you out of commission for awhile. If you want to recover to any serious extent, you're going to want to rest."

"Good god, I haven't bled that much since the slumber party with that crazy Dutch girl," Ezra began, stepping out of the bathroom with little more than a towel covering him, wrapped tightly about his waist. He paused, eyes fixated on Ben. "Who is he? Landlord?"

Ben raised a hand, "Father, actually." A brow raised as he looked the boy over. "Addy, please tell me this isn't your boyfriend..."

Addy shrugged, muttering, "I dunno... Is he cute?"

"Dashing," Ezra interjected, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Ezra Mercer," he said nonchalantly, gripping Ben's hand and shaking it with mock enthusiasm before shuffling to stand beside Harrison. "Your daughter is delightful, by the way" the weapon quipped, nodding to Addy with an amused snort. "Fought threw a sandstorm and an equally buffeting weapon to save me...I'm still debating which is more impressive."

"Then yes. Boyfriend." she muttered, giggling, "That's new."

Ben ignored her, shaking Ezra's hand, "Benjamin Arcane. Call me Ben. She tends to throw herself into things headlong. This isn't the first time she's come home with bits of her insides on her outsides."

"Ben," Ezra said curtly, stepping back once more. "I suppose I came out of that a little better, at least in regards to the fact that my injuries are almost entirely external." He choked on a laugh, wincing and grabbing his rib.

"We got tangled up with a hothead meister/weapon pair," Harrison admitted, standing and pressing Ezra into the armchair. The weapon grunted, settling into the seat to nurse his swollen cheek. "Addy jumped into the fray with an earth manipulator. Final tally settles out to two bruised weapons, one char-grilled weapon, a flash-frozen meister, and a cafeteria that is now selling beachfront property."

Ben raised a brow, "Better than the last school she went to." he sighed, pushing his hair back out of his face, opening a box of fried rice and offering it to Harrison, "And where do you fall into all of this?"

Harrison laughed slightly, pushing his hair back and taking the box with an appreciative nod. "I was originally seeking to diffuse the altercation regarding my brother. When the weapon showed up, Addy took to her like white on rice. I ended up digging her out of that and helping her stop the weapon in question. Science," he said simply, smiling and tapping the side of his head.

Ben nodded, "Smart man. I can appreciate that. I used to teach at the academy. Too many weapons and meisters go into this thinking you can get by on your strong arm. Kills most of them by the end of it."

"I'm sure the first man to wield fire thought the same until the rain came," Harrison said simply, stirring the rice in the box. "A plate would be great, if you don't mind. Or a bowl. Anyways, it escalated rather quickly. The meister threw the first punch, but we're talking about two people who seem to be rather immersed in an overwhelming sense of pride and the need to defend it when it is wounded." He gestured to Ezra and Addy, prompting a grunt and incoherent obscenities from the younger brother.

Ben nodded, "I understand. Adrastea wasn't always so hot headed. She was actually incredibly academic before the whole disaster with her mother." he looked between the two standing up and going into the kitchen for a plate, "Had she told you that?"

Addy had meanwhile fallen back asleep on the couch, the fortune cookie still resting under her fingers.

"This is the second time we've seen her," Ezra interjected, shifting to allow Harrison space in the armchair, if only to provide himself access to the food. "Both times have resulted in a fight, one with a witch and one with this lot from earlier."

"The results were...karmic," Harrison mused, rubbing at his shoulder and eyeing Ezra's bruises with a smug grin.

"Oh, bite me," the weapon snapped, scooping a clump of rice into his mouth to occupy himself.

Ben nodded, handing Harrison the plate and setting down two more, "Her mother was a witch. I was a death scythe. Thought things could work despite that." he opened some general tso's and divided up between the three of them. "Not too long after Addy turned ten, I noticed her acting strangely. Not talking to anyone, lashing out. Angry, quiet. Like a wounded animal. And her mother started slowly being home less and less while I was there. Then one day, I came back, and the place was a mess. Stuff turned over, most of our stuff gone... And no more Leila. She had taken off. Addy just screamed in her room for days. She wouldn't let me in. She still won't tell me what was going on with the two of them. I just know there was something. And... I'm afraid to speculate." he sighed, tearing open a soy sauce packet and let it slowly drip over the rice.

Ezra sat, eyes wide and rice-laden mouth agape until a sharp elbow to the ribs sent the food down awkwardly, ending in a heaving cough. The weapon shot a dirty look to his brother before piling a second helping on his plate.

"We're sorry about your loss," Harrison began, leaning away from the food and wiping his lips with a napkin. "And hers. I can't imagine how it feels to lose a loved one like that."

"She wasn't lost," Ezra said quietly, eyes settled to the floor. An edge had crept into his voice, lacing it with palpable bitterness. "She abandoned...and some of us know exactly how that feels."

Ben nodded, silent, but sat the sweet and sour chicken in the center of the table, "She's not been the same since. Agressive, headstrong, reckless... Sometimes I wonder if she wants something to come along and kill her..." He shook his head, "Sorry... That's probably a lot to talk about over Chinese take out..."

"S'all good," Ezra interjected, spooning a clump of chicken into his mouth. "We don't usually talk at all when we eat."

Harrison nodded absentmindedly, pushing a piece of chicken around the plate. "So, ah...does the mother's disappearance have anything to do with that?" He jerked a thumb towards the web of pictures and string lining the wall, eyeing the clippings and tangles where lines intersected.

Ben nodded, "She acts like it doesn't exist, but I think she's trying to find her for one reason or another. I'm not sure if I'm relieved or saddened even more that she's not had any luck."

"And what about you?" Ezra quipped, leaning forwards and pushing damp hair from his eyes. "Your daughter had some shitty experiences with her mother and has handled her departure by chasing danger like fireflies. How have you handled it?"

Ben paused, hesitation gripping his lips tightly together as he looked around, "I don't know... Look around. Looks an awful lot like I've just... given up, huh? I didn't just lose Leila. I lost Adrastea. She doesn't talk to me, and no matter how much I try to keep her safe she always finds away around me. There's not much of a point to a washed out death scythe."

"There's not much point to a washed out father, either," Ezra admitted irritably, beginning to rise from his seat. "You've lost your sense of purpose. Leila may have cost your a partner, but she didn't steal away your ability to be a father. You have to give that one away yourself."

"I apologise," Harrison started, hand rising to push the weapon back into his seat. "My brother and I had a difficult home life as children and it still invokes some painful emotions. Our father was a rather wrathful man and our mother was ill, but she did her best in spite of it all."

Ben gave a slight shrug to Harrison, "Not the worst thing I've heard. And maybe he has a point."

Addy started to stir, rolling over onto her side and grabbing a trash can from next to the couch, pulling it up next to her as she gave a pained moan.

"Perhaps she is a more complicated individual than she lets one believe," Harrison murmured, eyes shifting between Addy and Ben as the former struggled to hover over the trash can. "But I believe you can pierce the veil...not as her shrink, but as her father. Clean the house up a bit. Take a walk every now and again. Take care of yourself and take care of this apartment so she can have a place to call home."

Ezra nodded quietly, fingers trailing over the faint patterns in the towel. "And believe us, it takes more than a house to make a home." He slid from the chair, hands moving to press various points on his torso, groaning at several distinct points. Without another word, he disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door with noticeable effort.

Ben nodded, standing up and pushing the trash a bit closer to her, pulling bloody matted hair out of her face, "Easy now... Try and bre-"
His voice was cut out by Addy retching into the bin, coughing and trying to inhale before she vomited a second time.

"I should have accounted for that," Harrison admittedly sheepishly, face red with anxiety as he watched several bouts of sickness overtake her. Stepping back, he pulled Ezra's black jacket from the floor. Crimson streaks marked one sleeve and a couple rusted-brown spots dotted the front. "Do you have any soap? And hydrogen peroxide, perhaps."

Ben nodded, pointing to a closet, "We keep it in the laundry. There's a first aid kit in there too, if your brother needs it."