xp_logs | Xbalanque

Time to pack the truck and get the hell out of Dodge. Everyone has different reactions, though most boil down to "Let's pretend this never happened."

The truck was packed, goodbyes had been said. Berta would be assuming Dr. Mendez's organization, which she hoped to have running again soon (with a little extra help from Elpis). While the government hadn't exactly been told the details of the night before, they knew a little bit about how far Duarte's corruption ran. His government-appointed replacement would be arriving in the week to settle things, and all of Duarte's hired men were in custody or had fled to the hills.

All in all, a fairly normal trip for Elpis, really.

Monet scraped back her hair and sighed. "Do you realize this has ruined werewolf romances for me? Instead of thinking tall dark handsome guy, I'm gonna be thinking Julio."

"Well then, M, you better watch out when there's a full moon out. Lil' Julio might try to dry hump you." John slipped a cigarette between his lips and lighted it. "Want one?"

"Dude!" Monet wrinkled her nose. "No thanks and that was in image I never needed to have. Ever. I think I'll go back to vampires. We haven't met one of them yet."

John shook his head and blew his smoke upwards. "This whole trip was a fucking waste of my time. I feel like I just jumped out of a B movie." He flicked his gaze to Monet. "Minus the pornography that is." He pouted. "Sadly."

"You're just going to have to put your big boy pants on and learn to deal. And maybe try to be less of a cunt with the whole innuendo and sexist bullshit you keep pulling on people."

A little further away from Monet and John at the truck, Julio was bent over next to Doña Teresa, who was in the process of tying something around his wrist. She finished and gave his hand one final pat, before turning and wandering back towards the animal pen. Julio watched her go and shook his head. He sighed and trudged up the path to the truck.

"That was just you were just saying goodbye, right?" Jane asked as Doña Teresa passed her. It had been a deeply weird trip, and she'd just as soon leave the weirdness behind her, if possible.

"I... think so," Julio tugged at the thing she'd tied around his wrist. It was a small jade charm on a black leather cord. "She gave me this. Hopefully as a "I'm sorry I got you turned into a monster" sort of present," he said dryly. "I don't know about you, but I would like to leave this place. ...And never come back."

Jane eyed the bracelet critically. It didn't look like any sort of inhibitor she'd ever seen. Still... "I think that's an excellent idea," she agreed. "And maybe in time we can forget this whole thing ever happened. Or get someone to mindwipe us."

Julio looked over his shoulder at the Mission. "Agreed. This weekend never happened," he turned back to Jane and blushed slightly. "Ah, um, if I did anything, to you, like ...hurt you or... You know. I'm really very sorry," he ran a hand through his hair.

"No, no. I'm fine. We're fine." Jane resisted the urge to give him a hug. He looked so uncomfortable. "You're okay, though?"

"Sure," he said, sounding a little strangled. "You know, I do crap like this all the time. No big deal," he looked at the truck, and sighed when he heard laughter coming out of it. "I am never hearing the end of this," his shoulders slumped.

"Well, probably not for a while," she agreed sympathetically. "But you know, it's not that bad. I mean, turning into a panther is pretty cool once you get past all the trauma stuff. And this has got to be worth at least two weeks of paid vacation. Nathan's pretty easy to guilt. I'd totally milk it for all it's worth."

"Hazard pay," Julio agreed. "And lots of it. For all of us. Because ancient Mayan spirits were not in the contract," he shouldered his bag. He was ready to get out this Godforsaken country and go home.

"Amen." Jane hopped off of her perch on the fence and took one last look around. "Let's get the freaking heck out of here."