There's no one visibly in the church, until you count all the dust being stirred up from the rafters above. Yi grabs one rafter with both hands and swings herself up before leaping to another, over and over back and forth around a section of the church ceiling.

The old church doors swing open slowly in an odd, whiny creak. Footsteps echo its way inside as the sound of coughing can be heard.

Yi doesn't miss a step in her small bout of training, and catches the rafter deftly with a wrapped hand. She lifts herself up and onto the rafter, making sure of her footing before looking downwards silently to see who entered.

Not seeing anyone, Alicia clears her throat, hefting a heavy bag across her shoulders. Heading to a pew, she slips down into it, feeling uneasy for a few moments in the darkness.

Elan comes up from the basement and sees Alicia while he's still back in the darkness. He coughs slightly and moves out into the light.

The noise startles the young girl and she whips her head around. One hand sinks into her bag, gripping something. "Who's..there?" She says, feeling her eyes adjust to the light, staring at the man now. "Don't come any closah." Her voice wavers slightly.

Elan folds his arms and just smiles a little. "This is /my/ place. You're the intruder. That having been said, what do you want and who are you?"

Yi doesn't make a move yet, waiting for her elder to resolve the situation. She's ready to leap down and grab the girl though, if necessary.

Alicia shifts away a bit on the bench, standing up quickly, edging towards the door. "Nutt'n, Ah'm jus' looking for a place ta' rest. Sorry, I didnae'know dis' was yer place." Her voice drawls on slightly, a southern ebonics.

Elan says "Then stay. We ain't ever thrown out someone who needed food and a warm place to sleep. It's cold as shit out there, girl, and you don't sound like someone used to the cold. I got some blankets and some water, if you want."

"Yes, welcome," Yi says, dropping down from the rafters with a small, light thump. She gives her elder a little grin, then gazes over the girl curiously.

"Um, its ok. Rilly'. Ah' heard bad thangs 'bout dis' kinda stuff yo'." Alicia says, continuing to slowly creep towards the door, lugging her bag upon her shoulder again. At the voice of Yi, she whirls around quickly and stiffles a slight yelp of panic, stepping away quickly to the side, glancing up, then back to the Asian.

((From afar, to the room, Elan turns on Persuasion))

Elan smiles. "Really, we ain't gonna rape you or sell you or shit like that. You like, I can walk you to the Regan Hope center. Some buds of mine work there. It's a shelter. Or the women's center. Or you can stay here."

The Elder's words seem to sink in a bit and relieve her, but she's still uneasy. She also smells bad, ranking of weed. Eyes look lost and glossy, nervous. "Um, No... I'm fine, rilly, I was jus' on muh way home anyways." She lies, pretty poorly in her shaken state.

Yi gives a small fleeting glance towards Elan, then back to the girl. "Nothing to be afraid of," the Canto-Gnawer shrugs with a genuinely warm smile. "And it is a little cold out. Were you looking for someone?"

Elan sits on a pew, making himself as non-threatening as possible. "Doesn't look like it. You a runaway?"

Alicia shrugs slightly, still inching towards the door, licking her lips a bit. "You ganna tell the cops on me if I start shooting off my mouth?" She asks point blankly, looking to the two.

Elan snorts. "Cops don't come to this side of town, anyway. Ain't gonna see a cop within a mile of this place."

Alicia takes a breath, glancing firs to Elan, then to Yi, then leans against the wall, dropping the heavy looking bag at her feet.

Yi nods in affirmation, sliding down into a kneeling position on the pew, facing the back door Alicia was edging towards. "You seem glad to have found some company and a place to stay," she comments.

Elan says "You want something to eat?"

Alicia shakes her head slightly, glancing to the two, then lets out a soft breath. "No thanks, I jus' ate already. I was only jus' trying ta' get out of the cold, I guess I can stay a bit longer..." Shifting slightly on the balls of her feet, she says. "Any o'ya guys know a dude named Ashley Madison?"

Yi draws a hand through her hair, creating little furrows that quickly disappear. "Ashley Madison?" She blinks at Elan, then looks back to the girl and shakes her head.

Elan shakes his head after a few minutes consideration. "No, dunno that name. What is she? Sister?"

"No, he's an ex boyfriend of mine. Um, a gang banger or something. The Silver State, is what they called him on the streets. He knocked me up, ah' lost th' kid, haven't seen him since." Her voice is like a knife, obvious venom behind the words. Alicia slumps to the ground, pulling the bag to her.

Yi quirks her head to the side, waving away some of the dust settling around her. "Gang... maybe you mean Nevada?" The Asian looks thoughtful, having no idea who 'The Silver State' is.

Alicia perks up and blinks, glancing to Yi quickly. "Nevadah, Ya know him?" Her eyes widen, looking thrilled, the anger drizzling away, then quickly, once more reforms. "Ya his new girlfriend or something?" She says in a snap.

Yi gives the girl an odd look. "We know him, yes. But I'm not his girlfriend," she replies calmly and a shake of her head. "You're looking for Nevada?

Elan winces a bit. "No, she's not. Lemm get this straight. /You're/ the girl he's been mooning over for months? Cool. Um, yeah, he's usually around here, actually."

Alicia blinks once more and looks to Elan. "Mooning over? As in, he's thinking 'bout me? God only knows if he can even remember my name." She runs a hand back through the thick brown and reddish streaked hair. "But yah, Ah'm looking fo' him.."

Yi settles further into a cross-legged sitting position, her head just poking over the back of the pew. "You're his girlfriend, then?" Her question is frank, a little bit too direct but backed with goodnatured curiosity.

Elan says "Well, he should be here sometime today."

Alicia shrugs. "Is, was, dunno.. He just upp'd an disapeared..an ah' got stuck in'ah juvie school, but ah' just recently busted my ass outta it an came down 'ere ta' da' ghetto's." Unzipping the bag, she fishes around in it.

Elan smiles at that. "Sounds cool, sista. Nev's gotta chill here for a while, yet."

"Why does he gotta stay 'ere fo'?" She asks, curiously, raising up one brow as she goes defensive again. "Who are ya'll anyways?"

Elan says "We're friends of his. Gotta let him see that there is an alternative to being in a gang. Doing stuff for people like you, what ain't got nowhere to go."

Alicia looks skeptical for a few moments, then shrugs her shoulders. "Um.... Ok.. I ain't go no prollems tho'" She says, still fishing around in her bag, then takes out a cigarette and lighter, flicking it on, then lights up.

A series of knocks on the church doors echoes through the old sanctuary, and one of the doors creaks ajar. Jarred pokes his head in. "Anyone home?"

Alicia jumps at the knocks, then scoots over quickly as she clutches the cig and lighter in one hand.

Elan waves to Jarred. "Come on in, dude. Got us a runaway stray. Gonna put her up for the night, 'n see where she wants t' go in the morning."

Jarred looks around, entering the church and completely missing Alicia. "Stray? Where?"

Alicia clears her throat, standing up as she glances to Elan, then to Jarred. "Me." She simply states, crossing her arms. She raises the cig to her lips, taking a drag.

Yi simply nods at her elder, then glances up as Jarred walks in. With a wave and a slight cough, she edges away from the smoke a bit. "Her," she waves with her hand.

Jarred looks at the girl appraisingly, his body language typically neutral. "As you would be?" He smiles politely.

"Arizona." She says with a slight grin, blowing out a ring of smoke past her lips.

Jarred grins more widely. "Do you know Nevada, Arizona?"

"Yup, we're just on that topic of conversation, I was th' one he was fucking fo' he upp'd an left me to god knows where, but I guess its /here/ since they said so." Alicia says, motioning to the two.

Elan says "So...you're Arizona and Nevada?"

Alicia nods her head, tossing her hair back, taking another drag off her smoke. "Yup, dat's us."

Jarred blinks at the girl's bluntness. "Yes, well... Nevada has fairly good taste, it would seem. Despite the cigarette smoke, you're very pretty. Obviously we'll do what we can to help you, if you are who you say you are." The Shadow Lord turns to Elan. "I would ask a favor of you, if that would be ok..."

Elan's eyes narrow. "Depends on what that favor is, first."

Jarred thinks for a moment before looking back up at Elan. "Actually, this should probably be discussed in private, all things considered... Whenever you get a chance." The Galliard smiles.

Elan thinks for a second, then nods. "Is it important?"

Alicia looks to Jarred again and quirks up her other brow, then shrugs, nursing her cig some more.

Jarred flushes just a bit, and shrugs. "Well, it is to me. It's of less concern to you, I'm sure..."

Elan jerks his head towards the stairs. "Come on down, then." He looks to the others. "I'll be back in a second."

Alicia watches Elan go and shrugs idly to herself, hardly caring. "Whatever is clever." Saying softly to herself. Blowing out another ring of smoke, she digs through her bag, still feeling uneasy.

Alec, just in time to /miss/ Elan, heads into the church through creaky doors. It looks like the doctor is a dressed a little different than normal. Shucking the ruck from his back he leans it against a pew and looks to the pair of people still left. Well. Well indeed. He seems for the most part like he belongs there, but still walks in slowly. "Allo." He says, attracting attention.

Alicia blinks and jumps again, this time to her feet as she backpeddles, looking towards Alec. "God dammit, let me guess, ah' picked th' one night fo' weirdo' convention?" Her eyes train towards the male, narrowing fiercly for a moment, blowing out another ring of smoke. "Who're ya?"

Yi smiles and waves at the doctor, even though it seems to her there's a lot of traffic tonight as well. "Hello," she replies in greeting. Her gaze flits over to the girl. "That's Dr. St. Jean, from the hospital."

Well it seems that Yi has got Alec's name right and he smiles and offers her the greeting from her home country again, "Maan on." With an inclination of the head towards her, he doesn't mangle it too much. "Ah, it seems our friend here has introduced me non?" The accent, french, decidedly so. "So it becomes a question that I have to return to you." His feet bring him closer to the pair of ladies.

Yi gives a small wave towards the basement. "Elan is down in the basement, with Jarred. Ah, they are discussing some private matters. If you'd care to wait, I think they will be back soon," the raggie gnawer says with all due respect to one who heals the sick. She lets the other introduce herself.

Alicia looks slightly uneasy around the prescence of a 'doctor'. Mostly due to the needle marks on her arm, the glossy, lost look in her eyes, stained red. She edges away slightly, tugging her bag. "Arizona." She simply says.

Yi eases back into the pew, her dark eyes falling upon the paranoid girl. "You're rather nervous, for one who looks like she's seen the world."

"Ah 'aven't seen th' world." She replies softly.

"Perhaps. Maybe I am using the wrong word, na," Yi says, turning a little to have a better view of the girl. "So, you've come here to find Nevada. What will you do, when you see him?" The dark gaze is interrupted a couple times with blinking.

Alicia shrugs her shoulders slightly. "Thats kinda personal yo'." She replies to the Asian as she shoulders her bag, grounding out the butt of her cig against the wall.

Yi nods and veers off that subject. "Then, may I ask what you'd like to do while you're in this city?" A little bit longer breath is taken now that the cig is put out, though barely visible.

Alicia shrugs her shoulders. "Ah' always lived here.." She says hesitantly, glancing to the doctor, then back to Yi. "Ah'm ganna keep doing what ah've been doing, surviving."

Looking at the girl, an eyebrow rises. "You lived here, but I don't think I've seen you since I came." Yi turns slightly, facing the front of the church instead of the door.

"Its a big city." Arizona replies with a shrug of her shoulders. "Ah don' know everyone who lives 'ere eitha."

Alec says "Very rarely does anyone." The doctor speaks after watching and listening to the women back and forth. He breaks into a bit of a smile as Elan comes back up the stairs. "Evenin."

Jarred emerges from the basement, dusting himself off gingerly.

Yi continues watching the front of the church for a few moments, before turning again to sit sideways on the pew, using her position as an easier way of watching both front and back of the church. "It is good to know a few friends, though," she replies as the gnawer elder and galliard come back from their private conversation.

Alicia turns her gaze back towards the other two males, lowering herself back down to her knees, leaning against the wall. She eyes them all a bit, feeling out of place. "Friends are just temporary faces." She mutters, then drops her lighter back into the bag.

Jarred walks over to Yi and leans down, whispering in her ear.

Jarred whispers "I wanted to thank you personally for your words at Jay's gathering. He'd be very proud, and I was too..."

Yi blinks slightly, in surprise at Jarred's whisper. She gives him a smile and friendly nod.

Elan looks at the others as he comes back up. "I need to head out for awhile.

Alicia yawns softly as her red stained eyes droop a bit, shaking her head, then coughs once.

"Anything you could use a hand with?" Alec's offer is quick and simple. Genuine offer with a smile attached to the end of it. The other people that Alec doesn't know get an eyeball from the Doctor, but little more than that.

Elan shakes his head at Alec. "No, man; private stuff."

Yi nods to her elder, fighting down the curiosity that brews in her mind. She straightens slightly, stretching her back, before pushing a little off to the side of the pew and motioning for Jarred to sit if he'd like. The girl's cough earns her a quick glance. "Are you going to stay here then, Arizona?" she asks the young girl.

Alicia shrugs her shoulders. "Stay? Like live 'ere in dis' place? pfft. No..Ah'll prolly take off t'night o' something, dis' be yo' turf. Ah'ain't ganna mess wi' it, even tho' there is an offer. I'll jus' scrap it fo' ta'night an wait till' Nevada shows up, if he does."

"No worries then," Alec hoiks up the ruck, and looks to Yi and 'Arizona'. "Anybody need the services of your local friendly Doctor, I'm in the book." He cinches up the straps and starts to head back out.

"Nice to see you again," Yi calls to the doc as he heads out. "If you want. There's no pressure to stay," Yi notes to Arizona as she gets up to heads down the center aisle towards the open area of the altar. There, she leans down in an after workout stretch. "There are blankets downstairs, if you don't have anywhere to go."

Jarred sits down on one of the pews nearby, pulling a knee up to his chest and watching the new girl.

Alicia watches Elan and Alec leave, then shrugs slightly, looking to the two. "Ya'll haven't told me yo' names." She replies.

Jarred raises his head a bit to answer, "I'm Jarred."

"Yi Ling, or Yi," the Canto-Gnawer replies as she straightens up. "The benches are more comfortable than the doorway, you know," she says with a quiet motion of her head.

"Freedom is a lot closer to that doorway then the benches are." She replies. "No offense o' anything, but I don' trust no one."

Jarred says "Why not?"

"Why should ah'?" Alicia says quickly. "What 'ave people done fo' me? Nada, zip, zilch."

Jarred speaks. "And what have you done for anyone else?" There is no poison in his voice. It's just a question.

Alicia snorts once and goes back to rooting in her bag.

Yi runs a hand through her hair again before sitting down and dusting off her jeans on the first row of pews. A quick smile toward the Shadow Lord galliard. Nice comeback there.

Jarred says "I was gonna go out and grab some pizza or something... You two wanna come along? My treat."

Alicia looks upwards at the offering of pizza, wetting her lips for a moment, listening to her stomach rumble. Its been awhile. "Nah, its cool.." She says softly, taking out a small journal, opening it up to reveal an odd array of pictures, gruesome in detail.

Jarred grins. "I'm not deaf you know. Your stomach says you're full o' shit. C'mon... fresh hot pizza... no one can say no. Yi, you comin'?"

Yi perks up at mention of pizza, one of the foods she'd been able to experience in coming to America. Hopping over the pew, she heads back down the center aisle towards the galliard. She gives Jarred a nod, then gazes at the girl. "Maybe she thinks we'll try to poison her or beat her up before we get to the pizza shop," she says jokingly.

"Ah don' think that. Its jus' I don't like freeloading. Ah ain't like dat'." A soft sigh passes by Arizona's lips as she pushes herself up to her feet, then shoves her hand into her pocket, taking out a handful of bills.

Jarred says "Cool.. we'll settle up after we eat if you wanna pay your way, ok? I don't wanna make anyone feel uncomfortable."

Alicia scratches the back of her head, thumbing through the bills slowly, counting the one's and fives to herself. Squinting, she huffs, biting her lip, then shoves it back into her worn pocket. "Sure.."

"All things will be repaid in their own ways," Yi nods to the girl, then looks to Jarred. "And passing up an offer on food, would just be a waste wouldn't it?" Her grin turns a little wry before she tilts her head towards Jarred.

Jarred is striding toward the door, speaking loudly with a grin. "I don't know about you two, but I'm feelin' like a garbage pizza tonight!"

Alicia clears her throat slightly, clicking her tongue ring along her teeth, then watches the two make their way to the door. Wetting her lips, she hears another pang in her stomach and sighs to herself.

Jarred stops at the door, holding it open, and looks over at Alicia with a friendly grin. "Please... come along as a favor to me. Yi is a *terrible* conversationalist..."

Yi gives the Shadow Lord a mock glare before also motioning Alicia towards to door. "And if I have to sit and listen to him talk all night /alone/, I'll never forgive you," she laughs.

Alicia looks at the two, then turns her eyes back towards the dark confines of the church. "Fine." She mummers, then turns, heading after them, still lugging the heavy bag.

Yi is content to fall behind the two of them as they head out for some pizza. chatting and lauging like old school buddies, the three squeal off in Jarred's black Saab....