(no subject)

[seas_open]

Her apartment is a disaster.

It's even worse than it had been the night she'd found Les here and as April picks her way through shattered glass and broken furniture, she realizes they'd probably spent the rest of the night searching through her things, hoping to find something they could sell in order to get their money. It makes her furious, even though she hadn't been particularly attached to any of the things they'd destroyed. Her entire life is in the bag she currently has over one shoulder, but these were still her things. They didn't belong to her mother, she hasn't even seen her mother in twenty-five years and yet she's somehow still fucking up April's life.

"Jesus," she murmurs when she walks into the bedroom and sees the state of it. Her bed has been destroyed, the mattress shredded, her pillows torn apart. She can understand looking for money there, but what she doesn't understand is the way they've completely ruined her wardrobe as well. It doesn't matter, they're only clothes, but they've been ripped to shreds. A lot of anger went into this and she knows for certain at the sight of it that this has never been about the money. Not entirely.

Even if she paid them off -- which she won't, mostly because she's too stubborn -- it wouldn't matter. These men want to hurt her mother and since her mother is dead, they'll settle for hurting her.

She's relieved she isn't here alone and though she still feels like she's treading on ground laced with landmines when it comes to Les and Corrine, she reaches for his hand anyway. She threads her fingers with his and turns to look at him and Lara. Since Les had asked Lara to help, April has felt strangely safe. She doesn't know what to make of that either, but she is glad they're both here.

"We have about ten minutes before they're supposed to meet us," she says, gently kicking aside a shredded pair of jeans with the toe of her boot. "I thought it might be enough to just have you send them away, but..." She looks at Lara. "They're dangerous. Do whatever you have to."

Because she won't put Les in danger again. She can run if it becomes necessary, but she won't let him get hurt.

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[asharpertongue]

Lara nodded and looked around the room and passed by April, squeezing the young womans arm and pressing a little encouragement and strength through her power and into Aprils.

"Don't worry. After tonight they won't be back, one way or another."

She paced out the length of the room, clearing the floorspace with her feet as she passed until she got to the window which she opened, leaning out to see that the fire escape was sturdy and led to a short service alley before hitting the main street. She kept clearing until she was back at the door which she drew wide open, and then out into the main room. It was much the same here so she repeated the motions, clearing a path from the bedroom to the hall. It always paid to have an escape route available.

When she was satisfied, she looked at Les. They'd been around eachother for a long while now. She trusted him but he was fiercely devoted to his friends. Sometimes it robbed him of his objectivity and she needed him focused.

"Mr Parker," she said, knowing using his title would jar him enough to make him pay attention. "I know you want to tear them apart right now but I need your logical head on for this." She waved a hand at the empty floorspace and the path she'd cleared. He'd know the escape route for what it was, she had no doubt. "I want to listen to them when they come in. Ignore me. You talk to them and let them talk back. Maybe they'll give something away and we can get a look at who they're working for. If not we'll get creative."

When Les nodded, she moved over to the window in the living room and leaned against it, watching the door. She breathed deeply for a while and forced her power down until she had locked away any sign of her status as Matriarch. It was risky and if she had to fight it might take her a second or too longer to reach her power again but she didn't want to tip their hand too early and spook the other sirens.