Tuesday,

February 20, 2012,

5: 08 PM

The air tingles with power. A faint purple mist fogged lightly over the front yard, the lowering sunlight illuminates the wisps in an otherworldly glow, revealing how the gentle waves of fog play in the cool breeze. In the middle of the circle of mist, stands Valli. Dressed back in gym shorts, this time paired with an old, worn black crop top showcasing a slim strip of his abdomen. His grayed eyes stare ahead of him toward the road, back facing the house. His muscles are loose, and his posture is calm. He is taking even, grounding breaths. The mist is no harm, he is well aware of this. It is merely allowing his body to open up, clearing his airways, and blaming his heated, sore flesh.

Kane and Valli had spent yet another day training. Focusing more on guns and knives today, Kane had the retiree practice his aim in depth. Without the speakers to provide distinct (threatening) noises, the process went slower than others. Aiming at bottles without a sound cue is vastly different than aiming toward a noise that may kill you. The Hunter had allowed Valli to scope out the targets, the distance, gave him more bullets to do test rounds. The entire day, the men were in the woods near the house, spooking animals and Addy alike with the echoing rounds of gunshots. By the end, Valli could accurately shatter five out of seven glass bottles from a good amount of distance with just a light pinging of rocks (Kane threw them, to provide a sound cue) against the glass. He also managed to convince Kane to help him clean up the shattered glass and bullet casings from the ground, to save an animal from eating or stepping on them.

They took an hour or so break, Valli whipped up a quick lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and his first try at flavored homemade ice cream. Addy came up from the basement to eat with them, grumbling over the lack of information she thought could help her hold a dome. In distraction, she asked about training. Hearing Valli gush and excitedly rant, she praises and kisses his forehead. She was encouraging him to continue, to get even better. In the middle of the frustrated grumbles, excitement, and playful teasing conversations, Valli doesn't pay much attention to the topic of conversation. He's content to be in awe of himself, disbelief that he could do so well. He agrees absentmindedly when Kane asks his opinion on a new training exercise.

This is how he finds himself in the yard, surrounded by mist he can't see, but feel curling around his ankles. He can feel Kane's heavy gaze on his spine, the man standing on the sidelines, observing and ready to step in if needed. Addy had stood in front of Valli only a moment ago, starting the session with a kiss on his cheek and a nod to the tall hunter. Then she vanished in a snap of air, her power thickening the mist slowly as the atmosphere heats around him. Flesh goosebumps, stray loose strands of hair in his long braid frizz, and static from the humidity flooding through the fog.

Her presence isn't felt. Valli would normally be unsettled by this fact, as he relies on the auras near him to properly scope out his surroundings. He uses his senses, if one is taken away he becomes disoriented. This is exactly what Addy has done; while the mist isn't poisonous, it renders his master of space useless. Since he's been blinded, he has learned to read the space around his body. Moving, acknowledging, and reacting accordingly when he feels an object raise the hair on his arms or a person shifting. The air moves, wisps around everyone and everything. They leave little clues in the air; a brush of passing people, a scent. He can feel without needing the touch.

This mist removes one of his structures, which makes him nervous slightly. But Addy would never harm him, she only agreed because he wants to assist him. Wants him to be prepared to handle witches again, the best way to do that is to train with one. It's the only reason he is so calm, the fog helps smooth his pounding heart. Addy is disguised; casting a spell over her body to hide her scent, soften her steps, and render the familiar aura of her blinded to Valli. Effectively hiding her completely from him, in all form of senses.

Kane crosses his thick arms over his wide chest, focused on observing. He doesn't like Addy, yet having a Witch to train with has bonuses. The hunter can study various spells she uses to trick Valli's mind. Witness in a controlled, neutral setting just how Addy floats and appears in swift pops as she bounces around her nephew. She's teasing him, testing. Transporting herself to different areas within the wide circle of fog, noting reactions. Valli, outwardly, reveals nothing. Doesn't react to the witch merely feet in front of him, and doesn't flinch or startle when her bare feet carry her in a circle of his shoulders slowly. Kane can see her fingers spark with vibrant violet electricity, his muscles tensing in anticipation further when she smirks.

Reaching out, both Addy and Kane hold their breath for completely different reasons as she tries to touch Valli. Stood behind him, he shouldn't be able to feel her warmth or the skim of her fingers. However, she only gets to lightly brush the raised hairs on his left arm, the flesh there jumping at the tingle of the tickling purple voltaic sparks. Abruptly coming alive from the statue he acted as, and like a tornado, Valli spun around. Addy squealed in shock as slender arms curled over her waist to lift her off her feet in a tight hug to the laughing retiree. He spins her around, laughing gleefully as she kicks her feet and slim hands gently slaps at his shoulders.

Fighting her laughter, the witch tries to scold him. "Valli! Put me down right now, young man! This is not how I like to float!"

Kane rolls his eyes off to the side as a hand brushes over his prickly jaw. Subconsciously hiding the flickering smile at the corner of his lips, his mind supplying it's because the witch was caught off guard and not the way Valli's face lights up in pure joy. This test training didn't help, not today. However, it did show Valli can locate Addy with magic trying to block out the group of senses he uses. They could retest this another day when no one is distracted or tired from a long day. He'll give Valli a break, considering how long they'd been messing around with weapons.

The wispy purple mist slowly dissolves into the soft breeze, the flowers it flows into brightening just slightly. The Witch curls her arm over the man's shoulders, guiding him back towards the porch as they laugh and joke. Silently, Kane follows and stands at a distance from the swing they sit on, hands in his pockets and listening as the woman suggests training activities with her magic for them to do. Valli obediently nods, humoring his Aunt, aware he'll do them whether or not he wants to.

"How did you feel me? The spell should've blocked me in all ways." Addy asks, hands undoing the thick braids of Vallis' hair, only to start french braiding it instead. The man sits still, allowing the touch and tugging with his hair.

Valli shrugs a shoulder, eyebrows furrowing. "I felt the fog move. It was curling around my ankles, then it was interrupted, and I felt it dissipate." Tilting his head back as instructed, he adds. "And you used the same spark spell you did when you babysat me. You always played tickle-witch with me to get me to sleep."

Addy pauses, narrowing her eyes. Hisses a curse, then demands. "The mist gave me away?!"

She only gains a laugh, "I think so. Maybe it was only the familiar spell."

A sharp ringing interrupts any further comment, and Kane shifts to pull the tiny flip phone from his pocket with a sigh. Addy spares a long glance toward the Hunter and returns to the task she gave herself. Ears perked at the sound, Valli follows the movement of Kane as the ringtone stops. The screen displays Sunny's name, the only reason the man answers. Shortly greeting, "Ma."

"Boy." Is said in retort, and his lips quirked into a smirk. "I got some news, not what we originally wanted, but it's better than nothing." The woman gets to business, and the scuttle of papers sounds in the background. "Over in Wyoming, an Angel is burning goddamn souls out of everyday people. I was gonna send over some other guys, but you asked for the next Angel."

"What city? That's a long as shit drive, Ma."

"No shit? I thought it was an hour." He scoffs at the sarcasm. Sunny chuckles, "The city of Casper! Ha! It would've been hilarious if it was a ghost instead of an Angel!"

Snorting, Kane dryly adds. "In a deadly, bloody, kinda way."

He watches the pair on the swing, his hefty weight settled on a vine-coated porch beam. Addy had made quick work of the braid, Valli's thick brown hair elegantly and smoothly done in a simple French braid from the crown of his head to the ends settled at his shoulder. It's an odd sight for the man; a witch braiding a former hunter's hair, and said hunter being a man is also a rare sight. Usually, male hunters are filled with toxic masculinity from generations of the same ideals. While Female Hunter counterparts tried to overcome their fight for rights and equality, in both lives as Hunters and independent women.

"I'll leave tonight, Ma. Get started, then track him down. I'll drop back down here, you want a lift?" Instantly, Valli's eyes snap in the direction of his voice at the opportunity of Sunny visiting. His spine straightens, the twitch of his lip adding to the obvious excitement.

Sunny snickers, "I got a better idea." Kane's eyebrow furrowed, hearing the woman drop a heavy item onto a hard surface. "How 'bout you make a pit stop up by me, I'll ride to snatch the angel with you then we'll high-tail it back to the Safehouse."

Smirking, Kane doesn't speak for a long moment. Observing Valli fight with himself not to get excited before he hears a confirmation, visible with tight tiny wiggles and a pink, swollen bottom lip from nibbling teeth. The longer the silence goes on, the more he shifts. His feet slide under the bench, then the ankles twist and untwist, sliding back out. It's entertaining, very much so. When he feels an inch of guilt, he responds. "Sounds good. I'll be quick, so 'bout some time Wednesday or Thursday. I should be there."

The moment he hears the words, Valli turns to Addy to start a hyper-conversion, grinning and knee-bouncing as he tells her Sunny will be coming. Addy, to her credit, only laughs along with him, gripping his hands to try to control his glee. Kane overhears mentions of different foods and books, plans of what they all could do. Shaking his head, he chuckles. "You have no idea how excited you just made Valli."

"I'm excited too! Oh, I'll call him next!" Sunny laughs, "I'm already ready, Son. Just get here in one piece and we're all good."

"I will. Leaving right now."

Now, Valli is up and dragging the witch inside the house, mumbling about packing a week's worth of lunches and breakfasts. Addy glares at the hunter, narrowing her eyes at the sneering smile that meets her. The front door slams closed and Kane listens as the kitchen is raided inside. "I'mma go pack up now. Valli's getting us food."

"Oh!! Yay! Save me some, boy!" His Aunt commands and a grumble follows afterward. "You never did end up bringing me anything of his food."

"Told you, I was in a rush and didn't give him time to do shit. That's on me." Kane explains, for the third time since he left the first time, before the demon situation.

Ma hums, a smirk heard in her next words. "Damn right, it is."

The man chortles, eyes flickering over to his truck as he recalls if he needed gas. "When I hit the road, I'm stopping for gas. Anything you would want? Valli might have a spare cooler."

A bottle pops open on her end of the line, and he hears her sip at, what could only be, Whiskey or hard Rum. "Some more beer. I'll need more cheap whiskey and whatever else you find. I'll share."

"Fuckin better share." He grunts, lips lifting at her laugh.

Inside, the kitchen now smells delicious. Breakfast is cooking, lunches are being thrown together and Addy is helping the best she can in the rush her nephew is in. Since Kane left so suddenly before, the host wants to be finished with food while the Hunter is busy with his phone call. She's busy tossing a salad she is adamant neither hunter will eat on the road. Valli throws in spices, bits of vibrant tomatoes, and dashes of fresh goat cheese as he passes or when he tastes it. On the skillet are two thick hamburgers sizzling away, four already cooked and sealed away in a heat-safe container. The fixings that go with it, are placed in large baggies in a little cooler. Kane might eat the warm burgers on the way, but they can microwave the rest in a motel. It's better than spending sparse money on bad diner food or gas station snacks.

He packs lunch meat sandwiches; turkey, beef, and ham with fresh sliced cheese, juicy vegetables, and homemade mayonnaise. The cooler is piled with water bottles, cans of beer, and one bottle of cheap liquor for Ma. Then the food is sorted on top. He makes sure there are fruits and vegetables in everything, wanting Kane and Ma to eat healthy and feel energized wherever they are headed. Little snacks are added as well, muffins and slices of pie he had made in the days before and for breakfast this morning.

By the time Kane enters the house, the call is finished. There is a week's worth of food, drinks, and sweets packed away in a cooler on the kitchen counter. The man isn't even surprised, simply grunts out a thanks and hightails it upstairs to grab his already packed bags. The task only takes five minutes, and returning downstairs to explain the case to the others afterward. Addy follows the men outside, carrying one side of the cooler for Valli as he holds the other.

"There's an Angel up in Casper, Wyoming. Burning souls from the Brady Bunch apparently. Ma and I are headed that way to get his blessed ass. Shouldn't be much trouble, but we'll call if shit happens." The hunter tosses his bags in the backseat, hefting the cooler from the other's arms to slide in on the seat.

Valli hums at the news, eyebrows folding the scars as they furrow. Concern laces his question. "That's like five states away! Are you sure you'll make it before he moves on?"

Grunting, the taller nods, clicking his tongue. "Went longer trips and made it just fine. Shouldn't be too long to get our happy asses up there. Only matter of finding the son of bitch."

Addy stands back, smirking and shaking her head to herself as Valli lingers for longer than needed. He wants to hug Kane, do some sort of goodbye, but instead, he simply nods. "I hope the food is okay. Stay safe, and if you need help, I'll find someone for you guys."

Putting Valli out of his misery, Kane slaps a pat on his shoulder gently. "Will do. Thanks. We'll call."

Beaming at the voluntary (casual) touch, Valli allows his Aunt to drag him from the roaring truck as it comes to life. Kane glances out the window down at them, careful of reversing. The blind man listens to the gravel under the tires, the heavy vehicle racing down the driveway until it finally turns off left to the direction of the nearest town. He hopes Kane and Ma make it back to him.