AU: Chicago 1926

[aeons_crackshot]

Eventually, the jungle was left behind and the FreakAngels and the members of the Æon Society made their way to Æon's headquarters in Chicago.

The headquarters looks, to the casual observer, much like the home of someone who is very well to do. It is, of course. Maxwell Anderson Mercer is a very wealthy man, philanthropist or no, after all. It's only when you look deeper and realize how solidly built the place is and that certain extra security measures are in place that it begins to reveal itself for what it is.

Namely, the home base of people who, not to put too fine a point on it, quite a lot of dangerous people want dead.

There is an island of calm in the hustle and bustle, the Archives. Every piece of research, every note, every adventure of the Society's members is in here...somewhere.

Comments

[leadinghome]

And Connor is blushing.

Really, he never imagined himself at the receiving end of that chant. "Oh, bugger."

[aeons_crackshot]

He's not the only one blushing. Annabelle's response is more profane, but not in English.

She's actually glaring at the boys, and looks as if she's trying to place the faces. "Tommy Sullivan," she says at last, looking at the boy in the front.

Tommy makes a noise best described as eep.

[leadinghome]

"Oh, you know them?" Connor raises a brow, eying the boys too.

[aeons_crackshot]

"Just the miscreant at the front," Annabelle says dryly. "Although, I'm sure I can get my hands on the names of the rest of them."

The other boys were looking relieved. Now? Not so much.

Annabelle addresses Tommy. "Shouldn't you hooligans be in school at this hour?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

Tommy shifts awkwardly from foot to foot. "Mayyybe," he says at last.

[leadinghome]

"Hm, maybe someone needs to learn about these rascals skipping school?" Oh, Connor picks up the clues fast.

[aeons_crackshot]

That's good, as it makes things much easier.

Tommy looks a bit like he's heard he's going to be hung in the morning. Mrs. Sullivan is a formidable woman and firm disciplinarian.

"Unless...." Annabelle says, pretending to ponder her offer.

Tommy can't take the pressure, "Pleasedon'ttellmymum" comes out in a rush as nearly a single word.

[leadinghome]

"What you think, Annabelle? He will get in trouble, but... telling his mom would be the right thing to do..." Oh, moral quandary.

[aeons_crackshot]

Annabelle pretends to ponder for another heartbeat or two. "They could be forgiven just this once..." The boys start to relax.

"If," there went the relaxation. "we agree that none of us saw each other here today, and that this skipping school is not repeated."

[leadinghome]

"Sounds like a good compromise to me." He looks at the boys. "What you think, fair deal?"

[aeons_crackshot]

There is a veritable chorus of "Yes sirs" and a lot of nodding from the boys.

"Well then," Annabelle says dryly. "Off with you, you rascals." Most of the boys scatter, but Tommy hangs back a moment, with a faintly hopeful expression.

Annabelle sighs. "Yes, the next one has dinosaurs in it. Assuming that mad Englishman keeps to his usual schedule."

Tommy beams his thanks and races off after the others.

[leadinghome]

That makes Connor puzzle. "Next what has dinosaurs?"

[aeons_crackshot]

"The next Tales of the Æon Society" Annabelle explains with a wry smile.

"It's a pulp magazine that most people think is fiction. That fellow I was shouting to Whitley about, Ellis? Well, he's the mad Englishman in question."

"Tommy is fascinated with dinosaurs, Heaven only knows why," she says with a shake of her head. "I suspect he'd feel differently about the beasts if he'd been nearly eaten by one."

Yes, that nearly happened to Annabelle. It was gross.

[leadinghome]

He makes a face, shaking head and holding Annabelle closer. "Hopefully he will not have to learn the hard way." By being chomped or swallowed.

"So, you do have dinosaurs around still?"

[aeons_crackshot]

"Not most places," Annabelle says with a shake of her head. "Some places went a bit...strange after the Incident 4 years ago."

"There are places that are....pocket worlds, I suppose you could say."

[leadinghome]

"And you had to go into one of those, have a too-close encounter with something huge and hungry."

Connor shakes head. "I'm glad you were back alive and well."

[aeons_crackshot]

"I did," Annabelle admits. "I'm glad I made it out too," she says with a smile. "I would have never met you if I'd bought the farm at 14," she teases.

[leadinghome]

Now he blushes a lot, looking down to the grass.

You see, Connor never held any girl's attention, he was always the odd one in the corner.

[aeons_crackshot]

This is a tragic sign of their lack of taste. On the plus side, this means more Connor for Annabelle.

Annabelle is terribly bendy, therefore it's not hard for her to maneuver so she's looking up at him even with his head tilted down. If she makes him laugh, that's a bonus.

[leadinghome]

Laugh, not, but smile yes: Connor smiles and kisses her nose, relaxing more.

Thank you.

[aeons_crackshot]

You're welcome Annabelle replies with a mental chuckle.

Now that he's no longer hanging his head she straightens up. Just because she can stay bent like that doesn't mean that she wants to.

Something twinges in ways it shouldn't, and her smile flickers briefly. Dixon has told her that those twinges should have stopped by now, so many months after Siberia.

[leadinghome]

That makes him raise a brow and cup her cheek, concerned. "What's wrong, Annabelle?"

[aeons_crackshot]

"Remnants of my last near death experience," she says. She attempts a wry grin but doesn't quite manage it.

She still has nightmares about it, even all these months later.

[leadinghome]

And that is more than reason enough for Connor to scoot closer and hold Annabelle protectively.

Offering what comfort he can.

Maybe the two need some normalcy in their lives.

[aeons_crackshot]

Ah, normalcy. That thing that usually happens to other people.

"Generally, I'm the one doing the protecting," she says with a huff that could be mistaken for a laugh.

She's not objecting to him holding her like this at all, mind you.

"Dixon figured that I should have stopped having those by now, but since they're not exactly sure what they did to me...." she says, trailing off with a shrug.

[leadinghome]

"Ignorance is not bliss..." Connor sighs, drawing her closer.