Dead Dog Walking Part 2 (open)

[Wilhelm Opens-the-Way]

Hannibal stumbled out into the main area of the bar from the back room, pushing his way past a normal patron before slamming open the front entrance and shambling out into the cloudy morning air.

The Woolly Mammoth (formerly the Yellow Brick Road) was jutting out from the side of the parking lot behind the Mother's tear.

Hannibal fumbled in his pockets for his keys...

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya puts her hand over his. "You aren't planning to drive, are you?"

[Wilhelm Opens-the-Way]

Hannibal jumps.

"Zzesjus Christ! Yanno you are sneaky for a... sneaky... bear... woman thing."

He clutches his whisky bottle jealously to his chest.

"No o'coursenot. That would be irreez... irredemabub... bad."

He whistles loudly for a cab. On a Sunday morning. In a mostly empty parking lot.

"HEY!" he says to the empty road nearby. "Dead dog walkin'!"

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya shakes her head. "Let's take a walk. It's not that far, just a few miles. If you step across it'll be even faster... You can come back for The Woolly Mammoth later." Much, much later, she thought.

[Wilhelm Opens-the-Way]

Hannibal nodded and wandered over to one of the giant side mirrors on the side of the long haul truck. He got a look at himself in the mirror and frowned.

"I look like shit."

He climbed awkwardly onto the running board near the cab and hung one arm over the mirror mount so he could get a better look, and then muzzily checking the area for passerby, stumbled toward the reflection. He hit his head once, when his foot nearly slipped off of the running board, and then, finally taking a swig of whiskey, morphed into the surface of the mirror, which rippled like a silver pool.

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya checks again, using the mass of the cab to block any chance of stray witnesses, then effortlessly slips sideways, her new, even tighter, connection to the Umbra making the transition virtually effortless. When she does not see Hannibal immediately, she waits patiently for him to appear, knowing that her transition would have been faster than his.

[Wilhelm Opens-the-Way]

Hannibal appears and immediately tumbles to the ground in the Umbra.

He reaches for a bottle that isn't there. Undedicated, it has rattled to rest beneath the truck back in the real world, spilling it's contents into the shadows beneath the cab.

''Dammit!''

[Ikon]

Whistler watches Hannibal tumble to the ground.

"That'l teach ya. Hey boy'o are ye alright? Physicaly I mean."

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Wordlessly, Maya reaches into the pouch slung at her side, pulls out a small steel flask with the image of a bear etched on the side, and holds it out to Hannibal.

[Ikon]

"What's in it lass?"

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

"Barenjager. Drinking won't hurt him, at least for today. Everyone deserves to break down once in a while. Best now, around friends, than to crack later when it could cause more harm to more people."

[Wilhelm Opens-the-Way]

"Barbenyagermeister," Hannibal says, swiping the flagon and unscrewing the top, "Sounds great."

He sits down on a log and looks around at the Umbra, taking it all in while he takes a swig of the strange drink.

[Ikon]

"Boyo, if you change into your glabro for ye'll get more out of the alcohol, take it from a Fianna."

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya gives Hannibal a smile, kind and understanding. "I've got more at my place. Why don't we go there? It's not so far away..."

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

And at Whistler's words she adds, under her breath, *I'll have to Spirit Awaken a batch if things keep going this way...*

[Wilhelm Opens-the-Way]

Hannibal gets to his feet and looks at Whistler for a second, a flash of rage passing over his features at the man who will be raising his child. Then he swallows it down.

"I don't want more. I had enough. Just enough. Now it's fucked."

Hannibal looks toward Maya.

"Now I want less. And I know just how to get it."

Another swig.

"Lead on bear lady."

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

With a nod to Whistler, Maya shifts to her cave-bear form, nuzzles up to Hannibal and nudges her head into and under his armpit, so that his arm moves over her back. Her fur is thick and soft and very white, with downy feathers strewn all through it. She moves off at a comfortable lumber, a pace no faster than a human could comfortably manage.

It doesn't take very long for Hannibal to realize that Maya isn't heading to Valhalla....

[Ikon]

"Take care you two."

[Wilhelm Opens-the-Way]

Hannibal turns and begins walking away, then lifts the flask and a middle finger in response to Wistler and saunters off into the Umbra with Maya. He doesn't bother asking where they are going.

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya's head nods as she retreats, though she does not turn back, and her voice rumbles in very accented High Tongue. "We shall, Whistler-rhya. Thank you for your concern; it is appreciated."