Who: Judiel and Herbert
When: evening sometime
Where: Tourville somewhere

Judiel felt sort of restless and lonely, though he was supposedly used to being alone by this point in his life. It was just hard, sitting around the apartment, nothing seemed to be keeping his attention for very long. He missed Olivia, and it was a twitchy sort of feeling. It occurred to him around dinnertime that he'd made a promise to check in on Herbert while she was gone. Which he was glad to do. So he tugged a shirt on and walked out of his apartment, locking up behind him out of habit and meandering on down the hall toward their door. Hopefully he wouldn't be interrupting anything. Herbert was a young man, after all, and now had the place to himself. Judi knocked and took a step back, slipping his fingers into his jean pockets.

Herbert may have been a young man, but he was also a polite young man, which sometimes translated into being a boring young man. He was, at that moment, trying to puzzle out the instructions from one of Olivia's slowly-growing collection of recipes, to see if he had the right ingredients and whether he was brave enough to try it, if he had them. The only thing even slightly incriminating that was out in the living room was his knitting, spread out over the sofa. The homework piled up against the side of the couch was even less incriminating.

The knock on the door had him putting the paper down, crouching to scoop up the duckling that was waddling unsteadily around the kitchen floor, and padding barefoot over to see who it was. Really, he rather hoped it was company rather than, say, a salesperson or the landlord or something. He didn't much want to spend another night alone, all night. But with Sammy and Geo stuck at home-- understandably-- and all his other friends, pretty much, being girls... well, he didn't exactly have a lot of choice with how to spend his evening.

The smell coming in from the crack in the door was one that could be either: company or a brief checking-in. He knew Olivia had told Judiel to stop by, but that didn't mean Judiel'd want to stay. Still, even brief company was still something, and he opened the door with a grin. "Hallo, Judiel."

"Evening, Herbert," the older man said with a smile. His eyes ticked down to the ... baby duck? He arched and eyebrow. That wasn't one you saw every day, that was for sure. "Not interrupting anything, am I?" It didn't seem so. He caught a glimpse of knitting and didn't hear any music or other people's voices, so he figured the big guy was alone. "I'm half-starved, was wondering if you'd be interested in ordering something in with me." He would've suggested going out, but it was already getting dark, and that made him a bit squidgy. Which he didn't really want to display.

"No, no, not interrupting anything," Herbert said, beaming and stepping back to let Judiel in. It did look like he'd stay! Oh, good, something and someone to fill the empty evening with. "I was just thinking about dinner, too, actually. I wouldn't mind ordering in, either, though I don't have any numbers for pizza or restaurants around here." And he really wasn't sure if they had a phone book and, if they did, where it was. "Mostly I'd've just gone out looking for someplace that was open, if I did that."

"I know a few by heart," he admitted with a soft sort of chuckle. Judi walked in, untucking his hands from his pockets and giving a glance around. It didn't look much different without her, but then she hadn't really been gone long. "Do you have any preferences? Pizza, Chinese? ... that's about all that delivers, unfortunately. I'd really like some pasta, but unless you want to suffer through my cooking, that's not going to happen." He glanced at the duck again, curious.

"Pizza, I think, if that's okay with you," Herbert said after a moment of thought. He wasn't a huge fan of Chinese; it really didn't fill him up very well. "I think the pizza place in town might have some pasta, too, though." And, finally catching the curious look, he lifted Elda so Judiel could get a better look at her. The duckling peeped at him and waved her stubby, featherless little wings. "This is Elda. She imprinted on me on accident, so now I'm raising her. Olivia is not terribly pleased."

"She imprinted on you?" he asked in a questioning sort of way, raising an eyebrow. Though he definitely had to admit that the duckling was cute as hell. He didn't know a lot about animals, and that had always been something he'd meant to remedy. He liked the idea of having a dog. Not so sure about ducks, but whatever floated Herbert's boat. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to dial in the meantime.

"I think that's the word, anyway," Herbert nodded, and readily explained. "The first thing they see when they hatch they think is their parent. They follow them around, try to learn from them, look at them to look after them, that sort of thing. So Elda saw me first and so she thinks I'm her pa. I can't really undo that, and I can't really teach her how to be a duck so well, so I just have to keep looking after her." Unless he could get Charlie to help, somehow, though really, he didn't mind keeping Elda a long while unless she got them in trouble with the landlord. ... maybe he ought to stop answering the door with her in his hands.A thought.

Judiel nodded his understanding then, tilting a little smile at the small creature. It somehow suited Herbert that some baby duck would think he was it's mother. Which he'd never ever say out loud, but there it was anyway. He ordered a pizza, sticking to vegetables this time as he remembered the kid picking off the pepperoni, and gave the guy on the phone the apartment number they were in. He hung up and tucked the phone away again. " ... what do you feed her?" he asked, curious. He wouldn't know where to start caring for a tiny duck.

"Right now, bread and corn with a little bit of ground-up graham cracker thrown in," Herbert sighed. "But apparently that's not right, I need some... chick starter? But I can't afford that, so I'm trying to look up what's in it and see if I can't find it for cheaper, if I make it myself." He made a bit of a face, gently petting Elda's head with one finger. "And I shouldn't have put her in the water, either, though she seemed to do okay."

He moved to sit on the couch, making himself at home since they were going to have dinner there. And he'd sort of broken in said couch before. Which he really hoped Herbert didn't know, now that the thought had occurred. "She seems to still like you well enough, new-parenting mistakes aside," he said with a crooked small smile.

Unfortunately for Judiel, such things left rather strong scents, so Herbert figured that out a long time ago. He didn't really let on, though; it wasn't as if it bothered him. The werebear scooped his knitting aside dropped himself onto the other end of the couch, in its place, settling Elda on the cushion between them. She just sat there blinking and bobbing her head, trying to figure out what this squishy new thing she was on was. Herbert smiled a bit at her. "Yeah, seems to. I'm glad for that-- wouldn't it be sad to be all attached to someone you didn't like, like that?"

"Seems like," he said, looking down at the little duckling. He was quiet for a moment, unable to help but think about Olivia and their strange situation. Dragging himself away from it, his gaze ticked back up to the (bigger) younger man. "So how's school going?" he asked, half curious about what it was like now. Very different than when he was there, from what-all he'd heard. "And everything else." Distract me, please.

Herbert was willing to distract, though at some point he did intend to ask about Olivia and how she and Judiel were. "School's going. Lots of homework." He made a face. "They're trying to catch us up, what with all the time off, or something. I'm really, really not looking forward to statistics. But other things are pretty good, I guess... everybody I know came out of the past few days at least relatively okay--" Or at least, not-okay in ways that had nothing to do with vampires. "--and we're kind of doing this pro-active looking-out-for-each-other group with a bunch of friends at school."

"That's good," Judiel said with feeling and a firm nod. He was definitely a supporter of people taking care of each other, especially in this town. Especially the kids. "I was never any good at math in school. History and literature were always much more my speed." Especially considering the kind of man his father had been. Still was. "Are there a lot of kids you know who ... know about everything?" he asked, raising one eyebrow a little bit. The number of that classification of people seemed to be sharply on the rise.

"Well, apparently everyone I know," Herbert said with a little grin. "Peyton had to get told, which she seemed to take okay." He paused, thought that statement over, and added, "Uh, I take it that means you do, too?" Really, Herbert had never been entirely sure about what Judiel knew and didn't know. They'd kind of danced around it the last time he'd seen him.

Judiel smiled faintly. Yeah, he knew, he was part of it. And he'd put it together from what Olivia said that Herbert was in it too. A were-something, from what he'd been able to tell. Something probably ... big, if he was killing vampires. Or one, anyway. "Yeah, I've known my entire life," he said, watching Herbert's expression. "Which I think you can relate to, if my guess is right."

The expression he got was one of delighted relief. Herbert grinned at him. "Oh, good, then I don't have to be all careful and lying and all. I like that better. But yeah, I can relate. I don't know what all Olivia's told you, but I'm a werebear. Before I stopped here, I didn't really know what all existed except me. Living here's been real educational." Not always in a good way, but sometimes.

He had to grin back a little bit. Werebear. Now that made sense. "Yeah, I can imagine. I've learned a lot here too, and I had a lot more time beforehand to absorb things," he said, reaching out a hand to very carefully slide it over the duckling's head. "But no, you don't have to be careful. I'm in the know." Not that he jumped to volunteer exactly what he was. Most people didn't know about muses anymore, and he didn't imagine that Herbert would.

Elda peep-quacked, a sound that wasn't quite one or the other but somehow a little of both, and tried to nibble on Judiel's thumb. "Good, then." And Herbert didn't ask, either. He was terribly curious, but he didn't want to be rude at all. And Judiel's scent certainly didn't strike him the way some other people's did-- he wasn't a were-something, he wasn't a demon, and he wasn't a vampire-- or a psychic vampire, either. Or probably not an elemental. Which meant... he had no idea, yup. "And so does Olivia-- but you probably knew that. She, uh, tried to tell me that were-folk existed. I thought it was kind of funny, at the time." In a slightly hysterical way, but hey; he had been laughing.

Judiel chuckled, because that was funny, and glanced up. "Sweet of her to try and educate you," he said, amused. "But yeah, I knew she knew. And she kind of gave me a hint about you in the first place." He didn't say what the hint had been, because he was willing to bet that the big sweet kid didn't want to be reminded that he'd caused the death of a vampire. Olivia had said he'd been upset about it, and Judi could only imagine. So he didn't say. "I've lived here quite a few years, and I've never known the town to be so full of supernaturals. Which might've just been me, I dunno, but it's ... strange."

"Well, there's been a lot of people moving in recently, too," Herbert suggested, and if he'd known Judiel's train of thought, he would've been grateful for the lack of mention. As it was, he just continued obliviously, thankfully not thinking about biting vampires, or anybody else, for that matter. "Maybe it's just been a big influx of us." And he was really rather proud of himself that he'd gotten that word right. He thought, anyway. "Though if so, I kind of have to wonder why so many people did. I just stopped here because I liked the way it smelled, and I met some nice people who I wanted to get to know better. I can't imagine everyone liked the smell."

He didn't quite have theories about the area, more loose ideas, but one thing was definitely for sure: it attracted people like them. It was why he'd decided to settle in and stay, despite the weather. It just had that ... pull. "Can't say that I know for sure," Judi said, shaking his head a little bit. "I'm just kind of worried, because it seems to be attracted both sides of things." Including the Fucking Horrific side. Which was never a good thing.

"Like vampires and demons and things?" Herbert said with a little sigh and a sad expression. He absently reached out, without really even looking, and blocked Elda from falling off the couch with a hand, scooping her back up and depositing her closer to the couch back, where it was safer. She blinked up at him in confusion. "Well, don't try to walk off the couch, and I won't move you," he told her. "Yeah, there's been some pretty rotten people and things happening here... do you think more will happen?" Herbert was trying to be optimistic, and he knew asking Olivia would just get him her opposite pessimism. Judiel seemed a good neutral party to broach the subject of future badness with.

He smiled faintly at the protective gesture for the mini-duck, but it faded kind of quickly with the question. Judi looked up at Herbert and wondered if he should be honest. It was against his nature not to be, despite the feel of the truth. "I think more will happen, yes," he answered with a solemn nod. "I very much hope it won't be for a long time, and I sincerely hope that it won't be worse than what has just transpired. But I don't think the bad things are over." He was beginning to question if that was even possible for this place. "All we can really do now is be prepared, if we're going to stay." The Acherus had left Marquette vulnerable, and the more worldly side of him said that something would see that and come calling.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere at least until I finish out the year in school, so I guess being prepared is the best we can manage, eh?" Herbert said, smiling sheepishly despite the generally sinking feeling in his belly. "Maybe we'll be lucky and next time the badness will be-- I dunno, smaller and less bad. Two vampires, instead of however many there were."

Sinking feeling or not, the faint whiff he got of pizza made his stomach growl, right before the knock came at the door. "Food's not nearly as depressing as vampires," Herbert said firmly, and stood up to go get it.

He naturally agreed, and stood up with the young man. It sucked to have to tell people things like that. Judiel just hoped he was wrong. That was one thing he would genuinely love to be wrong about. He pulled out his wallet as Herbert opened the door and paid the pizza guy, noting with his own sort of down feeling how tired the kid's smile looked. That seemed to be the general consensus around Marquette.

Herbert put up a protest to Judiel paying, naturally, but considering he would either be spending Judiel's money or Olivia's on this pizza, he didn't protest too much. Spirits save him, he needed a job.... He carted the paid-for pizza inside after thanking the delivery guy, and headed into the kitchen with it for plates. "Judiel," he began, "you don't have to say if you don't want to, but... are you and Olivia back together?"

Any protests were just waved off. Ordering out had been his idea, therefore he would cover it. He had the idea anyway that he had it a lot more financially easy than anyone else in this apartment, so he didn't mind. Once the delivery kid was gone, he closed and locked the door and followed Herbert into the kitchen. The question briefly put his stride off, though it didn't surprise him, per se. They did live together after all. "Not exactly," he answered after a moment, leaning a shoulder in the doorway. "I think she still has ... some internal work to do before that happens. Now especially, with the death of her father."

"Ah." Herbert nodded, though it was still a bit confusing how she could have come home smelling like sex when they hadn't gotten back together, but perhaps he was missing something. He pulled a couple slices of pizza out for Judiel and offered the plate to him. "I hope things work out." After all, he rather liked Judiel, and if anyone was going to be coming over all the time or stealing Olivia away all the time, he'd rather it be someone he knew and liked.

Judi took the plate and picked up a slice, though his appetite had gone a little south. "Yeah me too," he said quietly. Though how exactly that would end up when all the dust settled, he didn't know. Time would tell. He took a bite without tasting it much, staring into a middle distance for a moment. Then glanced back at Herbert. "I feel far too young asking this, but ... does she talk about it at all?" It was a shot in the dark, but he wanted to know.

"Erm. Not a lot... she never has, really," Herbert admitted. "She doesn't really tell me much of what's going on with her." He kind of wished she would, honestly. She'd been there for him, he just kind of wished he could do the same, in return. As long as there was no crying. That was important. "She did say she thought you hated her, after... but I didn't really believe that one. You don't seem much like a hate-ish sort." Wracking his brain for anything else she might've said, he came up with, "And you were too good for her? I think? Not that I believe that one, either." He took his own plate full of pizza-- rather more than he'd loaded Judiel with, for a first serving-- and headed back into the living room, where Elda had finally decided not to fall off the couch, and just to sit still and, apparently, take a nap.

That sounded to be about all that he really expected to hear, and Judiel followed Herbert into the living room again. He didn't quite think that Olivia would be talking much about her lovelife with her teenage roommate. It was a stretch. "I don't believe that either," he put in, for what it was worth, and sat down on the couch again, careful not to jostle the little duckling. He ate some pizza and tried not to grind his gears too hard on it. Things would go how they went, that was just ... how it always was. He knew that, didn't he?

"Well, as more people don't believe it, maybe she'll start not believing it, too," Herbert said lightly, and set about demolishing his pizza. It made sense to him, surrounding someone with one idea so much that they had to start thinking the same way, too-- so maybe it'd work. Who knew?