Coyote Walking

Mercy was working on a particularly difficult car which belonged to a particularly good client. It was a terrible car, but the best the small family could afford. With anyone else, she'd have suggested they give up and buy a new one, but that wasn't an option for them just now. So, with a fair amount of muttering and some swearing, she managed to finish up the last of the repairs. She let out a long breath, resting her head back for a moment before finally sliding out from under the car and beginning to put her tools away.

She rolled her head from side to side, working out the kinks. She deserved something decent for dinner tonight. Maybe she'd splurge and get a burger downtown. Or be a little more frugal and get tacos from her favorite stand. If they hadn't closed yet.

First, to clean up a bit. She hesitated, catching the sound of an unfamiliar engine and turned, hands on hips, to see who was coming into the lot.

Stupid white belts.

Mercy had showered and changed, but she was still limping a bit as she left the dojo. And she was going to have a nice bruise on the side of her face. Oh well, she sure couldn't say she hadn't gotten a good workout dodging the guy's wild kicks and punches. She could have done without her sensei's hidden laughter as she was leaving, though she'd known it was because he understood all too well what she'd been through.

She looked up at the hill she usually ran up to get back to her garage where her car was parked. With a sigh she thought maybe walking this one time wouldn't be such a bad thing.

[Someone's taking advantage of the supposedly still warm days to laze out on a chair in front of the beach house. In a bikini. And looking very very happy and well satisfied and more, um... relaxed, than she has in a long time.]

Come on out. The sun's hot and the water's beautiful.

Oh no. Been there, done that.

I'm glad it's Sunday so I can just hang around my house or the garage.

With everything that's gone on lately I'd rather make my own decisions about who I kiss.


[ooc: Mercy may be staying out of the way, but anyone who wants to run into her at the house or garage is more than welcome!]

I am really glad that I'm not cursed this weekend. I can't deny that I'm finding some of the, um... stories that have been posted rather intriguing, but I'm really happy that I'm not being forced to write and share any of that stuff myself.

I wonder who I'd write about if I was cursed. Maybe a little Doctor/Rose or some Mara/Ken?

Guess we'll never know.


[OOC: Today is Mercy's birthday. She wouldn't have told anyone, but if there is anyone who might have occasion to know (or remember from last year) they are free to mention it or do something if they'd like.]

I was... drat.

Where was I going?

I'm just standing out here in the middle of some street and I'm sure I was going someplace, but...

I guess I should probably just go home. If only I could remember how to get there.

I'm sending this from my new home, the bathroom floor.

Not going to make it, well, anywhere today. Can't stop - oh damn.

......

As I was trying to say, can't stop throwing up, and maybe it's from that or something else, but now I've got this nosebleed I can't stop and my eyes look like I burst all the blood vessels in them.

What the heck did I eat yesterday?

If anyone's looking for me, I'm going to be home for a few days. Just got Jack home from the hospital, but he needs someone to stay with him since he's confined to bed rest for a while.

Mara and Donna, if you need any help with the store let me know.

Saya, I'm sorry to need to take time off this soon, but I don't want to leave Jack alone.


[Mercy goes to turn off the device, but instead accidentally turns on the video function which shows her taking her mug of hot chocolate into Jack's room where he's sleeping at least somewhat peacefully. She settles down in the chair pulled up next to the bed, shoulders slumping in fatigue, and reaches out to take his hand.]

Kitty!

[And here's an adorable little girl petting Medea.]

What happened to your tail, Kitty? Was someone mean to you? I wouldn't ever be mean to you. You know, most kitties don't like me, 'cause I'm, you know, a coyote girl. But I'm glad you like me!

[And then she's looking into the device with a close up of her face.]

What's this? Hello, hello?

Hey, this isn't my house? Where's Bryan and Evelyn?

Uh oh... did I get lost again? Bran's gonna be really really mad at me. Again.

Well, that was... interesting. Couldn't have been much different from my usual self if I tried.

Everybody get through it okay?



Private to Jack

Um... I'm sorry? I don't quite know what to say. That's... not like me at all.

Mercy's clearly taking some time out to sun herself down at the beach by her house. The device seems to be transmitting from a small table, angled down enough to show the bikini-wearing, coyote paw-tatooed, ice-tea drinking Mercy as she reads a historical romance and works on her tan.

Oh now this is nice... Much better than the last one...

This is ridiculous.

I can't find my way home. The pathways to the beach area are gone and even in coyote form the smells are too different to let me find my way back there.

I spent last night in the shop figuring it would be fixed today, but no such luck.

I just want to go home and check on Medea and put my feet up instead of crashing on the foor in the back room. Is that too much to ask?

In another month I'll have been here for 2 years. It seems pretty unbelievable. Some days it almost feels like home is the dream and this is the real place. Other days I miss everyone so much it hurts.

It's easier with Jack in the house, just knowing there's somebody else popping in and out makes me feel a little better, and hopefully the Doctor will come back around sometimes too.

Which reminds me... Doctor? You'd asked me about um... singing to the TARDIS? When would you like me to do that?

So... Jack Harkness - or at least a Jack Harkness - is back in the City and staying here at the house. It is his after all. Or, well, anyway...

Okay, the mindbogglingness of the whole 'this one', 'that one' thing is getting to me.

Anyway, bottom line. He's here. It's nice to have the company. And, of course, Medea adores him, big surprise.

He does definitely make me miss Kyle, though.

[Mercy is... not herself today. In fact, instead of Mercy there's a very handsome Native American male looking at himself in some shock. And when she - he - speaks, the voice is certainly not what Mercy expects.]

What the hell?

If I shift to coyote am I still going to be, well... male?

Warren, Kyle, Samuel, Adam? Zee? ...Ben...?

Anyone from home?




[ooc: Anything is a go.]

Mercy's hard at work in the garage, only her feet visible from underneath the nearly completed VW Bug. There is the sound of metal on metal as she fiddles and adjusts, but over it all you hear her voice, talking to herself.

"Love can transpose to form and dignity:
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind:
Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste;
Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste:
And therefore is Love said to be a child,
Because in choice he is so oft just totally lost.
As stupid boys in game themselves forswear,
So the boy Love is perjured every where:

... Oh, this is ridiculous. Why the hell do I keep speaking...? Damn."

And she's back to muttering under her breath about stupid City curses. Someone's been having dreams about a certain pair of werewolves back home.

I'm at the hospital. I don't really remember too much of the last few days, I guess I got pretty sick from the pneumonia. I'm doing better now, but I'm still too weak to go home on my own so I'll be here a while longer.

Medea should be okay, but Reid, maybe if you could just check on her, make sure she has enough food and water left I'd really appreciate it. Or, you know, come kidnap me home and I'll do it myself.

Have I mentioned how much I hate hospitals?

[Backdated to the morning when it was still tropically sunny and warm.]

If anyone needs me for anything I'll be out sunbathing on the beach. Got to take advantage of the warm weather while I can. I'm sure the snow and cold will be back any day now.

So, um... how long do people usually leave their Christmas decorations up? Not that ours don't look lovely, I'm just not sure what the normal thing is.