Clarke & Jess
The engine of Jess' old van sputtered as she turned it off. This vehicle made Clarke nervous. A death trap, he called it. He clutched his side in the back seat, although not as tightly. Whatever concoction of medications they gave him took the edge off of the pain and left him in a daze.
"I'm gonna need some help getting him to my apartment. The elevator is just this way." Jess' voice echoed in the underground parking garage. She exited the van and opened the backseat door, extending a hand which Clarke grabbed absent-mindedly. She carefully helped him out of the van and put his left arm over her shoulder, gesturing for Nadeem to take his right. "My place is on the second floor - it's Apartment 23." Once Jess was sure that Clarke was supported, she made her way towards the elevator and hit the call button. "You're welcome to stay a while," she offered. "It's been a while since I've had company besides this drunken Scotsman here."
Nadeem & Nak
The quieter rumble of Nadeem's little ranger died off before the van as he found a nearby parking spot in a guest lot. Before he could close the door, Nak bolted out of the cab with a gruff, "Un-uh, not going to leave me in there again, Nadeem. Especially in a new place. Where is this, anyway?" The wolfdog's words were lost on his owner of course, who sighed in resignation and clicked his tongue, commanding the the silver eyed canine to stay at his side.
"Jess, I hate to impose - but is it alright if I bring my pup with me? He's well behaved." Even as he asked this, Nadeem was already moving around to the passenger side of the van, following the woman's directions to help with Clarke. With her help, it took little effort to support the man's opposite side with an arm slung over his shoulder. "We'll take this nice and easy, Clarke. We'll get you inside where you can rest."
To the offer of a place to stay, Nadeem's immediate thought was to decline, but... looking aside to Clarke, the dark-haired fellow had a change of heart. "I wouldn't mind staying; it looks like you could use a bit of help. And, I did offer assistance with this-" Nadeem hesitated, trying to put his words together delicately, "-problem that you're trying to solve."
Clarke & Jess
"Sure..." Jess replied hesitantly to Nadeem's request. "I've got a jealous iguana in my apartment, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as your dog stays next to you."
The elevator took some time to reach the parking garage, but when it did, the doors opened with a grinding, creaking sound. Jess wasn't one to bring it up with the landlord; the less attention on her, the better. An old woman in the elevator traded glances with Jess and Nadeem, then her eyes landed on Clarke. "Again? What have we talked about? If you keep following this wild goose ch--" Jess cut her off. "I've gotta get him home, Gran, but I’ll let you give him an earful tomorrow." She seemed satisfied with Jess' promise and slipped past the trio, bidding them farewell. "Take care, kids."
Jess, mildly embarrassed to be in this situation again, stepped into the elevator with Clarke, Nadeem, and Nak. It vibrated as it took them upwards, eventually reaching the second floor. With the help of Nadeem, Jess guided Clarke toward apartment #23, unlocked the door, and swung it open. "Let's just get him to the couch over here. And... uh... don't mind the mess." She worried about what Nadeem would think of the blood stains on the floor, and worried more that he would tell the landlord that one of his tenants had torn out the carpet in an unsuccessful attempt to reach the stain and clean it.
Clarke slumped down on the couch and Jess laid him on his back, then sat on the floor beside the tattered couch. She gestured toward the nearby chair, inviting Nadeem to take a seat.
A large green iguana, easily 6 feet long if you include the tail, crawled enthusiastically to Jess and plopped down in her lap. She stroked his scaly back and instantly felt calmer. "Hey, Richard."
Richard initially was calm as well, until he noticed Nak. He expanded his dewlap and let out a low hiss at the dog. "What is this, Jess? Having Clarke here is bad enough, but another human and and a filthy mongrel?"
Jess calmed the massive reptile down and let out a soft sigh. "Thank you, by the way." She seemed on the verge of tears. "He'd be dead if you hadn't found him. He values getting revenge more than he values his own life." She paused for a moment and then opened her mouth to speak again, but reconsidering what she was going to say. She furrowed her brow and ran her fingers along Richard's spines to comfort both herself and Richard.
Nadeem & Nak
"He won't be a problem." Nadeem assured with a thankful smile, teeth showing brightly against deeply tan-brown skin. "He's quite use to being around animals in my line of work, though this may be his first iguana encounter." It would be a first for the man too, though he knew enough about the big reptiles to have a healthy respect for their temper, tails, and powerful jaws.
When the elevator finally reached them and the metal doors creaked open, Nadeem offered a friendly nod and smile to the elderly woman. He internally grimaced at the same time, for his own shirt was stained with Clarke's blood, and he couldn't imagine this was a pleasant scene for Gran to stumble across. She didn't seem too phased about it though, which told Nadeem what he already knew; this was not a first for Jess and Clarke, and their dangerous hunt had been going for some time now.
He stayed quiet in the elevator, and only spoke once they reached the apartment and headed inside. "No, no, don't worry about that. You should see my home when I have more than one research project going on at a time." His own home was kept orderly enough, if not for a bit eclectic in its collection of random things, but strewn notebooks and scribbled papers weren't uncommon to find scattered across the floors and tabletop surfaces. Not one to place such judgement on others, Nadeem's focus was helping to get Clarke to the couch, where he looked for a pillow or blanket to prop behind the fellow's head to make him comfortable.
Nadeem helped himself to the couch after that. A click of the tongue and a foreign phrase had Nak sitting obediently on the floor next to him. "It's really no problem. It's usually animals that I'm helping, but here and there I stumble across a person that needs a hand." He tried to lighten the mood, seeing that tears were being fought back by Jess. His tones sombered a little, "Honestly Jess, I'm glad I was at the store tonight, and was able to make a difference. I will continue to help you."
Meanwhile, Nak's light eyes widened at the hiss and the sudden expansion of skin on the lizards throat. "Hey, hey, hey." The wolfdog chastised, while keeping himself planted safely beside Nadeem's chair, "I'm not a mongrel. And what in the world are you? Some sort of monitor? A tiny alligator?"
Clarke & Jess
Jess closed her eyes and leaned her head back against Clarke's shoulder, sighing in exhaustion. This day had more action than she liked. She enjoyed a fast-paced job, but she didn't want to juggle work and a high-maintenance "it's complicated" roommate. "Research, eh?" Her eyes briefly fluttered open before the depressing environment of the dilapidated apartment prompted her to close them again, half of her attention focused on daydreams. "What kind of research, if I may ask? Maybe we've crossed paths before. I'm a microbiologist at the Robert and Melissa Kaiser Biomedical Foundation over on Tears of Dew Isle. It's how this big guy got his name, actually. He's Robert. Robert the green iguana." She didn't elaborate on the specifics of her job at the lab, or that she was tasked with studying biowarfare. She hadn't even told Clarke yet in the 13 years they had been together. That information was just too risky to share.
Robert smirked at the knowledge that he got a rise out of the wolfdog. "Oh, my apologies." He paused briefly before continued. "I meant that you're a mutt. And what am I? I'm not an alligator, not fully. I'm a hybrid between an alligator and a cobra. I can spit venom, so watch it, mutt." His poker face was impeccable, and his words, although complete lies, were delivered in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
A meek smile was offered by Jess at Nadeem's promise to help. Maybe, just maybe, he could solve Calum's murder and put Clarke's mind at ease. Maybe things could go back to normal. The peace was interrupted, though, when Clarke groggily dropped his arm down to tap Robert's back. "Heyyyyy, boy. Fetch! Fetch drink! I'll give you a treat." The lizard was perhaps not as wise as he let on, as he immediately scurried to the fridge, pulled on a hand towel tied to the door, and took a can of beer from the bottom shelf, careful not to puncture it with his tiny needle-like teeth. He brought it back to Clarke and plopped it down on the couch next to him. Before Clarke could take it, however, Jess stood up, grabbed the can and set it on the coffee table. "Would you stop training my lizard to do your bidding?" Clarke simply grinned and shrugged, leaving Jess scowling at him with her hands on her hips. "You see this, Nadeem?" She asked, exasperated. "This is what I deal with every day. I can't leave him alone for one minute or he's gonna end up six feet under." She kicked the couch, causing Clarke to jump. "If your foolishness doesn't kill you, I will." Clarke chuckled at Jess' threat. "Nah, you won't." This caused Jess to throw her hands in the air and sit back down, shaking her head and brooding. Robert gazed up at her, concerned and completely forgetting that he was promised a treat that he never got.
Nadeem & Nak
Nadeem's eyes remained open as he sat in the chair across from the pair, far less bothered by the squalor than the aparment's owner was. His mind was otherwise occupied with replaying everything that had happened in the past few hours, and just how dangerous of a situation he'd gotten himself into. He was just beginning to ponder how he might approach Ryan about this issue when Jess questioned him on his work. He smiled again, "Mainly statistical and causational studies. I track migration and movement patterns of different wildlife in the Valley, birth and survival rates, hybridization, and similar things that can be turned into numbers and patterns. With the help of my colleagues, I also look at behavioral patterns, and the different dynamics in the Valley that you don't typically see elsewhere - cooperation between competing species, unusual rates of aggression, mega packs, and so on." There was a definite spark of excitement in his voice, a glimpse into the mind of someone who was truly passionate about what they did, despite the grueling hours and intensive labor it often involved. Curiosity soon took over when Jess explained what she did, and he nodded, "You know, I think we do some work with your organization. It would be my colleague Mrs. Wallock that deals with more of the hands on biological studies, but I'm sure she's sent samples to your lab."
Beside Nadeem's chair, Nak stared hard at the iguana, not sure if he'd just been insulted again, or whether 'mutt' was meant as a less offensive term than 'mongrel'. Unable to read that green face, the little hybrid bit back his indignation and proceeded to take the bait that the lizard offered. "A cobra-alligator...?" He'd heard tales of a white cobra that use to live around the Ashen Domes, but had no idea what a 'cobra' looked like, other than it was really long, had white scales, and could 'stand up' really tall and spit venom. "Yeah, well.. I'm part wolf, so you mind your venom." It wasn't the best comeback ever, and was said from the safety of the chair that he wasn't about to move away from. In further awe, Nak proceeded to watch as the big lizard responded to Clarke's commands and retrieved a can from the refrigerator.
Nadeem was likewise impressed by this, "That is quite the feat, teaching a lizard to fetch." A moment later, he added an amendment to this praise, as he could see this little 'trick' wasn't exactly a healthy one for Clarke right now, and it had upset Jess. "You might teach him to grab some water instead friend, your head will thank you in the morning for it." He looked between the two, seeing the clear care they each had for each other, even if their was a good deal of mutual frustration as well. "I think you'd best rest Clarke, your body needs time to heal. Once you've gotten a good sleep in, we can talk about where to go next with this."
Clarke & Jess
Jess ran her fingers gently along Robert's back, pondering how she could untrain the unhealthy trick Clarke taught him. Any grudge she held against Clarke was intensified with this one event, and Clarke seemed to know judging by his concerned "what have I just done" face. He knew he messed up and would regret this, both out of guilt and out of understanding that Jess wouldn't let this go. The air was tense and silent for a moment, with Jess merely nodding in response to Nadeem's explanation of his job.
Richard chuckled at Nak's confusion. He would certainly have fun with this little lie and would keep it going. "Wolves are my natural prey. I was fed only wolves at the lab." He licked his lips in mock hunger, staring Nak down in an attempt to gain dominance. "Venom adds flavor to wolf meat, you know..." He dropped his front legs off of Jess' lap and took a few steps toward Nak. He was curious about how the wolfdog would react to his baseless threats.
"Yeah, yeah..." Clarke mumbled, frowning and sinking into the couch. "I guess I just... I'm a man of bad habits." He didn't seem especially proud of his current state. Yet he had never made an attempt to change, despite driving Jess away on more occasion than one. Once upon a time he and Jess talked about settling down and starting a family. That dream seemed more and more unattainable as time went on. "I think everything can go back to normal when I figure out who took my brother from me." Jess raised her head in response to Clarke's musing, gathering her thoughts before she spoke to Nadeem. "So... you said something about your cop friend who can help us, right? The police force here hasn't been especially helpful."
Nadeem & Nak
"Everybody's got their vices." Nadeem added in a bid to console the man, "You're in a rough patch, rougher than most right now. You just need to ride out this storm with your best foot forward, and focus on helping Jess and yourself as much as your trying to help the memory of your brother." A sudden and sharp bark from Nak nearly sent the dark-haired man flying out of his seat, distracting him for a second from the conversation. He reached a hand down to stroke the canine's head and back, while working to calm his own racing heart, "Shaant rahen, Nak. Easy, Nak." The hybrid remained focused on the lizard, but other than a long and drawn out whine, didn't further raise his vocals. Turning an apologetic smile to Jess and Clarke, Nadeem picked up after the woman's question, "Officer Sohmers, yes. There are a few on the force that are honest people, and I've known him the longest. He's dedicated to his work too, and if anyone can help you find answers, it will be him."
While this conversation was going on, Nak was watching every movement the iguana made, and trying to decide if he could take on this giant lizard if it came down to it, or whether his best bet was to try run. "I'm only part wolf." For now, he figured his best defense would be to now play down the wolf card, seeing as how that had backfired miserably in his face, "I'm also part dog, and that makes wolf meat taste like garlic. Plus, my human has a boomstick." That was an utter lie, but not one Nak was above playing if it kept this venomous, wolf-loving hybrid away from him.
Clarke & Jess
Clarke rolled to his side and grunted at Nadeem's attempt to console him. "I was this close to finding the murderer. The cops obstructed my search every step of the way. The way I see it, they're responsible for the state of me." Nak's abrupt bark barely startled him, only eliciting a minor jolt, suggesting that whatever medication they gave him for the pain dulled his senses as well. A reaction from Robert followed. The iguana puffed out his dewlap and let out a low, rumbling hiss. Jess laid a hand on the lizard's head. "Quit your bellyaching, Robert," she grumbled. Nadeem's response to her caught her full attention, and Clark gingerly lifted himself up to a half-sitting position to hear the answer. Jess, not wanting Clarke to set back his healing, nudged Robert off her lap and sat on the couch next to Clarke and reluctantly put a supportive arm around him simply to keep him from falling over. Her posture initially conveyed discomfort. "This news is what we've been waiting for." Any awkwardness she felt being so close to her ex again faded, even to the point that she momentarily considered giving him a hug. "We've hit dead end after dead end every turn we made. Solving Calum's murder would bring us closure. You have no idea how much this means to us. Once Clarke heals, I'd like to meet with Officer Sohmers."
Robert knew he'd have fun tormenting this poor wolfdog. He didn't get much attention besides mingling with Clarke and Jess and seemed starved for interaction, even if it meant lying to a stranger just to get a reaction. "My kibble is made out of wolf meat and garlic, you know." This was a huge lie, as he had no idea what garlic was or what it tasted like. Nevertheless, he continued his trickery. "It adds more flavor to the wolf." Nak's comment about the boomstick took him aback a bit, and a subtle change of expression fell across the iguana's face, suggesting that the wolfdog hit a nerve. "I'm immune to boomsticks. My hide is the strongest hide of any animal in the world." He wasn't as confident in his lie this time around, and there was an ever so slight hint of fear in the lizard's eyes. Maybe he dug himself in too deep.
Nadeem & Nak
Nadeem pondered the problem of obstruction, knowing all too well how the police force in Atroe City could be. Especially since they had continued to retain a mayor that allowed such corruption to not just survive but to thrive in the secluded settlement, away from the prying eyes of much of the world. "It may be a case where Sohmers works off duty to help." He concluded out loud, "If they're actively trying to shut down the case, they must be protecting someone either in their ranks, or someone the mayor doesn't want in trouble." The man shuddered to think who that might be; there were so many gangs in the city, it could be any one of them, and they were known for being vengeful. Whoever it was though, justice needed to be served, and he knew Ryan was up for the task. As he settled further back into the chair, Nadeem smiled softly to Jess who was doing her best to provide Clarke with comfort, "Lets get a good rest in, and I'll take you to see him in the morning."
Though Nak scarcely heard his owner's commands, he ceased all but the quietest of whines, unable to contain the anxiety completely. When the iguana continued to feed him the lies, the hybrid spouted out a weak rebuttal on the topic of food, and its inclusion of wolf meat and garlic, "No it's not." For all he knew, Robert could be telling the truth, and the little wolfdog would have no way of discerning fact from fiction. But he offered that resistance, and as the reptile went on, his sharp eyes caught the first signs of deception in the other. His brows hunched slightly, and that sliver of fear Nak saw in Robert gave him just as much courage in return, "Mb