(no subject)

[anita_blake]

Anita gets into the Jeep, eyes on Animator's, Inc., and she lets out a long breath. The conversations with Damian and Demeter have been swirling around in her head for a couple of days now, and she knows they're both right. She pulls her cellphone out of her jacket and dials Richard's number. It's well past six in the evening, and she crosses her fingers that Richard didn't have a date tonight as the phone rings.

Comments

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

It would mean more than Richard would ever be able to express to be able to even have that much with Anita. To have a little him or her running around that he helped create.

He chuckles softly into the kisses, "I did, didn't I." The only reasoning he has for the why is that Nathaniel is a good friend of his wolf, so he's caring by extension.

[anita_blake]

"You did."

She smiles at him, her fingers stroking his cheek.

"I should take a lesson from you and Micah about being a leader. I'm still stumbling around."

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

"We all make mistakes in judgment sometimes. You're leopards are a family. It's more than some leaders hope for, Anita." She's slapped him verbally occasionally for his screw ups, when he was being unfair to a wolf.

He rests his forehead against her hair, "You just can't rule in the heat of anger."

[anita_blake]

"I've noticed," she sighs. She tilts her head so she can see him a little better. "My pard is small. It's easy for it to be like family. The pack... it's like the rodere... it's huge."

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

"I meant you can't be doing too bad with the stumbling because you have that." Richard shifts, pulling her chair out from the table a little so he can squat in front of her. His hands rest on her knees, "But you also have to have the crime fit the punishment when you punish."

From what he's seen, the only leopard to ever need punishing has been Elizabeth, and that's becoming less needed as well. He deals with it a little more because like she said, the pack is huge.

[anita_blake]

And she had punished Elizabeth. They could have lost Nathaniel because of Elizabeth's oversight.

"I have issues with anger," she says with a half-smile.

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

Richard smiles, hands squeezing gently. "So wait until you're not angry to make judgment calls and punishments. Especially for leopards who don't usually break the rules."

[anita_blake]

"With them, it's more like kicking a sick puppy," she sighs. "I'll... try to wait next time."

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

"They aren't as sick or broken as they once were, Anita." Just because he usually doesn't say anything on or about the leopards doesn't mean he hasn't watched them when they've all been together. She's done a pretty good job of fixing most of them. "And good."

[anita_blake]

"You think Nathaniel is better than when they landed in my lap?" she asks. "If he is, I think it's Asher's doing, not mine. Not... well, not all of it."

She thinks it's more a joint effort, really, Asher picking up where Anita had refused to go.

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

"I know he's better than when you took over the Pard, Anita." He doesn't pay enough attention to know who was responsible or not, just that he's noticed that Nathaniel has been more independent recently.

[anita_blake]

Anita smiles at him.

"It's so strange how none of the shifters really spend any time with the others. Even with the Coalition, you're all separate."

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

Richard shrugs a shoulder, hands sliding up her legs a little. "Some of the customs are different between animals, which doesn't always help. Some are good friends despite difference of animal though." Jason had good friendships with Nathaniel and Liz.

[anita_blake]

Anita's thighs part a little as his hands inch higher.

"Our little group in Milliways seems to be very tight despite species differences."

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

Richard's hands will stop when they reach her waist.

"They also have the time outside of all the shit that hits the fan around here to be friends." Milliways seemed great for that.

[anita_blake]

Anita laughs softly, leaning down some, closer to his face.

"The shit does hit the fan often, doesn't it?"

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

"Way too often," Richard answers with a smile.

He shifts a little closer and leans up just enough to catch her mouth with his. "We should find a way to make sure that doesn't happen as often."

[anita_blake]

"After our little display for Musette, I somehow doubt that's going to happen any time soon," she murmurs, kissing him a little deeper.

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

One hand raises to cup the back of her neck, nipping her lower lip. "You never know," he murmurs.

A part of him is wondering if anyone has told Jean-Claude or Anita what Jason and Moon have told him. About the council coming. He's also not sure if now would be a good idea to spread that information or not. The weight of being unsure to tell her or not slides a little down the marks.

[anita_blake]

Anita pulls back, giving him a confused look.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asks. "Hazard of the marks being open, I know you're hiding something from me. What?"

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

He sits back with a sigh, hand trailing from her neck down her arm. "Not hiding, just not sure if you've heard."

His hand squeezes hers when it reaches that far. "I've been told the council is coming. Jason's time, so we've got a little time, but he's only what a couple months ahead of us?"

[anita_blake]

Anita stares at him, and she swears her heart stops for a moment.

"They're coming? Jason's time?"

This was not good.

"You mean... they're sending another proxy, right?"

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

Richard shakes his head, expression serious.

"No. They are. No proxies."

There's a pause before, "Jason said all of them."

[anita_blake]

Now Anita knows her heart stops.

She looks away from Richard. It's quite obvious that, no, she hadn't been told.

"How soon?" she asks, voice husky.

[puppyeyedulfric.livejournal.com]

"Not sure. Jason hasn't been through it yet, it's his and Liz's future." He wasn't given a time on this.

His hand squeezes hers, "Anita?" He wants to know what she's thinking without actually poking through the marks.