The other-other little white pill (Delilah)

[Jade Coswell]

"Well if you'd have just called me instead of thinking you were bothering me you wouldn't have wasted the money." Something indecipherable came back through the cell phone held to Jade's ear with her shoulder as she zipped up her worn corduroy backpack and waved a quick goodbye to someone leaving with a little paper baggie. "I only need a day or two worth of heads-up sweetheart. Just let me know by the night before and I'll get you sorted.... Yeah, he just left. Shouldn't be fifteen minutes. I know. Yeah it's fine. Eleanor, stop apologizing and get off the phone. Your brother should be back in fifteen minutes. Good. G'bye." The phone was placed quickly into the bag and Jade muttered to herself for a moment, brushing her hair back behind her shoulders.

She was simply strolling down the street.. taking in the sights.. people-watching. Something she did often as a way to limber up and get her blood flowing after she'd spent a while manipulating the growth of plants.. If she was pushing it, the all too often got numbness that started to spread from her toes and fingertips toward her core.. By the time it hit her shoulders or hips, she needed to stop, eat something, and go for a walk... and so she was. Wearing what she'd had on to do business. Beat up old jeans, flip-flops, and a loose tan shirt with 3/4 sleeves.. Very airy and light. Because busses were expensive to air condition and plants liked warmer temperatures anyway.

What was striking about Jade, as per usual, was her nearly neon green hair.. that literally stretched down past her waist. The same hair she'd had for.. more than twenty years now. Including every minute she'd been at Hammel.. Though, honestly, it had spent some time a little more ratty or dirty back then. People had been a little less tolerant or willing to turn the other cheek and ignore her. Back then, a statement as loud as green hair had required an equally loud one. Sometimes verbally, sometimes physical.. Clearly they'd gotten their point across. hah.

But now Jade's walk was aimless.. She'd only come this far into downtown to make a last-minute delivery for a client.. who's brother had met her halfway. She didn't want a coffee and didn't need food.. and so simply hung a left and continued walking, figuring she'd work her way over a few blocks before taking two more lefts and ending up back around where she'd started..

As Jade occasionally did when the scenery was less than stellar, she brought one of her arms up, tracing the vines that came all the way to her wrists with her other hand.. picturing the full back mural tattoo she had and where each of the vines met it and interacted and snaked throughout it.. It was a graffiti style mashup.. centerpiece being Gaia. Mother earth, goddess of fertility and life.. surrounded by all sorts of objects and symbols whose lines came together to look roughly like the branches and leaves of a massive tree.. Below them all, roots and vines covered her lower back, all twisting and writhing and actually looking surprisingly alive as she walked (if they were visible, anyway)..

To the person directly ahead of her, there was also a dark circular tattoo on her chest.. visible in the deep v-neck of the shirt she was currently wearing.. It was the much more simple representation of the worldtree.. But one would be lucky to even notice it below the brilliant green hair.. Of course, being that Jade was fairly preoccupied picturing the artwork that occupied her back, she wasn't paying much attention and likely wouldn't have noticed anyone walking towards her.. or calling for her.. or walking out of a building or alley directly into her path.

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah, per the usual, was skulking about downtown, making herself less than noticeable to someone who might throw a wrench into the cogs of her life. Her thick black hair was pulled over part of her face to help hide who she was. She had managed to actually put some make-up on today, which meant she was feeling better than she normally did. Black around her eyes, smudged to give them a sort of smokey look and a light base to help conceal the almost healed bruise under her right eye. She had been in a bar fight not long back and thanks to some jerk who didn't take lightly to some of the less than kinder words Delilah had for him, she now had to deal with this tender parting gift. Considering what he limped away with, then it was a fair trade off. As for today's choice of wear, Delilah wore her soft cotton gray tee with her favorite pair of jeans, which judging by the look of them had fought in a war. One knee was torn out and the fade in them suggested Delilah had possessed these jeans for several long and worn years. Her choice of sneaker was Converse, a left over trait from youth considering back in her day, Converse was what the less than middle class wore. Today they were a status symbol and that just reeked of irony.

Despite trying not to be noticed or seen, Delilah kept her head up, her eyes taking in everything around her. She missed nothing, even when she wasn't aware that she had even seen anything. Delilah possessed a wide assortment of skills, but none of them her own. Even her walk, the way she moved wasn't hers. She moved fluidly, strongly and if you really knew Delilah, then you knew that she was neither of those things. Delilah had been a broken doll since day one of her life and even though she had no memory of her life before Hammel, she was still far too fragile. Yeah, sure, she didn't come off as some meek little thing in public, the touch act was just a defense mechanism she had developed over the course of her life. She didn't allow anyone a chance to get too close to her out of fear of of abandonment or a greater fear of hurting them herself. However, there were a few who had broken down her walls here and there, a few who peaked her curiosity, but those were few and far between.

Delilah had been out trying to run down a new source for her addiction. Delilah had developed a need for painkillers early in life. Her ability caused her sever muscle and joint pain despite the ease as which she pulled off some moves. Hammel had tried several more safe methods of treatment for this ill side effect, but Delilah was reluctant to give up her vice. Drinking helped some, but only in massive amounts and thanks to her failure to find any 'trustworthy' dealers, Delilah was heading toward one of the many bars which littered downtown. She was using the backstreets and alleys as usual, but was coming out onto one of the main streets now. She wasn't move fast by any means, but seeing around corners wasn't an ability she had. Turning the corner of the alley sharply, Delilah nearly mowed down someone else out for a leisurely stroll. Thankfully, Delilah had copied enough dancers and acrobats in her life to give her the edge she needed to dodge the girl. Still, Delilah put her hands up just in case. "Whoa, sorry, I didn't see ya," she said casually, looking the girl over.

Delilah arched an eyebrow as soon as her gaze settled upon Jade's hair. Jade herself looked rather young to Delilah and she quickly noticed some of the other's tattoos as well. Delilah unknowingly touched her own tattoo, an elaborate work of twisting vines which began at the back of her hand and twisted their their way up her left arm. The green hair though was what sparked the explosion of memories in Delilah's mind. Whether it was a meta ability or a natural gift, Delilah possessed a photographic memory and with a bit of time could recall almost anything she had seen or heard. This sort of thing though, such as green hair, was something which lingered sort of to the front of Delilah's mind. Despite Jade's rather young looking appearance, she wasn't much younger than Delilah. The two had attended Hammel around the same time and just like now, Jade had the same green hair back then. Delilah had taken notice of Jade rather earlier in their youth. It would have been hard not to notice the girl. She didn't know much about the girl, save for the fact that she seemed to have had a knack for pissing people off back then.

Delilah snapped back to reality upon realizing she had probably been silently staring. "Sorry," she said smiling, shaking her head slightly, "The hair. I went to school with a girl who had green hair like that and judging from a face which looks not that much older than it was back then, I'd guess I'm face to face with the same girl," Delilah said, sure of her assumption. "I'm Delilah....Pryce. If I'm right, I think we were a couple years apart at the time," she added narrowing her eyes as she usually did when trying to recall something.

[Jade Coswell]

Jade stopped dead when Delilah had nearly blindsided her, blinking and looking with her eyes instead of turning her head.. taking in where she was, trying to figure out how long she'd been walking without actually having a clue where she'd been going. She'd been a little hazy when she'd started her trip, intentionally zoning out hadn't helped that much.

Her arm was still raised as she finally locked eyes with the girl who had almost run into her.. who apologized and seemed to stare for a moment longer than a random passer-by. She then apologized again, a look that Jade might be willing to call familiarity lightly tickling at her features. Oh, so it was her hair.. And.. yeah, an old classmate. From the looks of Delilah now, Jade thought she might have been someone she'd gotten along with. But people changed.. And.. really, at the time she hadn't needed much more than Rain could provide. He'd been her life and her sanctuary back then. Her partner in crime and misery. He'd been her first.. But now here Jade was likely staring a little too long, preoccupied once again.

Delilah, eh? Delilah Pryce... The girl seemed very faintly familiar, but then she'd likely aged a bit more appearance-wise than Jade had.. and if they'd been several years apart, it was likely that Jade had never even spoken to this girl. But at the same time, she didn't often indulge in believing that this sort of meeting was coincidence. Gaia may not work in direct ways very often, but she did often times influence paths.. to give one the necessary circumstance and opportunity to do what she wished.. Or at least that's how Jade had seen and understood things.

"Well, Delilah.. Thanks to your reflexes this is a much more pleasant reunion than it might have been. As far as I know I'm the only person that had greed hair back then, so you may well be right. Jade Coswell." She gave a nod and a very slight bow.

"I'm generally not a believer in coincidence, so forgive me if I sound more rude than blunt. Some people have a hard time distinguishing the two. Your posture, your hair, and your makeup say that you are hiding in some way or severely lacking in confidence in public.. and here you are confident enough to introduce yourself by name to someone you possibly have never spoken to before, so I doubt that's it. You don't look like a working girl, so I'd also bet that you aren't hiding from a pimp or handler.. You need a place to stay or something? Short on money? Bar tabs getting a little out of hand? What can I do for you, Delilah? It's likely as not that we ran into each other for a reason."

[Delilah Pryce]

Jade, the name sparked and fired inside Delilah's head, making connections here and there. More clear memories flashed about, shedding more light on the woman before her. The two of them hadn't spoken much back in their youth save for a few words in passing or during a shared class or two. Nothing to make them friends or even associates really, just two people sharing a moment here and there. Delilah did remember though that Jade had been a few scraps as a girl, enough to make Delilah take notice. Seemed she had tendency to be a smart ass, something Delilah liked.

Right now, what held Delilah was the forwardness of Jade. Nothing that shocked or upset Delilah, just something which amused her. The girl didn't beat around the bush, a trait which Delilah could respect. Sure, Delilah was a bit private about herself, but she wasn't going to go off like a cocked gun just because someone asked her some simple questions. Another thing which sort of impressed Delilah was Jade's observations. She picked up quickly and deduced just as quick. This meant she was intelligent and had to be somewhat level headed. Delilah sort of felt the fool for being this easy to read and mentally chastised herself for letting her guard down too easily. She used to be better at hiding herself, but apparently time in Pilot Ridge had dulled her a bit. "Your a quick study, I'll give ya that," she said, flexing the fingers of her right hand as the familiar pain pinged a little. With the recent deductions just made about her, Delilah tried to hide any look of discomfort from her face, a feat easily pulled off since she already looked a bit out of place.

It was with the small pang of pain, that what Jade had just said, that Delilah had begun to question the validity of Jade's train of thought. Delilah herself wasn't a religious girl by nature nor did she usually buy into the 'everything happens for a reason' theory. Right now though, Delilah was being forced to re-evaluate her beliefs. The lack to turn up anything in her search for a fix and the sudden run-in with Jade.....it was all too convenient. Delilah wasn't going to come out and ask Jade if she knew where she could score something, she didn't really know the girl from the next person on the street. However, with a sigh, Delilah was willing to let out a bit more than she was comfortable with. She glanced off and smiled a bit, shaking her head slightly before looking back to Jade. "Well, your a quick girl. There ain't many reasons why you skulk up and down alleys. Like ya said, I ain't a working girl, so that really only leaves one viable option. Ya think we nearly collide for a reason? Tell me then, did we meet after all these years for a reason?," Delilah asked, curious if this conversation was getting ready to head south and if so, she was ready to make herself scarce.

[Jade Coswell]

"Well obviously either I need something you have, or you need something I have.. and since I'm relatively sure that I only needed a walk and a chance for my food to digest, I'd wager that your need involves me more than mine involves you." A general read on someone wasn't too difficult.. Jade had traveled the country a while back.. all on the kindness of strangers. She was decent at reading people.. or at least at reading skin deep. On the surface Delilah gave the impression of someone who was both hiding and rather desperate for something.. Possibly something as plain as a distraction, possibly something that she didn't want to come right out and say.. like drugs.

But then the girl had just admitted that there weren't many reasons one would 'skulk up and down alleys'.. and she'd also confirmed that she wasn't looking to sell herself. Which really only left two options. Delilah was relatively desperate to stay out of the public eye, or she was hoping to come across some of the less pleasant characters in Pilot Ridge.. and given that she was having a conversation on a sidewalk in plain view of any passer-by, drugs seemed the likely reason. Delilah didn't seem submissive enough to be running from an abusive ex.. which Jade would put at the second most likely reason for a person to take the alleys over the streets.

"I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that you need some companionship.. and, forgive me if I'm wrong, a sponsor. You don't look particularly like an addict, but since you didn't blink when I asked about money or a place to stay, I can only guess you need a fix." She paused for a moment.. ready to attempt to dodge any fists that came at her.. Assuming they didn't, Jade would continue shortly. "I don't deal in pharmaceuticals, so I can't give you what I'm guessing you want.. But I do deal in the medicines that big pharma companies don't want you believing in.. and in most cases, that's what you need. So if I'm right, what's your poison? What are your symptoms? All of them. The real ones. I'm not a pain doctor, I'm a caregiver. Be honest and with any luck I can help you out."

If Delilah didn't start talking in a few moments, Jade would add, "Alternately, if you're uncomfortable discussing this here, we can find someplace more private." Wether she'd had to add the last bit in or not, Jade's look, posture, and aura would be one that exemplified the lack of BS. Because Jade wasn't BSing. She didn't mess around when it came to her plants.

[Delilah Pryce]

Jade was too good at reading Delilah so trying to BS her was out of the question. She was also a straight shooter, a trait Delilah was thankful for at the moment. She needed a straight answer as her body was beginning to betray her. Her joints were aching, her muscles feeling like they were being stretched to their limits. Her ability and lifestyle had taken their toll on her over the years. Delilah liked the fact she could copy other's physical trained skills, it was fun. She had skill for just about any problem. However, the drawback to said power was the strain it put on Delilah's body, a downside which was less fun.

Jade had hit the nail on the head and Delilah smiled, even chuckled a little when she did. Delilah made no attempt to stop Jade from continuing, she wasn't about to. It seemed Delilah had finally been dealt a fair hand here, so she kept her mouth shut so not as to screw up a good thing. Admitting she needed a fix, sort of always left a bitter taste in her mouth, but the truth was the truth. Delilah was a train wreck, even with the steps she was taking to make herself a bit better and to atone for the things she had done in life. Getting help for her addictions wasn't one of the steps she had been taking to better herself though, she just couldn't. The pain was horrible and no matter how strong she might have been, Delilah just couldn't beat that. Jade admitted she wasn't someone who could help her with what she exactly wanted, but that she did have something and Delilah knew what it was. She wasn't a stranger to Mary Jane, had known her before and rather enjoyed her company.

Clearing her throat, Delilah moved beside Jade, indicating they should take a walk while they talked. "Alright, you've more than peaked my interest Jade. I tell you what's wrong, you keep it to yourself okay? I'm not exactly big on trusting," Delilah said, taking a long deep breath. She had to give Jade some trust but letting out her problems wasn't easy. "You want it all, then here ya go. My ability, it comes with a lot of pain, I won't lie. I also suffer from depression and from what I've been told, I have some anger issues. And if ya really want to know why I like to use....I exactly don't like who I am," she said, not once looking at Jade, but watching the street around them. "You help me out, I'll consider it a personal favor, a marker if ya will. Ya need something less than legal done, then consider it done," Delilah said, glancing at Jade now, seeing if she showed any signs of disgust or rejection, "I'm giving ya a lot of trust here Jade and while it's outta need, it's still trust," Delilah added, looking away again and straight ahead.

[Jade Coswell]

So Delilah was choosing to be forthcoming.... Cool. It was hard to find someone who appreciated Jade's brand of getting shit done. This might work out better than she'd hoped. Chronic pain, depression, psychological trauma, arguable anxiety... Good, good.

Well, not good for Delilah, who had been living with these issues for an undetermined amount of time.. but good for her legally getting some help from Jade. "Alright, Delilah. Do you trust doctors? We're going to see one. Right now." And just like that, Jade would reach back and take Delilah's shoulder, spinning the girl around and wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "You are about to become one of my patients and we'll see if we can't wean you off of some of the things you're currently using that are anything but natural or good for you."

Four minutes later, the two would be seated in a small room at a free clinic two or three blocks away.. the doctor greeted Jade by name.. and without missing a beat, Jade explained all the problems that Delilah had told her about. The doctor, while remaining casual, did take Jade's words seriously.. and after Delilah's situation had been explained, nodded a few times. "Ordinarily I'd want to run a few tests.. see about some physical therapy.. but given the nature of the situation and the current less-than-legal treatments being implemented, I agree fully. Ms. Pryce, please follow the dosage and use instructions you receive from Ms. Coswell as accurately as possible, and report to her or myself any breaks from or additions to your prescription."

Three minutes later, they'd walk back out of the clinic.. Delilah another of Jade's official patients, Jade set up as her caretaker. They were headed out of downtown, Jade leading the way. "This relationship is official and state-recognized now. I'm your personal caretaker. You tell me your problems and I give you medicine. You promise to me that you will do your very best to stay the hell off of whatever meds or narcotics you've been taking, and I'll supply you with the best medicinal cannabis in the state of Vermont. You treat this like a game, and you can find someone else to help you. Are we clear?"

[Delilah Pryce]

"Doctors? No, no no...," Delilah sputtered out, but Jade wasn't really giving her a chance to argue. Apparently it was a rhetorical question. Trust in the medical community was a hilarious statement in Delilah's opinion. She didn't like doctors at all, save for one. Sean Neville had been one of the shrinks she was required to see several times on a weekly basis back when she had first arrived at Hammel. She wasn't happy back then either, but after a few visits with the man, Delilah began to like him a bit. Sean wasn't your normal doctor, he was a different breed entirely. He had genuine care for his patients. Sean didn't push, didn't pry where he wasn't welcome, but he did insist on making conversation. After a year of seeing Sean, Delilah had found trust in the man and sort of welcomed her sessions with him. After leaving Hammel, Delilah tried seeing other shrinks, but none of them measured up to the standards that Sean had inadvertently set. Sean was caring and forgiving of those around him, he didn't judge them. When Delilah had come to him a month or so ago to help her erase the memories of her past, Sean agreed. Even after Delilah had assaulted him during the MSAD fiasco, Sean still cared enough to help. He never once brought up their little altercation and Delilah had been silently grateful for that.

Delilah reluctantly went along with Jade though, she was still trying to wrap her head around current events. Jade said something about Delilah becoming one of 'her' patients. Well....okay. It was time to take a trip down the rabbit hole. Delilah let Jade lead her to the free clinic and even through some protest, Jade managed to drag Delilah inside. The place was sort of crowded, but hey, it was a free clinic. Delilah's anxiety began to raise its ugly head, causing Delilah to clench her fists. Luckily, it didn't take long to get Delilah and Jade into a small more private room, but the smaller size of the room didn't really help Delilah's anxiety either. She kept asking Jade when the doctor was coming and just when Delilah was about to start climbing the walls, one walked into the room. The man greeted Jade by name, something which added to the confusion of the moment. Just how many times had Jade done this? The doctor didn't put up much of a fuss and agreed with what Jade was proposing. He turned to Delilah causing her to jump some at his voice, a reaction left behind by long forgotten memories of her childhood. Delilah silently nodded in agreement to the doctor as he gave her a set of very specific instruction and then turned her over to Jade's care.

The two left the clinic, Delilah still not sure what had just happened. She had been in a state of confusion ever since Jade had spun her around and marched her to the clinic. Delilah was about a step behind Jade as the latter led them both out of downtown. Jade was laying down her own rules and expectations of Delilah. Had Delilah just inherited a new mother? She rubbed the back of her head, playing with her hair a bit as she tried to make some sense of the whirlwind. "Yeah, your the boss," Delilah said in response to Jade's question and then reached out taking the other girl by the shoulder, stopping her. "Okay, my turn. What the f**k just happened here? 'Cause all this sh*t just happened way too fast. Just who the hell are you?," Delilah asked, the look on her face clearly showing her confusion at the current set of events. Miracles didn't just fall out of the sky and in Delilah's experiences, no did anything for you unless they had something to gain. "More importantly, just what do 'you' get out of all this," Delilah asked pulling a pack of cigarettes from her back pocket. She managed to free a badly crumpled cigarette from the package and held the package out to Jade, seeing if she wanted one or not.

[Jade Coswell]

Yeah.. Delilah wasn't the first person Jade had dragged through this process too fast for their inevitably cold feet had screwed it up. And just as she'd hoped, it wasn't until after the fact that the girl was stopping and demanding to know what the hell was going on.

So when she did, Jade allowed herself to be easily spun to face her, a bit of a satisfied grin stuck on her face even through Delilah's language and accusative tone. "What happened was that you were just approved for your green card.. and you were made my official charge in that regard. Meaning that you can legally partake in the consumption of cannabis and have a given amount on your person at any time without legal repercussion. I'm Jade. Jade Coswell. One of Vermont's first and quite likely still it's best medicinal marijuana cultivator.. caregiver to dozens in Pilot Ridge.. and now to you as well.

"I get to deal a blow to local drug dealers, to big pharmacy, and I get the opportunity to hopefully educate and help someone who looked like she was in need of some help." Jade's tone was matter-of-fact and calm.. Like she'd had this conversation before. She waved off Delilah's offered cigarette and shifted slightly, rotating her shoulders and waiting for the girl to light it before continuing. "Now as for your next question, 'where are we going?'.. My place. You were crawling the alleys for drugs.. I very much want to test your tolerance to my medicine so that I can gauge how much I'll need to provide you with to keep your symptoms in check. That, and you were basically jumpy enough in that clinic that I'd be willing to call you claustrophobic or with some worse experiences than I care to guess at in your past, so I figured you might feel safer in what is a safe and welcoming place. Mine."

She turned and glanced in the direction they'd been heading before Delilah had stopped them. "It's only a fifteen or so minute walk.. But no tobacco use inside, so you should get your nic fix on the way. --Oh, and if you're concerned about paying me.. You can help me with harvesting and trimming once or twice a week.. Three or four hours a day. If not, well, good thing I'm investing more time than money into your medicine."

Whether Delilah was silent or retorting, Jade would try to usher her into walking as they did or didn't talk.. Not that she was in a big hurry, but the sooner she could get Delilah home, the sooner she could prove that what she was saying was true.. and the sooner she could get back to growing.. and the sooner she could find out how effective her medicine was for Delilah and how much she would need to add to her weekly rotation.

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah found Jade's apparent tolerance for hot headed jerks different, but welcomed that tolerance as she wasn't the easiest person to put up with. Delilah also took note of Jade's tone and how quickly she responded to the questions Delilah was asking. This wasn't Jade's first rodeo. Delilah stood there, silent as Jade answered and found her straight forwardness a welcome change of pace from the tip toeing around that other people did. If this had been the old Delilah, she might have mistook Jade's kindness for pity and pity left a bitter taste in her mouth. Since the intervention by Dr. Neville however, Delilah's personality had changed a little bit in a more positive direction. Seeing as how Delilah no longer had any memory of her childhood or anything before Hammel, her personality had no choice but to change. All those things from her childhood which made her angry, insecure, and ungrateful had a large influence on Delilah's former self and personality. With those dark memories gone, her personality had no reason for all that hate or fear. Not to say that she was a saint now, but just less hateful. She still had all the memories of her life at Hammel and her life up till now. She had worked for some really...well for lack of a better word, evil people and some of that darkness had spilled into her. Delilah was working on making herself a better person now though, mainly because without the emotions that her forgotten childhood had worked, she now had a minor conscience.

After Jade waved off the offered cigarette, Delilah put the crumpled pack back into her back pocket. In its place she removed a lighter and lit the crumpled and bent cigarette between her lips. She took a long draw as she put the lighter away and showed Jade a bit of respect by making sure to blow the smoke away from her. Normally Delilah wouldn't have cared if she drowned someone in smoke, but Jade had earned a good portion of respect from her. While Delilah hadn't said it out loud to Jade, she was this quite thankful for what Jade had and was doing for her. There hadn't been many people in Delilah's life who had taken time for her like this or more importantly, taken the time to care. Pilot Ridge seemed to be a magical place for Delilah though as it was here were she found the people who had cared for her the most. Dr. Neville, Sahkmet, Angie, and now Jade, these were just some to name a few.

Delilah looked in the direction Jade was indicating and had been walking. She gave Jade a slight nod of her head indicating for them to continue on. Delilah took Jade's instruction about getting her nicotine fix and continued to smoke her cigarette. "Sorry if I don't seem like I appreciate your effort," Delilah said as smoke rolled from her mouth, "I do though. I can pay you, that's not a problem, I've got some cash tucked away. I wouldn't mind if I could still do some work for ya though," she said glancing at Jade to gauge her reaction, "I need to get outta the house a bit. All that sitting around by myself really plays hell with my mind," she added, flicking her finished cigarette to the side.

[Jade Coswell]

If Jade had been a telepath, she'd have likely thought something in regards to how it spoke of the human race that wanting a little better for another human being that seemed willing to accept help made someone feel as though you really cared for them. Seriously, the world was a pretty shit place if doing this.. something Jade would very much hope that anyone in her position would do for her if she weren't in the position she were in.. was a stunning act of compassion... But she wasn't a telepath.. and she wouldn't have mentioned it even if she were. It was easy enough to read the continuously surprised girl's expression.. She clearly wasn't used to being pleasantly surprised.. and as much as it was sad that something that was, all in all, such a small thing made her feel genuine gratitude or warmth, it was also a look Jade wouldn't get tired of. This was, after all, a reasonable part of the reason she was willing to do this for people and not request money in return.

When the two continued at Delilah's nod, Jade shook her hear lightly with a grin despite herself. "I wouldn't accuse you of such a thing. People show appreciation in very different ways. Some with trust, some with money, some with time, some with praise. You, I think, show it with trust.. I can only imagine that you've come to the very reasonable conclusion that when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.. but I'd also wager that what you believe is 'too good' is skewed by your past and your present. What I'm doing here isn't 'good'.. It's common decency. If you weren't appreciative, didn't put a little faith in me, you likely know the alleys better than I ever will and could have gotten away from be several times over by now.

"Don't feel like you need to conform to societal norms or storybook definitions with me, Delilah. If you appreciate what I hope to do, you'll be honest with me and you will put in effort to listen, learn, and kick your old habits. I don't expect anything more than that and I won't ask for it, because it would piss me off if someone offered me help, then tried to make a buck off of me. If you can pay, that's fine. If you'd like to help me out as your schedule permits, that's great. I don't get overly lonely, but my plants aren't very good at conversation."

Soon enough, though, they'd arrive at the property Jade's bus was parked on.. There was a concrete and stone fence that surrounded what seemed to be a fairly large lot... to the left, a house.. to the right, a bus and several shipping containers. Jade headed to the right.. and climbed right onto the bus.

If Delilah followed her, she'd step inside to the pleasant skunky aroma of marijuana and to a blast of clean, oxygenated air.. In place of the driver's seat and steering wheel was a huge 200 gallon water tank, and the first 2/3s of the bus were devoted to single or multi-tier planter boxes.. On the right hand side there were fruits, vegetables, peppers, potatoes, and the occasional beautiful flower.. On the left side, marijuana plants... Some were tiny and hardly more than seedlings or fresh clones, others were touching the roof of the bus with their size.. Past the planters, there appeared to be a full bed nestled in the back of the bus.. it's platform was waist high and had drawers in it's sides.. before it there was a small stove and sink.. a desk and chair with a mini-fridge beneath it.. built into the bed's platform was also short shelf full of books.. There was no TV here, though there was a laptop on the desk collecting dust and a small radio that looked like it got much more use. The whole bus, though, had curtains covering the windows and was covered in a light almost-grey wood.. It was.. notably nice inside, even if it was about 80 degrees.

"This is my home. You get the same rules as anyone else. Provided you don't intentionally break anything or steal from me, you are welcome here. If things get any kind of intimate, I need to know when your last STD check was, the outcome, and how many partners you've had since. If you are hungry we can make food, if you are lonely we can talk, and if you are open-minded there are no limits to what we can talk about. You can stay here for as long as you need, as often as you need. ...Any questions?"

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah had to admit, Jade was growing on her. The woman was genuine and so far showed no sign of wanting anything in return for her kindness, other than respect. Delilah felt she could offer Jade the respect she asked for, it wasn't a foreign a concept. Delilah was finding it easier to be a bit more gentler on those around her, thanks to Sean and a few others in Pilot Ridge. It was hard to accept kindness seeing how Delilah had never really known such a thing. Sure, her foster parents were kind to her after her release from the crazy house, but she suspected it was more out of pity than anything else. Sean though, had been kind every step of the way with her, something no man in her life had ever done. The others she had encountered in her return to Pilot Ridge had surprised her. Sahkmet, Hoshi, and Angie had all took Delilah at face value. They treated her like a human being just as Jade was doing now. Delilah's view of the world was being forcibly changed and for the better. She wanted to be a better person now and it seemed the universe or some higher power was finally dealing her a fair hand.

As she and Jade walked, Delilah listened to what Jade had to say and offer. It was all a fair deal, one Delilah could honor. Jade was a confidant now and as such she had Delilah's favor. Delilah had lied and cheated her entire life but she held to one creed through it all. Honor your contracts. The work she had done for some less than reputable people required she remain true to what she was being paid to do. Breaking her word with those said people would have resulted in her death or sudden disappearance from the world as those people often referred to it. Delilah wasn't a hired hand of that manner any more, but she still held true to that one conviction. Jade had stuck her neck out for Delilah and so that act demanded payment. Delilah's discretion and her trust was the payment she chose to give Jade. Delilah owed Jade and while Jade might not understand that debt, Delilah would be always be there to do whatever was needed. It was similar to the debt she owed Sean Neville. The man would probably never call in that marker, but it was always on the table if he so needed.

The place where Jade led her wasn't overly special and pretty much what Delilah expected...on the outside. Once she entered the van in the driveway, Delilah's eyes went wide. Jade was a serious grower. "I've found the promised land," Delilah muttered to herself as she stared at the plants growing inside the van. "I have a debt to repay Jade, I can't steal from ya," Delilah said looking to Jade with a slight smile as the other woman laid down some more ground rules. The woman was blunt with her words, which is why the intimate part sort of hit Delilah hard. She wasn't a prude by any means, she just wasn't used to someone being so open like this. Intimacy wasn't absent from Delilah's mind, Jade was attractive after all. Delilah had just been wrapped up in everything that was happening. Now, with the subject thrown out there like this, she paused a moment to give some thought. "Contrary to popular belief, I don't just go throwin' this all over town," she said making a motion with her hand to indicate her body, "After Hoshi and I were done with each other, I got myself tested. I'm cleaner than the pastor's wife on Sunday," she said with a smile, "and yes, Hoshi was my last partner.....several, several months ago," she added with a defeated sigh. "If you and I do get intimate, then I want ya to know up front, it won't be anything more than just physical with me. I don't do well with emotional ties," she said, dropping her smile into a nervous sort of one.

[Jade Coswell]

Jade allowed Delilah to finish explaining, reacting with a small grin of her own. "I can assure you, Delilah.. My rules are only rules. Not demands, not requests, not suggestions. I would never accuse you or anyone of stealing from me without evidence, and I do not expect intimacy anywhere past a caregiver-patient relationship. Trust can be a fairly intimate thing all on it's own. I am not claiming that I am or am not attracted to you and I wouldn't dare assume which team you bat for, let alone how often you pitch.. but things happen. Sometimes things happen quickly and without warning, and in those cases it is important to know up front that things can happen safely." She paused.. considering her wording and just how much information she aught to throw at Delilah on their first day of this relationship, and decided with a shrug that if Delilah had been so open, Jade herself aught to be about as open in return.

"I lived several years on the road with no income.. hitchhiking, exploring, and occasionally having to resort to less-than-savory methods to ensure I slept indoors or got out of a bad neighborhood. I'm not above 'just physical' or 'just because' when the time and person are right.. and being as.. 'open' as I am with things, I'm not above being convinced that the time and person are right, either. My rules in my home are the same rules that kept me reasonably safe while I was traveling. That time did a great deal to make me who I am, so it seems a little silly to change the rules when they've worked damn decently for my whole life. I said you got the same rules as anyone else.. and part of that is the unspoken one that I don't rule anything out without due cause. I just do my best to make sure things are as safe as they can be. To this day I am disease free and alive.. so the rules seem to keep things safe enough."

..That pretty much covered it.. Enough information for understanding, at least. Jade walked backwards through her bus-home and hopped up to sit cross-legged on her bed, reaching down to one of the shelves below it and withdrawing a very old-looking and ornately carved box as she'd gestured to the chair.. If Delilah had followed and perhaps sat down, she would be blasted almost immediately by the smell of some unreasonably potent medicine.. Jade staring down at what was no doubt a bunch of cannabis in the box and seeming to deliberate.

"Alright.. If you were looking for a fix.. I need to know what you've been on, how much, and for how long. I also need to know your symptoms.. be as detailed as you can. Everything. Digestion issues, nausea, joint or muscle pain, chronic aches and pains, withdrawal symptoms, headaches, arthritis, inflammation, depression, anxiety.. Even little things that you're willing to live with like skin irritation or pain from old wounds. Some of my girls work wonders on some things and not at all on others. Some methods of intake or application work best for certain issues. Be as long-winded as you need to be. I want to help solve as many of the problems you've been having as I can, and I can only do that if I know about as many of them as you can possibly tell me about."

[Delilah Pryce]

Jade was pretty forthcoming about who she was and some of the things she had done in her past. The woman was comfortable with her life, something Delilah was not. Delilah hated herself when it came down to brass tacks. She had been a cruel and malicious woman in the past. She left misery in her wake, sorrow in her footsteps. The things she had done were near unforgivable. She wasn't sure what made her that way, thanks to Sean Neville. Delilah remembered nothing of childhood, just Hammel. She knew some of the things which transpired just before Hammel, but only because she read them in a file. All Delilah knew was that something really bad must have happened to her if she contracted someone like Sean to erase her memories. She didn't push to remember, she didn't want to.

Delilah would play her relationship with Jade by ear. Things could go either way with her. As of now, Delilah enjoyed Jade's company for a few reasons. The woman had something Delilah needed, she had went out of her way to become a caregiver of sorts, and she was rather attractive. Her green eyes and hair pulled at Delilah, mostly because it was out of the ordinary. Delilah was an odd bird and as such, she liked odd things.

She watched Jade as the other backed slowly toward the back of the van, taking a seat on her bed. Yeah sure, some thoughts went through Delilah's head, but she pushed them slightly to the side. She took the offered seat next to Jade, looking intently at the odd box she pulled from underneath the bed. Delilah knew what was going to be inside it before Jade ever opened it, this wasn't her first rodeo. The smell which escaped from the box was divine, causing Delilah to inhale deeply, smiling in the process. Jade had some great......'product'. "I should 'ave found ya sooner," Delilah said, letting her accent slip through a bit more than usual. It happened when she was relaxed, comfortable with her surroundings. She caught her slip up and laughed a little, shaking her head, "Sorry, I tend to slip up on the accent every now and again," she said knowing that some people found it amusing. Jade had said she traveled a lot and so Delilah expected no judgment from her.

Jade wanted to know more of Delilah's problems and the things she had done to ease them. Delilah wasn't sure if Jade was ready for it, but she needed to know, so Delilah sighed and cleared her throat. "Alright then, ya want the facts then here ya go. I'm a muscle mimic, assumed muscle memory ya want to get all fancy about it. Pain comes with the territory. Severe and permanent joint pain from dislocations, torn tendons, and a gunshot wound to the right shoulder. Best ya don't delve too deep there," Delilah said with a wink at the last part, "Anxiety and depression to the point of almost being bipolar, or so that's what my file said from the crazy house. Yeah, I spent some time in one right before Hammel and no I can't talk about it," she went on with a deep sigh as her brain went into overdrive a bit, "As for what I've took...been addicted to....well mostly any sort of painkillers and any sort of downers. No needles though, I'm not that self destructive. I've got enough pain to deal with without jabbing needles into my arms," she said, running her fingers through her hair, hoping Jade would be satisfied enough with this forthcoming information. If not, then Delilah would have to delve a bit deeper, but she only had so far to dig.

[Jade Coswell]

((Ugh, sorry dude. Jademuse apparently got a little overworked and I got a little distracted. If you're over this thread, PM me here on on chatango.))

"Accents and whether or not a person chooses to hide or use them just tell a little more about them. I won't laugh, but I can also promise not to get irritated. Speak how you wish to speak, Delilah."

Muscle mimicry. Pretty common set of side-effects usually.. Muscular and joint pain, arthritis, inflammation, sometimes cartilage issues or bone density issues or chronic cramps and soreness.. Delilah confirmed at least the pain bit and went on to admit to a few other forms of chronic pain. Jade wouldn't delve, but if Delilah later wanted to share, she would listen. Anxiety and depression were fairly common problems.. it was impossible to judge the severity of them in such a brief conversation or without being involved during the worst episodes, and such things were always subjective, but they were nothing Jade couldn't help with at least to a degree. Worst case scenario, she did know a few psychologists she could refer Delilah to if she was willing to meet with them. Time in an institution wasn't something Jade would have guessed, but she didn't even raise an eyebrow, only nodded like she had with the pain symptoms. No need to talk about it.. Jade wasn't going to ask.

No needles.. which was good.. but narcotics in pill form were apparently on the menu most days.. Which made sense, given the pain symptoms.. Downers also made sense given the anxiety and depression. Jade let out a sigh of her own and placed her chin on a closed fist for a moment, glancing back and forth through the box on her lap, furrowing her brow in concentration.

"Alright. That should at least be enough to get us started. I can't guarantee that I will have what you need to get off of worse alternatives effortlessly, but I do promise to do my best to provide you with what you need to quit or severely reduce your intake." As she spoke, Jade pulled a spectacularly clean short metal cylinder from the box and took little buds from several plants, putting them in the little cylinder, closing it, and beginning to twist it back and forth. It was a stainless steel grinder, of course.. One that she used for preliminary testing with patients like right now. Small batch. She had a much larger grinder for patients who needed larger supplies. In a few moments, she opened the grinder again and peered into it before pulling out a rolling paper and expertly rolling a joint, holding it up to scrutinize. It was on the small side, but then this was only testing, after all.

She held it out to Delilah with a straight face. "Five strains here. Three are heavy indica and should do quite a bit to help with chronic pain. One is my favorite for joint pain, one is my favorite for arthritis, the last is my favorite for keeping one's body calm. Helps with hyperactivity and can help quite a bit with anxiety because it's easier to avoid panicking when your heart isn't racing and your blood pressure isn't through the roof. That one's mostly to help combat any chance that you react negatively to being high. I don't know your experience level, or what grade of medicine you are experienced with. The other two are heavy and pure sativa. I find they do wonders for anxiety. The first seems to put patients at ease, and the second .. I would describe it as 'relieves pressure on your mind'. Feels like thoughts are lighter and easier to accept or dismiss.. Though CBD does that all on it's own."

When Delilah took the offering, Jade would close the box and set it beside her. "Two of them are talky strains, one is a sleepy strain, and the other two are chill strains. That is a very meditative blend, if you will. Before you light up, though, I want you to think and concentrate on what hurts and how much, what's going on in your head as far as anxiety or depression is concerned, and I want you to give yourself a rating overall of how you feel on a scale of one to ten.. Then go ahead, pace yourself, I'll observe as you try to remain conscious of what changes and how much and we can adjust your formula until we've found the best compromise. I am especially interested in what you feel gets more relief than other things. These are all high-CBD low-THC strains so that shouldn't be enough to get you stoned if you have any tolerance at all. If that's what you need, there's a different box. Right now we're just seeing what works for you."

And true to her words, when Delilah lit up and started smoking, Jade's eyes were on her like she was a mouse and Jade was a hawk. Looking for changes in posture, expression, and other little ques that would help Jade to understand what Delilah's experience consisted of.