Parking Lot

[Cora Hendricks]

Cora stood at the bench by the parking lot, eyeballing the cars to see if any of them was her mom's car. Coming up empty, still, she sat herself on the chipped bench with her suitcase between her legs. Excitement boiled in her veins. I'm going home! she squealed to herself. "Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays!" she hummed, fancying each car that drove by. She watched a red one slow. Cora cocked her head but soon realized that her uncle and aunt, who had recently moved nearby, would be flying with her back to Vermont. The gay feeling she nursed was fogging her senses!
"Sweet Pea!" Aunt Ginger's voice cooed.
Cora smiled and bounded over to the car. "Aunt Ginger, Uncle Donald! It's so amazing to see y'all again!"
"Indeed it is, Cora!" Uncle Donald smiled and gestured to the backseat. Our suitcases are in the trunk, but you can squeeze your bag and carry-on in there, I warrant."
Cora swiftly piled her things into the car and climbed in, shutting the door and waving to Oceanside. She would miss it, no doubt. But the happiness she felt with her family was impossible to ignore. "Thank you, Uncle Donald. How are you faring?" Cora asked as they pulled onto the road. Next stop, Vermont! Cora mused while talking to her family.

[Cora Hendricks]

Cora brought her knees to her chest, setting her chin on the crater that cradled the gap. She admired the fabric; each stitch a little different from the next, she noted. Cora's aimless thoughts were only used to occupy herself while she waited impatiently for her relatives to get to Oceanside.
"Jingle Bells" rang out over the radio, and her aunt made a pitiful attempt to sing well. The glass looked as though it was going to break, however. Her uncle flipped off the radio feverishly to protect himself from the impending doom that also threatened Cora. And, quite frankly, Cora, did not in the least wish to be deaf. The thought amused Cora thoroughly.
But the anxiety she felt was inevitable. She yearned to be back at Oceanside. In all honesty, she loved her parents dearly. She loved them so sincerely that they ought to be in pieces because she squeezes them so hard. It's a wonder that they aren't. But Cora also was vexed by some of her relatives. While her parents, her grandparents, her uncle and aunt before her, and her cousins were fine, she had an aunt that she worked desperately not to kill. The whole family wished to do the same thing.
This woman has a bitchy side, but also a side that is an exasperating, nosy, busybody that liked to claw at the nerves of her relatives. Cora had gotten particularly frustrated when her aunt, Harriet, kept insisting that she had a boyfriend and it would be hideously horrible if she didn't. Cora, her disfavor for her aunt incurred long before, grew as Cora painstakingly reminded Aunt Harriet that boys were not needed to make one happy. Aunt Harriet disagreed saying that, even though she was a lesbian, the only reason she wasn't with someone was because of work. Cora then dropped the topic, deeming it petty, and went to work with her mom in the kitchen.
The car rumbled into the parking lot. Cora's heart leaped. She quickly bade her family goodbye and dragged her suitcase from the car. She waved frantically and ran over to her dorm as fast as she possibly could.

[Lyra ♫♪ Calnote]

"I'm a senior I don't need to do any work!" Lyra said in a sing song voice as she reclined in the seat, her feet propped up on the steering wheel. She closed her eyes as she relaxed in her car. Music was playing and the heater was going. She reminded herself to turn it off soon so her battery wouldn't die. That would suck if it did. Oh well, she would just tell Tobias to bring his truck near her (although they parked next to each other) and they would do that weird engine-thingie that both of them were unsure how to do. Ah, the pleasures of being an informative teenager.

[Carson Andres]

Carson yawned as she stepped out of the rental car. Grumbling, she circled around to the back hatch, flung it open, and grabbed out her suitcases, tossing them recklessly down onto the pavement. She daubed beads of sweat from her forehead as she worked. Would've been a smart idea to change before getting here... She thought to herself, looking down at her hoodie, which concealed a long-sleeved jersey, and her Tripp cargos. Carson hastily ripped off the sweatshirt, tossing it down on top of her bags. Her hair was now a mess, but she'd comb it once she got back to her dorm. Her mother eyed her wearily from just a few feet away from the left side of the car. As Carson gathered her things, her mother moved closer, and when Carson stood, she embraced her.
"I sure will miss my baby girl!" she sobbed.
"Mom, I'll see you spring break. If not, I'm coming home the first week of summer, remember?" Carson groaned.
Her mother stepped back. "Well, that's far off..." She sighed. "It sure was nice having you home for the holidays..."
Carson gave her a small smile. "Love you mom." She muttered.
"Love you too, sweetheart."


Carson tugged her luggage along behind her. In a way it was nice to be back in Oceanside, but she was beginning to long for the ever familiar essence of Portland already.

[Hana Chung-Erins]

"Fak..." Hana cursed as she covered a yawn with her hand. Oops, silly accent slipping. That wouldn't happen again. She dillydallied about as she waited for a supposed 'messenger' of sorts. Something of urgent news. She wasn't exactly paying attention when she received the call the other night. Considering the circumstances of her against some minor gang thugs trying to make it big. Didn't take much effort to take them down or the stash they were carrying, which she would give to her usual contact later as a gift for his... services From the way those idiots were behaving it must be some good crystal. Hana didn't bother taking whatever else they had, it was of no good to her anyway.

The sun was now glaring down on her and she was growing impatient. Where the hell was this courier of theirs supposed to be?! Normally she wouldn't even have given them the time of day but... she was curious. If anything, she could just kill the guy and dump him into the ocean if the news wasn't as juicy as it was made out to be. It had been years since she heard from them. Almost her entire life, basically, and the fact they had actually found out where she was and that they knew how she had held herself together this entire time was impressive to her. Somehow they even knew of her nickname in the criminal underworld, then again, when she really thought about it, it wouldn't be hard to hear of that nickname... "The Demon" really...

Shrugging it off, she finally saw that in the distance, a honky-dory piece of junk car was chugging along the way. Was that him? Seriously? Fuckin' bullshit. But at the same time she wasn't expecting red carpet to just be laid before her. Tapping her foot, irritated, her gaze followed the tiny car as it rounded the corner and entered the parking lot. Her stance was stiff, arms folded and legs shoulder length apart. Surely the courier knew that with the wrong move she wouldn't hesitate to take him out.

SLAM! The door was open and shut just as hard. Strange man, the girl thought, normal clothes and looks like he has a small limp. She had surely never met him, and yet he seemed so familiar at the same time. He waved in a friendly manner to her while she just nodded in acknowledgement. Staggering over, he pulled off the sunglasses and extended his hand. That's when it hit her, it was her favorite client's right-hand man, but what in the world was he doing here?

"Gustav!" She said happily, or as happily as she could, welcoming him with open arms. He gladly took the abnormally warm-hearted welcome from the steel girl and hugged her, she in return hugged him back lightly with those 'pity' pats on his back. "What are you doing here? Of all places." Bing! Idea! "Have you seen someone else try to make their way here? Some courier guy was supposed to deliver me a message or something."

"Oh... that courier, would be me, Madam Hanah," he said, his slight Russian accent poking out from his deep voice.

"What?" That's all the girl could manage to let out. Just... her confusion was over levels of 9000, like seriously, Gustav was a trusted man, yes, but he was nowhere near being demoted to 'courier' level. "Well... well then lets have it." Hana added hastily. Never show that you don't know what's going on, but Gustav was... nice. Understanding. He probably knew that he'd be delivering a shock to her just from being the courier.

"I vill be blunt." He said, straightening out his jacket. God, did it feel weird to see him so dressed down. "Yur parents ahr looking for yu." What? Come again? "They tried to contact Volkov--" Oh good ol' Volkov, he always gave her the bloodiest (and the most fun) of jobs, "-- but ov course he would not see him." Him? "Yur fahther." MY WHAT? "Yes, I know, none ov us could havv seen this coming, but he ecktsplain the situation. Yur parents want to see yu one last time before mother's death. She is very sick and wish to see you... want to make up for your leavv."

As amusing as his accent was, she was still in shock. Some of his words began to be lost as she melted into her own psyche. What were they doing trying to contact her through one of the most powerful gang leaders of the criminal underworld?! Was her father insane! That stupid man! She felt a jolt of electricity run down her spine. Was it nervousness? Fear? No, it couldn't be fear, could it? It was care. She still cared. NO. It can't be! Hana threw away any feelings she had for those bastards when she left the lab! Her parents, after all these years, finally decided that NOW would be the best time to explain things.

Her hand landed on Gustav's shoulder, she could feel him tense up. That was fear, or astonishment. Hana didn't normally touch other people so casually. "G-Gustav. I think you've explained enough. Just give me the time, place, and date my father wants to meet." The end of the week around ten for 'a cup of coffee' at Pier View Coffee. She took in this information and let it soak. The girl who was lost in the world for so long due to the fact her own parents would have to experiment on her would finally be seeing her father after so many years... She dismissed Gustav, a kind look in her eyes. The man bowed and made his way back to his car and drove off, the little car sputtering about as it went.

Hana had a lot of preparation and thinking to do before this Saturday.