{Just Home}-Ash?

[{J I S A}]

Jisanna Elizabeth Taylor

Jisa unlocked the door to her house and stepped in out of the cold weather. Warmth enveloped her instantly and she sighed. The house was silent, quiet- frozen in time. Weak sunlight filtered through the windows, casting a golden glow into the motionless house. Quietly, Jisa rested her keys on the entrance counter and walked into the warm living room. Time seemed to stop. A small, worn, gold frame sat on the shelf above the fireplace. Four smiling faces stared out at her, each wearing their own trademark happiness clear to see. Jisa reached out and stroked the edges of the frame. What she wouldn't give... but that was hopeless talk. Her eyes only saw three people, her sister Desirae- short black hair and endless brown eyes; the sweetest, most innocent smile you'd ever seen. Her mother Janine, a tall, tan beauty; just as focused and determined as Jisa herself. Her father Derek, dark and strong; the most gentle, laid back man she had ever known.
Nineteen.
Six years and no way out of the tiring cycle, well almost six- just one day left. Something was going to go wrong. It always did. Jisa's hand fell to her side. She stroked some stray strands of hair out of her face and sighed. What to do? Jisa couldn't kid herself anymore, her life was never going to be human- not when she was helping a young Shifter come to terms with herself. Not when her vampire boyfriend was back after what seemed so long. What to do with Ace? Anything besides work seemed to tiring to handle, especially with people. Relationships brought emotion, and that was not welcome. Her mind switched over to another point- then what about Adam? The Shifter boy who had kissed her without warning. Huh, her life was more messed up than it seemed at first. Jisa sat down on the couch, leaning on her elbow. God- too many other things to think about. Things that she'd rather not think about. So much needing to be figured out, and not enough time and brain power.
It can sort itself out.
Jisa's easily angered side yelled at her. She didn't have the willpower to fight it, so it would have to figure itself out. Maybe some decisions were best solved at the moment- but Jisa was too world-weary. If it were to kill her, so be it.

[RacingBelle]

Walking down the side walk, sticking to the shadows as it was a habit now, I followed the familiar shifter scent. It was Jisa's, of course, or at least I hoped it was. It was tempting to go trotting down the street as a horse but that was a very bad idea. Though the streets looked empty they may not be. Nothing is as it seems. I read that in a book one day, though I forgot which one.

There. That was Jisa's house a nice normal place, or it looked normal to me. After all I had lived in one of these three storied big houses when I lived with 'those people'. I wondered if 'those people' were even looking for me. I pushed those thoughts away quickly. No need to stray into the did and done parts of your life. Focus on the now. that's the way it had to be. I walked slowly cautiously to the front door. I opened it, finding that it was opened.

"Jisa", I called out loud and clear closing the door behind me. Warmth enveloped me and I sigh softly. Silence was bliss.

[{J I S A}]

The front door swept along the floor almost silently, but of course Jisa's Shifter hearing caught it easily. Oh yeah, the door; note to self: Shut and lock the door next time. Instantly, the shifter was on her feet. It could have been the EF, or some other person who wanted to kill Jisa. However, it wasn't- and so it was a good thing that the black haired Shifter didn't react first and think later. Ash's almost-familiar voice called Jisa's name. Jisa relaxed visibly, all thoughts of decisions and her family vanished. That was better. Rearranging her saddened face into that of her normal determination. Jisa exited the living room and shut the double doors into it behind her. In her entryway, stood Ash. The horse Shifter that Jisa had helped out a little. Ugh, since when had she become such a good person? Training her eyes on Ash, Jisa leaned to one side and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hey Ash, what's up?"

Sometimes it was just so hard to carry out normal conversations- especially when nothing about your life was normal. Go figure.

[RacingBelle]

Shoot knock you idiot. I keep messing up around Jisa. Good thing she didn't attack me or I might not be living right now. Mental head bang.

"Hey Jisa. Nothing much the usual if you can call it that. Sorry about that lost in my thoughts again I suppose." I gestured to the door. Now what? Casual greeting check so... I looked around. The home looked normal like any other home. Picture there, couch, rugs...yup normal house. I wonder if that picture over there was her family. Probably.

[{J I S A}]

Ash seemed unsure of what to do. Jisa searched the young girl with her eyes, making a quick scan over for weapons. What? Yes, the girl was allowed to live with Jisa of all things but, hello, Jisa didn't trust that easily. No weapons that she could pick out, so Jisa relaxed further. Fine, Ash was good. Believing that anyone was simply good was a hard thing to do, but it didn't matter. Jisa would have to learn to trust a little more. Who knew? Maybe it would even be good for her. Giving a terse nod, Jisa gestured to her house.

"That's fine. This is obviously my house. It's not the easiest thing to maneuver around, but basically down one is the basement, there's nothing much down there."

Jisa was obviously ignoring the fact that Ash had intruded on her own home. Something inside her was screaming at her that it was not the time to be letting people into her house- especially with tomorrow's probable events. Stubbornly, Jisa shrugged those feelings off.

"Up one are the bedrooms, there's five so choose whichever one- besides the one at the end of the hallway."

That one was obviously Jisa's, in all its plain glory. Jisa thought about the upper level, what she called the attic, it was basically another spare room. It had been used as a dining room when too many guests were coming to fit down in the kitchen. It had been transformed into a sort of apartment on its own now, just without the kitchen.

"And the attic is like an apartment, you can have that if you want."

After all, Jisa couldn't care less. She preferred lower levels, second story was okay for jumping out of windows to get away easily, but ground level was too dangerous to be sleeping on. So Jisa waited.

[RacingBelle]

Another mental head bang. I'm truly and idiot when will I learn not to think so much that I get lost in what ever I was thinking? Soon perhaps, or whenever something bad happened that thinking was the cause of it. Jisa sure didn't change a bit, not even overnight nor a few days. Still untrusting not-so-lovable-yet-likable Jisa. A smile tugged a my face just becuase...no reason at all. I really have to find someone more talkative to hang out with, Jisa was starting to have a deep effect on me. Oh well Jisa is who your responsible for right now. Kinda. Sorta.

I paid attention a little more to Jisa, trying not to start thinking and get lost---again. "Sure it's fine..I'll just find a bedroom no need for something big." The attic wasn't for me. I just needed a simple place to crash and hang out a little. A safe haven you could call it. I grinned. "What's up with you?" I tried to break the tension. I could feel the suspicion rolling off of Jisa no matter how much she tired to hide it. I guess so wasn't a people person. Wait I know she wasn't a people person, as far as I knew anyway. I grinned wider and laughed on the inside. I was getting better at this, reading people that is. Overtime, perhaps if nothing happened, we could be 'good' friends.

[{J I S A}]

Jisa narrowed her eyes at Ash who was randomly smiling. I mean what the hell? Who randomly smiles? Sighing very quietly, she tilted her head slightly and waited for an answer. Honestly, Jisa needed to lighten up. Just because she was almost nineteen and had had a comparatively bad life to Ash's, didn't mean that joy and happiness meant something bad. Taking a few well measured breaths, Jisa stopped leaning around and let her hands fall to her side. It took effort, arms crossed over chest was defensive; letting her guard down was hard. Ash chose just to take one of the bedrooms, Jisa shrugged- that was her own choice. Truly, it was hard to tone down the suspicion, Jisa noticed that Ash had caught it too. Ash's bold question threw her off guard. Jisa tucked a stray hair out of her face, her lips pressing together. Lighten up... The voice warned her. However annoying that was, she listened to it and let a smirk cross over her face. Fine. She told it and then focused on Ash again.

"If you must know, I have a history of... bad luck, if you could call it that, on tomorrow's date. Sadly, my birthday."

Jisa explained. Whoa, the thing was that Jisa hadn't ever told anyone about that- ever. Momentarily her eyes widened before she shrugged that fact off. Unease ran through her, she pushed that away too. What would it take to just have normal emotions? No constant suspicion and no nagging unease. Breaking a smile, Jisa added a little twist to the dark answer she had just sent Ash's way.

"And I'm going to attempt to cook."

[RacingBelle]

Oh well...I didn't mean "What's up with you?" like what's wrong. I just meant "What's up with you?" like what have you been doing lately. Apparently my tone didn't have enough of that joking tone but more of that suspicious side. But hey I got something out of this girl.

"Oh...like how? We all have bad luck but I mean it can't be that bad...erm can it?" Did I really wanna know? Sure I did, right? Stop talking to yourself. I scolded. Your going mad...

"Wait huh?" I shook myself out of my thoughts. Not again you idiot. "Oh! What you can't cook or something? Should I be worried?" I teased lightly, brown eyes a light cheerful hazel. I didn't want to offend her. It was something I would say to one of my short-term friends if they said that. My grin toned down to a soft smile. Jisa was obviously making an effort of lighten up. I was only trying to help that process.

[{J I S A}]

A nagging feeling told her that the question Jisa had answered, wasn't the one that Ash was asking. Oops. Oh well, it hadn't hurt anyone... not yet. Ash's answer to Jisa's birthday 'bad luck' was very expected. After all, bad luck to a new Shifter wasn't all that bad. It was a human version of bad luck. Jisa's bad luck was very different, because it wasn't luck. Everything that had happened, had apparently happened for a reason. Stifling a shudder, she turned back to Ash and answered.

"Like my thirteenth birthday was the beginning of all this. My family was brutally murdered that day."

That was all, there was no explanation for the rest of them. Anyway, Ash wouldn't feel any safer with an ex-Hunter than she did with a murderous Shifter now would she? It just wasn't a good idea to go on about any of that. Ash seemed to re-focus at the cooking joke. Jisa raised an eyebrow as she turned and made her way to the kitchen.

"I have no idea, Ash. My cooking experience doesn't go past a salad. Never did learn to cook after all."

[RacingBelle]

"Oh." I replied softly. Apparently this type of luck wasn't as it seemed. It was...shifter luck I suppose. What a way to have a birthday. I knew better than to show too much sympathy around Jisa, knowing that she would only shrug it off. But there was something more to this girl than met the eye. I wish I had know Jisa my whole life, then the mystery of why she was like this would be solved. Maybe everything would be answered one day. There we go again with the maybe. There was a lot of maybe's, if's, perhap's, and possibly's in my life now. Not that there wasn't before.

I followed Jisa into the kitchen. "Salad huh? I could live with that." Well after all I was a horse..or part horse. I could live off of grass and hay if I choose but I wasn't afraid to eat meat. Meat was good, though I have to admit you start eating a little less of it after you turn into a prey animal. "So what are...you going to attempt. Cooking can't be that hard. I never learned either. Didn't stay around the house long enough." I was tempted to add 'we' but best not push it. Then I shrugged. This ought to be interesting. As that old saying went 'The blind leading the blind.'!

[{J I S A}]

Actually, it was weird. After having that type of secret out, it felt like Ash was a safer person. Stella had only guessed that Jisa was on her own- and the same with Roul. However, no one else knew, and Jisa had not a plan to tell anyone either. Jisa let a smile slip Ash's way when she said she could live off of salad, that made life easier. The thing was, that even though Jisa was supposed to be a carnivore, she didn't eat. In fact she ate little to nothing. It was the same as her insomnia in fact. From a life of being on the go and not being able to stop and eat anything. Jisa finally found herself in the little modern kitchen that she barely used.

"I don't know. What would you want? I don't each much and I'm not picky."

As long as the food wasn't riddled with grease. Jisa wasn't a health nut, but it just made her sick to the stomach to think about what was in all of that fat. She swung herself up onto the kitchen counter and looked at Ash, her legs dangling off of the edge. She waited for an answer.

[RacingBelle]

Eat..food. Wait a smile! Jisa had actually smiled! I let a long breath blow out of my nostrils, an equivalent to a laugh. What could I eat.

"I don't really care. As...um...erm", I struggled to choke the word out. "my parents would say 'I eat like a little bird.' " I gave a little cough. They had said that affectionately when I was six or seven. When life was easier and they actually kinda understood me. But that would end those happy memories because I changed after that and the trouble with my parents began. I shook my softly and quickly changed the subject.

"Just no sea food, I have a disliking for it. It's just kinda creepy to me..with those eyes and..." I gave a fake shudder of horror. Everything seemed so safe and calm. The first in a while.

[{J I S A}]

Ash almost kind of laughed, if that was her laugh. Oh well. Usually Jisa would be all 'the happiness it burns' type but it was sort of nice. Another thought occurred to her, what was with all of the sixteen year old friends? Or friends that were younger by at least a year. It was sort of weird. stella was frozen at sixteen, Anya was only about a year old and looked thirteen and then there was Ash, the sixteen year old. Oh well. Jisa could tell Ash was struggling to get the word 'parents' out just as Jisa would be hesitant to say it. It was obvious there was a little bit more behind Ash's running away than just them not getting her anymore. Jisa didn't pry, because she knew that she hated it when people asked questions.

"Okay so no seafood."

Two people who can't make decisions aren't good together. It means nothing gets done. So Jisa made a quick choice. Pasta couldn't be too hard could it? Just through a little bit of vegetables in there and maybe some meat... nah. Jisa's body might need it, but ti didn't mean she wanted it.

"How about pasta then?"

She asked while getting the pot and a couple of bowls out. Surprisingly enough there was food in the house, pasta and vegetables and diced chicken. So Jisa started.

[RacingBelle]

"Sure why not? It can't be too hard...I guess." I said. I watched and cocked my head a little to one side. I wonder how this would turn out. But this could be fun. I started to think back to when I was living with 'those people'. What change had made them and me disagree? What had really drove me over the edge to where I was now? I couldn't find the answers so I moved on, of course. To stay ahead of the pain and sadness you have to joke and move on and forget. Which I was trying to do. Trying to pretend this had been my life all along. Maybe it was. Or is.

"Want any help. I don't know anything but hey if you can point me to something I think I can manage." I asked, still with that hint of a joke there but not so obvious any more.