The cloud-colored Luperci woman shuffled and busied herself as her friend Mars worked to shoo the sheep out of the bookstore and close the door, trying to provide aid. First she tried to help push the animal, but was little help as it just pushed it's weight into her, so she moved herself out of the way and stood poised at the door, helping to swing the wooden barricade closed before the sheep could muscle its way back in. Orin hadn't thought about much while worrying about the sheep and so much of what Mars said went in one ear and right out the other until the animal was securely outside, along with its potentially messy nether regions. At least she wouldn't have to be providing any of her blankets for a quick clean up today.
She glanced out of the window pane and looked at the sheep that now stood looking terribly sad and lonely on her small porch. For a moment she felt sorry for the creature stuck out there alone and in the snow. At least it wasn't snowing at the moment. Still, as it's hooves tromped their hollow sound on the boards as the sheep moved and it put its nightshade face in the window and let out a muted bleat, its breath fogging the glass, she considered letting it back inside. Then she frowned. Maybe a normal Orin would let the critter back in and take an accident in stride, but not today, not this Orin. She suddenly felt the urge to open the door with broom in hand and run it off, then frowned deeper at the streak of meanness in her. Needless to say she didn't act on the feeling, yet seemed more dejected after it passed.
Her golden eyes flicked back to her friend's duo-tone countenance and studied his face for a moment. Something was different about him... something had changed in his features, yet his face was still so the same. It was his eyes, she thought. Something was wrong with his eyes... Maybe not wrong, but different. Come to think of it, he didn't really sound like her friend, either. Was he sick?
“Are you feeling alright?” She questioned lightly, her mind mulling over the quick minute or two that had passed since his arrival. She tried not to think about the sheep outside but upon hearing another muffled noise she glanced out the window again. Suddenly, it clicked, and she jerked a fiery gaze back to Mars.
“What do you mean you're Bartholomew, Mars?” The words slipped out, venom on her tongue. Although normally wistful and dreamy, Orin had a temper, and in her current state it was short. She was close to the man, close enough to bump up against if either of them took a step forward, so her hand darted out and poked him in the chest.
What kind of disgusting prank was this? Of course he had heard the rumors, and now he must have been here to make fun of the poor dumb girl. He was friend turned tormentor now that the cat was out of the bag, now that the pack must have been alight with the gossip about the loose Takekuro woman and her consequent beat down by the singer. It wasn't fair! Suddenly every last friend she had in the world had been nuked. Transformed, mutated into scourges that would not let her forget her humiliation. What's more, not only was he here playing some horrible joke on her... what with the sheep and the name and the funny looks he gave, but he was trying to goad her into retelling the story, too!
Her lip quivered at the mercy of the sudden anger and sadness that staked her heart. She felt the tang of tears as they welled up in her eyes. “This is... this is... you JERK!” She shouted at him, a treasonous tear rolling out of the corner of her eye. “Are you trying to be funny? I guess I misjudged you, Mars. Looks like I've been doing a lot of that lately! Go ahead, make fun of me! I don't care anymore.” She spun around and stalked a few paces away from him, ignoring curious the sheep that tried to tag along on the other side of the wall. Her head was low and she was trying to hold back the tears that wanted to fall. This man was here to tease her and the last thing she wanted to do was give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.