ArchivedLogs:Vengeful Gods

Vengeful Gods
Dramatis Personae Doug, Dusk, Eric, Ion, Rasputin
In Absentia	2013-12-09 ... who are out buying cat treats.
Location A Pet Store, Somewhere
Outside it has been gross. Slushy, snowy, freezing. At least largely free of zombies so really an improvement, all things considered. In here it's warm, though, a large independent pet store in Greenwich with a wealth of options for pet supply. An unlikely sort of place to find a group of terrorists /and yet/, here is Dusk, looking oddly hunchbacked with a floor-length trenchcoat on and his wings tucked beneath it, leaning over a large cage of baby ferrets with his face alight with /squee/. He has a shopping basket over an arm but at the moment -- ferrets. They have captured most all his attention. "Oh my god. I'm going to take them /all/." "Thought your building was already just lousy with ferrets, vato, what you going to do, start a --" Ion frowns here. "What would you use ferrets for anyway, useless weasel. /Silly/ useless weasels, how do they take themselves seriously." Though he's grinning bright and wide as he leans up against the cage. "S'like they don't even got bones. Sensible animals have bones." Greenwich is not Doug's usual stomping ground, whatever the weather. But here he is, entering the store dressed in jeans and a thick fleece-lined coat. He looks fairly well-dressed, even though it looks like he might not have slept recently. His blonde hair is tousled, and his eyes are red-rimmed behind the retro-looking horn-rimmed glasses he's wearing. In one gloved hand, he has a tablet that he's grinning at as he reaches for a basket and enters the store proper. "Retrieve the files for Cypher 4, provisional," he's saying as he nears the ferret pen, and he catches the tip of his tongue in his teeth as he waits. A moment later, a masculine voice resonds from the tablet. "Files located. Does creatorfriend wish self to run diagnostic programs?" Doug's face lights up, even as he shakes his head in answer. "Oh my god. That kid is a frigging /genius/." There's a sudden flurry of the blonde's feet that might, in fact, be a Snoopy dance. "I am /so/ going to work for Tony Stark!" It's only when his dance stops that he notices Dusk and friend, and he veers in that direction. "Wow. Talk about timing. Hey, Dusk!" Rasputin pokes hir head out of Dusk's basket, where ze was hiding in. The white cat is allowed inside the store, only because ze is a pet with actual people with hir. Ze speaks, monitoring the volume to really only go to Dusk and Ion. "Yeah, even I wouldn't touch a ferret. They're weird. And my body is better, anyways. I atleast /have/ bones.". Rasputin looks around when Doug calls out Dusk's name, but doesn't say anything due to trying not to attract attention, instead whispering again to Dusk. "Do you know this guy?" *BANG*. The sound of something slamming loudly into the window at the front of the shop is loud enough to echo through the entire store, especially followed by a second loud thud. A figure is pressed up against the glass, face smudged up against the clear surface, now marred by both a bloody streak and a small crack in the plate. Another figure is directly behind the first, hand and body carefully controlling the other man's movements. Yelling follows, though through the glass and the wall of the store, it is more noise than words. A flash of silver sparks in the air, and a handcuff is slipped around the controlled man's wrist. Lights flash in the window as a police car pulls up to a screeching stop in front of the door, and another officer hurries over to assist the first. "They /don't/ take themselves seriously," Dusk explains with a laugh. "And they take everyone else down with them. It's pretty much impossible to take /anything/ seriously around a ferret. And yeeeah we have picked up a /surplus/ lately although I think Joshua's working his way back to normal. What do they need bones for anyway, they're basically slinkies." Dusk glances up at the sound of his name, blinking in surprise at Doug. "Woah, hey. You look like shit, you know sometimes you should maybe sleep. I hear it's good for you once in a while. -- wait what timing?" At the commotion outside, he backs a little bit away, eying the windows but then glancing sharply away at the flashing lights. He sort of /side-eyes/ the scene outside curiously, but doesn't approach. Running /towards/ the police cars, not high on Terrorist Survival Skills. "Ion, what'd you do, man?" Ion is WANDERING OFF. It's a habit of his. He doesn't wander far, though; he returns with a handful of crinkly cloth mice. Catnip mice. "Ayyy, look what I found for you." He holds the mice out towards Rasputin on a palm. "Delicious, mmm? Now when we're lighting up you can -- whaaaat." The what comes at the commotion outside. He lifts his free hand in a gesture of surrended. "Pfft no nah not me, I'm /paying/ for these mices. S'your friend?" His chin jerks at Doug. "La chota coming for /you/, maybe?" He sounds more amused than actually concerned this might be a possibility, reaching out to bap Dusk in the arm as he tells Doug, "You hang out with this one, you watch out, yeah? He trouble." Rasputin glares at Ion, sniffing the mice, smelling the delicious catnip. Before ze has a chance to say anything about it however, Rasputin hears the commotion outside, speaking, unfortunately /just/ in hearing range of Doug. "Oh crap, what the hell is going on out there? Cops?". Rasputin then quickly notices hir mistake, before meowing innocently, sniffing back over to the mouse like a normal cat, just like Rasputin is. Or not. Rasputin whispers back to Dusk. "Is this guy going to freak out because of a talking cat, please say no.". Doug makes a dismissive noise at the suggestion of sleep. "Pfft. Sleep is for people who aren't making awesome coding," he says with a lopsided grin. "I have created a Thing which is, as I stated, awesome." He wrinkles his nose. "With some help from Sebastian, I mean." He grins at Ion's warning even as he flicks his gaze to the window and the hubbub beyond. "Dusk /is/ trouble," he says, then, turning back to the pair and starting to extend his tablet for Dusk to look at.. "But he's a good guy, so I don't mind." The commotion quiets, though the struggle flares to life briefly once more as the flashing lights make their way into the sense of the soon-to-be prisoner. Outnumbered and pinned, it is a futile fight, and it is only moments before the two police officers are placing him into the back of the waiting police car. As the second police officer departs, lights flicking off as it pulls away from the curb, the first officer steps into the store. Shaking the wet out of his black hair before securing the police cap back onto his head, Eric glances around the store only briefly before he steps in and over to converse with one of the cashiers. There is a smudge of blood around one corner of his lips, though it doesn't seem to be bleeding. The conversation doesn't seem to be a very long one - a gesture at the window, an exchange of business cards, and Eric is stepping back away from the counter. "You have a good day, now," he says, flashing a bright smile at the store employees. His eyes scan the room, then, even as he turns to leave. The sight of a few familiar faces gives him pause, though - or perhaps familiar voices, as he makes a beeline directly towards Doug and Dusk. "Well, well, well. What'da we got here? Heya." "I write awesome code, /and/ I sleep," Dusk disagrees with a crooked fangy smile. "Code better after sleep, really. Though counterintuitively also after drinking. But only if I hit the exact right amount of booze. What'd you and B --" Dusk is starting to reach for the tablet with Ion's return; the electrokinetic draws his hand /upwards/ instead to press his palm to his cheek. "Oh my god are you trying to get him /high/," sounds first exasperated but then: "Oh my god are you trying to get him high?" This time, delighted. "C'mon Ras s'totally legal, too, enjoy it." He swats the mice out of Ion's hand into the basket. "I am /so/ not trouble I have been trouble-free for like. Seventeen days and coun --" This sentence also derails with Eric's arrival. "-- I mean my whole life," he corrects cheerfully. "Never had a spot of trouble, not once, not ever. -- And I don't think anyone here's about to do any freaking out. What else do we need, do you like those -- little fish-flake things?" This last is directed down to the cat in his basket. "I am never trouble," Ion is hasty to assure when the policeman arrives. "But I do think we are needing, so much catnip. S'a cold winter night what you gonna do? We drink cocoa, you have catnip. And we'll put on a movie, too, yah? It'll be all, /domestic/." The smile he gives Eric is /sharp/, even if not nearly so fangy as Dusk's. A hard tension creeps into the muscles; he looks over Eric's uniform /before/ he looks at Eric's face. "I know you. Familiar face. You arrest me before, maybe?" "I do better when I overclock," Doug says, grinning at Dusk. "My brain must be wired backwards." Dusk's question brings a delighted sort of light into the teenager's eyes, and he bounces on his toes. "Oh, my God. I got that program I've been working on mostly licked," he says, shifting his gaze to Ion and back as the subject shifts. "Is Ras your cat?" he asks, tipping his head at the cat in the basket, who he must not have heard earlier. "My cats go bonkers for those things. They also like those crunchy, cheesy things. Those have catnip in them." Dusk gets another wide grin. "Yeah, you're my role model for behavior," the blonde deadpans, marring it with a sly wink. Then he's turning that grin on Eric. "Hey there, stranger," is a definitely /warm/ greeting. "Glad to see you're okay." "I have never tried those little fish flake things, I was a stray cat for like 3 years. So no idea what they taste like.". Rasputin isn't bothering keeping hir voice too low, just enough for the surrounding group of aquaintainces, apparently not caring about freaking the two out. "But, all the catnip, all the time. Some guy gave me some of that one time, best experience /ever/.". Ze purrs at Doug, curiously tilting hir head. "Cheese things? What type of cheese things? Speak to me about your cat wisdom, I need some.". "Heya Dusk. Heya, Doug. And that's a damn lie, Dusk. I've seen your file. Public indecency, all'a way down the rap sheet." Eric's hand drags downwards, in a gesture both indicative and teasing. The cat gets the next look even as Ion addresses him. There is a blink, then another, and Eric's smile spreads wide on his face. "Well, I'll be damn'. Somethin' new every day in this city. Heya," he says, giving a wide smile to the little carrier. "Good'ta meet you." The police officer's eyes turn to Ion next, spreading his hands in a gesture of supplication. "You'll have'ta forgive me. I arrest a lotta people - sometimes I ain't remember 'em all." His smile widens, teasingly, though only for a moment before it suddenly fades. "No. No, no. I ain't arrested ya before, but I think we've been'ta church together. Ain't that right, Dusk?" he asks, voice quieting for a moment, though his eyes don't turn from Ion, face considering. "Well where's the fun in decency?" Dusk's fangs flash in another grin. "My cat? Nah, Ras's his own cat I'm just being his /hands/. Catnip mice and bonito flakes. We're building him a /party/." He glances back towards the aisle of cat treats, sidling over to look through them. "Role model. S'funny how many people say that to me. -- Yeeah," he confirms to Eric, "you two, both /so/ religious." "No fun at all, hermano. -- Oh, oh, /oh/, I know!" Ion's eyes light, his fingers snapping together. He draws two fingers indicatively around his neck. "We get you a /real/ pretty collar, yeah? Tag. If found return to Regan. Cuz let's face it we all know whose gato you /really/ are." He's still looking at Eric with no small measure of tension, but it dissolves at the mention of church, first curiosity and then a brighter grin on his face. "Ayyy, yes, come here, brother --" He is stepping in to offer Eric a HUG, one-armed but fierce with a THUMP on the back. "Always have love for another of the faithful, yes? So rare these days, nobody has time anymore for God." His fingers snap again, but this time to point one at Doug. "You a God-fearing man, kid?" Doug blinks when Rasputin addresses him, and he furrows his brow for just a small moment. "Oh, wow," he says, rocking back a bit. "Hi." It doesn't sound terribly assured, but the blonde recovers quickly. "Oh, if you like cheese like my cats do, you'll probably love them. They're like cheese wrapped in crunchy chicken or something. My cats love them." He grins at the idea of a cat-party, and bobs his head. "Catnip and treats are pretty much essential for cat parties. Also plenty of room for the tear-arounds." Something that Dusk is probably all-too familiar with hearing from upstairs. Eric's interchange with Ion is noted with an amused crinkle of his eyes, and the teenager winks at Dusk. "I don't know," he says, giving Eric a sidelong look. "I bet the good officer's confessions are totally worth hearing." Ion's question gets a shrug. "I didn't think you were supposed to fear God." "You do know, that being found is the exact opposite of what I do? Like, I don't want /anyone/ to know where to return me. If someone finds me I'll return myself. Less problems that way!". Rasputin groans at Ion, before turning hir head to Dusk. "Now that is the best kind of party.". Ze laughs, grinning, before turning to Eric. "Hello, officer! Nice to meet you!". Rasputin smiles again, before turning over to Doug, lots of head turning. "Oh my jegus that sounds like /heaven/. Like, six forms of hea- wait six is an evil number isn't it, maybe should be seven forms of heaven.". Eric's face brightens back to a grin and slings an arm easily around Ion, pulling him into a side-hug and echoing his shoulder-slap. Bro. So clutch. "Can't ever forget the things that are really important, lest ya end up somewhere ya ain't want to be." The police officer says, smile sparkling as he winks at Dusk. "Not as religious as you, I've heard, with all the time ya are on your knees." His voice is teasing, and his lips quirk at the edges, mischief sparking in his eyes. "They take me a good amount of time, yeah, but everybody got sins t' confess. Not least of all you, little guy. Catnip's one, I'm sure, though I ain't sure exactly if anyone's said it as such. Not exactly something that they saw comin' in the book, ya know?" Eric drawls, licking a thumb and brushing away some of the dried blood off of his lips. Dusk's eyes flick to Eric's lips -- or at least the blood beside them, with a slow intake of breath and a wider smile. "Oh, I worship /many/ gods, most churches wouldn't want me. Still go sometimes. Now and then when the mood strikes. -- Oh god yes a collar. Maybe you don't want to be found but /we/ sure don't want to lose you. -- What else do we need for a party? Maybe some food, I will pick up a /boat/load of fried chicken on the way back." "'course you supposed to fear God, boy." Ion's hug comes with a tiny zap of static electricity. He leaves his arm slung around Eric's shoulders afterwards. "All-knowing, all-powerful, be a damn fool /not/ to fear someone could --" His hand makes a little throwing gesture towards Doug. "Just send a lightning, /zap/ you down where you stand. God is love, that's a truth. He love this whole-damn-world. You fear God because there is no place more terrifying to be than in front of a parent when their children are hurting. And you seen this world lately? This world, it's /hurting/." Doug offers another small shrug at Ion's response, narrowing his eyes a little as he considers. "Hmm. I think we're going to differ on this," he says, and lifts a hand at Eric. "But as I'm sure our good friend here can tell you, people who try to follow the rules don't really need to fear being punished." He wrinkles his nose. "And that's where I stop, on theological discussion. I am /so/ bad at non-tech sciences." He grins at Rasputin, and nods. "I'm telling you, dude. My cats go ape for them, in spite of where the church might stand on them." He winks. "Cat Jesus is a cat, right? He understands." "Wait Dusk, are you /Greek/ or something?". Rasputin narrows hir eyes at him, tilting hir head again. "Because I'm pretty sure the Greeks worshiped multiple gods or something. I personally have no idea what to believe, but I'm going to believe in this Cat Jesus person, he sounds pretty cool.". Ze turns to Doug, smiling, before turning back to Ion and Dusk. "Ok, guys, I need this chicken cheese stuff, I'll pay you back, promises. Just like, whole truck load or something, all in my stomach.". Rasputin turns to Eric, frowning. "I don't even know if I /have/ read the bible and- yeah that's not a sin.". Dusk's gaze does not go unnoticed, and Eric's tongue flicks out to lick at the dried blood before the red stained pink vanishes back between his grinning lips. "Change is always painful, 'specially when you care about the people goin' through it. And He sure cares for us, imperfect as w'are." The spark of electricity doesn't make him do more than jump and then laugh, arm squeezing tighter for a moment around Ion. "Maybe you're just readin' the wrong book. Or maybe you're readin' the right one." He glances down at his watch and then around at the little crowd of people. "There's a party, and ya ain't invite me? I'm hurt." One hand comes up to clutch weakly at his chest. Dusk's lips twitch at Doug's comment on rules. "/Really/." His tone is dry and that's -- all he says on that, really. "Ion's God is a vengeful God. Really, after a point, who wouldn't be? If you've got strength --" He shrugs a shoulder. "You use it to right the things that are wrong. -- /You're/ on duty, dude. No partying for /you/." ZDoug lifts a shoulder at Dusk's comment, in tandem with his eyebrows. He doesn't comment, though, apparently holding fast to his being done on the subject statement. Instead he grins at Eric. "I thought you /were/ a party." /Ion/ elaborates further, though, taking Dusk's dry tone and answering it with a /guffaw/. "Follow the rules and you don't get punished? You pointing to a /cop/ as evidence of that, boy, you stupider even than you look. I think /even/ this policeman here would not be able to vouch for /that/." He claps Eric on the shoulder, dropping his arm afterwards and slipping past the others. "Dusk, ain't a soul on this planet's not done some wrong in their life. Trick is, you work hard, you balance it /out/. I take what God's given me, I put it to use helping people who don't got -- my God," he agrees with a sharp grin, "is a vengeful God. And folks like you and me? /We're/ His vengeance." His hand thwaps against Dusk's bicep after this, and then drops to scritch fingers over Rasputin's head. "I go make you a collar, hermano. And grab you your chicken-cheese-whatever. I see you at the checkout desk, no?" He's wandering off again, grabbing TREATS off the shelves for Rasputin's feasting delight. Rasputin's head rises, the cat purring, when Ion scritches hir head. "I thought I said no coll- oh damn it. Alright then, guess I can't fight it, you guys will eventually be pushing me down to put that thing on me.". Ze grins, looking over to Doug. "Wait, this guy is a party? He doesn't seem too partyish. Kind of bland if you ask me. But nice!". Rasputin smiles, trying to compliment Eric badly, before turning to Dusk again. "That collar better be good looking, I swear...". Eric's grin is fierce as his eyes follow Ion as he walks away from them, head tilted slightly to one side. "I like that man," he drawls, grinning. "Maybe I /will/ arrest'm sometime." He turns his smile back onto the remaining cluster of people, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, the tall guy's right. I ain't much of a party when I'm workin'. But I've only got another hour left on'a clock before I'm off for the night, and I'm much more fun then. A party." He smirks at the two men, eyes flicking openly up and down their bodies, shamelessly and unapolegetic. "Ain't as much a' party for you, though, little guy, I'll admi'. I'll try most anythin' once, but... some things just aren't meant'a be tried." Doug reddens under Ion's guffawed response, and one eye narrows briefly, but he manages to keep the smile on his face until the other man has disappeared. Then he's exhaling as if he's been holding his breath throughout. His mouth pulls into a line at Eric's drawl, and he tucks his tablet under his arm. "Since he's Dusk and Ras' friend, I'll guess that makes me the odd man out," he says in a chilly sort of tone. Then he glances over his shoulder, towards the area where bags of dried cat food are stacked. "I should probably get what I came here for and split," he says, shifting his weight. There's the clear impression that he might be attempting to avoid meeting Ion at the checkout. Then he lifts his chin in Eric's direction. "You should give me a call, sometime," he says, as he begins to turn away. He nods at Dusk, and at the basket. "I'll see you around the building," is his promise to Dusk. "And you can check out my new Thing. Ras," he says, grinning at the cat, "it was good to meet you. Enjoy your party." And then he really /is/ starting to move away, his expression slipping into irritation as he goes. Dusk grins fiercely, too, at Ion's answer. "That," he says, "that's a God I can get behind." He bumps his shoulder lightly up against Eric's. "Good man," he agrees. "Smart man. And definitely the kinda man you want at your back." He nods in farewell to Doug, looking down into his cat-and-cat-treat laden basket. Then back up at Eric. "Sorry, man, party's not at /my/ house or I'd invite you for sure. I'm just bringing some refreshments. But maybe next time, mmm? And you show up any Tuesday night, it's /always/ a party. -- S'go find Ion." He gives Rasputin a small scritch, too. "It'll be an /excellent/ collar." "Wait, what?". Rasputin cocks hir head confusedly to Eric's statement, as ze thinks about what he means..until suddenly, bam. "Oh, oh, ew, no, ew. I did not need to learn the meaning behind that, thank you.". Ze turns to Dusk, nodding hir head as ze is scritched. "Alright then, lead the way, since you're my ride and all that.". Rasputin turns to Eric one last time. "Goodbye, officer!"