ArchivedLogs:Tainted Love

Tainted Love
Dramatis Personae Pedro and Anette
In Absentia	2015-11-30 '
Location <BOM> The Spatters - Ascension Island
It's the middle of the night and the island is quiet and despite the relatively large number of people living here, it's almost silent, easy to forget you're not alone. Possibly this is why Anette's chosen this time to sit in the living area, sitting on the couch with her back to the arm, her legs crossed beneath her. Her tools are set out on the other side of the couch in front of her: a glass pipe, a tiny ziploc bag with tiny crystals, and a cheap lighter. After carefully measuring the crystals, she pours them into the pipe and, one hand holding it to her lips, the other holding the lighter, she lights them and breathes in, a strong chemically smell filling the room almost instantly. Content, Anette leans back, smiling faintly as she rolls her head back, looking up towards the ceiling. Pedro isn't a noisy guy usually, not when he's trying to stay in the background. His door slips open quietly, and the mutant batty steps out. He does look a bit different though. His wings are now the deep black of the midnight sky, complete with stars. The darkness grows lighter as it gets closer to his body, blending into the deep blue sky colour that covers his chest and face. He wears a thin pair of grey boxerbriefs which covers up whatever colours may occupy his lower region. His legs and feet share the blue sky colour of his chest. Pedro slowly makes his way towards the bathroom and stops halfway, spotting Anette leans back on the couch. His nose twitches, and he then sneezes loudly. "Eugh. Sorry. Erm. What are you doing?", he wonders, moving closer to her. Her senses seems to be disabled by whatever she's smoking as she isn't aware of Pedro's presence until the sneeze. Where she proceeds to jump, nearly dropping the pipe. "Shit," she yells, quickly shoving the bag in between the couch cushions and lowering the pipe and lighter away from Pedro's view. "I...nothing. Just relaxing. What are you..." she begins to ask, her words slowly fading as Pedro's new paint job finally sinks into her brain. "Jesus, this shit is strong..." she murmurs, leaning forward to state at Pedro as if she can't quite believe what she is seeing. Pedro waves a hand before his nose, and he moves to settle next to Anette on the couch. "No, whatever it was you were smoking isn't /that/ strong. I met an artist by the name of Tag. He paints stuff... people included. I uh figured I'd offer myself up as a canvas. Traded some tinned food for it." He holds up a black wing to inspect it closely. "I thought it looked pretty good actually. It's like... right into my skin." The batty one offers Anette a closer look at that same wing. "See?" Anette raises a brow incredously. "You traded food...in the middle of the apocalypse...to look like that?" The grin slowly growing on her face suggests she thinks this is the funniest thing ever. "God and they think I'm insane..." She glances towards the pipe she's holding at her side and raises it again, lighting it and taking in another lungful. Suddenly, she begins laughing, lowering the pipe again. "I'm sorry. No, it looks...it looks great. It's just..." Whatever it is goes unsaid as she's overcome with giggles again, quickly covering her mouth with her hand to hide her amusement. Pedro gets a sour look on his face as she starts to laugh, and the frown is an amazing contrast to the smile he usually wears. The pipe doesn't make things any better. "Other people need to eat too. And I traded stuff I found, so it's not like I was using someone else's supplies." The wing is snapped back and folded up, and he brings his knees up to rest his forehead on them. "You don't need that shit, you know." "Yeah, /we/ need to eat," Anette says, raising an arm to motion to the cabinets. "Have you looked in our kitchen recently? I'm on day three of ramen." She quickly clears her throat, visibly holding back the grin that refuses to leave. "I'm sorry. You look...you look fine." Pedro's last comment does the trick though, her grin gone instantly. "Not fucking you, too. If I didn't need it, I wouldn't be using it." Pedro squints his eyes. "I trade fruit. The only stuff I can eat. At least you can eat ramen." He eyes the pipe a moment. "Not me too? Hey, lets forget for the moment what that nasty shit does to you. You're bitching at ME for trading food away, when you're wasting god knows what to get THAT shit? Sorry, your license to bitch is revoked.", he snaps at her. He huffs out a breath. "And I wouldn't give a shit about you smoking that stuff, but I actually care about you." "I used cash and some...bartering. And I bought this before all hell broke loose. Nearly dying from the flu kept me from using for a while," Anette growls, glaring at Pedro as he begins to snap at her. "Hey, if it's about the wings and body...paint, I'm sorry. It's fine. If you like it, great. Not my thing, but great." The comment about caring gets a chuckle and eyeroll. "I'm sure you do. Trust me, it's better for everyone if I dabble every now and then." "Look, I've brought food home. And other stuff, like the candles. And matches. And I've traded or given stuff away too." Pedro shrugs. "You don't have to like the colours. Not like I was trying to impress you or anything." He blinks at her last comment, looking pained. "I do care for you. You think I was cleaning up your vomit just for the heck of it? Did you notice I stayed the whole time you were ill? And I kept Killian from chomping on you? I could have just left." The batty mutant looks away a moment. "And you've not noticed the stupid bat following you around recently?" "I know. I know. We've all been doing what we can. I'm not...I'm not saying you don't chip in," Anette says with a sigh, rubbing her eyes. "I know, you've been a great roommate. I appreciate it." The implications of that last sentence doesn't quite fully register and she chuckles a bit, glancing to Pedro. "If you wanted another go, all you had to do was ask. Or did you get hit by Cupid?" Once again, said in a tone that betrays she thinks this is the funniest thing ever. Pedro looks back to her a moment, "I do want anoth..." He shuts up with a loud clack of teeth and looks down at his feet. "I suppose you find that funny too. I have no idea what I expected." The young mutant glances back up. "Yeah. I guess I did get hit by Cupid, as you say. I suppose my feelings are yet a third thing for you to laugh at tonight, huh?" Oh shit, he's serious. Even Anette suddenly stops grinning, staring at Pedro with wide eyes. "Oh...oh you're not kidding. Fuck," Anette says, using the awkward silence to take another hit from her pipe. "Look kid," she says slowly, breathing out the chemically smoke. "You're not in love. You only think you are. I'm...I'm not going to laugh, I promise. But even if you were, it's a terrible idea. Just enjoy it for what it is, simple fun, and keep an eye out for someone else. Literally anybody else would be better for you." "Why would I joke about it?" His nose wrinkles at the smoke and the smell, and he shrugs. "I only think I am, huh? And why is it a terrible idea." Pedro squints at her. "It's fine I guess. I suppose I can pick one of the others kicking the door down, right?" He rests his chin on his knees, full mope mode engaged. "Oh boy," Anette says, finally setting down the pipe and lighter for good. "I could write you a damn essay. Yeah, you only think we are. We had a...well, we had a great night. And it was the first for you so naturally you uh...you think you felt more than you did." She pauses and looks to the side in thought, giving a quick shrug. "Flattering as hell though. Anyway, let's start with the obvious. I don't do dating or love or anything like that. Daken was the only exception and, well uh, you can see where that led." She digs a bit into the couch cushion, pulling out the bag of crystal and slipping it in her pocket. "And even if I did, it wouldn't be with you. Oh stop it, I don't mean it like that," she quickly says, looking up towards Pedro at the face she KNOWS he's making despite not actually seeing it. "I'm fucked up. I'm a mess. The only reason Daken and I worked at all as we were both messed up. We spent 90% of our time fighting. You're a good kid and I know this is incredibly overused but you really do deserve better. A hell of a lot better. Being friends with me has it's own dangers." Pedro is quiet for a while after she stops talking, hardly moving at all. "I don't care if there are dangers. Simply being alive in this world brings dangers. What's a few more?" He pauses to lick his lips. "Okay, you don't do dating or love. I can accept that. The rest of what you just said... is bull and you know it. It just boils down to you saying no. Which I accept. Hurts. But I get it." Anette chuckles and shakes her head as Pedro tries to argue with her. "God you're adorable. Look, believe me or not, it's for the best, alright? You're a sweet kid. Somewhere out there, there's a girl perfect for you. It's just not me. I don't do sweet and adorable. Too fragile. What it boils down to is no for very good reason." She picks up her pipe and lighter and shoves them in her pocket. "Look, I don't mind fooling around with you. But I'm warning you know, that's all it is and ever will be." Pedro shrugs and chuckles. "I'm fragile, huh? Okay." The comment about fooling around gets a nod from him. "I understand. I won't set my expectations past that, in future." Standing slowly, he stretches his wings out. "You should find this guy sometime. I think some bright colours on your feathers would be pretty cool. Anyways." He heads towards the bathroom, his original destination. "I don't regret that night with you. I will try to make it so that you don't regret it either." Anette sighs and shakes her head. "I don't regret it. What's to regret? We were drunk and had fun. Doesn't need to be anything more." She looks up to towards Pedro's wings. "I like blending in. But who knows, maybe I'll look into it." She casually rises, stretching out her wings and arms. "I'm going for a fly. Take care."