ArchivedLogs:Slightly Batty

Slightly Batty
Dramatis Personae Dusk, Rasputin
In Absentia	2013-09-03 Slightly catty.
Location <BOM> Front Porch - Main Lodge - Ascension Island
The front porch of the lodge unfurls its way across the entire front length of the building. Stained in a dark reddish finish, it seems to have been refurbished somewhat recently, the sturdy wood rather less weather-beaten than many of the buildings on the island. A half-height railing edges most of the porch, with a wide gated staircase centrally leading to the heavy front door, and ungated ramps at either side end. Protected from all but the most driving of rains by a sloped roof, the porch has been furnished with an assortment of furniture. Wicker rocking chairs, a pair of small square aluminum tables, a hammock at the far right end, a bench swing at the left. Despite the solid locks on the doors and windows, the front door holds a cheerfully flower-edged mat reading WELCOME. It's been a wet, grey day. Drizzly morning, thunderstormy afternoon, though as evening falls the rain tapers off into just a damp misty fog. It rolls over the island in clouds, lending a somewhat surreal feel to the trees, the cabins tucked among them all but lost in the white. Dusk himself adds a touch to the surreality, a large dark-winged shape swooping down from above to perch on the edge of the roof of the Brotherhood's main cabin. For a moment he stays there, looking out over the grounds, but eventually drops down further, enormous wings slowing his descent from fall into glide. He comes in for a landing on the porch railing, crouching there in a somewhat gargoyle-esque pose, though the Vans sneakers and carpenter jeans and soft grey-and-green t-shirt detract from the statuesque look. In the glimmering dim nighttime light his eyes shine oddly, here and there, an odd yellow-green light as his gaze sweeps the darkness around the main cabin. A moment later and he breaks his gargoyle pose even further to retrieve a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, tapping one out to stick it between his lips. The dim sound of tiny footsteps passing through mud creep closer and closer. Rasputin is walking along the grounds near the cabin, the small white cat trying to get inside for the day, and is soaking wet. Ze leaps, without even noticing, up next to Dusk, as Rasputin begins to lick hir paws clean. A second later, ze notices Dusk, and falls off of the railing towards the cabin, landing on hir feet. Suddenly, ze begins to meow, which begins as a normal meow, and evolves towards the end into a human voice. "Sorry about that, didn't see you there!". Dusk pulls out a cheap gas station lighter to light the cigarette, flicking it as the cat jumps up onto the railing. His wings pull in tighter against his back, though he otherwise ignores the cat -- at first, anyway. Until the talking. His hand shakes, missing the cigarette entirely and briefly singing part of his dark scruff of beard; the lighter flicks off as he drops it down into the mud, startling backwards to topple, himself, down towards the porch. His wings flare out wide with a loud crack of air, and he hisses as the tip of one thuds up against the wall of the cabin; he catches himself enough at least to land /sort/ of upright. Ish. In a backwards crouch, one hand slamming down against the wood. "Holy fucking shit." As Dusk is startled, Rasputin instinctively jumps backwards away from him. Hir eyes grow wide, as ze yelps at him. "Woah, are you alright? Didn't mean to scare you! I thought everyone knew there was a talking cat around here. Oh well.". Once ze realizes Dusk is, atleast, partially okay, Rasputin's face becomes happier, atleast as much as you can convey on a cat. "My name is...". Suddenly, the voice morphs into a more Russian sounding voice. "RASPUTIN.". Quickly, Rasputin reverts back, laughing a tiny bit. "It'd seem we got off to a bad start. Nice to meet you.". He waves his tail a tiny bit towards Dusk, as some sort of gesture. "Don't worry, I'm not rabid.". "Jeez, sorry." Dusk is slow to pick himself up off the floor, wiping his hand against his jeans. "I -- haven't really gotten to meet -- everyone yet, shit, are you /actually/ a cat?" He leans against the railing, cigarette bobbing between his lips as he speaks. "I mean shit -- er, sorry, I just -- I didn't know that -- right. Rasputin. -- fff where's my lighter." He pats at his pocket, disgruntled. "I'm Dusk. How are you -- talking?" Rasputin chuckles a tiny bit again at Dusk's questioning. Ze then looks around, over the balcony. "I think your lighter fell into the mud. Also, yes, I'm a cat. Well, wasn't always a cat, but this is my body.". Promptly, Rasputin leaps down into the mud, gently picking up the lighter with his mouth after a few moments of searching for it, and drops it in front of Dusk. Instantly afterwards, Ze begins licking his fur off. "Oh, the talking? Sound manipulation.". Ze purrs, which breaks into a slight shriek a second later. Once again, ze chuckles. "Nice to meet you Dusk.". "Crap -- thanks." Dusk grimaces as he picks the lighter back up, frowning and wiping it off as best he can with one hand. He flicks it a few times, sparking but not catching until his fourth attempt. "Sound manipulation -- and you're a cat." He sounds a little bit bemused, but nods slowly in evident acceptance of this. "I have a friend who manipulates sound. And I know someone who can turn into a -- not both at once though, that's --" He shakes his head, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "What were you when you weren't a cat?" "And you're a bat. Glad we're all on the same page!". Rasputin cat-smiles a bit, purring again. "Turns into a..? A what? A cat? There's another me?". Ze pouts a slight bit. but quickly changes this back into a smile. "I was a teenager. Atleast, from what I can tell. All a blur.". Rasputin frowns a bit, lowering his head. "Do you mind if I ask an awkward question? What is a cigarette like? What exactly is the pleasure of smoking it?". Rasputin intently looks at him, awaiting an answer. "Not trying to be awkward, just curious!"." "I am not a fucking bat, dude." Dusk settles down into a slump against the railing, elbows propped atop it and his wings folding in against his back. "Having wings does not make me not -- human. Uh -- are you still a teenager, it's -- hard to tell." He is examining Rasputin now with a small frown creasing his brows, though it dissipates as he draws in another lungful of smoke. The question earns a puzzled frown, a small shrug. "It's -- a cigarette. I don't know. It's like smoke." He drops his hand, eying the cigarette held between his fingers. "Helps keep me calm, I guess." "Hey, my brain is technically human, so.". Dusk's question makes Rasputin sigh. "I /believe/ I'm an adult now? Let's see, if the Liberty incident was in 2011...yup, I'm an adult or something.". Rasputin purrs about the smoking. "How the hell does smoke make you calm? Does burning houses also make you calm?". Ze shrugs his head back, meowing, before looking back at the cabin. "Damn it, almost forgot why I was here. Nice to meet you Dusk, but I have food to eat. All of it.". Purring still, Rasputin heads towards a door that has a small cat hole through, and lurks inside of it, the sound of tiny pawsteps slowly vanishing. "N-no, it -- just -- uh --" Dusk's mouth opens, and then closes. He blinks. And blinks again, head swivelling to watch Rasputin's exit in silence. It takes a moment before he resumes his perch on the railing, eyes fixing back out on the grounds as he settles in to finish his smoke.