It's early evening. At this time of year, the sun is still up, though it's slowly begun its descent toward the horizon, the dusk settling in over the land and helping to calm the frenetic energies of the day into something a bit more subdued. For some people, anyway. For others, Dusk is the time when things start to come alive, and other things begin.
Sid's phone rings. It's Lucky's number. Except the man on the other end dosn't sound light and playful at all. He sounds serious as a heart attack. "I need you to come to 427 Cardinal Way. Get here quick. I'll explain later." Not even leaving time for questions, Lucky hangs up the phone, leaving Sid to do his thing.
-> >> Sid to Here << <-===============================================
Rolled 6 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 6 6 6 8 8 8 8 9 9 >
==================-> >> Dexterity + Drive + 2 8-Again and Rote << <-
Sid croaked, "Inbound." He rubbed his eyes and slipped jeans on, grabbed a hoodie, his gymbag, and his keys out of the bowl nudging whatever was out of his door. The door closed. Then it opened and a hand grabbed his sunglasses. The door closed again.
Having pulled the GPS up, still getting to know the area Sidney looked at the inefficient route and punched one in better to his liking, and then took off across town in the hunger green classic Jag. Not the best thing to evade being spotted if it came to that but little better to get the job done in. Half the time, no sirens in tow. The was a double knock at the door then a single one.
The house that Lucky directs him to isn't exactly close. It's not even Tamarack Falls. It's in Fort Brunswick, actually, in one of the nicer neighborhoods. Secluded, rich housing that looks nice from the road, from what you can see of it through the gates. Lakefront properties, most of them. The kind of homes that have the sort of price tag that's not exactly 'Bel Air', but is almost assuredly 'I am a member of the Country Club because I'm bored and can afford it'.
The house that Sid gets directed to is one of the smaller lakefront properties, situated on a gorgeous piece of land on the lake that's probably perfect for a lot of people, but rated 'less than ideal' for the local property. So the house is a little cheaper. But not by much. It doesn't have a gate, just a row of trees in teh front to offer some partial seclusion. The lights are on, and it looks like someone is there, even though there are no other cars visible.
Sid actually chose the right car to come in to NOT be notved. How very... fortunate? Okay he was now undersuspiscion of his own judgements and half wondered if it was skill or Lucky somewhere rubbing his belly and patting his head or whatever it was he did to tilt the universe into favour. Uh...huh. He parked and came up to teh door knocking, and getting a look around. It was nice, almost nostalgic for him really but he'd never generally openly admit,or flaunt that he came from money to friends. "Lo?"
The door opens before Sid even finishes knocking. "Come on," he tells the man, nodding his head toward the interior. He doesn't wait to see if Sid will follow. He already knows the satyr will be right behind him. "Close the door." Lucky walks at an easy pace, leading Sid through the main entry and into... what appears to be a perfectly lovely house, free of emergencies. There is no blood. There is no smell of gunpowder in the air. There isn't the subtle feel of magic anywhere. Everything appears... perfectly normal.
Once they're in the living room, Lucky moves over behind a white leather couch, leaning on the back of the thing as he crosses his arms and his legs comfortably. And then that stony facade turns into that easygoing smile that Sid would be more than used to by now. "You promised me dinner. Which means, traditionally, that I get to pick the venue." Tossing a binder full of menus over to Sid, he tells the Satyr, "You get to order, because you're paying."
Sid was worried instantly, or perhaps dangerously interested in teh apparent 'normalcy'. But Lucky knew the Satyr well enough to know yes he let himself in, even giving the soles of his shoes a rub on the mat glancing the place. he followed looking at picking up contextual clues as to who might be the real homeowner here. The look of urgency faded to a wide grin, and a shuckle that came with a headshake that seems to convey his inner monologue: Well played you glorious sunnovabitch. He flipped through and jsut dropped his bag down. "Riiiight. Never let it be said I ever fail to be a man of my word. You win it or steal it?" The time share.
"Borrowing it," Lucky tells him. Which means that they probably shouldn't actually be here. Lucky sure as fuck doesn't have the kind of scratch that this place would take to even rent for a day, much less spend any real time in. But that dosn't seem to stop him. He moves toward the back door, opening it out onto the view of the lake, where an elegant terrace awaits. The setting sun casts perfect ripples of light onto the water, and one couldn't ask for a better view than what Lucky's apparently managed to scrounge up for them. It's even set up for 'future dinner date'. The man has been busy.
Inside, while Sid looks for clues as to who the real owners might be, there are pictures of a couple in their early thirties. They're exactly the kind of cheeseball socialite that takes perfect pictures of themselves in the sort of terrible clothes that people with money tend to wear when they think they can get away with it because everyone else in their financial bracket is doing it. And in one of them? There is a car, exactly like the one that they just lifted, save that the color is very slightly lighter.
Which means no one will think twice about Sid's car being out front, at this time of night. The man has clearly done some planning here.
Sid looked around and did some math grinning a bit. were they to get caught he'd likely be putting out a loooot of bank to cover this one which, ya know, would be fine. That's teh type of write off he could handle. Not to mention he'd pay just to hear Lucky explain to them that this was the address on teh time share and LIKELY watch the couple be very sympathetic and possibly offer them a meal while they had long talks about pop culture and new tech investments. The skater blinked and just grinned a bit more. It really was his idea of a good evening wall to wall.
The menu was set on the counter and the Satyr looked through the fridge offering, "Well they got some stuff in here. Can try to cook or I can pull some strings-" He stopped and looked to Lucky and then the outside and just pulled out his phone and started to text. He pulled out his wallet and dug through his stuff annd pulled out one card to clamp in his teeth before putting the wallet back in his pocket to punch in some numbers there, That abated he put everything away and grinned joining Lucky at the back door. "It'll be an hour, but it'll be worth it. I... got a guy." He didn't say more than that but there was a story there. He was up to something.
"Ooooh," Lucky coos, leaning against the doorframe as he laughs Sid's way, eyes lighting up. "Mystery Dinner Theater. You really do know how to show a guy a good time!" Still, he leans out the door, grabbing a case of beer that's apparently just been chilling out on the back porch. It's not exactly expnsive beer. Budweiser. But there's a case of it, and the brown paper bag out back promises more intoxicating things in the future. "We'd better have a few drinks then, while we wait for the masters to do their work." He doesn't question that Sid's got a guy. He doesn't even question the story behind it. Some things, you just take on faith.
Sid thinks the lack of questions sometimes made up for the jibes of his speech but still, while the world was slowly burning down around them all? It was looking pretty damn good. He took the drink, and flatted his back to the other side of the door frame amused. His eyes wether blue or green or grey or brown watched the waterfront for a long moment before looking back to Lucky, "This is by far the nicest dank thing anyone's done for me in a long time. Like..." he gestures, "This anyways. To a long and interesting adventure in the very best of company. May our risks be great, our rewards pleanty, and our arrests few." He winked to Lucky and drank his beer noting, "And I absolutely have to introduce you to craft beer... after we get out of prison for ruining these fine people's furniture."
"This isn't nice," Lucky tells Sid. "This is my typical kickback. I figure that we can just kill two birds with one stone. And we didn't have to make reservations here." He gives the Dusk a smile, but this one decidedly warmer, less mischievious. Even if it's probably a lie. "You're here to entertain -me-. When I feel like doing something nice for you, you'll know." Another easily-spotted lie, of course. He absolutely had Sid in mind for this. "Craft beer is overrated. It has a proof, it does the job. Sure it might taste better, but at the end of the day, you're getting drunk either way. At least it's not PBR?" And then, that mischievious smile is back. "You planning on doing things that'll fuck up the furniture? Cuz I think we might need to switch to something better than beer for that."
Sid had the most dubious, and unconvinced lopsided grin in an age. "Well, Hades, the same could be said about gettin laid sure we could jump at what ever but quality's still preferable. And even with that? Heh no never a PBR." He shook his head, and was laughing that he had to pause to drink his beer again. He eyed the front door and then back to Lucky, "Kinda brings me back. Eaddy, Nick, Zach, and I used to go to Ead's house on the lake sometimes and set up like skate ramps and stuff in teh back. Go sailin into the lake. Thrashed some gear that way and rusted out a couple bikes after a while but daaaaamage it was fun." He smiled but it didn't hit his eyes all that much though he was fast to snap out of that shit answering, "Well.. yeah, it's a perfectly good house. Can't stay that way forever." Dusk logic. He wasn't going to call Lucky's bluuf though it was evident he was calling bullshit either way. "Entertain you? I think this can be managed though important question, do we have confirmation on when the actual owners shall be done 'willingly' subletting the place to you?" And by willingly he meant unknowingly.
"You mean 'do you know when the people who own it will be back?'" That grin grows even wider. "Hell no. But, I mean, look at this place. This is the place that some rich bougie couple goes on weekends when they wanna entertain their friends. The food in the fridge is there from a delivery service. The invoice is in the folder on the counter." He nods over to where the papers are. "And it's all stuff that won't spoil. The cleaning people's schedule is on the side of the fridge. This place doesn't even -smell- like people actually live here. There's no clothes in the closets other than the ridiculous bullshit they wear on their boat. And it's in the 'bad part' of the neighborhood, so it's not like the neighbors deign to talk to them. We should be safe. If not -- we'll have a hell of a story to tell. Or a hell of a run. Possibly without pants."
Sid chortled, "Decidedly without pants." He looked around and nodded. It was definiately set up to be a 'getaway' and dammit that's what they were using it for. "Be a damn shame to leave it standing empty. Crime really. Waste of property taxes." He cracked a grina dn then looked around with a wicked, wicked look. "I think you might be a bad influence on me cause I just got an idea." Eyebrows wiggled and he sipped his beer again curious, "So been meaning to ask, at risk of being bussed down to being the serious one cause dagnabbit that's not right, but why? Why do you do all this?" Not really the thins that ended withthe walls but beyond the walls. He poked hishead out of the door and blinked, "They got a fire pit!" Withthe same gusto of you thoguht of everything. Wether that was purposeful or not Lucky was getting credit for that too.
Lucky has to chuckle at that. "Because," he tells the man. "Hope is a funny thing. It's a combination of several emotions in a specific set of circumstances. First, you have to be able to realize how bad things can be," he instructs the other. "From there, you have to be able to get angry that they aren't that way already. You have to turn that anger into a -want-. A desire to see things change, and a fear that they won't unless you -act-. It's that moment -- that moment between fear and action, between despair and anger, that hope springs from. But if you just keep doing the same goddamned things all the time, you never think outside of your little box. You never wonder what the world -could- be. You just accept it for what it is. It's not even fatalism at that point. It's numbness. It's an emptiness. A lack of feeling, moving through your life with the same dead-eyed tranquil stupidity of hindu cattle. So," Lucky tells him, "you have to shake things up a little. The Great Courts think that they've got the market cornered on the emotions, but what they fail to realize is that it's the moments -between- that matter. The transition, the change. That's where the real power lies. Emotion in stagnation is just death."
Sid listenind watching the State pontificate. First? Check. He was pretty well aware. and...check...and check. Finally he held up a finger and said "Correction, Death isn't emotion in stagnation, it's total inaction. That dust after decay that keeps us from moving. It's the entropy that breaks down that barricade to keep things moving forward; eroding the reef to let the surf through. The ebb of a gonvernment that's been there for far too long and forgot what passion to DO something feels like. But maybe..." His lips pressed together and he nodded, "Maybe both are true. Something's gonna take teh wall down. Something's got to push. Maybe it's not the same something, maybe it is, but everything's gotta move. SO is that why you do it then?" His head tilted sliding the sunglasses up to the top of his head to remove one more level of unreadable bullshit. "You shaking the snowglobe to not feel dead inside or are you the most altruistic summer-nut-biscuit I ever run into?" Possibly by far the most odd 'sunnova bitch that's come out of his face, but there was a hint of a smile there that might suggest he'd accept either answer.
"You say 'or' like it has to be one or the other," Lucky replies. "And yeah, it's not death. Death is a release. That's... something worse. That's the kind of thing that They would do. Keep you locked into one thing all the time, for their own gain. Stagnation and madness. Some things have to break down before new things can be made. People look at it like it's one or the other, but it's the same process. It just depends on which part of it you're looking at -- the death of the past, or the birth of the future. The change is the same. It's the -perspective- that matters." As to the second part, he says playfully, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you. And that would just be a waste." And then, more seriously, "Same thing. In order to change my own circumstances, I have to change the circumstances around me. There is no 'or'. It's 'and'. And it's neither. Helping them helps me. Looking out for me tends to help them. It's a cycle. A transition." Which is probably why they're called the Transitional Courts, after all. And probably why there are only two of them.
GAME: Sid spends 1 Willpower with reason: he's a nosy bastard and some shit is important.
-> >> Sid to Here << <-===============================================
Rolled 0 Success
< 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 6 6 7 >
=============================-> >> Wits + Empathy + 4 No Flags << <-
-> >> Sid to Here << <-===============================================
Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 8 9 9 10 >
=============================-> >> Wits + Empathy + 4 No Flags << <-
Sid watched the other half considering a great number of manythings. The great shield for Lucky was an infinite munber of angles and variables like a maze, and true to wanting to break down teh challenge in front of him, always, the Dusk was sort of hell bent on grinding those angles and risk wiping out. "Either..." he began with a curious languid application of language, "you've got everything completely figured out and you're entirely here to evade boredom and are the scion of charity." Possibly. He leaned back to a stand and watched the Elf more curiously, but not...accusingly. Was it concern? "Or you have been pushing everything into motion for so long that thre might not be anything to hold on -to-. It's a different sort of stuck really. Some people are held in place unable to move. Others? Like this... gravity that just let them go and they can move, but in the end are jsut adrift in space bumping into things but not really having much control over anything but a vague notion of their own telemetry." His head tiltes to teh side. There was no judgements, things were what they were. "It's okay. We're all a little stuck." He leaned over and kissed Lucky on the scruff of his cheek, whispering into his ear ith a sort of certainty, "Ain't gonna let you float away. Besides you're not taking a space trip without me."
Lucky blinks at the kiss on his cheek. Part of him expected it. Another part of him, clearly, is still pretty surprised by the little things like that. Either way, he doesn't hesitate to return it, leaning in to kiss Sid's forehead gently as he moves a hand to the man's cheek, looking into the satyr's eyes. "You think I'd let you sit on the sidelines?" he teases. "You've got front row tickets. And there's no one else I'd rather have with me." Still, Sid raises a serious point. One that deserves a response. Lucky moves behind Sid, resting his arms on the Satyr's shoulders as he stares out onto the water. "If there's one thing I've learned," he tells him, "it's this: control is an illusion. You can stack the deck in your favor, but at the end of the day, you're either gonna come out with a good hand, or a bad hand. The hand you're dealt doesn't -matter-. It's how you play it that matters. That's the control that we have. Thinking that we're in control of more than that is a one-way ticket to... bad things. Losing yourself. Our reality is different, now. We know that there are rules of the game that aren't always what they appear to be. What else can you do, but stay in the game for as long as you can, and hope that it's worth it in the end?"
Maddox comes in from the temproom hub.
Maddox disappears, swirling down into the black hole of the exit portal.
Sid leaned back against the elf and was either there to shield him from teh world's bullshit or maybe to siphon the optimism off of him having someone at his back. Maybe both reall, He took a deep breath watching the wate and by sheer nature of forces he might be the slghtly more serious one if he ever stood still long enough. His fingers reached to hang where Lucky was using him as an armrest and he said casually to all the philosophies shared, "Good cause I'm furnishing stuck as frank and I dram well don't want o die. I jsut... really... wish everything else would stop eroding away so fast. Like... if we can break enough things it'll bust the machine that keeps coming. At least for a while." The Satyr's brow furrowed and he tilted a look over his shoulder to Lucky and made the promise, "They -will- hurt for what they've done... but all I got right now is livin, and reminding them of the cost of that fail. They left the wrooooooong Bishop left standing." There was a faint sharpness to his smile but the quiet promise of vengeance and anarchy in Their plans Seemed enough revenge to keep the blood moving. Alsmot as if he felt a need to defent oft just stereotypes he offered, "Son't worry, I don't have a good dog death wish. Someone's gotta bail you out and I don't wanna miss it."
Lucky leans in, pressing his forehead against the back of Sid's head. "Don't worry," he tells the man. "I'm not going anywhere. If the world starts to spin, and you're not sure what direction is up, I'll be here. Same as always. I'll help you get yourself righted. And even if everything else burns to the ground? I'll be standing there in the ashes with a smile on my face, with at least a few ideas on what to do next." Because that's what Lucky does, after all. Starting from zero is still starting. "And someone will almost certainly need to come bail me out. But since you'll be in the cell right beside me, we'd better give your publicist a raise. Maybe your lawyer, too."
Sid watched the water and a glint of mischief sparked up in teh Dusk's eyes. Some sort of weird succession of promises like a solar generator recharging itself and also capable of self repair. Somehting to push, and something to unobstruct. it worked weirdly well but it was also reassuring and he grin stretched. He chuckled, "How'd you know I have a lawyer?" He squint at him and chuckled, "Yeah. I...know ya will. I'm good with this. It's crazy, but it works, and it sounds never dull. And I really really want to take yout o Mexico not to throw you off a building...mostly... but because it's new and cool and I think you'll get a kick out of it." Because he wasn't against giving Lucky the shit he could that was sometimes unthought of or out of reach.
"Then we'll go to Mexico and you can throw me off a building, and I'll keep the Federales from riddling you full of automatic weapons fire for hang-gliding off a ziggurat, and think of fun things to do on the beach. It'll be beautiful." Because that's how they roll, apparently. "And why the hell -wouldn't- you have a lawyer? Reading all those contracts is tedious as fuck, and someone's gotta deal with all the legal stuff. I don't see you being all that itnerested in it, really. That requires doing boring shit. And you are pretty much the antithesis of boring."
Sid cracked a grin ear to ear. Aaaaand we are back on station with our regularly scheduled programming. He leaned forward lifting Lucky onto his back and turned to carry him back towards the front foor that dinged like Luke toting a large whatever Yoda was. He went and unlocked the front door letting in one guy with a large cardboard box. Lucky? Lucky was great with people. Sid? Sid had a different sort of great with people. Jaded as he was on many things wating for the world to rock and wake it up, he had a undying appreciation for the everyday guy going out of his way to get the job done. "Heeeey tell Yosh' I really appreciate this.." He was great with smalltalk even with someone literally riding his back. A second cardboard box with various things. Who the HELL did he call? The satyr flapped a hand to dig out his wallet in which three bills were pulled out and palemd and just dropped into teh other guy's hand with a handshake. They weren't $2 bills, but he didn't flaunt his shit either. The delivery guy was doing them a solid and likewise has his own doors to kick down. This he could enable.
Lucky's quite a it taller than Sid, but that doesn't seem to stop the Romancer from doing his thing. Or Lucky from making a quip about it. "So wait, I get to ride you -before- dinner?" he teases, laughing delightedly as Sid picks him up and goes to the door. "Best. First. Date. Ever. I think I'll keep you." He doesn't even try to hop down as Sid answers the door, instead just grinning like a fool as he offers a wave to the delivery guy, apparently bringing them boxes of all shapes and sizes! "AND you brought me presents. Wait, does this mean I hav to meet your parents now?"
Sid got teh guy's name, Matt, and bit him a good evening and told him hell yeah they'll call if anyhting good comes up. Hell he even got Matt's number withthe promise if Sid ever needed a driver to find a thing he'll totally call him first and hook him up. The Blackbird, as futile as many things were, still believed in looking after other people. Something about... just... working together was so fucking ingrained in him he didn't think twice about it. It was the subtle nature of his other self that was quiet to surface and always, always there. Presents? The Satyr chuckled, completely pleased at the utter impact the surprise returned had: Concerns? Boredom? Ooooobliterated.
There was inside the boxes was about 280$ worth of sushi, beer from Japan, and a matte red boxwith a stamp on it, presumably also from the Japanese place? Was he smug? Of COURSE he was and said sheepishly, "I had my agent find us a guy in town. There's some crazy demands from some of the other talent he has got has had some crazy demands before. Sooo I ...might have had the guy called in for a favour from his...house...." He trailed off and peeked into the box. He didn't know what was in there food assortment wise so it was a surprise to him too. He watched Lucky marvel at the new thing and gave the taller man a wink. He shrugged. Yup. This is what happens when badasses challenge one another. Good results.
-> >> Sid to Here << <-===============================================
Rolled 0 Success
< 2 >
=========================-> >> Composure + Subterfuge No Flags << <-
Game: Sid has a "Subterfuge" Skill of 0.
Game: Lucky has a "Subterfuge" Skill of 4 (Specialties: "Adroitness", "Calling Bullshit", and "Looking Innocent").
Lucky hops down off of Sid's back and goes to inspect the boxes, looking through the sushi like a kid at christmas. "Jesus," he tells the man, "we're so not gonna be able to eat all of this. I mean, this has gotta be wh HOLY SHIT, they brought krispy krab rolls!" Lucky takes out one of the little containers, looking at it merrily. IT's apparently a california roll, with spicy mayo, asian barbecue sauce, topped with french fried onions. What could possibly be less authentic and more americanized than that? "They had better have put ..." And there is is. A veritable mountain of beautiful, green wasabi and a bottle of what looks like authentic home-brewed soy sauce. Lucky looks up to Sid, the most innocent possible expression on his face. "Are... are you proposing? Because at this point, I don't even care if you suck in the sack, if you keep buying sushi like this. I accept."
-> >> Sid to Here << <-===============================================
Rolled 3 Successes
< 1 2 3 6 7 9 10 10 >
=================================-> >> Wits + Empathy No Flags << <-
Sid was pleasantly intrigued by the assortment ticking off, "Waaaah awesome, rainbow roll and...wrapped fish thing in rice... and soemthing orange which means we need those hand wipes to double as a fire blanket for our tongues." He grinned and snorted , "Yeah RIGHT. You would totally not forgive thatwith that whole let the buyer beware crap." He pointed to him and then hopped up on the counter pulling cabinets open looking foooor PLATES! Total score. He rolled his eyes and returned the glance taking the jibe back, "You might have better charisma, but this body weren't made from snackfood. It is built. to. last. I've gotten gold for grindin more than a rail, just sayin there, Maverick." He paused and shook his head, "'"Sillings you would make a fine aim gunslinger withthe hat and hte ace up the sleeve and stuff. Costume party may be in order, but after we host a parade for Enid." Hehanded Lucky a plate arching an eyebrow. He wasn't getting out of that gauntlet thrown alove and really he had no intention to. Flatly he said, "Open the glass dimmed box already." Because there was a legit 'thing' in there in the red paper box.
Lucky laughs. "I tend to have pretty good luck with my choices," he reminds Sid. "Better than most. My luck turns sour when I use it on other people. Only so much luck to go around. You get a car, I get clubbed like a baby seal. We both have a great deal of fun. Worth it. And then, you buy me sushi and go and turn the tables on me. Can't have that. Now I have to think of something even -more- awesome." Though he has to grin a bit more devilishly as Sid goes on. "Yeah, yeah. That's a lot of talk there, buddy. We'll see if the Man lives up to the Myth, I guess. And as far as me dressing up like a gunslinger -- do you just wanna see me in chaps, or figure out how well I handle my weapon?" Because yeah, Sid walked right the hell into that one, and there was -no way- the fairest was gonna let it slip. But he does open the box, peeking inside. -That- actually surprises him. The maneki-neko figurine inside is exquisite, and had to have cost a pretty penny. Lucky takes it out, gently, like he's afraid it might crumble to dust at the slightest of touches, that smile fading into something truly touched. "Oh, man. Dude. This is... I don't even know what to say." It's clear that Sid put some thought into that one, too. "It's beautiful. I mean, unless this is your subtle way of calling me a pussy. But it looks expensive, so the joke's on you, because I'm totally keeping it and, like... I dunno. I kind of wanna build a shrine around it, or something." Getting back into serious mode for a minute, he looks up at the Satyr. There's some real emotion there. "Thank you. Really."
Sid chuckled and couldn't help but grinas the ribbing went on and on nad it was, something. Like a crazy optimistic Yin balancing out the angry alkaline yangand it was... a feeling. Things were weirdly alright with no real theatre of confusion and the shields all left in his trunk...next to the trash bags and the shovel. Just in case. He watched the shift, the real emotion in Lucky's reaction buried for a moment under more layers of bravado laced sheet rock. People like them tended to insulate a LOT. He got why and he appreciated, really, that brief moment of honesty and answered kind for kind with a one shoulder shrug. "Was worth it. Was important to me too." A half grin followed and another shrug because enither one of them were particuly expert with being overly real for too long, so the humor was back, "Besides if you're gonna be with me for a while it behooves me, no pun intended, to see you non-hostile towards me. AND..." He planted his hands on the counter saying from the deepest most honest, affectionate part of his heart, "I always got your bail money. Is coo." See? That's caring.
"If I were gonna be hostile toward you," Lucky tells him in turn, "you would have known it by now. I've got absolutely zero chill when it comes to letting people know they've pissed me off. Great poker face when I need it. So far, I haven't needed it in those situations. It's better just to let people know they fucked up. The little intrigues are how kingdoms fall apart." Which Sid would know perfectly well, naturally. They both use them for exactly that purpose if someone out there is misbehaving. Popping one of the sushi pieces into his mouth, he chews thoughfully, looking at the cat. "Felix," he tells Sid. "That'll be his name. He looks happy. I dig it. Laid back chill happy lucky cat. Felix." Sliding the box over to Sid, he says, "You're gonna try one of the orange things first and tell me how much it hurts." Followed closely by, "Note, I said I wasn't hostile. Not that you were unlikely to experience pain in my presence."
Game: Sid has a "Drive" Skill of 5 (Specialties: "Motorcycles").
Sid he picked up one ot he orange rolls and then tried to talk around it "Iffth a fthiffy 'oon woah' Fooo goooo!" Oh the joys of a spicy tuna roll done well. He looped a foot around Lucky's leg to drag him over and gave him teh look of this is going in your mouth. He chuckled and chewed trying not to laugh and choke at the same time, "I'll make you a deal, unlike last time, this one you're allowed to chew." That got a playful wink and he just started cracking up. There was something cathartic about actual myrth. "Hey, no bull shoes, this is awesome. How long have you been carrying this plan out to pull teh trigger on? This had to take more than five minutes of planning a thing and not talking about it? How did you live through that?!" Look Lucky had a killer poker fase, he wouldn't even question that but his impulse control had to be questioned. Sid knew this because he knew his own kind.
"A few days," he tells the man in turn, smiling as Sid loops his foot around him and draws him closer. "Doesn't really take me long to come up with a plan to do something. Takes me a little longer if I wanna be sure we'll be safe-ish." Ish. Which is always comforting. "Glad you like it, though. It was getting pretty rough not to just abandon the plan and go for something else. But patience and perseverence," and undoutedly no small masure of luck, "pays off." Lucky's nothing if not compliant though. "I can chew this time, huh? Alright. That sounds like a deal." Putting his hands on the counter, he stares at Sid and opens his mouth, eyebrows arching up as he accepts this deal of Sid's anew.
Sid shoved the spicy tuna roll in his mouth and gave him that look of eeeeh? "Seriously Like I was set growin up, but there's something filleting magical about waking up a chef to cook a thing for you in his house and send his guy over to deliver it kinda we may really need to do this again." he pulled up a piece of the eel avocado roll aond snacked, foot still looped. There was a slow nod of approval. "I couff get yooft' to thiff'." Ah the joys of everything muffled by flavour. Pointing to nothing in particular he noted, "There's room in teh fridge so we can stretch this out a bit too. DOn't like, die." He took another look at the kitchen and admitted, "I'm like torn cause like I really kinda want to throw you against a wall and wreck some drywall, but really this is reeeally good and don't want it to go to waste... but ti I think is definiately rocking best date that's not stealing a hot air balloon ever."
-> >> Lucky to Here << <-=============================================
Rolled 4 Successes
< 1 1 3 3 5 8 8 9 10 >
============================-> >> Resolve + Composure No Flags << <-
Lucky takes the tuna roll, chewing thoughtfully as the flavors mix in their unique way. Of course, then he ruins it entirely by just shaking his head, disappointed. "Missing something," he tells Sid in return. Grabbing another, he takes the tiny wooden paddle spoon that came with the wasabi and applies it... liberally. Once that's done, the soy sauce gets uncapped, which gets applied equally liberally, the white of the rice quickly turning into the dark tan that says it's pretty well saturated. Sid might be used to this sort of thing, but Lucky? Lucky is basically a heathen, and does terrible things to the flavor to make it more suitable to him. Popping that into his mouth, he chuckles a bit as Sid tells him not to die. "No wowweez," he answers. And then Sid is talking about wrecking some drywall, and the elf almost (almost!) looks surprised. Not -quite-. But just for a second, it looked like he might. Swallowing that tuna roll, he tells Sid, "You haven't seen the hot tub upstairs yet. But I bet you can guess what I've got planned for it." And there's that little light in his eyes. The one that Sid would know means trouble in the best possible way.
Sid was used to having access to shit, not living like a Rockafeller. There was a distinct difference so the parade of playing nippon mixology was always curious. Because oif someone says hang on I'm gonna try the thing the very next words coming out of their mouth should be WITNESS ME! before eating the things and by jove witness, he shall. Generally the other laid back poster child for 'chill' he blinked at Lucky's half-shocked expression and immediately moved to defend his statement. "Look, I'm an instigator far more often thhan I'm an initiator, I get that and jsut because I play darts in the grim dank dark" There's another one for the books, "doesn't mean that I don't HAVE like... an opinion or a preference or impulses of my own, dude. You're like a pair of antennae shy of being able to read sweet merciful minds I'm not going to lie to you. I eman..." Okay he had to dial that one back by alot and relented with a series of nods, "Okay I absolutely would, I promise, but not on like...real real crap." he shrugged. "I dunno, waht do you want from me. I'm weird. I like you and I haven't really liked anything in a long aspired time. So oy withthe look alredy." Ya done yet, Sid. He paused and realized that Lucky was grinning and amused and squint, "Odin's raven we got a hot tub?" He paused again holding up a finger electing, "Okay I'm keeping that one."
Lucky just grins even more widely as Sid goes on and on, practically tripping over his censored curses. The Fairest is actually having -fun- watching that, it would seem. But thankfully, he dosn't give Sid much more room to dig himself into a verbal grave. He leans in, putting a hand on the back of Sid's neck and pulling him into a kiss. A real one. Not the playful pecks that they've been doing so far. Which is probably unfortunate for Sid, since the man just ate a truly masochistic amount of wasabi, which is gonna flavor that memory (literally) for all eternity, now. Still, Lucky doesn't seem to care. Once again, the enabler pushes forward at the slightest provocation, only pulling back after a long moment. "Is that a good enough answer?"
Sid was yanked, not a lot, but enough to pop the needle back on the record. There was a jangle of jewelry mostly comprised of black o-rings and a length of beaded chain like one might find on a dangling key fob, around his wrist as his fingers crawled up and bunched into fists around the sides of Lucky's shirt. It was magnetic as it was weirdly spicy and eye watering on all accounts there. Okay yeah that'd be forevermemorable and a little weird. but hey what a reason to have an affinity for wasabi? The skater blinked at the Elf and it was almost comical how fer flushed and stunning he could look while being so entirely confused and mentelly rebooted. "Wait... what was the question?" Lucky was right, sometimes he just just sit there pretty and not talk.
"You were spitting some game about how you wanted to wreck some drywall," Lucky reminds him. "Then asked what I wanted from you. That's my answer." He doesn't mention the hot tub again for the moment. That might be too much for the other Lost to take, given his current condition. Still, the smile on Lucky's face is genuine, leaning in and repeating his earlier kiss, this one a more gentle, playful thing that just teases over Sid's lips, trailing that tingling heat along with them as Lucky dances his fingertips down the skater's sides. It's affectionate. Not the needful, carnal passion that others might expect in such a situation. Something a bit more personal.
Some people lived all fast and furious because standing still and actually feeling anything genuine meant it was close enough to hurt; if not now than later. Fuck it, destruction was inevitable long run. THere were things he never wanted to feel again, and he knew he would, but he was far too practical and indulgent to deny something he wanted for himself out of fear.
There were pleanty of things he ran full tilt into: danger, bad ideas, and fences to name a few. This was not one of those things he wanted to run past and it turned out Lucky and he were still on the same page letting their curiosity get th e better of their feelings taking a hell of a lot of time. His lips still tingled and that, well, that might be the wasabi in truth, but really it made that both awesome and worrisome. Awesome now, potentially hazardous later. Right, Note to self, make sure Lucky doens't end up in the hospital with burns later because wasabi was involved. Pulling his words together he offered, "It was a relly good answer, yeah." The grin warmed back up getting past the idea that the inevitable heat death of the world may not be tomorrow and that the value Lucky already had with him was there already regardless of whatever form or distance that was so really he was fighting himself. Right. One more roadblock to come down. Fuck you very much, Station Director, here's to living again. He did agree, inertness was emotional death and that? That was a travesty. His lips pressed back to Lucky's somehow appreciating that the man hasn't shaved in a day and half and made swarthy work, the spicy mao, the dying sun turning everything electric orange. He murmured, ya know, totally causl like as he wasn't holding the man against him right now, "Ya knoooow we do have a fridge. Just sayin. And they ain't comin back for like a time."
- IC Time: Tue Jun 06 13:01:56 2017 ***
- OOC Time: Tue Jun 06 13:01:56 2017 ***
Lucky doesn't seem to mind terribly much that Sid's holding on to him. Hell, that's half the point. He reaches around the Blackbird's waist, moving as close to the counter as comfort will allow to give Sid a slightly easier time of it. "I tend to give really good answers. It's one of my strengths. You'll see." Lucky doesn't seem to be quite as caught-off-guard, still looking relaxed and easy. Like he had it planned. Which, to be fair, he probably did, given the way things are set up. Dirty, cheating bastard. "I think that all of this'll fit in the fridge. And no. They probably won't be coming back for a time." That, or they could be walking through teh door any minute. It's a crapshoot, really. "What've you got in mind?" The last part is practically cooed, as much challenge as question.
Sid didn't mind and in fact was, true to word, fantastic at instigating existing elements. Dusk breaking down what? Expectations, barriers, his own hangups? People walking through the door at any moment? Shit he was pretty certain he'll get nicked for something worse in his lifetime before his story was done. To him there was soemthing terribly romantic about running for your life with omeone evading arrest. Itweirdly brought a wry grin to his face as the distance shit. "You know I figured out how to beat you right?" Now that? That was a bold statement. He seemed awfully certain of this, that grin alighting his eyes witha great sense of being alive that came too seldom for him these days. Lucky though figured out how to re-ignite that apparently.
Lucky, of course, is the other side of that coin. The Dawn is constantly trying to build things, to maneuver existing things into better possible configurations. To bring a little light and hope to the world as the things around him spring to life, realizing their potential. People. Relationships. It doesn't matter. He sees what it all could be, and works to bring about the changes necessary for them to grow. And he, too, seems a bit too happy at the thought that the owners might come home at any moment. It's new, and exciting, and just the tiniest bit dangerous. HE wouldn't have it any other way. "And how is it that you're gonna beat me?" he asks the Dusk in turn, that grin growing even wider at the boldness of the statement as the proverbial gauntlet was tossed.
Sid leaned just taht bit closer with those eyes, somehow being subjectivly spectacular, at teh arrest and whim of Lucky's indecisions of the moment and being forced to keep up with such a simple expectation, amused and watching. A chuckle rumbled in his chest like his tires hitting the rumblestrip in a hairpin turn on a high climb up the mountain. "Lucky, You tilt the game, but you don'tget to control when the game happens... jsut what happens. All I have to do? Is remember there's always a monkey lovin game going on and give you an angle to play. Sure, you'll win. You will -always- win... but knowing that? Shit I can own ya outright. every. time. All I have to do is be the one to flip the coin and make you call it. So once the risk of winning is taken from me, which inevitable I won't" Futility at its finest folks, "I can control the win conditions. You just need-" The grin became quieter words, a conspiracy, and a stolen kiss, "something that you want to win... and if I can do that? I got you. By controling the loss...I." another one stolen delighting at the revelation Lucky's getting about how very much the Satyr's been paying accute attention to him this whole time. "Win." His eyes watched Lucky's keenly to gauge that reaction there, without malice, without arrogance, but with a fond appreciation for the intricacy of it all. Player 2 has entered the game. Where Lucky played, Sid threw quarters at it. "But that doesn't mean you lose."
-> >> Lucky to Here << <-=============================================
Rolled 1 Success
< 2 4 6 6 7 8 >
========================-> >> Resolve + Composure - 2 No Flags << <-
Another little twitch there. Sid got a reaction of some sort, obviously. Lucky can't even hide that. But what sort of reaction? That ones's not so clear. There's a bit of conflict in the Fairest's face, listening to those words even as he clearly revels in those little stolen kisses, closing his eyes and leaning into them with the sort of surrender that makes it clear it would be futile to pretend he was doing anything but having the time of his life. The Dawn's potential might be rubbing off on Sid -- but some of that fatalism is also rubbing off on lucky. Some things, you just don't fight. Which is probably why his next words are, "You're -good-." Lucky doesn't even try to deny that Sid has it pegged. And he doesn't seem to mind that very much right now, either. Still, he gets slightly more serious, then, leaning back so that he can look into Sid's eyes. "Just make sure you know what the stakes are, and that you're willing to buy in. I play for keeps. But," he adds, leaning in and stealing a longer kiss of his own, "I can promise you this -- there's no one I'd rather play it with."
Sid had the potential to just be a total shark at the table if he ever had a head at all for cards. Leave it to a Bishop to just see right through someone's armour; the more layers you use, the more accutely they seem to know what arsomel you're drawing from. Funny that. Talk about downplaying one's skills. He took the compliment in a languid and easy stride though, "Yeaaaaah, well, maybe I just like to let people think I just sit here and look pretty all day. I DO have a job to do too." Okay yeah he was smug, but at least he wasn't a total doucheweasel about it, there was that saving grace.
Sid could say something, but he didn't and while he had Lucky pegged to a tee he was less prepareddo deal with the ashes of actual feelings being dug up in what jsut escalated to a very real moment. The saving grace was that he wasn't in that space alone and there was a comfort that it was kinda a huge and uncertain high stakes wager for the Fairest too. That kiss bought him time though and fighting against magnitism like that was jsut... it was a waste of time and he knew his mind already. Once you know that and give yourself over to gravity? You can do some great tricks with that and control the fall. Well, once you consign landing in a bust up heap was also a thing which he knew too welll in a different context. But the kiss was fading and they were drawn back to the center of everything. The Elf put it all out there on teh table which was one fucking hell of a thing to wager. Sid took a deep breatha nd confessed, "Look, I've lost... like... everything. Everyone, three times. I'm , uh," He swalloed and for a moment his brow furrowed and he fell back on keeping a casual tone, and there was a waver in his voice, "I regret.... I'd give anything to have them back, but that's not a thing someone can buy ya know?" Ow. Just... the words stung making incident reality again. Fly casual, kid, fly casual. "I don't regret us having lived though. I don't... I can't do that again... but I can't stand still and I can't...Look wether I say yeah or no? Let's be real I already bought in a while back and anything I try to really say to the contrary is cowardice and bull roar. I don't do't do shingles half-angled, and something hunts you down, like... somehow tomorrow? I'll blame myself for everything from not saying yeah I'm down, to not being there... and I wouldn't not be there. I'm probably the jack rabbit trying to ride the building down that's trying to crush us to death." It was frank and honest as he could be with Lucky, and more to the point himself. An impish grin retured try really hard to keep things casual and he knew Lucky could see the bullshit in that but he joked, "You had me at 'hold my beer'"
Lucky listens to what Sid has to say, of course. But more importantly, he listens to how he says it. There's almost a little sadness in the Fairest's eyes as he hears Sid recount his tale of loss. Hope doesn't just spring out of already fertile ground, after all, and the ones who put the most faith in it are also the ones who've seen their world turned to ashes around them. Like the Dawn. "We've both been through some shit," Lucky agrees, reaching up to put a hand on the back of Sid's neck. "We know how this game is played, we know how the deck is stacked, and we both know that we're determined to not go down without a fight. And when the whole world is stacked against us, I'd rather have you at my side than anywhere else. You know I've got your back. And I know you've got mine. I've got nothing to hide from you, and I know that you've got nothing to hide from me. This year is -our- year. And if one of us is stupid enough to fuck it up? Well... karma's a bitch. Either way, we'll get what we deserve, and not one scrap less."
-> >> Sid to Here << <-===============================================
Rolled 5 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 7 8 8 8 10 10 >
============================-> >> Resolve + Composure No Flags << <-
Sid senses that familiar spark of the D'an; that force in teh Wyrd that said shit's about ready to go down. Really he honestly anticipated himself to be totally strung out about this shit and would have thought agreeing might require a glass of bourbon and two shots of tequilla. He was oddly... alright with this one, then again finding one's Yin does that. The Bishop listened to the Judge and was kinda humbled b that. Fingers looped into Lucky's beltloops and leaned forward to let his horned forehead meet the Elf's. The words came back, not because of memory or rote, but because he fucking meant them. He grinned ending the pledge. He added with a ry grin, "You know what the Irish say? May we get what we want. May we get what we need, but may we never get what we deserve." Because these two were a couple of dirty scoundrels if there ever were any. He closed his eyes taking solace at the heat on the back of his neck from Lucky's hand. "To us never having to fight the long fight alone, eh?"
Robbie comes in from the temproom hub.
Sid disappears, swirling down into the black hole of the exit portal.
Lucky feels it too. There's weight there. A promise, one that the Wyrd itself acknowledges. And he doesn't mind that one bit, because he meant the fuck out of it. He rests his head against Sid's, the little horns there a strange, comforting feeling as he listens to Sid say something similar right back at him. And there's a visible relief as some of the tension leaves him. Clearly, he knew he was walking right up to the edge of the cliff there, and it was either crash and burn, or hope someone was there to catch him. And that gamble paid off. "Like I'd let you have all the fun without me," he tells the Dusk. He's trying to joke, clearly. But there's plenty of seriousness there still. "I've got a reputation to keep up. Can't let you hog all the credit."
Sid grinned wryly and scoffed, "Naw, never, man. Like I'd do that to you? Baker please." He didn't mind the goods being manhandled and it didn't negativly impact him much, but it did amuse him. "Sooooo you're stuck with me. Though I did sort of promise a hang gliding Elvis impersonator...sorry." He glanced to the box where teh sushi and the lucky cat was and said simply, "You did get a you-cat out of it though and... we'll work out the rest of the details as we go as no real plan survives the enemy anyways." Dusk 104: Plans? Why bother. Instincts? Yes please.
Lucky glances at the cat, and the sushi. The cat is cute, the sushi is delicious. But neither are terribly important at the moment. Instead, he leans forward, wrapping his arms around Sid's waist as he pulls the man off the counter, holding him up as he leans in to steal another one of those little kisses. "I guess I'll just have to make due with what the universe handed me," he says, mock-sufferingly. Dawn 104: Plans change. Adapt. Overcome. Improvise.
Sid kicked his heels against the cabinet. On the upshot, while only around a modest 5'7 the Satyr was built for agility and stamina with a metabolism taht could consume the contents of an entire Tim horton's and still be hungry later. He wasn't difficult to move if he was moved to be moved. He laughed, "That wasn't the Universe, that was me." Okay he could be a cocky son-of-a-bunch but it was one of his better qualities. He finally asked, "Hey... you alright there?"
Lucky grins from ear to ear, all bright eyed. Which is probably at least a little creepy, given his general features, and what goes on behind his pupils. "I'm -fine-," he tells the man. "More than okay. Trust. The question is, will -you- be?" It's not exactly threatening. More of a promise of interesting times ahead. He doesn't exactly let the Satyr down, either. "I'm pretty sure I promised you a hot tub. And I think it's about time we go check that out." Less than subtle hints from the Fairest. "How's your Latin?" Apparently, if Sid doesn't know it, he'll know a little soon enough.
Robbie contemplated that and didn't answer that right away but offered as honest as he could witha laugh. "Kinda scared shirtless but... it's pretty cool. Been a while since I kinda had a rush like this without going mach one? Eh, I'll figure it out." How's his Latin? He laughed in what's been an honest good time that he usually aimed for and rarely hit. "My Latin?! Shoddy at best. My Hebrew is alright. My Yiddish is kinda top notch. THey don't teach Latin in Hebrew school though." He looked at the sushi and said with a chuckle, "I'll go and you can tote me there can we please not get food poisoning alter though?" Sometimes pragmatism happened.
"Hey now," Lucky says, brows furrowing playfully. "Aren't -I- supposed to be the responsible, practical one, with all the plans and the logic and stuff? And you're supposed to be the one that acts on impulse to get us into wild, crazy hijinks? You tryin'a steal my thunder?" Still, he can't help but accept the logic of this, even if it -does- detract somewhat from the moment. He even lets Sid down, moving around behind him for a moment so that he can lean in and plant another of those light kisses, this time on the side of the Satyr's neck. "I guess a couple hundred dollars worth of potentially deadly food would be even more of a mood-killer. So you're off the hook. -This- time." And with that, he starts to put some things away. "But just for that, you have to teach me a few fun things to say in Yiddish."
Sid lolled his head to teh side and seemed to easily soak up attention like a sponge. He grinned and packed up some of the thingsbut left the cat out because a- it didn't need refrigeration, and b- it was fun to give it a high five with his finger. That lil neko can wave forever can't he? "Dude, you are not going anywhere, but we leave that out? I'm driving your suave self to teh hospital. NOT the ideal ending to a kick ash first date." Eh he could get behind calling it what it was. He put a hand on the fridge to close it and gave the Elf a serious lookslapping his hand against Lucky's cheek and holding it ther. It was one of those funny knacks, sharing a virtue? Often people night ask what good does that do and the answer was a LOT when you wanted to meet common ground. Sid was angry, really angry, but weirdly forgiving and somehow shared at his very core? He was a team player and looking out for Lucky in that flank capacity somehow important. "Ikh nor gat ir. Ikh vet nit farlirn ir." How's that for some Yiddish on the fly? It was really not perfect, but whatever it was maybe from the earlier conversation. "Being daring is not being blind. Not when it counts." Not the translation but also important.
"Yeah," Lucky tells him in turn, that weird feeling of a new virtue flooding over him. Despite the fact that he definitely wants to be doing other things, it doesn't seem to bother him right at the moment. Not that there was anything to forgive in the first place, which only makes him that much more patient about it now. "This really was a kickass first date." He reaches up, running a hand over Sid's cheek as he looks the man over. "Just don't go resting on your laurels on me. We've definitely gotta try and do better. Can't start getting boring after -one- date. What kind of message would that send to the rest of the world?"
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