[It'll be a few minutes before he gets the next message.]
I feel so honored. Turn around. Surprise?
[When he does, he'll see her standing there with a goofy grin. She shouldn't enjoy spending time with him this much but hey. Christine is glad to actually have another friend.
She sees the glass waiting for her on the bar and oh no. He may be all sorts of dangerous, consistently riding a high off who-the-hell-knows-what kind of drug but...he is awfully sweet, too.
Stop making her feel things, Hancock, how dare you.
She slips into the seat next to him.]
Hope you weren't saving this seat for anyone special.
[He grins back and throws her a lazy two-fingered salute in greeting, waiting until she's taken her seat to turn back to his own drink.
Yeah, it's a surprise. A good one. He watches her from the corner of his eye, and his grin widens into something mischievous and sly before he replies.]
I was. Lucky for you, she's sitting in it. [Without missing a beat, he slides the glass over to her.] Drink up, sister. I wanna hear about this favorite city of yours.
[And he just keeps going with the being sweet thing.
Thank goodness the lighting in this place isn't super bright so he won't be able to see the slight blush on her cheeks. Good job, dude. It takes a lot to get her to blush these days.
She takes the glass and tips it to her lips. When the liquid hits her tongue, she damn near spits it out but manages to get it down her throat. He bought it for her, she's determined to drink this vaguely vomit tasting concoction now.]
My favorite city, then. You'll think I'm crazy for choosing such a place. Little Hades is a cakewalk for an angel compared to Mnemosyne. Had to keep my wings concealed the whole time I was there but...it was worth it.
I've been in quite a few Hell cities, now. None of them even come close to being as beautiful as Mnemosyne.
[Sure, the place is a dive, with dim lighting and days-old smoke hanging in the air that spares her the teasing a blush would've gotten. Nothing short of total darkness would have stopped him spotting the face she pulls at the taste of her drink, though.
He barely suppresses his laughter, constraining himself to a small smirk as he motions the bartender over.
While she speaks, he gestures at his own drink and holds up two fingers. By the time she's hit that second Mnemosyne two more shots are on the bar, and he trades one for her glass of vaguely wine-flavored swill.]
I'll take that. Valiant effort, you should be proud. [And he'll just be setting the glass down again as far from the two of them as he can reach.] Wouldn't push that shit on my worst enemy. So, what's so beautiful about Mnemosyne? Can't have been the locals.
I should be used to that by now. No place in Hell has a good Bordeaux.
[And she'll just be grabbing that shot and downing it, trusting him that it'll taste better than that vomit-wine. It's strong but yeah, the flavor is definitely much more acceptable.]
Unless you hit up the places like Little Eden.
[Her tone heavily suggests that she does not like those suburbs that are set aside for angels. She is far more comfortable being the hare in a den of foxes. Crazy girl.]
It's surrounded by these gorgeous mountains. Everything is so dark there, covered in a thick fog. Still just as hot as the rest of Hell, of course. But the architecture was so...it was interesting. The sorts of buildings I was used to when I was alive, tall Gothic monuments. Lavish Victorian mansions. All juxtaposed to structures that were very much more modern. It was such a lovely melding of old and new.
[He doesn't ask what a Bordeaux is. He just smiles in that thin-lipped, roguish way of his and lifts his own glass in a toast while she knocks back hers. Like he told her, he's never been a wine guy.]
Remind me to ask what your beef is with Little Eden sometime. [There's a hint of a laugh on the edge of his voice. Considering how easy she fell into his company, he's not all that surprised to hear she's not a fan.
Heaven has a way of sucking all the fun out of everything it touches.
Except her. Elizabeth, too. He's been running into angels that defy his expectations all over the place, lately.]
We had some of that in the Commonwealth. Old historical sites butted right up against skyscrapers. Well, the ones that were still standing, at least. Made things interesting.
[And often deadly. All those little nooks and crannies people like him could disappear into. Or lie in wait in.]
So... why leave Mnemosyne? The way you describe it, it sounds a damn sight better than this shithole.
What's the point in coming down to Hell if you're just going to hide in the safety of such a place? [That's the short answer. The long answer would reveal a bit too much about her past for her liking. Christine shrugs.]
Skyscrapers hadn't really become a thing yet when I was alive. I rather love them, now. Nothing quite like standing on the roof of one and flying off it.
[She reaches into her pocket for a moment to pull out her phone and pull up a photograph. Christine slides her phone across the bar to show it to him.]
The mountains. Those are pretty fun to fly off of, too. When there's not giant dragon-vulture creatures trying to tear your head off.
The view was definitely better, yes. But I was searching for something. Mnemosyne didn't have it. Little Hades did.
That's a thrill I won't be experiencing anytime soon. [Not without the aid of a hang glider or something similar. Demonhood is a mixed bag, as far as he can tell. Some of them have wings, some have tails, still others traded in their soft skin for scales.
To be honest, he's kind of glad he hasn't changed. Wouldn't say no to a set of wings for a day, though.
He picks up the phone for a better look, giving a low, reedy whistle. Those are some kind of mountains, all right.]
Yeah, but giant dragon-vulture creatures trying take a bite is half the fun, right?
[He flashes another grin at her.]
Can't say I'm not pleased you decided to settle. [There's no question there, no press for more information. He passes her phone back.] Who else am I gonna pawn all these concealment potions off on, huh?
You never know. It's not uncommon for strange physical changes to occur after you've been down here for a while. I certainly wasn't born with eyes this color, nor did I have them when I still resided in Heaven. [She'll always be a hopeful soul. Besides, the idea of Hancock with wings is oddly appealing. Oh the trouble they could get into with both of them capable of flight.]
Depends on the day. Sometimes it gets a bit dull. Unless they've started swarming. That's still exciting.
[...Because this is something that happens a lot and so the level of fun has worn down a bit for her.
She really likes it when he smiles at her like that.
And then says things like that without asking about her past.
Unconsciously, she leans a bit closer towards him.]
This town has certainly been growing on me. It has its charms.
[And to his teasing...she doesn't have much of a response other than to look away, grin and look back up at him.]
[It's a pretty thought, the wings, and he likes what it says about her that she can still be hopeful in the depths of Hell. Still, he waves it off with a half-smile and a gentle flip of his hand.
Really, he's good. He went through a big enough change in life. No need to tick off that box again in death.]
Gettin more charming by the minute. [He shifts to order another round of drinks, his leg bumping hers. There's no quick jerk back, no move to reclaim the lost space, nothing to signal the brush was accidental.
Maybe it wasn't. Maybe he just doesn't have any complaints if it was.] So, second drink. Think that was somethin to do with bullets?
[In Hell, there's possibilities. Good and bad. The story can continue. Heaven...it's just an ending. Nothing left to be hopeful about up there, honestly.
...He's invading her personal space a bit there, though. It suddenly makes Christine hyper aware of his presence. Such a simple sort of touch but this sort of thing was frowned upon when she was alive and in death...well. Christine had been so focused on finding Erik that she never really gave herself the chance to get close to anyone. In any sort of fashion. This is odd.
But she finds that it is not unwelcome.]
Ah, yes. A story that is rife with the hilarity of my own stupidity. Happened not that long ago, shortly after I found myself in Little Hades, actually. You can even still see some of the scars.
{annnnnnnnd to your right we see the common scoundrel in his natural habitat}
[She won't get any arguments from him, just a crooked, toothy grin as he looks forward again. Well, well. Sincerity. Isn't that interesting? Maybe she's got a thing for the grotesque, maybe there's something deeper behind it, but who cares? He's no detective. If there's a mystery here, he's content to let it unravel itself.
And just like that, he lets it go with a short laugh, lengthening his strides (and maybe jogging, just a little) to catch up to her again.]
Look at you, all raring to go. [He gives her arm a light nudge, indicating a fork in the road with his chin.] We're headin' left. So... I promised I'd tell ya about the Glowing Sea, didn't I?
[She slows down enough so that she can turn around and face him while she walks, adjusting her direction slightly in the way he indicates. The original purpose of this meeting may have been to find some hellish venom to help her forget her vicious regrets but...just being out and about with him seems to be having a bit of the same effect.
The way she smiles at him, this is one of those rare moments where she actually feels alive.]
That you did, as I do very much love hearing about the strange world you lived in.
[She's got a good smile. He returns it with one of his own before turning his attention back to the road. Wouldn't be very suave to trip, would it, and besides... he's not sure if the little flashes of movement in his peripheral vision are hallucinations or cause for concern, just yet.
Probably the former. The hit he took before heading out would've knocked a lesser man right on his ass and kept him there 'til the world stopped fluctuating.]
I already told you about everything being irradiated to shit, yeah? Well, the Glowing Sea's the same, but dialed up to eleven. Ain't much alive out there. Only thing ever comes out of the Sea is rad storms and radscorpions.
[That's a lot of rads. Wastelanders aren't a very imaginative bunch when it comes to naming things, okay.]
[If there is something out there, she either hasn't noticed it yet or hasn't deemed it to be worth worrying over.
Not that she's a good judge of danger. This idiot has utterly fallen in love with that crazy rush of adrenaline only danger brings.]
Yes, you've mentioned that, sort of.
[Honestly, the science of radiation had been in it's infancy right when she died. She's never had a particularly scientific mind and so...she just barely understands what irradiated actually means.
Not...that she's going to admit that, though. Won't want him thinking she's stupid for not knowing something that seems so basic.]
Sounds like this place might actually be a step up from where you were when you were alive.
[She's teasing a little.]
I have no idea what a rad storm all entails but...I've seen enough hell storms to know they aren't exactly pretty, either.
[And then her head snaps the other direction. Christine hears something, out in the distance. Some kind of roar. Something that's probably big. Really big.
Something that's probably going to be fun terrifying.]
Oh, they're wild. Not fun for a smoothskin like you, but for someone like me...
[Ahhhh, that sounds like the kind of trouble they're looking for. He goes quiet, tapping Christine's shoulder to get her attention and putting a finger to his mouth. Plenty of time to talk later.
He indicates they should get off the road with a jerk of his chin and strikes out for the questionable cover of a rocky outcropping. The stone is yellow with sulfur deposits, and he's careful not to brush up against it as he crouches to sort through the bag.
Let's see, a sawed-off shotgun for himself, which he breaks to double-check it's loaded, ammo in his pockets...
He offers the 10mm pistol to Christine, grip first, along with an additional clip, speaking quietly.]
I don't think a knife is gonna cut it. Sounded big.
[Contrary to his actions, he doesn't sound worried. He sounds thrilled.]
[With that growl ringing in her ears, Christine's demeanor shifts slightly. The look in her eyes grows a bit darker. With those shining demon eyes, it's very difficult for her to hide her emotions. It's clear that yes, she's still having fun with this but now is not the time for laughing and odd conversations. She crouches down beside him, her footsteps practiced and quiet.
And then she stares at the offered gun. It's something that she wouldn't have thought twice about taking a few months ago. Her skills aren't the greatest with firearms, they're a little too loud for her tastes but she would have been an idiot to descend into this sweating pit without some knowledge of how to use them.
She takes it from him, along with the extra clip. The weight of the gun is familiar and it's strangely comforting but the next thoughts that swim through her head aren't. This town really likes to point out all the ways she's changed, how different she's become. When Erik had last known her, she would have shied away from even touching a knife, let alone a gun...
She can practically hear his voice being protective and parental about her current situation, not expecting her to be capable of handling such things. But...none of that really matters. Erik isn't here and even if he was...it probably still wouldn't stop her.
Christine looks up and spots some sort of tree-like growth.]
I'm going to fly up there and take a look. Sounded like it was close enough that I might be able to see it. Get an idea of what we're dealing with.
[This is an odd message, coming in the middle of the night. Even in text form, she seems pretty rattled about something.]
Please tell me that you didn't get sick like everyone else in the city. I know you've been busy doing whatever it is you do lately and that's fine but I need to know that you're alright.
Because I could really use a friend right about now.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
closed - christine
You've been busy.
So what happens after four?
[gdi hancock]
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[he makes it too easy okay]
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I'll have a glass waiting.
[And true to his word, there will be a glass of whatever passes for wine in Hell waiting for her. It probably isn't very good.]
text ---> action!
I feel so honored. Turn around. Surprise?
[When he does, he'll see her standing there with a goofy grin. She shouldn't enjoy spending time with him this much but hey. Christine is glad to actually have another friend.
She sees the glass waiting for her on the bar and oh no. He may be all sorts of dangerous, consistently riding a high off who-the-hell-knows-what kind of drug but...he is awfully sweet, too.
Stop making her feel things, Hancock, how dare you.
She slips into the seat next to him.]
Hope you weren't saving this seat for anyone special.
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Yeah, it's a surprise. A good one. He watches her from the corner of his eye, and his grin widens into something mischievous and sly before he replies.]
I was. Lucky for you, she's sitting in it. [Without missing a beat, he slides the glass over to her.] Drink up, sister. I wanna hear about this favorite city of yours.
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Thank goodness the lighting in this place isn't super bright so he won't be able to see the slight blush on her cheeks. Good job, dude. It takes a lot to get her to blush these days.
She takes the glass and tips it to her lips. When the liquid hits her tongue, she damn near spits it out but manages to get it down her throat. He bought it for her, she's determined to drink this vaguely vomit tasting concoction now.]
My favorite city, then. You'll think I'm crazy for choosing such a place. Little Hades is a cakewalk for an angel compared to Mnemosyne. Had to keep my wings concealed the whole time I was there but...it was worth it.
I've been in quite a few Hell cities, now. None of them even come close to being as beautiful as Mnemosyne.
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He barely suppresses his laughter, constraining himself to a small smirk as he motions the bartender over.
While she speaks, he gestures at his own drink and holds up two fingers. By the time she's hit that second Mnemosyne two more shots are on the bar, and he trades one for her glass of vaguely wine-flavored swill.]
I'll take that. Valiant effort, you should be proud. [And he'll just be setting the glass down again as far from the two of them as he can reach.] Wouldn't push that shit on my worst enemy. So, what's so beautiful about Mnemosyne? Can't have been the locals.
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[And she'll just be grabbing that shot and downing it, trusting him that it'll taste better than that vomit-wine. It's strong but yeah, the flavor is definitely much more acceptable.]
Unless you hit up the places like Little Eden.
[Her tone heavily suggests that she does not like those suburbs that are set aside for angels. She is far more comfortable being the hare in a den of foxes. Crazy girl.]
It's surrounded by these gorgeous mountains. Everything is so dark there, covered in a thick fog. Still just as hot as the rest of Hell, of course. But the architecture was so...it was interesting. The sorts of buildings I was used to when I was alive, tall Gothic monuments. Lavish Victorian mansions. All juxtaposed to structures that were very much more modern. It was such a lovely melding of old and new.
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Remind me to ask what your beef is with Little Eden sometime. [There's a hint of a laugh on the edge of his voice. Considering how easy she fell into his company, he's not all that surprised to hear she's not a fan.
Heaven has a way of sucking all the fun out of everything it touches.
Except her. Elizabeth, too. He's been running into angels that defy his expectations all over the place, lately.]
We had some of that in the Commonwealth. Old historical sites butted right up against skyscrapers. Well, the ones that were still standing, at least. Made things interesting.
[And often deadly. All those little nooks and crannies people like him could disappear into. Or lie in wait in.]
So... why leave Mnemosyne? The way you describe it, it sounds a damn sight better than this shithole.
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Skyscrapers hadn't really become a thing yet when I was alive. I rather love them, now. Nothing quite like standing on the roof of one and flying off it.
[She reaches into her pocket for a moment to pull out her phone and pull up a photograph. Christine slides her phone across the bar to show it to him.]
The mountains. Those are pretty fun to fly off of, too. When there's not giant dragon-vulture creatures trying to tear your head off.
The view was definitely better, yes. But I was searching for something. Mnemosyne didn't have it. Little Hades did.
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To be honest, he's kind of glad he hasn't changed. Wouldn't say no to a set of wings for a day, though.
He picks up the phone for a better look, giving a low, reedy whistle. Those are some kind of mountains, all right.]
Yeah, but giant dragon-vulture creatures trying take a bite is half the fun, right?
[He flashes another grin at her.]
Can't say I'm not pleased you decided to settle. [There's no question there, no press for more information. He passes her phone back.] Who else am I gonna pawn all these concealment potions off on, huh?
[Definitely teasing.]
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Depends on the day. Sometimes it gets a bit dull. Unless they've started swarming. That's still exciting.
[...Because this is something that happens a lot and so the level of fun has worn down a bit for her.
She really likes it when he smiles at her like that.
And then says things like that without asking about her past.
Unconsciously, she leans a bit closer towards him.]
This town has certainly been growing on me. It has its charms.
[And to his teasing...she doesn't have much of a response other than to look away, grin and look back up at him.]
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Really, he's good. He went through a big enough change in life. No need to tick off that box again in death.]
Gettin more charming by the minute. [He shifts to order another round of drinks, his leg bumping hers. There's no quick jerk back, no move to reclaim the lost space, nothing to signal the brush was accidental.
Maybe it wasn't. Maybe he just doesn't have any complaints if it was.] So, second drink. Think that was somethin to do with bullets?
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...He's invading her personal space a bit there, though. It suddenly makes Christine hyper aware of his presence. Such a simple sort of touch but this sort of thing was frowned upon when she was alive and in death...well. Christine had been so focused on finding Erik that she never really gave herself the chance to get close to anyone. In any sort of fashion. This is odd.
But she finds that it is not unwelcome.]
Ah, yes. A story that is rife with the hilarity of my own stupidity. Happened not that long ago, shortly after I found myself in Little Hades, actually. You can even still see some of the scars.
closed - christine
[She won't get any arguments from him, just a crooked, toothy grin as he looks forward again. Well, well. Sincerity. Isn't that interesting? Maybe she's got a thing for the grotesque, maybe there's something deeper behind it, but who cares? He's no detective. If there's a mystery here, he's content to let it unravel itself.
And just like that, he lets it go with a short laugh, lengthening his strides (and maybe jogging, just a little) to catch up to her again.]
Look at you, all raring to go. [He gives her arm a light nudge, indicating a fork in the road with his chin.] We're headin' left. So... I promised I'd tell ya about the Glowing Sea, didn't I?
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The way she smiles at him, this is one of those rare moments where she actually feels alive.]
That you did, as I do very much love hearing about the strange world you lived in.
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Probably the former. The hit he took before heading out would've knocked a lesser man right on his ass and kept him there 'til the world stopped fluctuating.]
I already told you about everything being irradiated to shit, yeah? Well, the Glowing Sea's the same, but dialed up to eleven. Ain't much alive out there. Only thing ever comes out of the Sea is rad storms and radscorpions.
[That's a lot of rads. Wastelanders aren't a very imaginative bunch when it comes to naming things, okay.]
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Not that she's a good judge of danger. This idiot has utterly fallen in love with that crazy rush of adrenaline only danger brings.]
Yes, you've mentioned that, sort of.
[Honestly, the science of radiation had been in it's infancy right when she died. She's never had a particularly scientific mind and so...she just barely understands what irradiated actually means.
Not...that she's going to admit that, though. Won't want him thinking she's stupid for not knowing something that seems so basic.]
Sounds like this place might actually be a step up from where you were when you were alive.
[She's teasing a little.]
I have no idea what a rad storm all entails but...I've seen enough hell storms to know they aren't exactly pretty, either.
[And then her head snaps the other direction. Christine hears something, out in the distance. Some kind of roar. Something that's probably big. Really big.
Something that's probably going to be
funterrifying.]no subject
[Ahhhh, that sounds like the kind of trouble they're looking for. He goes quiet, tapping Christine's shoulder to get her attention and putting a finger to his mouth. Plenty of time to talk later.
He indicates they should get off the road with a jerk of his chin and strikes out for the questionable cover of a rocky outcropping. The stone is yellow with sulfur deposits, and he's careful not to brush up against it as he crouches to sort through the bag.
Let's see, a sawed-off shotgun for himself, which he breaks to double-check it's loaded, ammo in his pockets...
He offers the 10mm pistol to Christine, grip first, along with an additional clip, speaking quietly.]
I don't think a knife is gonna cut it. Sounded big.
[Contrary to his actions, he doesn't sound worried. He sounds thrilled.]
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And then she stares at the offered gun. It's something that she wouldn't have thought twice about taking a few months ago. Her skills aren't the greatest with firearms, they're a little too loud for her tastes but she would have been an idiot to descend into this sweating pit without some knowledge of how to use them.
She takes it from him, along with the extra clip. The weight of the gun is familiar and it's strangely comforting but the next thoughts that swim through her head aren't. This town really likes to point out all the ways she's changed, how different she's become. When Erik had last known her, she would have shied away from even touching a knife, let alone a gun...
She can practically hear his voice being protective and parental about her current situation, not expecting her to be capable of handling such things. But...none of that really matters. Erik isn't here and even if he was...it probably still wouldn't stop her.
Christine looks up and spots some sort of tree-like growth.]
I'm going to fly up there and take a look. Sounded like it was close enough that I might be able to see it. Get an idea of what we're dealing with.
text; rosedurossignol
oh my god
And he thought his bony Ghoul ass could fit in some tight spaces...]
Not that I ain't impressed, cause I am, but as a friend I gotta ask. You need me to stop by and help lever you outta there?
sorry, not sorry <3
I've gotten myself out of worse before. Would never say no to you stopping by and gracing me with your presence, though.
never be sorry <3
They started serving booze yet?
[Asking the important questions, as always.]
1/2
Not every establishment in the city can serve alcohol, my dearest Hancock.
2/2
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You sure you wanna risk her wrath, sister?
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text; rosedurossignol
Please tell me that you didn't get sick like everyone else in the city. I know you've been busy doing whatever it is you do lately and that's fine but I need to know that you're alright.
Because I could really use a friend right about now.