[open] a friend in need is a friend indeed

[idontlikecake]

There is so much Lily Fuchizaki needs to do. There's the whole catching up on grad school after her ward went partially insane bit, but right now, she's on her way up to see Iris in the Kashtta. That doesn't mean she won't bump into a few other people on the way. If anything, it's pretty likely considering how overly polite she can get.

Sailor

Comments

[hauntinyourass]

Katja doesn't remember this bar being here when she was alive, which is precisely why she went to it. One always has to check out the new establishments in a town one's living in, no matter if they'll gain her patronage or not. So far, this one is not impressing her much. They don't have very good beer, and they keep turning the TV from her station to some other one even if she's asked the bartender fifteen times already to quit doing that. She was watching a very important show on the Discovery Channel, and tearing every part of their science apart whether it really deserved it or not. After all, one can't be expected to sit by and let science be imparted into the minds of the plebians, can one?

She doesn't actually know what she's talking about with half of it. Biology -- at least not the marine variety -- was never really her specialty. But she's drunk enough that it doesn't really matter. She can misinform the public even better when she doesn't know what the fuck she's on about!

And then the bartender changes the channel again. It does take her a moment to notice, actually, as she was distracted by a really pretty girl bumping into her. Or maybe she wasn't all that pretty and Katja's beer goggles are just well and good and on. Hey, if you're dead for a year -- if the dates on the newspaper and everywhere else are to be believed, and even though Katja's been undead for at least a month now, she's still not entirely sure that the whole world got together to play one huge practical joke on her. People don't vampire after more than a year. Fucking Rifts.

But if you're dead for a year, you haven't gotten any for a year, and while that's not normally a huge thing for Katja because labs and science come before girls and fucking, it's as good enough excuse as any to ogle the occasional girl if you're really really drunk.

Said girl, however, only apologizes and sidles away, and Katja's attention is once again stolen by the television. "Hey! Hey, грязный сыч, what's wrong with you, mmm?" she shouts, plonking her beer down on the bar -- and, as it just so happens, right between Francis and Sunshine, neither of whom she's really noticed. She cares not for the other bargoers. She came here by herself and she's going to be obnoxious by herself, dammit. Unless there's a very cute girl who will actually talk to her around. "I was watching that! How are these people going to be informed if they don't have me to explain it to them? They will die hopeless, miserable, and utterly scientifically alone if they don't understand how octopi work!"

[consumesflesh]

Sunshine has noticed Katja, not just because of her ramblings but because it's kind of hard not to notice a very, very nice looking woman in a bar full of ... people who are also nice looking. Right now, she's going to use her vantage point to stare at Katja's chest. Because she can.

"It's true," she says to the bartender. "My life literally had no meaning up until now. I was uninformed and unaware."

Francis, on the other hand, hadn't noticed Katja and is rather confused at her sudden appearance. She doesn't feel right either. She felt like a human before -- except for the part where she was a demon -- but now she feels more like a--

"You're dead," he deadpans at Katja. Not that he hasn't been dead in the last hundred years or so, but she doesn't know that. "And you are the last person I think I'd hallucinate."

[hauntinyourass]

"See? She agrees with me!" Katja says, gesturing at Sunshine with her glass, then taking another swig and noticing that Sunshine's staring at her and not the stupid bartender. Well, she's not the most attractive person on the planet, but at least she's showing some interest. Not that Katja's going to take home anyone who merely shows interest, but she can at least have someone to flirt with for the rest of the night before she goes home to pass out. Or back to her labs to pass out. Same thing, really. "This one," she continues with a grin, "has her head screwed on straight. I bet she needs to know about tentacles. Change the channel, man, post-haste."

The bartender sighs, rolling his eyes, and changes the channel back to the Discovery Channel. He's fairly certain that she'll get distracted in three seconds and he can go back to watching his reality show.

She hadn't noticed Francis at all, given Sunshine's attentions, but when he speaks she turns around, glass obscuring half her face as she drains the last of her beer. "Undead!" she exclaims perkily. "And not hallucinating at all, she'll have you know. Sometimes you wake up after a really terrible bender involving poisoned chocolate with a killer headache and realize you've -- youuuuuuu."

She's recognized you, Francis. "I was supposed to kill you." What she would give to have her purseful of needles right now. Oh, what she would give. She plonks the empty glass down on the bar, turning to the bartender. "Refill!" she says, still glaring at Francis.

1/2

[consumesflesh]

"Indeed," Sunshine says, turning to the bartender with a set of puppy dog eyes. "There's so much about tentacles I need to learn."

Then she's back to focusing on Katja, but the woman is now talking to her current drinking buddy person. Rambling, even. Sunshine likes this woman. Where is more tequila when she needs it? This looks like beautiful drama, just about to start.

2/2

[whatheytoldya]

"That was a long time ago," Francis says. Sometimes it's easy to forget that while it was a long time ago for him, for most everyone else, it really wasn't that long. "Which would have been a pity. I rather like being alive."

Of course the Rift decided to vampire his not-actual-crush. It's not like he ever really had feelings for her. That was all just -- probably her doing, even.

"You know, I was supposed to kill you, after everything panned out, but instead, someone else got around to it. Whatever. It was a whole bunch of rift-shit, either way. Felling family full of motherfelling -- fellers." He pauses, knocking back the last of his drink. "You know, I think I'll get another one too.

"So, you planning on drugging me tonight, and taking advantage of me, or do you have better plans? Because I was rather enjoying tonight, so if you want to go off and bother someone else--"

It hurts. It hurts so fucking much, remembering everything he found in her. She was someone he'd been able to relate to. Someone that he'd been able to form a genuine emotional bond with, only to find that it was all bullshit. And even after he found out, it didn't go away. Things didn't get any better.

So much time, so much time. That's the only thing that had healed the hurt, the betrayal. That, and the healthy amount of reconditioning he went through. She's not worth his time anymore. He needs to just step away, let her and the crazy angel flirt or something.

But he can't.

[hauntinyourass]

"Aw, we could have had a murder party!" Katja exclaims. "Except it would have ended with you dead anyway, so you're lucky my accident happened either way. Besides, I like bothering you better than the rest of these people. What did you do with all your hair, anyway? Did it come alive and wander off--do you have a familiar made of hair?"

She takes the glass from the bartender again, taking a gulp and plopping herself down on a stool. "Also," she natters on, this time encompassing Sunshine in her rambles, "is it just my taste buds not working right anymore since they were frozen for so long, or is this beer actually complete shit? I told them to give me the best they had on tap."

[whatheytoldya]

"I cut it off somewhere in the 39th century," Francis deadpans. "And your taste buds are perfectly fine, as far as I can tell. There's a reason I'm drinking whiskey."

Even after all this time, she's endearing. The way she makes fun of him, the way she just blathers on. Katja's still the same person, and he can't seem to let go of that.

"And if you still want to have a murder party, I'm all up for it."

Sunshine was momentarily distracted by more tequila shots appearing. But then what everyone said kind of sinks in and she looks confused.

"You were alive in the 39th century?" she asks. He doesn't feel like a Wanderer.