Ain't no angel gonna greet me, it's just you and I, my friend.

[syl_thorn]

[Late morning, Sunday, April 18, Day 322]
[The park]

Ain't been th'easiest few weeks've ever had'n m'life, 'at's fer sure. Least th'weather's startin' t'warm up, so we could open fer bizness should we want to. But most folks're questionin' whether we oughta bother. Those few've us't're still makin' money gen'rally get sought out whether th'Lot

Comments

[simon_klavec]

Last time Syl and I talked, well. Didn't go too well. Guess she knew what was coming, with the night wind, and then I doubt she's changed her mind on his daughter. Hard to think of her as Wanda's daughter, for all that I don't think he's raising her himself.

But I can't put off talking to her about this. Know she'd take it poorly if I knew and didn't tell her, about him taking some form to sleep with her. Worse than poorly. As much as I don't agree with Syl on some things, rather be on her good side.

Thought to set out to the Carnival, to find her. Glad I looked right instead of left, leaving the shop. See her in the park, watching folk leave the Abbey, smoking. Lock the door behind me and head over, trying not to soak my feet on the wet ground.

"Syl," I greet her. "Morning."

[syl_thorn]

"Syl. Morning."

Well, so much fer sol'tude. But hell, ain't like Slaughterman's bad comp'ny. Still ain't sure 'e's in m'good books, but given ev'rythin't's happened lately th'whole thing seems like a pretty low goddamned prior'ty. "Morning Slaughterman," I says, drawin' on m'cig. "How ya been?"

[simon_klavec]

I shrug uncomfortably. "Been worse, I suppose." Sit down on the other end of the bench. Air's too warm and wet for my taste. Hope it just rains. "Ran into my kin, at the café, Friday. Talked some." Shake my head. "Not easy, talking to him. Her - at the time. Figured I needed to talk to you, after."

[syl_thorn]

'e shrugs. "Been worse, I suppose." an' sits down on th'same bench's me. Think 'bout tellin'im I wuzn't lookin' fer bloody comp'ny, but I let't bide. "Ran into my kin, at the café, Friday. Talked some. Not easy, talking to him. Her - at the time. Figured I needed to talk to you, after.

"Why?" Snort smoke inta th'air. "'e tell ya jes' how t'bring'im down'n make sure'e don't never touch nobody 'gain? Cuzzat's 'bout th'only thin' I can think'f 't'e could say at'd int'rest me."

[simon_klavec]

Syl definitely seems in a sour mood. Well. Not much choice, and I figure better tell her now than when she's happy. "Why?" she asks, snortin' the question. "'e tell ya jes' how t'bring'im down'n make sure'e don't never touch nobody 'gain? Cuzzat's 'bout th'only thin' I can think'f 't'e could say at'd int'rest me."

I shrug. "He's got plans. Didn't tell me most of them." I take a breath, but there's no easy way t'tell her. "He bragged to me, about sleeping with you. Figure it must have been recent. Didn't mention it back when everyone lost their memories." Wonder if it was before or after the night wind died? Must have been before, I figure. Doubt he'd be in the mood now, or he wouldn't have told me.

[syl_thorn]

"He bragged to me, about sleeping with you. Figure it must have been recent. Didn't mention it back when everyone lost their memories."

Kinda stare attim. Dunno if'n'at wuz th'last thin'd expect'im t'say, but't's likely'n th'top ten. "'m sorry, say'at again? An' what 'zactly makes y'think'e wuz tellin' th'truth?"

[simon_klavec]

Just stares at me for a minute. "'m sorry, say'at again? An' what 'zactly makes y'think'e wuz tellin' th'truth?"

Shake my head. "Bragged that he'd 'steeked my girlfriend'," I tell her. "He was tired. In the mood to hurt with truth," I explain. "Didn't even occur to me to think he'd lie. Not then." Figure it'd hurt more 'f it was true.

[syl_thorn]

Slaughterman shakes'is head. "Bragged that he'd 'steeked my girlfriend'. He was tired. In the mood to hurt with truth. Didn't even occur to me to think he'd lie. Not then."

First I think, consider what 'e's told me. An'I think 'bout m'encounters lately. Only one I c'n think of't wuzn't wit somebody I knew 'r've seen since...annat wuz a stranger, a stranger't jes' appeared, annat I sure ain't run into since.

An'en I start t'laugh.

"First off, shows'e don't know either ovvus allat well if'n'e thinks'm yer girlfriend," I says, gaspin's I laugh. "Second ovvall....fer fuck's sake, don't'e got better thin's t'do wittis time?" I mean, Jesus.

[simon_klavec]

Starts laughing, and it's my turn to stare. "First off, shows'e don't know either ovvus allat well if'n'e thinks'm yer girlfriend," she gasps "Second ovvall....fer fuck's sake, don't'e got better thin's t'do wittis time?"

Takes me a minute, but I chuckle and relax some. "It did seem petty," I tell Syl. "He can be like that. As for why," I shrug. "Could be he was mad at - the night wind, figured it as a way to get back. Could be he thought it'd shake you. Hell. Could be he figured it'd shake me." It did, some. But I'm relieved, that whatever he intended, doesn't look like it worked. "Hope there's no chance you'd end up like Wanda." Don't see Syl keeping a child, if she got with one.

[syl_thorn]

'e stares't me ferra sec, an'en a slow smile spreads 'cross'is face. "It did seem petty. He can be like that. As for why, could be he was mad at - the night wind, figured it as a way to get back. Could be he thought it'd shake you. Hell. Could be he figured it'd shake me."

'm 'bout don't laughin', an'I snort 'gain. "'d think'e'd know Tez better'n'at. Th'only reason Tez might get upset izzat'e wuzn't invited t'join in. Fer me...." Shrug. "I 'spected a nice, no strings attached night'a sex, annat's what I got." Wuzn't like Genny, who thought she wuz with somebody't loved'er. All'I wanted wuz some fun, annat's 'zactly what happened. "As fer you....well, can't speak fer you." S'prises me some, that'e'd care, given what happened.

"Hope there's no chance you'd end up like Wanda."'m drawin' on m'cig when'e says'at, an'I pretty much choke onnit, end up spittin' th'butt t'th'ground. "Fuck no," I says, coughin'. "If'n't's who'm thinkin' of, he wuzza she't th'time. An' even attat, I got plenty'a slipp'ry elm'n m'stores. An'if'n'

[simon_klavec]

It's a relief, yeah, to find she's more amused than anything. "'d think'e'd know Tez better'n'at. Th'only reason Tez might get upset izzat'e wuzn't invited t'join in. Fer me.... I 'spected a nice, no strings attached night'a sex, annat's what I got." Huh. Didn't occur to me, that it might be that. Never was too good at figuring folks out. "As fer you....well, can't speak fer you."

I shrug. "Guess he was off the mark. I care for you, Syl, but not in a way as makes me jealous. It was petty. Made me laugh, at the time he told me."

And then she's shocked and amused again, when I ask about getting pregnant. "Fuck no. If'n't's who'm thinkin' of, he wuzza she't th'time." Huh. Should have considered that. Syl's more likely to sleep with a woman, casual, than a man. "An' even attat, I got plenty'a slipp'ry elm'n m'stores. An'if'n't comes down t'at, 'd choke th'fuckin' thing second't slid outta me."I nod. "Figured pretty well as much." Shake my head and sigh. "For all he's old, and for all he's good at manipulating folks,

[syl_thorn]

"Guess he was off the mark. I care for you, Syl, but not in a way as makes me jealous. It was petty. Made me laugh, at the time he told me."

Well, might still be a li'l mad attim, but gotta admit't makes me feel a bit good t'hear'im say't'e cares. "If'n'e thought't'd shake me 'r Tez, then'e misjudged both ovvus too. Cuzzit ain't no skin offa m'back an' Tez..." trail off ferra sec. "...Tez wouldn'a given much ovva damned one way 'r 'nother."

"Figured pretty well as much." Simon shrugs. "For all he's old, and for all he's good at manipulating folks, he doesn't get people."

I think'at's true....but somethin's nigglin't me too. 'member Caldwell fallin' t'er knees'n sobbin'n th'rain. 'member th'silver cigarette case, which's still'n m'pocket, sittin' on m'pillow come mornin'. Wuz already gonna bed'er...why wuz any ovvat necess'ry?

But what Slaughterman says next drives all ovvat outta m'head. "He cursed Zann, too. I figure just recent. Been meaning to go see her, see if I can turn it somehow."Jerk right upright, an' good thin

[simon_klavec]

When I tell her 'bout Zann, Syl jerks up. "Zann?!" she shouts, "what th'fuck'd'at bastard do t'er?! What happened?!"

I hold up a hand. "Don't know yet. I haven't seen her. Knowing him, well, she's still alive. She tried to fix him, somehow. To bring him back to what he was. He didn't take kind to it." I sigh, and rub a hand along my scar. It aches sometimes, in damp weather. "Didn't know she knew him."

[syl_thorn]

"Don't know yet. I haven't seen her. Knowing him, well, she's still alive. She tried to fix him, somehow. To bring him back to what he was. He didn't take kind to it."

Oh, Jesus Christ Zann, you MORON. Only you would think y'could fix th'fuckin' Psycho Monster. "Didn't know she knew him."

"Neither'd I," I groan. "But I c'n b'lieve't. Zann always had more heart'n brains. Be jes' like'er t'think she c'n make'im all sunshine'n lollipops if'n she hugged'im nough." Squeeze m'eyes shut'n rub m'brow. "Fuck...y'got any idea how t'help'er?"

[simon_klavec]

"Neither'd I," she replies, and this, this has hit closer to home. "But I c'n b'lieve't. Zann always had more heart'n brains. Be jes' like'er t'think she c'n make'im all sunshine'n lollipops if'n she hugged'im nough." Could see that, yeah, from when we spoke.

Syl rubs a hand across her eyes. "Fuck...y'got any idea how t'help'er?"

I roll my shoulders and lean forward some. "Can't just break it, I don't think. Not in my power. Best I could figure would be to curse her again. Subvert it, somehow. I'm open to other opinions, though. Just seems like the best of some bad options."

[syl_thorn]

Slaughterman shrugs 'n sighs. "Can't just break it, I don't think. Not in my power. Best I could figure would be to curse her again. Subvert it, somehow. I'm open to other opinions, though. Just seems like the best of some bad options."

"Fuck'in'ell." Rub m'eyes again. Seems like't don't never stop, not for none ovvus. "First need t'know 'zactly what'e did t'er. Lay'rin' curses on toppa curses...well, 'at c'n get like stackin' blocks too high. Looks pretty ferra while, but 'vent'lly't comes crashin' down." Rub m'temples'n try t'think. "We c'n try purgin't...a cleansin' spell sorta thin'...mebbe if'n we worked t'gether't'd work." Dunno if'n'm strong 'nough, an'e says'e ain't strong 'nough, but t'gether mebbe we gotta shot.