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

[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' I spat out m'cig, otheriwse think I woulda swallowed't. "Zann?! What th'fuck'd'at bastard do t'er?! What happened?!"

[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.

[simon_klavec]

"Fuck'in'ell." Rubs at her eyes again, Syl, and she looks worn down. "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." I nod. "Like setting cats to catch rats, then dogs to catch cats, and so on." She thinks for a moment. "We c'n try purgin't...a cleansin' spell sorta thin'...mebbe if'n we worked t'gether't'd work."

I nod slow. "We can try, yeah. But, well. When he changes things like this, it's fundamental. He declares something, and it is. Not such an easy thing to wipe away, that." I shrug. "But we can try. Best thing to do would be find Zann, make sure she's - okay. He didn't say anything specific."

[syl_thorn]

"We can try, yeah. But, well. When he changes things like this, it's fundamental. He declares something, and it is. Not such an easy thing to wipe away, that."

Narrow m'eyes. "Mosta th'times've heard'at, s'jes' cuz whoever't wuz's used t'gettin'is own way, an'e's managed t'persuade others 'at'e gets't. Don't b'lieve't 'til've tried't fer m'self." Don't never b'lieve nobody's bullshit 'til've tried'em fer m'self.

"But we can try. Best thing to do would be find Zann, make sure she's - okay. He didn't say anything specific."

Sigh. "Ain't gonna be easy, 'at. Zann's th'type t'curl up'n lick'er wounds private-like." Don't like th'idea'a diggin'er out when she's like'at, but'll do't if'n I need to. Don't think it'll improve thin's 'tween us, but rather have'er safe'n whole'n hatin' me'n otherwise.

[simon_klavec]

"Mosta th'times've heard'at," Syl says, glaring, "s'jes' cuz whoever't wuz's used t'gettin'is own way, an'e's managed t'persuade others 'at'e gets't. Don't b'lieve't 'til've tried't fer m'self." I shrug. "Could be." But he has power, real power. Doubt it'll be so easy as calling his bluff.

Syl doesn't sound too eager to go hunting out Zann. "Could take a look for her myself," I suggest. "Think you'd have better luck, though." I stand up, looking back to the shop. "Figured you should know what I learned," I tell Syl. Been meaning to talk to her about my idea with Hope, to see if we can figure his plan for his daughter. Don't think I'll bring it up, not now. "Can you send someone out, if you see Zann? And I'll keep an eye open, here. Could be she'd rather be around strangers, depending on what he did."

[syl_thorn]

"Could take a look for her myself. Think you'd have better luck, though."

"I'll look for'er," I nod, an'I will, "but havin' two pairs'a eyes out might be better'n one." Zann's th'type t'go t'ground when she's hurt, an'I dunno how eager she'll be t'talk t'me anyway.

"Figured you should know what I learned. Can you send someone out, if you see Zann? And I'll keep an eye open, here. Could be she'd rather be around strangers, depending on what he did."

"I 'ppreciate't," I says, noddin'. An'I do, even if'n't's fuckin' confusin'. Not 'im cursin' Zann, I get'at part....but me. What th'fuck did'e want wit' me? Bugs me'n some way. Oh, 'm pissed 'bout Zann, but'at's easy. Dunno how t'really feel 'bout what happened wit' me'n'im, annat niggles't me. "'ll letcha know if'n when I see'er. She won't leave th'Car'sel fer long, if'n nothin' else."

[simon_klavec]

"I'll look for'er," Syl tells me, "but havin' two pairs'a eyes out might be better'n one." We seem on better terms than last time we talked. Guess things have cooled some, since. "'ll letcha know if'n when I see'er. She won't leave th'Car'sel fer long, if'n nothin' else."

I nod. "I figured as much." More I think on it, the more I worry. He's creative. Knows what brings despair better than most, and the idea of Zann in despair, well. Brings about the same to me. Figure he must know that.

"I'll see you around, Syl."