Hellboy | Hellboy + World War Z AU | Barways, after the war.

[mixed_murder]

It is not every day that Hellboy comes in the bar. Big, lurking; this time, covered in black goo. Very rarely does he go to the bar, ask for a biowaste bag, put his trademark trenchcoat in it, and pass it back. He won't be needing it anymore

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[o_eightyfour]

The man who has been sitting at the fireplace and watching Hellboy go through his motions knows probably better than anyone that guilt is something that doesn't go away, despite other people insisting that he is a heartless monster.

Perhaps he is in some ways -- heartless. He doesn't seem bothered by the hulking man, though, and what he's staring at is the fire as it burns whatever it is that Hellboy tossed into it, not Hellboy himself.

He clears his throat quietly.

[crownedwithfire]

Hellboy glances over; he nods his head once. "Sir," he says. That's what you call hard men, isn't it? Sir.

[o_eightyfour]

Paul half-smiles and shakes his head.

Now that he's had that psychotic break, things are really much better. Since he isn't Paul, he doesn't have to feel the entire burden of the Redeker Plan.

Just the guilt over implementing it.

"...we've met, haven't we?" He didn't recall exactly when, though. That happened a lot lately.

[crownedwithfire]

"Yes," says Hellboy.

He is not allowed the indulgence of a psychotic break; with his comes the end of all things.

Or the end of what's left.

[o_eightyfour]

"And your name is ... Help...boy?"

That didn't sound right. He rubs a hand through his hair and leans back in the chair again, still watching the fire.

[crownedwithfire]

"Close. You can call me HB, though, if you like."

Redeker looks like he needs all the allowances one can give.

[o_eightyfour]

Something like that.

He nods, accepting that. "And I'm Xolelwa." In case HB has forgotten.

Ha.

"You did not wish to launder your coat?" The bar here could probably get it clean somehow.

[crownedwithfire]

"I'll deal with it later," he says. "Coats are replaceable."

And all the good stuff was taken out of his pockets long before he got here.

[o_eightyfour]

"Very true. More things are replaceable than people think."

Like ... bodies. People themselves.

[crownedwithfire]

"Some things just aren't, though."

He will never think otherwise.

[o_eightyfour]

Souls were a different matter, he supposed.

People who believed in reincarnation were probably more willing to die. Unless they were slated to come back as a Zack or something of the sort.

"Natural resources," he agrees, "Oil. Gasoline."

[crownedwithfire]

Hellboy just looks at him for a long time, lets him say that.

He has no response for it.

[o_eightyfour]

He pushes up to his feet abruptly to grab a beer without saying a word.

[crownedwithfire]

Hellboy idly hopes he brings back two, but says nothing. He is able to weather uncomfortable silences better then most.

[o_eightyfour]

He does come back with two.

Mostly because Abri has gotten on him lately about being polite.

[crownedwithfire]

"Thanks," says Hellboy, because he is a polite man, in turn.