4. [Accidental Visual] [Location: Caritas] Murder, He Sang

[greenballadeer]

Lorne takes the stage, ready to entertain the folks who have come for a celebratory drink after the big rescue. He has a punchy 40s tune planned, something to get the crowd dancing in their seats. The plan is to celebrate, but the musical glitch has finally taken hold of Taxon's most musical resident.

Violins swell mournfully out of nowhere. Lorne

Comments

[Location: Caritas]

[notabuymoron]

"Sure thing, coming right up." Casey calls out. It's not long before he's at Lorne's elbow, offering him a double strength seabreeze.

"You've got some pipes there. I take it that the subject matter wasn't exactly your choice, though."

[Location: Caritas]

[greenballadeer]

Lorne nods gratefully, takes the Sea Breeze, and downs almost half of it in one. The burn of the alcohol and the tang of the cranberry and grapefruit feels good in his throat. Then he stares down into the pink depths of his drink as if all the answers to life's questions could be found there. "Got it in one. Looks like the hamsters on high want all of Taxon to know about..." He takes another swig. "What I did."

[Location: Caritas]

[notabuymoron]

The bar isn't too busy, so Casey takes a moment to speak to the boss who looks about ready to slit his wrists and ruin a perfectly good suit. "I'm a pretty good judge of character. You don't strike me as the killing type. More the knock 'em dead on the catwalk type. So, you killed someone. Did he deserve it?"

[Location: Caritas]

[greenballadeer]

Well, Casey's more perceptive than Lorne gave him credit for, and he doesn't even have the benefit of anagogic powers. He sighs. "I don't know, Casey. I really don't. Back in L.A., you hardly ever knew who the bad guys were. Lindsey did some terrible things, sure, but he had a girl he loved, and a guitar, and the most beautiful voice I've ever heard sing at Caritas. Mostly, when I think of when I killed him, that's what I think about." He glances back at the stage, as if he can see Lindsey there in his mind's eye, playing his guitar.

[Location: Caritas]

[notabuymoron]

Casey listens attentively, then finally nods. "You see, that right there is proof that you're a decent man - or demon or whatever the hell the correct terminology is. You never forget your first kill. It changes you. How you deal with it determines your outlook on things from here on out."

He leans in, his voice dropping low and conspiratorial.

"People like me, we signed up for it, took an oath to serve our country. Sometimes that means killing people no questions asked. My superiors give me an order and I carry it out. I knew what I was getting into, but that doesn't mean I don't know that there's a personal cost. For taking lives. For being the instrument, not the judge. I can't afford to have a conscience. I can't allow myself to feel pity, regret, or compassion for the people I terminate, else I'll be compromised. And that's where I kinda envy you at this juncture."

Casey claps a reassuring (if weighty) hand on Lorne's shoulder.

"You've got nothing to worry about. You're not gonna end up like me."

[Location: Caritas]

[greenballadeer]

Lorne is shocked by what he hears. He knew from reading Casey that he had a fondness for weapons and worked for the US government, but he hadn't quite connected the dots that this meant he was a government assassin. For a wild moment he wants to fire Casey, to send him packing - but that would make him a hypocrite, since one of his closest friends has one of the highest body counts the world has ever seen. Then he just feels terribly sorry.

"Does it make it easier to live with what you've done? Knowing you were fighting for the right side?"

[Location: Caritas]

[notabuymoron]

"I wouldn't say easier. But I gotta believe that what I'm doing is protecting my country and its citizens from threats that would undermine their way of life. If I get my hands dirty, it's so that others don't have to."

He never talks about this stuff. Ever. Unless he's drunk. But just this once he's making an exception to ease the green guy's own conscience.

"It's so that Joe Jones with his trophy wife, two point five kids, volvo and goddamn golden retriever can sleep safe at night in his gated community of choice."

[Location: Caritas]

[greenballadeer]

Lorne laughs bitterly. "We had a motto, back in the place where I used to work. Back when we were actually doing some good. 'We help the helpless.' That's what I signed on for, but that's not what we ended up doing, in the end. More like 'we help the fat-cats in charge.'"

He gives Casey a searching look. "You know, most of my life in L.A., I never did get my hands dirty. I guess that means that someone like you was out there doing it for me."

[Location: Caritas]

[notabuymoron]

"Huh. It's not bad as mottoes go. I'm pretty fond of Semper Fidelis, myself. 'Always Faithful.'"

Casey holds his gaze for a while and then shrugs, not wanting to think too deeply on it. He knows he isn't a hero, not in the way that clean cops or firefighters are. But he likes to think that what he does is for the greater good. Has to think it. Otherwise he probably lose it. It's what he's dedicated his life to serving.

"Drink your seabreeze. I'll fetch you another but...more slowly this time, okay?"

[Location: Caritas]

[greenballadeer]

"I appreciate the concern, but I can't get drunk or get liver damage like humans do. I don't even have a liver." Nonetheless, Lorne drinks his Sea Breeze at a more measured pace.

[Location: Caritas]

[notabuymoron]

"Huh. Lucky for some. You can't get drunk at all?"

[Location: Caritas]

[greenballadeer]

"I can. But I'd need to brew up a potion for that. It's a lot of effort." A beat. "I do happen to be planning a party here at Caritas for a few of my friends. We've all got a lot of sorrows that could use drowning, and I plan on getting plenty drunk then. It'll just take a few drops of potion in each drink. Can you be there?" He raises his eyebrows. "Assuming you don't use anything we say as blackmail."

[Location: Caritas]

[notabuymoron]

"Sure. I just gotta check in with Guinevere first. I'm shacking up over there right now, she's still shaken up with the whole Lady Morgana being abducted from inside their home thing."

Then he eyes Lorne, his expression turning more hawk-like.

"Now why would I want to do that? You lot have some government secrets worth blackmailing over?"

Then he chuckles, letting Lorne know he's only teasing.

[Location: Caritas]

[greenballadeer]

"Guinevere. Is that the little medieval-looking lady who asked me what karaoke is? Well, you weren't there, but..." He scratches his head a little.

"Government secrets? More like I have no clue what Spike might blurt out when he's drunk," Lorne smirks.

[Location: Caritas]

[notabuymoron]

"Sounds like her: pretty, petite, long dark hair, coffee colored skin. Lives over at Camelot castle." Then he cracks a brief grin at Lorne's reference to Spike. "It also sounds like I'm gonna enjoy this party."

[Location: Caritas]

[greenballadeer]

"I didn't get a visual when we spoke, but - " Lorne smirks a little. "I'll take your word for it."