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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Jun 19, 2021 0:04:32 GMT -8
Lucas was surprised when his landlord and touchstone, Ms.Garcia, showed up at his apartment with a full meal wrapped up in tinfoil to keep it warm. Usually the two of them get together on Sunday for lunch or dinner together. As soon as she saw the surprised look on his face, she informed him that she had seen videos of Beltane pop up and wasn’t Riley “the person he had dated last year?” Ms. Garcia figured he might want to talk before their usual get together.
Initially, the Fairest was reluctant to open up. He played it off as it wasn’t any of his business and tried to shift the conversation over to the Habs vs Golden Knights game. The Fair haired Fairest was rocking blue and white blocked shirt that had a blue Maple Leaf in the middle of the white block along with blue lakeside shorts. Ms. Garcia was patient, she knew in time if she offered him a safe outlet to express his feelings he would get there.
And he did.
As the conversation progressed, guided by gentle nudges here and sympathetic sounds there by Ms. Garcia, Lucas loosened up enough to let out some of the pent up anger he had been holding in. His landlord recognized Loki. Some of the young men who had spent brief stints at the motel ended up working for him. While Loki had done the community some favors, she was fully aware of how dangerous he was.
When she eased into the violence that had broken out, his anger came to life. A cold anger creeped towards the surface like an infected internal injury that he had attempted to treat with meaningless distractions. When someone like Ms. Garcia--who had seen some serious shit in her day--considered Loki to be dangerous, that was like the canary screeching in the coal mine. The lock on his anger broke and it flooded through him taking on the form of a rant about how “stupid” Riley was for getting themselves involved in this whole debacle. What the hell were they thinking, taking on a manager who royally pissed into the cartel’s cheerios? Didn’t Riley and their manager understand how expensive protection from someone like Loki was going to be? Eventually his anger gave away to what he was really feeling; fear. He was not only afraid that the blow back from this event was going to get Riley hurt, he was also afraid of what they might do in retaliation. There were the supernatural consequences too but it wasn’t like he could get into any of that with his current company.
But what could he do?
Riley was in a Motley with Archie; they couldn't walk away even if they wanted to. His foot restlessly tapped against the ground as his anger worked itself into an almost suffocating anxiety that draped over his entire body. He wasn't aware he was grinding his teeth until Ms. Garcia gently interrupted his thoughts by speaking up again. He stretched his jaw which was feeling tight and his teeth were sensitive with pain from the grinding. Once she had a sense that his mind was back in the present, she reminded the relatively recent Vegas transplant that in a city as violent and desperate as Vegas, genuine empathy could go a long way. He needed to make sure that his empathy was conveyed rather than his judgement. She patted him on the shoulder and motioned to the extra plate of food she had brought over, “just incase” he ended up with company.
After some time had passed, Lucas’ concern outweighed his frustration, and he sent a text message to Riley asking if they’d meet him to discuss the next steps in their pledge agreement. The Moth agreed to meet up with him at his place. He sighed once the exchange was done, glancing over at Luther who was relaxing after receiving lots of love and praise from Ms.Garcia.
“ You're lucky, buddy. I wish popsicle sticks resolved 90% of my problems.”
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Jun 19, 2021 8:38:00 GMT -8
Things had changed since Beltane. The anniversary of their return had been a harsh reminder. These days when not wanted to draw to much attention, the Darkling moved about mask hardened. Tonight was one such evening. Riley had their mask hardened and wore one of their wigs, a black-haired bob cut. Their look was casual masc, with a leather fringed jacket, ripped jeans, and a simple blacktop. Never thought I'd see this place again.They arrived at the familiar location of Lucas's apartment. Pausing at the door and looking it over. A wave of sense memory washed over the Moth. They swallow as if to push the memories back within their gut before knocking on the door. |
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Jun 19, 2021 10:57:20 GMT -8
Between the time Riley agreed to come over and the knock on the door, Lucas had been restlessly waiting. Even the hockey game wasn't enough to draw him out of his thoughts. The moment he heard a knock on his door, he was up on his feet and looking through the peephole.
After confirming it was indeed his expected guest, the restless energy inside of him was enough to push past any nervousness of having Riley return to his place and immediately open the door for them.
"Hey, thanks for coming on such short notice. " Lucas glanced over at the wig but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he stepped aside so they could enter inside his apartment.
The place looked almost exactly the same as the last time they were here. The motel issued furniture was still in the living room and kitchen area. His walls were bare and there wasn't any personalized decor to be found in any corner of space outside of his bedroom.
What was new was the impressive cage that Luther was hanging out in. For a brief moment, Luther was excited because he thought Ms.Garcia had returned. The excitement instantly disappeared when he realized it was some stranger who didn't resemble an elderly woman at all. Luther immediately lost interest and returned to his toys.
"That's my buddy, Luther. I got him a few months ago." Lucas closed the door behind him and locked it.
"Do you want a drink or anything? I've got some pop and beer in the fridge. "
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Jun 20, 2021 7:22:19 GMT -8
Riley couldn't help but feel like they had stepped into some weird museum. Lucas's home was almost exactly the same since the last time the Moth had seen it. A shiver ran up their spine briefly.
When the cage was pointed out, Riley raised an eyebrow and glanced over. Luther watched Riley for a moment, and the Moth inexpressively stared back. Then Luther lost interest.
Yeah, me and you both.
Riley's attention shifts back to Lucas.
"A beer would be great, thanks. Love what you've done with the place" They say the joke in a dry tone as they looked about.
Slowly they took the jacket off and hung it on the back of the chair they had always hung their stuff before—a moment of instinct. The wisp blinks for a moment, a strange discomfort coming over them at the realization of that.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Jun 20, 2021 7:42:45 GMT -8
"Luther, buddy. We need to work on your hospitality skills."
Lucas paused by the cage to look at his feathery friend. Luther eyed Lucas for a moment before letting out a loud squawk of displeasure. The cockatoo was enjoying his rolling educational toy, which he was knocking all over his cage. He didn't care to be disturbed at this time, especially for some stranger who paled in comparison to his beloved Mildred. The Fairest shook his head, holding up both of his hands in a gesture of submission.
"Okay, okay. Enjoy your evening."
He laughed and moved away from the cage to snag a couple of beers from the fridge. On his way back to the couch, he couldn't help but glance at Riley's jacket on the chair. While they felt like they had stepped inside of a weird museum, Lucas felt like he had stepped back in time to a period of his life where things seemed simpler even if they weren't. The trials and tribulations of life didn't seem so bad when one had "their person".
But that was then and this was now. The two of them had a lot more to worry about these days, including a slighted local cartel. He continued on over to the sole couch, taking a seat on it, and then he set the beers down on the coffee table.
"Thanks, I can give you my interior designer's contact info if you want it." He joked in return.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Jun 21, 2021 10:02:22 GMT -8
"I think I will pass on the interior designer." The idea of anyone showing up at Rileys apartment in its current state made their stomach drop. Claire would probably end up over in a few days and start cleaning the place. Like always.
Riley takes the beer with a simple thanks before sitting down on one of the chairs. Taking a small sip they look over to Lucas.
"Never took you for a bird person"
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Jun 21, 2021 10:23:43 GMT -8
"Neither did I, but Vegas has a way of surprising ones self about the kind of things you like or don't like. "
Lucas, for example, learned that he very much hated zombies. Actually, that wasn't exactly true. He very much hated selfish necromancers who didn't give a single fuck about the living or the dead.
He glanced over at Luther, who was still having a grand old time with his toys. It would be easy to focus on Luther for awhile and slowly ease into the conversation that he actually wanted to have. But Lucas was growing increasingly more anxious with each passing second. Seeing Riley again in his apartment brought back a lot of memories. It helped remind him of the Riley who could be gentle, patient, and comforting. The Riley who still had a fight in them even when they had to work at some of the sleaziest and shadiest clubs. He hoped there was still a way that he could reach that Riley.
"So, hey. There's an idea I want to run by you in terms of you getting me into Eurydice's event. I think you should come with me. I know you don't have to but I think you should."
He quickly added in a response because he suspected they were going to immediately argue with him.
"Just hear me out and give me a chance to explain my idea before saying yay or nay. "
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Jun 21, 2021 10:48:55 GMT -8
Riley figured this was what it was about. After Beltane, their Oath to Lucas had weighed on their mind.
"I had planned to attend, given my oath. Unless you wanted to release me."
The moth raised an eyebrow curiously. They wondered what Lucas was going to suggest given all that had happened.
"what are ya thinking?"
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Jun 21, 2021 11:24:58 GMT -8
Lucas got up from the couch. He was feeling too restless to stay seated any longer.
"I'm not gonna try and argue with you if Archie deserved what he had coming to him or not. Because in a way, that doesn't matter. What matters is he pissed off the most influential cartel in the city. "
The Fairest paced back and forth while he spoke. Whenever he stopped to look at Riley, he could feel the anxiety in his stomach twist into another knot.
"I know you. I know that's not gonna be enough to stop you from wanting to push back against them. But you can't, Riley. It's going to be too costly.
Sure, you could gather enough power and influence to fuck them up. But at what cost? Do you think Loki or Ricochet are gonna lose any sleep over their underworld lackies getting killed? No, no they won't.
But Archie and you...you're both public figures. No matter who you tap, what contracts you gather up, how much money you spend, there's going to be collateral damage. Your collateral damage is your troupe. Everyone knows what production you're in. Your troupe buddies are public figures. They are easy to find and Ricochet has plenty of allies in Summer they can get to have law enforcement come up with bullshit reasons why performers are suddenly going missing.
Loki...Loki's not stable. His mantle is like an upper for rage. So many Lost in the Freehold are unstable and volatile right now. We need to try and garner more good will between the courts to slow everyone's roll before this conflict spills out into every street in the city. "
Lucas paused to look at Riley, his eyes pleading with them to consider his words. He made no effort to disguise his fear and concern for the Bright One.
"At Beltane, I was able to warn her about what Zhi is up to. We could instead put the focus on having Eurydice and yourself working out some kind of ceasefire or offering to help make amends. "
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Jun 22, 2021 10:34:52 GMT -8
Riley sipped their beer for a moment before leaning on their free arm. Their fingers gently tap their lower lip as they quietly listened to Lucas's plea. They were far calmer than they had been during their last meeting.
Lucas had a point; Eurydice, Loki, was in the cartel. They would and could do awful things to anyone they considered enemies. Sure the Freehold oath protected Riley or Archie from being murdered directly by either. Still, there were ways around it and many options worse than death on the table.
The moth wouldn't admit it out loud, but the idea of apologizing and making nice, despite the danger, felt wrong. It felt weak. Fold so quickly, and what stops the Ricochet from stepping over them again?
Riley let out a soft sigh. But they didnt have much power yet, not even being Vassaled to Chuggunkin gave them enough power in their corner to fight a Cartel. Perhaps discretion was the better part of the valor; swallow your pride.
"I hear you, "Riley says softly at last.
"But I can't promise it will work. I am not Archie, Nor is Eurydice, Loki. Me making friendly might not change anythang. Loki might not be satisfied until it's Archie. " There was also plenty of cultural and gendered elements swimming just below the surface of all of this that made Riley not the most optimal person for making peace with Loki.
Riley took note that the information about Zhi had already been passed along. They couldn't help but wonder what that would lead to... perhaps that could serve as a distraction to pull their attention from Afterparty.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Jun 22, 2021 11:43:25 GMT -8
The Fairest's pacing brought him over to where Riley was sitting. When they announced their decision, he looked exuberant.
"Holy shit, Riley I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that. "Sure, the Bright One had raised concerns about the how fruitful the whole endeavor would be, but there was an actual chance that it could work out.
Besides, what more could one ask for in Vegas than a chance at beating the odds?
Forgetting himself and their tumultuous history for a moment, Lucas leaned in to give Riley a hug. If they jerked back he would immediately stop. If there was an openness on their end, then they were in for a big old hug.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Jun 22, 2021 12:22:04 GMT -8
The gesture of the hug took Riley by surprise, but the darkling didn't flinch away. Instead of letting out a wheeze as the air was squeezed from them. They awkwardly gave a gentle pat on Lucas's back with one hand and held their beer to the side as not to spill it in the other. The moth was uncertain how to reciprocate the hug.
Riley wasn't certain if they should be insulted or not that Lucas would think they couldn't see reason. Then again...he had seen what it was like for Riley to be unreasonable more than most. Perhaps he was right to worry.
"I can try," the Moth says again, taking a sip of their beer and taking a moment to think.
"But this changes our oath, does it not? I had promised to get you to see Eurydice. You are managed to do that yourself. Where does that put us?"
Riley raised an eyebrow to the Fairest. After all, he was the one who was always going on about the Wyrd.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Jun 22, 2021 12:54:42 GMT -8
After the initial burst of excitement wore off, Lucas looked a touch sheepish at his gesture but he didn't appear to regret doing it either.
He released Riley from the hug, taking a step backwards, and he ran his fingers through his golden locks.
"Yeah, I know there's no guarantee here but the main goal here is to prevent things from escalating. Loki may have thrown the first punch but he wasn't the only one offended. Sweeney and Eurydice are in the same motley. Maybe we can get some kind of gift for Sweeney as an olive branch. Since he is one of the parties offended, him feeling more forgiving or at the very least acknowledging his experience has to mean something. "
A little empathy could go a long what in making amends. Sometimes more than anything what someone wanted was to be seen, have their pain acknowledged, and not minimized in any way.
"Hrm, I don't think the oath has changed. When you swore, you simply said you would get me into the event, not the reason. Ultimately, it's up to the Wyrd to decide if the arrangement on your end has been satisfied. But as I've not felt any kind of tug from the Wyrd, we should still move forward with it.
Honestly, the two of us getting on the same page rather than the arguing from before helps create better energy for the pledge." Perhaps the Wyrd knew this was going to be the final outcome.
Before Lucas could dive any further into his theories, there was a loud, demanding squawk from the other end of the table.
All of the excitement had caught Luther's attention. The Cockatoo appeared to have decided Riley was worth at least a modicum of his attention. Luther scurried across the table until he was next to Riley. Then he released another demanding squawk and he flapped his wings.
"Ah, looks like Luther has decided to come and say hi. This is his way of telling you that he wants you to talk to him. He's really smart. He knows a bunch of words and he can even dance. "
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Jun 24, 2021 7:17:25 GMT -8
Riley felt skeptical of the success of this venture. Forgiveness, honor, saving face, power; all of that was tangled in this mess. And Riley was guilty by association at this moment. Their words or actions would be dim compared to those of Archie.
Yet Lucas seemed hopeful of being able to smooth this out. Perhaps he saw something the Moth couldnt.
Riley couldn't help but roll their eyes at Lucas; mentioning them being on the same page made better energy for the pledge.
"Right, Good energy. Can't forget that, " the moth said with a dry delivery.
Their dark eyes slid down to the bird demanding attention. The moth gave Lucas a sideways glance before looking to Luther and reached out a slow hand. It was clear Riley had no idea what to do with a bird.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Jun 27, 2021 6:49:43 GMT -8
Luther skipped the fear and went straight to loathing in Vegas. His dark eyes narrowed at Riley's hand. Rather than biting their hand, he released another loud, displeased squawk.
Lucas couldn't help but laugh while he held out his wrist for Luther to hop on. Luther shuffled over to perch on Lucas's wrist. The entire time the tiny raptor's eyes remained trained on Riley.
"He wanted you to compliment him first and coo at him before touching him. I think you're only chance of redemption at this point is to do a little dance for him. "
Lucas grinned while he took out his phone with his freehand. Seconds later, the song "La Bamba" came on. Both Luther and Lucas gave Riley an expectant look as the music filled the kitchen area.
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